Exclusive: Leslie Simpson Gets Serious for Halfway House
Dread Central fans already know Leslie Simpson from his performances in Neil Marshall’s “D” Trilogy (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, and Doomsday), and just last year he made his mark with his first film as actor-writer-director, the short but extremely disturbing Grandpa (review).
Now, Simpson is back again with another promisingly horrific short film entitled Halfway House, and he recently took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to speak with Dread Central about it.
DREAD CENTRAL: I was a fan of your previous short film, Grandpa, so what can you tell me about this new one you have cooking? A short synopsis of the story will be sufficient.
LESLIE SIMPSON: Hmm… it’s tricky without giving anything away. Basically I think all the scripts I have in my folder tell the same central story over and over. Only the context changes as I, my life, and the world turns on its axis. Halfway House is about an average family whose comfortable life is disturbed by an unseen presence that moves in and out of the house, seemingly at will. At first only when they’re asleep; then later… well, as I said, seemingly at will. The police have nothing to go on, no prints, no sign of forced entry, and are loathe to help. From the outset they question the motives and sanity of the family. Conflicts build between the characters as paranoia rises. As events escalate and become more invasive, the family reaches a tipping point.
That’s as much as I’ll say. It’s standard fare really. Maybe. Who knows? I subscribe to the William Goldman* maxim – “First question, what’s it about? Second question, what’s it really about?”
(*William Goldman is the writer of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride, and many others)
DC: We hear you are going to involve fans and friends in the making of Halfway House with a Kickstarter campaign. When does that hit the airwaves?
LS: The Kickstarter campaign has already begun. The link is here. And the Halfway House Facebook Page is here.
DC: You are known for making personal films – how personal is Halfway House? And what is the significance of the title?
LS: I’m surprised anyone would suggest I was known for anything other than being an awkward swine or a pest, but yes, my own work (whether stage, music, or screen) always has strong elements of my personal life. It’s Drama School 101 that actors are supposed to be people watchers. But we’re never told that the most intimate, immediate, and valuable person we can observe is ourselves. What is in me is in everyone, and vice versa. We wish to be different and unique, but we’re really just part of the whole – whether we accept it, acknowledge it, or even rail against it. The same can apply to our lives and storytelling. I tell stories of alienation and isolation, of dark secrets and guilt, to express my urge for connection and my desire to be normal.
I can’t fathom why my life tumbles from one picaresque misadventure to another, but there’s ‘gold in them thar hills.’ I sense I’m getting tired and jaded now, but hey, I can’t be anyone else. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’m presented with – whether good or bad, painful or pleasurable; and generally for my writing all I ever need to do is find a suitable context or metaphor with which to frame it. The stories write themselves on my skin. But if there’s no universality – which in my view must also mean trying to rise above personal politics or social commentary – or if it’s just ‘empty calories’ with no real substance, then I throw the idea in the trash, however good I think it is.
I don’t want to be in a gang. I want to explore and express what it is to be human. More often than not my stories are dark, paranoiac, and disturbing because when I’m being most honest with myself, I have no genuine idea who, where, or what I am – at least nothing that can stick – and know that ultimately life is a Death Sentence. I try not to run too far away from those simple realities but try to face them fairly and squarely. That might sound bleak, but actually it’s the playground for scares, thrills, suspense, and hilarity. It’s the fertile soil to disturb, creep out, inspire awe, and yes, 100% to entertain. If you don’t believe me, take another look through your DVD or Blu-ray collection.
A halfway house is a place for criminals to begin their re-integration into society under controlled conditions. I’m very conscious of Australia’s Penal Colony history. I’m also conscious of being here and the feeling I have most of the time of being in solitary confinement. Join the dots. Hmm… I don’t think I’ve ever been so serious in an interview before.
Our thanks to Leslie for his time! For more info be sure to follow Leslie Simpson on Twitter.
Synopsis:
Halfway House is an innovative take on the “home invasion” movie. A tense 15 minutes of paranoiac eye candy for fans of horror, suspense, or thriller with memorable imagery and a gripping, unpredictable storyline.
Categorized:News
