From undertaker to professional wrestler to filmmaker, to say Leroy Kincaide’s journey was not quite traditional would be putting it lightly. Kincaide’s debut feature The Last Rite was inspired by his own experiences with sleep paralysis, drawing on influences like The Amityville Horror and Exorcism of Emily Rose with Kincaide’s own flair added.
With a budget of £27,000, the film made its debut at FrightFest and is now streaming on Hulu. When asked about making that budget work, Kincaide’s answer was a very DIY all hands on deck approach to the process, “On set there was only ever a handful of crew at a time and that consisted of sound and make up, everything else was pretty much fly by the seat of you pants and make it work. Behind the camera was just myself, so I would Direct our talented cast while operating the camera, I was also the Gaffer and of course the DOP to dial in on the look I wanted.”
The DIY approach extended to post-production as well, “Once the film had finished principal photography, I then had to diversify further by editing and grading the entire movie while also doing some VFX alongside elements of sound design also. The movie was a mammoth undertaking, but I’m very pleased to say that I am happy with the result and very eager to get onto the next one.”
Kincaide credits his past experiences as an undertaker with fueling his creativity and passion, “I saw an awful lot of highly graphic situations at a very young age, and I have seen what can happen to us when we die in not the most pleasant of ways. However, it wasn’t as bad as it seemed because of the perspective it gave me on life itself, and that helped me become more aware of how lucky we are to be alive. This life perspective I carry with me always and that helps me to create my passion through my work.”
While Kincaide may have gained a life perspective rooted in gratitude from his undertaker days, his time spent as a professional wrestler is not one he cares to revisit, “I’ve got a lot of love for the wrestling space and the community but that’s a chapter of my life I wish to remain closed and wouldn’t want that to cross into my film directing career.”
The Last Rite is now streaming on Hulu, click below to watch now.
