Positively Horror recently got the chance to ask Josh Wallace a few questions about his upcoming film, and working in the genre. Please enjoy the full interview below:
When I was younger I loved being scared. Me and my friends would re-enact the MTV show Fear where people would stay in allegedly haunted places and have to do challenges like sit in a pitch black abandoned morgue for an hour. We basically did that but instead of a morgue it was my family’s clearly not haunted garage. I’ve been chasing that same adrenaline rush since and it turned me into a horror buff growing up.
What was your introduction to horror, and at what age?
This wasn’t necessarily my introduction to horror but it is one of my favorite memories which is that when I was a child my dad convinced me and my brothers the Blair Witch Project was a real documentary before we watched it and it truly was the most terrifying movie watching experience of my life.
Could you tell us a bit about your new comedy horror keeping company?
Keeping Company satirizes the horrors of capitalism, politics, and classism that are so prevalent in today’s America through the classic pairing of insurance sales and serial killers.
Where did you draw your inspiration for the film?
The Coen Brothers were a huge inspiration for the film in terms of the tone and Hitchcock was a major influence in terms of the look and feel.
It is said that the comedy and horror genres are very similar in execution, what was it like to crossing over from comedy to comedy horror?
It’s actually scary how seamless it is to transition between comedy and horror. I think no matter what genre we attempt, Devin and I are similar in the fact that we cope with things through humor so that comedic view point will always be brought to the table. It’s the way we examine and comment on the world around us. The nice thing about horror is that, like comedy, it can also effectively examine and comment in a similar (albeit generally more vicious) way.
What is your favourite horror trope?
People going into any scary dark place in an already scary situation.
What is something you'd like to see more of in the future in the genre?
It would be great to see more culturally diverse stories in horror. We are starting to see it but it feels like we’re just scratching the surface.
Who are some of your favourite people working in the genre at the moment?
David Bruckner, Mike Flanagan, Nia DaCosta, really enjoyed Hanna Bergholm’s Hatching
And are there any other projects you're involved with that you'd like to talk about?
I’m currently working on a tv project with Disney+ and 20th Television that’s in the early stages of development but Devin and I are also working on another satirical genre-bending film we hope to get off the ground within the next year!
Thank you to Josh for the great interview.
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