The Cold Descent – Exclusive Set Visit Report: Tony Todd, Michael Eklund, More!
Yousef Abu-Taleb – actor, producer
DC: How much is being revealed as you market the film?
Yousef Abu-Taleb: Basically, it’s a train going to hell, [it] is more like a disastrous train ride – something to do with that. What it really is, it’s a story about redemption as a lot of Westerns are, but it’s set in a horror setting.
DC: And that it’s supernatural?
YAT: Or supernatural things are happening and occurring. I don’t want to give away the twist.
DC: You’re wearing a cross as part of your costume. Are you a priest?
YAT: Yeah. My character’s a little bit of a – he’s not the holiest holy man, I wouldn’t say. He’s got a lot of his own little quirks that happen.
DC: Are you an actor first, or a producer first?
YAT: I actually moved out here about 10 years ago and I got my start as an actor on a series called “Lonely Girl 15”. And then from there I got a lead on a series called “Bite Me”, a horror-comedy show. And somewhere in between I just started producing movies. A friend of mine asked me to, he told me he lost a producer and needed help with a producer. And I said I don’t know what producers do. And he said,‘That’s okay, nobody does.’ So I just came on set and, yeah, I just sort of fix problems. I liked it. I liked being able to kind of like see a story through from beginning to end. I love the acting as well, but the in between making movies happen, it is just crazy. So for me, this movie, in particular, I had an idea. I wanted to shoot a horror on a train. And I met Michael Steves [the writer-director] through a friend. And so I ended up hiring him just to write it.
DC: So you haven’t known him for a long time?
YAT: It’s been a couple of years. You know, from beginning to end. And then, by the end of the whole thing, I was looking for directors to get it going. He has so much passion. And he already knew the material and everything. He has a movie, Clinger, that’s at Slamdance right now, which is also a horror, and so I said, ‘Let’s just go with you.’ Tony was the first one to come on board. And then we got Michael Eklund – he’s awesome. And Lance Henriksen came on board and Richard. We worked with Lance yesterday; he was a blast. And it’s just been a hell of a ride.
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