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You cant eat crisps, its going to make transcribing a nightmare!

Youve been working as a British film director now for how many years?

This is my decade.

And how have you found it as an experience and as a working British director?

Financially hard, but yeah, it is very, very tough to break into something that makes money.

When you see other directors, your peers…

(Jokingly) Theyre c*nts.

People like Neil Marshall and Christopher Smith and…

C*nts.

(laughs)

They seem to have had one big movie which has then set them up.

What is it, do you think, that the film industry wants?

How was that as an experience?

He just went mental.

I think he was hungover as well.

He was an incredible actor, an incredible actor!

He was very good.

Big, big cinematic release!

[slightly sarcastic, fingers crossed]

What can you tell me about the film?

It is about a group of teachers trapped in a school by a group of murderous kids after hours.

So, its likeThe Breakfast ClubmeetsAssault On Precinct 13.

Its very violent, very scary and very ambiguous as well.

It doesnt go where you think it would go.

It all revolves around a broken down teacher, who has just been fucked by the system.

So, the first half hour is really about what lecturing is like and about this broken guy.

Was that where the inspiration came from originally?

Some of the things they have are just ridiculous.

If you assault a teacher, its like Oh, no.

What did the teacher do to you?!

And thats where its all come from.

So, its a resentment against teaching?

There are particular sequences that are quite wince worthy, but Ive sort of moved away from showing everything.

So, youve not got chavs with baseball bats.

So, theyre more supernatural, would you say?

They look almost like Ringwraiths with these blacked out hoods.

So, yeah the concept came from that, how far these kids will go at times.

It seems like kids in society at the moment have very much an attitude of violence for violences sake.

You know this guys a teacher and its his life.

You provoked the guy into assaulting you.That kind of sets the whole movie up.

It completely destroys him.

You see at these places just how ridiculous it is.

You have to be so politically correct all the time and thats where its going.

With the kids, though, it is just violence for violences sake.

The lead is David Schofield, who really is just an incredible actor.

You turn on your TV and hes always there.

Bigger than she is already.

Then I have Roxanne McKee, who is Louise Summers inHollyoaksand Emma Cleasby, fromDog Soldiers.

She was really fun.

She tends to play Detective Inspector, so she really threw herself into it!

She had a lot of fun with that!

So, yeah the cast was incredible.

How is it they came to be involved?

And thats what makes it, really.

There was something I was going to ask you relating to that, which was…

Wait youre going to ask a Pertwee question again, arent you!

Wait, it was…

[Burps] Excuse me, I bet Linda Hamilton didnt do that!

Does it always depend on the script?

No, it really doesnt.

Its weird because its tough.

This film came afterWhen Evil Calls,which did ok, but just got fucking pummelled.

The reviews were just awful and basically said this is a load of fucking wank!

So, to get a project after that was just impossible.

For three years I just didnt work at all.

It was basically showing someone photos of the location I wanted to film in.

But yeah, it was bloody hard.

Yeah, it is tough.

I mean it was tough withWhen Evil Calls.

I mean, the line from the Dread Central review Fuck this movie!

will stay in my mind forever.

I was pretty much thinking, Yeah, I probably dont want to go down this route again.

Evil Callswas pure… there was no heart and soul in it, even though I enjoyed it.

It is quite tough.

And I think the reviews will be very good for this, but who knows!

I look forward to seeing it.

Its a whole different level and it was really a case of setting the standard right at the beginning.

What motivates you to keep going?

Not just happy with, but really proud of.

Its this siege scenario, so I am really, really pleased.

So, Stephen King, John Carpenter and John Hughes.

Are they the big influences on you, then?

Yeah, Id say so.

Is that just a love that started when you were young?

I watched those movies and just thought, Fuck, these are what I want to make!

They just have a connection.

You have the high school thing, the teachers, its a weird thing.

Hows that going to work with an audience that is 18-20?

I dont know, but well see…

Well it worked forTaken,certainly.

It was a success, but very much based on an older guy…

Thats very true, yeah.

I hadnt thought of that.

Weve never met before!

I really like the emotional impact of the broken man.

Both of them had exactly the same lead in a strange way.

But I really liked that idea.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

In my mind it does.

I always thought of it a bit likeJawsin a school.

That really doesnt make any sense at all.

I tend to read them my reviews, so at least they can see that its not like that.

I think its drive and…

…passion?

Its just trying to encourage them to get out there and do it.

Johannes Roberts, thank you very much!

F is released in UK cinemas September 17th.Heres our review.