E52: Interview with Brandon Christensen, Director of Night of the Reaper from Shudder
Listen and Subscribe on:
In our Season 4 premiere, Patrick brings Brandon Christensen, writer and director of Night of the Reaper from Shudder, on the show to discuss his latest horror feature, the story of a college student who visits home and is roped into babysitting while the local sheriff is led on a scavenger hunt to reveal the killer of another babysitter. We discuss Brandon’s filmmaking process, his journey, and some of his favorite horror movies, horror tropes, and horror sub-genres.
Chapters
00:00:00 Episode Start
00:00:09 Episode Intro
00:00:28 Brandon Christensen Intro
00:01:24 About Night of the Reaper - Synopsis
00:02:10 Q&A
00:02:18 You wrote this alongside your brother. Tell me about that process and both of your relationship with horror.
00:05:39 What are some of your favorite horror movies? (The Blair Witch Project Discussion)
00:09:12 The film plays as a retro slasher mystery. What were some of your inspirations for Night of the Reaper? (When a Stranger Calls, Scream, Ghost Ship, The Ring, House of the Devil)
00:12:18 Using Old School Filmmaking Methods or Styles to Establish an 80’s Vibe (House of the Devil, V/H/S, Freaky)
00:15:05 Crafting the Beginning Credits
00:18:07 Talking Physical Media (DVDs, LaserDiscs, Special Editions, 4K Blu-Rays, Arrow Video, Criterion, Scream Factory, Vinegar Syndrome)
00:26:06 Developing the Film’s Score (Sinister, The Gate inspiration)
00:28:51 Brandon’s Favorite Movie Scores (It Follows, Donnie Darko, The Social Network and Trent Reznor, Hans Zimmer)
00:32:02 Discussing Working with the Shudder Team
00:35:31 Are there any sub-genres Brandon is interested in?
00:37:40 Doing Something Different with Reaper and Movie Twists (The Sixth Sense, Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan, and Stephen King)
00:43:37 If Brandon Could do a Stephen King Adaptation
00:48:15 Utilizing Horror Movie Techniques like Jump Scares and Tension (The Haunting of Hill House, Oddity)
00:53:36 Making the 80s Aesthetic Work (It Follows talk)
00:58:26 Halloween Double Feature Pairing for Night of the Reaper
01:01:02 The Whodunit? Feel, Red Herrings, and Rewatchability of Night of the Reaper (Scream 2)
01:05:47 Episode Wrap - Upcoming Feature, Bodycam, Promotion
