Frightfest 2013- Bobcat Goldtwait
I caught up with the director of Willow Creek Bobcat Goldthwait at Film 4‘sFrightfest
How have the Willow Creek screenings been for you this weekend?
It’s really sweet how many people have shown up as it’s sold out and all that.
What is willow creek about?
Willow creek is a Bigfoot movie, but hope fully a little different, its a hybrid movie I’m not trying to pass it off as a real film, though funnily enough there are a lot of real people in it. They aren’t acting they are just best being interviewed so there a weird hybrid of doc and a found footage movie.
Are you a Bigfoot believer?
Yeah when i was a little boy I was already obsessed with Bigfoot this movie was just an excuse to go to willow creek and see where the Patterson-Gimlin footage was shot. I actually went to the actual place where the footage was shot 17 -18 miles in the middle of nowhere.
So were you tempted to recreate the footage whilst you were there?
(Laughing) No I’m much too small. Thought I’m going back in two weeks time as I’m taking part in the Bigfoot parade. So I’m going to be riding on a float. I’m very excited.
So you have been embraced by the local community?
Most of them, at first i think they thought I was going to be taking the piss out of them, I wasn’t, I think most of the people up there like the movie, I’ve shown it to a few people and have had people close to tears, “after the Patterson-Gimlin footage this si the best big foot movie i have ever seen!”
Did the finished piece come out as you had envisioned?
Originally I was going to make a different kind of film about bigfoot, i had been too many different bigfoot conventions and um I was probably going to make more of a Christopher guest type movie as there is a lot of in fighting in the Bigfoot community which I thought would be fun, but I didn’t want to pick fun at them. So I ended up making this movie once I had been to willow creek.
You are mainly know for directing/writing comedy and dark comedy what made you move towards the horror genre?
Well I hope there still goofs for people there are laughs in it, but I don’t really see the films as genres I see them as the story i want to be telling and then what it fits in. Are they drama are they comedies, horror. All stories have horror it’s just are you going to be a baby or not? Everything has a death and rebirth even romantic comedies.
Your previous films Sleeping dogs lie andworlds greatest dad have been about honestly in relationships and about being too honest. That honestly isn’t always the best thing do you continue that them in Willow Creek?
Yeah that is something that does concern me, I never realised it but yeah it is something I’m a little obsessed with. There is a little bit about that in this movie as I spend a lot of time with the couple and their relationship before terrible things happen to them. I’m very disappointed when i see a movie where it’s just good looking teenagers who just do drink and drugs and have sex then get killed, it’s like you don’t even need a monster I would kill them for you for free.
The Film is shot in the found footage style; did that effect how you shot this movie? Were you hindered in the shots you were able to do?
It didn’t limit but i always concerns me is why the camera was left on? I tried to justify it just because there is a light on it. There is no editing n the movie there is 67 cuts and that’s when the actors turned the camera on and off that’s all we see. I’m always disturbed in found footage movies that some creep finds it and re-edits it. That pretty much says “well your family’s dead but they would be really happy with this picture we made!”
What do you have planned next?
I have written two or three new movies just trying to pick which one I can get someone to give me money to make it next. One is for robin Williams I love him he’s my best friend
As we are at a horror event what is your favourite scary movie?
Rosemary’s baby
How have the Willow Creek screenings been for you this weekend?
It’s really sweet how many people have shown up as it’s sold out and all that.
What is willow creek about?
Willow creek is a Bigfoot movie, but hope fully a little different, its a hybrid movie I’m not trying to pass it off as a real film, though funnily enough there are a lot of real people in it. They aren’t acting they are just best being interviewed so there a weird hybrid of doc and a found footage movie.
Are you a Bigfoot believer?
Yeah when i was a little boy I was already obsessed with Bigfoot this movie was just an excuse to go to willow creek and see where the Patterson-Gimlin footage was shot. I actually went to the actual place where the footage was shot 17 -18 miles in the middle of nowhere.
So were you tempted to recreate the footage whilst you were there?
(Laughing) No I’m much too small. Thought I’m going back in two weeks time as I’m taking part in the Bigfoot parade. So I’m going to be riding on a float. I’m very excited.
So you have been embraced by the local community?
Most of them, at first i think they thought I was going to be taking the piss out of them, I wasn’t, I think most of the people up there like the movie, I’ve shown it to a few people and have had people close to tears, “after the Patterson-Gimlin footage this si the best big foot movie i have ever seen!”
Did the finished piece come out as you had envisioned?
Originally I was going to make a different kind of film about bigfoot, i had been too many different bigfoot conventions and um I was probably going to make more of a Christopher guest type movie as there is a lot of in fighting in the Bigfoot community which I thought would be fun, but I didn’t want to pick fun at them. So I ended up making this movie once I had been to willow creek.
You are mainly know for directing/writing comedy and dark comedy what made you move towards the horror genre?
Well I hope there still goofs for people there are laughs in it, but I don’t really see the films as genres I see them as the story i want to be telling and then what it fits in. Are they drama are they comedies, horror. All stories have horror it’s just are you going to be a baby or not? Everything has a death and rebirth even romantic comedies.
Your previous films Sleeping dogs lie andworlds greatest dad have been about honestly in relationships and about being too honest. That honestly isn’t always the best thing do you continue that them in Willow Creek?
Yeah that is something that does concern me, I never realised it but yeah it is something I’m a little obsessed with. There is a little bit about that in this movie as I spend a lot of time with the couple and their relationship before terrible things happen to them. I’m very disappointed when i see a movie where it’s just good looking teenagers who just do drink and drugs and have sex then get killed, it’s like you don’t even need a monster I would kill them for you for free.
The Film is shot in the found footage style; did that effect how you shot this movie? Were you hindered in the shots you were able to do?
It didn’t limit but i always concerns me is why the camera was left on? I tried to justify it just because there is a light on it. There is no editing n the movie there is 67 cuts and that’s when the actors turned the camera on and off that’s all we see. I’m always disturbed in found footage movies that some creep finds it and re-edits it. That pretty much says “well your family’s dead but they would be really happy with this picture we made!”
What do you have planned next?
I have written two or three new movies just trying to pick which one I can get someone to give me money to make it next. One is for robin Williams I love him he’s my best friend
As we are at a horror event what is your favourite scary movie?
Rosemary’s baby