Interview with Dig Two Graves Director Hunter Adams
We here at Dread Central were thankful to be able to snag a few moments with director Hunter Adams, whose recently released Dig Two Graves (review) has chilled some audiences to the bone. We spoke for a few minutes about the filming and what was it like to oversee Ted Levine in action – sit on down, grab a cold one, and enjoy!
DC: For the people that might not know too much about the film, can you give us a description as to its premise?
HA: A young girl loses her brother, and three crusty moonshiners offer to bring him back at a cost. This simple conceit kicks off a decades-spanning tale of revenge.
DC: How did you manage to come up with a story such as this, and did you find it difficult to convey from story to film?
HA: Growing up in rural Wisconsin, I’ve always been fascinated by gypsies and especially hillbilly justice. The story was difficult to film, only in the sense that we were shooting a multi-million dollar movie with little more than half a million budget. We broke most of the rules of low-budget filmmaking, so it was a challenge pulling off the elaborate set pieces. Adding to this difficulty were the frigid temperatures. We shot the film in January in Illinois, during one of the coldest winters on record.
DC: Tell us how it was to direct someone like the incredibly talented Ted Levine? Was he open to interpretation of the role, or did you just hand him the script and let him have at it?
HA: I just tried to stay out of his way and not fuck up his performance. He’s a method actor and really gets into the tactile qualities of the character. We spent a lot of time discussing wardrobe and props: the size of his cigar, the type of hat he wore, the color and material of his jacket. Ted’s a pro, and I trusted him absolutely. I think he created one of the most nuanced and memorable performances of his career.
DC: After the release of Dig Two Graves, what can fans look forward to from you down the road?
HA: I’ve been developing a feature about a real-life war that broke out between the Ku Klux Klan and bootleggers back in the 1920s. I’m also writing a limited series set on a Native American reservation that I describe as a modern day “Deadwood,” and I would love to do another horror film – just waiting for the right project.
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