Interviews
How the ‘Faces of Death’ Filmmakers Rebooted a Notorious Video Nasty for the Internet Age
Director/Co-Writer Daniel Goldhaber and co-writer/producer Isa Mazzei, the filmmaking duo behind cyber horror thriller Cam, dig even deeper into the perils of the internet and humanity’s darker impulses with Faces of Death.
In their meta-update of the notorious Video Nasty releasing in theaters on April 10, Barbie Ferreira stars as Margot Romero, a woman working as a content moderator for a major video platform who discovers what appears to be re-enactments of murders from Faces of Death.
Goldhaber and Mazzei, speaking with Bloody Disgusting ahead of the film’s release, revealed that it was Legendary Entertainment who approached them to give a contemporary spin on the 1978 mondo film.
“We were working with this extraordinary exec over there named Jon Silk, really brilliant guy,” Goldhaber said. “He thought of us because the basic idea here is that Faces of Death is kind of everywhere now, especially on the internet. And he was a big fan of Cam, and thought that we might have an interesting perspective on how to render the everywhereness of Faces of Death. So, that was initially a part of what was baked into the whole thing.”
The very present concept of everything being one click away provided fertile ground for the filmmakers when it came to the horror and violence. That in itself creates a unique relationship between the reboot and the original film.
Mazzei explains, “It was interesting, because obviously our relationship to visual images of death has changed a lot since the ’70s. In the ’70s, it was something you had to seek out. This tape almost developed this kind of cultural life of its own because it was sought after. Now, I think we’re all used to seeing dead people all the time on our phones, a quick Google search. I get pushed these things on my feed even when I don’t want them.
“And so I think our relationship to this type of imagery has changed significantly. That was, for us, something that we really wanted to talk about, and we really wanted to engage with, and was really important to us to engage with.”
The original film features mostly fake footage, but does incorporate pre-existing footage of actual deaths. Goldhaber and Mazzei might eschew the documentary format for their narrative feature update, but find multiple ways of capturing the original. That includes a more modern approach to incorporating actual death in their fictional film, Mazzei reveals.
“A lot of the content that we sourced for the film that you see on the screens in the film is real content that we went out and got from the internet, to bring into our space, so we could talk about these ideas.”
“It’s also one of the core ideas of the movie that we’re constantly questioning what is real and what is fake about everything these days. That also felt like a very fruitful thing to explore in this project,” Goldhaber adds.
Also lending a dangerous quality to their reboot is Dacre Montgomery as the mysterious Arthur, an unsettling killer who gets embroiled in an intense cat-and-mouse game with Ferreira’s Margot.
Goldhaber not only reveals how Montgomery connected with his peculiar antagonist, but how that connection evolved Arthur. “Basically, with Dacre, it was really all about finding where he related to this character on a personal level,” Goldhaber explains. “One of the first things he told me when we met about the film was that he said that he has very intense OCD, and he told me that basically, he has an obsession with textures, and that he had not been able to sleep under his bedsheets for 10 years, because basically if there was a crease in the sheet, he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. So he slept on top of the sheets.
“For him, he was like, ‘This is why I think I identify with Arthur. I identify with his alienation, I identify with his desire for connection, but I also really identify with this OCD, a version he has to plot. I really think I can tap into something there.’ So, this kind of obsession that Dacre has with textures became a big part of the character, a big part of finding the costume, the skin suit that he wears, the mask, the tape. This kind of texture, this tactile, almost sexual fascination that he has with some of the objects that he’s using as part of his murder.”
When asked whether this experience has transformed their own relationship with the 1978 film, Mazzei reveals that her appreciation for the film dates back to her youth. “I have a deep respect for the original, especially as a cultural object that has such a massive impact on so many people. I mean, we can’t tell anyone that we’ve done this version of Faces of Death without them saying, ‘Oh, my God, that movie fucked me up.’ That movie was foundational to my coming-of-age experience.
“To be able to engage with something that had that much power in so many people’s lives is something that’s pretty special, for sure.”
Interviews
The Work ‘Grind’ Is Hell, So Brea Grant & Ed Dougherty Made a Horror Anthology About It [CFF 2026 Interview]
Genre fans rejoice! Chattanooga Film Festival is back for its 13th year in 2026 with a killer lineup and once again offering audiences both in-person and virtual options. After having its World Premiere at SXSW this spring, the horror comedy anthology Grind is playing CFF 2026 opening weekend.
From a screenplay by Brea Grant (Torn Hearts, 12 Hour Shift) and Ed Dougherty (MLM) and segments directed by Grant, Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust (Satanic Panic), Grind features four interwoven stories that parody the gig economy, hustle culture, and the evils of late-stage capitalism.
The anthology follows weary everyday people juggling side hustles just to survive, while going up against greedy oligarchs, and cleverly uses dark humor and bloody practical effects to portray a world much like our current economic nightmare.
Bloody Disgusting had the pleasure of chatting with Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty about the socioeconomic commentary in Grind, casting Barbara Crampton as a villain, and DIY filmmaking.
Bloody Disgusting: Every segment in this anthology feels relatable because people are actually struggling to survive in the gig economy right now. How did the two of you come up with the idea of creating Grind?
Brea Grant: Like you said, we were trying to come up with a cool idea that seemed relevant right now. The thing that everyone we know is talking about is the economy, the lack of work, and the nightmare hellscape that is late-stage capitalism. It felt like the right time to write something that really featured that as the main horror. As the main thing that people were scared of, this world sort of came to us over the course of a couple of years.
Ed Dougherty: We wanted to make a hit film, and we said, “Let’s make a horror anthology, that’s the most marketable thing there is.” [laughs]
BG: [laughs] Definitely not!
BD: I love anthologies!
ED: We do, too. We feel like it’s kind of an undervalued form of horror film, but it’s a hard sell.
BG: People told us not to make it. They said, “Don’t make an anthology. It’s too hard to sell.” But we did it anyway.
BD: I guess I’m just one of those weirdos who likes anthologies and watches them all.
ED: We believe that there are a lot of weirdos like you out there. It seems like every good horror anthology has a long life, but it’s just getting over the initial hump that’s difficult.
BD: Chelsea Stardust directed some of the segments with the two of you and serves as a producer. How did she first get involved with this project?
BG: The project has a long history. We shot the first segment, which is about multi-level marketing, a couple of years ago. We had decided we wanted to make a full anthology, but it took us about a year after shooting that initial segment to shoot the rest of the movie. When we did that, we knew we needed to bring on a producer aside from Ed and me, since we were directing the bulk of the movie, so that was how she came on board. I’ve been friends with her for a long time, and the one thing I know about her as a friend is that she is very organized, so it felt like a good fit. I just called her one day and said, “Would you want to produce these three segments that we have left to shoot of Grind?” and she came on board.
BD: There are some fun cameos in Grind, but we have to talk about Barbara Crampton. She’s so good as a villainess. Why did you want her for this role, and what was it like working with her on this film?
BG: She’s in her villain era, which is so fun. [laughs] Obviously, we’re huge Barbara Crampton fans, and when we were making MLM, it was a smaller part of the movie that we knew we needed to call on people who could do a good job but were also friendly to us [laughs]. I’m friends with Barbara Crampton, and we’ve done three movies together before this. So, it felt like someone within our reach, but could also really draw a horror crowd. She has a huge fanbase, and she’s also super supportive of all the projects that she’s been in, so that was also really exciting. She’s a great actress, and she’s super funny. I think a lot of these horror actresses, especially those who came up in the eighties and nineties, weren’t given an opportunity to be funny. I think she was ready to jump on an opportunity that was different than what she was used to; it’s not running around and screaming. She is a cult leader, and she is quite funny in it. She just takes the comedy so well and seriously, and she does such an amazing job with it. She has a scene across from Rob Huebel, who is obviously a comedy master, and I feel like the two of them together were hilarious. It’s been fun to watch Barbara go from these iconic roles to a different kind of role at this point in her career. We’re super happy to be a part of that.
ED: And she loves the movie and has been so supportive. Every time she posts about it, I’m like, “I can’t believe this. This is amazing.”
BD: This is an accurate parody of the current socioeconomic situation in this country, as well as our obsession with online culture. It repeatedly asks the question, “What are you willing to do to make money,” in a world with wealth inequality and evil oligarchs. It’s fun, and it’s a horror movie, but it’s thought-provoking. What do you hope audiences take away from Grind, besides having a good time?
ED: I read every review and every Letterboxd review; Brea does not. So, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen some reviews that say, “Good movie but doesn’t propose a solution.” I think we do propose a solution, which is that the power of unions and organizing is the only way that we will be able to fight back against oligarchs. I do think that is the message of the film. Organizing is the only way to defeat these villains. I do think we have a lot to say in the film. I’d want someone to say, “Man, I’ve never seen a horror anthology that had a political message before.” [laughs]
BG: I think the other thing is that what is currently happening is that we live in a world in which people kind of feel alone in this. They’re like, “Well, I’m doing bad, “or “I’m having trouble paying my rent.” We wanted to hang a lantern on the fact that this is happening to everyone, that wealth disparity is at an all-time high. We’re pointing out to people that you aren’t in this alone; you’re not the only person doing side hustles. Every filmmaker friend I have is working a side job of some sort at this point, and that is just in Los Angeles. Outside of this city, I think things are more dire. I think it was about infusing some politics into something that could make people realize that they aren’t alone and that there are ways of fighting back and fighting the system that has been set up against them.
ED: I think the tone of the movie, which is darkly comedic, also really matches the tone of life right now. Everything seems almost at a parody level as far as the disconnect between oligarchs and trying to make a living and reality. The absurdist nature of the film kind of captures the real tone of life.
BD: There are some cool creature effects and makeup effects in this movie. Can you talk a little bit about the practical effects and makeup?
ED: I think especially because of the message of the film, which is pushing back against the current hellscape we’re in, we wanted to use as many practical effects as possible. We used matte paintings, miniatures, and practical creature effects. I’m always afraid of the matte painting because we used the old school matte painter, but they do look a little AI. I heard someone make a noise behind me during one of the shots, and I was like, “I hope that noise wasn’t them using AI because that’s a matte painting.” [laughs] There’s also the fact that it’s pretty DIY. It’s a film that we financed ourselves and shot in our houses as much as possible. We wanted the whole thing to feel handmade and very tactile.
BG: We’re old school horror fans, so we love seeing practical effects. The practical stuff is really fun for us. It’s the stuff that we think is actually cool. [laughs] So, practical stuff made the most sense for us. We both grew up in the punk scene in the nineties, and I think it just kind of comes naturally to us to try to do things ourselves. And we both work on projects for big companies, with smaller companies, but always for other people, so trying to do something ourselves to see what that felt like was also part of the experiment of Grind.
ED: This was our chance to do everything we wanted our way.
Grind screens at the Chattanooga Film Festival on June 20.
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