Interview: Austin Hinderliter – Director of The New Family
David Gelmini
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The New Family is an cool sounding new slasher movie which can be supported here. Hell, Rotton Tomatoes even called the above poster one of the creepiest ever, so clearly this is a film which highly values creativity and originality.
We recently caught up with director Austin Hinderliter to find out more about the film and what new elements it brings to the slasher genre:
Dread Central: What exactly is The New Family?
Austin Hinderliter: The New Family is an upcoming slasher/thriller set to be released in 2016 or 2017. I use the term slasher/thriller because it is a hybrid of both genres. In it, our lead character finds herself the target of an unknown killer who is using the sleepy town of Murdoch as their hunting ground. She not only has to fight for her life, but for her unborn baby’s life as well. The story is a true slow burn with many thriller elements. But it’s also incredibly violent at times. My co-writer Reece Donnell, as well as myself, wanted to keep the movie a mystery at the core. We spent a huge portion of the script developing the characters. That way when they die it hits you where it hurts.
DC: So this is the first feature from Atrox Films?
AH: Yes! Atrox Films is a new production company we’ve founded. Many people associate low-budget cinema with low quality films. We want to prove them wrong with Atrox. You can produce a feature with little money but not compromise the quality.
DC: And it pays homage to slasher films?
AH: A lot of films definition of paying homage is ripping off an existing property. Reece and I were sure to stay clear of that. That being said, there are several winks to the genre that diehard fans will recognize. Murdoch was crafted after Haddonfield. We have some ominous phone calls. But nothing is copied verbatim. The entire film is a love letter to the slasher genre, just with new scenarios introduced. We wanted this to feel like a lost film from the 1980’s. Not a poor reproduction of one.
DC: So it’s about a killer targeting pregnant women?
AH: In a nutshell. Our lead character, Blair Cassidy, is pregnant. Is it coincidental that a killer is murdering women in various stages of pregnancy in her hometown? Maybe, maybe not. The idea of a killer targeting pregnant women was decided upon because who is more innocent than an unborn baby? Reece and I loved the idea of our characters not fighting for themselves, but for their babies.
DC: When do you expect to start filming?
AH: Filming will begin in January 2016. If we hit our crowd funding goal that is.
DC: What else makes The New Family unique among slashers?
AH: I think what makes The New Family unique among slashers is the devotion to character. This is not a movie where a character dies every five or ten minutes. There are no jump scares. No blood for the sake of blood. We strove to craft a story where the audience will be invested. Nobody cares to see a nude blonde be stabbed to death in a tent by a guy in a hockey mask. If you know nothing about her who cares? I think another thing that makes The New Family unique is the believability. As sick as it is there are people who lure women to their houses with the promise of baby clothes, only to attack them and try to steal their fetus. It’s messed up. It happens in life. That’s something that makes The New Family all the more terrifying.
Categorized:News
