Clown in a Cornfield’s Director on Making Significant (however Nonetheless Ugly) Horror Motion pictures

The identify Eli Craig may not instantly ring a bell, however all style followers know Tucker & Dale vs. Evil—Craig’s 2010 horror comedy a few pair of excellent ol’ boys who by chance get pegged as killers, in a film that pokes nice enjoyable at each cabin-in-the-woods slasher trope conceivable. Craig’s newest candidate for cult-classic standing is about to hit theaters: Clown in a Cornfield, a gory story set in a small Midwestern city that’s terrorized by… properly, see title.

io9 acquired an opportunity to speak to Craig all about clowns, cornfields, comedy, and why he prefers horror tales that weave surprisingly deep themes beneath all their splatter.

Cheryl Eddy, io9: Clown in a Cornfield has some humorous one-liners (and a humorous title), nevertheless it’s actually extra simple than subversive. How did you method discovering the correct tone whereas steering it in a much less comedy-forward route than your earlier movies?

Eli Craig: I at all times am making an attempt to shock folks, I assume, and it begins with the title—the reversal and shocking folks. This movie has these emotional components which can be deeper than each the title suggests, but in addition even the tone of the film suggests. I like making motion pictures which can be sort of deep and don’t take themselves significantly on the identical time. The title intrigued me; I had achieved a film known as Little Evil with each a clown and a cornfield in it. And I believed, properly, now it’s time to place these two components collectively. 

There’s comedy on this film, nevertheless it actually to me is sort of a horror motion comedy. I broke out the comedy moments and took them away from the horror and the motion in order that they sort of stand virtually on their very own, so that they don’t stroll on one another. And it was a acutely aware choice as a result of I actually love motion motion pictures and I don’t need folks to only consider me at all times because the actually humorous horror man. However I feel they could nonetheless consider me [that way] a bit bit, so we’ll see. 

io9: Clowns are a well-loved horror staple, however Clown in a Cornfield‘s Frendo has that further layer of being a company mascot too. How did you deliver each of these components collectively to craft the character we see within the film?

Craig: I like the backstory of Frendo being this company mascot who was the salesperson for Baypen Corn Syrup within the Nineteen Thirties and ‘40s and ‘50s for Kettle Springs. We wished to design a clown that was form of happy-go-lucky, however over time had grown extra sinister. There’s simply this metaphor for America in there for me. This movie could be very Americana. It’s primarily based on this small city in Missouri that had a increase time due to their corn syrup operation within the ‘40s and ‘50s, and now has sort of fallen into disrepair. 

We wished the clown to sort of emulate that. And the fad that comes from dropping a lot, from a lot financial hardship, is constructed into the sinister grin of the clown. That is very a lot a movie about this generational divide, and a few of the anger that comes from Frendo towards the youthful technology is admittedly obvious in it. 

io9: I used to be going to ask you in regards to the technology hole that we see within the film. You talked about earlier that it was vital that the film was about greater than only a clown killing folks. Why was it vital to you to verify there was a basis in place?

Craig: For me, I’m at all times searching for one thing that’s deeper. I’m weirdly sort of a considerate, deep particular person. Even with Tucker & Dale, perhaps one out of 10 folks go, “Oh wow, that is actually a movie about classism and social stratification.” I like absurdity with deep themes. I’ve at all times beloved form of existential philosophy and Theatre of the Absurd. And if I might mix the 2 and have a very enjoyable, entertaining film that you may take a look at twice and suppose, “Wait a minute, this film’s really about issues which can be deeper than are on the floor”—that’s at all times my aim.

io9: The film has a form of outdated tech/new tech theme to go together with that—the children making YouTube movies is a interest the older folks on the town don’t perceive; there’s additionally a perpetual lack of wifi or cell service, the primary character is studying to drive a stick shift, and so on. Was the rotary telephone scene a real response? 

Craig: Yeah, it actually was. I used to be at all times pondering on this movie about how you can pit the outdated in opposition to the brand new, and that the older technology didn’t actually know how you can use new know-how and the youthful technology didn’t know how you can use the older know-how. All of those are issues I got here up with as we have been shifting alongside. 

So far as the response that goes to the telephone, a lot of this was simply determining—I had written one thing about it, however determining the way it was gonna be natural on the day. How would they only make it really feel pure and never like a joke? As a result of to me, I need all of my jokes to play as a really actual response and never like any individual simply had a humorous line to say in a script. 

So when Cassandra Potenza, who performs Janet, and Katie Douglas, who performs Quinn, ran up there, I used to be like, “Simply attempt to work it out with the telephone. Simply attempt to determine the way you’re going to name out on this factor.” And so they acquired the sense of it, so there’s a bit little bit of improv and a bit little bit of expectation that they’re not going to determine it out. So it simply comes off very pure and actual.

io9: We talked about clowns. However cornfields even have a protracted and storied historical past in horror. What do you suppose is the one creepiest factor a few cornfield? And what’s the largest problem that comes with filming in them?

Craig: Nicely, the creepiest factor a few cornfield is that they develop up taller than your head. And inside about 30 seconds in a cornfield, you may get misplaced. The primary time I shot a scene, only one evening, on Little Evil in a cornfield, I had a crew member that wandered off to go to the toilet and by no means got here again. They only sort of acquired misplaced on the market. And I realized loads from that—that one corn inventory seems like one other. 

So once we’re operating by the corn, we might simply be operating backwards and forwards by the identical little bit of corn, so long as it doesn’t seem like it’s broken. And we’d run by, harm one part of the corn, then lay down that row and run by one other part. And essentially the most troublesome a part of coping with all that’s—properly, a number of issues. One is that corn is definitely sort of sharp. It has these abrasive edges to it. So when the actors are operating by it full dash, they’re slashing by with their arms and little bits of corn can get of their eyes, and the husks and stuff. So there’s a joke in there the place [Verity Marks’ character] Ronnie’s like, “Ow, this corn hurts!” It’s one thing I wrote as a result of as we have been taking pictures, folks have been like “Ow, this corn hurts!”

I wished to place that in there simply in sort of a humorous manner. And it’s muddy and there’s climate; generally it was like minus 10 or 20 levels as a result of we have been taking pictures in Winnipeg. So there’s all that, and bugs—it’s gritty on the market!

Individuals generally view Hollywood as this bunch of prima donnas which can be, like, catered to on the market. However everyone on this movie was so robust as a result of it’s 4 within the morning, it’s minus 10 levels, they’ve cuts throughout their physique from operating by corn. And should you’re operating by muck that fills up the soles of your boots; you may’t even actually get any traction as a result of all of the mud sticks to the underside of your sneakers. So everyone on this was simply so hardcore. You’d be shocked.

io9: The Clown in a Cornfield guide your film is predicated on has two sequels—would you take into account making a sequel movie?

Craig: Earlier than I even shot this one, I learn the second guide and I discovered a tie-in from this film that [went] into the second guide. After which in fact, when any individual has like three actually good books written and has a sequence, and I simply love Adam Cesare as an creator, it’s thrilling to think about what might come subsequent. 

io9: Superior, perhaps a crossover with Tucker and Dale?

Craig: I do know—Tucker & Dale vs. Clown in a Cornfield. [Laughs] I feel that there’s a variety of potentialities. I knew I needed to develop my profession out of the comedy horror world to get an opportunity to make extra motion pictures. So hopefully it will make folks see that I’m extra succesful than only one factor. After which perhaps I’ll get to do Tucker & Dale 2. We’ll see.

io9: I hope that does occur!

Craig: I determine perhaps it’ll be my first characteristic movie and my final characteristic movie, Tucker & Dale 2, and we’ll all be taking pictures it—I’ll be an outdated man with the cane going “Motion!” And Tucker and Dale [will both be] outdated males going by their sequel. [Laughs.] Or sooner, you already know, who is aware of—if this film does properly, it’ll assist me make extra motion pictures. So go see it!

Clown in a Cornfield hits theaters Might 9.

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