FX ARTIST RAISES APPRENTICE
The hardest-working man in the East Coast independent horror business, Larry Fessenden, found time recently in between executive-producing chores on THE ROOST and THE OFF SEASON and directing his new THE LAST WINTER to star in the short horror film THE RESURRECTION APPRENTICE. This project was written and directed by Glenn McQuaid, whose Quiet Man FX company handled ROOST’s impressive digital FX work. He tells Fango that APPRENTICE is ‘a period chiller starring Larry and Daniel Manche and shot on Super-16mm. It details the account of a young boy, Arthur [Manche], who is forced by circumstance into the world of resurrection men, i.e. grave robbers. He meets Willie [Fessenden], who introduces him to the world and shows him a night he will never forget.
‘I wanted to create a mood piece in the tradition of British horror films,’ McQuaid continues. ‘I’m Irish, and growing up in Dublin I was exposed to Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER MAN and John Badham’s DRACULA, as well as the whole Hammer stable. This is the world in which THE RESURRECTION APPRENTICE takes place.’
As befits that approach, and despite McQuaid’s CGI background, the filmmaker aimed to give this movie an old-fashioned flavor. ‘Not relying on FX and doing as much work as possible in camera was a challenge, but my DP Mai Iskander and I worked hard to create atmosphere the same way people like Terence Fisher and Michael Reeves had to in the ’60s and ’70s. David Bell, who I knew from THE ROOST, did an absolutely spot-on job as production designer.
‘I respect and really get Larry Fessenden’s work,’ McQuaid says of his producer-turned-actor. ‘WENDIGO is a fabulous film and another example of a more traditional type of horror. It’s one of the last genre movies I saw in a theater that I walked away from inspired. Getting to know Larry and collaborating with him on the film was terrific. Daniel and Larry had previously worked together on HEADSPACE, so they had a great deal of chemistry together. Both brought a lot to their roles, and it was magical seeing it all come together.
‘I am starting the editing process next week and am hoping to have the project finished by April,’ McQuaid adds. You can dig up more info on RESURRECTION APPRENTICE at Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix website.
Courtesy of Fangoria
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