The Calicoon (2013) The Minds Behind The Madness - Interview

I caught up with the maniacal magic makers behind Starjack Entertainment's 2013 release, THE CALICOON. Deborah Louise Robinson and Pamela Glasner are taking the film industry by storm. I asked these two remarkable ladies about their inspirations and aspirations for the film. Here’s what they had to say....

Deborah Louise Robinson
Director/Producer/Screenwriter

STALK 'N' SLASH: How did you feel when you were asked to adapt a short horror story?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: I was thrilled! I’ve written all genres, but never a horror – and horror has always been a favourite of mine, so ‘The Calicoon’ was like a gift from the Gods!

STALK 'N' SLASH: What did you think when you read the story?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: I loved it, though the original story read as more of a ghost story than a horror, that’s one of the things I liked about it; often in horror films what you don’t see is scarier than what you do – The Calicoon has the best of both! I liked the idea of blending two (or even three!) very different kinds of movie; the end result is a fantastic mix of psychological terror, action, and sheer horror.

STALK 'N' SLASH: How much freedom did you have with the screenplay?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: Plenty! The original story was only thirteen pages long, so I had the freedom to create some great characters and put my own spin on things. I loved that!

STALK 'N' SLASH: What was the greatest challenge you faced?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: I wanted to be sure the original story, which was a beautifully written, great piece of work, wasn’t lost in translation. That was very important to me to keep the essence of what Pamela had written.
The next challenge was to come up with something original, Pamela and I did not want to create ‘just another horror film’ – and I think ‘The Calicoon’ is so much more than that.

STALK 'N' SLASH: As a horror fan, what do you think makes ‘The Calicoon’ different to all the other horror films out there?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: Think ‘The Shining’ meets ‘Die Hard’! The blend of ghostly suspense, unresolved mystery, unadulterated horror, shock, grisly scares, action, and a variety of colourful and interesting characters, each with their own agenda, all these things make ‘The Calicoon’ unique.

STALK 'N' SLASH: So what’s the aim? What is your goal for ‘The Calicoon’?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: The main aim? That people watch it -- then sleep with the light on!

STALK 'N' SLASH: So what’s next? Can we expect another horror? A sequel maybe?

DEBORAH LOUISE ROBINSON: What's next? Well, we are currently working on a film called 'Madder Than a Full Moon Dog', a 'rockumentary' - all the back stage and centre stage madness and mayhem from Full Moon Dog 2012, an annual rock festival which honours the memory of ASOMVEL founder-member and front-man, Jay-Jay Winter. This is a very exciting project for me - one that's very close to my heart.

Following that and 'The Calicoon' we have a slate full of very exciting and diverse projects, and I already have ideas for the sequel, so watch this space!

Pamela Glasner
Producer and Author of the original short story

STALK 'N' SLASH: As the writer of the original short story, I assume you are a horror fan?

PAMELA GLASNER: Ha! I wouldn’t necessarily say that! I’m a devout chicken! I’ve long been the first one with my eyes closed tightly behind a pillow as soon the first bit of eerie music begins, but actually, writing this story, which I looked at originally as a cute little ghost story with a murder mystery woven through it, has had a huge effect on me. I wasn’t the one who saw ‘horror’ on the pages, that was Deborah, who is a horror aficionado from way back. Once it was decided that the film was going forward, I had one assignment from Deborah: watch as much horror and suspense as possible so I could begin learning what I like, what really moves me, what frightens and fascinates me, and what doesn’t. I have come away from this with a deeper appreciation for this art form, and now I love it!

STALK 'N' SLASH: What was your inspiration for The Calicoon?

PAMELA GLASNER: My grandmother used to take me to the mountains with her every summer, from the time I was five or six, until I was seventeen. We’d stay in a hotel just like the one I wrote about, like the one you see in the movie “Dirty Dancing.” I never know what’s going to come out of my pen when I sit down to write, it just sort of happens, but I did know I wanted to write something about one of those old hotels. My original short story is different in a lot of ways from the screenplay, which is common, but in the story, I just took my own personal experiences and memories, combined them with a bit of mystery, and the next thing I knew, I had the basis for a psychological thriller.

STALK 'N' SLASH: Are you pleased with the way your story was adapted from short story to screenplay?

PAMELA GLASNER: I am delighted — absolutely delighted. I couldn’t love it more.

STALK 'N' SLASH: How much input did you have in that process?

PAMELA GLASNER: Very little, actually, but that was my choice. I know what Deborah is capable of, so when I gave her my 13-page story, I also gave her complete freedom to do whatever she felt moved to do. The only stipulation was to make it feature-length (meaning a full-length movie as opposed to a short). Watching it grow and morph and eventually emerge as she shaped and cultivated and moulded it was awesome — and very moving. It’s such an honor for me to be working with such a gifted writer.

STALK 'N' SLASH: It must be a very exciting process seeing a story that you conceived making its way to the big screen?

PAMELA GLASNER: Yes, I’m excited, but what I feel more than anything else is gratitude. The other day I watched a video of an actress reading for one of the parts. She was magnificent. I know the words — we wrote them — but actually hearing those words come to life, hearing them as they are spoken by someone who really ‘gets’ the character, and does it well … You just can’t imagine … there is nothing in the world like it.