If you've seen any AJ Bowen movies (The Rites of
Spring, The House of the Devil, A Horrible Way To Die, You're Next), you already know he's a good
actor. But his interviews help explain why. He's not only witty, he's also a
genuine fan of classic genre films. He's in Ti West's new film The Sacrament,
which screens as part of the Vanguard Programme at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, so we came up with some good questions for him.
SPOILER ALERT: His answers are pretty good, too.
1. You've gone on record as saying Black Christmas is your
favorite horror film. What other Canadian horror movies do you consider faves?
Canadian horror is actually a love of mine, but in the
spirit of brevity I will mention Visiting Hours. I am consistently surprised
there isn't more love for that film, and am often imploring friends to check it
out. A great proto-feminist genre picture with great atmosphere and an amazing
monster in the form of Michael Ironside, who I worked with a couple of years
ago and who I forced to sign my DVC. He did, begrudgingly.
Also, the first horror movie I ever saw was Happy Birthday
To Me, so I guess I've always been living inside Canadian horror films. And as
someone born in 1977, a lot of the gateway films that introduced me to the
genre as a young person in the '80s s were Canadian, like Terror Train,
Videodrome, Scanners, etc.
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| Visiting Hours |
2. You've made a lot of genre/horror movies, but you haven't
yet been in a horror movie remake. Would you be in one if the circumstances
were right and what would those circumstances be?
I was a stage actor before I was in film, so I have always
been less opposed to the concept of a remake than a lot of people--I guess I
always felt like we were consistently telling the same five to ten stories in
some shape or form. I would work on any type of movie, given the right
circumstances, and those circumstances would always be the talent involved, and
most importantly, the script. If I like a script and I get the sense the
filmmakers can pull off the intent/promise of the story, I am pretty much
always in.
3. I read up on Jonestown recently and it depressed the hell out of me. Did you have to do any research for The Sacrament on the Peoples Temple or were you already well versed in the story?
Given my age I was acutely aware of Jonestown. As a child of
the American South, religious fanaticism was something I was both experiencing
and dually fascinated by. Jonestown went right along with learning about fringe
cultures that were dominating the news, such as satanic panic. I've always been
fascinated by cults, and I had watched everything on Jonestown many times
before we ever began the process of making this one, so I intentionally stayed
away from reacquainting myself. It was unnerving to see the detailed world our
production designer Jade Healy crafted. What I DID do was watch every VICE
Guide To Travel. Many times.
4. The Sacrament is another movie that you're working on
with that same group of directors, writers, and actors you work with all the
time. Do you feel sort of like an ensemble team by this point, the horror
equivalent to the Christopher Guest mockumentary folks?
It's a strange thing to talk about--I am not sure the
reality matches the idea. It makes sense in indie film to collaborate with your
friends, for practical reasons. But it's also a work thing--I typically don't
see any of those guys other than Ti and Amy beyond being on set, and I think as
these filmmakers are moving into bigger budgets the group of people naturally adapts/changes.
The last time I worked with some of those guys outside of The Sacrament was
You're Next, and though it only came out recently we shot it well over two
years ago.
I can say that if Ti or Joe or Amy asked me to work with
them I would always do it, sight unseen. We have a good working relationship
and I think they're really talented storytellers.
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| Resolution: The beardy guy is NOT AJ Bowen, but an amazing similacrum! |
5. And will your next movie be a horror mockumentary? If not, what are your
upcoming projects?
Ah yes, it's a funny thing to mention but raises a good
point about the life of an independent film actor--to be honest I have no idea
what is next. It hasn't revealed itself yet. Whenever you wrap picture a part
of you believes it is the last time you will be on a set making a movie and it
is the last character you will play, unless the next project is already lined
up.
I wrote a screenplay with my partner Susan Burke (who wrote
Smashed) and we are looking to shoot that next summer. It's possible I will
make something before then, though I do not know what that may be. Our script
is a comedy, and I've been stepping outside the genre a bit, so were I to do
another one right now it would have to be someone I really want to work with,
like the filmmakers behind The Battery, or Resolution. Stuart Gordon and I have
been trying to get a movie made for a couple of years now so if we are able to
fool an investor into paying for it we will make that one.
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| The House of the Devil: "Are you not the babysitter?" |
We strongly urge you to see The Sacrament at this year's
Festival. Here are the screening dates and times so you can add it to your schedule.
THE SACRAMENT Screening Times:
Sunday, Sept 8th, 5:15 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Tuesday, Sept 10th, 9:45 PM SCOTIABANK 7
Friday, Sept 13th, 8:45 PM SCOTIABANK 3
