ENTERTAINMENT
13
Bonus question
ADAM WINGARD Indie horror-maker dips feet in the mainstream with “You’re Next.”
WORKING FOR THE MAN GETTY IMAGES
For years, director, writer, cinematographer (and occasional actor) Adam Wingard has labored in the world of indie horror. After numerous shorts (including the “V/H/S” series), he made “You’re Next.” Written by Simon Barrett, the film is a home invasion thriller with enough loose indie acting — and a sick sense of humor — to make it stand out. Made in 2011, it’s now receiving a decent release by Lionsgate. I read that you were shocked when “You’re
Quoted
“The mumblecore thing is about creating reality beyond what you usually see in cinema.” Wingard Next” got a strong audience reception during an early test screening. Were you not trying to make something to cross over? Going into it, I was actually trying to make something more accessible, something that could be seen in a mainstream light
as opposed to the movies we’d done up to this point. ... As a kid, I watched a lot of crazy, big-budget Hollywood movies, horror films and so forth. Those were the kind of things that initially made me want to make movies. But the film still has a
loose style. I did want to use aspects of what you would normally consider a conventional cinematic language and integrate it into my kind of style. Still, I couldn’t rely on overly shaky handheld camera movements and weird editing styles. Normal audience members, they just want to be involved in the story. Are you reluctant to do more studio work? I feel like as a filmmaker you have to give the studio thing a shot because at the end of the day every time
you make an indie film, you’re taking a gamble. ... Will somebody pick up this film? What will happen to it? There are members of the “mumblecore” scene here. How did this approach jibe with the horror elements? The mumblecore thing is about creating reality beyond what you usually see in cinema. You’re not picking actors based on a role. You’re picking roles based on actors. I wanted to bring that aesthetic to it.
Sloppy with Joe You’ve worked with filmmaker Joe Swanberg, not only here but on several other projects. You two would seem to have different sensibilities entirely. I think I kind of opened his eyes to a way of filmmaking that was possibly a little sloppier than he was used to — the kind where you can get it done in a couple days. Working with him has been a mutually enriching experience for both us. I opened his eyes to that kind of film, and he helped me understand what good acting was.
MATT PRIGGE
matt.prigge@metro.us