Patton Oswalt previously appeared as a talking head in Alexandre O. Philippe‘s wholly original Texas Chain Saw Massacre documentary, Chain Reactions. The pair are officially reteaming on Philippe’s next project.
The comedian and actor has officially boarded In Search of Nosferatu as executive producer, Screen Anarchy reports today.
Much like Chain Reactions, and Philippe’s 78/52, Leap of Faith, and Lynch/Oz, don’t expect your standard issue genre documentary.
In Search of Nosferatu digs into a horror classic by following “an obsessive filmmaker and a sensorially gifted archivist who can hear silent films search the world for surviving copies of Nosferatu to reassemble and reinvent F.W. Murnau’s vampire classic from a multiplicity of decayed versions.”
“Nosferatu isn’t just a film; it’s a cultural entity that has seeped into the collective unconscious, and its surviving prints are like relics,” said Oswalt. “The chance to work with Alexandre, who dissects cinema with the precision of a detective and the passion of a fanatic, is irresistible. I can’t wait to see what horrors and beauties we dig up.”
The official synopsis expands on the experimental approach here: “The film follows Philippe and British archivist Lauren Newport-Quinn on a personal journey across the globe – from Edinburgh to Mexico City, Seoul to Bratislava – to uncover and examine surviving copies of Murnau’s 1922 masterpiece. Rejecting the notion of a single ‘perfect’ version, the project champions the material decay and geographical diversity of the prints as essential to the film’s emotional and historical DNA.
“Leaning on Newport-Quinn’s rare form of synesthesia, in which she ‘hears’ visual distortions, the project will culminate in a reinvention of Nosferatu itself – recut from the diverse prints discovered during production, with a brand-new score informed by her unique sensory experience. All prints will be scanned and made available to the public via a free, accessible online portal, preserving their individual beauty and decay for future generations.”
In Search of Nosferatu is produced by Terri Piñon of Medianoche Productions (Kim Novak’s Vertigo) out of Marfa, TX, alongside acclaimed horror historian and author Dr. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (1000 Women in Horror) as Co-Producer.
“Patton is a true cinephile and a vital voice among cinephiles,” said director Alexandre O. Philippe. “His enthusiasm for the macabre and his deep understanding of genre mythology make him the perfect partner for this journey into the heart of cinema’s most enduring vampire story.”
The documentary heads to the Cannes market this week, so stay tuned for further announcements as they arrive.
