Ti West is becoming a major name in horror movies. His 2009 film, The House of the Devil, harkened back to 1980s atmospheric horror, to the point where it was available on VHS in a big plastic shell case. Hes been invited to speak on numerous panels, such as the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festivals Directing the Dead one, where he joined Zombielands Ruben Fleischer, and Cloverfield and Let Me Ins Matt Reeves, and memorably spoke about the awkward moment when you have to direct a woman to show her naked breasts.
His new film, The Innkeepers, premiered at this years SXSW. After continuing to play the festival circuit, itll finally creep into homes via VOD on December 30 (and will get a theatrical release on February 3, 2012).
The Innkeepers is a horror comedy about two clerks working at a soon-to-be defunct hotel during its last weekend in business. Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) pass the time by speculating about ghostly inhabitants and attempting to record EVP.
Claires slapstick bumbling and Lukes sarcastic comments are a change in tone from the popular House of the Devil (a satanic cult movie that exploited the power of silence with nary a laugh). West has also directed The Roost and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, although he disowns the latter because it was taken away from him in editing. He also directed segments of the forthcoming films V/H/S and The ABCs of Death.
Midway through the SXSW festival in Austin, I caught up with West at a point when we didnt have a full nights sleep between us. I was going on three hours and he just barely had me beat. Those are the glorious moments when you just push through the exhaustion on pure adrenaline because you just have to keep up with the prevailing film geekery.
SuicideGirls: Last year on the Directing the Dead panel you said when you had to ask an actress to do nudity, it reminded you that that's a human being.
Ti West: Yeah. I do mean that but I dont mean it in a Thats a person, thats offensive kind of way because I dont care about that. I mean it as in when you actually say it to someone, you realize youve just said that out loud and youre like, This is weird. You just feel like a creep is what Im getting at. Its an odd situation to be in that when youre not in it seems like oh, its just business as usual. Then when youre actually there being like I have to tell her, its not even like because she knows shes going to be naked, but Ive got to tell her, Youve got to turn your boobs more to the camera, youre like oh man, this is weird.
SG: I found it a compassionate point of view because its a staple of the genre we love. Should we feel a little guilty for enjoying naked boobies?
TW: No, I dont think so. Im just saying its just awkward to do it. As the person doing it, I dont think theres anything wrong with it, its just when you actually say it out loud, and maybe this is just me being weird and insecure about it but the times that Ive had to do it, its one of those I cant believe I have to go up to this girl and be like, You need to turn more this way because we cant see. They never care. Everyones always fine with it but its just you realize what youre doing when you ask that.
SG: My take was you were being compassionate.
TW: I think thats ultimately where I come from.
SG: Of course we hear stories of bad producers forcing naive young actresses to do it, but I take a positive perspective that thats a cool girl, shes sharing her hot body with me on screen, so thank you, lady. Maybe it isnt always like that.
TW: Its just weird because its people everywhere. The whole thing is just awkward. Whenever anyone says, Sex scenes are so awkward to shoot, it is. Its just a weird thing to be doing. Its part of it but its odd.
SG: When youre doing a horror movie set in a hotel, is that dangerous territory?
TW: Well, Ill tell you that the first time we put the camera on a steadicam and walked down the hallway, I was like, Oh, shit. Because you cant not. As soon we did it, as soon as he walks down that hallway youre like, Oh man, The Shining. What can you do? I tried to stay far away from that stuff. I think other than a few visual things like that you cant avoid, I think were a standalone thing. But yes, thats one of the greatest movies ever made. Im uncomfortable making a movie thats similar to a movie like that.
SG: They still make exorcism movies though.
TW: Thats true. I feel like movies, sometimes they use similar bell type sounds and youre like dude, what are you doing? I dont know. When theres a movie that good, its best to just leave it be.
SG: Did you want to use humor this time around?
TW: Yes. House of the Devil was a movie about a girl that was just bummed. So I was just like I dont want to make another bum out I dont have any money kind of movie. My whole goal with this movie was to make something that was charming. I have had every kind of part time day job ever and I really like those relationships you have with people. Theyre not your friends, theyre your coworkers but you spend eight hours a day with them and you develop these quasi-friendships with them and its usually snarky and theres usually a lot of humor in there. Thats really where it came from is to really try to make a charming movie about these minimum wage jobs that turns into a horror movie.
SG: Charming is a good word. I described it as campfire style. The scare is part of the fun.
TW: I can see that. Certainly when she tells the ghost story especially but I like that hanging out, youre just kind of making conversation because what else are you going to do? Then you kind of develop this rapport based on that. Thats what I thought these two characters having spent so much time just sitting at a desk together.
SG: Even just as far as the joy of being scared, versus the intense disturbing horror movies.
TW: Yeah, again, House of the Devil is a girl whos bummed out and then its a Satanic cult and its violent. Id just done that so I wanted to make something that was a little bit more kooky and mystical and go down that not really fantasy, but a little bit more abstract field and have humor and have kooky wacky like screwball comedy stuff, but still have it be scary, which is like an odd combination but I felt like the contrast of those two things would work well.
SG: Speaking of mystical, several movies this year dealt with the interconnection human beings have with each other and the afterlife: Source Code, Insidious, the documentary I Am. What do you think makes so many filmmakers explore that metaphysical theme right now?
TW: I think because even if youre a skeptic, theres some inkling that there might be some truth to that. Nobody really believes in vampires. Nobody really believes in werewolves. Nobody believes in zombies, but ghosts are something thats like I dont think I believe, but maybe. I think theres something about that that audiences and filmmakers, your own mortality, theres something you cant help being sort of interested in that. Thats to me whats always been interesting about ghost stories. Thats why I think those movies to me are always the scariest movies, because I dont really believe theyre going to happen, but Im not 100% sure that they wont. Im in the high 90s but theres that little percent, whereas I have no fear of zombies breaking in here ever. So thats just entertainment to me. It can be well done craft or social commentary but it stops there. Whereas the ghost thing I think hits everybody more personally. Also anyone thats had anyone in their life die, thats a really trying experience and thats something you think a lot about, like what happens? Its not even necessarily in a religious way. I guess like you said, in a metaphysical way.
SG: Have you explored that deeper in real life, any reading?
TW: I had a friend that used to listen to a lot of Deepak. Me having to always hear her tell me about Deepak, Ekhart Tolle, some of that made it into the Kelly McGillis character because I would hear all these things about consciousness and all this stuff. I cannibalized some of her ramblings to me and put them into there.
SG: What are your favorite obscure horror comedies?
TW: Ah, I dont know because theres not really that many that dont go into the weird outrageously silly Troma territory. This isnt totally a horror movie but Death Race 2000 is a great comedy dark movie. Eating Raoul is a great dark black comedy with horrific elements. But just straight up ones, theres not too many. The Burbs is awesome. The Burbs is one of my favorites. Its genius and its not straight up horror but it sort of is because its the creepy neighbors but The Burbs is probably the answer Ill go with. Forget Evil Dead II. Lets go with The Burbs.
SG: Are you drawn more to horror movies as a movie viewer?
TW: No, I have 1000 DVDs and the minority is horror movies but I do like provocative stuff. So Im always going to respond more to that. I just feel when stuff is the same, another Transformers movie, another Fast and Furious, other than some effects, theres nothing in that movie thats going to be new to me. Ive said this a bunch of times but Steven Soderbergh had a really good quote when they were like, How come youre taking some time off from making movies? He said, I just cant get excited about another over the shoulder shot. Its like something else needs to excite me so Im always looking for edgier more provocative movies that give you a visceral reaction because so much doesnt anymore.
SG: Do you have Blu-rays?
TW: I dont have a lot, I have maybe 10 to 20.
SG: What movies are in your main rotation, DVD or Blu-ray?
TW: Well, I did this interview for Criterion for the Hausu DVD and they gave me a stack of DVDs. So my beginning of Blu-ray was just all Criterion stuff. I was watching a lot of that, rewatching Videodrome and all that sort of stuff. I bought Scott Pilgrim which I like a lot. Because of Netflix I get everything on Blu-ray whenever it comes out and its a fantastic format. As far as DVD stuff, my purchase of DVD has slowed, much like everybody, has slowed down over the years.
SG: We dont need to own anymore. There are all sorts of sources of instant movies.
TW: My Blu-ray player is a Playstation and I got it because of the Netflix Instant thing and that just blows my mind. I think thats amazing. The more stuff that gets on Instant, I have this floor to ceiling thing of DVDs that I just look at like, I dont even need these.
SG: What are your perennials?
TW: Golden Child, The Burbs, Karate Kid, Teen Wolf. Movies I grew up with. 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop I watch all the time. I think its great. Theres something about those movies, it was the last bit of not lowest common denominator. They werent attempting as much. It was before all the test screenings. 48 Hours is a comedy but also an action movie, but also really dark and also just really well written and really well shot by Walter Hill. How often do you get a really well known gritty director to do a Nick Nolte/Eddie Murphy buddy comedy racial tension action movie? Its like whoa. That just doesnt happen anymore. Those are the movies I grew up with and I really like that stuff.
SG: What is on your stack to be viewed?
TW: Theres a bunch of Criterion things that I havent seen. Friends of Eddie Coyle, I havent watched that yet. I might be pretty caught up. I dont have a stack, I dont think, of stuff to see. When I was in New York finishing all the sound for the movie, I was in a hotel so I would just sit and watch tons of stuff. I watched the whole Sopranos season so I caught up with that. Id never seen that before. I got really into TV box sets because I like the long form of it.
SG: Do you ever go through your collection and pull stuff out to get rid of?
TW: No. The collector element in me, I hold onto it.
SG: Ive had Cabin Fever 2 on my stack for two years and I still haven't gotten to it. Should I watch it?
TW: Uh, I guess. Its not my movie. Im sure theres things in there that could be amusing. Yeah, I dont know. It doesnt bother me. Im long passed it at this point but its a bummer, its a shame.
SG: But you know how it goes, you might want to watch it to see what you're talking about, but then it just sits there.
TW: Actually, you should watch it. Heres why. The way that you brought that up knowing the history of it, its totally fine. If you didnt know the history and you were like man, I loved your movie and now Im going to check out this Cabin Fever one you made, Id be like, Dont! Because then its like youre going in thinking this is going thinking this is going to be like those. Then youre going to be like oh, what happened here? The fact that you are educated to know that there were problems and I tried to Alan Smithee it and all that stuff, then you can watch it as a sort of experiment I suppose.
SG: I didnt know that when I first got the DVD, but I've learned about the whole history of it as it's sat on my shelf.
TW: But knowing that, I would encourage anyone to watch it because everyone in that movie, I dont dislike any of those people. Good for them. Its just even people who really like that movie, I dont feel comfortable taking any credit for it. That movie, I was editing it, it was going well and then everything I did they deleted and someone else started from scratch and re-edited it. I just think they missed what it was. Some people say, How different could it be? Its the same footage. Its like Dane Cook telling Seinfeld jokes. The materials fine but the delivery is all fucked up. Hes giving you all this energy and its not supposed to be done that way. The materials still funny but no ones laughing. Thats how I feel about Cabin Fever. Its a local band covering a famous song where youre like, This is the same, its just not as exciting. Thats how I feel about it.
SG: The longer it gets the more I wonder why I havent just watched it yet.
TW: Itll pop up on Netflix Instant and youll see it like that. The Alan Smithee thing wouldve been cool because I wouldve been part of that club. I mean, its not a great club to be a part of but at least I could be like historically, Im in the Alan Smithee club. Its very hard to get that credit though.
SG: They did a movie about that.
TW: I know and I think that killed the Alan Smithee, it makes it almost impossible to get it now. Its no ones real fault. It wasnt Lionsgate. A whole series of things happened that just didnt work out.
His new film, The Innkeepers, premiered at this years SXSW. After continuing to play the festival circuit, itll finally creep into homes via VOD on December 30 (and will get a theatrical release on February 3, 2012).
The Innkeepers is a horror comedy about two clerks working at a soon-to-be defunct hotel during its last weekend in business. Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) pass the time by speculating about ghostly inhabitants and attempting to record EVP.
Claires slapstick bumbling and Lukes sarcastic comments are a change in tone from the popular House of the Devil (a satanic cult movie that exploited the power of silence with nary a laugh). West has also directed The Roost and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, although he disowns the latter because it was taken away from him in editing. He also directed segments of the forthcoming films V/H/S and The ABCs of Death.
Midway through the SXSW festival in Austin, I caught up with West at a point when we didnt have a full nights sleep between us. I was going on three hours and he just barely had me beat. Those are the glorious moments when you just push through the exhaustion on pure adrenaline because you just have to keep up with the prevailing film geekery.
SuicideGirls: Last year on the Directing the Dead panel you said when you had to ask an actress to do nudity, it reminded you that that's a human being.
Ti West: Yeah. I do mean that but I dont mean it in a Thats a person, thats offensive kind of way because I dont care about that. I mean it as in when you actually say it to someone, you realize youve just said that out loud and youre like, This is weird. You just feel like a creep is what Im getting at. Its an odd situation to be in that when youre not in it seems like oh, its just business as usual. Then when youre actually there being like I have to tell her, its not even like because she knows shes going to be naked, but Ive got to tell her, Youve got to turn your boobs more to the camera, youre like oh man, this is weird.
SG: I found it a compassionate point of view because its a staple of the genre we love. Should we feel a little guilty for enjoying naked boobies?
TW: No, I dont think so. Im just saying its just awkward to do it. As the person doing it, I dont think theres anything wrong with it, its just when you actually say it out loud, and maybe this is just me being weird and insecure about it but the times that Ive had to do it, its one of those I cant believe I have to go up to this girl and be like, You need to turn more this way because we cant see. They never care. Everyones always fine with it but its just you realize what youre doing when you ask that.
SG: My take was you were being compassionate.
TW: I think thats ultimately where I come from.
SG: Of course we hear stories of bad producers forcing naive young actresses to do it, but I take a positive perspective that thats a cool girl, shes sharing her hot body with me on screen, so thank you, lady. Maybe it isnt always like that.
TW: Its just weird because its people everywhere. The whole thing is just awkward. Whenever anyone says, Sex scenes are so awkward to shoot, it is. Its just a weird thing to be doing. Its part of it but its odd.
SG: When youre doing a horror movie set in a hotel, is that dangerous territory?
TW: Well, Ill tell you that the first time we put the camera on a steadicam and walked down the hallway, I was like, Oh, shit. Because you cant not. As soon we did it, as soon as he walks down that hallway youre like, Oh man, The Shining. What can you do? I tried to stay far away from that stuff. I think other than a few visual things like that you cant avoid, I think were a standalone thing. But yes, thats one of the greatest movies ever made. Im uncomfortable making a movie thats similar to a movie like that.
SG: They still make exorcism movies though.
TW: Thats true. I feel like movies, sometimes they use similar bell type sounds and youre like dude, what are you doing? I dont know. When theres a movie that good, its best to just leave it be.
SG: Did you want to use humor this time around?
TW: Yes. House of the Devil was a movie about a girl that was just bummed. So I was just like I dont want to make another bum out I dont have any money kind of movie. My whole goal with this movie was to make something that was charming. I have had every kind of part time day job ever and I really like those relationships you have with people. Theyre not your friends, theyre your coworkers but you spend eight hours a day with them and you develop these quasi-friendships with them and its usually snarky and theres usually a lot of humor in there. Thats really where it came from is to really try to make a charming movie about these minimum wage jobs that turns into a horror movie.
SG: Charming is a good word. I described it as campfire style. The scare is part of the fun.
TW: I can see that. Certainly when she tells the ghost story especially but I like that hanging out, youre just kind of making conversation because what else are you going to do? Then you kind of develop this rapport based on that. Thats what I thought these two characters having spent so much time just sitting at a desk together.
SG: Even just as far as the joy of being scared, versus the intense disturbing horror movies.
TW: Yeah, again, House of the Devil is a girl whos bummed out and then its a Satanic cult and its violent. Id just done that so I wanted to make something that was a little bit more kooky and mystical and go down that not really fantasy, but a little bit more abstract field and have humor and have kooky wacky like screwball comedy stuff, but still have it be scary, which is like an odd combination but I felt like the contrast of those two things would work well.
SG: Speaking of mystical, several movies this year dealt with the interconnection human beings have with each other and the afterlife: Source Code, Insidious, the documentary I Am. What do you think makes so many filmmakers explore that metaphysical theme right now?
TW: I think because even if youre a skeptic, theres some inkling that there might be some truth to that. Nobody really believes in vampires. Nobody really believes in werewolves. Nobody believes in zombies, but ghosts are something thats like I dont think I believe, but maybe. I think theres something about that that audiences and filmmakers, your own mortality, theres something you cant help being sort of interested in that. Thats to me whats always been interesting about ghost stories. Thats why I think those movies to me are always the scariest movies, because I dont really believe theyre going to happen, but Im not 100% sure that they wont. Im in the high 90s but theres that little percent, whereas I have no fear of zombies breaking in here ever. So thats just entertainment to me. It can be well done craft or social commentary but it stops there. Whereas the ghost thing I think hits everybody more personally. Also anyone thats had anyone in their life die, thats a really trying experience and thats something you think a lot about, like what happens? Its not even necessarily in a religious way. I guess like you said, in a metaphysical way.
SG: Have you explored that deeper in real life, any reading?
TW: I had a friend that used to listen to a lot of Deepak. Me having to always hear her tell me about Deepak, Ekhart Tolle, some of that made it into the Kelly McGillis character because I would hear all these things about consciousness and all this stuff. I cannibalized some of her ramblings to me and put them into there.
SG: What are your favorite obscure horror comedies?
TW: Ah, I dont know because theres not really that many that dont go into the weird outrageously silly Troma territory. This isnt totally a horror movie but Death Race 2000 is a great comedy dark movie. Eating Raoul is a great dark black comedy with horrific elements. But just straight up ones, theres not too many. The Burbs is awesome. The Burbs is one of my favorites. Its genius and its not straight up horror but it sort of is because its the creepy neighbors but The Burbs is probably the answer Ill go with. Forget Evil Dead II. Lets go with The Burbs.
SG: Are you drawn more to horror movies as a movie viewer?
TW: No, I have 1000 DVDs and the minority is horror movies but I do like provocative stuff. So Im always going to respond more to that. I just feel when stuff is the same, another Transformers movie, another Fast and Furious, other than some effects, theres nothing in that movie thats going to be new to me. Ive said this a bunch of times but Steven Soderbergh had a really good quote when they were like, How come youre taking some time off from making movies? He said, I just cant get excited about another over the shoulder shot. Its like something else needs to excite me so Im always looking for edgier more provocative movies that give you a visceral reaction because so much doesnt anymore.
SG: Do you have Blu-rays?
TW: I dont have a lot, I have maybe 10 to 20.
SG: What movies are in your main rotation, DVD or Blu-ray?
TW: Well, I did this interview for Criterion for the Hausu DVD and they gave me a stack of DVDs. So my beginning of Blu-ray was just all Criterion stuff. I was watching a lot of that, rewatching Videodrome and all that sort of stuff. I bought Scott Pilgrim which I like a lot. Because of Netflix I get everything on Blu-ray whenever it comes out and its a fantastic format. As far as DVD stuff, my purchase of DVD has slowed, much like everybody, has slowed down over the years.
SG: We dont need to own anymore. There are all sorts of sources of instant movies.
TW: My Blu-ray player is a Playstation and I got it because of the Netflix Instant thing and that just blows my mind. I think thats amazing. The more stuff that gets on Instant, I have this floor to ceiling thing of DVDs that I just look at like, I dont even need these.
SG: What are your perennials?
TW: Golden Child, The Burbs, Karate Kid, Teen Wolf. Movies I grew up with. 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop I watch all the time. I think its great. Theres something about those movies, it was the last bit of not lowest common denominator. They werent attempting as much. It was before all the test screenings. 48 Hours is a comedy but also an action movie, but also really dark and also just really well written and really well shot by Walter Hill. How often do you get a really well known gritty director to do a Nick Nolte/Eddie Murphy buddy comedy racial tension action movie? Its like whoa. That just doesnt happen anymore. Those are the movies I grew up with and I really like that stuff.
SG: What is on your stack to be viewed?
TW: Theres a bunch of Criterion things that I havent seen. Friends of Eddie Coyle, I havent watched that yet. I might be pretty caught up. I dont have a stack, I dont think, of stuff to see. When I was in New York finishing all the sound for the movie, I was in a hotel so I would just sit and watch tons of stuff. I watched the whole Sopranos season so I caught up with that. Id never seen that before. I got really into TV box sets because I like the long form of it.
SG: Do you ever go through your collection and pull stuff out to get rid of?
TW: No. The collector element in me, I hold onto it.
SG: Ive had Cabin Fever 2 on my stack for two years and I still haven't gotten to it. Should I watch it?
TW: Uh, I guess. Its not my movie. Im sure theres things in there that could be amusing. Yeah, I dont know. It doesnt bother me. Im long passed it at this point but its a bummer, its a shame.
SG: But you know how it goes, you might want to watch it to see what you're talking about, but then it just sits there.
TW: Actually, you should watch it. Heres why. The way that you brought that up knowing the history of it, its totally fine. If you didnt know the history and you were like man, I loved your movie and now Im going to check out this Cabin Fever one you made, Id be like, Dont! Because then its like youre going in thinking this is going thinking this is going to be like those. Then youre going to be like oh, what happened here? The fact that you are educated to know that there were problems and I tried to Alan Smithee it and all that stuff, then you can watch it as a sort of experiment I suppose.
SG: I didnt know that when I first got the DVD, but I've learned about the whole history of it as it's sat on my shelf.
TW: But knowing that, I would encourage anyone to watch it because everyone in that movie, I dont dislike any of those people. Good for them. Its just even people who really like that movie, I dont feel comfortable taking any credit for it. That movie, I was editing it, it was going well and then everything I did they deleted and someone else started from scratch and re-edited it. I just think they missed what it was. Some people say, How different could it be? Its the same footage. Its like Dane Cook telling Seinfeld jokes. The materials fine but the delivery is all fucked up. Hes giving you all this energy and its not supposed to be done that way. The materials still funny but no ones laughing. Thats how I feel about Cabin Fever. Its a local band covering a famous song where youre like, This is the same, its just not as exciting. Thats how I feel about it.
SG: The longer it gets the more I wonder why I havent just watched it yet.
TW: Itll pop up on Netflix Instant and youll see it like that. The Alan Smithee thing wouldve been cool because I wouldve been part of that club. I mean, its not a great club to be a part of but at least I could be like historically, Im in the Alan Smithee club. Its very hard to get that credit though.
SG: They did a movie about that.
TW: I know and I think that killed the Alan Smithee, it makes it almost impossible to get it now. Its no ones real fault. It wasnt Lionsgate. A whole series of things happened that just didnt work out.