Tales of Halloween Interview Spotlight: Axelle Carolyn
Staci Layne Wilson
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Horror hits like V/H/S and The ABCs of Death have proven that the anthology film format has been revived, and so a new omnibus is afoot for 2015 – assembling the likes of Neil Marshall (The Descent), Darren Bousman (The Devil’s Carnival), and Lucky McKee (The Call) behind their collective cameras.
Epic Pictures Group financed and produced Tales of Halloween, which brings together ten segments from different directors into one unified series of stories, all set in an Anytown, USA, suburb terrorized by ghouls, ghosts, and slashers on one, er, epic Halloween night.
We had a chance to sit down with the creator and main producer of this horror-show, Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate). Here’s what she had to say:
DC: Dread Central: What was the impetus to produce an anthology film that’s seasonal?
Axelle Carolyn: The basic idea for the film was that since we’re a bunch of filmmakers hanging together all the time, each with our strengths and all with a passion for the genre, we should join forces and make something all together. I’m obsessed with Halloween, as are most of us, and love Halloween movies, so when I started looking for a theme or a concept to set the anthology apart, it seemed like a natural fit. It’d be amazing if the film could become a new holiday classic! We’ve really made a point of having a real October flavor – fallen leaves, jack o’lanterns, trick or treaters everywhere… It’s all about capturing the spirit of Halloween.
DC: How did you select the directors? Aside from yourself representing female filmmakers, they seem to be predominately “straight white guys” – did you think about cultural or ethnic diversity when reaching out?
AC: As I said, the film was born out of a desire to work amongst friends, who all share the same love for the genre, hang out together, and make movies for a living. So the criteria really were, who do we hang out with, who have we been friends with for a long time, who do we think is going to bring something new and different to the table? We weren’t looking to tick specific boxes, and there were only so many slots available. Most of my friends are straight white guys, but hey, I’m the token Belgian! This being said, we all have very different tastes within the genre, and we focused on different aspects of Halloween. Half the stories have female leads. There’s stories about children, others about teens, others about grown-ups; stories about the poor side of town, one about the rich kid in the mansion… there’s really something for everybody.
DC: What is some of your favorite folklore about Halloween / Samhain? Did you do a lot of research to prep for the film? And… What’s on tap in your DVD player every Halloween?
AC: We did do some research. Luckily I have a shelf of books on the origins of Halloween, the decorations, etc., so I did some digging. Some stories are directly inspired by the folklore. My episode is based on a legend I hadn’t heard about before: If you walk alone on Halloween night and hear footsteps behind you, whatever you do, don’t turn around! Or you may not like what you see…
Lots of Halloween classics I watch every year: the obvious – Halloween and Halloween III, Monster Squad, Nightmare Before Christmas, Trick ‘r Treat – but also Idle Hands, Satan’s Little Helper, Ed Wood… and Disney cartoons, like that Donald Duck one and the Silly Symphony skeleton dance and Ichabod Crane (which was also an inspiration for my episode).
DC: I understand that you are one of the only directors on the project who’s really going for the scares (most are comedic, if I understand correctly…?)
AC: The stories all have different tones, really. A couple are funny, one is funny but very dark, one is over-the-top gory and fun, another is stylish and shocking… Mine goes for old-fashioned, spooky chills. It’s a hard thing to do in 8 to 10 minutes because you need to establish a character people will care about (here I was hugely helped by the fact that my lead actress, the awesome Alex Essoe, is immediately likable), a believable, relatable situation, and take the time to create an atmosphere. There’s not really a through-line as such, but definitely some connective tissue. It’s a bit early to tell because we haven’t put the stories together into one feature yet, so we’ll see what comes across and what we can enhance once we’re a bit further into post.
DC: What were your Halloweens like as a child? You married your husband on Halloween – did you two dress up in costumes? We’d love to know more about why this particular holiday resonates so strongly in you.
AC: There was no such thing as Halloween in Belgium when I was growing up. At the start of Carpenter’s Halloween, a voice-over informed us that it took place “the day before All Saints’ Day”. I first found out about Halloween when I was about 10 and it quickly became an obsession. I was already hugely into ghosts and skeletons and spooky things, so it was perfect for me. I’d throw a small party every year, first for my family then later on for my friends. It’s always been a special time. Someone very close passed away on Halloween, then a couple of years later I got married on Halloween – we celebrated in Scotland, with jack o’lanterns instead of flowers, and everyone had to bring a mask. Halloween is a celebration of the darker side of life… and of life itself.
Axelle Carolyn, star Alex Essoe, DP Jan-Michael Losada
Producers Mike Mendez, Patrick Ewald, Shaked Berenson and Axelle Carolyn
Tales of Halloween will showcase the following ten short stories:
- “TRICK” Directed by Adam Gierasch
- “BAD SEED” Directed by Neil Marshall
- “GRIMM GRINNING GHOST” Directed by Axelle Carolyn
- “THE WEAK AND THE WICKED” Directed by Paul Solet
- “FRIDAY THE 31st” Directed by Mike Mendez
- “THE RANSOM OF RUSTY REX” Directed by Ryan Schifrin
- “THIS MEANS WAR” Directed by Andrew Kasch and John Skipp
- “THE NIGHT BILLY RAISED HELL” Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
- “SWEET TOOTH” Directed by Dave Parker
- “DING DONG” Directed by Lucky McKee
The film has an ensemble cast including Pat Healy, Barry Bostwick, Noah Segan, Booboo Stewart, Greg Grunberg, Clare Kramer, Alex Essoe, Lin Shaye, Dana Gould, James Duval, Elissa Dowling, Grace Phipps, Pollyana McIntosh, Marc Senter, Tiffany Shepis, John F. Beach, Trent Haaga, Casey Ruggieri, Kristina Klebe, Cerina Vincent, John Savage, Keir Gilchrist, Nick Principe, Amanda Moyer, Jennifer Wenger, Sam Witwer, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Ben Woolf, Caroline Williams, Robert Rusler, Cameron Easton, Austin Falk, Madison Iseman, Daniel Dimaggio, Natalie Castillo, Ben Stillwell, and Hunter Smit.
Cameos include Joe Dante, John Landis, Adam Green, Adam Pascal, Adrianne Curry, Mick Garris, Lombardo Boyer, Graham Skipper, Stuart Gordon, Greg Mclean, Spooky Dan Walker, and Adrienne Barbeau.
Axelle Carolyn created the concept and brought the filmmakers together for this unique production. Tales of Halloween is being produced by Patrick Ewald and Shaked Berenson of Epic Pictures Group along with Mike Mendez and Axelle Carolyn. Composers Frank Ilfman (Big Bad Wolves) and Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring) are both attached to the project.
Synopsis:
Ten stories are woven together by their shared theme of Halloween night in an American suburb, where ghouls, imps, aliens, and axe murderers appear for one night only to terrorize unsuspecting residents.
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