Chris Sivertson is the director behind the upcoming movie based on Jack
Ketchum's THE LOST. We got to speak with Chris about the movie and
his upcoming projects.
Ketchum's THE LOST. We got to speak with Chris about the movie and
his upcoming projects.
HF: What about Jack Ketchum's novel THE LOST appealed to you and made you want
to create a film adaptation?
Chris: The main thing that really struck me about the novel was Ketchum’s
characters. THE LOST is an ensemble piece with seven central characters, and lots of
vital supporting characters as well. Ray Pye is just an amazing, fascinating bad guy.
Ketchum has a deep understanding of people and how they operate. A psychologist
could have a field day analyzing Ray. Some people who see the movie complain that I
don’t offer any explanations as to why Ray acts the way he does. It’s true that both
the novel and the movie purposefully do not delve into Ray’s past in order to provide
some sort of context for his actions. I think that would be unnecessary. If you watch
the movie and really pay attention to what Ray does and when he does it, you learn
everything you need to know about the guy.
HF: For those of us who have never read the novel, what's the story about?
Chris: Ray Pye is a young sociopath who murders two women at some local
campgrounds on a whim. With the help of his friends Tim and Jennifer, Ray is able to
elude arrest – even though the cops are convinced of his guilt. Four years later Ray is
something of a small-town Don Juan. His main goal is to bed any girl who comes
across his path. His fragile ego takes several successive blows when he meets a
couple new girls who ultimately have no interest in him. Meanwhile the cops are
pushing Ray harder than ever, hoping for a break in the case. This all ends up sending
Ray on a blood-drenched rampage that spirals down into total chaos.
HF: How true to the original novel is your film THE LOST?
Chris: It’s a very faithful adaptation. I had no desire to make arbitrary changes to
Ketchum’s work. The book takes place in 1969 – I brought it into a more modern
setting, but other than that I think it’s true to the story that Ketchum created.
HF: Ray Pye is a very complex character. Was it difficult finding the perfect actor to
portray him?
Chris: I was really worried about that when we started the casting process. Luckily, in
Dino Ladki, I had a great casting director who wouldn’t rest until we had found the
perfect actor for each role. Marc Senter put 200% effort into his portrayal of Ray and
just did a fantastic job. I don’t think it’s going too far to say that with this one
performance he’s established himself as one of the most kick-ass actors of his
generation.
HF: Lucky McKee produced the film, and you've also worked with him in the past on
the film MAY. How did you come to work with one another?
Chris: Lucky and I met at USC Film School and hit it off right away. We were
roommates for all of college and collaborated on each other’s projects from the
beginning. We have very similar aesthetic tastes and senses of humor (we’ve created
quite a few underground films strictly for our own amusement that I would classify as
highly-disturbing comedies). He’s had a huge influence on me, both as a filmmaker
and as a friend.
HF: Are there any other Jack Ketchum novels you would either like to create a film
adaptation to, or would like to see made?
Chris: I’d love to see all of them get made. I can’t wait to see what Lucky does with
RED and what Stuart Gordon does with THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. LADIES NIGHT would
make a hell of a film. OFF SEASON could be a classic horror movie. THE PASSENGER
too. As far as me doing another adaptation goes, there’s actually a book by a
different author that I want to do. I can’t say what it is right now because I haven’t
gotten the rights yet, but it’s by a writer who horror fans know well.
HF: Can we expect a wide theatrical release for THE LOST?
Chris: It’s still too early to tell. I’ve always felt that a limited theatrical release is the
most likely scenario. We didn’t pull any punches when we made the movie – when the
violence happens, it’s VERY violent. There’s quite a bit of sex too. Some audience
members have actually asked if the actors were having real sex in certain scenes. The
answer is…well…maybe…
HF: Are you currently working on any other projects?
Chris: I recently finished a comedy that I co-wrote and co-directed with Eddie
Steeples (NBC’s MY NAME IS EARL.) It came out funny as hell and I’m excited about it
because it’s so different than THE LOST. There are even little kids in it being funny and
cute (and they don’t get killed!) It’s called THE BEST OF ROBBERS, and it’s a fictional
best-of special of a show called ROBBERS that’s basically the opposite of COPS. Lucky
and I wrote a psychedelic horror movie called HIPPY that takes place during the
Summer of Love that I’m planning on making next.
to create a film adaptation?
Chris: The main thing that really struck me about the novel was Ketchum’s
characters. THE LOST is an ensemble piece with seven central characters, and lots of
vital supporting characters as well. Ray Pye is just an amazing, fascinating bad guy.
Ketchum has a deep understanding of people and how they operate. A psychologist
could have a field day analyzing Ray. Some people who see the movie complain that I
don’t offer any explanations as to why Ray acts the way he does. It’s true that both
the novel and the movie purposefully do not delve into Ray’s past in order to provide
some sort of context for his actions. I think that would be unnecessary. If you watch
the movie and really pay attention to what Ray does and when he does it, you learn
everything you need to know about the guy.
HF: For those of us who have never read the novel, what's the story about?
Chris: Ray Pye is a young sociopath who murders two women at some local
campgrounds on a whim. With the help of his friends Tim and Jennifer, Ray is able to
elude arrest – even though the cops are convinced of his guilt. Four years later Ray is
something of a small-town Don Juan. His main goal is to bed any girl who comes
across his path. His fragile ego takes several successive blows when he meets a
couple new girls who ultimately have no interest in him. Meanwhile the cops are
pushing Ray harder than ever, hoping for a break in the case. This all ends up sending
Ray on a blood-drenched rampage that spirals down into total chaos.
HF: How true to the original novel is your film THE LOST?
Chris: It’s a very faithful adaptation. I had no desire to make arbitrary changes to
Ketchum’s work. The book takes place in 1969 – I brought it into a more modern
setting, but other than that I think it’s true to the story that Ketchum created.
HF: Ray Pye is a very complex character. Was it difficult finding the perfect actor to
portray him?
Chris: I was really worried about that when we started the casting process. Luckily, in
Dino Ladki, I had a great casting director who wouldn’t rest until we had found the
perfect actor for each role. Marc Senter put 200% effort into his portrayal of Ray and
just did a fantastic job. I don’t think it’s going too far to say that with this one
performance he’s established himself as one of the most kick-ass actors of his
generation.
HF: Lucky McKee produced the film, and you've also worked with him in the past on
the film MAY. How did you come to work with one another?
Chris: Lucky and I met at USC Film School and hit it off right away. We were
roommates for all of college and collaborated on each other’s projects from the
beginning. We have very similar aesthetic tastes and senses of humor (we’ve created
quite a few underground films strictly for our own amusement that I would classify as
highly-disturbing comedies). He’s had a huge influence on me, both as a filmmaker
and as a friend.
HF: Are there any other Jack Ketchum novels you would either like to create a film
adaptation to, or would like to see made?
Chris: I’d love to see all of them get made. I can’t wait to see what Lucky does with
RED and what Stuart Gordon does with THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. LADIES NIGHT would
make a hell of a film. OFF SEASON could be a classic horror movie. THE PASSENGER
too. As far as me doing another adaptation goes, there’s actually a book by a
different author that I want to do. I can’t say what it is right now because I haven’t
gotten the rights yet, but it’s by a writer who horror fans know well.
HF: Can we expect a wide theatrical release for THE LOST?
Chris: It’s still too early to tell. I’ve always felt that a limited theatrical release is the
most likely scenario. We didn’t pull any punches when we made the movie – when the
violence happens, it’s VERY violent. There’s quite a bit of sex too. Some audience
members have actually asked if the actors were having real sex in certain scenes. The
answer is…well…maybe…
HF: Are you currently working on any other projects?
Chris: I recently finished a comedy that I co-wrote and co-directed with Eddie
Steeples (NBC’s MY NAME IS EARL.) It came out funny as hell and I’m excited about it
because it’s so different than THE LOST. There are even little kids in it being funny and
cute (and they don’t get killed!) It’s called THE BEST OF ROBBERS, and it’s a fictional
best-of special of a show called ROBBERS that’s basically the opposite of COPS. Lucky
and I wrote a psychedelic horror movie called HIPPY that takes place during the
Summer of Love that I’m planning on making next.
The End!
Interview done by:
Michelle Fatale
Michelle Fatale