Exclusive: Sadistic Intent Stills and Interview With Director Eric Pennycoff
Jonathan Barkan
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The resurgence of metal horror films is nothing short of an absolute delight for me. In recent years, we’ve gotten fantastic entries, such as Deathgasm and The Devil’s Candy. Last Friday, writer/director Eric Pennycoff wrapped production on his own entry into this subgenre, Sadistic Intent!
Pennycoff previously explained, “A brooding and vicious portrayal of ambitions gone awry, Sadistic Intent delves deep into the fragmented psyche of two bandmates hellbent on achieving greatness. Thematically and stylistically, the film is linked to such greats as Angst, Black Christmas, A Blade in the Dark, and Scream.”
To celebrate the film wrapping production, we reached out to Pennycoff for an interview and he not only answered but also provided us with three exclusive stills! You can check it all out below!
Written and directed by Pennycoff, who is making his feature film debut, Sadistic Intent stars Jeremy Gardner (The Battery, Psychopaths), Michael Patrick Nicholson (We Are Still Here), Taylor Zaudtke (The Egg & The Hatchet), and features Larry Fessenden (You’re Next). It is produced by Jason Walter Short and executively produced by Sean Fowler and John R. Cocke Jr.
Dread Central: Metal and horror have often been bedfellows as both are often seen as entertainment for outcasts. What can you tell me about the influence of metal on this story?
Eric Pennycoff: I played in metal bands before I ever decided to become a filmmaker. So metal, and all of its nasty sub-genres, are truly the lifeblood of Sadistic Intent. That said, the struggle for an original idea or take on an established genre is really what the film is about. It’s that thin line between artistic enlightenment and utter insanity that fascinates me. Music was my first love. But music was also the first thing to frustrate the shit out of me. While the film centers on two metal musicians hell-bent on originality, I believe the themes are applicable to anyone who has ever struggled to create.
DC: Why was it important to you that these abductors be metalheads?
EP: I think metal, or any outcast subculture for that matter, fights the hardest to prove its worth. I’ve always identified with the underground metal scene so it only felt natural to approach these personality types in my first feature film. I dabbled with metalhead characters in my ABC’s of Death 2.5 segment “M is for Mariachi ”as well as within various scripts I’ve written over the years. However, Sadistic Intent takes a more pitch-black approach to dealing with the ideals and frustrations of this unique subculture.
DC: Films like Deathgasm and The Devil’s Candy have recently won over audiences with the metal love. Do you think we’re in the midst of a resurgence of “metal horror” that we saw in the late 80’s/early 90’s?
EP: I sure as shit hope so! It’s pretty insane how many metal heads are horror fans and how many horror fans are metal heads, yet you could probably count the number of “metal horror” movies on a single hand or foot. Metalheads have always had bit parts of sorts in movies so it’s great to see these characters take the lead for a change. That said, I’ll never get tired of watching Cannibal Corpse play in Ace Ventura Pet Detective or hearing Fear Factory play as Johnny Cage falls 90 feet into a pile of human skulls in Mortal Kombat.
DC: What many people who don’t listen to metal don’t understand is that it’s an incredibly dynamic genre. It’s not unheard of for metal to offer some truly beautiful and mesmerizing moments. Is Sadistic Intent aiming to offer something along the lines of an Opeth track or are you going for a more straightforward Cannibal Corpse-esque offering?
EP: I’d say Sadistic Intent shifts between Agoraphobic Nosebleed and perhaps a Jon Brion offering. Maybe even Carcass’s “Heartwork”. I could go on for days with this one!
DC: What, do you think, is going to make Sadistic Intent really stand out to audiences?
EP: The performances. 100%. It’s sort of hard to verbalize, having just wrapped production three days ago, how special our cast and crew really were. Living with, riding to set with and working alongside Jeremy Gardner, Taylor Zaudtke and Michael Patrick Nicholson was one of the warmest, most collaborative experiences of my life. The characterization and intimacy between these three is something I have yet to see on screen. I’m incredibly fortunate to have been by their side and worked to guide them through this blood soaked, lightning drenched and metal fueled labyrinth of a film.
Synopsis:
Desperate for success and quickly losing grip, a pair of metal musicians lure a young woman to a remote mansion in hopes of inspiring their next album. However, tensions arise between the two band mates as one of them accidentally falls in love with their soon-to-be victim. Tangled in a web of violence and deceit, this young woman is forced to fight for her life in order to escape the confines of a deadly band practice.
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