Filmmakers talk Horror at SXSW panel

By Anne Szilagyi – News 8 Austin
Five directors took the stage at the Austin Convention Center Saturday to talk blood, guts and the current state of the horror genre.

The “Directing the Dead” SXSW Film panel featured directors Neil Marshall (“The Descent”), Robert Rodriguez (“Planet Terror”), Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”) and Ti West (“House of the Devil”).

Hundreds of horror fans arrived early to see the experts talk about several topics generating a buzz in the world of terror.

The panelists were first asked to share “war stories” about their experiences with the Motion Picture Association of America.

The directors offered insight on how to keep a movie at an R rating while maintaining a heightened level of spookiness.

According to Austin local Robert Rodriguez, there are a few tricks to ensuring that a movie will make the cut with the MPAA. He said it requires a few simple things, like re-saturating fake blood to make it look less realistic and turning down sound effects.

The directors also commented on the latest film industry trend of remaking classic horror films into modern day blockbusters. While the directors agreed not every remake has found success on the big screen, they said it can be done, as long as the filmmaker has good intentions.

It’s about respect and commitment to the material, Reeves said.

Rodriguez, who is no stranger to remakes, with a repertoire that includes “Sin City” and “Predators”, said that the key to a good remake is to take a “George Lucas approach.”

“He couldn’t get the rights to ‘Flash Gordon’ so he made ‘Star Wars’,” Rodriguez said.

The directors also expressed their appreciation for the Austin culture. They said Austinites’ love of horror films is a rarity.

“The way you support films in general, you can’t find it anywhere else,” West said.

Aside from the SXSW film festival in Austin, the annual Fantastic Fest in September also pays homage to the horror genre.

Filed under: Special Effects

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