Bill Moseley Discusses Chiller Channel’s Dead Souls, Airing Friday, October 12
Steve Barton
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There are no fools working at Chiller’s offices. Nary a one. They all know if you want to generate interest for your original feature films, you need big name actors. And who’s better to fill that role than the legendary Bill Moseley?
He recently sat down and discussed his upcoming role in the Chiller original film, Dead Souls.
Dead Souls airs Friday, October 12th at 9:00 p.m. on Chiller. Check out Chillertv.com for more info.
Moseley talked about what drew him to the film. “Dead Souls is cool because it’s one of the things that I love to do and don’t really do very much of and that is supernatural films,” Moseley said. “The book by Michael Laimo and John Doolan’s script were very, very cool. It’s a supernatural thriller, it’s a whodunit in a way but there certainly are horrific elements. The farm where we shot it in Connecticut actually had kind of a haunted history to it. So it was spooky and appropriately creepy and loads of fun to do. The first thing I did was to read Doolan’s script which was very spooky and cool. And from there I turned right to Michael Laimo’s novel and I loved his work. I’ve actually read a couple more of his books lately and they’re really a lot of fun. So that was really it. For me the story’s got to be there. If the story isn’t there then no matter how many special effects and good acting you have, without story the movie doesn’t have a heart. So once I read the script and saw that the story was intriguing, that’s what got me onboard first and foremost.”
And even though it’s being presented on television, the filmmakers certainly didn’t hold back on the F/X. “There is plenty of blood for the younger fans but this is not what I would call a hardcore blood and guts type movie,” Moseley said. “I think it’s a lot more on the psychological side of things. And it’s a drama, it’s spooky but you’ll definitely see some deaths. One of the things I noticed was that certain words were not encouraged like swear words, vulgar words which had me thinking it’s going to have a kind of a lighter, kind of horror-lite, content. But when I actually shot my scenes there was nothing light about them. And then when I actually saw some of the previews that our director, Colin Theys, had shown me, there were certain moments in it that were downright grisly and frightening. So any thought that working in this particular medium for TV was going to somehow make it an easier view went right out the window because there are definitely some very heavyweight horror moments in this that I for one, appreciated.”
Director Colin Theys also helmed Steve Niles’ Remains for Chiller last year. Moseley spoke about his experience working with Theys. “I enjoyed it. I thought he was very well prepared,” Moseley said. “I thought he was a very good director, low key, laid back. He knew exactly what he wanted. And he was very clear about communicating it. So there was no mind-reading and no yelling and screaming. He has a quiet confidence. And I’m sure that the work will show that.”
Moseley will certainly be the most recognizable face in the cast for fans of horror. At this point, he’s compiled quite a resume and is the ‘grizzled vet’ of the Dead Souls team. ” It reminds me that acting is tough,” Moseley said. “I realized that even though I might have a few more credits than the younger generation that it’s still hard. It’s a tough line of work. It’s very rewarding watching Jesse (James) and Magda (Apanowicz), I worked with them a lot. And both of them were really good. Noah Fleiss was very good, so was Geraldine (Hughes). It’s fun to be considered a part of the gang. But I’ve got to say that there are some jobs where you have all those credits and you’ve earned your gray hairs and the lines in your face. And somehow that’s supposed to mean that you’re guaranteed to be doing a better job than everybody. But for me I find that it’s still just one foot in front of the other and praying for the best.”
Not only did Moseley find the script and original story for Dead Souls frightening, but some of the filming locations were downright creepy themselves…especially the abandoned farmhouse where much of the film was shot. “There were some deaths or some murders in the actual farmhouse,” Moseley said. “I remember that there was something about the previous owner of the property had had some kind of spooky spiritual background where he wasn’t exactly your typical Connecticut Christian. And there was something strange going on at the farm. I don’t know if that goes back to Salem witchcraft. It was just something spooky. I do remember that being there at night was a little scary actually. The location definitely came prepared with the proper vibes as well as the proper architecture.”
When Dead Souls, which is set in Maine, airs on Chiller this Friday, October 12, Moseley will be able to hear the opinion of the New England fans first hand as he’ll be attending the Rock and Shock horror festival in Worcester, MA that weekend. “I like to go to the conventions,” Moseley said. “One of the things that I like to do is to actually mix with the fans. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of people excited about Dead Souls. I enjoy it. I like traveling. Sometimes I feel like the Willy Loman of the horror circuit. But I have a better attitude.”
Never a man to rest on his considerable laurels, Moseley continues to create horror, both in front of the camera and with the writer’s pen. “I feel good about the things that I have done,” Moseley said. “It’s funny because I’m actually writing a couple of scripts right now. One of them would be more of a traditional character, more like a Chop Top type character for me. And that I’m well underway with so that would be I guess more like a revisiting. And then another one I’m working on with a director and that is not so much a straight horror but it’s about a spooky farm and a spooky couple with a bunch of adopted children. So it’s actually a little bit more real, less horrific so to speak, in the traditional sense. I’m interested in exploring that a little bit. Kind of man’s inhumanity to man. I mean there’s plenty of horror there.”
As far as projects in the future, Moseley has another big one looming. “Beyond Dead Souls on October 12th is Texas Chainsaw 3D coming out January 4th from Lionsgate” Moseley said. “I’m very excited about that. I played the cook this time and not Chop Top which is a little strange. But it was loads of fun. It kind of takes me back to my horror roots.”
Check out Bill Moseley in Dead Souls on Chiller on October 12 at 9 p.m.
Dead Souls Synopsis
Adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker Award Finalist Michael Laimo, Chiller’s latest original production Dead Souls tells a harrowing tale of family secrets and ancient evils.
On his 18th birthday, Johnny Petrie learns he was adopted when he inherits a farm in Maine, abandoned for the 18 years since his natural family died at the hands of his father, the local preacher. Eager for a new life, he leaves home to start over in his new dwelling. However, as he digs into his past, he soon uncovers the horrifying details of his father’s questionable teachings. In a frightening revelation, he also learns that his return has revived decades-old forces trapped in the home and sets in motion a heart-stopping finale to a ritual that already claimed the lives of his family.
Dead Souls stars Jesse James (The Amityville Horror, The Flyboys), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Devil’s Rejects, House of 1,000 Corpses), Magda Apanowicz (The Butterfly Effect), Noah Fleiss (Brick), Jaiden Kaine (Hellbenders) and Geraldine Hughes (Rocky Balboa, Gran Torino). Look for it on Chiller on October 12.
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