Scream Magazine - White Settlers

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THE
HORROR
MAGAZINE
ISSUE 19
£4.50
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CHRISTA
THE FX
MASTER
CAMPBELL
The Scream
Queen
Interview
Tom Savini
Talks Gore!
HAT CHET
ROR
ORGREEN
HADAM
SPEAKS OUT!
HELLRAISER
PLUS!
ON SET FOR WHITE SETTLERS, THE SEASONING HOUSE, YOU’RE
NEXT, DVDS/BLU-RAYS, BOOKS, COMICS, GAMES, PHOTOGRAPHY,
NEWS, REVIEWS, PREVIEWS & MUCH MORE!
Simon Bamford
The Butterball
Interview
JUNE/JULY‘13 £4.50/US$8.99
36
ON SET WITH WHITE SETTLERS: THE WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
Somewhere a tale is being told;
a tale of just how inhospitable the
picturesque rural can be; a place that
cannot go untouched by those bumps in
the night. Perhaps the rural isolation makes
it all the more terrifying, though for one
couple, their lives are destined to spiral into
utter terror. Whether this is a supernatural
or physical terror, only our future selves
know the answer to that teasing question.
If anyone’s got a spare set of keys to a
DeLorean, you know where you can reach
us.
The minds behind Grimm Entertainment
Simeon Halligan and Rachel RichardsonJones have joined forces with The
Woman’s Pollyanna McIntosh to bring us
White Settlers, a suspense-thriller with a
tantalising twist of horror. Remaining true to
the mandate of Grimm, White Settlers will
“Explore the darker side of cinema.”
Receiving a cordial invitation to the set
of White Settlers by our friends at Grimm
Entertainment, Paul Risker was despatched
with a dictaphone, a camera, the latest
issue of SCREAM, a pair of Wellington
Boots to report on the travails of… Well
a couple of White Settlers in the Scottish
borders.
So what do we know?
Sarah and Ed, a young couple in love
escape the rat race of urban London by
relocating to the Scottish borders, where
it has always been Sarah’s dream to buy a
farm house and convert it into a bed and
breakfast. On their first night Sarah and Ed
are lured into a false sense of security as
they embrace the idyllic and romanticised
country lifestyle. They have a barbecue in
the country air, go skinny dipping in the
river and make love. That is before the
nightmare abruptly tramples over their
idealistic and romanticised dream.
Quickly Sarah and Ed learn that they don’t
belong there, nor are they welcome. Bumps
in the night, an atmospheric house; but
is the threat supernatural or physical?
And if things couldn’t get any worse for
Sarah, soon she is left on her own to
play detective, and piece together the
nightmarish events that have ripped her
dream and her husband from her grasp.
Teased as to the endless possibilities this
suspense-thriller-horror may twist and
turn in – the title giving nothing away, a
conundrum in itself, what we do know is
that White Settlers will offer a suspenseful
ride, and whatever the threat may be,
supernatural or physical, as this mysterious
threat becomes serious, so we are
promised events will turn nasty.
Here at SCREAM we thought it was only
fair to bring you the most comprehensive
coverage of our Grimm friend’s White
Settlers, wetting your appetite in a special
two part feature on set report.
But before we hear from writer Ian Fenton,
director Simeon Halligan and producer
Rachel Richardson-Jones in part two, we
turn to the first lady of horror Pollyanna
McIntosh to launch: SCREAM’S On Set with
White Settlers.
Known for her role in 2009’s Exam and
more famously amongst the SCREAM
readership for her performance in Lucky
“Master of Horror” McKee’s 2011 horror
The Woman, it should not be forgotten that
Pollyanna McIntosh has lent her talents to
television, film and the world of theatre,
where on the LA scene she directed
the critically praised production of The
Woolgatherer.
Currently Pollyanna finds herself being
tormented by Ian Fenton’s imagination,
whilst Simeon and his crew enthusiastically
shoot her spiralling descent into a hellish
nightmare. During a break from playing
the tormented protagonist, the first lady of
horror spoke to us about what attracted
her to the project, her thoughts on both
the horror genre and specifically the role of
women in horror. She exercised diplomacy
to talk about her experiences on White
Settlers as well as her thoughts on what we
can expect, though always teasing; never
confirming anything.
SCREAM:
What was it
that attracted you to White Settlers?
Pollyanna McIntosh: Before I had
even read the script I knew Simeon and
Rachel from Grimmfest in Manchester. A
film I did called The Woman went there,
though I was unaware of that until I went
up with Him Indoors, a little short that I did
with Reece Shearsmith, which Paul Davis
directed. They were asking me to host the
Q&A for the film Stitches with Ross Noble
and it was just really nice to be involved
like that. So I got to know them then and
they told me they had a couple of projects
coming up and would I mind reading them?
The first one wasn’t quite right and then
White Settlers came to me and it was just
such a strong script.
Ian’s writing is great. It’s a very tense thriller
and I literally couldn’t put it down. I was
under the duvet like a five year old, well
not a five year old, a twelve year old with
my lights low, under the duvet reading it.
I was genuinely scared but I wanted to
know what happened which is always a
good sign and it’s a strong lead for the
female character. It appeals to me to play
somebody a little bit different, unlike the
roles I normally play where I am quite tough
essentially. She’s really not made for this
stuff, but she discovers some strength she
didn’t know she had along the way. So,
that’s a good character for me.
37
By Paul Risker
Pollyanna poses with SCREAM in
between takes on the White Settlers set
You mention women in horror and it feels
as if there is currently a lack of interesting
roles for women in the genre. As an
actress do you think this is the case?
Unfortunately, as far as we have come; in
films in general, from big studio pictures to
smaller genre movies, that is still the case. I
think there are some great female directors
and producers and it is up to us to elevate
it. There is no point sitting about crying
about it. There are a lot of good stories out
there and we just need to get them made.
Do you think White Settlers will be one of
those films which will again potentially
strengthen the female role in horror, but
also to ask the question of what exactly is
horror, because it is a broad...
It is a broad thing. I think you have really
hit the nail on the head because the genre
sometimes can be looked down upon as
something base. I think life and death is
always going to be a fascinating subject
to explore, and horror could do with being
elevated as well as the role of women in
horror and there is also a strong tradition
in horror that I know a lot of horror fans like
to see a flip on, a take on, a little twist on.
A lot of horror fans really appreciate that
and so I think there’s lots of ways to go,
both with women and with story in horror. I
think it is an endless genre and it’s still an
exciting genre to be involved in.
Do you think White Settlers will be one of
those films we will be talking about in the
context of horror as perhaps not a game
changer but as an important film in what it
tries to do?
I don’t think it’s a particularly political film.
It’s an entertainment piece, but hopefully
my job in it is to bring a female character
that’s interesting, that’s relatable for all.
I think White Settlers has something for
everybody. It’s not a straight out horror. It
definitely crosses the thriller/horror genres
and knowing the fans as I do from taking
The Woman around the world, I’m really on
their side as far as I don’t want to kid them
and say this is a total horror movie, and
you’re going to get loads of blood and gore.
It’s not. It’s a thriller and there are some
horror elements to it. But again, horror fans
are often undermined and people assume
all they want is buckets of blood and stuff.
They don’t; they are smart people and I
think this film will appeal to them.
Without any spoilers, what do you think
the audience can expect when they take
their seats?
I think they can expect a very scary house.
Hopefully, if we have done our job right
(and Lee Williams who plays my husband is
already doing a great job), they can expect
a relationship that they are going to stick
with. They can expect a woman
www.screamhorrormag.com
who is going to go through some hell and
keep on fighting and... I’ve got to be very
careful with this point. It’s hard to talk about
yourself, especially in Britain; it’s easier in
America...
You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else
right now?
They can expect some good frights and
they can expect a surprise at the end.
How do you feel this character relates to
the other characters you have played?
What experiences have you taken away
from the production so far?
It’s funny because I am tweeting a lot
and I’m finding myself saying things like,
“Running through the woods covered in
bruises and dirt” and I’m thinking that
sounds like The Woman. But it’s not The
Woman. Where I’m normally the one
bringing the hell, this time I’m really battling
and running from it and being surprised
by it. Because I’m tall and I have a deep
voice and I’ve got a strong look, I’m often
cast that way and it is fun for me to play
the opposite. I have to remember to not be
so strong and so my movements as Sarah
are a lot more panicked, a lot more frantic,
a lot more falling down, a lot less capable
because unlike a lot of characters I have
played before, she is not used to this kind
of battle. So I’m genuinely getting quite
shit up a lot of the time as I have to work
myself up into a really freaked out state. I
had absolute nightmares last night because
I’ve got some pretty hairy fight scenes to
do and she’s not supposed to look like she
knows what she’s doing. So when I’m
Well I’m writing a script right now myself,
so I’m watching and looking all the time
and thinking a lot about production, and
especially when you are a lead and you
are on a low budget film, you always
think about how it can be improved and
what more you can do. I am extremely
vigilant about continuity and realism so
the crew are already taking the piss out of
me for being in every department, which
is fine, because I am. I stick my nose in
everywhere. I have just learned that your
team is everything, really. I knew that
already but I am so grateful for this group
of people. They are so hard working,
committed and we really are up against
it. We haven’t made all of our days and
we have a very, very tight schedule, but it
is about the spirit of the people involved
together who go that extra mile and they
are doing it.
www.screamhorrormag.com
Exactly. I’m happiest on a set. I’m like a
little nomad. I belong on location.
screaming my head off, it’s for real. Not that
it’s not all planned out but it’s that sense
of panic. That’s what I’m living with at the
moment and I haven’t experienced that
before with any other character.
So White Settlers is proving to be quite
an authentic experience. It doesn’t sound
like you are required to try to get into
that mind-set, but rather it is a natural
process?
Yeah, I’m using all sorts of awful things to
get myself there and it’s like really screwed
up therapy [laughs].
So a twisted kind of cathartic experience?
[Still laughing] Yeah. I feel like I need to go
have a really good kickboxing session and
find someone who will let themselves get
beaten up by me so that I can get over it.
There is meant to be something
pleasant about the English and Scottish
countryside, the peace and serenity
far removed from the urban. Films like
White Settlers depict the picturesque
countryside as being some kind of hellish
space?
Well it was interesting because The Woman
was very much about nature versus
38
39
HHHH
Pollyanna and director Simeon Halligan
discuss the next shot
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civilisation, and there are themes of that
here. Sarah and Ed come from the city.
They’re not happy with the city life, they
want to slow down and go to the country
and live the dream, have children, be calm,
be quiet but they get just the opposite. So
there is definitely an element of that about
it, and there is also an element of whereas,
The Woman, she was nature in “civilised”
space, I am playing the opposite here. Our
dream of a pastoral peace is broken on the
first night that we arrive in the country.
We are also coming from England to
Scotland and as a Scotswoman I have a lot
of thoughts on that.
What are your feelings on how your
Scottish roots tie into White Settlers?
The writer Ian Fenton is also Scottish and
it’s very funny shooting it here in England.
I think the location works fantastically well
but I would like to see Scotland making it
easier for productions to shoot there. With
Braveheart, Ireland pipped us at the post
and made it cheaper. So we lost that big
movie which was so Scottish in essence,
theme and spirit. I’d like to see Scotland
opening up the gates a bit more and for
us to really become a film mecca. As a
Scotswoman that’s a hope that I have.
Especially when one thinks of the
picturesque locations in Scotland.
Amazing and hardworking people too;
some great crews. I shot a lot recently in
Scotland doing Bob Servant Independent,
a comedy for the BBC up there. MI High
up there as well, where I play the Crime
Minister, so that’s another baddie role,
which is great fun and I get to go and do
more of that after this. So I do get to get
my own back, if only on children! But yeah
it’s got everything required. We have our
Scottish government now and I’d like to
see them doing a bit more about it.
With the independence debate looming,
do you think independence would favour
film production in Scotland?
the script your mind often goes to lots of
places. For me (and you may be able to
take this from the film or not by the end of
it) but the name White Settlers does make
the suggestion that often people go into
new terrain and they don’t understand
it, and they don’t take into account the
history and the culture of the place they are
entering. I think that is very clear with the
war we’re still in at the moment. I think a lot
could have been saved with more cultural
understanding and that is something that I
have been thinking about with this film.
I think it really depends on who’s in charge,
and it depends on whether they can be a
cohesive group and unfortunately I’m not
very trusting of politicians in general. But
yeah, there has got to be hope. For me, if
we do go for independence, we have to
take the responsibility of it very seriously,
for our people. Unfortunately the power
and spoils of ruling, of running things, can
often ruin a group of people. So you know
[laughs] not quite a Communist but I’m
aware governments seem to find it hard
to think of what is the best for the people
when they are being offered a lot of spoils.
So whilst an entertaining yarn there is
something more to it. White Settlers is
an interesting title; it is so ambiguous, it
could be anything.
On the subject of civilisation versus
nature, in The Woman takes the idea of
the civilised thinking that it can tame
nature whilst in White Settlers it seems
like it is similar thematically but at the
same time very distinct.
We had better let you get back to filming!
Thanks for talking with us.
Again it is not a political film, it is an
entertaining film but in thinking about
Cronenberg’s
shoCking masterpieCe
on blu-ray for the 1st
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It’s almost abrasive as well, isn’t it, because
we don’t like to say “White”, you know?
available now on
It could be a controversial title.
and
Yeah it is a bit controversial and I think
Settlers is also a good word because it is
anything but settled. It is a very unsettling
film.
No, thank you. It has been a pleasure and
an honour talking to the mighty SCREAM
Magazine.
Photos courtesy of
Grenville Charles Photography.
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