Interview: Director Brian O’Malley, Writer David Turpin, and Star Eugene Simon Discuss The Lodgers
Jonathan Barkan
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Tonight marks the world premiere of The Lodgers, the gothic horror/drama from director Brian O’Malley (Let Us Prey). The film follows twin siblings in the 1920’s who deal with supernatural forces in their crumbling Irish estate.
I spoke previously with O’Malley, producers Ruth Treacy and Julianne Ford, and stars Charlotte Vega about the film but today brings a new interview where I reconnect with O’Malley but also throw in writer David Turpin and star Eugene Simon (“Game of Thrones”) into the mix. Together, we discussed the film’s premiere, the kind of movie viewers should expect, and the importance of gothic films in the horror genre.
The Lodgers will have its world premiere tonight at TIFF 2017.
Starting at the beginning, I asked writer David Turpin, who is also an acclaimed musician and Professor of Gothic Literature, where the idea of the film came from. “It came from a lot of things. I always loved ghost stories, gothic stories, love triangle, melodramas, Victorian films… It all came from that.
The genesis of the script began when Turpin met with Treacy and Ford, who stated they were interested in doing a ghost story, which sparked a memory of childhood fright in Turpin. “When I was a little boy, I used to be frightened of my basement and I imagined there was a man living there and when we all went to bed, he would come up from there. I don’t know what I thought he did. I was 7 or 8, so it must’ve been very innocent. Many years later, I met with Ruth and Julianne and they were interested in doing a ghost story and that rang a bell and it just started to grow into what because The Lodgers,” he explained.
That ability to look into the past and find something that has a universal truth may very well be the ultimate foundation of The Lodgers. As Turpin explains about the film, “It’s an attempt to weave the language of horror as a way to look at and discuss things in our lives.”
Eugene Simon plays Sean in The Lodgers, a young man who returns to his Irish home village after World War 1 after having lost a leg in the conflict. Simon takes Turpin’s words and draws a parallel to Sean as well as another character he will be playing in the upcoming short film Resonance (Kickstarter), in which he plays a young man who is almost completely deaf.
“These two characters are handicapped in their own way, Sean, who is a young man with an old soul, is now an amputee and Toby, who will be a nearly total deaf character. The lasting, in my mind, and deeply beautiful effect of their disabilities, whether hereditary or through injury, lead to a person who is all too aware of the value of connection,” Eugene hypothesizes. “We all think that we’re connected and w’re loved and we’re in touch and we’re adored because, in the modern day, the number of ‘Likes’ dictate our status. This is simply not true. So much of the physical or that physical disabilities draw attention to is an underlying emotional desire in all people, absolutely everyone, to feel that they are part of this world.”
Simon is well aware of the difficulties in portraying such characters with respect, something he makes strong note of. “To play [such characters] requires a lot of commitment. I feel this responsibility to tell a story that, in my opinion, is as beautiful as they come about that thing that every person in this world wants, whether they know it or not, which is genuine connection and feeling understood,” he explains.
When asked to try and describe the film, Simon clearly has a very clear view of all that it encompasses, telling me, “The Lodgers is, if I were to summarize it, is a 1920’s ghost story set against the backdrop of an emerging Irish Republic still struggling with the pain and strain of its independence. As far as the genre, this is a very, very nuanced and eloquent presentation of a gothic historically-based horror film and I think, in that sense, what differs The Lodgers from any other film is that it’s such a strong constant homage to the gothic style that is often not paid tribute to in other gothic horror films. This isn’t a film that sets out just to frighten you, it’s a film to draw you into it. I think The Lodgers stands alone in its style. It’s one of a kind.”
Director Brian O’Malley knows that the film is a ghost story but he’s also aware that it has much more to offer, based on the amount of inspirations he cites, such as Tony Scott’s The Hunger, with Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie, “…mainly because it’s about two people with a symbiotic relationship living in an old house.” But he looked outside of horror for help in other areas, such as 2014’s drama The Duke of Burgundy, which he claimed helped with sound design. But as for his favorite ghost story, one that truly inspired him, that credit falls to 1966’s The Innocence with Deborah Kerr, which O’Malley says, “…remains the perfect ghost story feature film.”
Each of the three recognize that the setting and period of the film matters enormously. Turpin states, “Something in your mind just connects the ghost story to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It just feels right. The other thing is that Ireland was a colony that was colonized by the British Empire and that feeling of your home not being your own is something that colonized people can identify with. These twins are colonized by the ghosts of their home the way the Irish people are colonized. There’s a connection between the history of the time and the twins.” Meanwhile, Simon knows that once people see The Lodgers, they may very well have interest in learning more about Irish history and the events surrounding this film. He explains the phenomenon, ““It’s what we call in the industry a “ticket to talk”. It encourages you to have a conversation, to have a thought, to have an opinion, to have a curiosity. That’s what’s so unique about The Lodgers. It has a very insidious and almost infectious characteristic about it which makes you want to know more about it and the backdrop upon which its set.”
But history isn’t just a backdrop to the movie. Much of it was filmed in the historic Loftus Hall, which Simon gleefully explains celebrated its 666th anniversary during filming. “If you are a follower of the Satanic arts, then you know 666 is quite the spooky number,” he laughs. But he then gets very serious as he remembers filming the movie and the experience of being in that atmosphere. “When you step into that building and the surrounding woodland around it, there is a combination of beautiful serenity and deep dread that is only possible in a building standing as long as that one has. It cannot be recreated in a studio. There’s an authenticity that is unparalleled in any other film I’ve been lucky enough to work on,” he recalls.
O’Malley also expresses his love of Loftus House, explaining that the movie actually suffered whenever it wasn’t in that location. “We didn’t need what was happening outside the house. There was quite a bit in the script that took place in the village but we discovered that the longer we stayed away from the house, the more we missed it. So we trimmed the film until we thought we had a good balance.”
Speaking of O’Malley, he has a rather interesting mentality when it came to directing the film and how he views horror films in general. “I feel that there are two types of horror directors: there are the ones obsessed with horror and then there are film directors who get an opportunity to direct within horror,” he states. “I personally feel like that the most interesting horror and the horror that lasts through the ages and through generations are made by directors who aren’t pure horror directors because I think they don’t become completely obsessed with the horror aspect. They’re far more interested in the story.
The Lodgers has been creeping its way towards a release and tonight’s premiere is something that Simon and O’Malley are thrilled about, although in their own ways. The former states, “It’s a dream come true twice over. This is a film that we shot with a real commitment to making a real gothic horror film as eloquent and seductive but also as unnerving and gritty as possible. To have TIFF be the festival in which we present that work is incredibly exciting and humbling.
Meanwhile, O’Malley approaches it with a bit more caution, stating, “I suppose have two thoughts. One thought is my previous film, Let Us Prey, was a very different beast from this one with the heavy use of violence. This time there’s none of that, so I’m a little apprehensive. It’ll be interesting to see how that goes over. I’d like to think that my directorial style follows through and that if you enjoyed Let Us Prey then you’ll enjoy The Lodgers.
“My second thought is that there’s the challenge of the audience. Until you see it with one, you have a very different sense of what you’ve made. Certainly the first time you watch it with an audience, you see it slightly differently. The night of the premiere will be unusual for me because it’ll be the first time I’ve shared it but after that it’ll be interesting to hear how it goes down.”
For those still on the fence, Simon sums up his thoughts simply saying, “[The Lodgers] is trying to be as unique and stylized as it can be.”
Directed by Brian O’Malley, The Lodgers was scripted by David Turpin and stars Charlotte Vega, Bill Millner, David Bradley (“The Strain”), Eugene Simon (“Game of Thrones”), and Moe Dunford. It was produced by Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde of Tailored Films.
Patrick Ewald and Shaked Berenson’s Epic Pictures Group executive produced and co-financed The Lodgers and will handle worldwide sales and distribution minus Ireland.
Synopsis:
The story follows a sister and brother haunted by a secret curse that forces them to remain in the large estate home left to them by their dead parents. But when a young man who falls in love with the sister tries to free her, his attempt sets off a deadly chain reaction.
Disclaimer: Epic Pictures Group and Dread Central are affiliated. As a result, this post will not feature any opinions or personal commentary. We’re sticking to the facts here, folks!
Categorized:News
