Utah-based production company Witching Season Films are fast becoming one of the most recognisable names in indie horror. From their title short film series to the feature length They Live Inside Us, they create stories that really capture the spirit of Halloween.
For their latest project, writer/director James Morris takes on his first feature length with the chilling slasher He Never Left. We caught up with James to tell us more.
Tell us when you and Michael first started working on He Never Left?
I started working on the idea during COVID lockdown in 2020. Like so many of us, I was stuck at home a lot, so I figured that there was no better time to start working on some ideas that had been floating around in my head. I was a couple of drafts into the script before I approached Michael with the idea, because I was not sure exactly how it would work under the Witching Season Films banner. The original idea was quite a bit different than what the final product turned into, and it was actually Michael’s idea to integrate the heavier slasher elements into the movie, which in the end, made it better than it would have been had I gone with the original premise.
Is it more stressful for you being the director plus acting in the film?
Originally, I was not planning on being on camera aside from a small cameo. I had been cast in a few movies in addition to our Witching Season Films projects in the months leading up to production, and I was pretty burned out on acting at that point. As we progressed along, I started to like the idea of playing the killer (Pale Face), and that almost happened, but as we discussed it further, Michael pushed pretty hard to have me play one of the Marshals, and in the end, this made the most sense for multiple reasons, the main one being that I could bring in my actual police experience to the role.
In terms of stress, I would say yes. It was hard to act and direct, but because the scenes I am in are more limited and were filmed separate from the main block of production, I was able to find a good balance and fallback on Michael to assist during those days.
How did it feel directing a feature length compared to shorts?
This is the first feature I have directed, and it really is a completely different animal than making a short. The scale, the amount of people involved, the logistics… it’s a lot to figure out and really just overwhelms you at times. I was fortunate enough to have a really talented and devoted group of people who carried a lot of the weight, so that helped a lot. Everyone was on their A-Game, and it shows in the quality of the overall production. Short films are stressful and hard to make, but production is usually fairly quick… whereas this thing felt like a marathon, but we all came together and got it done.
The slasher sub-genre is an oversaturated market, how is He Never Left going to stand out from the crowd?
Great question! There are multiple things that are going to make this stand out from other films in its class… primarily, the thought and development that went into the story and the characters. At its core, this is a very human story about someone running away from his mistakes and the consequences his actions cause to those he professes to care about. This isn’t one of those movies where gore and shock-factor are a crutch for weak story and bad characters who get killed for no reason. There is a lot of lore overshadowing the events of this story, and there is a reason for every single action that takes place. Pale Face is a masked killer, yes, but his story is more than just a guy in a mask.
Of course, there is plenty of bloody fun to be had, and making sure fans of the slasher-genre enjoy it was a priority for both myself and Michael. But we also wanted to deliver a deeper and more character driven story than what one might expect from an indie-slasher.
What are your plans for the release of the film?
Our goal is to have the film ready to screen early this coming year. Obviously, there is no way to predict exactly how these things will go, but our plan is to begin looking for distributors around the same time we begin sending off to festivals. We have a few connections and some potential interest already, so rest assured, we are working hard to try and get this thing ready for a fall 2023 release.
Why do you think you respond so much to the Halloween/Fall aesthetic?
Learning how to properly capture the aesthetic of Halloween and the fall season has been as much a journey as making these films themselves. There is something hauntingly beautiful about that time of year and the nostalgia that comes with it. I think most of us look back on fall and Halloween with fondness, and it’s that feeling that has driven Michael to really steer the ship full speed into all things Halloween. I’ve been lucky enough to come along for the ride, and over the years, I’ve developed my own love and understanding of why that time of year is so important to so many people.
What can you tell us about the killer’s look?
I wanted to have something classic, yet practical when it came to Pale Face. I am all about realism, and that played heavily into his costume. The mask itself is designed by our friend Billy-James Martin of Open Grave FX. The look is based on some designs I hand drew early in development, but he was able to take my scribbles and just make it look so much better than I ever could have imagined.
In short, I tried to create something that would honor the masked killer genre, while also delving a bit deeper into why a masked killer might come into existence to begin with.
Were there any films you took inspiration from in crafting He Never Left?
There are two movies that really inspired and influenced the creation of He Never Left.
The first is Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers, which I have always found to be such a dark, disturbing, and scary film. The underlying feeling of dread throughout the entire thing is just amazing, and I honestly can’t think of a slasher-esque movie I like more than that one. I’ve watched it multiple times over the years, and it still gets me.
The second is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, a childhood favorite of mine. The entire film takes place in an apartment, and really does a great job driving home a few elements that were also important in He Never Left, because our protagonist, Gabriel, spends much of his time isolated in a single motel room.
I also have to ask, have we seen the last of Count Spookula?
I have asked… no, pleaded with God many times to free me from Count Spookula, but alas, my prayers have fallen on deaf ears. I don’t know the specifics, but something tells me he’ll be back at some point.
Watch the trailer for He Never Left below –
Bloody Flicks 