The autumn season is upon us meaning that Halloween is just around the corner; and luckily so is another instalment of the 10/31 franchise.
Joining the third film in the anthology series is American filmmaker Michael Ballif, well known in indie horror circles for Witching Season Films and the feature film They Live Inside Us.
We caught up with Michael to talk all about 10/31 Part III –
Tell us how you got involved in 10/31 Part III?
I met Rocky Gray, the creator of the series, a few years back and it was clear right away that we were both passionate about the same type of stuff. We bonded over Halloween nostalgia and he ended up doing the musical score to a little one-minute horror short I created with my brother called The Familiar. I really loved what he did with that and we’d been looking for more opportunities to work together. He originally wanted me to be involved in Part II but at the time I was totally overwhelmed with production on my first feature They Live Inside Us and it just wasn’t possible. When he approached me again for Part III I jumped at the opportunity.
What can you share about your segment The Legend of the Mummy?
My segment is called House of the Mummy. It’s about an animatronic mummy decoration that comes to life on Halloween night and terrorizes a man who is in the process of creating a home haunt. I had been interested in doing a film about home haunt/spook alley for a while, but I hadn’t quite nailed down a story. I recently found this incredible full-sized mummy decoration that I had been trying to find for literally years. I set it up in my office and one day I was randomly staring at it and started to think “what if it suddenly began to move?” That was really the catalyst for the plot. Once I connected the dots between that idea and this home haunt concept, it all finally clicked. We even ended up using the same mummy in the film, though it was modified fairly extensively.
As a massive advocate of the Halloween season, is this your kind of dream project?
Total dream project. Any time I get a chance to build any sort of Halloween atmosphere or nostalgia, I’m in my happy place. This project was a lot of fun because it was basically the polar opposite of my last film, which was much darker, heavier, and more serious. This one is definitely more lighthearted, comedic, and a bit over the top. I would say it’s in the same vein as something like Evil Dead II. The home haunt setting also allowed me to go bananas with Halloween decorations, lighting, and a vibrant color palette. That subject matter paired with some truly talented actors, a fun, creative crew, and some interesting locations made this project an absolute blast to be a part of.
Given the title, I take it you are a fan of Mummy movies?
I’ve always loved mummies and I feel like they’re grossly under-represented in the genre. One of my favourite movies growing up, and even still as an adult, is Under Wraps, the Disney Channel original from 1997. It’s a family film but it has some great horror moments, particularly the faux monster/slasher film in the beginning. It has so much heart and soul and the design of the mummy character Harold is a feat in and of itself, especially for a kid’s film. I also love the mummy segment in the Tales From the Darkside movie, and of course, The Mummy films with Brendan Fraser are just such a blast. So yeah, I think doing a mummy film is something that was always eventually going to happen. Using the animatronic decoration was a fun way to blend my love of mummies and Halloween into the same piece.
There are a few familiar faces part of this instalment of 10/31, was it nice to collaborate with so many of them to craft this anthology?
Totally. 10/31 Part III has an awesome lineup of directors. Zane Hershberger, Jacob Perrett, and Brad Twigg are all talents whom I’ve been fans of for quite some time. I’ve seen each of their segments and I think fans of the first two instalments are going to be pleased with what we’ve created. On the production side of my segment, I was also lucky enough to work with some of my absolute favourite people. James Morris, one of my dear friends and longtime collaborators, stars in the film as Wes, a Halloween-loving man-child who is down on his luck. James and his counterpart Emily Ashby, who plays Katelin, the soul-sucking ex-wife who is determined to take Wes’ home away, both came to this project off the heels of They Live Inside Us. Sean Hunter, a childhood friend of mine, brings comedic genius to his role as Leon, Katelin’s new boyfriend. We truly had an all-star team and everyone brought their unique talents and sensibilities to this. There are so many talented folks involved in the 10/31 franchise, it’s a real honour to be considered part of that club.
Were you given a remit in terms of your segment, such as budget, length and tone from creator Rocky Gray?
Rocky gave me a lot of freedom. There was a little back and forth, but he pretty much let me do whatever I wanted, as long as it was Halloween-themed. I showed him the script and he seemed to like it, so we forged ahead. I think he also liked the idea of a mummy segment because it’s a monster that hadn’t been tackled in the 10/31 universe yet. Tonally, the movie is also very different from anything I’ve done before, but Rocky was incredibly supportive of that. My segment ended up being the longest of the bunch at a whopping 25 minutes, but he didn’t mind.
You’ve also crafted the story for He Never Left, what can you share about this project?
He Never Left is a new feature film we’re working on. It follows the story of Gabriel (played by the extremely talented Colin Cunningham), a federal fugitive who inadvertently becomes target of the notorious “Pale Face” killer who has haunted a local community for years. It’s a slasher film that is set during the Halloween season with some thriller and investigational crime elements. James Morris, star of House of the Mummy, wrote and directed the film, and Colin and I made contributions to the story. I’m currently working on the edit and I will say it is by far the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve ever been a part of. The performances are really special and I think we captured some truly creepy and interesting moments. I’m very excited to share it, hopefully by Halloween next year.
If approached would you consider returning for 10/31 Part IV?
Definitely. It depends on my availability with some of the other projects I have in the works, but I’d love to work with Rocky again. He always seems to put together a great variety of directors that give the anthologies a range of tones and styles. I think that’s what makes anthology films so entertaining. From one segment to the next the feeling and the aesthetic can change dramatically. I think folks are going to enjoy what we’ve conjured up for Part III.
10/31 Part III is available to pre-order now from Scream Team Releasing.
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