Interview with Ghost Game director Jill Gevarizian, plus stars Kia Dorsey and Zaen Haidar
Ghost Game, directed by Jill Gevarizian (The Stylist), takes familiar home invasion tropes and flips them. The script by horror novelist Adam Cesare, which focuses on two separate stories that ultimately collide, is a clever one that constantly thwarts a viewer's expectations. The feature also incorporates found footage to tell a ghost story and a prank known as phrogging gone horribly wrong.
We spoke with Cevarizian, as well as cast members Kia Dorsey, who plays Laura, and Zaen Haidar, who stars as Laura's boyfriend Vinny, about phrogging, the spooky house setting, and working with Michael C. Williams of Blair Witch Project fame.
This interview was edited slightly for clarity.
1428 Elm: Jill, can you talk about what drew you to this project and to Adam Cesare's script?
Jill Gevarizian: I had met Adam through a previous project and read his Clown in a Cornfield series. I’m a huge fan. When I first read the script, there was so much I was attracted to, but especially the two different storylines. It’s like there are two films going on and then they collide. I love how there’s layer after layer and how more gets revealed, while still having mystery in the end. I’m a big fan of films that don’t answer all of your questions. I was excited to tackle this, and it’s so much different than The Stylist.
1428 Elm: Zaen I believe this is your first horror film, while Kia, you've starred in a few thrillers prior. What were your experiences like working on this project?
Zaen Haidar: It definitely gave me more of an appreciation for the horror genre. The amount of work that goes into the make-up and blood isn’t easy. When you actually see it in front of you, it’s not easy. There are really talented people working on the set design and effects. It gave me a bigger appreciation for the genre.
Kia Dorsey: Before filming this, I was not a big horror fan because I’m terrified of horror movies. Filmmakers do such a fantastic job. After filming this movie, there was a great appreciation for it. Jill and I went to a lot of festivals this summer. I got to see other films and opening my eyes to the possibilities of this genre has been amazing. I really appreciated my time in this film.
1428 Elm: Can you talk about the house where you filmed this? It certainly looked quite creepy in the film! It's a great setting. What was the energy like in that house?
Jill Gevarizian: I was a huge fan of the house. When the producers found the house, I couldn’t believe it. It was like a dream haunted house for a movie. I personally love it, even though a lot of people are terrified of it. It was also thanks to our production designer Jen Davis and camera crew who made it look how it looked because that thing was empty. There wasn’t a thing inside it. Jen and her team built it from scratch.
Kia Dorsey: Jen worked every minute she could to decorate the house and add an extra level of spookiness. She elevated it and crushed it. I personally was terrified on day one. Then, I got more comfortable. I also used my nervousness and everything about the house. It was a really cool house. It’s huge. I got used to it, but you can’t hear people. That’s the crazy part. People would be doing different things in the house, and I’d ask, where are you?
Zaen Haidar: When I first got to the house, I kept telling myself that ghosts aren’t real. [Laughs]. When you’re in that house, it has an energy, like something feels off. It was a perfect house for that movie.
Jill Gevarizian: I remember when we filmed the opening scenes, when they go through the basement, it was only lit by flashlight. We turned the flashlights off and stood there in the pitch dark. [Laughs].
Kia Dorsey: There were a few times where the camera crew was outside and I went in the basement by myself. I wanted them to come back. I was terrified. [Laughs].
1428 Elm: Can you comment on the home invasion aspect to this movie and the phrogging/live streaming pranks?
Jill Gevarizian: The real phrogging is horrifying. I found a Lifetime series, a true crime series about it. I could barely get through a few episodes. It’s scarier than any horror movie I’ve seen. Laura has convinced herself it’s just a game and harmless. It’s definitely not harmless.
Kia Dorsey: Laura has been doing this for a while. Like Jill said, she convinced herself that it’s totally normal and people do it, that it’s not an illegal thing. It definitely brought a paranoid sense over me. I don’t watch a lot of horror movies, but I’m realizing this isn’t a topic touched upon often in horror movies. It’s been really cool to hear other people say, after watching our movie, oh, this was a cool spin on the typical haunted house movie with a home invasion twist. I don’t know if I’m going to watch any other films that revolve around this, because again I’m terrified, but we had a lot of fun and we did a really good job using found footage while also showing our perspective. We also showed the perspective of the family. Like Jill said, it’s two separate movies that collide into one movie.
Zaen Haidar: With Laura, I feel like she got so used to her life, just the same routine every day. She needed an adrenaline rush. I’m assuming in her head, she thought she was just breaking into someone’s house, but not killing anyone. That justified it for her. For Vin, he was completely against this and completely terrified. The ultimate driving factor was Laura.
1428 Elm: What was it like working with Michael C. Williams, who we all know as Mike from 'The Blair Witch Project'?
Jill Gevarizian: Oh my god, it was a dream. I remember where I was sitting the first time I saw Blair Witch in a theater here in Kansas City. When we cast him, I couldn’t believe it. I feel like it’s been a theme in my career that I work with actors who intimidate me, but it’s been helpful. I learn so much from people like Mike. He was so down to talk about Blair Witch and tell us stories about filming. A lot of us, including me, took pictures in the basement of our house, in the corner. We had to do the classic Blair Witch pose.
He's also an acting coach. He has a lot of intense scenes with our young actor, Vienna [Maas]. I think that made it more comfortable and better.
Zaen Haidar: I remember shooting a specific scene with him. I kept messing up. Eventually, we got it. I think it was Kia’s turn to shoot. It was just me and him in the holding area. He could tell I was very down because I kept messing up. He kept comforting me and let me know it’s not the end of the world. You can’t say much other than he’s a great guy.
Kia Dorsey: I agree. We didn’t have a ton of space with him. The whole point is we avoid his character. He doesn’t know we’re in his house. The time we did spend in holding was fantastic. Like Jill said, he was very open to talking about his other experiences, including Blair Witch. I hope we get more projects with him.
Ghost Game will have a limited theatrical run starting October 18, before it hits digital on October 22.