When The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999, we were not only treated to 80 minutes of intense horror, but to a new style of filmmaking that would inspire filmmakers for decades to come. One of the two men responsible for that film is Eduardo Sanchez. Now, 17 years later, he finds himself returning back to the famed franchise as Executive Producer in the upcoming sequel Blair Witch. The film, directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett, is set for release this September.
In addition to the found footage classic, Eduardo Sanchez has directed several films, including Altered (2006), Lovely Molly (2011), V/H/S/2 segment “A Ride in the Park” (2013), and Exists (2014). He has also directed episodes for the television shows Intruders (2014), Supernatural (2016) and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (2014-2016).
We are so excited for the opportunity to speak to Eduardo about how he got started in the industry, his films, and what he has in store next for fans!
HorrorGeekLife – Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. I’d first love to know how you got involved with the film industry.
Eduardo Sanchez – I was raised in Maryland in a suburb of DC, so pretty far away from the film industry and I always loved film, like Star Wars changed my life and I started getting really interested in any type of film, especially how they made films. Especially special effects, which was the big thing about Star Wars. But I definitely felt that it would be a fun thing to do, but when I got into high school, I was interested in architecture so I took some drafting classes in school and realized I really hated doing it. So, they offered a TV production class in 11th grade and the first day there, I realized I wanted to do something in film or television and realized I found my place. I never looked back from that point on.
HorrorGeekLife – I’m sure you never imagined where it would take you. I love speaking with indie filmmakers and many have cited you and your work as one of their inspirations. Who are some filmmakers and what are some films that have inspired you?
Eduardo Sanchez – Early on, it was Spielberg and George Lucas, which were the kind of films that were popular with kids my age. But once I got a little older and into college, I loved Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee, I actually think it is one of the best films ever. The film showed me the power of cinema – to make people think and shake things up a bit, which that movie did. Once I got into film school, I started learning about Scorsese and Kubrick. I always loved Kubrick’s films, there’s always something about them that’s different from everyone else. I got into a lot of blaxploitation films for a while there, but mostly the basic film school filmmakers that they introduce to you. Really, Spielberg, Lucas, Spike Lee, Scorsese and Kubrick are really the main ones who shape me as a filmmaker.
HorrorGeekLife – Just as those filmmakers left their legacy, you certainly did the same with The Blair Witch Project. It was something the masses never saw in a film before and just about everyone has their “first time I saw Blair Witch” story. I saw it as a teenager and, of course, wondered if it was real.
Eduardo Sanchez – Yeah, that was definitely the point; to make it so real that people questioned whether it was real or not.
HorrorGeekLife – Well, I definitely questioned it! And the magic of this type of marketing and filmmaking that we saw in The Blair Witch Project, and even Cannibal Holocaust, will never get replicated again due to the internet.
Eduardo Sanchez – Cannibal Holocaust is definitely an interesting comparison to our film because it was what we were going after. But it’s weird because Dan or I had never seen Cannibal Holocaust. It didn’t make the rounds where we grew up. When I was in high school, Faces of Death was the film that was going around and people said it was real. But I think we’re lucky we didn’t see it because I don’t think Dan or I would have done Blair Witch if we had seen Cannibal Holocaust because it had been done. So yeah, we’re fortunate that we didn’t see the film until after Blair Witch.
HorrorGeekLife – I think that the success of each film with fans proves that there is room for both. Speaking of found footage, do you watch films within the sub-genre and if so, what are some of your favorite found footage films over the last 17 years?
Eduardo Sanchez – I’ve done a few found footage films now, I know it’s difficult and not an easy thing to pull off, so I go in with a lot of patience for found footage movies. I love Rec. I also really liked Cloverfield and it’s weird because people say I started the found footage craze and that it went crazy after Blair Witch. But, it didn’t really go crazy until after Cloverfield. It took Cloverfield to show Hollywood that you can make a found footage film on their terms, in a Hollywood way. I think Cloverfield helped legitimize the sub-genre for a studio, which is important. Until a studio picks it up, it’s very hard to get anything going. Also, the first Paranormal Activity. I thought it was very clever and scary. More recently, the Europa Report. I really loved that. Its science fiction and it’s done really well and stays believable. There was another called Apollo 18 that I enjoyed. It wasn’t as good as Europa Report, but it was clever.
And, of course, I did a segment for VHS 2 called “A Ride in the Park” and I love the films. Gregg, my partner, and I really got a kick out of what the younger generation is doing with found footage. But I’m also curious to see what the next new thing is. And I’m curious to see what the reaction is to the new Blair Witch movie. I did see the movie and thought it was really good; it definitely pushes the new found footage genre a little bit. It does it really well.
HorrorGeekLife – I’m very excited to see the Blair Witch sequel, especially knowing that you enjoyed it. This is your baby, so your approval is pretty important.
Eduardo Sanchez – Yeah, when you’re dealing with something that is yours, it’s always touchy. But Adam and Simon did a great job, so I’m pretty proud of it.
HorrorGeekLife – I’m sure hearing that another movie was happening gave you some mixed feelings, but were you surprised by the news or did you figure that it was inevitable at some point?
Eduardo Sanchez – No, it wasn’t a surprise. Every time I would get interviewed previous to this, I would get asked what’s going on with another Blair Witch movie. Even when I knew they were making it, I would say that it’s inevitable that they’ll remake it, or they’ll make another sequel. For Hollywood, it’s money ready to be made. They’re not going to ignore that for too long. It’s good to not have to keep it secret anymore.
I was just hoping that they would go with someone who respected the original film and knew what the original film was about. They didn’t try to make something that wasn’t true to the original. What Adam and Simon created is cut from the cloth as the original. I think it’s rare when people get it so right like that. So, I hope people appreciate it.
HorrorGeekLife – That is great to hear and it really has been amazing to speak about Blair Witch with you. I’d love to dive into a couple of other films, starting with the severely underrated film, Lovely Molly. The lead actress, Gretchen Lodge, had an incredibly strong and intense performance. How did she prepare for this role?
Eduardo Sanchez – Gretchen is one of the bravest actors I’ve ever encountered, along with Heather Donahue. But there’s a fearlessness that Gretchen had. This was the only movie I did with any real nudity and sex and that was part of it. I told all of the actresses that I talked to that this wasn’t going to be just a little bit of nipple, I want it to be as hardcore as possible. I couldn’t shy away from what Molly was going through. That’s the kind of being that she is right now; she’s kind of like an animal.
But Gretchen never shied away from it. Even the scene when it’s raining and she’s outside naked, it was very cold that night. But she really trusted me and I appreciated that trust. Along with the producers, the prime objective was to make a set that was comfortable enough for her to do what she needed to do. But she’s a very courageous woman, even spending the night out in that house by herself to experience it. Obviously, if I had to do it I would, but I wouldn’t want to. But, one of my main goals is to get to work with her again. Gretchen didn’t get enough kudos for her performance.
HorrorGeekLife – I completely agree; she was absolutely brilliant and Lovely Molly deserves to be seen by more horror fans. With your most recent release, Exists, you take viewers back into the woods, found footage style. The film puts us face-to-face with a terrifyingly brutal Bigfoot, and the creatures look amazing. What types of effects were used to achieve the look?
Eduardo Sanchez – I’ve been trying to get a Bigfoot movie off the ground for a lot of years and I’ve been working with a company called Spectral Motion, who also did the creature for Altered. We’ve been talking about a Bigfoot movie for a long time, so Mike Elizalde, who runs Spectral Motion, and I had been down the Bigfoot road many times. Once we got funding for this movie, we had a lot of research done on the aesthetics and what it was going to look like. And I knew those guys were going to do something cool, but I had no idea just how cool it was going to be. There’s a level of trepidation when you’re making a monster that doesn’t exist and you’re trying to do it all practically. You don’t have that crutch of being able to fix something in post.
We did a test about six months before we started shooting and this was the first time that Brian Steele, who played the creature, was in the suit. It was all clean because it hadn’t been dirtied up yet, so it was a beautiful Bigfoot and looked amazing. We did close-ups of the face and went back to see the footage and we were amazed. I never in a million years thought we would be able to do close-ups of the face and get away with it. In the end, it’s a guy in a suit. They did such an incredible job and I was about to get away with stuff that I never thought we’d be able to get away with. Brian, who has done so many classic creatures that he’s known as Creature Boy to his fans, is such a professional. He takes it to the next level that you need.
HorrorGeekLife – It was a fantastic creature feature, no doubt, As I mentioned, you took us to the woods twice and left us terrified both times. Are you eager to get back to the woods in upcoming films?
Eduardo Sanchez – Yes, absolutely. For a long time, I’ve been writing a period horror movie that takes place mostly in the woods. There’s just no substitute for woods. The water is as equally scary, but there’s a connection to the woods, like wanting to belong and survive. But modern man is really badly adapted to survive in the woods now. I love that idea of going somewhere dark and ominous, taking us out of our element. And it’s a great location for filmmakers because it’s cheap, it’s everywhere and if you’re creative, you can do a lot of great stuff with it. Hopefully I’ll return back to the woods very soon.
HorrorGeekLife – I look forward to seeing what comes next! Are there any other upcoming projects you’d like us to know about?
Eduardo Sanchez – Yeah, I’m doing a movie with Blumhouse called Sevenfold that we’re casting right now. We will begin shooting in September. It’s a psychological horror film written by Jamie Nash, who I collaborate a lot with. We’re really excited to work with Blumhouse, they’re been really great to us so far. Like yourself, it’s good to be around people who know horror movies and really appreciate horror movies. I think that’s why Blumhouse has done so well – they know horror. The executives that we work with have a horror background. They have a certain kind of film that they do and it works for them.
HorrorGeekLife – I have no doubt that your creative talent combined with the horror powerhouse that is Blumhouse can only lead to brilliant things. Can’t wait to hear more on the project as it gets started! Again, thank you so much for speaking with us! It was an absolute pleasure!
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