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Your new movie No Tears in Hell - in a few words, what's it
about? The film is about a
serialkiller named Alex who, with the aid of his mother, is killing
runaways and then they are cannibalizing the victims. What were your sources of inspiration when
writing No Tears in Hell? The film is based on the true story of
the Siberian Ripper, Alexander Spesivtsev, a serialkiller in Russia in
the 90s, so that was the base material. As far as creatively - the
Australian film Snowtown by Justin Kurzel
was certainly an inspiration. What can you tell
us about your co-writer Alexander Nistratov, and what was your
collaboration like? Alex was the one who came up with the idea of doing a
film based on the Siberian Ripper, and after he recently came back from
a trip to Alaska that helped us find our Americanized setting for the
story. So without Alex getting things started there’d be no film.
From there, he gave me creative freedom to write and direct the film
as I saw it, and then further supported bringing the story to life by
being an executive producer on the project, as well as finding the two
key casting pieces Luke Baines and Gwen Van Dam.
Do talk about your movie's
approach to horror!
I think
No Tears in Hell follows the approach to all
the horror stories I’ve been able to be a part of, whether that was as
a writer or as a writer/director. I’ve loved horror my whole life, and
I’ve tried to honor the horror books, movies and shows of the past
while putting my own spin on the genre.
No Tears in Hell really takes
the audience to places that we’re all afraid to go, and should be
afraid to go, but for numerous reasons we’re still drawn to watch from
a safe distance. So the film’s approach is to not shy away from the
horrors, but to rather lean into them, taking the viewer further than
most people probably care to go. It’s not for the faint of heart…
A few words about your overall
directorial approach to your story at hand?
I always work character-out, which was particularly
both challenging and rewarding in the case of this film. Meaning for
me, it always starts with fleshing out three-dimensional, flawed, and
interesting characters first and then shaping the world around them.
That’s true for me both in the writing stage as well as when it’s time
to direct. I wanted to make a very real and brutal film that was shot
beautifully along the way. Having a genius of a DP in Gev Juguryan
really allowed for that beauty to unfold, as it always does when I’ve
had the great fortune to work with him, allowing me to focus the bulk
of my director duties on performances and the overall narrative.
What can you tell us about
No Tears in Hell's cast, and why exactly these
people? We had a phenomenal casting director Debbie Sheridan,
who, along with finding Luke and Gwen with Alexander Nistratov, was instrumental in putting together a cast made up of actors from
both coasts. I had previously worked with Tatjana and Erik on the show
Purgatory, and I’ve been fortunate to since work with several of the
No Tears in Hell cast on other projects, like Gabriella, Laurie, Audrey and
Jake. It really is a great cast across the board. I was incredibly
fortunate to work with all of them.
Do talk about the shoot as such, and the
on-set atmosphere?
I’ve been pretty open about the whole process of making
this film, starting back from the blank screen staring back at me
before I started writing it. It is a really disturbing story that I
wanted to do right by, really pushing to see how far we could go as a
collective, but I also didn’t want to glorify this guy. That was never
the intention. I did want to make a beautifully haunting and
disturbing film though, and I believe that was accomplished and had an
inclination we were onto something when cast and crew were walking
away from the monitor in tears. Despite the intensity of the material
though, the cast and crew were all incredibly professional and there
was a much needed lightheartedness between everyone whenever possible
in between takes and on off days.
The $64-question, where can
No Tears in Hell be seen?
It’s going to be available to rent and/or purchase on all of the major
platforms, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes,
Google Play,
FandangoNow, YouTube Movies, Dish Network and
Dish Digital, and can
be seen on local cable & satellite providers. Anything you can tell
us about audience and critical reception of
No Tears in Hell yet?
So far this one has been received with pretty much
shock and awe across the board from those who have seen it to date.
The one thing I was sure of was I didn’t see people being indifferent
to the film, so people are going to either love it, or be completely
outraged by it. I’m curious to see how the reviews will be, because I
think it lends itself to visceral reactions to say the least.
Any future projects you'd like to share? I
just wrapped filming a horror/thriller called Rough Draft
with Jeff Fahey, Mena Suvari and Lochlyn Munro that I wrote and directed
that’s currently in post, and I’m currently in the process of putting
together my next one with my producing partner Clayton Turnage. It’s
another horror called The Guilt that we’re hoping to film
by the end of the year.
What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did your
receive any formal education on the subject?
I always knew I wanted to be a storyteller from a young
age, so creative writing was my thing as far back as I can remember. I
always enjoyed reading, Stephen King in particular, and always loved
films. I got into theater in high school, and moved to Los Angeles
when I was twenty to chase my dreams. I actually went to college for
business so all of my training was through trial and error, and just
learning from everyone and everywhere that I could.
What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to
No Tears in Hell?
My first official film credit was as a co-writer on
Hangman, the serialkiller film starring Al Pacino, Karl Urban and
Brittany Snow. I did the original English script for Sin Origen after
that, which is a great Mexican horror film, before writing, directing
and producing Hunter’s Moon starring Thomas Jane. I also really
enjoyed writing and co-directing the 16 episode series Purgatory
that’s on Tubi before co-writing the Michael Jai White action movie
The Island.
How would you describe yourself as a director?
The screenwriting process for me is very singular, so I
really love and embrace the collaborative process of directing. So I
honestly try to surround myself with a great team of cast and crew,
before then articulating my overall vision while being open to the
fluidity to collaboration. Ultimately, my goal is always to create a
safe place where collectively we can be creative, so that we can tell
a story to entertain audiences.
Filmmakers who inspire you?
This is a very eclectic list, and it’s constantly growing: Wes Craven, Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant, Alan Parker,
Rob Reiner, Fincher, Scorsese, Lumet, Hitchcock, Hughes Brothers,
Justin Kurzel, Elia Kazan. I could honestly go on forever. Your favourite
movies? My favorite movie is Stand By Me. If I had to list a
top five that list is constantly changing, but Stand By Me is always a
constant. Right now, I’d put it along with The Godfather,
A Nightmare
on Elm Street, Fight Club and Angel Heart, but ask me tomorrow and
that might change! ... and of course, films you really deplore?
After finishing my directorial debut Hunter’s Moon, I
vowed never to speak poorly about another film again, and I’ve stuck
to that ever since. It’s so hard to get a film even made, and so many
things can happen behind the scenes that are often times out of a
filmmakers control and that the public usually never knows about, so I
just don’t feel right speaking poorly about another storyteller’s
work. I know that’s probably not a juicy answer to your question, but
it’s an honest and sincere one. Your/your movie's website, social media,
whatever else? I’m on Facebook (Michael Caissie) and Instagram (@michael.caissie).
Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
Just that I’m incredibly grateful to be able to do what
I love for a living, and I’m forever thankful to the countless people
who have helped, and continue to help, make that a reality.
Thanks for the interview! And thank YOU for the interview. These were very
thoughtful questions. I appreciate your time, consideration and
support for the film. Cheers!
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