PODCAST: I Sell the Dead (Larry Fessenden, Glenn McQuaid)

Larry Fessenden's gap-toothed, shaggy-haired mug makes a memorable impression onscreen (Broken Flowers, The Brave One), and besides also being the cult filmmaker behind socially relevant horror gems like The Last Winter and Habit, Fessenden is a generous producer, too. For 20+ years, his production company Glass Eye Pix has helped emerging filmmakers get their projects off the ground, with a roster that includes Kelly Reichardt, Ira Sachs and Ti West (whose fantastically creepy The House of the Devil comes out later this year). Fessenden's latest production under his Scareflix horror banner is the morbidly entertaining I Sell the Dead, written and directed by former visual effects artist Glenn McQuaid, here playing homage to Hammer Studios, EC Comics and Young Frankenstein:

Never trust a corpse.

19th century justice has finally caught up to grave robbers Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) and Willie Grimes (Larry Fessenden). With the specter of the guillotine looming over him, young Blake confides in visiting clergyman Father Duffy (Ron Perlman), recounting fifteen years of adventure in the resurrection trade. His tale leads from humble beginnings as a young boy stealing trinkets from corpses, to a partnership with seasoned ghoul Willie Grimes as they hunt creatures unwilling to accept their place in the ground. The colorful and peculiar history of Grimes and Blake is one filled with adventure, horror, and vicious rivalries that threaten to put all involved in the very graves they’re trying to pilfer.

I met up with McQuaid and Fessenden (full disclosure: we've met before) at Swift, an East Village pub that held a nostalgic place in Fessenden's heart, liver and oeuvre. The three of us chatted about the unexpected Grammy winner who co-stars in their film, why horror movies should be about working people, and Irish breakdancing gangs. For those who heard the recent news that Fessenden is directing a big-budget remake of The Orphanage for Guillermo del Toro, be sure to stick around until the end.

To listen to the podcast, click here. (21:12)
[WARNING: Mildly Explicit Language / NSFW]

Podcast Music
INTRO: Kate Bush, "Hammer Horror"
OUTRO: Flat Duo Jets, "Grave Robber"

[I Sell the Dead opens in limited release tomorrow, and will be available on-demand through IFC's Festival Direct on August 12. For more info, visit the official site.]

Posted by ahillis at August 6, 2009 9:22 PM