The Indie Beat: ‘Killing Brooke’ Filmmakers Speak Out
by Marc Patterson
It was meant to be a day she’d never forget. Now it’s become a night she may never survive.
We do enjoy our indie horror around these parts. No, it’s not always highly polished, and many times treads on all too familiar ground, but there’s just something about it that is likable, generally speaking. We recently found out about a new project called Killing Brooke that was written and directed by David Zagorski and so we reached out to find more.
Starring Alex Fandel, Colin Allen, Ray Hryb, Kt Baldassaro, Dina Baker and Johnny Donaldson, Killing Brooke is the story of “free-spirited party girl Brooke Porter and her wife Chloe who are celebrating their recent wedding, when they meet Vance, a handsome, lady-killing drifter at a bar. But a drunken night of debauchery will lead them all down the road to terror. Pursued by a vicious, psychopathic madman, Brooke is propelled into a struggle for survival, one that will push her to the limits physically and emotionally.“
Dave tells us about the origins and making of the film; “I’ve been writing for about fifteen years and have been lucky enough to see two of my scripts produced. Unfortunately though, one was quite a deviation from my original idea and the other has yet to see the light of day, so I figured it was time I tried making a movie on my own.
We were able to make Killing Brooke on the cheap because everybody, bless their hearts, went in with the knowledge and agreement that there was no upfront pay, so the majority of the budget went to the FX, which I think is important when you do horror. I’m not a big fan of CGI in horror, I grew up with the movies that used practical effects, like An American Werewolf in London and The Thing and that’s what makes an effective horror film. When you believe it’s real.
Killing Brooke essentially takes the ‘out of the frying pan into the fire’ concept and warps it to a horror aspect. Brooke Porter is a free spirited party girl, used to getting what she wants and flirting her way out of bad situations. But she finds herself in this situation that she can’t flirt her way out of (though she does go overboard trying), so it’s a true test of her character. Is she strong enough to get through this? How will it affect her? I’m editing the movie right now as well as working on the screenplay for the next project, a remake of The Devil’s Nightmare. I hope to have Killing Brooke completed this year, ideally in time to submit to Screamfest LA in October.“
Johnny Donaldson, co-star/co-producer adds to Dave’s comments that “Dave says that he compares Killing Brooke to the phrase ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’, which is an apt description. I’d also say the film is kind of a cinematic rendering of ‘caught between a rock in a hard place’. Brooke Porter has made a decision that puts her into a violent, complex situation where she’s at the mercy of two opposing forces who want her for themselves; a situation where she must use all she has at her disposal — from her wits to her own physicality — to make it out alive.“
Making low-budget films is never an easy task. Filmmakers are not only strapped for cash, but often equipment, supplies, time, and goodwill. Donaldson goes on to tell us “It wasn’t easy making Killing Brooke. With one full week and a few extra days, an extremely low budget, and a whole lot of heart the cast and crew persevered and a made a product that we are proud of and hope that horror fans everywhere will enjoy. There wasn’t a lot of problems on set, surprising for a such a small production, but there was a jovial, family-like atmosphere….if the family you’re talking about was the Firefly’s that is. Seriously, a few of us were already friends, actors and filmmakers eking out an existence in western Massachusetts (I’ve alone have done about five different projects with my co-star Kt Baldassaro, with and without Dave, and four with our actor Colin Allen) and welcoming new members to our family like the one-of-a-kind wild man Ray Hryb, who IS Dagget Spade in many ways.“
In regards to how Killing Brooke plans to “turn survival horror on its head” (a tall task indeed) Donaldson comments that “At MAD Z Productions, we strive to provide good, original horror to the masses. Killing Brooke belongs to a familiar archetype of story, the backwoods survival thriller, but we weren’t interested in merely copying the likes of Texas Chainsaw and its ilk; we wanted to tell our own story, a story that lives in this familiar world but isn’t just a shadow of a shadow of a shadow.” He continues, “We haven’t reinvented the wheel or broke new ground, but we told our story with heart and conviction, focusing on making a good film rather than just splashing buckets of gore or overloading our film with fanboy references (though some have, of course, made their way in — after all, many of us involved in the project are not just movie geeks but deep down horror lovers.) What we want is for people to enjoy our movie,to have it effect them on some level. Because, once it comes down to brass tacks, that’s all people want from their movies — to laugh, cry, be scared, disturbed or awed — to be affected.“
Killing Brooke was shot over a six week period between July and August of 2010, mostly in Hatfield, Massachusetts, as well as parts of Easthampton Mass. It was shot in HD on the Canon EOS 7D by Director of Photography Jared Skolnick, whose credits include the award winning The Music of Erich Zann.
You can check out the trailer below, as well as a clip from the film.
