Interview with Eric England, the director of Contracted

eric-englandDarkVeins interviews American filmmaker Eric England. They will talk about his films, his projects and in particular his feature film Contracted, a film dealing with a mysterious sexually transmitted disease and the decomposition of the body.

L: Hi Eric, how would you describe yourself?

E: Passionate. Determined. Resourceful. Strange. Pure.

L: How did you get started in filmmaking?

E: I made one film that led me to make a couple more, and it was kind of a snowball effect. I never touched a camera before I was 18, and I made my first film at 21. So I decided to continue.

L: Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear is a film horror 2013 anthology consisting of five short films. Can you tell us about your episode "Taste"? What are your thoughts on horror anthologies?

E: I can't tell you much about the Taste segment because I don't consider it mine. I was asked to write the script and direct the film, but I was not allowed to finish it. The producers took care of that. I didn't know it was going to be like that when I signed on, and if I had known - I wouldn't have done it. Thus, the Taste episode is not the film I intended to make and so I don't consider it "an Eric England film."
As for anthology films, I think they are resounding. It's a unique way to have multiple styles and talents in one film.

L: You also directed Roadside. What can you tell us about that?

E: It's a classic Hitchockian thriller that starts with a simple plot and then goes around it. It's due out this year.

contracted-posterL: You wrote, produced and directed Contracted. The film tells the story of a woman who has contracted a sexually transmitted disease. How did the idea come about?

E: I wanted to tell a story that involved everyone and sex was the first thing that came to mind. We all know what sex is so I thought it would be a perfect subject as the focus of the story. It was a wonderful challenge for me to make a film about an overused topic in cinema.

L: How did the idea of a vagina full of worms come about?

E: Well, her body was rotting, so it made sense, only while she was sleeping, some flies laid eggs inside her, in her private parts. Also, it's part of this weird urban legend that I've known since I was a kid and that was the incipit for my story. So I thought it would be great to use it as the payoff for my film.

contracted1L: Tell us about the casting of Contracted. Najarra Townsend plays Sam, the infected girl. Considering the theme of the film, was it difficult to find an actress willing to play the main character?

E: It was difficult with other actresses, but Najarra is an incredible soldier and actress. The best actresses have no fear. And that is a fact. She is not afraid to play any kind of role. More than anything, she and I hit it off from the very first moment, and the same goes for the other characters. I knew she was the perfect actress to play Sam from the first day we met.

L: How would you describe Contracted?

E: It would be too difficult without revealing something of the plot. To sum up, the film shows how one person's lifestyle can horribly influence the lifestyle of others.

L: What are you working on right now? What is your next project?

E: I am working on several things. I don't know what my next film will look like yet, but I'm very excited to start shooting Hellbent and The Sirens. Both films have already been announced. They are totally different from each other and from anything else I have ever done.

L: What are your favorite horror movies?

E: My favorite movie is SCREAM. Aside from that, I'm a sucker for the classics: Halloween, Psycho, Don't Open That Door, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Exorcist, The Shining, Evil Dead, etc., etc., etc.

L: Leave a message to the DarkVeins community!

E: Thank you for the support. Keep supporting genre cinema. I look forward to making the next film!

L: Thank you for your time!

E: You too!

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Barbara Torretti
Barbara Torretti
Editor and moderator of the DarkVeins community. Passionate about horror cinema, I also do reviews and interviews pertaining to the film, music and art circuit.

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