PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Now available to rent or purchase on all major streaming platforms is Unsheltered, a new thriller from Buffalo 8 Productions. The indie horror film blends the impending doom of a deadly storm rolling in with five college students seeking refuge in a seemingly abandoned, isolated airplane graveyard after becoming stranded. But they are not alone – a massive masked hunter is stalking them and soon begins picking them off for mere entertainment.
We were able to chat with director Marcus Small, where he discussed the location of Unsheltered, directing an independent horror film, and using his background editing reality television to his advantage.
PopHorror: After being in the industry for several years and mainly focusing on editing, you decided to take on the role of director for Unsheltered. Did you always intend your debut to be a horror film?
Marcus Small: To be honest, I never really gave it much thought. I knew that it was only a matter of time before I directed a film in general. Whether it was a horror, action, romantic comedy, or drama… it was going to happen. By the end of my career, I will have all of those under my belt. Although, I will say this. I’ve always felt like horror films were the hardest films to make besides comedies.
With all of that being said, I see genres as just barriers of creativity. There will come a day where I’ll direct a film that could be considered a romantic horror dramedy. It sounds weird, but film is evolving. So anything is possible.
PopHorror: How did you become a part of Unsheltered?
Marcus Small: My producing partner, John Hollaway, actually came up with the concept. He pitched it to me and asked me to be the director. I instantly jumped on the opportunity and the rest is history.
PopHorror: I understand that filming took about two weeks and some script rewrites were necessary during shooting, which I assume demands a lot of adapting and improvisation. Do you feel your background in reality television helped prepare you for such challenges?
Marcus Small: It definitely played a major factor in making this film. Reality TV is all about going with the flow and adapting on the spot. The great thing is, the cast and crew understood the assignment. Everyone brought their creativity to the table. So it was just a matter of taking risks, but controlling them at the same time.
PopHorror: Was there anything that you were forced to scrap due to budget or time constraints that you really wished would have remained in the movie?
Marcus Small: In the script, Propeller Man aka Justin Streitler—that’s a golden nugget for you to find—saws his blade through the floor when Emily was hiding upstairs. We didn’t have the time nor the budget to make that happen, but I wish we did. I was really looking forward to that.
PopHorror: The location of Unsheltered is fantastic, an old, isolated airplane graveyard of sorts. How did you stumble upon that gem?
Marcus Small: I think John Hollaway actually found it somehow. He mentioned it to me, but I didn’t get the full effect until I actually saw it in person. It gave me goosebumps. Trust me, this isn’t a place that you can just stumble upon. It’s in the deep woods and you have to take dirt roads to get to it. I think that also added to the experience as well because it didn’t feel safe to be there.
PopHorror: With a menacing masked killer wielding a sharp airplane rotor blade, your movie is bound to appeal to those that enjoy the slashers. What are some of your favorite additions to the popular subgenre?
Marcus Small: I love any movie that has Freddy Krueger in it. One movie that I anticipated being a slasher film, but failed to be one was… wait for it because this is totally off the wall… but the new Mortal Kombat movie. If you look at the video game, it’s Slasher City. I was excited because it was Rated R. So, I just knew that it was about to be one the best slasher films of all time. But no, it wasn’t. Still a good film, but not a good slasher film.
PopHorror: If you could program a double feature at your local drive-in, what two films make your bill and why?
Marcus Small: Truman Show and The Wiz. The Truman Show because I’ve always felt that someone was watching every move I made. And The Wiz because it scared the mess out of me when I was a little kid. It’s not a horror film by any means, but it felt like one when I first saw it.
We would like to thank Marcus for his time and be sure to check out the trailer below! Unsheltered is now available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, and more.
