by Ryan Stewart
“We’re making a zombie movie, but really they’re just hungry.”
– Larry Fessenden, producer
Despite the success of the Twilight franchise, real vampire movies are alive and well. I found out as much in November 2009, when, on behalf of SuicideGirls I took a drive up to Woodstock, NY, to visit the set of Stake Land, a low-budget horror film that eschews sparkly, boy-band vamps in favor of the more traditional, animalistic bloodsuckers we all know and love.
Writer/director Jim Mickle, who made the rounds a few years ago with his much talked-about indie-horror film Mulberry Street, is the brain behind the project, a road movie that takes place in a post-apocalyptic North America, years after a war between vampires and humans has left the entire continent in ruins and relegated survivors to a medieval existence, living hand-to-mouth and traveling together in tightly-formed, armed brigades.
Arriving at the set around lunchtime on one of the last days of shooting, I was quickly escorted to that day’s outdoor location, situated at the mouth of quaint covered bridge and surrounded by rolling hills and forests. Despite the film’s severe budget constraints, a heroic attempt was obviously being made by all to create a tone to match the epic feel of the script, which takes place over a number of years and essentially charts the decline of an entire civilization into vampire-induced chaos. Each of the actors and extras were appropriately grimy and dirty, wearing what looked like Salvation Army castoffs and sporting a variety of down-and-dirty weapons. As I hunkered down behind the camera to watch, a scene was rehearsed and performed several times in which the survivors are ushered through the checkpoint.
Taking part in the scene were lead actors Danielle Harris (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, H2) who plays Belle, a young, pregnant mother-figure to the group, Connor Paolo (Gossip Girl, Alexander) who plays Martin, a young boy coming of age in this barren wasteland, Nick Damici (Mulberry Street, The Black Donnellys) who plays the wizened warrior that instructs young Martin in the ways of vampire hunting (and who is also a co-writer of the film and a long-time collaborator of Jim Mickle’s), and Sean Nelson, who plays Willie, an Army grunt who has found a home with the survivors.
After watching the scene be filmed to the director’s satisfaction, the cast members were brought over as a group to take a break and have a chat about how they got involved in the project and exactly what kind of post-apocalyptic vampire movie they’re attempting to make.
Read our interview with director Larry Fessenden and his Stake Land cast on SuicideGirls.com.
