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The gang is joined by Nathan Crooker, the director of the phenomenal short "#NoFilter"
A podcast that holds horror to standards horror never agreed to. Hosts Jeremy Whitley, Ben Kahn, Emily Martin and guests watch, read, listen to, and check out movies, tv shows, comics, books, art and anything else from the horror genre and discuss it through a progressive lens. We'll talk feminism in horror, LGBTQ+ issues and representation in horror, racial and social justice in horror, disability and mental health/illness in horror, and the work of female and POC directors, writers, and creators in horror.
We're the podcast horror never agreed to take part in.
Jeremy: Good evening and welcome
to a very special episode
of Progressively Horrified.
This is Jeremy, Ben, and Emily here.
And as you all may know, I am
based in Durham, North Carolina.
Recently I learned through the
grapevine that one of our local
theaters here at the Carolina theater
is putting on a horror film festival
called the Nevermore film festival.
It's running February
25th through the 27th.
And you can buy tickets for
the physical shows online and
digital shows there as well.
The digital shows will be available
all the way until March 2nd.
So if you're hearing this after the dates,
you might still be able to check it out.
Now we were lucky enough to partner
with Nevermore film festival to get
advanced screenings of some of their
films that would be showing and the
chance to talk to the directors.
They were very excited to be
joined by Nathan Crooker, the
director of the existentially
terrifying horror short, #NoFilter.
Nathan, thanks for joining us.
Nathan: Thanks for having me all.
Appreciate it.
Ben: Thank you so much
for coming on today.
Emily: Yeah, this is awesome.
Jeremy: Yeah, I think first off, this
might be the first time that a lot of
our listeners are experiencing your work.
So can you tell them a little
bit about yourself and how you
got into doing what you do?
Nathan: Yeah.
So I guess the I'll try to keep it super
brief, but I started out doing music
videos and commercials as a director
for a really long time in New York city.
And then a few, I want to say
maybe 10 years back, I did a
short film called Playback.
Um, that was a three minute, one take
horror film, that went viral online.
It just kind of blew up and we're really
close to making it into a TV show.
So I've always loved horror since
I was a really little little kid.
And finally I did something
that I was really, really
proud of, which was playback.
And like I said, it kind of blew up and
that sort of projected me into doing
more and more writing a lot more, um,
leading me to then do a, a short called
Midnight Delivery which did the festival
circuit for a while that did really well.
, and then, , producing, , and shooting
a movie called, Until Someone
Gets Hurt with Michael Welts from
Twilight, and then doing No Filter.
And then I recently just created and
produced a film with my producing partner,
James Gannon, called isolation, which
we did during the pandemic where we got
nine different filmmakers from around
the world to tell fictional stories
about sort of being stuck in this world,
that's collapsing all around them.
You can see that you can get that
on Apple iTunes, or watching it
on demand, but it's nine different
stories from around the world.
It's pretty scary and
creepy and a lot of fun.
It's an anthology.
Emily: That sounds awesome.
Nathan: Yeah.
It was fun.
It took off, they took out
my whole pandemic and then
some, so it was really great.
I'm like, I didn't really realize
everything that was happening.
Cause I just focused on this movie.
And then, because I didn't make one of
the shorts, the minute we were able to get
out of there, it was like, I'm going to
make no filter and just, I need something.
I need to do something.
So that's what you saw.
Emily: That sounds super therapeutic.
No filter does also have that.
I mean, especially with like the zoom
communication and visual communication,
um, And it also has that essence that
a lot of us identify with from the, uh,
the pandemic and being in quarantine,
Nathan: yeah, it's tough to figure out
like, sort of how to do that in a way
that's like, I guess, unique to your
movie, but also isn't super over the
top where it's like too, too gimmicky.
Or also to make you nauseous
watching it because I've watched
so many films that had it.
And some of the stuff I thought it was
really cool, but it was almost like too
big, like to Hollywood for this movie.
And then like with the text messaging,
it sort of becomes, I don't know,
it sort of takes you out of it.
So how do you do that?
And I thought, you know, AK
Roy who did all the effects.
And I sort of came, I think we came
to an understanding of like, this is
like, what will work for that movie?
You know, that's, it's just enough.
It's just kind of cool enough and
visually cool enough, but it also
doesn't, you know, it's, it's not,
it doesn't take you out of the movie
where you're just focused on that,
on those moments that are happening.
Emily: I felt that worked really well.
I mean, visually with, with
the sort of floating, um, I
wasn't like it was holographic.
Like I was, um, for a moment,
I thought it was supposed to be
futuristic, but I mean, it was, it's
just as futuristic as things are now.
I mean, my phone is old, so
Ben: We've come a long way from those
little text bubbles popping up in
episodes of Sherlock that's for sure.
Now I know like, uh, with everything going
on, like the filter, there's an Instagram
and just the proliferation of selfies.
And we hear about mental health.
Was there something specific that
really drew you to this kind of material
and this and telling this story.
Nathan: Yeah, I think it was more
like you were saying before, we spent
so much time with our computers.
We spent so much time in our
phones and I think everybody got
deeper and deeper into probably.
You know, if you're on Facebook, you
probably went deeper into that or
TikTok, , or Instagram or whatever.
And what I came to see is,
friends of mine, more and more
started to use these filters.
I think in the beginning, just to play
around with, because we were bored and I
think the attention that created, and I
think, people who are making these filters
are starting to realize that and pumped
out more and more during the pandemic.
, these people kind of got addicted
to them that were my friends
and they're not younger folks.
One of the main things is, is
if you like to use it, use it.
I think it's just figuring out how to
do it in a healthy way, because these
people really got addicted to it, to
the point where after we came out, they
were still using, on every picture, in
pictures with their kids or pictures with
their family, they were always fixing
their faces and they had the filters on
where they were shooting these videos.
and people started to comment on it and
they acted as if there was nothing wrong.
, and I think, and then I saw sort of
the ramifications and how it affected
them and it just was really sad.
And, um, I don't know.
I think it's more about just, doing a
film that calls attention to something.
This is okay.
Well, if it can't be fun, but be aware
that it can cause some real harm.
And I think for some people, they
use it to really just sort of get that
attention that they seek because they
think that they're, not attractive
or there's something wrong with them.
And I just, I mean,
that's really, really sad.
Honestly, and I don't say this lightly, I
do think everybody sort of has their own
beauty inside them or outside of them.
And that they should really just
be appreciative and we don't need
to like fake what we look like.
We shouldn't have to.
And if you have to, then you're
hanging out with the wrong people.
Emily: Yeah.
And this is, one of the less,,
patronizing kind of representations of
social media and media that I've seen.
And it's really nice because I know
a lot of younger people, I teach
and a lot of them,, talk about how,
, millennials are showing social media
in media, um, and how it just feels
completely, uh, isolating to them.
They were like, oh, those kids on
their phones, but this acknowledges
The involvement of social media,
but I do appreciate that focus.
Also the, the setting to this sort
of like the cyan, magenta filter,
the setting of this kind of,
, futuristic look, it's all very, uh,
cohesive and it, fit stylistically.
It's not just like any.
On their phone., it's a very specific
person with a very specific interest.
Nathan: Yeah.
It's, it's, it's funny.
Well, not funny, but I found myself,
you know, because I live on the
west coast and the east coast.
And when I was back in New York, I found
walking around, there was so many people
that really live in these colors in these
like neon worlds, like this sort of blade
runner world, when you're walking around.
I would walk around every, during
the day, even at night, I could
see all these clothes and sometimes
they would change for the led lights
that they had on the whole time.
It was it.
And then going over folks' houses
that have these neons, cause you
can buy all this stuff on Amazon or
you can have it made super cheap..
Because Instagram has been such a
big deal where everybody's taking
the pictures of the neon behind them.
Now people are making their own,
putting them in their rooms and
other, her room is pink or purple.
In the beginning I was Jason.
I was like, I was like,
people really do this.
Should we really write it like this?
And I started digging deeper
and looking at Tik TOK.
You know, those are the worlds that
they've created for themselves to sort of
live in, which I thought was kind of cool.
I mean, I think it would drive me bananas,
but I don't know if I could do it.
Emily: I mean, it's not an aesthetic
I can live in, but it's something I
can appreciate as somebody who enjoys
like the, they have that vapor wave.
Those, I sound so old
paper wave, but I love it.
I love it.
Jeremy: It's bisexual lighting . It
really did stand out to me that this
was clearly a case where, , you had
a specific point to make, and it was,
somebody or several people working on this
that kind of understood the technology.
It didn't have as much of a, law
and order ripped from the headlines
or, hello there, fellow kids
Nathan: it wasn't preachy in a way.
Jeremy: It didn't feel like
a , it was specifically just
a damn kids in their phones.
It's much more specific.
Nathan: That's what it comes.
It came because it came from a place
where I actually was concerned about
people cause you're looking at this
thing and it slowly happens over time.
But of course it's 13 minutes,
so things have to happen fast.
The original script it's in, in
the feature version that we're
writing, it affects her emotionally.
And not just physically so quick, like
she starts to really have this like
attitude towards people, kind of like
how Mischa has that attitude towards
her in the beginning, it affects
her like that with her mom and then
slowly starts to become body horror.
She's kind of just playing with it,
she doesn't, I think it's in a way
where it's not like this kid that we
see who totally hates themselves.
And doesn't like the way they look.
I mean, she's just sort of in a place
where, she's just a little down and out
and then all of a sudden she just sees
what this can do and she kind of gets
hooked on it a little bit cause it's fun.
And then we just see that downward spiral.
Um, and I think like with
the filter that I found and.
I'm interested to see if, if
the three of you felt this way.
Cause it's, it's, it's, it's a
small percentage, but it's kind
of cool that people feel this way.
They'll be like, oh, you got someone
else to do to play her with the filter.
And I was like, no, no, no.
We made that filter.
That's her.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, because we've been
at a couple of festivals.
They're like, so why isn't
the other girl in the credits?
I'm like, cause there wasn't
any other girl, like it's Kelly.
Jeremy: I assumed it was.
And then as I was watching
it, I, this morning.
I wonder if it is a different person.
I don't think it is, but you know,
there is enough of a difference
that it could be a possibility.
Um, but
Nathan: yeah,
Ben: you give someone
sparkly purple eyeshadow.
They are unrecognizable.
Nathan: Well, it's kinda messed up.
I mean, like Kelly's a beautiful
kid and then you let start pushing
her forehead down and making her
eyes bigger and putting her cheeks.
And I mean, we went through.
16 17 different filters.
And then on the day, because the way
you make them, we're actually using
them in the app itself and Snapchat.
So I was looking at her and I'd call her.
I emailed our guy and called our guy,
said, we've got to make the eyes bigger.
So he's like, boom.
And then within three
seconds it was uploaded.
I'm like Kelly do it now.
And we're shooting.
And it like, you know, it
was happening in the moment.
Cause I was like, I don't
really like the way it looks.
So we were sort of playing with
it and finalizing it on the day.
Wow.
Yeah, it was, it was pretty wild.
I mean the technology and the
movie, and then the technology
behind making the film was crazy.
I mean, I have, there were crazy stories
about how, what happened on the set
just to get the thing made, you know?
So
Emily: I was really impressed that
you could make those actors prettier,
Nathan: like yeah.
I mean, they're good looking kids.
And then that's the thing though.
Then you would like you look at that
person, like yeah their place, that person
is, is, is extremely good looking person.
Then you're like, oh, Any,
you can fake anything.
Everybody's got like a little
blemishes and stuff, or, you know,
I got this nose that used to bug
me, but I'm like, look my nose.
I'm like, I'm not going to go
somewhere and get it and get it moved.
And then the other thing
I was doing this recent.
And talking to, plastic surgeons
in Los Angeles, and we're saying,
they're like, we don't get the
pictures of Kim Kardashian anymore.
We don't get the pictures of
so-and-so, you know, Megan Fox
that we want to look like this.
They are literally taking these
filters that these people build
screenshotting it and saying, I want
to like Kelly in the movie, she's going
to say, well, it looked like this.
Fix my face to look like this.
And the plastic surgeons are doing it.
It's crazy.
Emily: I don't know how you make someone's
eyes bigger, but that does sound, I
mean, that's body horror right there.
Some people do get, get worked
on and that's fine, you know?
Yeah.
But like
Ben: I've been arguing.
Nip tuck should be horror.
Nathan: Yeah.
Yeah.
And look, I'm not downplaying
anybody that wants to get
surgery or anything like that.
I'm just, it's, it's about, I
think it's more about the principle
of like where it's coming from
and how we're going about it.
Ben: There's always a danger, whether
that be physical or mental in sacrificing
the real to pursue the artificial.
Nathan: Yeah.
Yeah.
There's always repercussions.
Something's going to
come back once we start.
I mean, even when I had back surgery,
I was super nervous about them removing
like just this piece of my spine.
Cause it's like, that's what I was
born with now you're changing it.
Like what's going to happen
to me in 15, 20 years.
Emily: Going into surgery is always,
it always requires a certain amount of
resolve, I think that those people who
make that decision don't make it lightly,
but yeah, like, just like you say, um,
it's, I mean, th the fact that people
are now using filters for that beauty
standard, there's a lot to unpack and
Jeremy: it's starting from
a place of artificiality.
Yeah.
That's not a real person.
Nathan: No.
There was a point at which Snapchat got
in so much trouble for having this plastic
surgery filter that they had to pull it
and now people are making these filters,
which is so funny -they're making you look
ugly so that when you take the filter off.
It's like the opposite of this.
It's just, the whole thing
is just insane to me.
I'm not part of that.
Well, I don't really use that
stuff, you know what I mean?
But we find it fascinating.
It was born out of all that stuff.
And again, I didn't want to.
Put somebody in a position where
like, I was dehumanized someone for
this idea that they want to use this.
It was just like, it was like, it was
more like me being curious and being
concerned and saying, Hey, let's make
something that makes people a little
bit more aware and that's obviously
not preachy, but it's still fun.
And then , maybe next time they
pop it open, they think twice
about like how they want to use it.
Jeremy: I think it's, it's interesting.
We talk so much on here about
the whore coming from the other
and, that being, what's really
frightening to a lot of people.
I think it's interesting in a story
like this, we have a monster that we're
sort of inviting in something that we
want to come in and we don't really
think through the repercussions before
we're like, oh yes, let's go ahead
and invite this thing into our lives.
Nathan: Yeah, it's kind of
like a, in a way the movie
is like a home invasion film.
Yeah.
You know,
Jeremy: The home is your brain.
Nathan: We were inviting this thing
in and it's, you know, it's like,
literally it's waiting, waiting.
Like you can see in the movie, it's sort
of breathing and waiting, waiting, and
then you, and again, you know, the whole,
other thing about it too, is like, here's
all the information about what this
filter is and had she read more about it?
She might not have downloaded it,
but there's like pages and pages of
all the stuff we're just like, yeah.
Emily: Terms and conditions.
Nathan: Yeah.
Whatever that means.
So, yeah.
Jeremy: And I know, we're big fans of,
uh, Mischa Oschernovich around here.
We talked to them already about
girl in the woods, but you know,
they're really fantastic in this
Nathan: Yeah, I met Misch during
the pandemic through a friend.
And they really I wrote that part,
Micah from Misha, and then I gave the
script to them and I said, Hey, let's
really allow you to make your voice.
So a lot of stuff that Mischa says in
the movie is stuff that they wrote.
So I can't take credit for the
fun dialogue that's there that's
most, I'd say 70% of it's Misha
Ben: they're a very fun character.
, how did you go about , deciding
how much to reveal or how much
mystery to have . I think all the
mystery of Mischa being pulled away
and then you never see them again.
Like how much did you say versus
like the ending where it's explicit,
like she's in the, she's trapped in
the phone, trapped in the filter.
How did you kind of balance that?
What to reveal and what to keep a mystery.
Nathan: It was tough in a way, because
the first script was about 25 pages.
I think if I just wanted to
make this solely as a piece
just to get the feature made.
I probably would have done that, but I
also, I was like, look, this could be fun.
And it could do well in the festivals.
And I think it's could still
serve the same purpose as being
a calling card for a feature.
So I had to like, sort of dial back,
like I said, the stuff that happened
with Kelly as far as how it affected
her emotionally, and then with the
Misha character, there was a lot more
interaction with the two of them.
It's really just came down to
like, okay, what, how do they
serve the purpose of the film?
They set it up.
We see a piece of what the filters like,
and then we sort of see sort of this, the
repercussions, because when me, um, when
she calls me, she at that point, If we
were to take the filter away, his, their
face would have been all screwed up.
And that's me in the background yelling
and grabbing them to get him in the car.
But, you know, you don't know that.
So it's sort of like, it
heightens the expectation of
what's going to happen later.
I just felt like what's the, I just
kind of hone in on like, what's the most
important part, you know, that's giving
you the most amount of information and
then everything else can just go away.
It's not really going to serve
the purpose in a super strong way.
I probably don't need it in this.
13 minute.
I don't know about you guys, but anything
longer than 25, you're sort of like is
this really a short film?, I don't know.
Emily: The idea here is really
astute and, this would definitely
have to be a completely different
set up to be a feature film.
I think it works really, really
well in those 13 minutes.
, cause it says what it needs to say.
And it also presents that humanity of the
characters, like when, when you're talking
earlier about, the implied criticism
that comes sometimes comes up with social
media and it dehumanizes these people.
And, like Jeremy said, those kids
in their, , their iPhones, but these
characters have a lot of, pantos
and even, , Matius character at
the beginning who kind of snaps.
Who's like, I don't need
your shit right now.
, it feels very organic.
Ben: It was such a
shocking moment when they
snapped at her.
Nathan: Yeah.
Ben: Especially with
the distorting screen.
Like again, very spooky, creepy horror
movie that had me like off balance.
And this was just a lot of, I
would have a question on this one.
It was just a really fun movie to watch.
Emily: Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Nathan: Yeah.
Yeah.
I think a lot of that too, has to do
with Alex Alexander Taylor's score.
I think that score that a theory
on this that sort of bring you in,
makes you want to sit back and cheer.
You're like, ah, this is such a,
it's just, I love that beginning.
Moment.
And then the way it ends at the
end, that's like the polar opposite.
Right?
You've got this really a
theory of beautiful score.
This dreaminess as sort of brings you
in to this, you know, neon world where
these two kids are talking and then
not the end where it's like, everything
goes to shit and you have this like rock
out and outro to the rest of the movie.
Um, I think that, that, um, you know,
the score just really compliments the
film and I think makes the rep brings
it all into one amazing casing that
really just makes you lean in, you
know, to really be a part of the movie.
It's so.
Emily: Yeah.
I also want to shout out
who is your makeup person?
Nathan: Oh, Kenneth calhoun.
Emily: Yeah.
Please shout out, uh, to them.
Cause that makeup at the
end was so fantastic.
Nathan: I mean, well, you'd be surprised
how long she did not have that on because
of how much time we did not have to shoot
the end of this movie but we did it.
Everybody was like, like dug
in and we rocked out that last.
Quite quickly, but Kelly was already
like, in it, there was no talking.
There was not, it was the set was, it
was, everybody was on their a game and it
was just Kelly and I like rock and roll
in for the last like hour of shooting.
It was.
And he had a lot of work to do.
even the abrasions, on Mischa face
at the beginning, then we had to give
them the Kelly and then , the one that
took the longest was the, when we saw
it, when we see Kelly the second time
to psoriasis, I mean, putting that on
was long, but taking off of even less.
It was a long, long process
to get that off because that,
that makeup is pretty intense.
, as opposed to like the ending would
you think would take longer because
it's so much more grotesque, but yeah,
Kenneth was amazing to work with and
he was super fun because, when you make
a, a short film, I feel like nowadays,
cause we're all sort of in that world
doing it, you really have to have a good
script if somebody want to come in and
like kind of work for nothing, you know?
He went above and beyond,
like came to the house and.
We tested all the makeup on me and he
showed me pictures, he was incredible to
work with, like I, 100% gonna call him
back again on the next thing I do, which
will hopefully be even more disgusting.
Emily: Excellent.
Let us up when that happens.
Cause we would love to review.
Jeremy: Absolutely.
And I, I, I really love that.
Like this, , takes , the basis of the
thing that I think is really real and
just blows it up to that horrible.
And that like, I, I think, , people
are sort of forced to have these
different personalities online
than what they are in real life.
And then I do think we see a lot of times
where that starts to bleed back over into
real life for the, you know, the, the
fiction starts to affect the reality.
And, , we see that, uh, through
sort of both, both the way they're
acting and their decisions to
postmortem things online, but also.
Uh, that snapping back personality that,
, both of them them get towards the end.
Um, yeah, and I, I really, I really
enjoyed that and I really enjoy
sort of how this integrated, both
that real phenomenon and this.
Special effect.
That is something we're all very familiar
with these days and sort of the lagging
phone and blurring people's faces.
And that's, that's, that's the thing
that's creepy to start with and,
and to see it like actually put
to use, and this was, was great.
Nathan: Yeah, it was like I said,
it was tough, not tough, but I mean,
again, You can't go too far out of it.
Like all the apps I was like, do I
really use, do I really use Instagram?
Like we watch movies, we really see
this, but I really see Facebook.
I was like, do I want to mess with that?
Or do I want to make everything
try and make everything in
the world of this movie?
Because if you look at the, if
you pause it, every app I made
every icon, it's all, all of it.
But obviously the new USPS
fake, obviously me app is fake.
That's, the Instagram thing,
but everything else as well.
And again, to your point, it's we do
see a lot of that stuff all the time.
And I was , I wasn't worried, but I
was like, all right, do we use it?
And then potentially get some
backlash or do we make our own and
really try to sell it hard, you know?
So that it sort of just feels organic.
And I think hearing what you're
saying, I think we achieved that.
So it's, it's really nice to hear that.
I'm sure.
No.
Jeremy: Uh, see that I think
is all of my questions.
Ben, Emily, did you
guys have anything else?
Ben: Um, I think we hit
everything I wanted to
Nathan: and, you know, I know the
whole team put their, you know, put
a lot of work into that and mission
Kelly and even in Sam, So great to
work with and didn't have a ton of
time to, he came with his A-game and
really rocked it out with, with Kelly.
And it was super fun, but I really
appreciate you guys watching the
film and I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
And thanks for doing the interview.
It means a lot.
It really does.
Cause I hope other people because
of this will want to watch the
movie and those actors will get
the credit that they deserve.
Emily: So we recommend it.
Ben: I certainly hope our
listeners check, check it out.
It is well worth of your time to view.
Jeremy: And we like to ask folks when
they, when they come on, if there's
anything out there that, uh, you've
enjoyed the, that you're passionate about,
maybe under the radar, a horror wise
that you think people should check out.
Nathan: I don't know if you are familiar
with the French extremist films that came
out like high tension, those guys, , I
think everybody knows who RJ is in those
tests, but this is a film called cavalier,
which is French it's for the order.
I don't know if you've heard of this film.
That movie has is just
an exceptional horror.
It's so well done.
And I'm so glad that probably a
lot of people haven't seen it.
Cause I feel like there'd be a remake
and it would just ruin everything.
But like that movie has always
stood out to me so much.
And again, Xavier, Jens is frontiers is
something that I just really, really love.
I got so wrapped up in those
films and I don't know why.
I think they have like,
Ben, like you were saying.
Um, with social commentary,
which I think is like, horror
is so great at doing right.
Cause we have this fun experience
and we hopefully come away learning
something where it's like, we
watched Jason Bourne, which is
fun, but what do we come away with?
Where, what don't get in
the way of an assassin?
Ben: Finding the, finding the,
uh, the themes and the deeper
content and in higher movies is
what this podcast is all about.
Nathan: Yeah.
And it's awesome because I think
there's so many, I mean, if you do
it right, we're just really watching
a drama with a horror casing.
Right.
Um, and I think, you know, there are
some, so many great films that, that,
I mean, somebody films a do that.
Um, and I think those guys did a
great job of it because in those
films are, you know, they're extreme,
but they're like, you know, I'm sure
you guys all heard martyrs and there
there's probably like 15 of them that
I think are really, really incredible.
But, um, yeah, I dunno when people
ask me that it's like, look, Texas
chainsaw massacre is my favorite
film that, and the Exorcist that
goes back and forth all the time.
It depends what day it is
or how much sleep I got.
Jeremy: I, I know, uh, speaking of French
extremists, I think we just recently
talked about, uh, Titane, which is very
much the descendant of those films.
Nathan: Absolutely man.
That movie was.
I saw that at, In LA at beyond
Fest and she was there and the
crowd was just losing their minds.
I mean, that movie is just exceptional.
There's something like you have
to like it, or you hate it.
And I loved that movie.
It was out of control.
Jeremy: Both that and raw her other
film are just like gutaral experiences
Nathan: and I think that's, what's
great about, I mean, you can go see
these movies, you know, that are super
fun, but I think when they really bring
you in, when it, cause I think it does
have to have the, you got to have the
characters have to mean something.
The story really has to be.
And if it has that relevance to something,
then it brings you in even deeper.
Um, and then, you know, like I said,
all the rest of that, the stuff that's
around it, the visual stuff, it's not like
it's easy, but you know, we can do that.
But the script is everything.
Like, what's the story
who are these characters.
And then if you can re surround that
with like a smattering of blood and
some body horror, like, man, we're good.
Yeah.
Emily: I'm still dreaming of.
That movie I'm still like yeah.
Trying to process it.
Nathan: Watch the ordeal,
like check that out, man.
It is.
It's crazy.
It's super crazy.
And it's it's yeah.
It's, it's crazy.
I love that movie and I love like Them
(Ils) that French one, which started
off the whole home invasion films.
Oh my God.
The ending of that movie, I
won't give it away for anybody.
When you see that chyron come up,
you're like, you gotta be kidding.
It's creepy as hell.
I don't know, whatever I can go
on and on about all that stuff,
Jeremy: Well, uh, before we let you
go, can you, uh, let people know
where they can follow you online or
find out more about what you're up
Nathan: to?
Sure.
So most of the stuff that I post is on
my Instagram, which is at the Crooker
T H E C R O O K E R my last name . And
then I'm also on Facebook, Nathan
Crooker, , and Twitter, Nathan Crooker.
And then, you can check out, I started
a new company, which is really dealing
with, socially relevant horror and
giving, chances for new voices in horror.
It's called Ghost Gang productions.com.
And, , it's my production company and
not only does my own movies, but we're
also looking for, um, really strong
scripts that we can help produce.
So that's my plan.
My plan is not to just, I love
producing other people's films
as well and not just my own.
So that was the plan with
starting that company.
Jeremy: That's fantastic.
Great to hear.
And I think, hopefully some
people with some great scripts,
that , need a shot can find that.
Nathan: Out there.
Send your scripts to
info@goesgangproductions.com.
Jeremy: Awesome.
Well, thank you so much for joining
us and, thank you very much to all
of our listeners and, everybody.
Absolutely.
Go on a Nevermore film festival.
If you're in Durham or in the area, stop
by and check it out,, this weekend or
if you're not up till, I think March
3rd, it'll be available digitally.
So, jump in there and, check it out.
And,, no filter is, is a great
one to grab all, you know,
Nathan: Yeah, come say, hi, I'll be there.
Emily: For this opportunity.
Thank you for making
this rad little movie.
I really, I really enjoyed it.
Nathan: Absolutely.
Jeremy: And we don't, we don't
need to anything too elaborate.
We just tell people until
next time stay horrified.