| Exploring the Spirits of THE SKELETON KEY With Director Ian Softely. |
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| Thursday, 11 August 2005 | |
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FEARSmag.com BY Joseph B. Mauceri  Born and raised in West London, director/producer Ian Softley has attempted to carry audiences into unfamiliar terrain, and he does so once again with the supernatural thriller THE SKELETON KEY. A painter, photographer, and a graduate of Cambridge University, where he studied English Literature, he worked for six years for Granada Television and the BBC directing a wide range of documentaries. He made his directorial debut in 1993 with the feature film ìBackbeat,î which he followed up with the 1995 techno-thriller ìHackers.î His most recent film, the 2001 science fiction thriller ìK-Pax,î featured Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. His latest cinematic venture, THE SKELETON KEY, took Softely deep into the marshes and bayous of southern Louisiana, and deals with the strange rites and rituals of hoodoo. The story focuses on the issues of believe and faith of the lead character Caroline Ellis, played by Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson. The film also stars Peter Sarsgaard, and veteran screen actors John Hurt and Gena Rowlands. The cast, press, and director, Ian Softely, returned the The Big Easy to tour the home of voodoo and hoodoo to talk about THE SKELETON KEY. FEARS: How familiar were you with hoodoo before taking this movie on? Ian Softley: Not at all, but in retrospect I went back and listened to all those songs and realized there were all these references. I kind of thought, at first, that hoodoo and voodoo were sort of similar and that one was another word for the other, or sort of an alternative. Then I was aware in common parlance of hoodooing -- it just means youre kind of working spells. I was reading To Kill A Mockingbird with my daughter the other week, and the character Boo Radley refers to them finding these effigies and coins in the trunk of a tree. Thats all authentic hoodoo ritual. And one of the kids turns to him and says, ìI dont believe in any of that hoodooing.î So its the kind of stuff Id heard, but never actually specifically worked out what it was. FEARS: What was the attraction of this film? Ian Softley: Ive always loved this genre, and actually tried to get a film off the ground about seven years ago, set in England. I took it around, and the studios all said, No-ones ever going to go see supernatural movies ever again. About a year later, a couple of films called The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project came along, and they tore up that particular script. The reason why was, I thought it was very interesting to deal with the way the normal world comes into contact with the unknown. With the occult, or things outside of what one would call rational, normal experience. And so films like ìDont Look Now,î ìRosemarys Baby,î Kubricks ìThe Shining,î even in a way, ì2001: A Space Odysseyî is about the scientific world coming into contact with something that is outside... that, you know, has some kind of dimension. And I think the thing that distinguishes both films, because they are about where the real world meets incidents of beliefs that challenge rational, skeptical people... Part of the architecture of those films is that you start with very naturalistic environments. And real people. Thats why we ground the character of Caroline in the hospital in the beginning. Shes a real person, and its about character. I think these kinds of films, like ìThe Shiningî and ìRosemarys Baby,î require great actors. And great actors are attracted to these films maybe more than, say, a horror genre film. There are in that quest to play real people in extreme situations. FEARS: Does being British give you a different perspective on this? Ian Softley: Maybe. My knee-jerk reaction is to say that maybe because it was slightly more documentary and kind of lower-key in terms of glamour, but there are many American directors who have that sort of eye. I think there is something about being an outsider, particularly in this film... Kate herself goes into a scenario that she finds unfamiliar. You maybe pick up on things that you quickly kind of see as distinctive that maybe somebody whos more familiar with that world doesnt. I had a connection on another level, which is the music. When I first flew in, it was a strange feeling of going somewhere that Id always felt I had a familiarity with on some level. Ive been listening to music that was either from New Orleans or influenced by here, all my life. The references in the songs are to the city, the bayou, and you know, having a competition with somebody using magic. I mean, how many songs do you know that mention New Orleans in the title? FEARS: What are you own beliefs when it comes to the supernatural? Ian Softley: I think Im somebody who isnt aware of the degree to which I do believe. I would always say that Im a rationalist and a skeptic, but one of the reasons I realized Im so interested in this music is that its kind of the appeal of the occult, in a broad sense, of whats hidden, whats kind of... and sort of the spirituality. The idea of some kind of magical, shamanistic thing, I mean, you know, thats how music has always worked. FEARS: Do audiences expect twist endings nowadays? Did you have to create that? Ian Softley: No. I mean, this was the original script. This was the first draft of the script. Ehren Kruger and Daniel Bobker, his producer, brought me the script. We took it to just a small number of studios, and Id just done ìK-Paxî with Universal, so that was its natural home. Thats what it was. I dont personal like even revealing what the nature of the ending is, because I think if youre not expecting a particular ending the enjoyment for the audience is more. Im always trying to think as an audience myself; I actually try not to watch trailers. If people talk to me about a movie I havent seen, I [covers ears]. I think to be fair to audience, so they can actually get value out of the $9 they just spent, the less they know about what happens the better. Its not giving anything away to say that I was attracted to elements in the story that one would call very un-Hollywood -- the thing thats interesting is, the actor were totally struck by that. They were thinking, Were not going to be able to keep it this way, are we? The preview audiences were absolutely stunned that they were watching a Hollywood movie like this, and were absolutely convinced that those elements in the story werent going to the changed. Even the online sites, Aint It Cool News and such, were like, Hey, watch out. Theyre going to mess with it, and its gonna... you know. To me, its, um... I was talking to Kate about it the other day and we sort of had to pinch ourselves -- We got away with it. I think if there is a reason why I find that ending appealing is its not a something that people get a chance to see in a mainstream film with recognizable actors; I think that its more like an independent film. FEARS: Was important for you to make this film on location, in New Orleans?  Ian Softley: It was a significant thing to enable me to get my idea for the way I wanted to make the film. I always wanted to make it as a location film. Part of what appealed to me about this is that its location-specific. Its about a real place that has a particular belief system, that you dont get anywhere else in the world. And I think if youve got those ingredients, that you can actually research. The accepted wisdom is that its more economical to shoot in a studio. You dont have to do the night work at night; you dont have to haul great equipment with cranes and lighting gear an hour and a half across country. But I had this feeling that I wanted this film to feel very authentic and have an almost like a documentary feel to it... not to be gothic-y in any way. I spent a lot of time down here, and I wanted to reflect that. We couldnt initially find a house down here that was suitable. It was Kates pregnancy that actually gave me the extra time to find the place. And when I found it, it was like, I have to shoot in this house. What really helped that decision economically was that tax benefit that the State of Louisiana was able to offer us. FEARS: The movie has a lot of hoodoo and voodoo, so because you were dealing with those elements did you notice anything-weird happening on set? Ian Softley: Yeah, the crew said that whenever we did those scenes the cameras kept breaking. This is what we believed. My DVD crew... this friend of mine is a very unexcitable, rather dour Englishman... and he said, ìSomething very strange happened in that house while I was filming yesterday.î He was in there on his own in the actual house by the bayou, and he was walking up towards the attic to get some shots for the DVD, and he said, ìI heard somebody following me, and I turned around but there was actually nobody there.î He carried on, and he heard footsteps again, but when he turned around theyd stop. Im glad that was him, and not me. FEARS: It was probably a giant mosquito. How did you guys deal with Louisianas state bird? Ian Softley: The mosquitoes were a real challenge through all of it. Particularly since were shooting splits; we would often do a short scene before sunset, then of course that hour when the sun goes down you hear these sounds and see clouds of mosquitoes. So everyday, there would be on display different techniques in the combat of mosquitoes. People who were the virulent anti-smoking members of the crew were smoking massive cigars to ward off the mosquitoes. The crew also put their faith in having Bounce dryer fabric softeners under their hats and they had them across their necks. Theres a local brew that some of the local crew gave us thats a citronella mix. But the best solution -- which wasnt available to the actors -- was something our cinematographer Daniel Mindel got a bulk order of online, and that was a mosquito suit. Hed used them when he was in Africa, and we all went around like beekeepers. At first people thought, Well, thats crazy. And by the end of the shoot everybody, at sunset, was wearing these, except the actors. Kate was such a trooper. The scene in the swam, where shes kind of paddling through, she was looking at us on the boat, covered and spraying ourselves, smoking cigars, and... [laughs] And she was getting absolutely bitten to death. FEARS: Thunderstorms and lightning come with the setting, New Orleans. How much did you stage for the film and how much is natural? Ian Softley: It was a combination of both. It was amusing, because on the first day we had a rain scene. We put the rain in ourselves. Its a very difficult thing to do on a movie, because youve got foreground rain, and mid-ground rain, and background rain and they all need different lighting. If you dont light it enough, you cant see it but if you light it too much it looks fake... its very difficult to get an even spread. And the combination of the fantastic special effects guys, and the lighting -- the lighting cameraman, Daniel Mindel, and Mitch Dubin, who is Steven Spielbergs camera operator, was... just knowing, and the light, and being able to direct... very, very technical. I didnt realize that though, because the first day we did it, it was like, Thats just too much. And about two hours after we wrapped, we were driving back to New Orleans and the heavens opened and sky cracked, and whole swamp lit up around us. I had told them, Maybe wed better turn down the rain a bit, but the next morning I said, You know what? Dont bother turning the rain down. I think we need to crank it up a bit. So it was a combination. It was kind of a revelation to all of us how fierce it could be. FEARS: New Orleans is filled with great music and excellent bands. Did you use any local bands in the movie? Ian Softley: The Rebirth Band was in the bar scene. On the first day I got here, I landed at 5 in the evening and by 1:00 a.m. I was in The Maple Leaf listening to The Rebirth. We had a much longer scene showing them, actually, in an earlier cut. Theyre playing at the [movie] premiere in L.A. next week -- were taking them up there. Theres another local band whos playing in the second club scene, when Jill explains the difference between hoodoo and voodoo to Caroline. Its a band called The 3rd Infantry, and they actually wrote a song for us -- its a bounce song, which is actually New Orleans hip-hop. Its called ìBounce That Thang.î The mind boggles! [laughs] Theres a nice kind of spin of the whole music thing, which is really interesting to me and just worked for the film in more ways than I thought. On one level, its a reservoir of the oral history of the region. I mean, the whole reference to the slave experience is in Delta blues. Theres also a lot of hoodoo references; mojo, Im sorry Austin Powers, isnt what you think it is. Its a bag of spells to ward off... um, Robert Johnson mentions foot powder. Theres a whole kind spirituality side to the music as well, and a ritualistic side. Its kind of a cross-over between religion and entertainment. Weve gotten a top club DJ to remix the Conjure song in the movie, and its already really taking off in Europe. So thousands of miles away from New Orleans, hoodoo is at work to the sound of a different drumbeat. FEARS: In terms of casting, why did you choose the ìromantic comedy girl,î Kate Hudson, to play Caroline?  Ian Softley: I saw something in the character of Kate Hudson, as opposed to the roles that shes played. When I met her, I was struck by how similar she was to the character of Caroline. In fact, shes said herself that she thinks that this part was the closest to who she thinks she really is. Caroline is an empowered female leading role. Shes being forced by external events to shed off some of the frivolity of a 25-year-old. Theres a kind of sense of reality, you know, of her family, her father... a sense of the real world. I think particularly after Kate had the baby, she was able to bring even more of that maturity. But when I first met her, she was talking like a 35-year-old rather than a 25-year-old. Shes very direct, very confident about what she thinks, she very mature in the sense that she listens to other people. She engages with other people, is a strong character, and has a very serious side. I was just struck by how like the character she was, and I think the fact that she was more recognizable, perhaps, because of her romantic comedies... theres that empathetic side, was a nice counterpoint to the character that, in other hands, might have been too expected, and maybe too solemn. FEARS: How do you persuade an actor of John Hurts stature to take on an essentially non-speaking role? Ian Softley: This is the FEARS I like answering most: John Hurts agent pursued me for the role. It seemed to me self-evident, on three or four levels really. One, if youre an actor of Johns caliber, the challenge of playing the multi-dimensional aspect of Ben; of being able to be skilful enough to communicate that with just your eyes. The eyes of course, are the most expressive tool in an actors repertoire when it comes to film. I cant remember reading a review of an actors in any film, ever, saying what an amazing voice they have. Ive read reviews where theyve said the voice is over the top. The voice really is a significant tool for a theatre actor, which John is. In terms of his film career, its really his eyes. I think hes elevated the role and obviously he saw the potential for that. I completely concur in terms of John Hurts ìstatureî -- but hes maybe a little bit unrecognized in Hollywood. The Elephant Man was, I guess, an independent film, but he hasnt really been embraced in the way that say Anthony Hopkins has, or fellow British actors. Alan Rickman, for example, has a sort of theatre background. I think John is excited about film and he thought this was a great opportunity for him and he took it with both hands and kicked it out of the park. FEARS: What are you doing for the DVD? Ian Softley: The DVD is going to have a significant deleted scene, when Caroline and Jill go to a spiritualist church in New Orleans at night, and they get drawn in. Its a spiritualist church that has a kind of dimension to it thats very local to New Orleans; which is the Black Hawk Cult. The Native American spirit of a black hawk is incorporated into an essentially Christian ceremony. And thats a great scene, actually. It was kind of transient in the movie, but as a standalone scene its fabulous. There are a lot of DVD extras in the form of documentary. I got a documentary crew together with a cameraman that I worked with before, and a friend of mine who came down from London. They actually lived with us here in New Orleans. Theres a bunch of stuff on hoodoo, theres a documentary where we actually film the Conjure of Sacrifice being recorded down here, which is fabulous. We see the candles being lit by hoodoo practitioners, who were actually doing that song, and spells are being chanted, and its very cool. FEARS: Will you do an unrated cut? Ian Softley: There isnt really anything unrated here, because its not a horror movie as such -- there are no entrails on the wall [laughs]. Whats scary it what you dont see, and its about your imagination. Its about the occult in the real sense, in other words, the hidden. So I never really thought about the um... I think, actually, for the lynching scene there is a slightly less-cut version. The MPAA asked to take a couple of cuts. FEARS: What are you working on at the moment? Ian Softley: I am working on an erotic thriller, as opposed to a supernatural thriller. Its set in the South of France and is based on a book by SÈbastien Japrisot, who wrote A Very Long Engagement. I plan to go as erotic as I can with it. Its an independent film, and it hasnt been cast yet. LINK THIS ARTICLE             |
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