Famous Monsters sat down recently to speak with director James Watkins about his influences and experiences while making THE WOMAN IN BLACK, the new feature produced by historically lauded Hammer Films, which opens today.

Since being re-acquisitioned in 2008, Hammer has produced a handful of independent movies (such as LET ME IN, the American remake of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN), but perhaps nothing so media-worthy as THE WOMAN IN BLACK—thanks in no small degree to the film’s star, Daniel Radcliffe, of HARRY POTTER fame.

Watkins had nothing but positive things to say about Radcliffe in our interview. “I thought that Dan played his role very well. He’s got a certain vulnerability about him that I thought would really speak to the character,” said Watkins, who was casual, well-spoken, and obviously very proud of the Hammer-worthy atmosphere and characterization in his film.

Don’t miss our full interview as featured in Famous Monsters Issue 260, which hits newsstands this week—and be sure to check out J. Astro’s full review of the film here.

Throw on a costume, plan some tricks, grab some treats, and party with giant sperm, sex-hungry zombies, leatherbound werewolves, and Anne Frankenstein!

(Warning: NSFW)

SILENT HOUSE stars Elizabeeth Olsen, younger sister to Mary-Kate and Ashley, Adam (ZODIAC) Trese, and Eric Sheffer (JULIE AND JULIA) Stevens. SILENT HOUSE is unique in that Kentis and Lau shot the film in one continuous take, with the action playing out in real time. Kentis and Lau’s picture is a remake of Gustavo Hernández’s 2010 Uruguay-lensed film of the same name. The film is due in theaters on March 9.

Synopsis (courtesy Open Road Films):
“SILENT HOUSE is a uniquely unsettling horror thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen as Sarah, a young woman who finds herself sealed inside her family’s secluded lake house. With no contact to the outside world, and no way out, panic turns to terror as events become increasingly ominous in and around the house.”

Press Release:
The terror that horror movie fans experienced with last year’s hit film INSIDIOUS will continue as the creative team behind the film announce plans for a sequel. Leigh Whannell will once again write the script, and James Wan is in talks to once again direct. Jason Blum will produce through his Blumhouse Productions shingle. Brian Kavanaugh Jones, Oren Peli and Steven Schneider will executive produce. The sequel will be financed by Alliance Films, which also financed the first film. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired the U.S. rights to the film in concert with FilmDistrict. FilmDistrict will distribute the film in the United States, with Alliance Films distributing in Canada, the UK (via its Momentum Pictures subsidiary) and Spain (via Aurum) and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions distributing the remaining international territories. The INSIDIOUS sequel will go into production in 2012 for a 2013 release.

“INSIDIOUS was the most fun project I’ve ever worked on,” said Whannell. “From start to finish it was an absolute joy—from the writing of the screenplay, all the way to the first screening of the film at the Toronto Film Festival. I believe that James Wan and I achieved what we set out to do—create a horror film for horror fans. So it is with great excitement that we announce our commitment to a second installment of this story. Both of us feel that we can mine more terror from the world we created and know that if we assemble every member of the original team, we will have an amazing continuation of the story for fans of the first film. Thank you so much to every fan—you are the reason why we do what we do. See you in The Further.” Wan and Whannell are keeping the plot of the sequel under wraps.

The first INSIDIOUS, starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, told the story of Josh and Renai Lambert and their son, Dalton, confronting the demons that possess the young boy. The project was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and distributed by FilmDistrict. It was released on April 1, 2011, and has grossed more than $155 million worldwide. With the picture’s reported $1.5 million budget, it has led to the film being called the most profitable film of 2011.

“We are all so lucky to have James and Leigh return to this great franchise they created,” Blum said. “And of course we are all pleased to be back in business with our partners at Sony, FilmDistrict and Alliance Films.”

“Insidious was a fantastic experience for all of us,” said Peter Schlessel, CEO, FilmDistrict. “We’re excited for James and Leigh to take the unique and terrifying world of INSIDIOUS ‘further’. Sony, Alliance and the producers are great partners that will ensure the sequel exceeds all expectations.”

Actor Philip Friedman in INSIDIOUS (Image: FilmDistrict)

DARK TIDE stars Halle Berry, Oliver Martinez, Ralph Brown, Luke Tyler, Mark Elderkin, and Thoko Ntshinga. The story is from Ronnie Christensen and Amy Sorlie.

Synopsis (courtesy Lionsgate):
“A professional diver tutor Brady returns to deep waters after nine years following an almost fatal encounter with a great white shark, bringing a happy couple Kate and Jeff. However, before they know it they discover that the nightmare from the deep is still lurking in the deep, more carnivorous and hungry than ever.”

Synopsis (courtesy Lionsgate):
“In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’ young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.”

Series synopsis (courtesy NBC):
“Portland detective Nick Burkhardt has seen some gruesome crime scenes, but nothing prepares him for the strange visions he begins seeing: seemingly regular people momentarily transforming into hideous monsters. A visit from his only living relative reveals the truth. Nick has inherited the ability to see supernatural creatures, and as a “Grimm,” he is tasked with keeping the balance between mankind and the mythological. A reformed “Big Bad Wolf” becomes his greatest (and also reluctant) ally and confidant. It’s not long before his work as a policeman leads Nick to the criminals he once thought were only found in fairy tales.”

Alfred Hitchcock worked closely with Whitlock to bring the fictional town of Bodega Bay to life, and here is the fruit of that collaboration. Click on the thumbnail to expand and enjoy!

The first look at villain “Hollow Face” came via a poster this morning. Take a look…

Synopsis:
Though no one can see him, Hollow Face lurks in the corners, desperately desiring love but only knowing how to spread fear and hate. He creeps into the life of John Farrow (Clive Owen) after Farrow’s beloved 13-year-old daughter Mia (Ella Purnell) is assaulted in their home. The line between the real and the imaginary blurs as fissures start to open within the family unit. It seems that no security measure can keep Hollow Face out.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Hammer Film Productions

Review by J ASTRO

Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere.  That is the key to THE WOMAN IN BLACK, legendary English studio Hammer Film Productions’ first original big-screen venture in decades.  The Hammer brand, so infamous and beloved from the late Fifties and into the early Seventies for producing titillating tales of the macabre that helped to redefine classic monster icons and to introduce the fright genre en masse to the likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Oliver Reed and countless others has returned, after lying dormant for many years.  Upon being resurrected by its new backers, Hammer has recently had a hand in unleashing LET ME IN on theater-goers, which was the English language remake of the popular Swedish vampire chiller LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.  Hammer has also released two direct-to-DVD thriller efforts since, WAKE WOOD and THE RESIDENT.  Having not seen the bloodsucker redux (I stuck with the original) or the latter two offerings as of yet, THE WOMAN IN BLACK is my first experience with the new Hammer aesthetic.  And I certainly can’t say I’m disappointed.

After a disquieting, dream-like opening sequence in which three little girls meet an unhappy fate, we are introduced to the star of our show.  Daniel Radcliffe, in one of his first major performances outside of his titular role in the extremely lucrative HARRY POTTER film franchise, plays Arthur Kipps, a sad man with few options left to him in life.  He is flat broke and about to be fired from his job, a heartbroken widower, and trying his best to raise his young son in a gloomy Victorian setting.  Even the boy (Misha Handley) recognizes Arthur’s defeated nature… when showing off some of his crayon artwork and asked by Arthur why he drew his father with a frown, he replies with childish simplicity: “Because that’s what your face looks like.”  Indeed, when not staring with wide-eyed panic at the horrific events to come later in the film, Kipps’ main facial expression is one of endless, harried consternation.  And things don’t get a lot better when his boss at a local law firm (V FOR VENDETTA’s Roger Allam) assigns him the do-or-die, one-last-chance-or-you’re-outta-here task of selling a foreboding old English estate known as Eel Marsh House. A most unenviable task, to be sure.

If you are familiar with many of the original Hammer offerings, you’ll notice similarities instantly.  Upon his arrival to the small, dismal hamlet, Kipps is made to feel most unwelcome.  In much the same way as frightened villagers turned away outsiders in the old Hammer DRACULA or FRANKENSTEIN outings of yesteryear, Kipps is treated coldly and pretty much brushed off & asked to leave.  There’s obviously something secretive & nasty going on that no one wants to talk about, and interlopers are not taken to very kindly.  Luckily for Kipps, he is eventually taken under the wing of a wealthy local man named Sam Daily (Ciaràn Hinds).  Daily is a large, weathered fellow with distinguished features and, despite his outgoing charm, a distinct air of sadness of his own.  Daily and his eccentric wife live in a fine house with a few servants and a couple of very spoiled dogs, and they own the only motor car in town, yet they are both grief-stricken at the loss of their own son some time ago.  Kipps finds the other villagers are extremely protective of their offspring, shooing them inside when he passes by and locking their doors.  After an awkward dinner experience, Kipps and Sam engage in few sobering moments of conversation about the possibilities of life beyond the grave.  It is a topic Kipps is fascinated by, seeing it as perhaps his one chance to be reunited with his dearly departed wife again.  Sam, on the other hand, dismisses the idea of ghosts, at least outwardly, and attempts to dissuade Kipps.  After thanking Sam for his hospitality, Kipps heads to Eel Marsh House to begin his paperwork.  Sam lets him go rather uneasily, knowing that Kipps will be cut off from any outside contact overnight, because the only lonely, desolate path to the Eel Marsh estate is submerged under tidal waters that flow in each evening.  So when the rain storms come and the marsh rises and spooky stuff starts goin’ down, there’s nowhere to run.

The film up until this point has been a soggy and fairly somber affair, and now it gets downright oogy as Kipps meanders about the haunted house.  Dark shadows and flashes of lightning serve to highlight the vine-twisted, weed-filled overgrown graveyard on the property and the ghastly faces which appear in and out of flickering lights.  THE WOMAN IN BLACK relies on a lot of by-the-numbers ghost movie tropes here, but it does ‘em enthusiastically.  Fake-outs and jump scares, sudden appearances of eyeballs peering through keyholes or human shadows in corners, bloody writing on the walls, creepy yellowed photographs, cruddy old wind-up toys that play themselves, rocking chairs that rock under their own power, and plenty of mysterious knocking sounds and jiggling doorknobs.

The inside of the house is sinister and with only a few candles to light the way, you’re pretty much visually trapped there, straining to see just about what Kipps himself sees in most cases… except for maybe when you notice something particularly ghastly over his shoulder. Many of the terrors that Kipps will endure happen on an exhaustive one-night spree, and it is only when he finally makes it to the light of day that he learns of the true consequences of his being in the house.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK plays its hand so straightforward that, at first, little nuances in the plot may go unnoticed.  Initially, I was skeptical of Kipps’ intentions; for a man who has so many chores to do in order to avoid a pink slip and a trip to the poorhouse, he never seems to do any actual work.  He immediately falls under the spell of the house and its sad, wicked past, poking around through old papers and locked trunks.  I was ready to call b.s. on this, but as I thought about it more afterwards, it made sense.  Arthur Kipps is, above all else, obsessed with his departed love and with a futile dream of bringing his family together once again, and if he can prove to himself that life after death does exist, then that gives him a faint glimmer of hope for his own situation.  The finale of the picture bears this out nicely, too – Arthur’s ultimate “reward” and/or punishment for meddling in the business of the vengeful spirit is either dreadful or redemptive, depending on your perspective.  Maybe both. So as I absorbed the whys and wherefores of the plot later, it seemed only natural that Radcliffe’s character should behave as he does.  His performance as Kipps is a rather one-note affair, but that’s all the character is really written as, and he handles it with a convincing enough mix of fear and curiosity.  Hinds is a bit more magnetic as the elder friend, and I think a lot of that has to do with his screen presence, which really feels authentically Hammer-ish.  He just looks the part.  The majority of the supporting cast is comprised of either sullen, worried townsfolk or grisly apparitions.  The special FX are forceful when needed, but never painfully obvious or fake.

The lush and morbid surroundings and the overall maudlin, chilly overtones of the movie are the real attraction, here… again, it’s all about achieving the right atmosphere, and they nailed it.  THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a super-obvious take on conventional, modern haunting movie ideas ranging from RINGU to THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT, and that can be a risky proposition, considering the ubiquity of standard “haunted house” cliches.  But it transplants these ideas into a beautifully-shot, classic haunted house jaunt, and by the time the titular harridan comes shrieking out at the characters onscreen and viewers in the audience, you get the feeling that you are in fact on a very detailed and finely crafted carnival ride, one on which no soul is safe from the retribution of the damned.

My principle concern with this film is that audiences will find it derivative and brush it off with a “been there, done that” attitude.  But I liken it to a really good glass of chocolate milk.  I’m not always in the mood for chocolate milk, and I’ve had it lots of times before in varying degrees of quality and quantities, but when I get a craving for it and I have a fantastic, frosty glass of the stuff, it truly hits the spot.  And that’s the way I feel about THE WOMAN IN BLACK as a superior ghost flick; it satisfied me all the way, even though I already knew approximately what to expect.  That’s not to say that those of you who are lactose intolerant won’t enjoy it as well, but – well, there I go, mixing my metaphors again.  Pick whatever analogy you like.  But it should suffice to say that THE WOMAN IN BLACK is an exemplary specimen of the well-worn ghost sub-genre, not because it does much that hasn’t been done before, but because it does it particularly well.  Recommended, and a solid, worthy return for the continuing Hammer legacy.

Other reviews by J Astro:

DON’T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS DVD
FINAL DESTINATION 5 DVD
HORROR EXPRESS Blu/DVD
HOSTEL PART III DVD
ROMAN’S BRIDE DVD
DEF-CON 4/HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN DVD
NOT OF THIS EARTH DVD