It doesn’t sound like ideal filming conditions for a well-known actress: Shooting in the middle of the night, in the middle-of-nowhere China, no high-end trailer to retreat to, no slew of assistants to pamper you, and the only advantage you have over everyone else is a Western-style porta-potty.
Amy Smart wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything.
“We had the opportunity to be a bit more wild,” the 33-year-old actress said following an Aug. 30 screening in Hollywood, Calif. of her experience filming Seventh Moon, one of the latest Lionsgate Ghosthouse Underground titles to see a DVD and Blu-ray Disc release, coming out Oct. 6 (prebook Sept. 9). “I’ve done night shoots, but not for seven weeks in a row.”
Smart got dirty and soaked filming the gritty horror flick, which follows a honeymooning couple in rural China, who become the sacrificial offerings of local residents. They believe the dead return on the seventh full moon of the lunar year and can only be appeased with blood. Directed by Eduardo Sánchez, Seventh Moon has the same bumpy, chaotic visual feel (that was both praised and scorned) as his work on The Blair Witch Project.
“I liked that it was a realistic look,” Smart said, following a screening of the film. “It’s a strong female hero trying to save her husband. It’s this growing emotional journey that gets more weird and more scary.”
Smart was joined by producers Robin Cowie and Matt Compton, and editor John Rice, who all described an almost surreal experience shooting outside of Hong Kong.
“The subject matter for [Sánchez] matched a documentary style,” Cowie said. “It’s a throwback to Blair.”
The crew described how the production was repeatedly blessed to ward off real-life spirits and the challenges of dealing with a crew that almost exclusive non-English speaking crew.
“People in China very much believe and celebrate seventh moon. It’s a true myth,” Cowie said. “They take their ghosts pretty seriously.”
The DVD and Blu-ray come with a commentary with Sánchez and Smart, a making-of featurette, a featurette focusing on the dead spirits stalking the couple in the film, and a “Mysteries of the Seventh Lunar Month” featurette. The title streets the same day as three other Lionsgate Ghosthouse Underground titles: Offspring, The Thaw and The Children.
“With Ghost House Underground, we have the opportunity to present these distinctive horror films to a discerning and enthusiastic audience,” said director Sam Raimi, who along with director Rob Tapert helped hand-pick the titles for home video release.
From Home Media Magazine