Horror Movie News and Reviews - Horror Express.com

RUNNING AROUND IN TOMASELLI'S 'PLAYGROUND'

It seems like forever and a day ago that we first told you about Dante Tomaselli's SATAN'S PLAYGROUND. What can we say? The development process is a long one, especially in the indie horror game. Fortunately, SATAN'S PLAYGROUND is done and there is some great early buzz on the film.

Dread Central recently conducted an in-depth interview with Dante on his new film and analyzed it against his current body of work.

There is no denying that both DESECRATION (reviewed here and here) and HORROR both had a non-linear, dreamlike flow to them. As we've been hearing for months now, SATAN'S PLAYGROUND is more linear but still contains enough odd wonder to go around.

"It was time, artistically and commercially; it just felt the right route to go," Tomaselli said. "SATAN'S PLAYGROUND is still very dreamlike. But it's a simple to follow, stripped-down macabre fairy-tale as opposed to a puzzle movie. It's made for horror fans to have fun and enjoy. You can jump into a nightmare world and not feel as perplexed as my other films. But it's not spoon fed; it's all very subliminal. What it has in common with my other pictures is that it has an aura of mystery and delirium. It's weird and offbeat. Satan's Playground is painterly. I think it's my most polished film. Drink a glass of wine and enjoy."

Another big change is the budget, which is to say Dante's got a nice fat one this time. Tomaselli had $150,000 to play around with on DESCRATION and $250,000 for HORROR. HORROR looked great, so it should be interesting to see what Tomaselli does with a whopping $500,000 for SATAN'S PLAYGROUND (We had previously printed an incorrect $1 million budget based on faulty info posted on the IMDB. Our bad.). Part of the increase in budget comes from the fact that Tomaselli has two new producing partners, Millie and Milka Stanisic, and yes they're sisters. (A bit of a non-professional note here: am I the only one who thinks "Millie and Milka" just sounds adorable. Okay, continue...). The two recently founded their own production company, Em & Me Productions. Since Millie worked as a production assistant on HORROR, they had a previous working relationship with Tomaselli and SATAN'S PLAYGROUND became their flagship release.

"They wrangled the investors from different parts of the world, Hong Kong, England, etc. That's all I know," Tomaselli explains. "I kept out of all of that and focused totally on the creative aspects, mounting the movie. But, no...it didn't take a long time, just a few months really. It all happened fairly quickly."

Tomaselli, whose cousin is Alfred Sole of ALICE SWEET ALICE fame, explores the darker side of family dyamics in his films and it looks like SATAN'S PLAYGROUND continues those explorations.

"Right after that first visual was etched in my mind, the idea of family dysfunction taken to its extreme fell into place naturally," Tomaselli said. "I guess because that's just an issue that keeps popping up in my work...and I'm a very stream-of-consciousness filmmaker. I mean, DESECRATION, HORROR and SATAN'S PLAYGROUND all have pretty depraved families. Somewhere among it all, in my films, there's goodness, some kind of true innocence. But satanic evil usually obliterates everything."

Tomaselli has always cherished working with old influences. The Amazing Kreskin gave a shockingly great performance in HORROR and SLEEPAWAY CAMP's Felissa Rose popped up for a cameo in the same film. Rose, who has been more visible in the horror genre again, thanks in part to Tomaselli, has a larger role in SATAN'S PLAYGROUND. "Felissa is fearless in this role," Tomaselli said. "She dives right into Donna and never comes out. I never witnessed such a total transformation in my life. Aside from her artistic abilities, she's a totally warm, sweet, caring person. But don't ever cross the line and screw with her...at the core, she's a hot-blooded Italian who can explode...but only when provoked. Only! It takes a lot to provoke her -- but I've seen it happen. World watch out! She's a ferociously passionate woman. A force of nature. I can't wait to work with her again on my next feature."

Tomaselli also enlisted the talents of EVIL DEAD's Ellen Sandweiss, marking the end of her 24 year absence from film. "Oh what a thrill, really," Tomaselli said. "I had a poster of her all bloody and possessed hanging over my bed in 1983, when I was thirteen years old. You know the image, where's she's breaking out of the cellar in THE EVIL DEAD. To have her in my own horror movie all these later is just beyond belief! I feel exactly the same way about Felissa Rose and Edwin Neal (the Hitchhiker from the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE who plays "Boy" in PLAYGROUND), 100% honored."

"I try to be very supportive with my actors; I pamper them. The crew gets into it, too," Tomaselli continued. "It's like a large scale support system. There's got to be electricity; people have to be loyal and passionate about being there on set or it won't work. The stakes are too high and the budget is too low. When we're filming it's like being part of a cult and I'm Dracula. I'm a quiet director. I'm a shy person. I don't believe in screaming at actors. There's so much horror happening onscreen, why create more tension? Plus - I'm honored that everyone is even there; I feel fortunate. At the same, though, I am quietly using psychological tactics, to get better quality work from my crew and cast. Whatever works.

As director, I have to say things that will push buttons in my actors to bring them to that place where they need to be. Usually I'll whisper something in their ear before a take. I've heard about directors slapping actors. I'd never do that. But emotionally I would -- and I do. It does feel like a strange, subversive S&M session sometimes for sure. Lots of crying. But we're in it together. I wanted Felissa and Ellen to be raw...emotionally naked during the filming of SATAN'S PLAYGROUND. That's why they had to feel safe. It was important to everyone that they were safe. It really does sound like S&M, doesn't it?"

I highly suggest you read the whole, amazing interview at Dread Central, where Tomaselli goes into further detail about both the spiritual and practical side of his filmmaking. It really is a great and engaging piece of work from Central's newest contributor, Adam Barnick.

As for SATAN'S PLAYGROUND, we should finally be seeing it soon. Tomaselli is also prepping his next film, THE OCEAN, which again stars Felissa Rose and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD's Judith O'Dea. And although we haven't heard anything about the proposed EVIL DEAD remake recently, we'd still like Tomaselli to handle it, if it's still happening.

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