PopHorror Let's Get Scared
After watching a few of Amelia Moses’ feature films, I’ve become a huge fan. She has great style, vision, and knows how to deliver one kickass story with a strong female lead. I was lucky enough to chat with me Amelia about how she got involved with filmmaking, her recent films including Bloodthirsty (read our review – HERE), the casting process for it, favorite scenes, and more!
PopHorror – Hi there. Thanks for talking with me! How is 2021 treating you so far?
Amelia Moses – It’s been alright so far! I’m excited to have two films coming out this year but obviously I wish the world was in a better place.
PopHorror – Both films are amazing but I feel the same about the world. What inspired you to get into filmmaking?
Amelia Moses – I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker. Both my parents are big cinephiles so I grew up watching a lot of movies. Definitely lots of horror movies. I remember watching a lot of Hitchcock films around 11 or 12 and became fascinated with the role of the director. I think Rear Window was one of the first films that inspired me to become a director.
PopHorror – I noticed most of your work involves the horror genre. Do you enjoy horror? If so, what’s your favorite horror film?
Amelia Moses – I do love horror! There’s definitely lots of sub-genres I am less invested in but I think it’s a very wide ranging genre. Personally, I enjoy more psychological leaning horror films. I have lots of favourites; Rosemary’s Baby, The Fly (Cronenberg), The Wicker Man, An American Werewolf in London, and The Shining – to name a few!
PopHorror – Great choices! Tell us what inspired your newest film Bloodthirsty? In a few ways, it reminded me of Ginger Snaps (one of my faves).
Amelia Moses – I also love Ginger Snaps! In terms of the script, I think the writers were interested in exploring the creative process and the kind of “sophomore slump” that a lot of artists feel. For me, I was drawn to the juxtaposition of this monstrous horror imagery and the creative process, as well as the parallels between these two sides and what that says about the main character’s arc. Ginger Snaps is more directly a coming-of-age film but I think the character in this film is also coming-of-age in some ways in terms of discovering a new side of herself and unleashing some darkness.
PopHorror – Yes, exactly! How did the casting process come about? I know Lauren Beatty (check out our interview with her – HERE) is another one of your films as well. Did you already have her in mind for this role?
Amelia Moses – When I read the script for Bloodthirsty, I definitely thought of Lauren for a few different reasons. She is a singer and has also written a few of her own songs so I knew she would have some strong contributions to the character and to the project in that capacity. She’s also a queer performer and I wanted to try and cast the two main women in the film with queer actors. I know both Lauren and Katharine (who plays Grey’s girlfriend Charlie), as well as other queer performers, have trouble being cast in gay roles so I wanted to keep that in mind in the casting process.
PopHorror – She was perfect! Any favorite scenes?
Amelia Moses – In terms of shooting, one of my favourite scenes was the transformation scene in the recording booth. It was a bit tough in the edit but I think we came out with something interesting.
PopHorror – That’s a great one! Have you been pleased with the feedback on this film?
Amelia Moses – To be honest, I haven’t had much chance to engage with audience feedback since all the festivals have been online. In terms of press, it’s been really interesting to hear what people have taken away from the film. It’s definitely not your traditional werewolf film so it’s been nice to hear that people are responding to that aspect of it.
PopHorror – I reviewed Bloodthirsty and Bleed with Me (read our review – HERE) a few months back during festival season. Was it pretty cool to have 2 awesome films circulating at the same time?
Amelia Moses – It was cool but also very strange! I wasn’t expecting both films to be circulating around the same time so it came as a bit of a surprise.
PopHorror – I bet, it’s very unusual for that to happen but also very cool! Was any of this a challenge due to Covid-19?
Amelia Moses – For Bloodthirsty, most of the post-production was done remotely due to Covid-19 but also because I am based in Montreal rather than Calgary. I think the hardest thing for me personally is not being able to see either film on the big screen with an audience. As a filmmaker that’s what you’re really working towards so it’s been a shame to not be able to experience that.
PopHorror – Thank you again for chatting with me, Amelia. I can’t wait to see what you do next! Bloodthirsty is now available on VOD, so make sure to check it out, everyone!
