1:1 with the film’s Reverend Cotton Shock Till You Drop: I hear the audition for this was a bit beyond the norm. Patrick Fabian: It was very unusual in that I was asked to come in and improvise with Ashley [Bell] who was playing Nell. Stamm just wanted me to try different tactics to get her to go see a doctor. Daniel in his mercurial, German way was reticent to give me much more than that. I tried all of these different things. Then he asked me to come back with a ten-minute sermon. It’s a preacher role, you got to learn how to preach. So I went in, delivered my sermon and he dialed it up and down accordingly and I got the role. Then I got the script and we talked about it then. He was instrumental in finding what our point of view was for Cotton. If we don’t like him, I don’t have a movie. In the same way of saying, if the possessed girl isn’t good, we’re in a house of cards. If you don’t like Cotton, it’s likeâ¦I hope you die, asshole! Shock: Well, this guy knows his flaws, so you earn the audiences’ respect. Fabian: He knows his foibles. Exactly. You can go along with that. Shock: What was the sermon you wrote about? The one for the auditionâ¦
Shock: And that’s just in Los Angeles. Did you get a chance to check out the churches in the south? Fabian: I did. On my own, I did. I’ve never been to New Orleans and I was so glad. It’s just multi-cultural. It’s hot, oppressive, sweaty, sexy and dangerous. All of those things come into play. I went into a couple of churches and that was the real deal. I went to Baptist churches and I felt like I was saved. [laughs] It was uplifting. I was raised Roman Catholic, so not so much raising the hands to Jesus. When we shot, we shot for three days in this Baptist church. And the background people, they were all good church-going folk, and I told them I was an actor, I’m not a preacher, but if I’m off base, then help me out. The first time I said, “Can I get a halleluiah?” it was this wall of sound, “Halleluiah!” That got me in the spirit. I preached myself hoarse. Those ladies, God bless them. Again, those scenes are real. Shock: During our chat with Ashley, some unanticipated stuff came about during the scare scenesâ¦
Our conversation leans into spoiler territory as we talk about the end of the film, however, Fabian drums up a bit of nerd chatter as we talk about our favorite horror films. Fabian: Have you ever seen The Dark Secret of Harvest Home? Shock: I haven’t… Fabian: That kept me up at night. Burnt Offerings is terrific⦠Shock: I do like that one… Fabian: Oliver Reed and Karen Black. What a messy set that must have been! [laughs] Click here for clips, trailers and stills from the film! Source: Ryan Turek, Managing Editor Show Comments |