RAILWAY MAN is a tale of revenge and redemption in the trappings of a WWII melodrama. The true tale jumps back and forth between 1942 and 1980 to tell the story about one man forced to deal with his horrible memories of the atrocities of war. THE RAILWAY MAN is a sober, well-meaning picture that aims to raise serious issues about truth and justice, but it’s ultimately undone by its own earnestness and predictability.
In 1980 Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) is a socially awkward rail enthusiast (not a trainspotter, he clarifies) who travels around the UK with a detailed knowledge about train timetables and British towns. Eric meets nurse Patti (Nicole Kidman) on a train and after a whirlwind romance, they are married. But after the honeymoon Eric is waking up in the night sweating and screaming – it’s the emotional distress caused by his treatment at the hands of Japanese prison guards during his WWII days (I think we now call this post-traumatic stress disorder). He refuses to confide in his wife the details so she seeks advice from one of Eric’s old war comrades (Stellan Skarsgård).
THE RAILWAY MAN then flashes back to 1942 where the young Eric (Jeremy Irvine) is a junior signals officer in the British Army during the Fall of Singapore. He’s forced to surrender and as a Prisoner of War, is sent to hard labor blasting rock and laying tracks to help build the notorious Thai-Burma Railway, aka ‘The Death Railway’, a 259 mile line from the jungles of Bangkok to Rangoon. When the Japs discover that he has built a (one-way) radio, Eric is taken away and waterboarded, then tortured by a young Imperial Kempeitai (secret police) officer, Takashi Nagase (Tanroh Ishida). Jumping forward again to 1980, Eric goes back to Thailand to visit the camps where he was a prisoner…….and guess who’s his tour guide? It’s his cruel ex-nemesis Nagase! Victim and victimizer trade places. Will Eric be able to let go of his anger and hatred and turn the other cheek, or will he extract bloody revenge?
THE RAILWAY MAN is a well-mounted prestige production – everything here is respectable and solid and director Jonathan Teplitzky toggles between the two eras efficiently. The performances are the kind of somber work you expect from the stars involved – that is, if no one’s pushing them to be anything more than what you expect. Not to diminish Eric Lomax’s story, but the film lacks flavor and momentum and did not grab me – watching it is a bit like eating dry toast. The 1942 flashback scenes are the strongest and contain a couple of well-built suspense sequences, especially those involving the creation of the radio but I would like to have learned more about the Thai-Burma Railway and never got a sense of the hellish conditions involved in its creation. One sees the violence of crazed Japanese guards but the outcome of that violence is barely there. I kept thinking of THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, which covered some of this same ground so much better. When you contemplate how long Eric kept his hatred and rage against Nagase bottled up, their eventual confrontation seems tepid. What he will do when they finally meet makes for a compelling moral dilemma, but even that doesn’t surface until way late in a film that isn’t nearly as weighty as it wants to be.
Firth’s broken Eric often comes off as just mopey and depressed, but he and Jeremy Irvine are well-cast. Both actors share the same speech patterns, mannerisms, and other characteristics, convincingly playing the same man (a tough trick – MONEYBALL and GREAT GATSBY used younger actors for its star’s flashbacks less effectively). Kidman is fine but mostly disappears after the first half hour. Eric Lomax’s legacy and courage are admirable and his story is one that should be shared, but the plodding and pedestrian THE RAILWAY MAN barely makes it out of the station.
2 1/2 of 5 Stars
THE RAILWAY MAN opens in St. Louis April 25th at Landmark’s Frontenac Theater
It’s a shame actor Paul Walker didn’t go out on something more substantial than the disposable action opus BRICK MANSIONS. In the Detroit of 2018 police have constructed a containment wall around a massive housing project occupied by the most dangerous criminals to protect the rest of the city. Undercover cop Damien Collier (Paul Walker) and ex-convict Lino (David Belle), team up when drug kingpin Tremaine (RZA) kidnaps Lino’s girlfriend (Catalina Denis), then sneaks a nuke into the complex, straps it to a rocket and aims it toward the city.
BRICK MANSIONS is a cheesy Canadian-lensed timewaster that plays like a PG-13-rated hybrid of THE RAID and DREDD, but is actually a remake of the 2004 French film DISTRICT B19 (in which David Belle played the same role). BRICK MANSIONS isn’t much more than a stream of fight scenes and car chases. The most memorable sequence is the opening one, which introduces Lino. The camera follows David Belle as he leaps from building to building, swings (but doesn’t yell) like Tarzan, and runs across rooftops, up ladders, and down stairways with a group of multi-racial thugs on his tail. It’s the film’s exhilarating highlight but it’s all downhill from there. Belle is a co-founder and super-star of the sport/discipline Parkour (or “free running”), which is a selling point of BRICK MANSIONS (Walker’s fight scenes are shot differently – close-ups, shorter shot lengths and faster cuts). If you wonder why Belle hasn’t been given his own action showcase before now, his performance here might be a clue. The guy can run up walls but he can’t act. His voice dubbed, Belle (who parkour fought Daniel Craig in CASINO ROYALE) has serious trouble with concepts like line readings and charisma, but the action scenes are executed with so much flair and energy that director Camille Delamarre almost succeeds in covering for him and for making us forget about how thin the connecting story is.
I recommend BRICK MANSIONS to Paul Walker fans and action junkies who don’t appreciate plot and character development slowing things down. BRICK MANSIONS rumbles along at a breakneck 85 minutes, only occasionally braking for exposition and even in those instances, the pauses don’t last long. Dialogue serves little purpose beyond interrupting the film’s hideous techno score, and a couple of Walker’s lines are chilling in retrospect (“No steering, No brakes!” he screams just before crashing a car). BRICK MANSIONS is one of those films where you appreciate the artistry of the action, then forget about it as soon as you get into the car and carefully head home.
Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures have released this first trailer for the upcoming psychological thriller AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. The film features Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, and Edwin Hodge.
Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead.
A journey into madness and terror, AS ABOVE, SO BELOW reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all.
Written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle (Quarantine, Devil) and directed by John Erick Dowdle, the film is produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Patrick Aiello and Drew Dowdle. Alex Hedlund serves as the executive producer.
Principal photography will begin April 28 on Warner Bros. Pictures’ live-action PETER PAN feature from director Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride & Prejudice”).
Offering a new take on the origin of the classic characters created by J.M. Barrie, the film follows the story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland. There, he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny—to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.
The film stars Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman (“Les Misérables”) as Blackbeard; Garrett Hedlund (“Inside Llewyn Davis”) as Hook; Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) as Tiger Lily; Adeel Akhtar (“The Dictator”) as Smee; and newcomer Levi Miller as Peter.
Amanda Seyfried (“Les Misérables”) rounds out the cast as Mary, alongside Jack Charles (“Mystery Road”) as The Chief/Tiger Lily’s father; Taejoo Na (“The Kick”) as Kwahu; Nonso Anozie (“Son of God,” “Atonement”) as Bishop; Kathy Burke (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) as Mother Barnabas; Kurt Egyiawan (“Skyfall”) as Murray; Lewis MacDougall (UK TV’s “In the Name of the Children”) as Nibs; and newcomer Leni Zieglmeier as Wendy Darling.
Wright is directing the as-yet-untitled Peter Pan adventure from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs. Greg Berlanti, Paul Webster and Sarah Schechter are producing, with Tim Lewis serving as executive producer.
Filming will take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. The film is set for a worldwide release on July 17, 2015.
A midlife crisis over his upcoming wedding sends 32-year-old unemployed stoner Warren Allman on the drug trip of a lifetime in this off-the-wall comedy starring Dan Fogler, Josh Duhamel, Jay Baruchel and a host of celebrity cameos.
Fueled by vivid apocalyptic dreams, Warren becomes obsessed with Doomsday theories and decides to make a documentary on the subject while his fiancé is busy planning their wedding.
The film premieres on VOD and iTunes May 9th, and in select theaters May 16th.
Dan Fogler as Warren and Yang Miller as Balance in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
(L-r) Josh Duhamel as Adam, Elisabeth Harnois as Eve and Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
(L-R) Josh Duhamel as Adam, Elisabeth Harnois as Eve and Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
(L-R) Josh Duhamel as Adam, Elisabeth Harnois as Eve and Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
(L-R) Elisabeth Harnois as Eve, Josh Duhamel as Adam and Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Wallace Shawn as Dr. Fieldman in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
(L-R) Jay Baruchel as Bates and Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Jay Baruchel as Bates in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Jay Baruchel as Bates in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren and Kelly Hutchinson as Karen in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Topher Grace as Glavin Culpepper in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Dan Fogler as Warren in the psychedelic comedy “DON PEYOTE” an XLrator Media release. Photography credit: Isak Tiner.
Here’s a first look at Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new short FEAST.
Making its world premiere at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival June 10, 2014, the short is from first-time director Patrick Osborne (head of animation, PAPERMAN) and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
The story of one man’s love life is seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share.
The short will open in theaters in front of WDAS’ new action-packed, big-screen adventure BIG HERO 6 on November 7, 2014.
There will be a full moon Thursday May 1st when THE WOLF MAN screens at Schlafly Bottleworks in Mapelwood at 7pm.
“Even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright”. This is one of the most classic lines from Universal’s Gloden Age of Horror along with “It’s Alive”(FRANKENSTEIN) and “Listen to them, the children of the night….what music they make”(DRACULA). In THE WOLF MAN (1941) Lon Chaney stars as Lawrence Talbot, who returns home to England, is bitten by a werewolf and then becomes one himself. It is very easy to become sympathetic toward Talbot and Chaney well-portrays the anguish and shame at what he has become. Claude Rains is excellent as Sir John Talbot’s father and Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers, and Bela Lugosi round out an outstanding cast. Of special note is Maria Ouspenskaya in perhaps her most iconic role, as the gypsy woman who informs Chaney what has happened to him; her gentle, maternal chants (“The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own”) elevate the film to a higher level.
Jack Pierce’s werewolf make-up is iconic though I never understood why Chaney retains his human form and walks on two furry feet, while Bela Lugosi, as the original werewolf who bites him, is a full-fledged wolf. That said, THE WOLF MAN relies on atmospheric sets and internal tension rather than make-up and fancy special effects to provide its chills. The sets are incredible, especially the scenes of the fog-covered forest. It wasn’t the first (that would have been WEREWOLF OF LONDON -1935) but THE WOLF MAN set the bar and the rules for all future werewolf films.
Now you’ll have the chance to see THE WOLF MAN in all its big screen glory when it plays Thursday May 1st, at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue Maplewood, MO 63143). The show begins at 7pm and yes, we will be showing the stunning Blu-ray transfer.
Added Bonus: We will be raffling off a Tap Room VIP Tour Pass for 10! A $100 value!!!
THE WOLF MAN is the fifth screening in a new subseries from A Film Series to promote the practice of Universal Design in the built environment.
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN will be playing as part of this film series in October
Check back here at We Are Movie Geeks for updates on those screenings.
Brought to you by A Film Series, Schlafly Bottleworks, AUDP and Real Living Gateway Real Estate.
Funds generated from this series help AUDP promote the practice of universal design in the built environment and the value it adds to daily living for everyone.
Doors open at 6:30pm.
$6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. Dan the bartender will be on hand to take care of you.
The Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE
QFest St. Louis which begins this weekend, will screen the Swiss drama THE CIRCLE at 8:30pm Sunday April 27th.
QFest St. Louis, the annual gay and Lesbian Film Festival presented by Cinema St. Louis, kicks off this Sunday, April 27th. It runs through May 1st and all films will be screened at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in The Loop, University City, MO)
QFest uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and celebrate queer culture. The 2014 event features an eclectic slate of contemporary LGBTQ-themed feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Tickets are now on sale for all shows.
THE CIRCLE screens at 8:30pm Sunday April 27th
Based on actual events, THE CIRCLE explores the fascinating universe of one of the first gay-liberation communities. Founded in the early 1940s, the group behind the magazine Der Kreis (The Circle) was the only gay organization to survive the Nazi regime and served as an early pioneer of European gay emancipation. Based in Zurich, the publication blossomed during the postwar years and annually hosted legendary, internationally renowned masked balls. In the film, timid, handsome young teacher Ernst Ostertag falls head over heels in love with transvestite singer Röbi Rapp and finds himself torn between his bourgeois existence and commitment to his homosexuality. Following a murder in the gay community, violent repression against gay people also endangers The Circle network. Enriched by impressive conversations with the real Ostertag and Rapp, the film depicts a decades-long love story.
THE CIRCLE is directed by Stefan Haupt and the screening is sponsored by Mark Utterback
Andrea Wildt of Cineman describes THE CIRCLE as:
“a moving story of a love of freedom, life and diversity. A piece of Swiss history, as current today as it was then.”
A Facebook event page for the screening can be foundHERE
The LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN Express Tour is stopping in St. Louis.
On Saturday May 3rd, at Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine from 10am-2pm, join Dorothy and friends for a day of family fun with activities, games, character meet and greets, story time and photo booth.
The event is FREE to the public and people are asked to bring a book to donate. The book drive will benefit St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is a 3D-animated musical based on the adventure books by Roger Stanton Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum.
A continuation of one of the world’s most popular and beloved fairy tales, LEGENDS OF OZ finds Dorothy (Lea Michele) waking to post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends the Scarecrow (Dan Aykroyd), the Lion (Jim Belushi), the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer) and Glinda (Bernadette Peters) from a devious new villain, the Jester (Martin Short).
Wiser the owl (Oliver Platt), Marshal Mallow (Hugh Dancy), China Princess (Megan Hilty) and Tugg the tugboat (Patrick Stewart) join Dorothy on her latest magical journey through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to Emerald City.
Set to the tunes of Academy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Bryan Adams, LEGENDS OF OZ marks a charming, family-friendly return to the Oz franchise.
LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN opens on Friday, May 9th.
From the producer who brought you THE WOMAN IN BLACK and LET ME IN comes the unnerving tale of THE QUIET ONES. Tucked away in an estate outside of London, Professor Coupland along with a team of university students conduct an “experiment” on Jane Harper, a young girl who harbors unspeakable secrets. What dark forces they uncover are more terrifying than any of them expected.
This week, WAMG sat down with Olivia Cooke, who plays the disturbed Jane Harper, in a small roundtable to discuss the supernatural, ‘Bates Motel’, and her upcoming projects. According to Sam Claflin, she also played a bit of a prank on us by telling us a story about Jared Harris and a ‘goblin’ that she completely fabricated. She certainly is a lot of fun! Check it out below.
Inspired by true events, the film stars Jared Harris (Mad Men and Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), and is directed by John Pogue from a screenplay by Craig Rosenberg and Oren Moverman and John Pogue, and based on a screenplay by Tom de Ville.
Your character Jane is quite an interesting one to play. How did you get yourself in the mood to play such a complex character?
OLIVIA COOKE : It was disturbing how easy it was for me to, sort of, jump into that character for some reason. I was eighteen, and it was my first film, and I don’t really ever remember being method, or anything like that. I kind was like “Well, here it goes!” and the guys, who I was so nervous about working with made me feel so comfortable, and they were, kind of, going to extremes. So, I was like “Oh, well I’ll join the party! I’ll go to extremes as well!” I don’t really remember ever having to work myself into it. I remember jumping about getting the energy, getting the breath up, but that was about it.
Did you feel that it was sort of like playing a bunch of different characters, or did you view it as one character with different facets?
OLIVIA COOKE : I felt like it was a bunch of different characters, but in a host. She was manipulative. She was vulnerable. She’s like a teenage vixen. She’s naive, but she’s also very lovely, and sweet at the same time. It’s all of these different elements that help. That is Jane Harper, or it’s Evie. It just felt like they’re so compartmentalized that I just felt that that is her.
Horror films are generally known to have really fun sets, especially to keep things light. What did you guys do to unwind at the end of the night?
OLIVIA COOKE : I really wanted to make a musical. [Laughs] Me and Rory [Fleck-Byrne], we both started MOULIN ROUGE!, and we filmed it but Rory had his phone stolen. We had it on video. I was like [sings] “We should be lovers” and he was all [sings] “We can’t do that!”… the whole Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman duet. Sam was singing WEST SIDE STORY [sings] “When you’re a jet”…yeah. Then, I think at one point Rory tried to hypnotize Jared [Harris]. Me and Erin [Richards] kind of, there was a latch… Do you know the latch in my door? I’d pop up and go [sings] “Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy” [laughs] and then she would pop up and go “but here’s my number” and we would just do a little Carly Rae Jepsen. Yeah, that and musicals.
Was that lost footage as well, because that should be on a DVD somewhere?
OLIVIA COOKE : Rory sent them to me, but then I got a new phone, and he lost his phone. I’ve got pictures of me and Jared by our trailers jumping into the air, and he actually broke my toe because he was slow on the uptake. Like “Ok. After three” so I would jump on three, and he would jump on about five. So, I was coming down and he was just coming up, and I felt my toes go [with her hands, pushes her fingers up and back]. I mean, I don’t know if it was broken for sure, but it was black and blue, and it was huge. it was a fat toe.
Does pain like that bleed into your performance the next day when you have to be anguished, or anything like that?
OLIVIA COOKE : A bit. Yes. I was wincing a lot, and hobbling. Not really. I mean, you kind of lose it when you’re in that mode. When I was being burned, and when you’re doing all of these fight scenes, it’s only after that you’re like “Oww! I hurt!” In the moment you don’t care. You just go for it.
You and Sam [Claflin] have a really nice chemistry in the movie. Did you guys do anything to bond off-screen? How did that work out for you two?
OLIVIA COOKE : The first time I met Sam, Sam was already attached so he came into my final audition to test a few girls. It was kind of awkward sitting outside of the audition room. He was like “Hi. How are you? I’m… ” and I was like “[Whispers] Oh my god. I know… ” [Laughs] I was like “Oh my god. He’s talking to me!” and then, we went into the room and John was like – after we had done all of the scenes – he was like “Ok. I really want you to just scare him now.” so we did the scene, and I was like “Fuck. How am I going to scare him?” so I had to wait a long moment, and I held this stare, and then just let out this piercing scream, and he jumped about five feet onto this chair, and I was like “Ok. I got the part.” But no, we had two weeks of rehearsals before, so the five of us bonded. Yeah. It just happened. Me and Sam had really good chemistry anyway, so it was very easy. It was very natural.
The horror genre has been around for such a long time. Do you have any specific favorites? Either a favorite genre, or specific films?
OLIVIA COOKE : I love the supernatural ones, like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. I was convinced – I think I was fourteen or fifteen when I first watched it – and I was convinced that it was real. Two weeks later my friend was like “You know that was actually filmed in LA” and I was like “Oh. Ok.” I love THE WOMAN IN BLACK. I had gotten split up from my friend when we went to watch that at the cinema, and I had my scarf wrapped around my head like a turban. It was the worst, terrible night. It was so scary. What else? INSIDIOUS. I kind of love the theatrical time, like when they go into the other world. I loved all of those characters. It felt very – sort of like a circus.
Do you think you might have those same feelings when you watch this film with an audience at your premiere, or will the fact that you’re watching yourself take you out of it?
OLIVIA COOKE : Well, we had the premiere in London, and I had watched it previously, on my own with my agent, so I was like “Is this scary?” but my agent had his tie wrapped around his head – wrapped around his eyes, so I knew he was scared. I know all the jumps, and what’s going to happen. I’m watching me. I’m watching my performance like “What am I doing? This is awful. Stop doing that with your hand.” but seeing it with an audience and seeing them jumping, and their reactions, their screaming… it reassured me a lot that this is actually working.
Do you like to watch your performances? Jared was saying that he finds it, sometimes, strange. Do you like to watch your movies with an audience?
OLIVIA COOKE : I think, so far, all of the characters that I’ve played have been so far removed from me, like Emma from ‘Bates Motel’. It’s just not me, really. I mean, I’m a bit dorky like her, but what I saw in her I did not see in Jane Harper. I did not recognize myself. Especially the transformation that I went through. It kind feels like you’re watching a really close friend of yours, and you’re just like “Stop doing that! I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” It’s a bit strange, but also I think you need to watch your stuff in order to know “That didn’t quite work. Don’t do that next time.”. That sort of thing. If you do something with your face that you always do, that’s like a habit, then you know to train yourself not to do it.
Did this fall under the timeline of ‘Bates Motel’? Was this before or after? A Hiatus?
OLIVIA COOKE : It was before. This was filmed two years ago, and a month later… Was it a month? It was a month later that I got ‘Bates Motel’. I had just gotten my manager, and agent in America, and they sent me a tape for ‘Bates Motel’ a month later. I just got it offered off of a tape. I sent it over and got it.
Did you get to dig into ‘The Philip Experiment’ or the paranormal studies that this film is influenced by?
OLIVIA COOKE : Yeah. We definitely searched into it, but it’s so loosely inspired on ‘The Philip Experiment’. It just sparked the writers imagination. They took a lot of elements for different experiments of the time, but it’s a movie. You need to imagine all of these things, and you imagine it for yourself. The character of Jane – you see that character all of the time. In every horror movie there’s a girl in a white smock, and she’s got black hair. I wanted her to be as original as possible, even though she looks very non-original.
Jared was saying that the house that you guys filmed in, and the adjoining abandoned office building had this atmosphere like they used to do experiments there. What was the vibe that you got?
OLIVIA COOKE : Definitely. No, I definitely felt it. It had this very odd smell because… You know when you go into a house that’s not been lived in for a year? There’s definitely a bit of a musky smell. This one hadn’t had anyone in it for fifteen years. It kind of felt like a Tardis to me. [Laughs]
Great reference!
OLIVIA COOKE : I know! The front bit was so modern. Well, not modern, but clean, white, pristine with a bit of dust on it. Then, when you went into this other part of the building – The Victorian part – Literally, you were in this 1970’s derelict… It’s rotted, and it’s got dust, and cobwebs everywhere. It’s kind of like you’ve been transported into a completely different era. It was really strange.
You realize that you just picked up a ton of sci-fi fans when they read this?
OLIVIA COOKE : Oh, really? [Laughs]
How was your experience with Sam operating the camera, and taking on a director-type role?
OLIVIA COOKE : You know, for my character personally, because I was so connected with Sam’s character, with him operating the camera, it was really good for me to have that eye-line, and to look like I’m looking into the audiences soul. I found it really handy for my character, from an acting point of view, to have that as a transportation method. I found it really handy.
You say that you’re dorky. What makes you a bit dorky in your personality?
OLIVIA COOKE : I don’t know. I think I just do stupid things, and I’m a bit awkward. I sit a bit awkwardly. Like, I’m in a really nice dress, but I’m, like, hunched over. I should be more ladylike, and things but I think I’m just a bit awkward in myself. Like Emma in ‘Bates Motel’, she’s kind of this way. She’s not fully confident with how she is yet. Kind of a bit like that, I think.
What do you have coming up next?
OLIVIA COOKE : THE SIGNAL, a sci-fi with Laurence Fishburne comes out in June. Another horror movie called OUIJA comes out Halloween this year, and then a film, a comedy! Yeah! We begin shooting in June, in Pittsburg. It’s called ME & EARL & THE DYING GIRL. I play the dying girl. So, there’s an element of self-torture, obviously, but I’m really excited.
Do you tend to gravitate towards more character driven roles as opposed to characters that are a bit more grounded and real?
OLIVIA COOKE : THE SIGNAL, the character in that is pretty real. The one that I’m going to do in June, even though she has leukemia she’s a normal, middle of the spectrum girl. I do tend to gravitate towards character parts more because it’s just so much fun to play. Even playing Emma. It’s such a feast for an actress. Delving into a character… I don’t think there’s ever been character really like her before, so I’m very lucky for them to trust me in playing those characters.
Can you describe your character in OUIJA?
OLIVIA COOKE : She’s the heroine of the story, so she’s not the damsel in distress. She’s the one trying to save, and trying to come to terms, and get to the bottom of things in the story. She’s the one that kind of gets everyone on board, and she’s trying to figure out how, and why all of these things are happening surrounding this Ouija board. I’m the lead. It’s like my face on every frame, which no one really wants to see. Yeah. It’s the first character I’ve ever had where I’m kind of saving the day.
Did you guys screw around with each other on set with the board?
OLIVIA COOKE : Well, there was a guy underneath. It was metal. Not metal. It was magnets, so he was moving it underneath on the board. They made a clap sound, so whenever they needed us to jump, we’d jump. They’d play this stupid freakin’ horn. His head was right where my legs are, so I’d go “Ahh!” and I’d kick him. I’m like “I’m so sorry Sean!”. The injuries sustained whilst operating a Ouija board. That shouldn’t be in his job title. [Laughs]
Between your roles in these films, how would you characterize your own belief in the supernatural?
OLIVIA COOKE : I’m really open-minded. Nothing’s ever happened to me. I’m willing… I’m doing all of these things hoping that something will come to me, but it hasn’t. My dad’s had stuff happen to him. All of these people that I’ve talked to have had things happen to them, and I’m like “Why don’t they come scare me?” So, until that happens I think then I’ll be a firm believer, but maybe it won’t happen. Have you had Jared yet?
Yes.
OLIVIA COOKE : Aww. Damn. I was going to say to ask him about the goblin story!
What’s the goblin story? Now you have to tell us!
OLIVIA COOKE : When he was younger, he was saying that he had a supernatural experience. Apparently when he was younger, like around five, he woke up and he saw, like, a green leprechaun – small goblin thing right on the edge of his bed. The leprechaun sort of woke up and ran to the door, and then looked back, and so little five-year-old Jared chased him, and saw the ol’ leprechaun making his way down the spirally stairs, like, looking up at him, and was sort of like “What was that?” so, I don’t know what that is! I use it to embarrass him, like “So, the goblin…”
