|
Your new movie A
Stranger in the Woods - in a few words, what is it about, and what
can you tell us about your character in it?
József Gallai [József
Gallai interview - click here] is
a director who can make the natural environment - trees and sky and water
and earth - a character in itself. A lot of his work has what I call a
"gothic nature" vibe, which I'm very into. A
Stranger in the Woods is like a solitary walk in an
unknown forest on a grey day: What you are doing is less important than
what you are feeling; a creeping unease, an unnamed dread. That's very
much my kind of terror. In the film, I play the agent of that terror. His
name is Victor.
What did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Bill Oberst jr can
we find in Victor? I love József
because he allowed me, in animating Victor, to draw on the holy ones of
horror, people like Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff [Boris
Karloff biography - click here] and Peter Lorre [Peter
Lorre biography - click here] and
Conrad Veidt and Max Schreck; to summon the ghosts of their old movements
and expressions and to waft those into the air around Victor. There is
also much of me there. And much, I am sure, of József himself.
How did you get involved with the
project in the first place? József
asked me to do a voice part in I Hear The Trees Whispering (a
film that also dappled with gothic nature story-pollen). We got on, so
when he sent A
Stranger in the Woods I
was already interested because I like his work so much. He's a bit
reserved, József is; you sense things beneath the surface to
which you are not privy. As an actor who yearns to be the confidante of my
directors, this always frustrates me, but it drives me to go further
to please them and to understand their vision. Actors are vast chasms of
need, you know. It's in the blood. To what extent could you
identify with A
Stranger in the Woods' brand of horror?
To the fullest extent. I live inside my tortured head and I like horror
that takes me into someone else's tortured head. That's cathartic. A
bloodfest is over when the vein runs dry. I want more. I want a
lasting effect. I want the idea of the movie to crouch in my cobwebs for a
few days afterward. Disturb me. Give me that noonday demon. Horror is
quick. Terror takes time. What can you tell us
about A Stranger in
the Woods' director József Gallai [József
Gallai interview - click here], and what was
your collaboration like?
See above. Plus this: To me, József's
films are about the feel of the thing, not the action of the thing. When
you watch his work, try not to think but to feel. Remember a time
when your body was alive, really alive. Get a hot cuppa. Close the damned
tabs. Then watch. I know I'm asking a lot, but at some point, you've got
to relax and let go... I'm just suggesting that you try to do that before
you try to get into a work of art. And independent film is, very often,
art. The fact that our culture doesn't recognize that is a defect of the
culture, not the art. As far as I know, A
Stranger in the Woods is the first film you've shot in Hungary -
so what can you tell us about Hungarian style indie filmmaking, and in
what way (if at all) does it differ from shooting a movie in the US?
I loved shooting in Hungary! It was on my list - I've shot in most of Eastern Europe
but had missed Romania and Hungary - and it did not disappoint. I had an
apartment in a historic town with a feel of faded majesty that you
could just inhale. The work ethic of József's
crew was impressive, a bit more intense than most US shoots, which I
liked. I'm a worker. Do talk about the shoot as
such, and the on-set atmosphere!
The location was in the woods (of course) near farmer's fields, and
strangely silent. Very off the grid. I enjoyed the drive each morning
because we would pass this beautiful statue of Christ, almost hidden in
the trees and undergrowth. You could easily miss it. The guys and gals on
the film team told me that most small towns at one time had a statue of Jesus
or a cross near their entrance and that some, like this one, still existed
but were not always kept up. I found that Christ more poetic and more
moving for its half-hiddenness. The forests of Hungary which we visited
are evocative, silent, towering. It was all wonderful imagination fodder.
Of course, we weren't in the city. That was a blessing. Cities are a bit
much. I'm a barefoot guy. I need dirt.
Any future projects
you'd like to share?
I'll mention three, two on screen and one on stage: Billy Pon is prepping a
sequel to his cult classic Circus Of The Dead
and has asked me to reprise the role of Papa Corn. József
Gallai is prepping a movie about a phenomenon that scares the bejeesus out
of me, The Black-Eyed Children, and has asked me
to do a role in that one. Both directors I respect and both projects I'm
looking forward to. On stage, I've just begun touring a little solo show
I've been developing for a year. It's called Adversary.
It's about Satan. The website is https://AdversaryShow.com Your website, social media,
whatever else? My site is https://BillOberst.com, and
I'm @billoberstjr everywhere.
 |
Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned) |
The links below
will take you
just there!!!
|
|
 |
Anything else you're dying to mention and
I have merely forgotten to ask?
Be kind, people. Cruelty is overrated. Thanks for the
interview!
Thank you, Michael, for all you do for independent art and independent
artists. You're one of us, and we appreciate you.
|
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
