Exclusive Interview: HORROR IN THE HIGH DESERT Director On Making Found Footage Scary Again
Recently I was sent a link to a mysterious new found footage flick called, Horror in the High Desert. It scared the hell out of me.
Also Read: A-Ha! I Found a GENUINELY Scary New Found Footage Movie I GUARANTEE You’ve Never Seen
And the other day I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with the film’s director Dutch Marich. We talked found footage, favorite flicks, and more. Plus he confirmed the sequel is now in the works!
Check out our exclusive interview with Horror in the High Desert director Dutch Marich on found footage flicks below!
Dread Central: Are there rules for found footage? If so, what was your set of dos and don’ts?
Dutch Marich: Oh man. I think every movie has its own unique set of rules. I think it’s necessary to have dos and don’ts to create the world in which the story takes place.
My golden rule with this movie was to keep everything as realistic as possible. The mockumentary approach lends itself to total realism, which, to me, means leaving some questions unanswered is not only acceptable but bolsters the realism.
I didn’t want Gary to simply be dismissed as a macguffin for the movie, but rather a fleshed out character. I wanted viewers to get to know who the “missing person” was.
When the ending and reveal finally comes around, I think it helps it come full speed and pack more of a punch when you feel like you know him and are right there with him in the nightmare.
Also Read: I Just Watched One Of the Scariest Found Footage Movies I’ve Ever Seen
DC: What advice would you give our readers who want to make their first found footage flick?
1 – Watch a ton of them! Watch them and find what works and what you think doesn’t work….for you.
2 – Make something that scares YOU.
3 – Make your movie knowing that there will always be people who like it and people who don’t and that is a-ok.
4 – Finish it! Even if you get into the edit and think it’s junk. Finishing it will teach you a ton of lessons on what you can improve on.
Also Read: Here Are 5 Great Found Footage Movies About Monsters
DC: What do you consider to be the best found footage movies?
There are so many! My all time favorite is the OG Blair Witch Project. That movie still gets me when I watch it today. I am a massive fan of the fear that lurks just beyond the shadow – the things you don’t see.
DC: Any found footage hidden gems to recommend?
I watched an Australian FF film called THE TUNNEL a few years back that was an absolute gem. THE FOURTH KIND has a unique use of FF and it is incredibly effective.
DC: Now onto the movie [SPOILERS] What was with the music at the shack?
Everyone who watches the movie asks me about this and I love it! Please see my answer to the next question. Haha!
Also Read: Open Letter: I Miss Found Footage Flicks
DC: The end seems to tease a sequel, what can you tell us about that?
The sequel is in the works as we speak. That strange music will make more sense in Part 2. The reception to this movie by FF horror fans has been phenomenal. What a passionate fan base the FF genre has! I love them!
Some people weren’t fans of the slow burn of this one and to those folks I say – stick around for Part 2! It’s much more full-on FF and I have fun things in the works – slow burn it is not. Haha!
Not only is there a sequel, but I have plans for a Horror in the High Desert Universe – Skinwalkers & Haunted Hotels & Ghosts, OH MY!……
I grew up in the High Desert of Nevada and there are plenty of scary stories to be told out there. I actually grew up in the tiny town of Ruth, Nevada that’s in the movie.
If you want to stay on the up-&-up with all of that, give my Instagram a follow! @dutchmdm
Also Read: 13 Lesser Known Found Footage Films That Just Might Restore Your Faith in the Genre
DC: Which film(s) found footage or otherwise influenced your new movie?
I’m obviously an enormous fan of UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, FORENSIC FILES, DATELINE and DISAPPEARED and I think that shows. Every time I watch one, I’m like “Imagine if this had a scary ending!” So I made one.
Aside from those, LAKE MUNGO is one of my all time favs, and I think its influence on this movie was always there from the beginning. That movie is a masterpiece.
DC: What’s your favorite scary movie?
Hardest question of all time! I will have to say my #1 forever is SCREAM and then THE STRANGERS, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT……and like fifteen others that change on any given day. Can that be an answer? Haha.
Have you seen Horror in the High Desert yet?
Make sure to let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also hit me up over on Twitter @MikeSpregg325.
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