(This interview contains some SPOILERS).
Originally known as ‘The Station’ when it first appeared
on the festival circuit, the film has since been renamed BLOOD GLACIER (a translation
of the original Austrian title: “Blutgletscher"). Does this title change
represent a victory for its director?
MK: Yes it does. It’s a funny situation because I was on the
stage after the Toronto International Film Festival’s ‘Midnight Madness’ world
premiere screening and during the Q&A someone asked me: why did you pick
this title, “The Station”? Well I said, as a director you can’t decide
everything but as the film agents’ and the producer are here now we have a
chance to ask the audience! Everyone cheered for BLOOD GLACIER! I’m very happy
with this title, it’s catchier.Now clearly the film has similarities with John Carpenter’s THE THING (1982). But would I be right in saying it’s not just a homage to this 80’s classic but more perhaps a homage to creature features in general?
MK: Yes, definitely that’s absolutely true. We wanted to do a creature-feature in Austria and what better place to do it in than the great mountains we have there. We took elements from THE THING like the scientists of course, but we also tried to do a unique film.
MK: I love TREMORS, ALIEN, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and I also very much like the Irish film ISOLATION.
Now we’ve talked about elements from THE THING in BLOOD GLACIER, both of which feature dogs as key protagonists. In your film, I’m of the opinion that Tinnitus (real name: Santos) deserves an Oscar for his canine performance!
MK: Thank you, that dog is amazing.
And the lady who owned/trained the dog she was like ‘engaged’ to this dog!
Really, really close relationship to the dog. In the middle of the film the dog
has to just lay there and look very sad... The command from the trainer was the
German word for ‘be dead’. After constantly hearing the trainer shouting out:
‘be dead!’, ‘be dead!’ it became very disturbing for the crew!
Now I notice in the
end credits, Santos’ name appears third, ahead of your own mother (who
incidentally delivers a show-stopping performance). Was she involved in the
development of the film prior to shooting and what was she like filming the
intensely gory scenes?
MK: She is like that! The writer, Benjamin Hessler,
knows her very well and he wrote it for her. I talked a lot with her about the
dialogue, and of course the line: “Stop eating that banana while you’re
crying!” is actually from her private life...
I think you should make a t-shirt for the film
with the logo on the front, and that line emblazoned across the back:
I’d buy one!
MK: (Laughs) That’s a good idea! Man you should be a
marketing guy – we should have used that for our marketing services in Austria!
So she was OK with the blood and gore scenes..?
MK: Yes, she’s very anxious (in a good way) before shooting
such scenes; she’s really on a high adrenaline. She says: “Marvin, I just do it
once OK - so you better get it!”
No pressure then!
MK: (Laughs) You know she pushed me and I push her, but it’s
worth it as she delivers greatness.
Agreed. Now as well as having the exacting
demands of getting your mother’s extraordinary moments in one take, you also
had challenge of filming 3000 meters up in the mountains in the South Tyrol,
Italy...
MK: It was very, very exhausting both for the actors and the
crew. It was very cold at night and the mountains actually they are very
frightening. They are always above you looking at you...
Sounds like a film idea right there...
MK: And another film crew was shooting in the area the same
time and they got caught in lightning storms.
And I understand the actual location features a
glacier which really has receded?
MK: The glacier at the beginning of the century went down to
the village, something like 1,000 metres and it has melted away to 3,000meters...so
it was a hot topic doing this kind of environment film there.
Let’s talk a little bit about the creature
effects. Mostly practical rather than CGI... (and very welcomed this approach
is too). Was that always your intention?
MK: Yes. My creatures are combinations of mammals and insects
and I had this very gross image and feeling about them. I wanted the audience
to have that same feeling. As good as CGI creatures can be, I always have this
feeling of today there was a guy behind a computer doing these creatures and he
is very happy about his ideas. That’s what I love about the old monsters and
creatures in the films. They couldn’t show them for too long because the audience
would see they are puppets. But at the same time you have to create with your
own imagination automatically the rest of the creature, and this for me is very
horrifying.
And presumably it’s easier for the actors to
work with physical creatures rather than just blue-screens and tennis balls on
sticks?
MK: Absolutely. Actually I had an acting coach from England,
a great guy called Giles Foreman, and I invited him to work with the actors
before the shooting to get them to have the right feeling to show fear –
because Austrian actors never play in such films. They don’t have the chance to
play that.
So the Austrian horror scene isn’t exactly
prolific then?
MK: No, but I hope more will come...
MK: I put a lot of pressure on myself on both films. Yes,
money is a pressure. During shooting I forgot it, but then in the editing you
feel the pressure. Shit, have I done the right movie; will the people like the
movie; will it sell? You have to go through test screenings, which are awful
for creature-features because you show the audience a film which is not ready;
maybe the sound design and some elements of the creatures that are done in the
post-production. That’s a hard thing. But I’m still at the beginning!
But after all that you must be pleased with the
reaction from audiences around the world to the finished product?
MK: Absolutely. I’m very, very happy and very proud -
especially the reaction of the audiences in England, it’s such a big honour for
me because I love the taste of the English people and it makes me especially
proud.
What was the budget for BLOOD GLACIER?
MK: 2 million Euros.
Compared to some bigger-budgeted releases it
looks a lot more expensive.
MK: Yeah, but actually I promise the next film will look even
better.
Does that mean there’s going to be a sequel...?
MK: (Pause)....ah, we will see...
Well there’s certainly scope for it,
particularly with the final shots...
MK: Actually I want to ask you a question...what do
you think about the ending?
I really liked it. It was daring, barmy and
audacious, yet crazily it makes perfect sense when you consider the character
arcs of Janek and Tanja...
MK: Thank you so much you’re my friend! But it’s so strange
that most of the people who are appreciating the film and who go with it, a lot
of people don’t go with the ending. It’s too weird for them.Well it’s certainly a shift in tone compared to
what has come before it. Personally I’m just glad Tinnitus’s lineage continues on! Ok, so there may or may not be a BLOOD
GLACIER sequel, but one sequel you are involved in is ABC’S OF DEATH 2.
MK: Yes, I just finished editing yesterday and today I was
colour grading...I don’t
suppose you’re allowed to reveal what letter you’re working on...?
MK: Actually my letter is ‘R’. There is one gun involved, and
three people and one bullet.Now there’s a scoop!
MK: I’m very curious to see if you like it. I’m proud of it;
it’s a very nice and very lean little story. From a 63 minute project (RAMMBOCK) to a
full-length feature (BLOOD GLACIER) and then to a couple of minutes segment
(ABC’S OF DEATH 2)...
MK: Yes, but it’s such a big honour to be invited to
contribute to such a project.So you’ve paid homage to George A. Romero and
John Carpenter; what (or who) is next for you?
MK: There are two projects, one is on pause, but the other
one is like a kind of ANGEL HEART story. There’s a character involved who is
very much inspired by Aleister Crowley. Hopefully I’m shooting that in the
summer, and then another project which hopefully I’ll be shooting next year is
going to be my first American film. It will be a ghost story in Detroit. Well I sincerely hope to be able to see both of
those at future FrightFest events.
MK: Actually I’d love to come along; I’ve heard such great
things about the FrightFest audience and the whole festival.
Marvin, thank you so much for taking the time to
talk to me, it’s been an absolute pleasure. I wish you every success with BLOOD
GLACIER; it deserves to be a big hit.MK: Thank you so much I really appreciate it. Hope to meet you at FrightFest one day!
Interview by Paul Worts
This interview was originally published on the FRIGHTFEST website.
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