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Exclusive photos & comments: Lovecraftian indie horror “THE DEEP ONES”

Wednesday, January 15, 2020 | Exclusive, News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

We first told you about Chad Ferrin’s THE DEEP ONES, described as “a Lovecraftian ROSEMARY’S BABY,” here, and now we’ve landed an exclusive look at a batch of first photos, along with words from the director and cast.

THE DEEP ONES stars Johann Urb, Gina La Piana, Robert Miano, Silvia Spross, Tim Muskatell, Hengi Hawk, Jackie Debatin, Nicolas Coster, Rachel Pringle, Jerry Irons, Robert Rhine, Jon Mack, Bulet Rush, Michael Schefano, Richard Pate, Kelli Maroney (NIGHT OF THE COMET) and Kurt Carley (the UNDERWORLD films) as Dagon, with makeup effects by Jim Ojala (DEADGIRL, STRANGE NATURE). The synopsis: “A married couple rents a beachside Airbnb, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. They soon discover they are in the grip of a mysterious cult and their ancient sea god.”

“H.P. Lovecraft must be smiling down on us,” Ferrin tells RUE MORGUE, “as this has been the most blessed film experience of my 25 years of doing what I love. And I thank the cast and crew from the bottom of my heart for going above and beyond all expectations.”

“Acting has always fascinated me,” Rush says. “Living through another person’s life has no boundaries, and that’s what every actor does. Every moment of a character’s life expands one’s own real-life experience and takes it beyond infinity. It leaves you with the question, ‘Who am I really?’ I learned a lot about myself by playing Reeves. I’m nuts, but hey, who isn’t?”

Not only does Hawk play one of the key cult members, she was also the on-set R’lyehian dialect coach! “It has been a privilege to take a DEEP dive into the Lovecraftian universe through Chad Ferrin’s eyes and add my own touch to it, via my character Siren,” she says. “It has been an all-encompassing project, uncovering human shadow-psyche activations, dealing with tongue-twisting magical lingo such as R’lyehian, doing improv due to our director trusting the artistry and singing and chanting both solo and in unison, all while watching the effects come alive in front of our eyes. To say that it has been exciting is an understatement. This is art in its fullest bloom, exploratory and immersive, and fully inclusive of our talents and visions. I love how THE DEEP ONES has engaged folks from all walks of life, different ages and backgrounds.”

Muskatell, a longtime Ferrin cast member, adds, “After seven films with Chad, I am still challenged and surprised by our creative collaboration. Chad is willing to take risks. Whenever I work with him, I never tell him what I am going to do—I show him. He generously allows me to experiment.”

On the other hand, Mack says, “This is the first time I’ve worked with Chad, and I am truly impressed with his consummate professionalism. I hope this is the first of many to come. Stay tuned as we reach our tentacles into your heart!”

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).