FRIGHTFEST HALLOWEEN: ELDRITCH U.S.A.
Sibling rivalries, Lovecraftian cults and musical numbers
Minor spoilers for Eldritch U.S.A., which had its International Premiere at the FrightFest Halloween event on the 28th of October.
Keep reading for an interview with writer/co-director Ryan Smith.
It shouldn’t work. While horror and comedy have been longtime bedfellows, the addition of musical numbers should not have slotted so seamlessly into this endearing, low-budget effort. Writer Ryan Smith, who shares directing duties with Tyler Foreman, worked with the band Fox Royale to create the earworms that are dotted throughout the film, and the cast deliver them with gusto.
This all comes together to tell the story of Geoff Brewer (Graham Weldin), a down-on-his-luck cameraman for a local news network who has been overshadowed by his brother Rich (Andy Phinney) since childhood. Things only get more tense between the brothers when Rich makes a move on Jill (Aline O’Neal), a new intern at the station who shows some interest in Geoff.
There’s plenty of humour early on and the songs don’t interrupt the pacing of the film, instead, they work to push the story forward – working both as well-put-together musical numbers and as asides that enable characters to move between locations. With a cast of locals and independent actors, there’s also an endearing roughness to the choreography, which far from detracting, shows Eldritch U.S.A. to be the passion project it is.
It's a woodcutting incident that propels us into Lovecraftian territory. With Rich dead and covered in ice in the back of his brother’s car, Geoff drags his friend Colin (Cameron Perry) to the compound owned by Clyde (Westan McNew). Clyde has claimed that he could bring people back if only they could remember that dang incantation!
A standout moment – honestly enough on its own to recommend the film – is when the cult tries to bring Rich back. The various attempts are soundtracked by bluegrass melodies, with members of the cult trying to remember the words. It’s really a showcase of the cast and crew’s comedic timing, constantly rerunning the joke as it becomes sillier, and gorier, but understanding when to finally pull the trigger.
Once Rich is back from the dead, the film enters more traditional horror-comedy territory, although it never forgets to add in the catchy songs. The undead in Eldritch U.S.A. are more akin to those seen in Re-Animator – just human enough to pass but driven by a bloodlust. Geoff’s song to Rich about the importance of not killing is another highlight but it’s all for nought as the zombified sibling sets in motion a plan to destroy the town.
Eldritch U.S.A. is undoubtedly rough around the edges, but it’s made with such passion and care that it’s impossible not to be drawn in. Smith’s love of genre means that the switches between horror, musical and comedy are mostly seamless, and while the final third is more focused on the horror and the comedy aspects, you’ll still find yourself humming some of the songs long after the film has finished.
If you get the opportunity, see this in a cinema, or at least with a group of friends. This is the sort of silly, over-the-top experience that demands to be seen with others.
Directors: Ryan Smith, Tyler Foreman
Writer: Ryan Smith
Starring: Graham Weldin, Andy Phinney, Aline O’Neal, Westan McNew
An interview with Ryan Smith
This isn't the first time you've delved into the world of Lovecraft for a project. You've previously adapted The Terrible Old Man. What is it that appeals to you about Lovecraft's stories?
I grew up loving the silly horror of Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness and found myself wanting to learn more about the Necronomicon during my time in the army. That led me down the path of Lovecraft- I loved the deep aspects of cosmic horror and fear of the unknown. Cults, artifacts, creatures, and supernatural threats all seem to speak to me in regard to horror.
Despite being known as a horror writer, Lovecraft has been adapted in more tongue-in-cheek ways (Re-Animator). Why do you think Lovecraft and comedy work well together?
Part of it is the time period difference. Some of the various aspects of Lovecraftian horror lean into absurdity, so you’re forced with the choice of taking it dead serious, or allowing the audience to have a chuckle. Horror already pairs well with comedy, allowing the ebb and flow of dread, shock, and release through laughter.
Where did the idea of Eldritch USA come from? Was it always going to be the comedy/horror/musical hybrid?
I was ready to start thinking about my first feature and wanted to pick something that not only stood out but also spoke to my wide array of interests (be happy Eldritch didn’t include puppets).
Looking for inspiration, I was drawn to Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog and thought it would be fun to do something similar that leaned into horror (the first draft of Eldritch was actually written as a series). I have a twin brother and have some familiarity with sibling rivalry, so decided to “write what you know”.
You co-wrote the songs in the film. What challenges were there in integrating plot points into songs?
Nathan Hurley (Fox Royale) did an amazing job bringing a majority of the musical talent to the writing process. During the script writing process, I would identify a place where we would need a song to get us from point A to point B and would continue writing the story.
Nathan and I would get together and I would tell him the theme and emotion behind the song and that it would have to get us to a specific point plot-wise. We would brainstorm a few lyrics and then he would take it from there. I was able to help write the melody for “It Doesn’t End Well”, but Nathan did a lot of the heavy lifting with feedback from me.
Story-wise, the music wasn’t a challenge because it was pre-planned. Execution was definitely a challenge, as we were not only filming a comedy but also 13-ish music videos.
The film looks like it was great fun to make. Do you have any particularly fond memories on set?
All the scenes inside the cult compound allowed us to flex our creativity with costumes and gore- and it was also 105 degrees Fahrenheit with no air conditioning. Everyone on set that week lost 5-10 pounds.
The song “Kill your Way to the Top” was particularly fun, as we got to do violence, music, and makeup all together.
A close second was Jenkins “stabbing” the chicken. We overpowered the blood spurt and ended up not only hitting our actor Patrick but also painting the ceiling 30 feet above his head.
There's plenty of horror in the film (more so than some other comedy hybrids). How difficult was it to find the balance?
Pretty challenging, actually. Part of what I was trying to accomplish was having bright colours and happy songs combined with a fairly dark story- trying to create a tragedy wearing the skin of a comedy.
The plot points allowed us to fit in a fair amount of horror, and the challenge was in how much comedy was too much or too little. I’ve heard the film referred to as “whimsical”, so hopefully we hit the right horror-to-comedy ratio.
Have you any other projects in the pipeline?
We are nearly done with the third draft of “Fork”- a feature-length dramedy that I’m co-writing with Curtis Killingsworth. It tells the story of an apartment manager whose wife suddenly leaves him. He doesn’t know how to put his life back together, but then becomes inspired to build the world’s largest fork.
I’m also in the development stage of a couple of horror films. The first is another horror comedy involving elderly people and astral projection. The second is a Lovecraft/Poe mashup of “Rats in the Walls” and “The Telltale Heart”, tentatively titled “In the Walls”
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