Film Name: New Fears Eve
Director(s): Eric Huskisson, P.J. Starks
Writers: P.J. Starks
Starring: Dave Sheridan, Felissa Rose, Hannah Fierman, Jeffrey Reddick, Lily-Claire Harvey, Matthew Tichenor, Turner Vaughn
Follows three best friends who involuntarily prepare for Hooper Industries’ annual New Year’s Eve
party, which turns deadly when a murderer sets his sights on them. In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Co-Director Eric Huskisson and Writer/ Co-Director P.J. Starks a few questions about the film ‘New Fears Eve‘
New Fears Eve will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 11th January at 10:30pm.
Q. Your film has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we
can expect?
A. Eric: Lots of creative kills, gore, laughs, surprises, and on top of that you will see some fantastic acting. Expect to be entertained by all of this!
P.J. We’re so excited that NFE is getting a screening across the pond. We were hoping it would play overseas and with it being only an hour and a half away from London, that’s pretty awesome.
Audiences can expect lots of laughs and lots of blood. What I think they’ll be surprised about most is the narrative. Its not a movie where you can just take your brain out for ninety minutes. I’ve been told more than once by viewers is how layered the story is. That’s always a nice compliment.
Q. You co-directed and produced the film based on a script written by P.J. What is you process of
directing together?
A. Eric: We started out with me being the sole director of the film. I had expressed early on that we should co-direct but he had faith in me to do it myself. Early on in production we talked and realized it would be better for us to co-direct. PJ had a clear vision of how he wanted things to look and it was best for us to split the duties. So, he focused on the action and F/X scenes and I focused on the actors and dialogue.
Q. P.J what were some of your influences when writing the script?
A. P.J. I’m a big horror nerd, particularly of the slasher subgenre. There are direct references from Reanimator and Psycho to Scream, to lesser-known fare like Hell Night and so many other horror greats. Easter eggs are a guilty pleasure of mine. I’m always writing them into the script or using them in the visuals during scenes. However, when I wrote New Fears Eve I pulled heavily from my own personal life. The past four years were a rollercoaster, so when it came to write I was using all my pent-up emotions from a nasty divorce, the death of my grandmother who’d given me my love for the genre, my mom being diagnosed with double lung cancer, and even positive experiences such as rekindling an old romance with a long-time friend who’s now my wife. I wanted the whole experience to be familiar for horror fans but also the story to very much be my own.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
P.J. The film isn’t a throwback as it takes place in modern day, but it does pull the look and the feel from 90s horror and comedies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and American Pie. Especially in the music department. Frank Dormani gave the film it’s musical voice and he knocked it outta the park. We’d had John Carpenter synth vibes in our previous films and with this I wanted it to sound more orchestral. Think what Christopher Young did with the score for Urban Legend or Brian Tyler’s score for Darkness Falls. Frank killed it, no pun intended. It helps make the film feel even bigger than it really is.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
P.J. The script went through six drafts before we started filming. Of course, during filming cast and crew will occasionally throw out ideas. We’re very open to that and because I’m editing the movie I like to have options. This is probably the closest adaptation to a script I’ve written in terms of what you see on screen. We had an incredible amount of support. That helped bring the bigger set pieces to life. Compromise is fairly common on a production, but with New Fears Eve there wasn’t as much so what you’re experiencing in many ways was exactly how it was written.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Eric: There are so many elaborate kills in this movie that I was nervous about. But, finally seeing what the F/X crew were able to do blew my mind. They were great executed right in front of me and even better on screen!
Another favourite of mine was seeing the cast we put together bring their characters to life. PJ and I have been so lucky with our cast and this one was no exception. They definitely gelled!
P.J. One of the bigger nights of filming was an aftermath sequence that involved a slew of law enforcement vehicles, ambulance, a fire truck, as well as a bunch of extras dressed and Police and FBI. The Owensboro Police Department were part of the production and closed the street for us. We were filming between the River Park Center and the Gary Clover Bridge. When I stepped onto set it just felt different. It felt big. After that night there was a rumour going around a body had been discovered under the bridge which is pretty hilarious.
Another was creating the Kill Room scene, where we have a slew of victims in this warehouse that are all strapped to tables. I don’t want to say too much, but there were a lot of moving parts. I wrote that sequence to be my homage to the Saw franchise and it worked out beautifully.
I’d say the best part of working on NFE was getting on set with Jeffrey. Final Destination left a visceral imprint on me growing up. Now years later I’m standing on the set of my own film with the same guy who created that. It was a long time coming but the whole situation was surreal. Jeffrey’s very kind and generous of his time. When he wasn’t in front of the camera he was hanging out with the crew or the actors. He understands the importance of camaraderie on set and made the experience a great one for all involved.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Eric: We had a few hiccups along the way but nothing major. Typical things like having to tweak the shooting schedule a few times and we had to replace an actor in the middle of production. We also, had to reshoot a couple of F/X to get them just right.
Q. What makes it stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Eric: I feel the Doctor’s character is new and fresh as the antagonist. He’s a mix of the past representing the present. This film has a great mix of everything in it. You have suspense, gore, extravagant kills, and character building. We haven’t been able to focus on our characters as much due to the anthologies we have made in the past.
P.J. We never set out to do anything fresh per say. Eric and I had some professional firsts we wanted to accomplish. This was our first single narrative feature together. It expanded our scope being both horror and comedy. Personally, I wanted to subvert expectations as much as I could while also giving nods to what I love without copying the tropes. It was a difficult balancing act but ultimately this was an opportunity to leave my fingerprint on the sub-genre.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. Eric: First, I hope people walk away entertained. I want them to know we put a lot of hard work and time into getting the film completed. Most importantly I hope people see that we made our film how we
wanted to and didn’t follow any formula to please the masses.
P.J. That the film is more than fart jokes and blood. Beneath the surface is a more dramatic throughline about what it means to live through something life altering and how that dichotomy affects relationships or decision making. I don’t want to get too artsy fartsy because there’s plenty of gore with jizz and poop jokes, but the overall narrative of the film is much more serious.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Eric: We are always talking about what is next for us. We get a lot of that figured out when we are traveling but, as of yet there is nothing in the works. We are mainly focusing on getting distribution for this film. Knowing us we will be in pre-production early next year for our next project. Who knows maybe there will be a sequel!
A. P.J. Eric and I spent a week in Pennsylvania as we’re both producers on The Barn Part III, which is Justin M. Seaman’s final chapter in that popular indie horror franchise. There’s a lot of talented people involved including Chopping Mall’s Kelli Maroney. While on set we got to work with Courtney Gains which was very cool. The campaign is In Demand for anyone interested in coming on board at
The Barn Part III | Indiegogo
I’m serving as an executive producer on several other projects. One of those is Sweet Meats which is getting closer to a release from Troma. It’s Ricky Glore’s horror comedy musical that is equally as funny as it is horrifying. Another is Tory Jones’ slasher flick The Boy from Below starring Dee Wallace, Spooky Madison and Leah Voysey, which is currently in post-production.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Eric: I always encourage anyone who is interested in any facet of filmmaking to go for it. If you have a passion for anything you should give it your all. I hate to be cliché but you never know till you try. It is better to take the leap than look back one day and wish you had of tried something! I finally did and I think I am in a pretty good position!
P.J.: Don’t let anyone tell you your dream is unrealistic but be realistic about your expectations. It’s the only way you’ll make better more calculated moves. Do not be afraid to fail. Be prepared to fail and use that failure to adjust your next move. Most importantly surround yourself with people who are passionate and likeminded. You cannot make a film on your own. Not one worth a damn anyway.
You can find out more about Blood Moon Pictures on the Website: https://bloodmoonpictures.com/
New Fears Eve will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 11th January at 10:30pm.
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!
