(Spoiler alert: Please do not read on if you haven’t seen “Happy Death Day.”)
Filming a death scene is hard for any actor, but “Happy Death Day” star Jessica Rothe, who plays the main character in the new horror movie, had to watch her own demise 11 times — although it was shot many, many more.
“We filmed so many of them,” Rothe told TheWrap. “The hardest [death scenes] were the one where I get tackled into the fountain, and the bus hit. It was all incredibly technical and so even though it was a mixture of me and my stunt double doing work together, we had to make sure that no one got hurt while still nailing the comedy of the kills — it was very important.”
“Happy Death Day” revolves around Tree, a college sorority girl who wakes up in a boy’s dorm room on her birthday but gets murdered that same night. When she dies, she finds herself back in the same bed, and finds herself reliving her death day over and over again. She uses every day to find out who murders her — and why.
“We block shot all the same scenes in two days,” Rothe said. “At first, I was terrified of doing it that way. Those scenes are so important in establishing Tree’s evolution in that movie, and doing them back-to-back was helpful because we were able to measure where we were and where we had been, if that makes sense.”
And her character goes through a big transformation throughout the film — from “despicable” bratty college student to a sweet girl who just had a wall up to protect herself.
“I was given this freedom to play this despicable character and because I knew she would redeem herself, we got to dive in and play with how narcissistic and cruel she could be,” Rothe said. “Many times, people who are self involved or bullies, it stems from a place of hurt and insecurity within oneself. It’s not that she’s a bad person — she’s kind of built this tough wall to protect herself.”
Because of the time loop Tree is stuck in, many have pointed to the similarities to Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day.” And the filmmakers didn’t want to miss out on calling that out, and actually reshot the ending to add in a little quip about the 1993 classic.
“We actually added that, because we realized we have to put something in about ‘Groundhog Day,'” said Rothe, but “I bet Tree doesn’t know who Bill Murray is.”
“Happy Death Day” was directed by Christopher Landon and also stars Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine and Rachel Matthews. Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum served as a producer on the project.
10 Must-See Horror Films of 2017, From 'Get Out' to 'Polaroid' (Photos)
Halloween is around the corner, so let’s talk horror movies! Here are some frightening films you need to see, and then a few to keep an eye out for as the year comes to a close.
"Get Out," written and directed by Jordan Peele --
This directorial debut from Peele has stayed at 99 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and made a pretty penny at the box office. I was so obsessed with this trailer that I remember showing it to random people just to see their reaction. When I finally got to see the film, I was blown away because it’s creepy as hell, funny and different. It’s a film that sparks a conversation but doesn’t jam a point down your throat.
Available on Amazon, YouTube, Google Play.
Universal
"Annabelle: Creation," written by Gary Dauberman, directed by David Sandberg --
Haunted dolls will forever be one of my favorite sub-genres. This sequel out-shined the first "Annabelle" with some clever jump scares and solid performances. It’s the fourth installment in the "Conjuring" Universe, and I’m looking forward to "Annabelle 3" and "Shazam!" which is next on the docket for Sandberg.
Still in theaters, and has earned $280.3 million and counting.
New Line
"Raw,"written and directed by Julia Ducournau --
This is the directorial debut of French filmmaker Julia Ducournau. "Raw" is a beautiful and enlightening take on cannibalism, and definitely not the film to see if you’re feeling queasy. It made a splash out of Cannes 2016 and got a limited release in early 2017 to rave reviews.
Available on YouTube, Amazon and Google Play.
"The Love Witch," written and directed by Anna Biller --
I saw the premiere of this at the Etheria Film Festival and was blown away by the commitment to the craft in the film. The film delivers a mesmerizing performance from Samantha Robinson as our Love Witch, swoon worthy costumes, production design and... MURDER! Anna Biller is a creator to watch.
Available on YouTube, Amazon and Vudu.
"It,"directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman --
The biggest opening of the year was for a horror film! "It" is breaking all kinds of box office records. The film has grossed over $200 million two weeks after its release and is holding a steady pace. Andy Muschietti directs a nostalgic film with solid performances by the ensemble of Derry teens. The film runs long and infused more CG than it needed, but it’s one that has rewatch value and the sequel is already in motion. I saw it for the first time in a packed theater in a small town in Nevada riddled with teenagers, who shielded their eyes and huddled up with their friends every time Pennywise was on screen. The film started with a bigger budget than most horror films made in the studio system these days. Luckily it over performed, which is great news for horror films.
Still in theaters.
New Line
"The Ritual," written by Joe Barton and directed by David Bruckner --
Netflix acquired the film out of the TIFF Midnight Section for a whopping $4.75 million price tag, and we all can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about. Bruckner has directed segments in a few anthologies (V/H/S, The Signal, Southbound) etc., which makes seeing a whole feature directed by him more exciting.
Currently doing the festival circuit.
"Happy Death Day," written by Scott Lobdell and directed by Christopher B. Landon --
A horror version of "Groundhog Day" is a no brainer idea, and all of the teasers and trailers show this film being the fun, poppy, pre-Halloween ("Friday the 13th" to be exact) horror release we all want and need.
Release date: Oct. 13, 2017 (USA).
Universal
"Jigsaw," written by Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, directed by Michael Spierig --
I still remember the first time I ever saw the trailer for "Saw." While I’m not the hugest fan of gore, I’m curious to play a game with "Jigsaw" once again. "Saw" is a franchise that a lot of my non-horror-loving friends dig, there’s something about it that lures you in. The kills will no doubt be insane, and this will most likely have a good draw due to its release being the Friday before Halloween.
Release date: Oct. 27, 2017.
"Polaroid," written and directed by Lars Klevberg --
This will mark one of the only recent original horror releases for Dimension and could spawn a franchise. The film hails from the producers of "The Ring" and "The Grudge," and the feature is based on the award-winning short of the same name by Lars Klevberg. "Saw" started as a short, as did "Lights Out," which is also getting a sequel, so we have our fingers crossed for "Polaroid."
Release date: Dec. 1, 2017
"Shape of Water,"written by Vanessa Taylor and Guillermo del Toro, directed by del Toro --
The film is a beautiful and horrific fairy tale from the mind that gave us "Pan's Labyrinth." Seemingly inspired by "Creature from the Black Lagoon," stories of monsters will never go out of style. Fox Searchlight is sure to make an awards push.
Release date: Dec. 8, 2017.
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Kailey Marsh, creator of BloodList.com, gives the scoop on movies to keep you up at night
Halloween is around the corner, so let’s talk horror movies! Here are some frightening films you need to see, and then a few to keep an eye out for as the year comes to a close.
Universal
