Horror-101

‘Beg’ Set Report

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as I drove to the set of Beg, an independent slasher filming in Rockland, Massachusetts. It would mark my first set report (of what I hope to be many!). Thankfully, it was the best experience I could have hoped for. Leading the crew was director Kevin MacDonald and his wife Shanna MacDonald, who doubled as the film’s producer, both of whom warmly welcomed me. The shoot took place at Hartsuff Park, a local area with a lake, hiking paths, picnic areas, a bridge, and a playground, making it ideal for such a film.

Few people would recognize Beg’s star on the street, but everyone knows that modified William Shatner mask he wore thirty years ago. Tony Moran donned the white, expressionless disguise as Michael Myers in Halloween. After filming the John Carpenter classic in 1978, he moved out of Hollywood and kept his distance from the business, only recently returning to do a couple of indie pictures. “Acting is just a blast” for Moran, “But when it becomes too political and all that stuff, it wasn’t any fun anymore, so I got out.”

Moran plays a “burnt out prick” detective on the verge of retirement with a killer on the loose. Other genre favorites in the cast (although not on set that day) are P. J. Soles (Halloween, Carrie), Kristina Klebe (Halloween remake), and scream queens Tiffany Shepis and Debbie Rochon. Add a score by Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th, Wishmaster) into the mix and you’ve got a horror fan’s dream package before even seeing a frame of film. What brought them all together was the great script and MacDonald’s genuineness. “This movie has some stuff going on about it that I can’t talk about that is a mind blower,” says Moran, careful to keep the big details under wraps. “It surprises the hell out of me. I never thought I’d get back into acting for the life of me.”

It was a great experience meeting Moran. There I was, shaking hands with the man who helped make me love my favorite movie of all time. He was very kind, always sure to address people by name. He’s also humble and one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. I was trying to hold back the fanboy inside me from asking him a million questions, but it was unbelievably cool just sitting around and shooting the shit with him. When he found out that it was my first set report he really looked out for me. While the cast and crew were convening and preparing on the set, Tony and I stepped aside for an interview.

Shooting began shortly after. Most of the scenes filmed during the afternoon were of four younger actors — Ben Boshnack, Ally Tully, Derek Smith, and Celia Hoffman — hiking through the woods and such. The killer, dubbed Pumpkinhead by some on the set due to the mask (designed by Cemetery Gate Productions), did make an appearance, stalking his prey from a distance in a particularly creepy scene.

During one of the first scenes being shot, Jill Taylor, a production assistant holding the boom mic, had ants in her pants. Literally, a small insect climbed up her leg in her pants, but she waited until the shot was filmed before exclaiming. Many jokes were cracked following this, a perfect example of the fun environment on set. Everyone got their work done but weren’t afraid to have a good time while doing so. MacDonald could often be found giggling between takes at the antics of his cast and crew. Assistant director/cinematographer Ari Manin was a jokester, making the entire crew erupt with laughter with his imitation of his stereotypical Jewish mother. “Most sets aren’t this fun,” he tells me. This is their last big weekend of shooting, so everyone is having a good time.

“The people are in it because they really believe in the project,” Moran points out. He also mentions that it reminds him of the fly-by-night nature of Halloween. MacDonald truly has brought together a great group of passionate people with the common goal of making a good film, and a sense of fellowship between them all is evident. Many of the crew members are lovingly referred to as MVPs; they are family and friends who’ve stepped up to help in a variety of ways, be it schlepping equipment or cooking dinner, always with a smile on their face.

Once nightfall came, we got to the good stuff. No one could have asked for a better night. Although the green, murky water wasn’t exactly ideal for swimming, a perfect fog rose off it, giving the set a spooky atmosphere. Stuntman David Langill wore the mask and had to stay underwater until MacDonald called “Action.” He would then emerge and attack his beautiful victim, Tully. They filmed this scene many times, trying to get everything perfect. At one point Langill took in a mouth full of water but, being the trooper that he he is, continued on after a quick break.

Special effects artist Justin Brooks was on hand to handle the two death scenes being filmed that night. He learned the art from the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist), who each year would choose one person to apprentice under him. Brooks was a lucky chosen one and has been doing special effects for the past eight years. He also plays in a horror rock band called Bad Ash and is a tattoo artist. He was cool to talk to and knowledgeable about the horror genre. After all, anyone with a Return of the Living Dead 3 tattoo is fine with me.

Brooks applied some great slit-throat make up to one of the actors. He worked fast and effectively, the end result looking exquisitely disgusting. Although there were some troubles while filming the actual scene, the final take was perfect. We see a burst of blood come literally shooting out of the neck as if a vein was busted. We departed from the set at about 1 in the morning, and the crew still had another head-splitting death scene to film.

I may not have seen too much that day, but what I did see was impressive, and Beg is now one of my most anticipated releases. The film has been edited as it was shot, so they hope to have it completed soon so for submission in film festivals and hopefully a distribution deal. We will be keeping you updated and bring you an interview with the director in the coming weeks. Until then check out the movie’s Myspace and trailer, and see the rest of our pictures from the set here.

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