Film Name: Bring Me A Skin for Dancing In
Director: Randy Kent
Writers: Chris Shane Sanders
Starring: Zara Hadeshian, Carmen Holloway, Alyssa Haymor, Chris Shane Sanders, Bhasker Patel
After losing her twin sister, Helen goes to an English cottage where locals befriend her. She opens up about her childhood. They introduce her to witchcraft, paganism, and mythological creatures.
In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask director Randy Kent a few questions about the film ‘Bring Me A Skin for Dancing In‘
Bring Me A Skin for Dancing In will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 11th January at 10am.
Q. Your film has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. Expect a real sense of creepy nostalgia for some of the classics like The Blood on Satan’s Claw, Witchfinder General with a bit of Spider Baby thrown in for spice. You will see some great performances from all of our actors, some who literally had to weather the elements to make this movie happen.
Q. Bring Me A Skin for Dancing In was written by Chris Shane Sanders. What attracted you to the script when you first read it?
A. I’ve worked with Chris on a number of projects over the years so the first thing that interested me was the great collaboration we have and creative freedom that I get when I do a Chris Sanders production. Another thing for me were the characters in the script – well written and drawn out at the same time keeping them mysterious and ambiguous which made it all the more creepy and that’s something I like. And the ending is just nuts and a great pay-off!
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. The challenge of shooting this movie is that it’s shot in the same cottage in Devon that we did Demons At Dawn” (one of the previous HoS screened films I did with Chris) and figuring out how to make it seem ‘different’. So lighting was important. Demons At Dawn was darker in look to hide a lot of things, this one I wanted a little brighter while still keeping the dark mood/tone of the subject matter. I wanted to see more of the cottage and the surrounding areas that we had not seen previously so putting the camera in different spots was important as well. As far as style, it was always referencing the British folk tales mentioned earlier. No big and fancy “modern” style camera techniques or moves and we really wanted this to feel like it could have been shot in the early 70s. Oh how we would have loved to shoot this on grainy 16mm film stock!
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. I always enjoy the effects set-pieces and the challenge that goes along with pulling those off in the horror films that I make. The middle of the woods grave site was a particular favourite of mine because it just looks so great and creepy as hell. Viewing and being surprised by the make-up work is also thrilling. They did such an incredible job with one particular effect on this one. You’ll know it when you see it! And I should mention that working with legends like Bhasker Patel and Vernon Wells is always a treat. Just collaborating with these classic, professional actors and seeing how they work and quickly adapt to whatever is thrown at them is what makes being a director special.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. I think the biggest issue/complication for me in particular being from Los Angeles was the absolute cold. Maybe it’s my age or tolerance but when we shot at the cottage before (at the exact same time of year) I don’t remember it being as cold as it was on this one. I could never get warm, not even back in my hotel once we wrapped for the night. We had an overnight exterior shoot at the aforementioned grave site and would just have to huddle up together to keep warm in between takes. Even the camera got too cold to continue at one point! It was a tough night but those scenes turned out to be some of the best ones in the movie I feel.
Q. What makes this stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I think the throw-back element and treating those classics with the reverence we did is something that sets it apart. If you look at those old films, they were a lot more character driven and didn’t throw a bunch of gore at the viewer. You were left generally creeped out because of the performances and the circumstances the hero is put in and that’s what we tried to capture.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I am honoured to have my 5th film in a row playing at the festival. I hope to be there in person to shake hands with the dedicated people involved along with the horror fans in attendance cause they are some of the most loyal I have ever seen at these fests. My biggest hope is that you all enjoy the movie and the performances of the actors and are generally thrilled with the ending cause it’s all for you guys!
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. As of the end of 2024, a film I did in India called Road King is about to start a worldwide VOD release so look out for that soon. I’ve also just started post-production on a comedy feature that co-stars 7 dogs called Bob’s Best Friends. On top of that, I am prepping a faith-based project with my long-time filmmaking partner, John Luksetich that looks to start shooting in the spring. Along with that project we have a 6-episode fantasy mini-series that we will start rolling out in the new year via our new filmmaking co-op company, There Is No Box Studios. So lots of things coming up for 2025 across many different genres.
Q. If someone was looking to direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. It’s such a great and fruitful time to be a filmmaker because there is every kind of technology available to anyone at a very low cost. And then there are countless places to get your work seen once done! So there are no more excuses – Just go for it!
Websites:
Bring Me A Skin for Dancing In will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 11th January at 10am.
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
