Film Name: Hell Hole
Director: John Adams, Toby Poser
Writers: John Adams, Lulu Adams, Toby Poser
Starring: Toby Poser, John Adams, Maximum Portman, Anders Hove, Marko Filipovic
Hell Hole hails from the filmmaking family behind Hellbender and centers on an American-led fracking crew that uncovers a living French soldier frozen in time from a Napoleonic campaign, whose body hosts a parasitic monster.
In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Co-Writer/Director Toby Poser a few questions about the film ‘Hell Hole‘
Hell Hole will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January at 12.30pm
Q. Your film has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. Well first: thanks for having Hell Hole join the fun of Horror-on-Sea. From the looks of your killer roster of films this year, we hope viewers will feel at home with this Serbian-shot creature feature. We like to think of it as fun, disturbing (or eye-opening, depending on your taste) evolutionary horror with a kicking soundtrack and a lovely monster that might leave some slime in your eyes.
Q. You co-wrote the script with Lulu Adams. What were some of your influences when writing the script and what was your process for writing together?
A. We all love Carpenter’s The Thing – I mean, who doesn’t? I am a science geek, and John loves good squirmy violence. Lulu speaks French really well and knows how to have fun, so her original take on the film in particular with the French soldier was an invaluable jumping off point. Once we knew we’d be shooting in Serbia we adapted the story: an American fracking company essentially invading foreign soil.
Q. You both also co-directed the film together. What is the process of you working together behind the camera
A. We’ve been making films as a family since 2010, so John and I have fallen into a good routine by now. We know where each other’s strengths are; how to most smoothly move forward in both the big and more granular pictures. John is very visual and motivated by the motion and action of what we are shooting. I tend to be focused on the narrative flow, on the interior motivations of scenes and the thematic web that connects them. So we balance each other well.
Hell Hole was a different beast because we had an actual crew wearing all the hats we normally wear as a family. Besides the American producers Justin Martell, Matt Manjourides and Seager Dixon, and awesome DP Sean Dahlberg, we had a full fantastic Serbian crew we loved working with. It was a very new, very welcome and cool experience.
Q. In addition to writing and directing you also star in the film. Was this intentional during the writing phase and did you write these characters with yourselves in mind?
A. Originally, the screenplay did not include characters for us, but when the script turned to Serbia with the inclusion of three Americans, it became economical to jump in, and Shudder (the engine behind the production) was game. We brought along a close friend in Max Portman to play the third American, and he brings so much heart and humour to the role of Teddy.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. We wanted something industrial and cold, again not unlike The Thing. When the former Soviet Era mine was scouted in the Rtanj Mountains in Serbia, it was a jackpot – just gorgeous. And the area is known for its electromagnetic force field and rich supernatural lore, so we couldn’t have been more excited. What a set!
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Once we got there, most of the adapted screenplay stuck, but the Serbian dialogue was authenticated to include humour and expressions that made sense on their end. The cast and crew were so wonderful and lovable, and we love the humour they bring to the story. The generosity and spirit of the Serbian cast has really lingered for us.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Again, the Serbian cast and crew made every day so much fun. I loved showing up before sunrise and listening to everyone laughing on set and getting coffee at the catering truck. The hair and makeup trailer was always busting out good tunes. So we both really miss the team. And whenever the monster came out to play, there was a great buzz on set. Todd Masters, whose team Masters FX created the creature, was on set to help make this beauty come alive, and Todd is the coolest, kindest human. Also on set were Trey Lindsay (our habitual and favorite VFX wizard in our family’s films) plus the talented crew doing the puppeteering (including producers Dixon and Martell) and the Serbian FX team, Cinergy FX. Those days with the monster and the tentacles and all the guts and goo were highlights.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. We like shooting in gray, flat light, and we had many unexpected sunny days in the mountains. The mist was ace but the sun was stubborn. It was pretty damn cold, but seeing everyone’s breath on camera was a cool bi-product. One funny episode took place at the lake: the stunt man was meant to go under the water and stay there (until something I won’t give away happens), but his suit kept filling with air so he’d bob up to the surface like an adorable orange dumping. Finally they weighed him down. Which reminds me, in regards to a previous question: in one of the early script drafts there was a big scene in a river (and this is in the height of freezing Serbian winter) with four characters swept away, one getting impaled by a tree …. and the creature jet-propelling itself at record speed in the water…. Yeah, that never happened.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. We hope people have fun – we really wanted to make a rock and roll monster romp – but it’s cool if people also see some social relevance regarding bodily autonomy, gender tropes, and how we treat the environment.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Yes, thanks for asking. We have two features in edit at the moment: Slug, a cold wintry dark tale, and Mother of Flies, a blazing, thorny summer-set folk horror.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. First and foremost, make YOUR film, not someone else’s film. What makes your story original and authentic to you and your imagination? Also, don’t get stuck waiting on big budgets for all the bells and whistles. Honour the story using what you have, and lean into that. Sometimes I feel like our biggest gift is our limitations, because we don’t waste a lot of time waiting for what we do not have. We take cues form our environment (what’s outside our window or on the side of the road or literally on the horizon at any given moment); we use mostly natural light and travel lightly (camera at the ready and costumes nearby) so we can act upon the wonderful cues Nature or the universe throws our way; and we try to stay honest with the work. I personally believe that viewers can see or feel the pulse, heart and intention in a film, no matter the budget.
Hell Hole will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January at 12.30pm
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!
