“What’s been awesome going around the world is that when people come up to us and talk about Australian film, they always talk about the horror movies.” – Kane Senes & Hannah Barlow

Having witnessed how enthusiastically horror-loving audiences on the international festival circuit responded to their crowd-pleasing horror-comedy Sissy, writer/directors Hannah Barlow & Kane Senes took to their computer screen on the day their film hit cinemas across Australia to discuss how they fashioned such a distinctive, oddball entry into the genre.

For a review of the film go here.

Please enjoy.

INTERVIEW INDEX

00:00 Crazy bastards;
00:35 Balance between restraint and excess;
00:55 Life of the film from completion to now; AACTA noms;
01:20 Festival run;
02:20 Post-Covid effect;
03:42 “What’s been awesome going around the world is that when people come up to us and talk about Australian film, they always talk about the horror movies.”;
04:10 Broad outline of story;
04:45 Attitude to genre conventions;
06:30 The look of the film; Influence of Brian de Palma and Muriel’s Wedding;
08:00 Mixing influences of different film styles and eras;
08:20 Cinematographer Steve Arnold;
09:50 Carnal Knowledge;
10:25 Themes in the film, balancing meaning with gross-out horror;
13:20 Having your cake and eating it too;
13:50 Love of practical effects over digital;
14:05 Tom Savini reference;
15:10 Horror audiences responses;
15:50 “We’re sick of Marvel CGI. It’s everywhere.”;
16:05 “We’re very proud to be Australian filmmakers. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”;
16:35 Explaining Australia’s wicked sense of humour;
17:25 Group hug over Tom Savini;
17:55 Marketing; competing with “studio-level budgets”; Shudder