Film Name(s): Adam & Eve / The Diabolical Doctor Montague
Director: Simon Cluett
Writer: Simon Cluett
Starring: (The Diabolical Doctor Montague) Scott Samain, Tamar Higgs, Emily Cluett / (Adam & Eve) Tara Baker, Ben Cluett
Adam & Eve – She’s a deranged psychopath. He’s a reanimated head. It’s a match made in heaven.
The Diabolical Doctor Montague – A psychotic doll is brought to life by a dark magic ritual
In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Writer/Director Simon Cluett a few questions about his films ‘The Diabolical Doctor Montague’ and ‘Adam & Eve‘
Adam & Eve will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 12th January at 3.00pm
The Diabolical Doctor Montague will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January at 5.30pm
Q. Your films ‘The Diabolical Doctor Montague’ and ‘Adam & Eve’ have been selected to play at
the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from each film?
A. They’re very different in style and tone. Doctor Montague aims for a traditional horror vibe, while Adam & Eve is more comedic. Both films feature practical and digital effects so I think there’s a lot for viewers to enjoy.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the scripts?
A. All my scripts, regardless of genre, tend to be influenced by my favourite screenwriters e.g., David Mamet, William Goldman, and Quentin Tarantino. It’s not always a conscious thing, but studying their work helped shape me as a writer so I guess it’s inevitable.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of each film?
A. Adam & Eve flicks between the two main characters’ points of view – very much like Peep Show, which is one of my favourite sitcoms. Doctor Montague, by contrast, is an evil killer doll, so I looked to films like Chucky, Annabelle and even Jason and the Argonauts for inspiration.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original scripts during filming?
A. Adam & Eve was tightly scripted, but only 5 minutes long. It took less than a month to conceive, shoot, and edit. Doctor Montague is much longer, more complicated, and has three very different acts. Its visual style evolved throughout production (which took almost six months) – some sequences evolved, while a couple of scenes were shortened, or cut entirely.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. I love shooting with my friend, and actor, Scott Samain. He always gives a totally committed performance, even though the characters I write for him end up meeting a grisly demise. In Doctor Montague we shot a sequence in Chinatown where his character is stumbling through the crowds, while suffering from a pounding migraine. He was so convincing at one point someone came over to check he was alright. Goodness knows what they thought of me, callously filming every second of this poor guy’s agony! That night was a lot of fun.
Adam & Eve came about because I agreed to help someone with a project for their university degree. My friend Aimee Miller needed a project that showcased her skills with design and make-up. Eve’s hair, lips, eyes etc and Adam’s gory zombie design is all Aimee’s fantastic work. Thankfully the film came together, even better than expected. Aimee bagged an ‘A’, which was the cherry on top of a very enjoyable filming experience.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Doctor Montague is a killer doll for which created a practical ‘puppet’. Giving an inanimate object the appearance of movement is not easy. I had to employ various techniques such as strategic use of hidden wires, careful framing, and green screen – all of which presented problems, large and small.
I’m very pleased with the results but it was massively time-consuming, and I’ve vowed never to
attempt anything that ambitious, ever again.
Q. What makes these films stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. It’s difficult/impossible to come up with something truly original in any genre these days. The best I can hope for is to put my own (slightly twisted, but hopefully interesting) spin on existing ideas.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the films?
A. I hope people engage with and enjoy both films and see what’s achievable with little to no budget. Both films include loads of ambitious effects, great performances and some banging tunes – including tracks by punk legends, Eddie and the Hot Rods, and local band, Son of Buff (used with their kind permission, of course)!
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I have two feature films in production with Shogun Films (their upcoming Helloween is a must-see for horror fans). One is a modern-day vampire chiller called Midnight Kiss, the other is a kick-ass action film called Killer Instinct. As a bit of light relief, I’m also working on a murder mystery novel, which will appeal to anyone who likes The Thursday Murder Club.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Most people have access to cameras and computers these days, so the main obstacle is usually story. My advice would be to consider what is realistically achievable and consider what resources are to hand. For instance, do you live near an interesting location, or landmark? If so, can they inform the story you want to tell, or at least add production value? Do you have talented friends you can get involved/exploit? It’s worth listing down everything and everyone you could potentially utilise and reverse engineer a story from that. Having made several short films with my son, my daughter reached the age of 13 and made it very clear to me that she wanted a role. To an extent, that’s how Doctor Montague came about. The idea of a young girl being terrorized by a creepy doll made more sense to me than a strapping, 22 year old man. It did however mean I had to make a creepy doll from scratch. Thankfully I have a garage filled with junk, and I enjoy a challenge!
Adam & Eve will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 12th January at 3.00pm
The Diabolical Doctor Montague will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January at 5.30pm
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!
