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Pat Mills, Alyson Richards Take Us Inside ‘The Retreat’ Horror/Thriller

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The Retreat

The Retreat hit theaters and on video-on-demand on May 21, 2021. The film tells the story of a lesbian couple whose relationship is on the rocks who travel to a cabin in the woods for a pre-wedding retreat only to end up fighting to survive when a group of militant killers begin hunting them.

iHorror had the opportunity to sit down with writer Alyson Richards and director Pat Mills to discuss the film, and they were all too happy to take us behind the scenes of their feature.

For Richards, it seems the story for The Retreat grew directly out of real life in a way after she took a trip with her own wife to a cabin in the woods.

“We got up there and everything was beautiful,” she began. “We never saw our host, but we constantly felt like we were being watched. We’d go for walks and come back and there’d be a fresh set of towels and little notes around the place. It got kind of unnerving. There was this idea that clearly there was someone here and watching us. We’re not seeing them. As women and as queer women, I began to get paranoid. Like, who are these people? Do they like us? Do they not like us? Then my imagination started spinning and that was where the idea sort of began.”

Richards and Mills had wanted to create a horror film together for a long time so it was a no-brainer for the director when she told him about her idea. They began scouting locations even as the writer was working on the script and used what they found to inform moments within the story.

In a way, they were reverse-engineering elements of the story, an approach that neither had really done before, but that seemed to work for the film. That wasn’t the only thing that drew Mills to the story, however.

“One of the things that I just really responded to and was drawn towards was that these two gay women don’t turn on one another and they really help each other,” he said. “Unfortunately, in the horror genre, we see a lot of the opposite. From Basic Instinct to High Tension—those are older references—the characters turn on one another and I’m like, ‘That’s now how gay people are.’ We go into an environment that’s scary and we have to rely on and help each other survive it.”

The film is an intense ride with a talented cast including Sarah Allen (The Expanse) and Tommie-Amber Pirie (Parallel Minds) as the central couple and Aaron Ashmore (Locke & Key) as the man-in-charge of the group who is hunting them.

“Everyone is so good in the movie,” Mills said. “Alyson and I wanted the performances in the film to feel really real grounded. Nobody feels too big or too small. It just feels really about right at the right level. Especially with Tommie and Sarah as the central relationship, we really loved their chemistry. They just felt real as a couple which was important to us.”

With a great cast locked into place, the crew only had to finalize the locations. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as smooth a process as they would have liked. Mills had already worked up his shot-list and their cinematographer had plans in place for their cabin, only for it to fall through just over 24 hours before shooting was set to begin. It forced them to get creative and they were ultimately even more pleased with where they landed than they felt they would have been with the original location.

That was when the weather at The Retreat also decided to take a turn.

“The really interesting thing is that you make all of these decisions when you’re making a film but ultimately, you’re a victim of the environment,” the director pointed out. “We established this autumn weather and then halfway through the movie it snowed. We’d brush off the snow and then do these close up shots because we couldn’t show the environment because it looked like a Bing Crosby White Christmas situation. Thankfully, it’s the horror genre and if it feels claustrophobic then maybe it’s okay, but I had planned on all these wide shots.”

And now, after all their work, the film is finally making its way in front of an audience, an exciting moment for both Mills and Richards as they have been unable to host screenings with audiences due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“It’s funny, someone asked me in an interview yesterday, ‘How did you know when it was working?'” Richards said with a laugh. “I was like, right now. You saying that. Other than my wife thinks it’s awesome. Yeah, I think that’s a challenge right now. We are starting to see some nice reviews come in, so it’s been gratifying.”

The Retreat is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Vudu, AppleTV+, and Fandango Now. Check out the trailer, and let us know if you’ve seen the film in the comments below!

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Unbelievably Cool ‘Scream’ Trailer But Re-Imagined As A 50s Horror Flick

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Ever wonder what your favorite horror movies would look like if they had been made in the 50s? Thanks to We Hate Popcorn But Eat It Anyway and their use of modern technology now you can!

The YouTube channel reimagines modern movie trailers as mid-century pulp flicks using AI software.

What is really neat about these bite-sized offerings is that some of them, mostly the slashers go against what cinemas had to offer over 70 years ago. Horror movies back then involved atomic monsters, scary aliens, or some sort of physical science gone awry. This was the era of the B-movie where actresses would put their hands against their faces and let out over-dramatic screams reacting to their monstrous pursuer.

With the advent of new color systems such as DeLuxe and Technicolor, movies were vibrant and saturated in the 50s enhancing primary colors that electrified the action happening on screen, bringing a whole new dimension to films using a process called Panavision.

“Scream” reimagined as a 50s horror movie.

Arguably, Alfred Hitchcock upended the creature feature trope by making his monster a human in Psycho (1960). He used black and white film to create shadows and contrast which added suspense and drama to every setting. The final reveal in the basement would probably not have been if he had used color.

Jump to the 80s and beyond, actresses were less histrionic, and the only emphasized primary color was blood red.

What is also unique about these trailers is the narration. The We Hate Popcorn But Eat It Anyway team has captured the monotone narration of 50s movie trailer voiceovers; those over-dramatic faux news anchor cadences that emphasized buzz words with a sense of urgency.

That mechanic died out long ago, but luckily, you can see what some of your favorite modern horror movies would look like when Eisenhower was in office, developing suburbs were replacing farmland and cars were made with steel and glass.

Here are some other noteworthy trailers brought to you by We Hate Popcorn But Eat It Anyway:

“Hellraiser” reimagined as a 50s horror movie.

“It” reimagined as a 50s horror movie.
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Ti West Teases Idea For Fourth Film In The ‘X’ Franchise

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This is something that will excite fans of the franchise. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ti West mentioned his idea for a fourth film in the franchise. He stated, “I do have one idea that plays into these movies that could maybe happen…” Check out more of what he said in the interview below.

First Look Image at MaXXXine (2024)

In the interview, Ti West stated, “I do have one idea that plays into these movies that could maybe happen. I don’t know if it’ll be next. It might be. We’ll see. I’ll say that, if there’s more to be done in this X franchise, it’s certainly not what people are expecting it to be.”

He then said, “It’s not just picking up again a few years later and whatever. It’s different in the way that Pearl was an unexpected departure. It’s another unexpected departure.”

First Look Image at MaXXXine (2024)

The first film in the franchise, X, was released in 2022 and was a huge success. The film made $15.1M on a $1M budget. It received great reviews earning a 95% Critic and 75% Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. The next film, Pearl, was also released in 2022 and is a prequel to the first film. It was also a big success making $10.1M on a $1M budget. It received great reviews earning a 93% Critic and 83% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

First Look Image at MaXXXine (2024)

MaXXXine, which is the 3rd installment in the franchise, is set to be released in theaters on July 5th of this year. It follows the story of adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. However, as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. It is a direct sequel to X and stars Mia Goth, Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, and more.

Official Movie Poster for MaXXXine (2024)

What he says in the interview should excite fans and leave you wondering what he may have up his sleeve for a fourth film. It seems like it may either be a spinoff or something entirely different. Are you excited for a possible 4th film in this franchise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, check out the official trailer for MaXXXine below.

Official Trailer for MaXXXine (2024)
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’47 Meters Down’ Getting Third Movie Called ‘The Wreck’

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Deadline is reporting that a new 47 Meters Down installment is heading into production, making the shark series a trilogy. 

“Series creator Johannes Roberts, and screenwriter Ernest Riera, who wrote the first two films, have co-written the third installment: 47 Meters Down: The Wreck.” Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine) will direct.

The first two films were a moderate success, released in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The second film is titled 47 Meters Down: Uncaged

47 Meters Down

The plot for The Wreck is detailed by Deadline. They write that it involves a father and daughter trying to repair their relationship by spending time together scuba diving into a sunken ship, “But soon after their descent, their master diver has an accident leaving them alone and unprotected inside the labyrinth of the wreck. As tensions rise and oxygen dwindles, the pair must use their newfound bond to escape the wreck and the relentless barrage of bloodthirsty great white sharks.”

The filmmakers are hoping to present the pitch to the Cannes market with production starting in the fall. 

47 Meters Down: The Wreck is the perfect continuation of our shark-filled franchise,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “This film will once again have moviegoers terrified and on the edge of their seats.”

Johannes Roberts adds, “We can’t wait for audiences to be trapped underwater with us again. 47 Meters Down: The Wreck is going to be the biggest, most-intense film of this franchise.”

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