WORLD BEST HORROR MOVIES
Ted Geoghegan's new film Filmora 29 feels like a play because it revolves almost entirely around six players in a room. And those six players are stunning, taking Geoghegan's tight script and bringing it to terrifying, heartbreaking life. Starring Anne Ramsey, Larry Fessenden, Jeremy Holm, Ezra Buzzington and Ron E. Raines as a group of friends with Christina Kleb as the mysterious Hildy, all six actors realize the film to its ultimate potential, selling the love and excitement they all feel in just 90 minutes. in Dread Central spoke with those two stars, Larry Fessenden and Christina Kleb, about their personal connection to the story, the strengths of the performances and more.
Dread Central: My first question for you both, and we'll start with Christina, how did you get involved with Filmora29?
Christina Klebe: I know Ted. Disclaimer, he is a good friend. I read the script long ago, before the pandemic. And since then I've tried to convince Ted that I should play Hildegard. Then I auditioned for it and I got it. <smile>
2023 BEST HORROR MOVIES
DC: I spoke to Ted and he said that you have a personal connection to the role of Hildy, right?
KK: Well, I just felt very connected to it because my parents are German, they both have accents. I felt connected to it because I don't even have an accent, growing up with a German man calling me a Nazi. I remember I was in middle school in upstate New York. I was an outsider and no one knew what I was. So people would call me a Nazi, because they knew my parents were German. It's one of those things that is boring or you think is par for the course for being German.
People are cruel and just want to call names, they were clearly bullies. But I guess I understand how it feels to be told something you don't fully believe or that you even feel connected to. I imagine if this is the case for me, it's much stronger for people who actually have an accent. And obviously, it goes to a whole deep level of judgments and assumptions that people make every day about people with different accents or, you know, different looks, anything that makes them like you. DC: And then Larry, what about you? I know you've been in Ted's previous films, but what drew you to this script and to collaborate with Ted again?
Larry Fessenden: Ted is awesome. Very often I think in the arts, you work with people that you love to be with them and their ideas and their enthusiasm. Ted is very caring and has a lot of faith [in his actors]. He invited me to play this role. It was such a juicy role that I couldn't refuse. But it is still an act of kindness on his part to assume that I can carry water for this character. So I certainly appreciated that. And as the introduction itself, many of us have military in our families. My father was in the war.
WORLD BEST HORROR MOVIE
But beyond that, it's a story of strength and obviously mental illness to a certain degree, and all those things I understand. It's the lack of power and the grief and confusion over this event that makes my character be so forceful and try to take advantage of your friends. All of these are really great juicy dynamics to put into a story. So there was just no question. I think another interesting thing is that I Ted's previous film, we were still in a scene here. And he always says that this whole story came about because people would say, "Oh, I want to see a whole movie." I said, "Okay, you go."
DC: It's great to see you in such a juicy role. I know you're directing a lot of the time, but I really love seeing you in front of the camera. Is there something that makes you want to do roles both in front of and behind the camera?
LF: I wanted to be an actor when I was younger and I did a lot of theater. It was really my idea of my future. But then I finished everything outside. I'll say now that I've landed as a veteran, I like the whole picture and all the colors and everything else that a director actually does and then edit. In a way, acting is the purest part of filmmaking that you can make your mark on a film. But you don't have full control. If you have ever heard of my habit in movies, I do all the roles including acting. So there you go. That would be my ideal. <smile>
DC: This film is also a chamber piece. It's so inclusive, but it's also a period piece. So I was curious for both of you, what it was like to get into the headspace of your characters. And I'm sure the costuming and set design were probably a big help in bringing myself back, but the psychology of the characters is more complex. So starting with Christina, I wanted to hear more about Hildi getting into her headspace.
