An upcoming writer, director, and editor, filmmaker Doug Roos is poised to breakthrough with his all-practical creature feature Bakemono showing his love for creature features, monsters, and old-school practical effects. Now, in honor of it's upcoming release, I talk with him about his early filmmaking career, filming the movie, and some upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, where did you get the urge to go into directing?
Doug Roos: Of course, thank you for the opportunity! When I was in 3rd grade, I actually told my teacher I wanted to be a film director, and her response was amazing. She took me seriously and said, “I'll look for your name in the credits one day.” That really meant a lot to me. I was just a child in elementary school but she took my dream seriously. I've been committed to it and working at it ever since then. I directed my first short when I was 12 years old and made a lot more in high school then college. I was 22 when I shot my first feature The Sky Has Fallen. Then I did my second in China and my third now in Japan.
Me: Were you always into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
DR: Yes, I always loved horror films, especially Aliens. I saw that insanely young, maybe 6 years old or something but I loved it. I dreamed about being in an Alien hive and I was so happy, which is ridiculous. I also saw Terminator and Predator as a kid. I really love sci-fi horror including John Carpenter's The Thing of course but I'm just nuts about monster movies.
Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?
DR: I edited another feature that wasn't my own and I helped in a producer role on many films but really I prefer to just work for myself on projects I've created from the ground up. I love making unique original films and I want them to be very personal with a lot going on beneath the surface but I'm focusing on practical FX monster movies since I just love those so much. I've gotten offers to do FX on other movies but really with special FX, it matters so much how they're shot, how they're lit, etc. so you need to have control over that. I think I remember Carpenter even saying he let Bottin direct the FX sequences but not every director is as wise as Carpenter.
Me: With plenty of short films early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to feature-film projects?
DR: You can really learn a great deal doing shorts like shot composition, working with actors, practicing FX and gags, developing your own style, playing with tone and atmosphere, etc. but features are just a world beyond. It's like running around the block versus a marathon that lasts years. Just because you can make a great short doesn't necessarily mean you can do a great feature and vice versa. Shorts are fantastic for learning the technical aspects and even more advanced things but features are just a different, massive beast. Until you've actually directed a feature, I think it's impossible to comprehend. Even James Cameron wouldn't work with actors unless they didn't want to direct or they already directed and they were humbled. I think all your tools and skills learned on shorts can transfer over but you just have to learn a ton more since features are such colossal undertakings. They take years as opposed to months and the business side is a huge part of features as well as marketing whereas shorts usually can't make money (although there are ways some people have found).
Me: When writing a new project, what's the one fall-back tactic that you're always able to draw inspiration from?
DR: I love mixing genres, especially sub-genres but I think it just happens when I'm writing. Music gives me a lot of inspiration and of course, the classic movies that I love. Outlining helps me a lot. I tend to stay up late and after a while, my tired brain shuts up so I can just write. Really the hardest thing is just getting the words down on the page initially but just remember they don't have to be perfect so you can always revise to your heart's content and sometimes the wrong way to go will show you the right way. Writing is very difficult though and undervalued. There is an amazing documentary on it called Tales from the Script, which I love so much, and screenwriting books can be very insightful too. Not everything they say is gospel of course but they can potentially inspire you too.
Me: So, speaking of the new film 'Bakemono,' where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
DR: The Thing really inspired it but also Ju-on and Psycho. It's a mix of two sub-genres: serial killer and monster. Norman Bates is the main character, which I love. Following also had a big influence since the film is completely out of order and there are clues to the chronology in the film like bruises, which were also used in Nolan's film. I had a very simple idea of making something like The Thing in Japan but then the monster became a metaphor for the dark side of Tokyo, which really made it interesting. Some reviewers miss that but the character of Anna clearly lays it out: “This city gets to you after a while. It chews you up. Pits you against each other,” and what she is describing would be all the things the monster does (chews you up... literally, pits you against your friends or your lover, etc.). This reviewer really analyzed it well: https://projectedfigures.com/2024/01/02/bakemono-2023/
The serial killer element just happened naturally when I was writing and I like that turn it took.
Me: With a cast of experienced and talented indie actors, how'd you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What characteristics did you look for with each performer that they brought to the table that helped bring the production to light?
DR: I had an actors meetup in Tokyo so I found some interesting actors from that and then also I put a casting call up on Cinema Planners, which is really the only casting site in Japan (it's awesome and everyone uses it here). I was super lucky Takashi Irie contacted me because he has tons of experience and he was phenomenal in the film. I just happened to see a trailer for one short he was in where he played a loving father but I knew he'd be perfect for Mitsuo. I said it before but I really think he's exceptional like Anthony Hopkins or Anthony Perkins. When I showed people the movie, they all turned to me at a certain point and exclaimed how good he was. In one shot, he reminds me of Sam Neill. In another, Mads Mikkelsen. He's really extraordinary. Irie-san deserves some awards (he already won plenty from his previous work but I hope he gets some recognition for Mitsuo).
But I looked for actors that were open and honest first of all because they need to be real and vulnerable on screen. They need to be able to open up to me so we can get a great performance. I also looked for passion and commitment. People who really have a deep drive for acting. Making a feature is not easy and it takes a lot of time especially with so many practical FX plus getting covered in blood, etc. You need someone who really loves acting and really wants to do it. I also care about personality because you don't want to work with someone who is a pain. If they're nice and easy-going, that makes everything easier. I wanted to find actors that would really bring something to the table too. Yukina Takase has been acting her whole life since she was little and several other Japanese actors have experience too but IMDb is missing many Japanese credits. Marilyn Kawakami and Dominic Early both gave excellent performances as well. I was very fortunate to find such a great cast.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
DR: I tried to keep the atmosphere light on set. We would make jokes or a special effect would go horribly wrong, causing everyone to burst out laughing. The film has such a dark oppressive atmosphere but it wasn't like that when filming. Everybody got serious when the camera was rolling though. I felt a ton of pressure and stress especially with all the practical FX and I was doing everything by myself so that was rough. I like to do that though and I'm used to it now on my third feature but it's still challenging. There is a bunch of behind the scenes of everyone smiling though. It's a funny contrast to the tone of the film.
Me: With the international nature of the cast featured here, did that provide any kind of hindrance while filming?
DR: I can speak some Japanese (I speak a lot more Chinese though) and most of the actors could speak English but we always had one actor in every group who could help translate if need be. With the three college girls, Mai helped with translating then Irie-san helped with the schoolgirl (thank you guys!), etc.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
DR: Actually I was just reminded of one. When Mitsuo is lying down on the bridge, a random pedestrian came up to ask if he was ok (I had a little blood under his nose too). That was rather funny. She was a nice lady but I'm surprised she didn't notice the camera like why would we film some random injured person (the schoolgirl was there too so I don't know what she thought we were doing but Irie-san is a great actor). Anyway, good on her, better safe than sorry, but that was funny.
Me: With the effects-heavy nature of the film, what was the original vision of the film going for such a practical experience? What was the concept and creation of this like prior to filming compared to being on set with the finished creations?
DR: I just really love '80s horror especially all the practical FX monster movies like The Thing, The Blob, The Fly, Aliens, Predator, etc. so those are the kinds of films I want to make. Stan Winston, Rob Bottin, Rick Baker, Dick Smith, Jack Pierce, Tom Savini, etc. are my heroes. Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchock are huge influences too. Obviously, I'm just a tiny little unknown indie filmmaker but I really want to try to make something great that people will love. My stupid goal is to try to top The Thing, probably like so many FX artists, but of course that is impossible particularly with my pitiful resources; however, that's still the goal. I want to do something on the level of Aliens or The Thing. I don't think I ever will. I don't have 20 million dollars and a studio behind me. I'm just one, very insane person and I love monster movies but dang it I will try.
I wanted the monster to always look different throughout the film so even if you see it, you can't really get a handle on it. A bit like Lovecraft. H.R. Giger influenced the design since I love his work and I love spider eyes. Different random stuff would seep in. Naturally, I wanted it to transform with its face changing during the film and different mutations coming out of it. Of course, since it's Japanese (kidding... kind of) and inspired by The Thing, tentacles are required. I sculpted four original masks then did the molds and final gelatin pieces (gelatin is what Dick Smith always used and I think it looks very realistic in close-ups). I had to do that in the US then bring a bunch of stuff back to Japan for filming. My suitcase was overweight as you can imagine. But all the reviewers really seem to love the FX and the monster so I'm very happy. To be completely honest, I wasn't sure I could pull it off since I wrote such a crazy script with so many FX but I wanted to challenge myself. On set, it was tough since you have to do constant touch-ups with FX to make sure they still look good and that they look good from different angles, when they move, etc. I love practical FX but as Rick Baker showed in the making of Videodrome, things can go wrong. It's not an exact science. More like experimenting with each effect and then doing it again until you get it right. You're fighting the material and the environment, all kinds of things. The actors on set really don't know what the final movie will be like since they're not seeing it through the camera, it's very different with sound effects and music, etc. One monster actor (there were eight including me) was really pissed and frustrated after filming but when I showed him the scene cut together, he was blown away. He was so glad to be part of it and his attitude completely changed. Of course, if you're in the costume, you really don't know how it's going to turn out (you can barely see) but really only the director knows and only probably if they're also the editor or have a key hand in post (they also need some experience from doing this before).
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
DR: I'm doing a ton more practical FX monster movies. I'm developing a crazy ambitious one here in Tokyo that I'm very excited about and a more simple sleek one (also with a transforming monster so maybe not that simple haha) that I would like to film next year but we'll see. I still have to release my second feature that I shot in Shanghai too. It's a small indie sci-fi film with a touch of horror. It's done but I was waiting on covid and I just went straight into Bakemono.
Also as far as Bakemono is concerned, I am still working on an exclusive crowdfunding-only cut with more nudity and practical FX that supporters can get on Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/bakemono
That will have a ton of behind the scenes too and I'll be shipping those Blu-rays in August. I shot a lot of extra footage for it and I'm still playing around with FX because I want more transforming in the film plus I shot more nudity, etc. so backers can really get something special.
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