Horror movie fans have ensured Sunshine Coast director Chris Sun’s film The Possessed will be running riot and taking over Halloween this year.
They have snapped up all the VIP seating tickets to the Australian premiere and red carpet gala event at NightQuarter, Birtinya, on October 30.
But the good news is, a limited number of general admission seated (18+) tickets remain for the premiere of the film, starring familiar Aussie actors including John Jarratt and Lincoln Lewis, at the Moshtix website.
- Related article: ‘Hollywood Down Under’: Coast chases starring role as film hub
The Possessed is an intense horror thriller centring on Jacob Chandler (Jarratt) – an ordinary man with an extraordinary gift.
An “accidental exorcist”, Jacob and his nephew Liam (Lewis) have forged a career clearing demons from the bodies of their clients.
But lately, possessions appear to be increasing.
When his path crosses with Liam’s new girlfriend Atalie Carlisle (Lauren Grimson), he realises she can also see the damned.
At a hauntingly beautiful homestead with a tragic past, Jacob must call upon all his experience and Atalie’s untrained powers to keep those he loves safe from the wrath of unspeakable evil.
Watch the Trailer here: The Possessed Australian Premiere Trailer – YouTube
In honour of one of Nambour’s favourite sons, here’s:
FIVE MINUTES WITH CHRISTOPHER LEE SUN, Australian horror writer and director.
- What gives you the chills?
CLS: What gives me the chills? Ghost hunting is freaky, especially when you’re hunting in old asylums or buildings with no power and you’re in the dark. There is something scary about being in the pitch black by yourself, just knowing there is probably a ghost or two in there with you.
What’s scary about this is where the hell are they? Are they behind you, beside you, breathing on you, trying to attack you? The hairs on your neck stand up, you get the goose bumps, you know something is there. You can feel it but you can’t see them.
Yep, that definitely gives me the chills, but man what a rush.
NOTE: John Jarratt’s character in The Possessed is based on a former Maleny man Chris Sun recently filmed for his first reality TV series The Darkside Downunder: 12 episodes that look at Australia’s notorious folklore stories, hauntings and paranormal encounters.
- Who is your favourite director and why?
CLS: This is a tough one as there are so many brilliant Aussie directors making amazing films out there. I’m a huge James Wan fan, love Greg McLean and Russell Mulcahy. These guys are true legends and directors I admire. But my favourite would have to be George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and the master of horror himself, Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho).
Let’s be honest, Alfred Hitchcock was a genius and took many risks to make his films. If the studios didn’t like it, he never gave up and found other ways to make the movie happen. It’s really cool to know that someone like Alfred went through the same troubles making his films that we go through today. It’s proof that you can do anything if you really try.
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I love George A. Romero’s work so much. This guy was the master of zombies and, in my opinion, one of the greatest independent horror filmmakers EVER. Everything about George was inspirational to me. He was an amazing storyteller and was able to make all sorts of films from low-budget horror through to studio-budgeted films. I hope one day I will be half as good as George A. Romero and I make films that become cult classics and fan favourites all over the world.
- What is your favourite horror movie and why?
CLS: I actually don’t really have a favourite as I love all kinds of horror. I’m that guy that sees people online saying, ‘Don’t watch this movie, you’ll never get that two hours back’ or ‘This is the worst movie I have ever seen, B grade garbage’ and I’m like ‘I have to watch this now’. I love B-grade horror and splatter films. I love ’80s monster movies, and I love with a passion Practical FX. There is something really cool about a big monster, like say, Pumpkin Head cruising around on screen killing everyone. The artists involved in creating these amazing creatures and special FX over the last 100 years are insane. It’s a shame that Practical FX is slowly dying out. We need more horror filmmakers out there doing their best, keeping this art form alive and well.
The kids these days love all the CGI stuff. For my next film, I’m going to make a monster film, set in the ’80s-’90s and I want to do it 100% Practical FX. I want to show the kids that you can still make amazing films that look realistic with silicone and latex. Sure, technology has come a long way and CGI monsters now look pretty damn amazing on camera, but we don’t have $10/20 million in the bank to make that kind of film. So we have to create magic the old-fashioned way and I think the younger horror film fans are going to love what I have in store for them with my next film.
- You’ve said your mother was a fan of Christopher Lee’s Dracula and that’s why she called you Christopher Lee. When did you first watch Dracula? Are you a fan and why?
CLS: I can’t actually remember when I first saw Dracula. I know I was very young. I’m a huge vampire movie fan. If they’ve got fangs, I’m keen to watch. Actually, as I write this, I look up and I have the Bela Lugosi Dracula poster on my wall and John Carpenter’s Vampires poster to my left. Yes, I even watched the not-so-impressive The Lost Boys 2 and 3. What can I say? I’ve got a soft spot for Corey Feldman. There has been so many amazing vampire movies made over the years from Dracula to The Lost Boys, Daybreakers, Queen of the Dammed, Blade to Interview with the Vampire, I could go on and on. There are tonnes. They’re all worth a watch. They all tell different stories and are entertaining in their own way. I’m guessing there are hundreds of vampire movies out there in the marketplace, from cheap small indie films through to big-budget studio films. As long as the vampires are killing folks, I reckon it would be a good watch.
- Name five guests, alive or dead, you’d love to invite to a dinner party and why.
CLS: This is a bit of a tough one, really. One for sure has to be Bruce Lee. I have been a fan of Bruce Lee since I could walk. I have a huge Bruce Lee collection so he is 100% coming to my dinner party.
Next would be George A. Romero. How cool would it be to sit there and talk zombies with the legend himself and pick his brain about filmmaking for an hour or so? That would be amazing. Sylvester Stallone, this guys came from nothing, climbing his way to the top and is truly inspirational. He writes, he directs, he acts. He does it all. How cool would it be getting tips from someone as amazing as Sylvester Stallone at your own dinner party?
James Wan: although we are completely different styles of filmmakers, he is truly amazing and one of the best Aussie directors ever. It would be an honour to chill and chat with him for a while. I could learn so much from someone like James.
Lastly would be my kids. I would want my kids there to share this awesome dinner party with me and to show them that if you work hard enough and always believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything. And hopefully, sharing this moment with me and our guests would inspire them to do great things as they grow as well.
Sh*t! I hope they liked my cooking. Actually, I didn’t cook: we ordered takeaway, so everyone was happy. Just putting that out there.
- Who would you love to direct in a horror movie and why?
CLS: There are so many amazing actors out there that any up-and-coming director would love to work with. For me, this list is very, very long, hahaha. I want to make a film with John Travolta and I even have the pitch all ready to go to bring him Down Under.
Bruce Willis is another actor I could do something really crazy and amazing with. But one actor I would really do something special with (and it would have to be the perfect script and time) would be Edward Norton. I’ve always felt that Edward was a brilliant actor and one day I will write the perfect horror script and hopefully pitch it to him and his team, but it would have to be perfect.
- Are horror fans the most passionate fans of any film genre? Any anecdotes?
CLS: YES, YES, YES. They are the most amazing, loyal, crazy, supportive film fans on the planet. If you make a bad movie, they will tell you. If you make a good movie, they will tell you. They hold no punches at all. But when a true horror fan loves your movie, they will go above and beyond to promote the sh*t out of it to everyone.
You can always tell the real horror fans, though, from the pretend ones. These are the guys that love all things horror from films to merchandise, Halloween to collecting horror toys. They live and breathe horror. There are some really diehard fans out there. Even the other day, I went for a TV interview and the reporter was super excited to meet me. It’s still really weird for me when people come up to me that love what I do and get excited to see me. I mean, I’m not an actor. I’m behind the camera but they come up and show their love and support for my work. It’s a nice feeling inside, but still takes some getting used to. I was once even recognised by a horror fan on Hollywood Boulevard. Now, I have to tell you, that’s something cool when you’re in the film capital of the world, Hollywood, in a store and the lady behind the counter goes: ‘Hey, you’re Chris Sun, the Aussie movie director. I loved Charlie’s Farm’. That was a pretty cool moment.
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All us horror filmmakers around the world, big and small, love the horror fans and we strive very hard with every new film to keep them entertained and I hope when they see The Possessed that I have done them all proud. I’m a horror fan creating horror movies for other horror fans, so I feel I know what they will like and enjoy. Hopefully, I get to keep doing this for some time yet or until the fans tell me to hang up the gloves and get a real job.
