Interview with Eric England, Director of Contracted

I sat down and interviewed Eric England, writer/director of cult hit Contracted, to ask him some questions on his career. Here’s how it went down:

John Lepper: Mr. England, thank you very much for agreeing to have this interview with me today. First, I wanted to ask, what made you want to get into the movie industry?

Eric England: It was basically an undeniable need to tell stories. I’ve always wanted to be in the entertainment industry, ever since I was a kid. But I didn’t know in what capacity and I didn’t know I wanted to be a film director until about high school. Once I started watching behind the scenes documentaries and really seeing how films were made, that’s when I knew exactly what I wanted to be.

JL: Well, it’s awesome that you’ve found your way into a career you love. Most of your movies so far have been horror. Is this your favorite genre? If so, how come? And do you see the majority of your work continuing to be horror related?

EE: I would probably say “horror” in some form or fashion is my favorite genre. I really enjoy “thrillers” in general, but I find myself gravitating to the horror genre as a storyteller because it’s the only genre in film where you’re allowed to be as bold as you desire. It’s funny because there are so many “rules” with certain genres and the horror genre is sadly, beginning to adopt some of those restrictions (you need a name actor, you need more CGI, you need a PG-13 rating, etc), but what initially attracted me to the horror genre is strictly the taboo. I love things that are different, or doing things you’re not necessarily supposed to and you’re able to explore those stories in the horror genre better than most any other. So that’s initially what attracted to me. The element of taboo. As far as continuing — as long as the audiences that watch genre movies enjoy my films, I’ll keep making them.

JL: Love that answer! I think there is still hope for the genre though, personally, in the indie scene. It seems to be mostly the big studio guys who are trying to conform. Now, I think the movie that most people know you by at this point is Contracted. I personally loved it, It was a very original take on a subgenre that is clogged with a lack of new ideas. What was your inspiration for it?

EE: Simply that: a sub genre that is clogged with a lack of new ideas. I wanted to make a film that I thought would turn heads and grab attention for putting a new spin on a sub genre we thought was old and tired, as well as being a well executed film. It was kind of a “kitchen sink” mentality. Just go for broke, so to speak, and give the people what they want, but in a way they didn’t know they wanted it yet. Haha

JL: Well, I would certainly say you achieved your goal! Do you have any other big projects in the works that you want to talk about?

EE: There aren’t too many things I can talk about just yet. There are a couple of announcements coming up though that I’m excited about. I do have a film that was supposed to shoot this year, but had a couple of last minute issues that needed to be worked out called THE SIRENS, which I’m really anxious to shoot. I think we might be digging into that one next year. I really hope so. It’s one of my favorites and I think it’s something audiences would love.

JL: That’s a good attitude though. Issues and delays happen all the time and you just gotta roll with it. I can’t wait to see what you do next. Well, I won’t keep you for much longer. Before I let you go, is there anything else you’d like to say?

EE: Keep your eyes peeled for announcements soon. Thanks for having me.

JL: No worries. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to ask you some questions! Have a good one, mate, and best of luck!

Check out Contracted, the film that takes a different approach to an old genre. And stay tuned for tomorrow when TheBlood-Shed posts an interview with Najara Townsend, star of Contracted!