Linda Blair, who will be forever remembered for suffering Satanic possession in THE EXORCIST, has now taken a part helping another terrorized girl in the independent horror feature ALL IS NORMAL. She plays a social worker who helps the movie’s heroine, college dropout Janet (Juliana Brafa, pictured left with Blair), deal with her sadistic boyfriend (Duane Wallace). “We thought Linda would be perfect for the role,” says Todd G. Bieber, who wrote, produced and directed the movie with Brafa. “An actress who portrayed the classic victim is now playing a role of strength in the same genre over 30 years later.”
The first feature by Brafa and Bieber, who have won awards for short films like ONE NUMBER 2 and NECK DEEP, ALL IS NORMAL follows Janet as she confronts mental and real terrors after taking a job as a housesitter in an Appalachian mountain home to escape her violent beau. “We made this film because the idea of running away struck a chord,” Brafa tells Fango. “It’s not necessarily autobiographical, but at some point we all need to escape from something.” Also starring in the movie are Tom Stechschulte, Greg Burgess and Kyle Brosius.
Bieber also served as cinematographer on the movie, which filmed in rural Pennsylvania. “We tried to create a look that brings across a sense of both vastness and claustrophobia,” he says. “The rural landscape can feel both beautifully serene and very ominous, and we wanted to capture that.” The soundtrack, described by Brafa as “organic and full of tension,” includes contributions by Seattle-based band Botch and Grammy-winning musician Steve Mitchell.
“We want this film to rouse people’s fears, but we didn’t want to constantly conform to the typical methods of the thriller-horror genre,” Brafa says. “We are greatly influenced by the masters of suspense, but we also try to push the boundries.” The duo plan to send ALL IS NORMAL on the film-festival rounds this winter; you can see a teaser and full-length trailer at the movie’s official website.
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