Interview – Boys from County Hell
Irish cinema has always had it’s place in the world of film and movies, we’ve had generations of celebrated performers and Hollywood heart throbs, we’ve mastered period dramas, romance and comedies, hell we’ve even explored kung fu movies (click that link at your own peril people!) but we have yet to have any sort of dalliance into the genre of horror (Yes we are aware that Bramstoker’s Dracula was written by an Irish guy but he didn’t actually make the movie!).
However all of that is beginning to change and we’re starting to see horror emerge onto the Irish film-making scene and these aren’t just home-made movies! Case in point; Boys from County Hell!
Written and directed by Chris Baugh and produced by Brendan Mullin, we’re dying of anticipation waiting for the release! Before we get a chance to sit down and cover our eyes, we chat with Chris about the film, the horror genre and what it takes to make a good movie!
I guess the best thing to do would be to tell us a little about yourself first?
I’m a writer/director based in Belfast. I’ve been making short films since 2006 as well as working in television as a development producer and scriptwriter. Boys From County Hell is my latest short film and is also currently in development as a feature film project.
Your film ‘Boys from County Hell’ is grabbing a lot of attention lately, is this your first major film?
It’s not my first, but it’s definitely the biggest, most complex short film I’ve done to date!
What can you tell us about the movie? Who are the Boys from County Hell?
Boys From County Hell is a short horror film about a trio of cash-strapped workmen, led by a conflicted father and son team, who undertake a job in a forbidding, isolated landscape. The main character, Eugene Moffat, is disturbed by mysterious recent events along this lonely stretch of road and is determined they don’t outstay their welcome. As darkness closes in, a chain of events finds the trio stranded; all too aware that they are not alone. When they come under attack from a vicious and seemingly unstoppable enemy they are forced to use all their wits and resources to survive in a place where the landscape truly lives up to legend.
The title has a kind of double meaning as it can refer to both the main characters in the film -who sometimes feel as if they are trapped in a small town hell – and it also refers to our vampire, who lurks in the wilderness of County Hell.
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
What was the inspiration behind the film?
Boys From County Hell came from a desire to do an intense horror film that was infused with the kind of sharp humour and storytelling that is so prominent in Irish film and the Irish character. While there are a lot of cinematic influences on the film it was also hugely inspired by the various characters and personalities I encountered where I grew up. We have always wanted to make sure the film feels real, so even though we are dealing with vampires and stakes and the supernatural, most of the character moments and drama in the story are inspired – very loosely – by real life.
We’ve seen the concept art behind the creature, at the beginning of the project was that what you had in mind or has the creature evolved much over production?
We always wanted the creature to be very feral and sinewy looking – almost like a junkie and the concept artists hit that note on the first try! We didn’twant fangs or anything like that, it was always important that he look like something that has been living in this exposed environment and feeding off blood for a long time. We also decided early on that we would use the ‘less is more’ approach when it comes to the creature so that we only catch glimpses of his form.
Irish cinema has a pretty decent reputation for creating strong work but we don’t see a lot of Irish horror movies, why do you think that’s so?
I’m not sure as we have a mythology that’s ripe for great horror. In fact, in the course of our research we came across the story of Abhartach, a blood drinking chieftain from Derry who some believe is the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. So, while writing an Irish Vampire film we found out that the first recorded instance of the blood drinking undead came from here!
Then on that topic, why did you decide to create ‘Boys from County Hell’?
Boys From County Hell began life as a feature film script, but Brendan Mullin (Producer) and I soon realised that no-one would finance it unless we were able to prove that we could handle the horror genre. So we came up with a short version of the film that would work as stand alone story and also as a sales tool to help us get the feature made.
Shooting began in February and you guys are already cutting the film together – was the whole thing really shot over one three nights? Did it all go according the plan?
We did indeed shoot it over 3 nights. It was tough going as we had a lot to get through. However, despite the odds that were stacked against us the entire shoot went incredibly smoothly – largely thanks to an amazing cast and crew who worked like hell through the freezing cold on the side of a mountain!
Looking at the horror genre, what makes a terrifying movie? Got any favourites or any movie you’d avoid like the plague?
I guess the definition of “scary” changes from person to person but for me it’s always some element of the unknown that I find terrifying. The universal fear of what’s lurking in the dark or what’s around the corner still has a big impact on me. I’m also a fan of well made, intense horror movies, like the stuff that has been coming out of France in the past few years. High Tension and Inside are definitely in my top ten as they have a ferocity that I don’t think has yet been matched on our side of the pond. As far as classic horror goes you really can’t beat Halloween or The Shining!
Finally, if you were trapped in Arcade for eternity what ONE game would you play to pass the time?
For eternity? I guess something that’s unwinnable. Maybe one of those coin avalanche machines… Or Dead Space 2!
For more information on ‘Boys from County Hell’ and to receive updates be sure to check out their pages:
Chris Baugh and Brendan Mullin will also be appearing at ArcadeCon 2012 as Special Guests and will host a panel about the movie and it’s creation so if you are interested in horror or film making then be sure to get your tickets to the event today!
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
