Wicked Horror’s Syl had the opportunity to ask a couple questions of Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing about their new film, The Gallows Act II. They dished about the shift to a stalker type film as well as what they would like everyone to know about making a horror movie! See below for the full exchange!
Also see: Horror Icon Lin Shaye Talks Gothic Harvest [Interview]
Wicked Horror (WH): The tone of The Gallows Act II is markedly different from the first film, as Charlie the monster has left the confines of the school and is now able to haunt any who summon him. How do you think this shift impacted the portrayal of Charlie in The Gallows Act II?
Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing: To us it was very freeing to be outside of just the school, outside of the found footage genre and able to present Charlie in a more cinematic style. We really enjoyed creating some truly different visuals in this film and we think it has helped add a lot of color to The Hangman’s presence.
WH: While The Gallows is certainly a tale of revenge, what inspired the transformation to a slasher type, stalking monster Charlie becomes in The Gallows Act II?
Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing: With the first Gallows, our hope, and dream was always to create a villain that was both supernatural and tangible – a hybrid of the ‘Jason’s’ and ‘Freddy’s’ with the invisible or hidden terrors of Paranormal Activity, merging the two into a new kind of terror. We hope that The Gallows Act II is a natural extension of that. We see a little more of Charlie and what he’s capable of but hopefully not too much,
WH: Some of the main themes in the film surround YouTube celebrity and someone being validated by strangers, why did you feel this was an important narrative to tell?
Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing: It was very important for us with this film to speak to the dangers of social media and internet challenges. Some of these viral sensations are totally harmless, all fun and games, but others…not so much. People get hurt. Some even die. We wanted to speak to that very real threat and we used the “Charlie Challenge” as a device to explore those real dangers with a supernatural spin.
WH: The ending of The Gallows Act II certainly leaves the audience “hanging”, pun intended, can we look forward to a part 3?
Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing: That would be cool! We would certainly be excited to explore an “Act III” should there be interest! We hope people see and enjoy ACT II!
WH: What is something you wish everyone knew about crafting a horror movie?
Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing: The hardest thing about making movies is…making movies. It’s so challenging and often times literally everything is working against you, it can be soul crushing, so we do our best to make sure everyone involved in the process is having a good time and really getting the most out of the experience. One thing that I think most people wouldn’t know about making horror movies is, surprisingly – the atmosphere on set is a lot of fun. It’s light, it’s energetic, and it’s really magical to see these “scary” things come to life, at least for us at Tremendum Pictures. Making movies is very much a “family affair” and we take pride in creating an atmosphere on set that is inviting, creative, fun and memorable.
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