INTERVIEW with

         BALAZS HATVANI

        writer / director of  

        GINGERCLOWN 3D 

          © 2012 questions by cinegoredottk.wordpress.com   Special thanks to : Eszter Nagy & Vera Piros

Balazs at the Skywalker Ranch

 

        Where did you get the idea to makea  horror movie with an evilish clown?

I’ve always been attracted to amusement-parks and somehow intrigued by the atmosphere of circuses. These places seem to me like a mysterious other world which breaks the dull rhythm of everyday routine. In such places despite all the fun and happiness pretty dark things can happen when nobody is watching. I find clowns interesting and at the same time scary (I have absolutely no idea who thinks that a clown can cheer a child up) because you can never know, what hides underneath the mask and the makeup.  Such a character demands your unconditional trust, your willingness not to be afraid of them, hold their hand, laugh with them…

You can never know, whether they give that hand back. 

You have mentioned "Evil Dead" and Jim Henson's "Labyrinth" several times as movies that have greatly influenced your project. Are there any other horror movies that have the same effect on you?

Of course, I absolutely adore the films of the ‘80s, including horrors, but mostly I prefer movies which are mixtures of different genres. In my interpretation for instance Ridley Scott’s “Legend”, “The Gremlins”, “The Cocoon”, “Twilight Zone”, “Alien/Aliens” are horror movies, but at the same time much more than that. Also one of my favourite horror ones is Don Coscarelli’s “Phantasm” quadrilogy – very few people know it, but it is brilliant.

I also very like the episodes of “Tales from the Crypt” and I adore the “Poltergeist”, which I think is a masterpiece. And I could go on mentioning all the classic movies of Spielberg,Zemeckis & Gale, Lucas, Landis or John Hughes or others I like…I also like Mike Nichols more and more.

Have you got a favourite movie? 

Uhh...I have a lots of favourites...The Goonies, Big, Star Wars, Scrooged with Bill Murray, Ghost Busters, Back to the Future Trilogy... Planes Trains and Automobiles, Labyrinth...Forrest Gump.I like the movies of Tom Hanks , John Candy, Chevy Chase...I like '80s.

What was it like cooperating with the American crew? 

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It was great, Americans are really cool and friendly, and they do actually enjoy what they are doing. You don’t feel that kind of struggling.  

Tim Curry has already proven his skills in the Stephen King adaptation " It ". How much has influenced your choice?

I think he is a unique actor with special skills, and I loved him as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" , or as Darkness in " Legend". I loved the “It” in the Stephen King movie. But basically while writing the script I could feel that Tim Curry can be the  person fitting this role.  


 

What does it feel like working with such icons as Brad Dourif or Lance Henriksen?

Fantastic! :)

Sean Young is  simple marvellous.

 

Brad Dourif is incredibly superactive. He is actually like the characters in his films, what’s more he is brilliant and quite a professional actor, who is capable of reacting to situations immediately. 

For instance when it came to a scene when the monster was speaking with a tasty leg in his mouth, he did everything to find some kind of food in the studio so we could feel that this creature was eating. I loved working with him. The "Wormcreature" is an ultimate badass character in the movie.

The same can be said about Lance Henriksen with whom I have been wanting to work for years because he is a genius, what’s more he is a superb actor with a brilliant personality and sense of humour. Seriously, if I had to make all my movies with him I would be absolutely pleased with the outcome.  He is "Braineater" in the movie , a creature who is obsessed to eat brains.

As for Michael Winslow there are no words to describe his talent. He is still like a child. It’s enough to take a look at “Space Balls”, he still is just like the way he was back then.

But I don't want to miss out the young "victims" of my creatures. The brilliant Erin Hayes, Ashley Luke Lloyd and Michael Cannell-Griffiths are all incredibly talented.










      

 

   Ashley Luke Lloyd - "Sam"  Erin Hayes  - "JennyMichael Cannell-Griffiths - "Biff"

Balazs Hatvani (dir.) and Levente Kiss (prod.)

What makes you think that such a retro horror comedy will appeal to the audience?

I find “Gingerclown” a special movie for several reasons. 

On the one hand it has a unique atmosphere, on the other hand it isn’t mainstream. It’s rather inspired by retro movies for which there is still a need. But what can you do when you cannot find anymore those kind of movies you once used to love. You content yourself with the new versions.

The kind of spirit that you have to search for nowadays are starting to disappear. There are no more Billy Wilders, Matthaus, Lemmons, Orson Welleses, Hitchcocks, and neither are there Spielbergs, Lucases, Donners and Zemeckises in truth.

   

                                                                                                                                 Krisztian Lippert (prod.)

Everything has been transformed, and names, stories, rhythms have been ruthlessly changed, trying to satisfy the new audience whose stimulus threshold is much higher than it used to be. If you do a little searching you can find even on YouTube those classic series that have inspired Spielberg or Lucas for example.

These new kind of films are not even close to the feeling of e.g. Rod Serling’s“Twilight Zone”. You cannot find this sort of innocence and magic in movies anymore.  Everything is right there, in your face. “Gingerclown” isn’t like that.





                                                                     

Do you agree with the opinion that it is hard to succed with an own script in the USA nowadays?

I don't know... I still believe in the the Land of Opportunity :) But it depends on who it is that you are trying to succeed with and what your goals are. 

The world are looking for revival and new authors (and of course money and saleability).  But nobody should think that a miracle will happen and producers like Jerry Bruckheimer or Scott Rudin or the head of any other big studio will call them out of the blue offering them 30 million dollars, asking them to make a movie. 

What I believe in are much more the sort of productions that Sam Raimi or Don Coscarelli made. But I could mention Kevin Reynolds as well. 

But the person I look up to the most is George Lucas for the very reason that he has created on his own what he had imagined. I’m sure that he could achieve this because he’s never given up his dreams and the child within him. He has never let any kind of trends overwrite his original imaginations.  

 

What are the feedbacks regarding the audience?

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They’re absolutely positive for what I’m very grateful. I hope this movie will earn a little better reputation for Hungarian films. But my aim first of all is to amuse the audience. 

In case this movie turns out to be a success, is it possible that you go on in this direction and keep on making horror movies? Or is it a one-off-try-out regardless of the results?

Well, it’s a very interesting question. I very much hope that it’ll be a success. This genre attracts me quite much, but I wouldn’t actually describe “Gingerclown” as a modern slasher or gore horror movie. I could never make a kind of movie such as “Saw” or “Human Centipede”, howeverstable their market might be relatively.

Does it affect the pace of your work that you are working on your other project "Thelomeris" simultaneously?

“Thelomeris” is a completely other type of movie and it’s on a different way.  They don’t effect each other, or even if they do, only in a positive way.


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