Exclusive: Director Jon Maynard Talks Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories Segment – Blood Bath
David Gelmini
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If you’re a frequent Dread Central reader, you’ll know that we’ve been giving a lot of coverage to the Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories (review), the sequel to 2015’s Volumes of Blood, because who doesn’t love a throwback to the good old horror anthology movies, eh?
Writer/producer and franchise creator PJ Starks was kind enough to set up an interview with Jon Maynard, who directed the segment “Blood Bath”, and as he explains below, the script appealed to him because he found it to be both original and challenging.
Dread Central: As the script already existed before you came onboard, did you find it a challenge to put your own personal stamp on it?
Jon Maynard: Great question. When P.J. asked me to come on board he actually sent me three of the segments to choose from. “Blood Bath” really stood out to me as a challenge. When I first got the script it was pretty basic. Mostly dialogue with just enough description to get the point across. I asked P.J. for permission to do a rewrite. I promised not to change any major themes, or mess with the characters. I really just wanted to streamline it a bit and give it a bit more description. I shot P.J. a few rewrites, had a couple conversations on what he was really attached to, and fleshed the script out into what you see on screen. I can’t really claim to have done any major changes, the beats really didn’t change much from the original script. Writing is one of the things I enjoy the most, so even making format corrections was fun for me. I was glad P.J. was willing to let me play with it a bit.
DC: How did “The Walking Dead” star Moses Mosley come onboard?
JN: I was really excited to get to work with Moses. I love “The Walking Dead”. I’m a huge fan of the comics (I could spoil the whole series for you right now), and I think what they have done with the show is amazing. To get to work with an actor who played such a memorable role was really exciting. I’m not 100% sure about the details as to how he came on board. I do know that P.J. approached him at a convention and that started the conversation. From there, it was just working out the schedule and making sure we had what we needed to get the best performance out of all the actors.
DC: How does “Blood Bath” connect to the other stories in the anthology?
JN: I hadn’t read all the scripts, so I wasn’t sure how they all were going to blend together. You could imagine my surprise at the premier when I saw just how seamless it was. It is a pure anthology, but the narrative is so seamless it has the feel of a single story. Blood Bath comes in a little over half way through the film. A couple is wanting to find their “forever” home, a home they can make their own, a home they can die in. A creepy realtor guides them from room to room, giving short breaks in between the segments. The overall story leads the viewer to believe that there is something more to the house than the materials used in its construction. What makes “Blood Bath” unique is it stands apart from the other segments as the only one where the “killer” is a mystery. Could it be one of the main characters, or the house itself? This mysterious bend to the story was what drew me to it.
DC: Without giving too much, can you talk about the signature death in the tub?
JN: That was probably the one portion of the script that I played with the most. I had a real vision for it, but budget constraints (along with the limitations of the location) tethered me a bit. Regardless, P.J. and the team really went all out to make this death one of the most memorable in the film. Needless to say, there is a lot “movie magic” going on in that scene. All the effects are practical, but the effect itself was a bit of a dance. We only had one shot to get it right. It was a high stakes scene and we had a lot of fun with it. Considering we were in a house that had recently sold, and was awaiting its new occupants, we could shoot that scene on location. We had to purchase a second tub that we could ruin for the shot. That’s probably all I should say at this point. I will say, its probably one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever had the pleasure of directing.
DC: How did you find the process of making “Blood Bath” tonally consistent with the other segments?
JN: I was a bit worried that “Blood Bath” would stick out like a sore thumb. I worried the psychological bend to the story might make it a little too different, as many of the other stories have a well defined killer. I also was focusing a lot on camera angles and wanted to play with the color grade. I wanted to experiment with some visual techniques that would put the viewer into the main character’s frame of mind. I know I’m not the only director who thought their segment was going to be the worst of the bunch (we are our own worst critics). Gladly, I my worries were in vain. Many of the reviewers of the film have solidified what many of us were saying at the premier, there is no weak segment in this anthology. Other than a difference in pacing and color grading all the segments seemed to fit together really well.
DC: What other projects do you have planned?
JN: The summer of 2016 was really busy, so I’ve taken the last few months to work on some personal projects that have been sitting on my hard drive for some time. I’m lucky enough to have a job where I shoot and edit on a daily basis, so I feel as if I’m constantly producing content. However, I’m always looking for the next chance to work in film. For now its write, shoot, edit, and repeat.
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