Editor’s Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on April 13, 2016, and we’re proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
The invasion of one’s home is one of the most frightening concepts in horror, and it’s even scarier when the villain doesn’t have to break in. That’s the idea behind 13 Cameras; FANGORIA got exclusive words with producers Kevin and Matthew McManus.
13 Cameras (which played festivals last year as Slumlord) stars PJ McCabe and Brianne Moncrief as Ryan and Claire, whose marriage is on the rocks. Their problems get even worse when they move into a new house, unaware that their landlord Gerald (Neville Archambault) is a deranged voyeur who has installed hidden cameras all over their home. He uses them to spy on the couple, and ultimately does more than watch… Written and directed by the apparently mysterious and elusive Victor Zarcoff, 13 Cameras is the second feature produced by the McManus brothers, who first won notice for their fest-fave black-comic coming-of-age saga Funeral Kings.
Have either of you ever had a bad landlord experience?
MATTHEW McMANUS: Who hasn’t? Our first apartment in LA was a dump that didn’t end up having air conditioning or heat. And I wish I could say that was the worst of it.
KEVIN McMANUS: When we were moving out, I had a conversation with a neighbor who told me that someone was murdered in our living room six years before. Our landlord was all too happy to leave that info out as we signed our lease!
Did the script draw from any real-life incidents?
KEVIN: This sort of thing happens all the time. It’s incredibly disconcerting. If you Google “landlord” and “spy camera,” you’ll get a slew of articles about different creeps on par with Gerald.
How did you connect with Zarcoff to make the film?
MATTHEW: Mr. Zarcoff prefers to connect via fax machine. He’s peculiar in that way.
Did you ever consider shooting the film entirely from the hidden cameras’ point of view?
KEVIN: It was definitely a conversation. The trouble with committing completely to the hidden cameras would be that they’re all wide angles. I think it would have asked a lot of the audience to watch an entire movie from that perspective.
MATTHEW: I couldn’t be happier that the movie was shot with a more cinematic approach, especially considering we had Jess Dunlap behind the camera. The budget forced some serious limitations on him, yet he was still able to bring a beautiful aesthetic to the film.
How did you land your cast, especially Archambault, who makes quite a bizarre impression?
MATTHEW: Casting Gerald was maybe the creepiest morning of my life. Gerald doesn’t have a ton of lines to work with in the film, so we were searching for someone who embodied the role the best. We had dozens of dudes walking in, and each one was more terrifying than the last. Then in came Neville, who didn’t break character in the room. He’s got this gruff, gravelly voice, and he was wearing his reading glasses that magnified his eyes and the exact outfit we used in the movie; it looked so good in the audition, we knew we needed it in the film. Neville blew us all away.
Afterward, I talked to our producer, Ethan Rosenberg, about Neville’s audition, and I remember him saying nervously, “He’s good, but is he self-aware?” I think he was worried this guy might kill us all in our sleep. That’s when we knew Neville was perfect. The funny thing is, in reality he is the nicest, most accessible guy you’ll ever meet. He’s just a masterful actor who’s been doing this since he was a kid.
The house location is crucial to the story; how did you find it, and did it require any major alterations to fit the script?
KEVIN: The house belongs to our good friend Tommy Modifica. The biggest alteration involved the owner’s closet: A small spoiler for the movie is that that closet ends up being a stairwell to a narrow basement. In reality, the house is a one-story home without a cellar or stairs. So whenever you see Gerald lumbering toward those stairs, he’s actually walking into a cramped closet and hiding. The “basement” is actually Tommy’s laundry room. Charlie Textor, our brilliant production designer, was able to transform the space into a terrifying dungeon.
Did shooting largely at the one house location make this an easy production?
KEVIN: It was a 10-day shoot, which was pretty challenging. Being at the house for eight of those days was incredibly helpful, but it was still a mad dash to make our days. There’s a featurette we did for iTunes where PJ talks about how making this movie felt more like putting on a play. He and all the other actors had to be incredibly prepared, because many times they would have only two or three takes to get it right before we moved on to the next scene.
How much “hidden camera” footage was shot, and what went into the decision of how much to use?
MATTHEW: The hidden-camera shots and when to use them were written very specifically in the script. For example, when Gerald first enters the house on his own, all of the shots are from that perspective. But as the film progresses, and Gerald feels more comfortable invading Claire and Ryan’s home, the camera angles transition into the more traditional cinematic look. So hopefully the audience feels like they’re watching Gerald in the beginning, but feels like they’re actually with him by the end.
How do you think this movie stands apart from other voyeuristic thrillers?
MATTHEW: One of the things I’m proudest of, and that I think sets 13 Cameras apart, is that we see more than just a creep watching some unsuspecting victims. At the core of the movie, we have a relationship drama that I believe could stand on its own. We’re never seeing a mundane scene of the tenants just hanging around; there’s always the subtext of their failing marriage. My hope is that because we’re with Ryan and Claire as they struggle, the audience will connect to them more, relate to them more and feel all the more anxious about Gerald’s obsession with them.
