A good horror movie - it doesn't matter how many comedy horror films there have been before. Doesn't matter how much you think it's going to be funny. A good horror movie will scare the hell out of you... the moment you sit down and you start being exposed to that story, it's going to freeze your blood.
I always say that I am a big fan of films but I am an even bigger fan of the filmmaking craft.
There are the horror fans that love the Evil Dead because of the humor, but I’m sure it’s not all of them. Not all horror fans love Evil Dead because of the humor, at least not me.
There's so much stuff going on behind the cameras. Sometimes people think these things are done certain ways and when you watch that you see how hard and down and dirty it was.
Only really good comedies and really good horror movies get a verbal response out of the audience. People will scream. People will laugh.
As a storyteller, when you're writing a movie and when you're directing, you want to keep people entertained. That's the whole point, right? It has to be entertaining.
I love just about every aspect of the filmmaking except acting. I would never be able to do that, but the rest I really enjoy.
You can make a film with a phone and a computer if you want, if you have the time. So it's a world that is saturated with films and all kind of stuff, so it's such a blessing to be able to make a film and people care, and even if they say that it's a bad idea, at least they care and they're talking about it.
In another life, I would love to be the art guy - a production designer or a maybe even a composer.
There's a reason people use CGI: it's cheaper and faster. I hate that.
As a director, there is nothing more fun than seeing an audience screaming and jumping. You are the ultimate puppet master, controlling the emotions of the audience.
When you're a director you always feel weird with another director watching over your shoulder.
It's a convention, but in horror movies the female characters usually tend to believe easier in a supernatural event.
I think a good actor will always know the character better than anybody.
I try not to be spectacular with the camera. I try to be a witness of what's going on.
I think violence in movies, for it to work, you have to use it smartly. People get numb very fast. If you have too much violence in the beginning, it gets to a point where you don't feel it.
I really don't like to go for the stereotypes. I try to give you characters that you don't know until you get to know them, and [decide] how you should feel about them.
I don't want to spoon-feed the audience, like, "This is the funny guy, this is one you hate, this is the one you like." A lot of movies do that. They don't really give you a choice. They show you the jock, and he's an idiot, and everybody has to hate him. You have no choice.
I think the more honest you are with the storytelling, the better it works.
I've seen a lot of movies that were great and scary, but not particularly fancy in their filmmaking or performance. And they're still scary, and I think a good horror movie should be scary above all things.
I need to create a whole cinematic experience. I think that's what it takes to get the audience to the theater and justify seeing [a movie] on a big screen. You have to give them a cinematic experience.
I take things from everywhere, and I still haven't figured out where I took [some things] from.
In my everyday life, I can be as square as I want. But when it comes to movies and telling stories, I can't. I've got to be radical, and on some level, that's what I like to do.
I like to get the audiences cozy in their seats, feeling safe, and suddenly they'll be shocked out of their minds.
Honestly, when you're writing you try to stay on the story, on the character's mind, trying to throw stuff at them. There is danger, and the scares have to kick in the right places with the drama. And you try not to do too much to try to create those moments. Those moments create themselves.
