KERA Arts Story Search



Looking for events? Click here for the Go See DFW events calendar.
Art&Seek Spotlight

Don’t Get Blood On The Carpet!


by Stephen Becker 6 Jun 2019 8:59 AM

The Oak Cliff Film Festival begins its four-day run tonight at the Texas Theatre.

“Satanic Panic” screens Saturday night at 7:15 pm. See the festival’s full lineup here.

In this week’s Art&Seek spotlight, KERA’s Stephen Becker talks with Chelsea Stardust — the director of a new slasher film showing at the festival — about filming her gory story in some of North Texas’s nicest houses.

Photo: Deadline

Photo: Deadline

The film you’re showing at the Oak Cliff Film Festival this weekend is a horror film that has a little fun with some of the genre’s conventions. It’s called “Satanic Panic,” and it follows a young woman named Sam who delivers pizzas. She gets excited when she draws a delivery to a ritzy neighborhood, hoping for a big tip, and man, she’s disappointed when she arrives at the house only to run into a Satanic cult in the market for a young virgin to sacrifice. 

Listen to a clip from the movie by clicking the Play button on this player:


We should start by saying you’re actually not from North Texas, you live in Los Angeles, but the production company behind “Satanic Panic,” a company called Cinestate, is based here in Dallas. And so, first off, there are some really nice houses in the film; people familiar with Highland Park and Preston Hollow will recognize them. Do you just knock on the door and say: “Hi! I’m shooting a movie, and your house looks like a place a bunch of Satan worshippers might live.” How’s the process for getting people to lend you their homes?

CS Yeah, a lot of it was just knocking on doors or asking friends of friends, or if these places were open to having a film crew come. It was a lot of cold-calling, and knocking on doors, and seeing who was open to doing it, and luckily, a lot of people were, which was awesome. I feel like in Texas, they’re like, “Oh, you’re making a movie? That’s awesome! Yeah, come, please shoot here! We’d love to have you here.” Whereas In L.A., it’s sort of like, “Oh, another film crew’s here.” 

Photo: RLJE via Dread Central

There seems to be a bit of allegory at play here, with your story. The financially struggling pizza delivery person being literally the prey of the super wealthy. Am I reading too much into things there, or is that part of the idea?

CS Yeah, that’s definitely part of the idea. This movie’s definitely a little statement on classism, on white classism, and something I’ve always been interested in and the idea of doing, showing a Satanic cult that is upper-class, and sort of high fashion is something you don’t always see. Because, a lot of times, in these kind of horror movies, the Satanic rituals are taking place in a basement, or in the woods, or, y’know, in the back country, so you don’t ever see, “what is the high fashion version of that? How does the one percent throw a Satanic party? How does Martha Stewart throw a party with Satanists?” 

Photo: PromoteHorror

There’s a decent amount of gore here. There are characters who are killed in inventive ways, and the fake blood budget looks like it was significant. I’m curious: why do you think people like gory movies?

CS I think it’s a release for people. For me, personally, it’s cathartic, and the idea of being able to emotionally manipulate someone to be scared, I think is really fascinating, within a movie. Because you’re safe in the theater. That’s your protection. 

Transcription by Felix Kalvesmaki

SHARE

About Stephen Becker

Stephen Becker produces the shows Think and Anything You Ever Wanted to Know for KERA. As part of the Art&Seek team, Stephen produces radio and digital stories, along with the podcast "The Big Screen," with Chris Vognar, movie critic of The Dallas Morning News. View more about Stephen Becker.

COMMENTS