‘Gatlopp’ Director Alberto Belli Couldn’t Stop Laughing At This One Scene
Board games are a great unifier. Whether with old friends or new, a good board game can be the perfect way to break the ice or bring people back together. In Alberto Belli and Jim Mahoney’s new film Gatlopp, alcohol plus a board game do that and more for a group of estranged friends.
In the film, a group of old friends reunites for a nostalgic evening of fun and games after a decade apart. After one too many, they decide to play a drinking game, but it’s quickly revealed that this game comes with supernatural stakes. Mischief leads to mayhem, and the group realizes that if they can’t come together to win the game by sunrise, they will be forced to play for eternity—in hell.
We spoke with director Alberto Belli about the film and what it took to design the game, as well as the one movie that traumatized him as a child.
Dread Central: How did you get involved with this project?
Alberto Belli: Jim Mahoney, the writer, who also stars in the film, I’ve been friends with him for a long time. We co-wrote a short together that went viral called It’s Not Porn, It’s HBO.
Since then we’ve been trying to work together. And then one day, you know, catching up over coffee, he was telling me this idea that he had. He’d just had a night with his friends, where they were playing a drinking game that became kind of crazy. And he said to me, ‘How about we take that idea and mix it with your creativity to make something cool. And I was like, oh my God, that’s amazing. That was a perfect idea. So he started working on it, and I got lucky that I got that involved when the script was finished. It was a lot of fun.
DC: That’s amazing. And so I’m curious, what was your favorite part about filming this movie?
AB: I think probably the bathroom scene. It was a small set and the scene was so funny. And I was laughing as we were shooting. Probably my second [favorite scene] was when they first started realizing that the board game has powers and then they tried to go out and then, you know, come back and all that. That discoveyr was so much fun to do because the actor were so committed that I was laughing and laughing and trying to keep it quiet for the camera.
DC: You’ve directed a lot of shorts but this is your first feature film debut. And what was that experience like for you to create this film?
AB: It was super exciting. I couldn’t have asked for a better feature debut. We had a great cast and it was very contained. So we were able to explore more of the visual aesthetic, make it unique. And how do we make one location look interesting throughout the whole movie? And then because of the pandemic where we supposed to start shooting before the pandemic, and then we got shut down. So we had to wait. So I had more time to prep with the DP and like finance things. That was a good thing. One of the very, very, very few things
DC: <laugh> I’m glad you brought up the look, because I love the aesthetic of this film. It’s so clean, but I also love how you use split screen and also how you use the Polaroids to introduce the characters and introduce these really interesting graphic elements. How involved you were with that process and in creating this really cool look for the movie?
AB: Thanks. That’s kinda what I would say my aesthetic is as a director, even coming from commercials. I think that that also came into play because I do a lot of fun flashy stuff. So it was like, can incorporate like the core of the character, which is the, their friendship it’s about these path and the polar represent that it’s like, how can we include that as part of the storytelling, that’s how we, with my, the PPP we realized like, well, we can actually use that and create that aesthetic for the flashback. So people will know, you know, when we’re like present in the past and like really connected with their emotionally to, to them. Um, and it’s kind of like, yeah, and then Thele scene and stuff is like something I enjoy doing. I, I really like having fun, like, and make, uh, things pop and be more, um, energetic. So like I tend to do that a lot.
DC: What was it like designing the game? Did you make this game up for the movie specifically?
Yeah, we did. It actually was one of my favorite parts of making Gatlopp. So I worked with people who did the title sequence in Argentina. And so we went through a lot of different versions but I was very keen on creating something that felt old because it was supposed to have been played for a long time, but also kind of new. So it doesn’t feel like it would be boring to play it now. So we went back and forth to create a vintage-modern aesthetic.
Then we also tried to create the game in circles. So the board game is a spiral thing. If you get trapped, it’s like a circle that never end. So that would big inspiration for this. And also to put a little bit of the drunk elements. At the beginning all the boxes are very straight and as the game gets closer to the end, they’re also getting more drunk.
We also play a lot with color. That was another thing. Like the ex-wife and the challenges, if you look at it, it’s green. So as the game keeps progressing the steps become green. My dream would be for Gatlopp to actually be sold at Target or something like that.
DC: I was gonna say, when are we going to get a Gatlopp game for real!
AB: I hope it becomes true. I dunno.
DC: So were you a board game person growing up? Like, was that something your family did a lot or you and your friends did a lot?
AB: Not necessarily with my family. We used to play a lot of bingo back in Mexico, like during the holidays. And then with my friends, I would play Clue. That was a big one. Also I’m from Mexico so I used to play Lotería.
DC: Are you a horror movie person?
AB: I do not like the super gory, but like I do enjoy horror.
DC: So what are some of your favorites?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I love the first Conjuring. What I love about those is that you’re also engaged with the family. It’s about being scared. So that one for sure is one of my favorites.
DC: Do you remember your first horror movie? Like the first horror movie you ever saw?
AB: I mean, I remember the most traumatic one: The Exorcist for sure. I watched it at my house with friends and a lot of us hadn’t seen it. And then somehow, weird stuff started happenin, like the lights were going off. People were freaking out and some of them were crying. It was a whole experience that was traumatizing for me.
DC: That sounds horrible! How old were you?
AB: I wouldn’t be too young so I’m gonna say like 14 or 15,.
DC: But that’s still worrying. The lights are flickering and you’re like, it’s really happening. We’ve summoned Pauzu through the TV.
AB: And again, a couple of my friends start crying, so it traumatized me for real. So I cannot see the movie ever. Wwhenever I see a photo, I’m like, ‘No!’
DC: Oh my God. So I have one final question for you. If you could program your perfect double feature with Gatlopp and another film, what film would you pair it with?
AB: Ooh. Hmm. That’s a good question. I dunno. Haven’t thought about it. Let me think.<laugh> do you have any ideas?
DC: <laugh> well, I know that this is super basic, but Jumanji would be a fun one to play first and then transition into Gatlopp. And you get this very fun trajectory of growing up between the two of those movies.
AB: I was gonna something like The Goonies.
DC: Ooh, The Goonies would be fun.
AB: Like Gatlopp is more grown-up. And The Goonies feels more real and it’s an adventure. Plus, it’s a bit like horror, but not too scary.
Gatlopp is available now on digital.
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