After talking with her last year for Women in Horror Month, I once again talk with producer Carly Street about her new projects over the past year, filming The Curious Case of the Murder That Wasn't and her studio Resurrection Films' upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for agreeing to return. What have you been up to since last we spoke?
Carly Street: Hey! It's so lovely to speak with you again. Well, probably the biggest thing is we've started since we last spoke is a Podcast! I think we were one episode in when we last spoke and now we're five episodes into season two. It's been key to help us keep focus over this past year. It's called The Speakeasy Noir Cast. We have a light-hearted discussion about either a classic film noir of yesterday or a neo-noir of today! We like to just have fun and try to get a good mix of films, hopefully finding some unearthed gems onto people's tv screens. We actually kicked off season two with a horror noir - The Red House. Definitely, one for the horror fans to seek out.
Another crazy thing to kick of the year is that I just found out a few weeks ago that some of my work is going to be included in a time capsule to be dropped off on the moon. Isn't that crazy? It's insane! I love it and I'm so grateful and truly blessed to wake up one morning to this information. I feel like an imposter living some really great creatives life and one day someone's gonna pull the rug out and be like, yeah the jigs up!
Me: Given the state of the world shortly after speaking, what kind of alterations did you have to do for your projects at Resurrection Films?
CS: We had to unfortunately put a number of projects on hold. But with that, we also were able to come up with some interesting ideas that could be completed remotely, which was both exciting and troublesome, sometimes in equal measure.
Me: Among your announced projects was the mystery spoof “The Curious Case of the Murder That Wasn’t.” Are there any updates you can provide about that project?
CS: Yes! We managed to get that filmed and edited and out into the world! Actually, one of the COVID projects we are experimenting with includes utilizing The Curious Case as well as a few other short film projects and include them into an anthology with a twist.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
CS: The set was just full of fun and laughter! Everyone there had a love and connection to the programs and characters we were tapping into, which of course we have our own love for, which was wonderful. We were lucky to meet some amazing talent and definitely future collaborators.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories from any of the other cast/crew members?
CS: Every day I had videos sent to me by Evan and Jason of behind-the-scenes prankery and general hysterical shenanigans. The great thing was as soon as it was time for business everyone was switched on and ready. The logistics and look of the project put us against the gun in the time we had but everyone was on the same page and got it done. Actually, the funniest part about it was the bickering we did in post over the endings! We couldn't agree on one ending so we filmed two and the idea was that in editing it would become apparent which one fit. Except we still couldn't agree. Mark and Troy both agreed with one of us so it was two against two. Even the test audiences were divided - so in the end we put them both in!
Me: As well, the supernatural mystery/thriller Room 19 was one of the shelved projects. What updates do you have about it?
CS: This project has taken the most battering from Covid 19. We've decided to regroup and now all of our other projects are leading to providing the foundations to getting that one done. On our own terms. Everyone is still as excited as they were in the beginning, which just solidifies our position on that being our crowning jewel.
Me: What are some of the new plans to get the project rolling?
CS: It's a matter of scaling down our wants, focusing on the fundamental needs and work hard for anything attainable in between. The most important thing about Room Nineteen is the story and always has been, so as long as we can find a path that stays true to everything that makes that special and unique, everything else is a welcome bonus for us. It brings us full circle to our mission statement as a company - Story over everything.
Me: You also announced the upcoming slasher film Alone as an old-school slasher homage. What can you tell us about this one?
CS: Alone is a limited location, good old-fashioned creature slasher. All practical effects and we want to have a very old school feel to it in not only the way that it feels for the audience but also in the way that we film it.
Stalked like prey in an isolated town, an older couple's seemingly perfect life slowly unravels over the course of an evening as a secret exposes the real reason their lives now hang in the balance.
This one is quite exciting for a number of reasons, firstly because we are going to be working with the ridiculously talented Katelin Stack again, plus it's also one of the first scripts Jason, Mark and I worked on between us, back in our early days. There's been a few iterations but we are happy with the draft and have been for a while. The icing on the bloody cake is that it's also going to be the third film in our Ashton Falls horror universe. An interesting possibility to film in the UK, potentially utilizing a few creature model makers was being discussed prior to Covid so as soon as we are able to pick up those conversations we definitely will be. We've been very lucky at the response to Dark Winter and we've seen a bit of a resurgence with the first film in the universe, Collapse. Must be something to do with the post-apocalyptic end of the world vibe that one has!
Me: With the multitude of projects coming up from the studio, how does the workload test your skills as a writer and producer? What do you do to keep the inspiration fresh for the new films and shorts?
CS: We like to do regular writing exercises, this is one of the reasons we have so much content is because we will conduct regular challenges to keep our writing fresh and also write as a producer is an interesting concept or work off one another's one line concepts to see what bubbles to the surface.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
CS: We have a film called Old Sins which is having its final draft worked on currently, about a lonely old man, in a terrifying location with a very dark secret to unearth. We've also been continuing on our test footage for Simon Sayz. We decided to put ourselves to the test in terms of what we could achieve creating our own sinister puppets as well as using more creative shots to build atmosphere. The first test is actually on our Patreon page, where you can listen to Jason's creepy lullaby voice!
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself?
CS: As always - stay true to yourself! This year has proven you never know what's around the corner so don't change for some insignificant person who will ultimately have zero impact on your overall story. Most importantly, is just get out there and have some damn fun! People will either join your journey or not, either way, you're still on your path.
Me: Thank you again for your time!
CS: Thank you! Stay safe!
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
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