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I Scream Man (Starring Haylie Duff, Info On Brutal Horror Flick)
From Fangoria....
March 23: Filmmakers talk I SCREAM MAN
Following our first item here on the upcoming chiller THE I SCREAM MAN, Fango heard from director JT Mollner and producer Nicholas Terry, who shared some more details about the project. We were immediately impressed that Mollner signed off as being part of “NoRemake Productions,” and he expresses an ambition to make this project, which has added Tom Sizemore (pictured) and Judd Nelson to the cast, more than the typical slasher yarn. “I aim to make this one of the most graphic, controversial, character-driven, sociopolitically aware and visually innovative horror films to date,” he tells us. “I grew up as not just a fan of horror, but the great stylists like Polanski, Truffaut, Fellini, and Scorsese, to name a few, and it's a serious goal of mine to blend high art with horror and give the genre the cinematic respect it deserves. This film is truly brutal; there is some heavy, gritty stuff, and uncomfortable situations that have never been put on film. It's important that we counterbalance that brutality with a beautiful visual style, and level of serious character develpoment and story rarely seen in the genre.
“We have also subversively tackled a number of key social issues, one being the ‘cycle of violence’—is vigilante killing really the answer, or does it just inspire more violence?—and another being the hypocrisy and danger of extreme fundamental organized religion in America,” continues Mollner, who wrote the script with Mikos Zavros. “So there is an element of satire and ‘message’ beneath the extreme brutality. All that aside, this film is good ol’-fashioned slasher cinema at its best. We’ve created an iconic figure for horror fans to get behind—we hope, one of the first true horror icons in years. And he’s a real person—complex, ambiguous and scary as hell! The thing horror fans will probably enjoy is the fact that we have purposely set up all the slasher film clichés in the first act. All the archetypes à la the HALLOWEEN blueprint are there: the quintessential heroine, the ****ty best friend, the private eye, etc. But we throw all the cliches out the window as the story progresses. These characters make real decisions in frightening and disturbing situations. And nothing—nothing—can prepare you for the end. I can honestly say there are some truly original and daring scenes in this film.”
Mollner first hooked up with Terry when they met through the latter’s talent management company (his clients included Fred Ward and Stellan Skarsgard). “JT told me about a horror film he wrote,” Terry recalls, “but he wouldn’t give me any more information until after I signed him as a client. Eventually I did, and I read the script and immediately said, ‘This is different. I like it—I have to make this.” That’s so clichéd, I know, so it may have gone, *beep* that was *beep* intense; this guy's a crazy *beep* I gotta make this thing now.” I told the guys I wanted to produce it, and they were all for it. So JT, Mikos and I would get together in my office and have lengthy discussions about the movie; we later hired my friend Ami Werges as a producer, because I just love her passion and ability to work well with crews.”
Another acquaintance, Michael Hothorn, came on board to cast the movie, and landed teen star Haylie Duff to play the heroine Lynda, whom Terry describes as “the all-American girl. She’s very hopeful and longs to get out of the small town she lives in. Haylie brings this playful innocence to Lynda, and it’s [the kind of] movie I haven’t seen her do yet. We’re just so excited that she signed on for the lead.” He goes on to reveal more of I SCREAM MAN’s ensemble: “JT had a long lunch with Tom Sizemore and discussed his playing Ronnie Gop, a gun-toting Southern private detective. Sizemore immediately responded to the film and JT’s vision, and came on board. Judd Nelson also signed on to play Brent, a sleazy walking cliché from Hollywood; we’re also fortunate to have CABIN FEVER’s James DeBello on board.”
And as the for the titular villain, whose casting has yet to be revealed, “Our guy is this iconic killer who is somewhat a vigilante,” Terry says. “His psychological problems, which stem from childhood abuse, drastically outweigh the severity of his cosmetic physical ailment. There is actual emotion to the Ice Cream Man; he’s gotten to the point where he just can’t stop anymore. Therefore, there’s a real story to tell in our film. He’s not just killing for the hell of it; he actually has a motive—some reason. There's a method to it all.
“It’s important to JT, Mikos and myself that we preserve the rich tradition of horror movies and not just make some *beep* spookfest,” the producer concludes. “There are social issues that are noticable in the film, and that's important these days. All of us are horror fans first, and want to do our best to give our fellow fans a good picture.” —Michael Gingold
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This looks to be a very promising horror flick. It looks like Crispin Glover has signed on to play the psycho. Glad to see Haylie Duff doing something different, and getting a lead role.
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