Exclusive: Stanley Yung Talks 2 Bedroom 1 Bath
Steve Barton
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The latest haunted house horror to burst onto the big screen is 2 Bedroom 1 Bath (review), named so for the typical, banal listing description of an apartment.
It tells the story of Rachel (Michelle Hicks) and Kevin Foster (Andrew W. Walker), a couple who have finally found the ideal home where they can build a future and raise their children. They are hoping it’s a fresh start for their troubled marriage, but as they begin to settle into their new digs, their plans are interrupted by strange occurrences.
As it so happens, director Stanley Yung was inspired by true events when he embarked on this, his first foray into full-on horror. We got a chance to catch up with him at the special event premiere screening of the film, and here’s what he had to say about making a scary movie.
Dread Central: You have such a great cast; we’d love to know how this film came together for you, since you’re not (yet!) known in the horror genre.
Stanley Yung: Well, the original genesis of it was a script that I wrote several years ago, which is actually inspired by a true story of some friends of mine who lived in an apartment that turned out to be haunted. They were telling me a lot about their experiences and it inspired me to write the story. And Al Bravo [producer] and I have known each other socially for a couple of years, so I showed him a copy of the script and he really liked it. And then a few years ago he got hooked up with some investors in New Orleans that were looking for a project. They really liked the script.
DC: The most haunted city in America! Makes sense, that’s where you got financing. And it’s where you shot.
SY: Yeah. It was great. We actually went on one of those haunted tours, on one of our off days.
DC: Setting this in an apartment probably makes it a little more challenging than in an isolated house in the middle of nowhere. So what were some of the more interesting road blocks that you came up with, to make the film scary and yet a lot of other people are around…
SY: Well, I definitely wanted to do a twist on the haunted house story because I wanted to pick somewhere that was sort of mundane and an environment people were familiar with. That’s why we came up with the title 2 Bedrooms 1 Bath, because that is what you would see in a rental ad. So it… just to put people in that type of mindset when they feel they are walking to an environment that won’t necessarily be scary but it turns out to be. That’s pretty messed up actually if you think about it.
DC: How did the ghost manifest in this story? Did you think about doing it through hallucinations, do more of a corporeal being?
SY: It’s mostly psychological. It is kind of based on, and again inspired by, what happened to my friends. It would manifest itself in dreams and hallucinations. But in the movie there is a physical ghost of a former tenant that haunts the main characters of the story.
DC: So you have Dee Wallace in your film, who is a horror icon, and of course Eric Roberts, who is amazing, Costas Mandylor… can you talk a little bit about how your cast all came together?
SY: Dee Wallace was someone I always imagined for the role. She plays the general manger of the apartment building. She was perfect for the part, I thought. And I have always been a fan of her work, especially Cujo. They’re all great, though. Michele [Hicks], I’ve been a fan of hers for a while now. She has done a lot of strong work, usually in supporting roles, and the television show “The Shield.” I first noticed her in Twin Falls Idaho, so she was on my shortlist of people to approach in the beginning. Andrew [Walker] was a find from our casting director, Scott David. I think he is going to blow up pretty soon. He is going to be a big star.
DC: So with this film, can fans kind of look up the real story? Do your friends have a book out, or anything about their experiences?
SY: No, they never went that far.
DC: They didn’t take the George Lutz route, huh?
SY: No. I guess it wasn’t like… it wasn’t as fantastical as The Amityville Horror, but it definitely freaked them out. I didn’t want to go visit them once I heard their place was haunted.
DC: Have they moved out since then?
SY: They did. Although they stayed there for a while. They had the bad experiences for a while, but then they had a pastor come and pray over the place and things calmed down after that.
DC: Are you a believer? Have you had any experiences with the supernatural?
SY: I haven’t, personally. I am a believer in hauntings and that sort of thing, and I visited some haunted places in New Orleans when I was there. That was interesting.
DC: Did you feel any chills?
SY: Yeah. But I don’t know if it was real or just psychological because I have an active imagination.
You can see just how active Stanley’s imagination is, when 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath hits VOD. Don’t wanna wait? Look for it in limited theatrical release right now!
Synopsis
A young couple moves into what appears to be the perfect home. But when they discover that they will soon become parents, things begin to fall apart. Rachel (Michele Hicks), the expectant mother, is haunted by a ghost in a red dress while Kevin (Andrew W. Walker), the soon-to-be father, has frightening nightmares even while he’s awake. The once happy couple is torn apart by horrific events which all seem to be centered around the birth of their unborn child.
For more info be sure to “like” 2 Bedroom 1 Bath on Facebook and also visit the official 2 Bedroom 1 Bath website.
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