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In the 2000's, the
pace of technological advances
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seemed to accelerate.
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The way we lived
and experienced our lives
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was rapidly moving
from old to new,
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from familiar to strange,
and from tape to digital.
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The switch from landlines
to cell phones
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was a revolutionary upgrade.
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And a culture shock that,
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in addition to
many other social upheavals,
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would make filmmakers of us all.
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We recorded the cataclysmic
events around us...
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...the terror of 9/11,
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national disasters,
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and seemingly endless
civil unrest.
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I can't breathe!
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We are fighting
for our lives, people.
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And if events in the U.S.
were not bad enough,
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a virus swept across the globe,
killing millions worldwide.
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As COVID-19 spread,
pandemic exhaustion
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and political opportunism
divided America
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like no other time
since the Civil War.
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These traumatizing events
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have kept perpetually
threatened Americans
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stuck in a perpetual
fight-or-flight mode.
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And into that collective,
frightened American psyche,
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horror films continue to deliver
their cathartic release.
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A lot of changes in art are
driven by changes in technology.
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Looking back on the first decade
of the 2000's horror films,
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they have to start using those
cameras that are everywhere.
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They have to start using the way
you have no privacy,
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the cameras in the phones, the
cameras in the public places,
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the cameras on the houses.
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You're gonna take
the camera and just, you know,
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go around the party and film
people wishing Rob good luck.
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Aah! Oh! Oh, God! Oh!
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Oh, my God.
What the hell was that?
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Instead of just realistically,
what happens with those cameras,
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but going into the paranormal
world with those cameras.
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'Cause that would break
through the technology,
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give you something
you haven't seen before.
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What's your take on the
Blair Witch at this point?
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- Do you think she exists?
- I don't know.
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There is sort of this
voyeuristic esthetic
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that was developing
in those days.
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The Internet-- that was
all free. You could do that.
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As long as you could type it in
and hit upload,
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you were good to go, and it was
accessible to the whole world--
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whoever had
an Internet connection.
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Video cameras have made
filmmaking so accessible,
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and there's something wonderful
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and something excruciating
about it.
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People can post things
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and get discovered
no matter where they were.
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Anybody with a video camera
can make a horror film.
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As technology changed
and became more accessible
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and invasive,
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filmmakers took advantage
of the intimacy
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and flexibility
they could achieve
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with more nimble cameras.
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Horror films
like Blair Witch Project
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and Paranormal Activity
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took a new approach
to the craft,
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incorporating the process
of filmmaking itself
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as part of the narrative
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and introducing a new subgenre--
the found-footage horror film.
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I've always embraced technology.
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The Internet was coming
into its own at the time.
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You know, reality TV,
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24-7 news was sort of
sensitizing audiences
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to that sort of shaky cam,
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you know, narrative
kind of storytelling.
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Technology has always been
a driver of horror movies.
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It's a bit like porn
in that respect.
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By the late 1990's,
there was a shift into digital
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and the democratization
of filmmaking,
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so it became ever more possible
for people to grab a camera
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and go out into the woods with
their friends and make a movie.
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Hence The Blair Witch Project.
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- This is my home.
- Okay. Wow.
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Which I am leaving
the comforts of for the weekend
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to explore the Blair Witch.
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America has held a long
fascination with witches,
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none more famous than the purge
that started in 1692
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in Salem, Massachusetts,
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when 19 people
were hanged for witchcraft.
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These stories of the occult
made an impression
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on two young horror fans.
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My directing partner,
Ed Sanchez, and I
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were sort of, you know,
hanging out
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at his apartment
at the time in Orlando,
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and we had done
some collaborations
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on some student films.
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Daniel Myrick
and Ed Sanchez created
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an entire Blair Witch universe
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built around the premise
that they had discovered
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this real footage left
by young documentary filmmakers
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who had gone missing.
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We were inspired a lot
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by In Search
of Ancient Astronauts
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and sort of these pseudo
documentaries, you know,
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when we were growing up, and
we thought how cool it would be
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to do sort of a documentary
style scene in the woods
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where you're sort of
going through at night
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through a kind of
first-person camera,
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and you come upon this house,
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this really creepy
kind of condemned house
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and just how fundamentally
scary that felt.
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Josh?
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We wanted Blair Witch
to come from a place
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of that primal kind of
motivation that it really,
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truly would get under your skin
and really scare you.
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Oh, my God!
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What the fuck is that?!
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The Blair Witch Project
is nothing short of brilliant,
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'cause you want to talk about
fucking less is more.
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These kids had nothing--
nothing--
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and they made
this spit-and-glue movie
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that's truly fucking terrifying.
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I watched that movie
on a videocassette with my wife
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while at Sundance.
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I fell asleep,
not 'cause it was boring,
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just 'cause I was tired
and shit.
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Tell me where you are,
Josh!
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Mike,
please don't fall asleep.
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All of a sudden,
I'm shaken awake.
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She was like, "Get up! Get up!"
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I'm like, "What the fuck's
going on? What's happening?"
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She's like,
"Why won't anyone help them?"
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And I'm like,
"What are you talking about?"
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She's like, "Nobody will help
them! They're right there!
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Why won't anyone help them?
They got to find these kids!"
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And I was like,
"What are you talking about?"
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And she's like,
"These kids-- look!"
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And she rewinds it, and I'm
like, "It's a fucking movie."
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She's like,
"No, it's documentary."
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I was like,
"It's not a documentary.
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None of this is real."
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She bought it
a thousand fucking percent.
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Audiences were hooked.
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They researched the website,
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watched the news reports,
and read Heather's journals.
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It was a fully
immersive experience.
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Fans, many of whom believed
the story to be real,
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were completely invested.
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It was a viral campaign
before the term even existed.
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I'm gonna die out here.
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The guerrilla marketing
strategy even included fliers
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claiming that the filmmakers
of the found-footage documentary
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were still missing.
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We don't have any money
to put ads in papers,
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we didn't have any money
to put billboards up
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or anything like that,
but we could do a web page.
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We just decided to treat
the website as if, you know,
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the information was real,
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and we took the mythology
and Heather's journal
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and all the time line,
everything has been going on
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near Burkittsville
for 200 years,
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and laid it out, you know,
and-- and used a lot of stuff
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that we had already shot
to put in there.
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And, you know,
it became pretty popular.
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Did you agree
to do this project?
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I did. I agreed
to a scouted-out project.
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It is scouted out,
and I told you that you
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that getting to the locations
wasn't gonna be easy.
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Guys! Guys, it's cool.
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I got $1,500 worth
of equipment on me.
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And it goes viral, so one person
gets a hold of your idea
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and then they spread it.
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I looked it up on the Internet
and found out more about it,
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so it's more real to me,
and it was--
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that's where the scariness
came from.
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Jesus Christ.
That's fucking creepy.
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The Blair Witch Project
really was successful
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beyond just being scary.
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The reason that movie has had
the lasting power
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that it's had, really, is
because, if you look at it,
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that film is really
about gender dynamics.
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You know, like, at the end
of the day,
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it's like you can take
all the creepiness
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and the horror of the film,
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but the movie's
really not about that at all.
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It's really about this woman
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who's kind of
dealing with misogynistic guys
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and-- and how that implodes
in this experience
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that they're having,
getting lost in the woods.
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Put the camera down.
This is not funny.
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I'm coming. Do I look
like I'm laughing at all?
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No, but you're going around
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doing your
documentary thing, man.
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You're still
doing your fucking thing.
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- Don't fucking--
- Turn the goddamn thing off!
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But it has
a very unnerving fucking ending
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with the one kid
just facing the wall.
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And that ending-- it was
probably two or three days
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before we needed to start
our first day of shooting,
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and Ed and I still hadn't
come up with the ending yet.
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We didn't want any big,
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you know,
horror tropes in the way,
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but then we didn't want it
to just sort of end either.
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But there had to be
some kind of payoff.
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Come on.
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And then we just went back
to that primal place.
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Like, what would
really be creepy?
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And we just saw, like, Heather
coming down into that basement,
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and Mike is standing in the
corner, and you don't know why.
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Ended up being really scary.
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Thanks to the ingenious
marketing strategy,
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harnessing the power of the
Internet for the Gen-X crowd,
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characters that felt
incredibly authentic,
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and its shoestring budget,
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the original
Blair Witch Project
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broke box-office records.
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After The Blair Witch Project,
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which was such
a massive phenomenon,
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found-footage movies--
good ones--
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were really special.
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Paranormal Activity really
helped me identify
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the types of films I wanted
to work on as a producer.
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According to director Oren Peli,
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the premise
of Paranormal Activity
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came from a feeling of isolation
he was experiencing
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while living alone
in his first house.
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In the dead of night,
the homemade spooky noises,
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and Peli thought that a story
about a couple
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using digital cameras
to record themselves
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chasing down the origin
of the unexplained sounds
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might make a good movie.
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He was on to something.
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Doors and windows
all over the house are closed.
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I just checked them.
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The flowers are not moving,
but something else is.
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I was about to go
to music school,
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and I had given up
on the whole acting thing.
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Hey.
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And the last casting-call notice
I ever got
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was this weird project
that was like,
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"You can't tell anybody
where you are.
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You can't tell anybody
what you're doing.
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We're gonna torture you
and film it,
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and, you know, it's just--
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that's the--
that's the project."
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And I was like, "Fuck this.
This is crazy.
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No way I'm doing this project."
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I went to the audition--
not to get the part.
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I just wanted to see
who these weirdos were
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doing this wacky movie,
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and I get there,
and the director says,
248
00:14:02,363 --> 00:14:03,712
"Tell me why your house
is haunted."
249
00:14:03,843 --> 00:14:08,630
So I was like, "Oh, dude, let me
tell you, it's fucked up."
250
00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,851
I've been hearing noises,
and my wife--
251
00:14:11,981 --> 00:14:14,636
uh, my girlfriend-- she's
gonna be my wife, hopefully--
252
00:14:14,766 --> 00:14:18,031
she, you know,
would go to the bathroom,
253
00:14:18,161 --> 00:14:20,555
and then I'd open the door,
and she'd just be unconscious,
254
00:14:20,685 --> 00:14:23,340
like, collapsed, and she doesn't
know what happened.
255
00:14:23,471 --> 00:14:26,430
And I mean, I hear--
I hear screeching.
256
00:14:26,561 --> 00:14:28,345
Like, when I'm turning on
the faucet,
257
00:14:28,476 --> 00:14:30,957
I hear this whining wail,
you know?
258
00:14:31,087 --> 00:14:34,830
And the shutters shatter,
but there's no wind.
259
00:14:34,961 --> 00:14:36,919
I open the door--
the window, you know?
260
00:14:37,050 --> 00:14:38,703
And the shutters are flapping,
but there's no wind.
261
00:14:38,834 --> 00:14:39,661
That's creepy.
262
00:14:45,319 --> 00:14:46,798
Fuck!
263
00:14:46,929 --> 00:14:49,323
Paranormal Activity was great,
264
00:14:49,453 --> 00:14:52,326
in that the idea
of this couple sleeping
265
00:14:52,456 --> 00:14:55,285
and not knowing that
all this demon activity
266
00:14:55,416 --> 00:14:57,287
was happening in their home,
267
00:14:57,418 --> 00:14:58,767
they put that
surveillance camera
268
00:14:58,898 --> 00:15:00,203
in the corner of their bedroom
269
00:15:00,334 --> 00:15:03,903
and see all the really weird,
messed-up stuff
270
00:15:04,033 --> 00:15:05,513
that was happening overnight.
271
00:15:05,643 --> 00:15:07,210
Oh, shit.
272
00:15:07,341 --> 00:15:11,301
Sometimes we're better off
not knowing what's going on.
273
00:15:13,477 --> 00:15:18,221
Paranormal Activity deals with
this, like, intimacy of horror.
274
00:15:22,660 --> 00:15:24,836
Well, you're dealing
with a couple, right?
275
00:15:24,967 --> 00:15:27,535
You're dealing in their home,
but you're also dealing with
276
00:15:27,665 --> 00:15:29,798
where they're taping themselves, right?
277
00:15:29,929 --> 00:15:32,583
And they're taping themselves
in their daily lives,
278
00:15:32,714 --> 00:15:34,411
but also at night.
279
00:15:34,542 --> 00:15:36,283
You are your most vulnerable
280
00:15:36,413 --> 00:15:38,154
when you're sleeping
in your bed.
281
00:15:41,462 --> 00:15:45,335
One of the most horrific
or scariest things about horror
282
00:15:45,466 --> 00:15:48,686
is that it infiltrates
your safe spaces
283
00:15:48,817 --> 00:15:52,342
and makes you either fight
for your life or kills you.
284
00:15:52,473 --> 00:15:56,346
Micah! Micah!
Micah! Micah!
285
00:15:56,477 --> 00:15:58,392
Katie!
286
00:15:58,522 --> 00:16:01,569
In Paranormal Activity,
I am part of a nice couple,
287
00:16:01,699 --> 00:16:03,614
and they love each other
288
00:16:03,745 --> 00:16:06,269
and the things they're doing
are not in alignment.
289
00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,272
It's very much like
I don't take it seriously
290
00:16:09,403 --> 00:16:10,839
until it's happening to me.
291
00:16:10,970 --> 00:16:14,277
I think this thing left
a message on the Ouija board.
292
00:16:16,192 --> 00:16:19,413
I don't give a fuck what that
thing says on the Ouija board.
293
00:16:19,543 --> 00:16:21,328
What do you do if you actually
have proof
294
00:16:21,458 --> 00:16:22,372
of a demon in your house?
295
00:16:22,503 --> 00:16:23,591
Like, what would you do?
296
00:16:23,721 --> 00:16:25,462
What the hell
are you doing, Micah?
297
00:16:25,593 --> 00:16:27,508
A huge part of what horror
is about
298
00:16:27,638 --> 00:16:30,380
is exploring the shadow--
the collective shadow
299
00:16:30,511 --> 00:16:31,860
and the personal shadow
for the people
300
00:16:31,991 --> 00:16:33,427
who are creating the film.
301
00:16:33,557 --> 00:16:38,432
By making horror movies,
not only can we allow ourselves
302
00:16:38,562 --> 00:16:41,783
to explore the shadow
in a safe and controlled way,
303
00:16:41,913 --> 00:16:43,350
but we can actually
resonate with it
304
00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,308
so that we feel like
we're not alone.
305
00:16:45,439 --> 00:16:47,180
Katie!
306
00:16:50,357 --> 00:16:51,793
The movie still scares me
307
00:16:51,923 --> 00:16:55,666
because the way that the timing
and the scares work,
308
00:16:55,797 --> 00:16:58,278
even though I know
that I've seen it, I'm in it,
309
00:16:58,408 --> 00:16:59,148
it still works.
310
00:17:04,023 --> 00:17:07,461
Paranormal Activity
utilized digital technology
311
00:17:07,591 --> 00:17:10,029
to create a uniquely
intimate horror
312
00:17:10,159 --> 00:17:14,511
and has been terrifying viewers
since it opened.
313
00:17:14,642 --> 00:17:16,600
It has made
a staggering amount of money,
314
00:17:16,731 --> 00:17:20,300
$200 million worldwide.
315
00:17:20,430 --> 00:17:23,781
With a starting budget
of $15,000,
316
00:17:23,912 --> 00:17:26,784
it was one of the best
investments in movie history
317
00:17:26,915 --> 00:17:27,829
and the envy of Hollywood.
318
00:17:45,847 --> 00:17:47,022
One of the reasons
I love horror
319
00:17:47,153 --> 00:17:49,938
is being able to kind of
express trauma and pain
320
00:17:50,069 --> 00:17:53,376
and model worst-case scenarios.
321
00:17:53,507 --> 00:17:55,422
Jason, watch out!
322
00:18:00,122 --> 00:18:02,951
So whether by accident
or design,
323
00:18:03,082 --> 00:18:07,608
horror films form a conduit
between extreme ideas in society
324
00:18:07,738 --> 00:18:10,611
and the mainstream
into the minds of the people
325
00:18:10,741 --> 00:18:13,527
who enjoy just sitting at their
multiplex on a Saturday night,
326
00:18:13,657 --> 00:18:16,356
munching popcorn
and being scared.
327
00:18:21,187 --> 00:18:25,582
But on the morning
of September 11, 2001,
328
00:18:25,713 --> 00:18:28,194
America woke up
to a completely new world.
329
00:18:33,982 --> 00:18:37,768
September 11th was
the deadliest terrorist attack
330
00:18:37,899 --> 00:18:40,641
in U.S. history.
331
00:18:40,771 --> 00:18:42,730
Nearly 3,000 people were killed,
332
00:18:42,860 --> 00:18:45,820
and tens of thousands
were left injured.
333
00:18:45,950 --> 00:18:49,780
This devastating event
unfolded in real time
334
00:18:49,911 --> 00:18:51,521
on cable news.
335
00:18:58,441 --> 00:19:00,008
The visuals,
336
00:19:00,139 --> 00:19:02,924
many of them recorded
by witnesses to the event,
337
00:19:03,054 --> 00:19:04,404
were shocking...
338
00:19:06,101 --> 00:19:07,624
and unforgettable.
339
00:19:13,717 --> 00:19:19,245
America was living
a real-life horror film.
340
00:19:21,682 --> 00:19:23,945
Would you
make everyone aware
341
00:19:24,075 --> 00:19:27,644
that we're gonna be
seeing some tape?
342
00:19:27,775 --> 00:19:28,819
Holy shit.
343
00:19:28,950 --> 00:19:29,820
Jesus!
344
00:19:42,181 --> 00:19:43,486
But what came down, though?
What came down?
345
00:19:43,617 --> 00:19:45,923
It crashed. The other Trade
Center's down. It's down.
346
00:19:46,054 --> 00:19:47,490
- It's down?
- It's down.
347
00:19:47,621 --> 00:19:53,235
Some guys armed with box knives
had managed to strike
348
00:19:53,366 --> 00:19:56,499
at the heart of the most
technologically superior nation
349
00:19:56,630 --> 00:19:57,718
on earth.
350
00:19:58,806 --> 00:20:05,116
They brought down a symbol of
America's pride, its dominance.
351
00:20:05,247 --> 00:20:07,641
And the world
has never been the same,
352
00:20:07,771 --> 00:20:10,121
because there was
an illusion shattered.
353
00:20:10,252 --> 00:20:12,950
- Go! Move! Get going!
- Let's go!
354
00:20:13,081 --> 00:20:14,604
Aah!
355
00:20:18,042 --> 00:20:20,784
9/11 changed everything.
356
00:20:20,915 --> 00:20:24,788
We're seeing more, you know,
horrible things on the news.
357
00:20:29,750 --> 00:20:31,795
Like, we're watching
the towers falling,
358
00:20:31,926 --> 00:20:34,145
watching the people
on the street reacting.
359
00:20:36,713 --> 00:20:39,890
We're not gonna turn
the camera away from this stuff.
360
00:20:40,021 --> 00:20:42,589
So after 9/11, man,
361
00:20:42,719 --> 00:20:45,244
you just-- you're just getting
uglier and darker.
362
00:20:45,374 --> 00:20:48,899
And, you know,
Jason coming at you with an ax,
363
00:20:49,030 --> 00:20:51,380
you know, it just--
it just won't do it anymore.
364
00:20:53,861 --> 00:20:57,604
9-11 really did change that
generation of horror movies.
365
00:21:01,956 --> 00:21:05,089
They were all impacted by 9/11.
366
00:21:09,485 --> 00:21:12,706
After 9/11, we made changes
to our draft
367
00:21:12,836 --> 00:21:15,752
of Final Destination 2
because the world had changed
368
00:21:15,883 --> 00:21:17,450
and now we weren't living
in the world
369
00:21:17,580 --> 00:21:21,758
where only teenagers go off
to get killed in horror movies.
370
00:21:21,889 --> 00:21:23,151
We were like,
"No, this has got to be adults.
371
00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:27,111
There's got to be people
you know-- mothers, fathers,
372
00:21:27,242 --> 00:21:31,159
you know, police,
guys with jobs, teachers,
373
00:21:31,290 --> 00:21:34,336
relatable people, the people
who were in the tower.
374
00:21:34,467 --> 00:21:35,946
That's who is gonna die
in this movie.
375
00:21:36,077 --> 00:21:37,905
I don't want to die!
376
00:21:40,777 --> 00:21:43,302
Aah! Aah! Aah!
377
00:21:43,432 --> 00:21:47,306
That angst that we all felt
that was too real--
378
00:21:47,436 --> 00:21:49,438
we wanted our story
to reflect it.
379
00:21:49,569 --> 00:21:52,485
We wanted to capture the
horrible shit that was going on.
380
00:21:56,271 --> 00:21:59,622
You know, just after 9/11
was a crazy place to be.
381
00:21:59,753 --> 00:22:01,842
And some of those fears
382
00:22:01,972 --> 00:22:04,627
translated themselves
into horror movies.
383
00:22:04,758 --> 00:22:07,761
We have the unfortunate
era of torture porn,
384
00:22:07,891 --> 00:22:10,807
where hatred and violence
were really kind of,
385
00:22:10,938 --> 00:22:12,722
like, worked through
on the screen.
386
00:22:12,853 --> 00:22:15,029
I think, you know,
that what was going on
387
00:22:15,159 --> 00:22:19,947
in Guantanamo and the U.S.
government's affirmation
388
00:22:20,077 --> 00:22:22,819
that torture was
an acceptable response--
389
00:22:22,950 --> 00:22:26,214
that kind of opened
the floodgates
390
00:22:26,345 --> 00:22:30,349
for people's personal fantasies.
391
00:22:30,479 --> 00:22:33,047
As America reeled
from the terrorist attacks
392
00:22:33,177 --> 00:22:36,355
on September 11th,
people lined up in droves
393
00:22:36,485 --> 00:22:40,924
to watch ultraviolent films
like Hostel and Saw.
394
00:22:41,055 --> 00:22:47,235
The Saw movies are about
getting vengeance on the people
395
00:22:47,366 --> 00:22:52,153
that you have decided don't fit
your vision of society.
396
00:22:57,114 --> 00:23:01,118
And I don't think that would
have flown before 9/11,
397
00:23:01,249 --> 00:23:03,251
but when you're in this context
398
00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:05,122
where you're being asked
to kind of, like, you know,
399
00:23:05,253 --> 00:23:06,733
watch your neighbor, judge--
400
00:23:06,863 --> 00:23:08,430
are they being
a good American?--
401
00:23:08,561 --> 00:23:12,391
that is a kind of precursor to
encouraging vigilante justice.
402
00:23:17,787 --> 00:23:19,223
People ask me sometimes
how I feel
403
00:23:19,354 --> 00:23:21,400
about the violence in Saw.
404
00:23:21,530 --> 00:23:23,837
I'm much more concerned
about the real violence
405
00:23:23,967 --> 00:23:27,797
in the world than I am about
fictional violence.
406
00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,808
When I think about it, the thing
that scares me the most
407
00:23:38,939 --> 00:23:42,246
is our inability
to learn from our mistakes.
408
00:23:42,377 --> 00:23:44,901
You will not replace us!
409
00:23:48,209 --> 00:23:49,906
A mob is a mob.
410
00:23:52,213 --> 00:23:57,653
And a mob can turn against you
as easily as someone else.
411
00:24:18,761 --> 00:24:21,111
Oh! Aah! Aah!
412
00:24:23,723 --> 00:24:25,594
Aah!
413
00:24:30,773 --> 00:24:33,820
Join us! Women, join us!
414
00:24:43,569 --> 00:24:45,571
Since the dawn of cinema,
415
00:24:45,701 --> 00:24:48,225
horror movies
have always reflected
416
00:24:48,356 --> 00:24:51,751
and sometimes
exploited societal trends.
417
00:24:51,881 --> 00:24:53,535
Good shot.
418
00:24:53,666 --> 00:24:57,321
Perhaps none more so than
the victimization of women.
419
00:24:57,452 --> 00:24:59,541
Brother and sister.
420
00:24:59,672 --> 00:25:02,022
The presence
of female filmmakers
421
00:25:02,152 --> 00:25:04,459
crafting their own stories
422
00:25:04,590 --> 00:25:06,592
is a trend
that's been long overdue.
423
00:25:12,249 --> 00:25:14,948
By the mid-to-late 2010's,
424
00:25:15,078 --> 00:25:19,039
a lot of people who had been
denied their voices for so long
425
00:25:19,169 --> 00:25:20,910
really reached boiling point.
426
00:25:21,041 --> 00:25:22,303
The White House resident...
427
00:25:22,433 --> 00:25:23,652
...is not my president!
428
00:25:23,783 --> 00:25:26,916
We need a leader,
not a creepy Tweeter!
429
00:25:27,047 --> 00:25:29,005
So you have the MeToo movement
430
00:25:29,136 --> 00:25:32,531
where women's anger
just erupted.
431
00:25:32,661 --> 00:25:36,099
You know, years and years
and years of being put down,
432
00:25:36,230 --> 00:25:41,844
mansplained to, groped,
denied a place, silenced--
433
00:25:41,975 --> 00:25:42,758
we'd had enough.
434
00:25:45,674 --> 00:25:48,938
The Women's March
in January 2017...
435
00:25:53,377 --> 00:25:55,989
...you know, in one way,
it was a celebration of women.
436
00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:59,819
But it was also a kind
of planting the flag
437
00:25:59,949 --> 00:26:02,561
and saying,
"We are now concerned
438
00:26:02,691 --> 00:26:04,040
that the rights
that we've worked so hard
439
00:26:04,171 --> 00:26:08,044
to obtain over many, many years
could be pushed back."
440
00:26:13,223 --> 00:26:15,835
We are fighting
for our lives, people.
441
00:26:15,965 --> 00:26:17,750
Since we've had
the MeToo movement
442
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,405
within the past couple of years,
we've seen a lot of female films
443
00:26:21,536 --> 00:26:24,278
coming out, directed by females,
about females,
444
00:26:24,408 --> 00:26:26,280
telling the female experience.
445
00:26:26,410 --> 00:26:27,977
We've had The Babadook,
446
00:26:28,108 --> 00:26:31,067
touching
on a 40-year-old mother,
447
00:26:31,198 --> 00:26:33,461
which was a demographic
that previously did not get
448
00:26:33,592 --> 00:26:35,376
a lot of play in horror films.
449
00:26:35,506 --> 00:26:37,030
We've had films
like The Relic.
450
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,598
We've had Revenge come out.
451
00:26:39,728 --> 00:26:43,036
All of these films
are confronting female problems
452
00:26:43,166 --> 00:26:45,255
that were previously
never discussed in horror films.
453
00:26:55,091 --> 00:26:58,617
Women make up 55%
of the horror audience.
454
00:26:58,747 --> 00:27:01,097
Horror, particularly
slasher films,
455
00:27:01,228 --> 00:27:04,144
plays upon the fears
of the woman alone
456
00:27:04,274 --> 00:27:06,102
and how we're always taught
that we have to be ready
457
00:27:06,233 --> 00:27:08,235
to defend ourselves
at any moment.
458
00:27:08,365 --> 00:27:10,759
It plays upon the fears
of why we carry our keys
459
00:27:10,890 --> 00:27:14,110
between our fingers
as we're walking to our car.
460
00:27:14,241 --> 00:27:18,158
So I think it's this safe
removal that is very important
461
00:27:18,288 --> 00:27:21,204
to the women who are
horror audience aficionados.
462
00:27:21,335 --> 00:27:24,294
They get the opportunity to live
through the protagonists
463
00:27:24,425 --> 00:27:27,428
of the film and all the anger
and all the pissed-off-ness
464
00:27:27,558 --> 00:27:30,605
that is built up as all
her friends have been killed,
465
00:27:30,736 --> 00:27:32,781
probably her boyfriend's
been killed,
466
00:27:32,912 --> 00:27:35,218
and I think that women just have
a lot of pent-up anger.
467
00:27:35,349 --> 00:27:37,264
And to get to let go like that,
468
00:27:37,394 --> 00:27:40,659
to get the opportunity
to beat up the slasher,
469
00:27:40,789 --> 00:27:42,791
to beat up the monster
and even to kill them...
470
00:27:45,054 --> 00:27:46,534
is very appealing.
471
00:27:46,665 --> 00:27:50,538
As a female in horror,
especially a female horror fan,
472
00:27:50,669 --> 00:27:54,324
when I was a kid, there were
very few females in horror films
473
00:27:54,455 --> 00:27:56,413
that I would identify with.
474
00:27:56,544 --> 00:27:59,460
Some of those earlier
horror films are like,
475
00:27:59,590 --> 00:28:02,811
"Really? Like, now you're gonna
take a shower?"
476
00:28:08,295 --> 00:28:11,385
But now what we're seeing
is real females on screen.
477
00:28:11,515 --> 00:28:14,170
We're seeing movies
about being a female,
478
00:28:14,301 --> 00:28:17,391
and she's not being put up
on a pedestal as "the" female.
479
00:28:17,521 --> 00:28:20,220
She just happens to be a female.
480
00:28:20,350 --> 00:28:22,831
And we see this really come
to a forefront with Halloween.
481
00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:26,313
Happy Halloween, Michael.
482
00:28:38,325 --> 00:28:40,457
Laurie Strode
is the ultimate final girl
483
00:28:40,588 --> 00:28:42,808
because she's lost her fear.
484
00:28:47,334 --> 00:28:51,294
She's faced her fear,
and she's still facing it,
485
00:28:51,425 --> 00:28:53,732
and now she is like mama bear.
486
00:28:53,862 --> 00:28:57,083
She's very much trying
to protect her family.
487
00:28:57,213 --> 00:28:59,041
All right,
pick your poison.
488
00:28:59,172 --> 00:29:02,958
Halloween became
such a successful franchise
489
00:29:03,089 --> 00:29:05,831
because of Jamie Lee Curtis.
490
00:29:09,878 --> 00:29:12,751
I mean, she was a normal girl,
491
00:29:12,881 --> 00:29:16,406
and that's
what terrified people.
492
00:29:19,714 --> 00:29:22,673
The biggest rule to have any
type of a sustainable franchise
493
00:29:22,804 --> 00:29:26,895
in any decade is your franchise
has to be able to evolve.
494
00:29:27,026 --> 00:29:29,637
You have to be able to take
the original concept
495
00:29:29,768 --> 00:29:33,293
and reapply it to different
generations of people.
496
00:29:33,423 --> 00:29:37,471
You have to be willing to morph
it into where society is heading
497
00:29:37,601 --> 00:29:39,734
if you want it to have
any type of longevity.
498
00:29:39,865 --> 00:29:42,519
In the original Halloween,
499
00:29:42,650 --> 00:29:45,305
Laurie Strode is being chased.
500
00:29:45,435 --> 00:29:51,267
She's being stalked and hunted,
and in the 2018 Halloween,
501
00:29:51,398 --> 00:29:54,923
she's very much, like,
preparing herself to fight.
502
00:30:01,930 --> 00:30:05,238
She is raw, but she is focused.
503
00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:09,938
She's misunderstood,
but she is focused.
504
00:30:14,464 --> 00:30:17,641
You know, there's nothing worse
than being misunderstood.
505
00:30:17,772 --> 00:30:21,820
People think your motives
are something when they're not.
506
00:30:21,950 --> 00:30:24,648
It's-- that's--
that will drive you insane.
507
00:30:24,779 --> 00:30:29,131
That's a recipe
for making you feel crazy.
508
00:30:29,262 --> 00:30:30,263
And she's not crazy.
509
00:30:30,393 --> 00:30:33,440
Say goodbye to Michael
and get over it.
510
00:30:33,570 --> 00:30:36,573
If the way
I raised your mother
511
00:30:36,704 --> 00:30:38,097
means that she hates me...
512
00:30:40,882 --> 00:30:44,233
but that she's prepared
for the horrors of this world,
513
00:30:44,364 --> 00:30:46,235
then...
514
00:30:46,366 --> 00:30:47,933
I can live with that.
515
00:30:48,063 --> 00:30:51,327
So this is now a woman who's
been a pinball her whole life,
516
00:30:51,458 --> 00:30:53,460
banging around
a pinball machine,
517
00:30:53,590 --> 00:30:56,898
banging into people,
literally banging into men
518
00:30:57,029 --> 00:31:00,859
and institutions with no care,
no love, no attention,
519
00:31:00,989 --> 00:31:04,514
no mental health support, nothing.
520
00:31:04,645 --> 00:31:07,561
And it yields a warrior.
521
00:31:07,691 --> 00:31:10,564
It yields the woman we meet
in the 2018 movie,
522
00:31:10,694 --> 00:31:12,174
which is why it's so good.
523
00:31:12,305 --> 00:31:15,482
She has spent her whole
adult life preparing for this
524
00:31:15,612 --> 00:31:18,354
so that she is ready
when he comes back.
525
00:31:18,485 --> 00:31:21,401
And she's the only one
who thinks he will come back.
526
00:31:21,531 --> 00:31:23,882
She's the only one who really,
truly knows Michael.
527
00:31:39,549 --> 00:31:43,336
The thing about Jamie Lee Curtis
that's so inspiring
528
00:31:43,466 --> 00:31:46,034
is just how she throws her
entire self into something.
529
00:31:48,907 --> 00:31:52,171
She's been kind of telling
this story her whole life.
530
00:32:00,179 --> 00:32:03,356
When we saw the premiere,
people fucking lost their minds,
531
00:32:03,486 --> 00:32:05,488
and I was like...
532
00:32:05,619 --> 00:32:07,316
It was so cool.
533
00:32:07,447 --> 00:32:11,407
Halloween 2018
was released on October 21st,
534
00:32:11,538 --> 00:32:13,496
and if I'm not mistaken,
535
00:32:13,627 --> 00:32:18,327
those first women who went
on the record for Ronan Farrow
536
00:32:18,458 --> 00:32:20,939
happened at the beginning
of October.
537
00:32:21,069 --> 00:32:27,336
So the collision between women
all around the world,
538
00:32:27,467 --> 00:32:30,818
as soon as that first woman
said "yes"--
539
00:32:30,949 --> 00:32:33,603
boom,
it was now a tidal wave.
540
00:32:33,734 --> 00:32:37,825
And it sort of catapulted
our little slasher film
541
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:42,612
about female trauma
into a much bigger conversation.
542
00:32:42,743 --> 00:32:45,876
New York magazine
did a cover story,
543
00:32:46,007 --> 00:32:50,490
and Entertainment Weekly did
a cover story on Halloween.
544
00:32:51,447 --> 00:32:53,841
The development of Laurie's
character over the years
545
00:32:53,972 --> 00:32:57,497
reflects the development
of feminism over the years.
546
00:32:57,627 --> 00:33:00,543
Laurie was always
an action hero,
547
00:33:00,674 --> 00:33:04,634
but she was a little bit more
of a victim back in those days.
548
00:33:04,765 --> 00:33:08,029
Now she's playing
the character years later.
549
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:12,164
There's a depth to her character
now that I'm impressed with.
550
00:33:15,950 --> 00:33:18,735
Aah! Aah! Aah!
551
00:33:21,173 --> 00:33:23,653
Laurie Strode has definitely
changed throughout the years.
552
00:33:23,784 --> 00:33:27,048
She's found herself,
she's found her voice,
553
00:33:27,179 --> 00:33:30,660
she's found her power, and she
takes no fucking bullshit,
554
00:33:30,791 --> 00:33:31,966
hundred percent.
555
00:33:32,097 --> 00:33:36,492
She's kicking ass now
and taking names.
556
00:33:36,623 --> 00:33:38,146
Come on, Michael.
557
00:33:49,766 --> 00:33:53,335
American culture and
Hollywood have too slowly come
558
00:33:53,466 --> 00:33:57,209
to recognize and value
the power and importance
559
00:33:57,339 --> 00:33:58,384
of diverse voices.
560
00:34:01,952 --> 00:34:04,651
But as more and more
inexcusable acts
561
00:34:04,781 --> 00:34:08,524
of racially motivated violence
have been captured on video,
562
00:34:08,655 --> 00:34:11,832
the cries to recognize
the real-life horrors of racism
563
00:34:11,962 --> 00:34:13,355
have only grown,
564
00:34:13,486 --> 00:34:16,054
and the film industry
has been challenged
565
00:34:16,184 --> 00:34:17,925
to be a part of that reckoning.
566
00:34:28,588 --> 00:34:31,852
I can't breathe!
I can't breathe!
567
00:34:31,982 --> 00:34:33,680
George Floyd's death
568
00:34:33,810 --> 00:34:35,725
at the hands of Minneapolis
police officers
569
00:34:35,856 --> 00:34:38,815
has sparked angry protests
all across the country.
570
00:34:38,946 --> 00:34:40,295
We will get justice.
571
00:34:41,470 --> 00:34:43,559
Protesters and police
are clashing
572
00:34:43,690 --> 00:34:44,952
in Louisville, Kentucky.
573
00:34:45,083 --> 00:34:46,736
The National Guard is on alert,
574
00:34:46,867 --> 00:34:49,609
and the city
is under a mandatory curfew
575
00:34:49,739 --> 00:34:53,047
after a grand jury decided not
to indict three police officers
576
00:34:53,178 --> 00:34:54,309
in the shooting death
of Breonna Taylor.
577
00:35:04,928 --> 00:35:07,453
Run! Run! Run! Run!
578
00:35:13,894 --> 00:35:16,723
2020 was a really,
really difficult year
579
00:35:16,853 --> 00:35:18,333
for a lot of reasons.
580
00:35:18,464 --> 00:35:19,552
You know, we had the pandemic,
581
00:35:19,682 --> 00:35:21,597
We had this very
problematic presidency,
582
00:35:21,728 --> 00:35:24,948
and we also had the summer
of George Floyd.
583
00:35:25,079 --> 00:35:26,254
And not just George Floyd.
584
00:35:26,385 --> 00:35:28,909
I mean, there were
other police killings.
585
00:35:29,039 --> 00:35:32,217
George Floyd
took the center stage.
586
00:35:36,743 --> 00:35:39,659
And this-- this...
587
00:35:39,789 --> 00:35:41,530
It's hard to explain
what it's like
588
00:35:41,661 --> 00:35:43,402
when one of these
police killings happens.
589
00:35:45,621 --> 00:35:48,189
It could have been us, right?
It could be your son.
590
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:49,625
It could be your father,
your brother,
591
00:35:49,756 --> 00:35:51,236
your uncle, your mother.
592
00:35:51,366 --> 00:35:54,543
If you read the reports, there's
no rhyme or reason sometimes
593
00:35:54,674 --> 00:35:56,154
to who gets brutalized
or murdered by police.
594
00:36:01,942 --> 00:36:05,946
So when you're doing a horror
set out of a Black experience,
595
00:36:06,076 --> 00:36:08,644
there's a very special
relationship with violence
596
00:36:08,775 --> 00:36:10,994
that I think Black creators
and Black audiences
597
00:36:11,125 --> 00:36:12,953
have to be aware of.
598
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:23,224
Holy shit.
599
00:36:23,355 --> 00:36:25,487
One of the things
I always wanted to do
600
00:36:25,618 --> 00:36:27,185
with The First Purge,
601
00:36:27,315 --> 00:36:29,665
I wanted to give it authenticity
602
00:36:29,796 --> 00:36:31,363
and give it
a real, real groundedness,
603
00:36:31,493 --> 00:36:33,539
but also feel scary.
604
00:36:37,847 --> 00:36:39,806
The Charlottesville thing
that happened in Virginia,
605
00:36:39,936 --> 00:36:42,156
those guys came out
with the tiki torches
606
00:36:42,287 --> 00:36:43,766
and Confederate flags.
607
00:36:43,897 --> 00:36:46,334
You will not replace us!
608
00:36:46,465 --> 00:36:49,207
People that have any type
of hatred or evilness
609
00:36:49,337 --> 00:36:50,817
would come out during that time,
610
00:36:50,947 --> 00:36:52,688
so I kind of put that
into the film.
611
00:36:52,819 --> 00:36:54,734
This is real,
and it was super important
612
00:36:54,864 --> 00:36:56,997
to display what was happening.
613
00:37:02,785 --> 00:37:06,528
Purge night-- to get out
all of your violence,
614
00:37:06,659 --> 00:37:08,661
to completely solve
the world of crime.
615
00:37:08,791 --> 00:37:11,925
One night a year,
you can do whatever you want.
616
00:37:12,055 --> 00:37:15,711
All crime becomes legal, but you
don't have to partake in it.
617
00:37:15,842 --> 00:37:17,844
If you want to go
hole yourself up in your house
618
00:37:17,974 --> 00:37:21,108
and just let it ride out,
that's fine.
619
00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:23,763
But that does not mean that
it's not gonna come to you.
620
00:37:23,893 --> 00:37:25,895
That does not mean somebody's
not going to bust down your door
621
00:37:26,026 --> 00:37:28,724
and try to kill you.
622
00:37:33,381 --> 00:37:37,820
I love The Purge series,
and The First Purge,
623
00:37:37,951 --> 00:37:40,693
which is really sort of the
Black horror take on The Purge,
624
00:37:40,823 --> 00:37:43,957
it's about anger
toward marginalized communities
625
00:37:44,087 --> 00:37:44,827
and trying to keep people out...
626
00:37:51,965 --> 00:37:53,575
and trying to keep America pure.
627
00:37:56,012 --> 00:37:57,884
Some of the scenes
are hard to watch.
628
00:37:58,014 --> 00:38:00,060
You know, it's--
it's-- it's-- those--
629
00:38:00,190 --> 00:38:01,496
when those neo-Nazis are
marching in the neighborhood,
630
00:38:01,627 --> 00:38:04,282
that's a scary sight,
especially because it felt like
631
00:38:04,412 --> 00:38:06,414
it could break out
at any minute.
632
00:38:07,850 --> 00:38:09,678
It does look like prophecy.
633
00:38:09,809 --> 00:38:12,768
You know, 2020 could be
easily predicted
634
00:38:12,899 --> 00:38:15,728
by the years leading up to 2020, right?
635
00:38:15,858 --> 00:38:19,819
So, yes, there was this sense
of unease
636
00:38:19,949 --> 00:38:24,867
when you have open marches,
neo-Nazi marches
637
00:38:24,998 --> 00:38:29,002
that are not immediately
denounced by the White House.
638
00:38:29,132 --> 00:38:32,788
The First Purge definitely
felt like they were broadcasting
639
00:38:32,919 --> 00:38:34,573
what was to come in 2020.
640
00:38:34,703 --> 00:38:36,401
Do not purge!
641
00:38:36,531 --> 00:38:39,708
This is the Minnesota
State Patrol.
642
00:38:39,839 --> 00:38:41,362
You are in violation...
643
00:38:41,493 --> 00:38:44,017
The Purge-- the story
that stuck with me most,
644
00:38:44,147 --> 00:38:46,976
I would say, is Dmitri being
the hero for his community.
645
00:38:47,107 --> 00:38:49,196
You know, it was a Black man
standing up for his neighborhood
646
00:38:49,327 --> 00:38:50,850
despite what you thought of him.
647
00:38:50,980 --> 00:38:53,809
So telling that story really
was, like, important to me.
648
00:38:58,901 --> 00:39:00,860
And I wanted to bring
a whole new perspective
649
00:39:00,990 --> 00:39:03,297
to the first franchise because
I felt like it was needed,
650
00:39:03,428 --> 00:39:05,821
and, like, I think Brown
and Black people
651
00:39:05,952 --> 00:39:07,170
have always been
a fan of the franchise,
652
00:39:07,301 --> 00:39:08,476
and they've had two characters
in the movies,
653
00:39:08,607 --> 00:39:11,392
but in terms of Black characters
leading the way
654
00:39:11,523 --> 00:39:13,655
in fighting against the Purge,
we had never seen that.
655
00:39:13,786 --> 00:39:16,179
This is our home.
656
00:39:16,310 --> 00:39:19,313
So let's show these white-haired
motherfuckers
657
00:39:19,444 --> 00:39:21,315
never to fuck
with our island again.
658
00:39:21,446 --> 00:39:24,927
Horror has such a fan base
among Black
659
00:39:25,058 --> 00:39:27,408
and, really,
a lot of marginalized viewers.
660
00:39:27,539 --> 00:39:31,760
That image on the screen touches
something very deeply in us
661
00:39:31,891 --> 00:39:34,981
that represents rage,
fear, trauma.
662
00:39:35,111 --> 00:39:36,852
The monsters on the screen
663
00:39:36,983 --> 00:39:40,987
represent the real-life
boogeyman in your life,
664
00:39:41,117 --> 00:39:42,554
but from a safe distance
665
00:39:42,684 --> 00:39:45,774
and gives us an opportunity
to at least fight back
666
00:39:45,905 --> 00:39:47,820
and sometimes gives us
a chance to win.
667
00:39:53,173 --> 00:39:55,828
I think if you want
to find a cinema
668
00:39:55,958 --> 00:40:00,049
that really reflects
what America is all about,
669
00:40:00,180 --> 00:40:02,051
you got to look
at its horror films.
670
00:40:06,012 --> 00:40:07,796
'Cause that's what really
digs deep.
671
00:40:16,370 --> 00:40:21,375
Get Out was--
it was a breath of fresh air.
672
00:40:21,506 --> 00:40:23,943
It is the perfect
Black horror film.
673
00:40:24,073 --> 00:40:27,337
Actor, comedian,
and filmmaker Jordan Peele
674
00:40:27,468 --> 00:40:30,950
was inspired to write a horror
film with comic undertones,
675
00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:34,910
with similar pacing
and unexpected scares
676
00:40:35,041 --> 00:40:40,786
reminiscent of the 1975 classic
The Stepford Wives.
677
00:40:40,916 --> 00:40:43,745
For Peele, the sunken place
678
00:40:43,876 --> 00:40:46,879
represents
the suppression of minorities
679
00:40:47,009 --> 00:40:49,795
and the silencing
of their voices.
680
00:40:49,925 --> 00:40:52,493
You know,
as an African American,
681
00:40:52,624 --> 00:40:54,843
the opening of that, you know,
there have been times
682
00:40:54,974 --> 00:40:57,063
when I got off
at the wrong bus stop
683
00:40:57,193 --> 00:40:59,892
and I'm walking through
a white neighborhood
684
00:41:00,022 --> 00:41:03,025
and every car that drives by,
you know,
685
00:41:03,156 --> 00:41:06,115
I'm a little worried by.
686
00:41:06,246 --> 00:41:09,945
It's happened to me
many times in my life.
687
00:41:20,739 --> 00:41:23,568
You know, working with Jordan
was, like, hands down,
688
00:41:23,698 --> 00:41:26,005
one of the best experiences
of my life.
689
00:41:26,135 --> 00:41:29,095
I've never worked with somebody
so confident
690
00:41:29,225 --> 00:41:31,401
in what it is
that they had to present.
691
00:41:31,532 --> 00:41:37,016
I kind of felt stuck in the idea
that, like, I'm playing Roman,
692
00:41:37,146 --> 00:41:38,191
but I'm Walter.
693
00:41:38,321 --> 00:41:40,410
I'm Roman playing Walter.
694
00:41:40,541 --> 00:41:43,805
So, you know, he-- he really
gave me, like, great advice
695
00:41:43,936 --> 00:41:45,198
about keeping the secret.
696
00:41:45,328 --> 00:41:46,634
I know who you are.
697
00:41:48,331 --> 00:41:49,637
She is lovely, isn't she?
698
00:41:51,944 --> 00:41:52,988
Rose?
699
00:41:54,947 --> 00:41:56,165
Yes, she is.
700
00:41:56,296 --> 00:41:57,819
One of a kind.
701
00:41:57,950 --> 00:42:00,692
Top of the line.
702
00:42:00,822 --> 00:42:02,868
A real doggone keeper.
703
00:42:05,784 --> 00:42:07,002
Right.
704
00:42:07,133 --> 00:42:10,353
One of the best moments
that I had on set
705
00:42:10,484 --> 00:42:12,921
was where Chris wakes up,
706
00:42:13,052 --> 00:42:16,403
and he goes downstairs,
and he passes by the kitchen.
707
00:42:16,534 --> 00:42:19,580
Betty wasn't part of that scene,
but she passed by,
708
00:42:19,711 --> 00:42:24,977
and Jordan jumped up like,
"Oh, my God. Go get Betty."
709
00:42:25,107 --> 00:42:30,025
He saw the-- the-- the vision
to be able to see the granny
710
00:42:30,156 --> 00:42:32,027
go right behind him,
711
00:42:32,158 --> 00:42:36,554
and-- and, like-- oh, man,
like, I felt, like,
712
00:42:36,684 --> 00:42:38,251
oh, man, I got bumps
thinking about it right now.
713
00:42:41,559 --> 00:42:43,169
My favorite scene in Get Out
714
00:42:43,299 --> 00:42:45,258
is where he's asking
for the keys.
715
00:42:45,388 --> 00:42:48,043
Said, "Give me the keys, Rose.
Where are the keys?"
716
00:42:48,174 --> 00:42:49,741
Rose, the keys.
717
00:42:49,871 --> 00:42:52,004
Looking.
718
00:42:52,134 --> 00:42:54,006
I'm like, "Rose ain't giving you
them damn keys."
719
00:42:54,136 --> 00:42:55,224
Where are those keys, Rose?
720
00:43:00,012 --> 00:43:02,014
You know I can't give you
the keys, right, babe?
721
00:43:02,144 --> 00:43:05,408
I mean, the Black man
literally says, "Get out."
722
00:43:05,539 --> 00:43:08,368
- Get out.
- You okay?
723
00:43:08,498 --> 00:43:09,412
Sorry, man.
724
00:43:09,543 --> 00:43:11,240
- Okay.
- Get out!
725
00:43:11,371 --> 00:43:13,112
- Yo!
- Go!
726
00:43:13,242 --> 00:43:15,157
- Yo, chill, man. Chill!
- Get out!
727
00:43:15,288 --> 00:43:17,203
- Chill! Chill, man! Chill!
- Get out of here!
728
00:43:17,333 --> 00:43:19,379
- Get the fuck out of here!
- Chill!
729
00:43:21,076 --> 00:43:22,121
You're all right now.
730
00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,256
You're all right.
You're all right.
731
00:43:27,387 --> 00:43:30,433
When all the Black people
are weird as fuck,
732
00:43:30,564 --> 00:43:31,870
you got to get out of Dodge.
733
00:43:38,093 --> 00:43:41,096
It's the picture
of what it feels like to be,
734
00:43:41,227 --> 00:43:44,143
as Jordan Peele calls it,
the only one in the room.
735
00:43:44,273 --> 00:43:46,449
Chris was just telling me how he
felt much more comfortable
736
00:43:46,580 --> 00:43:48,800
with my being here.
737
00:43:48,930 --> 00:43:53,282
And also, it speaks to the--
the natural sort of distrust
738
00:43:53,413 --> 00:43:56,416
and unease that sometimes
Black people feel
739
00:43:56,546 --> 00:43:58,418
when they enter
all-white spaces.
740
00:43:58,548 --> 00:44:01,334
It's not that everybody's
carrying a tiki torch
741
00:44:01,464 --> 00:44:04,163
or wearing a Klan hood
or anything like that,
742
00:44:04,293 --> 00:44:07,122
but you just don't know how
people feel about your presence
743
00:44:07,253 --> 00:44:08,733
on your street,
in your neighborhood.
744
00:44:09,908 --> 00:44:11,431
Sir, can I see
your license, please?
745
00:44:11,561 --> 00:44:12,867
Wait. Why?
746
00:44:12,998 --> 00:44:14,652
Yeah, I have state I.D.
747
00:44:14,782 --> 00:44:17,176
No, no, no.
He wasn't driving.
748
00:44:17,306 --> 00:44:20,135
I didn't ask who was driving.
I asked to see his I.D.
749
00:44:20,266 --> 00:44:23,530
So Get Out really highlights
that fear
750
00:44:23,661 --> 00:44:27,316
of isolation within whiteness,
and then, if it turns out
751
00:44:27,447 --> 00:44:28,883
they really are
plotting against you...
752
00:44:33,366 --> 00:44:36,064
like, maybe, deep down, you
were always worried they were...
753
00:44:36,195 --> 00:44:38,850
...that makes for a scary movie.
754
00:44:38,980 --> 00:44:40,634
Sink into the floor.
755
00:44:40,765 --> 00:44:42,157
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
- Sink.
756
00:44:46,988 --> 00:44:50,600
The main character
and his sense of finding out
757
00:44:50,731 --> 00:44:54,082
how betrayed he is-- it's about
the ultimate appropriation
758
00:44:54,213 --> 00:44:57,433
of not just your culture,
but of you.
759
00:44:57,564 --> 00:44:59,784
It was just brilliantly done.
760
00:45:02,308 --> 00:45:04,136
Racism is the monster,
so you not only have
761
00:45:04,266 --> 00:45:07,356
a Black protagonist, but
you have an anti-racist theme.
762
00:45:07,487 --> 00:45:09,532
That is the most
763
00:45:09,663 --> 00:45:11,709
easily recognizable
kind of Black horror,
764
00:45:11,839 --> 00:45:14,712
because in some ways
it's more about blackness.
765
00:45:14,842 --> 00:45:16,365
I really thought he was gonna
buy it at the end...
766
00:45:27,637 --> 00:45:30,728
...because you could see
that happening.
767
00:45:30,858 --> 00:45:33,165
You can see the police coming
and shooting him.
768
00:45:35,167 --> 00:45:36,255
Oh, shit!
769
00:45:36,385 --> 00:45:37,909
The fact that his friend
showed up,
770
00:45:38,039 --> 00:45:39,606
that was like, "Okay."
771
00:45:39,737 --> 00:45:41,521
That-- That made it all right.
772
00:45:44,524 --> 00:45:46,352
Chris!
773
00:45:46,482 --> 00:45:48,310
It was very effective.
774
00:45:48,441 --> 00:45:53,228
The most exciting thing
about Jordan Peele in horror
775
00:45:53,359 --> 00:45:55,187
is that he loves it.
776
00:45:55,317 --> 00:45:58,799
You can tell he's a fan.
You can tell he's studied it.
777
00:45:58,930 --> 00:46:01,236
The landscape for Black
filmmakers has been changed
778
00:46:01,367 --> 00:46:02,760
because of Get Out.
779
00:46:02,890 --> 00:46:04,674
Get Out is the perfect example
780
00:46:04,805 --> 00:46:07,155
of an idea
meeting the perfect time.
781
00:46:07,286 --> 00:46:11,420
Consider this situation
fucking handled.
782
00:46:11,551 --> 00:46:13,553
Movies like Get Out
and The Purge
783
00:46:13,683 --> 00:46:14,946
struck a chord with audiences
784
00:46:15,076 --> 00:46:18,558
because it spoke to something
in our culture.
785
00:46:18,688 --> 00:46:20,821
That's the fascinating
part about working in films.
786
00:46:20,952 --> 00:46:23,563
It's all a reflection of what we
are experiencing at the moment,
787
00:46:23,693 --> 00:46:26,000
and those can be really
scary places.
788
00:46:28,437 --> 00:46:30,048
- Aah!
- Aah.
789
00:46:38,447 --> 00:46:39,797
Horror movies
can help us deal
790
00:46:39,927 --> 00:46:43,583
with the real-life horror
around us.
791
00:46:43,713 --> 00:46:46,325
Good times, bad times--
people need entertainment,
792
00:46:46,455 --> 00:46:50,155
and in the bad times
they'll go see horror movies
793
00:46:50,285 --> 00:46:53,506
'cause they go, "Well, I lost
Uncle Joe to a pandemic,
794
00:46:53,636 --> 00:46:55,421
but at least I'm not getting
chased around with a chainsaw
795
00:46:55,551 --> 00:46:58,772
by that crazy guy
with a leather face."
796
00:46:58,903 --> 00:46:59,991
That's the cathartic nature sometimes.
797
00:47:00,121 --> 00:47:04,473
Give them horror where you go,
"Is it this bad?
798
00:47:04,604 --> 00:47:07,825
They go, "No.
No, my life isn't that bad.
799
00:47:07,955 --> 00:47:09,827
I guess everything's okay.
Where's the car parked?"
800
00:47:11,916 --> 00:47:13,961
I know exactly
where we're going.
801
00:47:14,092 --> 00:47:17,399
It's interesting to think about,
like, how horror will
802
00:47:17,530 --> 00:47:19,924
reshape itself post-pandemic.
803
00:47:20,054 --> 00:47:24,189
You know, you get the
horror that your time produces.
804
00:47:24,319 --> 00:47:26,931
The country's in a weird place
805
00:47:27,061 --> 00:47:28,497
and probably will be there
for some time,
806
00:47:28,628 --> 00:47:31,326
which will make for some really
interesting horror movies.
807
00:47:31,457 --> 00:47:34,155
Oh, my God!
808
00:47:34,286 --> 00:47:35,461
There are no rules anymore.
809
00:47:35,591 --> 00:47:36,897
I think one of the things
that we've learned
810
00:47:37,028 --> 00:47:38,290
in these last ten years
is that, if you break the rules,
811
00:47:38,420 --> 00:47:40,988
you're probably gonna end up
with something special.
812
00:47:41,119 --> 00:47:45,384
I really feel like horror
can have an important role
813
00:47:45,514 --> 00:47:47,255
in shaping the future
of Hollywood
814
00:47:47,386 --> 00:47:49,867
by diversifying our stories.
815
00:47:49,997 --> 00:47:53,522
Giving more voices opportunity
is something
816
00:47:53,653 --> 00:47:56,264
that's, like, gonna
make movies better.
817
00:47:56,395 --> 00:47:59,572
Fear is a very specific thing
to a person's experience.
818
00:47:59,702 --> 00:48:01,748
So if you can make me
really feel that character,
819
00:48:01,879 --> 00:48:05,578
doesn't matter if that character
is Black, white, Asian,
820
00:48:05,708 --> 00:48:06,274
you're gonna feel the horror.
821
00:48:10,626 --> 00:48:13,760
For nearly a century,
horror films have helped us
822
00:48:13,891 --> 00:48:18,373
process the unthinkable,
giving us imaginary monsters
823
00:48:18,504 --> 00:48:21,202
to deal with the real threats
that grip us.
824
00:48:21,333 --> 00:48:23,335
Oh, God! Oh, God!
825
00:48:27,730 --> 00:48:30,342
The next generation
of filmmakers will no doubt
826
00:48:30,472 --> 00:48:33,301
continue to elevate the genre
827
00:48:33,432 --> 00:48:36,000
and give us
all more nightmares.
828
00:48:37,610 --> 00:48:40,004
Aah! Aah! Aah!