This section is new and probably will change a few times till we figure out exactly how we want it. We want to showcase paranormal people, projects and anything else we can dig up in Michigan. Enjoy this awesome new interview by our newest columnist, Don Rottenbucher
Ghostly and ghastly incidents on Morrow Road are one of the more well know paranormal legends in Michigan. But what aren’t well known in Michigan are motion picture productions. For years, Hollywood has shunned most of the Midwest if you exclude the Windy City. That’s about to change as Director/Writer Francis J. Sampier is going to put Morrow Road and Michigan on the movie map. Michigan’s Otherside recently had a chance to speak with the busy director as he continues his pursuit to get his vision of a famed local haunt on the big screen.
Don Rottenbucher - You’ve been working on Morrow Road for a few years now. Has it been difficult getting investors/financing because the film is a Michigan production, rather than a Hollywood production?
Francis J. Sampier - Bluntly: Yes.
See, the dilemma is, I am having problems getting the investment in front of capable and interested investors. It’s not that we have investors who don’t want to invest, it’s that we can’t find serious investors who are genuinely interested in considering a real film production like ours. When your budget is seven digits, you need real investors who want the opportunity to explore the business opportunity that Morrow Road Productions LLC provides. This is frustrating because this film offers so many benefits and solid business opportunities. That’s why the film was created—for the investors to make a profit. That is a good rule for any good, grounded film business. Morrow Road is a business.
Film-making is not just an art, and I believe the best films have an equal balance between art and business. I honestly believe producers/financial backers/investors in California understand this more than anywhere else in the world. Michigan is new to this industry and cannot see the possibilities for film production and the financial rewards that can be attained, simply because Michigan has rarely experienced this. It is a film business "virgin" so to speak.
DR - Why do Morrow Road in Michigan? Sure, the road is there, but why not shoot it in a more logical production location? Something like Vancouver, where countless movies and TV shows are made.
FS - Since the very beginning of this production (Dec, 29th 2004) I said "If we are going to do a film about one of Michigan’s largest legends, then we are going to use Michigan talent to create this project. Period."
I believe this has gone a long way. Being from the state, we know the project would help put Michigan on the map. Morrow Road is a good story, and that’s what makes any good movie. The locations that Michigan provides are wonderful, and our film explores different seasons like the state does. So naturally the state provides our needs.
The new MI incentives are an additional reason to shoot in Michigan.
In fact, we aren’t really using the actual Morrow Road because of it recently being paved and altered, however, there is a road that looks just like Morrow Road used to. Finding an authentic duplicate could only happen in Michigan where the type of forests the state has, actually daunt over the road forming a tunnel. Michigan is simply a great place to shoot due to the variety it offers. It has all the perfect locations.
When I say perfect, you’ve got to be a filmmaker to understand that. That feeling you get when you arrive to a location for the first time (after visiting dozens or more) and you are thinking, "Odds are, this location won’t fulfill the exact feel the film requires, but you never know," or "Maybe we can make it work," or "Maybe this is it!" And then you discover it. The area surrounding you has that magic…and you know, "This is the place. This is for the camera. This is the film." And you wonder if it discovered you…
DR - Didn’t Michigan recently pass a film incentive? Will this help Morrow Road?
FS - Yes, MI passed an entire package of incentives that helps out the film business, including a rebate that returns about 40% of a film’s cost back to the investors in the form of a rebate. This reduces the investor’s risk which is always a good thing. I was so happy for our state—my stomach churned. Special thanks to Jeff Daniels and the many, many others who worked so hard to get that passed.
DR - Horror film legends like George A. Romero and Sam Raimi were able to get their starts outside of the Hollywood studio system. Has the rise of independent film, DVD and internet distribution made things a little easier for Morrow Road?
FS - I believe so. I also believe it opened the doors for much more competition, and many, many more garbage films. By garbage, I mean films that are so bad they never should have been made. (Just because you can make a cheap feature-film with a shoe-string budget and two of your best friends doesn’t always mean you should.)
The increased opportunity is obviously a plus, and it’s good for investors that indie films are extremely popular to non-mainstream fans (which are millions and millions of people). This creates more financial opportunities.
DR - Actors from another famed Michigan production, The Evil Dead, are attached to the film. How were you able to accomplish this?
FS - I was able to get a hold of Ellen Sandweiss through one of our Associate Producers. After that, it all depended on my conversation with her and then ultimately the screenplay. Ellen gets pitched many screenplays, as do many of the others from The Evil Dead. I didn’t want Ellen to think we were using her due to The Evil Dead’s fame—I believed Ellen was perfect for our ghost!! And luckily for our film, she saw through me to realize just that—that I wanted her for her and her acting talent.
From there, Ellen put me in contact with Theresa Tilly, Hal Delrich & Betsy Baker. All of them told me “It depends on the script.” Then they read it, and were hooked!
As for the infamous Bruce Campbell, actually my cinematographer helped get me in touch with him. Bruce’s level of his career naturally requires that we have partial funding or full funding in place before he’ll consider the script. I respect that, and like Ellen, I don’t want him to think we only want him for his role in The Evil Dead. It is true that is part of why we want him—so it completes the cast from The Evil Dead—but there is a role designed just for Bruce that is one of the best, darkest parts of the film. And I believe he can handle it well, while it simultaneously has all five of the actors from The Evil Dead on screen together again. It just seemed we needed Bruce, and it needed to be a crucial role—since it is just one sequence of the film. It is a critical sequence though, arguably the most important sequence in the film.
DR - What was the inspiration for Morrow Road? Have you or anyone you know had an encounter there?
FS - Business. I know that’s not a glamorous answer, but it’s the truth. Research shows horror films are the least risky investments, therefore great investments for unknown filmmakers. Morrow Road is my hometown local legend—but it is an internationally known legend that has been on local news as well as the famed show “Unsolved Mysteries.” Films based on an actual event (or in our case an actual legend) tend to do better as well at the box office/DVD home video market.
More importantly, good films make more money. Most good horror films utilize many “elements,” or things that frighten the viewer. Elements that can be frightening in horror films are: the dark, children, female (or male) ghosts, etc. The legend is about a ghost of a 19th century woman who haunts the road at night looking for her lost child. Once I realized that, I knew this was the way to go.
Morrow Road is a serious, dark horror film; not a cheap slasher or comedy. (Think the nature of The Ring or The Grudge). What makes the film interesting is the fact the real legend has many theories of what actually happened to the two who disappeared. The film explores all of these theories, making it a mysterious ride for the entire film, making the film that much more interesting.
I have not had a supernatural encounter there myself, but many people I know claim things happened to them and each and every one of those people have told me in great detail their retelling of their experience.
DR - Has there been a lot of support from the local community? Have any Morrow Road investigators come to you with their experiences or tales?
FS - Yes and yes. The Algonac community is very special; it truly is a small town, surrounded by Clay Twp. The police have been nice as we’ve thrown fundraisers (including our upcoming Haunted Trail & Hayride see www.morrowroad.com soon) and we’ve had their support, as well as many citizens who have contacted us with their stories. I interviewed many townsfolk as well of all ages when doing preliminary research and I always had full support. I can’t go into the supermarket without being asked “How’s the movie coming?”
DR- How did you research the history of the road and the legend?
FS - In addition to interviewing actual citizens (both believers and non-believers) I researched past local papers at the library (micro-fiche), Internet and simply traveled to the road myself at day and night observing the atmosphere.
DR - Do you know exactly how many variations there are of legend?
FS - There are ten, each with minor variations of themselves. Every one is in the film. How this is achieved is by our characters telling their versions of the legend that they’ve heard.
DR - Has anyone been opposed to doing this film out of fear that something may happen? You’ve heard that sometimes movie productions are cursed.
FS - No one has come to that point, but some have jokingly hinted that the ghost may haunt us for the rest of our lives if we make the film. My response to that is “She would have stopped me by now.” The only thing haunting me at this point is the film itself ;)
DR - Without giving away spoilers, is Morrow Road based directly on the legend or is the film taking some liberties with the tale?
FS - Morrow road is based to a tee on the ten theories. We take fictitious liberty in telling you what actually happened in the end of the film, as well as exaggerate the dangers of the road.
DR- Ghost and paranormal movies were hot in Hollywood a few years ago and its common knowledge that the film industry is very trend-based. Now that every horror film of the 1980s is being remade, has this caused any difficulties in the production?
FS - I can’t say that it has. This means that when Morrow Road comes out, it will be fresh—and Hollywood as well as Indie movies always seek that.
DR - Honestly, aside from Poltergeist, The Ring, The Grudge and The Sixth Sense, ghost stories haven’t been that successful at the box office. Do you think people get creeped out and shy away from these films because it’s easier to believe in ghosts rather than immortal, mask-wearing murderers stalking nubile teens?
FS - I don’t know if that statement to be true to be honest. To answer your question though, I think the problem with many of these films is that they are boring. Maybe not drop-dead boring, but they don’t excite or challenge the viewer. Morrow Road having the mystery and suspense is about a supernatural ghost with deadly abilities. This keeps the visual fans excited. The storyline is extremely detailed and has a clever double-twist that thus far no reader of the script was able to foresee. This keeps the thinker fans excited. And the girls will cling to their boyfriends. This keeps the teenagers excited.
DR - However, TV shows like Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters are very popular. Has the recent, more publicized wave of paranormal shows helped Morrow Road?
FS - I don’t know if it has, but they haven’t hurt. People have asked me if those shows have done anything on Morrow Road. If they would do something on the road, it might help the film. Other words I haven’t experienced a direct or indirect way that these shows have helped us in particular.
DR - When you start principle photography, are you waiting for a specific season? Could you do this film in the winter?
FS - We can do the film any time of the year. The film mainly takes place in summer, but autumn or spring would suffice. There is one winter scene as well.
DR - What was the last film shot in Michigan? Are you hoping to revive Michigan’s film industry, or at least put us on the map?
FS - You know, I don’t even know now since so many films are being shot here…last I heard something like 44 films are scheduled to be shot here. And those are just the films you are hearing about.
I have always wanted to contribute to putting Michigan on the map and follow in the footsteps of the greats like Sam Raimi, Jeff Daniels, etc.
DR - What’s the best way to keep tabs on the Morrow Road film?
FS - www.morrowroad.com and www.myspace.com/morrowroad for trailers, news & more! A new website is coming soon too.
DR - Is there anything else you’d like to add?
FS - I’d like to thank you for this opportunity, these are the best interview questions I’ve ever been asked.
Fans, if you’d like to contact me please do so anytime through our website. We are looking for co-producers (people who can get this project in front of capable investors). Anyone with any suggestions on this, I’m all ears. Maybe I’ll see some of you this year at the 2008 Haunted Trail & Hayride! See the site for details, hope to see you there!
Artwork and storyboards by Josh Werner. "She's Still Searching" artwork featured on this page by Robbin Webb and all images are
used by permission and copyrighted to Morrow Road/Francis J. Sampier.
Visit the Morrow Road Official Website at http://www.morrowroad.com/
Add Morrow Road on your MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/morrowroad
Visit Robbin Webb's graphic design website at http://www.opticflowstudio.com/