John Dies At The End was one of last year’s most underappreciated movies.
The novel of John Dies at the End was widely considered unfilmable.
What made you decide to try and film it?
Well, it didnt appear to be unfilmable when I started.
The book was so different and so terrific; it just spoke to me on so many levels.
It was very visually written, so I just thought it seemed like it would make a great movie.
I was part way in before I realised what kind of predicament I was in!
How did you come across the novel?
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It was actually amazing.
This sounds like it was make a great movie!
The more I think about that, the more I think that could be the subject of another film!
[laughs] Yeah, it doesnt always work.
Its not always perfect.
So what was your process of adaptation?
Firstly I went out and got the financing.
Actually, thats not true: I did write a version of the screenplay before that.
So you didnt write an infinite-budget version and then pare it back?
No, I always had a low budget in mind.
There are things in it that are insanely huge and I just had to scratch those out.
That seemed relatively straightforward, so I started there.
Did you get to know the author, David Wong?
Hes a really interesting guy.
It was just amazingly straightforward and funny.
It got about 17m views and really touched a nerve worldwide.
So he can be an essayist and a humourist and he can also write horror: hes really impressive.
And hes a nice guy!
When I first readJohn Dies at the EndI thought it shared a lot of sensibilities withPhantasm.
I said, Oh, yes, I know…
But it turned out he was talking aboutBubba Ho-Tep!
Wongs sequel, This Book Is Full Of Spiders: Seiriously Dude Dont Touch It also involves John.
Do you have any intentions to film that one?
Thats about these strange spiders that inhabit the base of peoples craniums!
Id love to work with Davids material again, and Id love to work with those characters again.
Well pursue that and see what happens…
There are a lot of practical effects in the film: rubber suits and puppets rather than CGI.
What was the decision there?
Does it make life more difficult and more expensive for you?
Well, thats a good question.
Sometimes digital effects are very inexpensive and sometimes theyre extremely expensive.
Theyre both just tools and each one has its strength.
Obviously I grew up on prosthetic effects and my early films have zero digital effects in them.
And you look back on them and they play pretty darn well.
I am still a fan of prosthetic effects.
Theres nothing quite like getting a great horror actor working against a rubber suit.
It can just approach magic if the lightings right.
Paul Giamatti is wonderful in the film but hes also credited as a producer.
What was his role offscreen?
I had a relationship with Paul from when I learned that he was a fan ofBubba Ho-Tep.
We found that we shared a sensibility.
He jumped at that, but unfortunately it fell through, although its something were still talking about.
It was great to have that support.
Im fans of theirs!
And Doug Jones is just one of the greatest people on the planet.
I hadnt thought of him originally, but one of the production assistants suggested him.
He can play that kind of stranger-from-a-strange-land role.
The only thing I was concerned about was that he had done so many films in bold make-up.
But hes a wonderful actor.
He should do more parts without all the latex on him!
You found a role for Angus Scrimm too: is he your lucky charm?
Yes, in some respects I think he is.
Hes a terrific actor, and very early on I selfishly sidetracked him into horror roles!
I sometimes feel guilty about that.
Hes been there ever since!
Two very obvious questions follow that everyone must ask you: sorry about that!
Firstly, youve already touched on this, but whats the current situation with Bubba Nosferatu?
I would love to see it, and its certainly something Im still pursuing.
Ive been re-investigating it recently.
I had dinner with Bruce Campbell and Paul Giamatti and we discussed it.
Budgets are going way down, so its a challenge.
So its not dead yet, is the short answer.
I think I read somewhere that it had morphed into Bubba Roswell: is that true?
So were investigating various options.
Paul Giamatti suggested Roswell, I think.
And obvious question number two: are you done with Phantasm now?
[laughs] I dont think Ill ever be done withPhantasm: or itll never be done with me!
The epitaph on my gravestone will be The guy who didPhantasm!
So Ive been talking about it with Angus Scrimm, who still looks great.
Do you know what youre working on immediately next?
Its just a bunch of meetings, trying to get one of these things going.
The independent world has never been tougher, so it really requires some creative thinking and lightness-of-foot!
You have to be a moving target and find your way through the cracks.
Youve never considered a mainstream blockbuster?
A lot of my friends did those.
That never happened to me!
Don Coscarelli, thank you very much.
See also:Is John Dies At The End one of 2013s hidden horror gems?
