Ti West’s latest film In a Valley of Violence (my review) had its premiere at the 30th Annual SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festivals, and I was fortunate enough to get to sit down with Ti West and Jason Blum the day after the premiere. The interview took place on the back patio of Trio, a restaurant in the Four Seasons in downtown Austin. Rather than bore you with every single piece of dialogue that occurred between the three of us, I thought I would just post the highlights of the interview for you all to read. Enjoy!
Bloody Disgusting: What made you want to do a Western?
Ti West: I grew up with Westerns and it’s just always something I’ve wanted to do. I love the genre and to finally be able to get to do this is just amazing.
BD: I’m someone who didn’t grow up with Westerns. It’s not my favorite genre and it’s just not something I’m used to. That being said, I really liked the film.
Jason Blum: That is fantastic. That is exactly what we want to hear. I’m glad you liked the film.
BD: Westerns are a hard sell for the general audiences. Are you nervous about marketing it?
Jason Blum: You know I [pauses] I know that Westerns are a more difficult sell to American audiences, but I wouldn’t say I’m nervous. We are definitely aware of the challenge it will pose, but not nervous. It’s going to be a platform release. We just aren’t sure of the details yet.
BD: Westerns are sort of making a comeback now with films like Bone Tomahawk. Did you feel like the tide was turning on the reception of Westerns.
Ti West: That’s exactly what I was going to mention. This is the perfect time for this movie because of films like Bone Tomahawk now coming out and getting a great reception.
Jason Blum: We think we’ve caught the trend at just the right time and we’re confident in the film
BD: Was there a scene that you found particularly difficult to shoot or choreograph?
Ti West: Not difficult, per se, but I remember the heat. The very first scene of the movie was our second-to-last day of shooting and it was hot. We were filming in New Mexico in temperatures of 116 degrees and at that point I think that everyone was just so over it. So it’s not difficult in the traditional sense, but it was a very trying day for us.
BD: Jason, I feel like this is very different from a lot of the usual films you put out. What made you want to work on this? And are you seeking out non-genre films?
Jason Blum: I don’t think I’ll ever leave genre films, and those will always be my primary focus, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. Also, Ethan [Hawke] wanted to do a trio of films with me. For reasons that no one, not even myself, will understand, he wanted to do a horror movie, which was Sinister, a science fiction movie, which was The Purge, and a Western, which is In a Valley of Violence. I had sent him a bunch of Western scripts, maybe four or five, and he turned them all down until we pitched him the idea and he loved it.
BD: I’ll try to ask this next question without sounding like a dick
Jason Blum: Oh you can be a dick. That’s alright.
BD: Alrighty, here I go. I’ve seen Taissa Farmiga in quite a few things, and she’s just never really resonated with me that much. Even in The Final Girls, she still plays that same role of the glum teenager and you cast her as this bubbly young woman with a strong personality. Thank you for that.
Ti West: Well thank you, but really it’s all Taissa. As a director I can only do so much. I feel like there are limited roles for young women outside of the ones Taissa has been playing and I was happy to give her the opportunity to play this character. I think she really knocked it out of the park.
BD: I was surprised by the amount of comedy in the movie. Did you know when you were writing the script that it was going to have a lot of comedic elements?
Ti West: Writing the script I infused a lot of comedy in it, but I could only do so much. The actors really saw the humor in the script and brought so much to it. There’s a lot of gallows humor, which I think is fairly typical in my films. I just sort of planted the seed and the actors really helped it thrive throughout the course of the shoot.
BD: This is your first big ensemble film with a rather high-profile cast. Did you hold auditions or did you pitch it to actors?
Jason Blum: Well Ethan we pitched it to, but Travolta had actually read the script once it was done and reached out to us.
Ti West: Yeah, I got the call saying John Travolta wanted to be in my movie, and that’s not exactly the sort of call that I’m used to getting. He is a big, big name and it was wonderful that he wanted to do it. He brought so much to the character. All of the actors brought a lot to their characters. Even James [Ransome] who, as Gilly, is basically the most despicable character in the movie, gives him some endearing qualities.
Keep reading Bloody Disgusting for news on the film’s release. Even though it’s not a horror film in the slightest, we’ll still be covering it (because we’re rebels like that)!