INT: Edward Anderson

Last Updated on July 26, 2021

Writer/Director EDWARD ANDERSON burst on the scene via his screenplay FLAWLESS,
a crime/drama that starred DEMI MOORE and the great MICHAEL CAINE. And now the lad will
finally run us over with his directorial debut SHUTTLE;
which hits DVD
come APRIL 7TH, 2009 (yes today). EDWARD recently took a pit stop at the AITH GAS
STATION to fill her up and here’s what we found in his trunk while he hit the
MEN’S ROOM for a pee break.

EDWARD ANDERSON INTERVIEW

I love the
initial premise of SHUTTLE. A novel idea. How did the initial creative spark
come to you on this one?

I’d been
looking for something contained to direct my first time out. And I had recently
seen “COLLATERAL” and have long been a fan of “DEAD CALM” — both confined films
that take place in few locations over brief periods of time. Very psychological
thrillers. A lot of cat and mouse. So a short ride on an airport shuttle van
got me thinking, but it wasn’t until I found a much larger context to set the
story against that I really got excited about “SHUTTLE.” I don’t think shuttle
vans are all that interesting or terrifying, but given the ultimate destination
of the story, it fit perfectly — the “why” of it all. If you’ve seen the film,
you know what I’m talking about.

How long did it take you to write the screenplay and where did
you write it?

Not long,
relative to other scripts. I had recently written “FLAWLESS”, which is a period
heist film starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore. That was an involved process
of research and writing, and “SHUTTLE” was very much the opposite. Few
characters, few locations, very linear story. The idea came at LAX. First
draft was written in Colorado. Subsequent drafts in Europe in between
production on “FLAWLESS”. Polishes in LA during casting, and in Boston during
pre-production. So the script has some air-miles on it.

Was getting the film off the ground a challenge or did it happen
quickly?

After the
script stage, it happened quickly. In part because the film was made
independently, and for very little money (there are reports that our budget was
something like $5 million, which I wish had been the case), but mainly because
I’d been on the fundraising trail for a long time even before the script was
finished.

This was your feature length directorial debut. Why did you
choose horror for you first round behind the camera?

That’s the
funny thing, I don’t really see it as a horror film. Not in the classic sense
anyway. I can see where some people do, depending on their sensibilities, and
it is definitely intended to be frightening on a number of levels. But it
doesn’t fit squarely into a genre. And I think that may be a challenge for
people who go in expecting a certain type of thing. I saw a review where one
critic said it was either the most profound horror film he had ever seen or the
most baffling. I mainly chose to direct “SHUTTLE” first because it felt
different, and doable on a contained schedule/budget. I’m always looking for a
different angle on things. The unexpected.

What would you say was the biggest obstacle you encountered while
shooting the picture?

The overall
ambition of it. We shot almost entirely on a moving vehicle, at night, in the
freezing cold, on a tight schedule. All of which is a challenge from the
start. So any hiccup in that situation and you start losing shots. And there
are always hiccups.

I haven’t seen the film yet; what can people expect? Suspense
driven? Gory? A bit of both?

More
suspense and action than blood and gore. There’s a central question at the
heart of the film that needs to be answered in the end, so it has a
mystery/thriller construct built in. But make no mistake, it’s a dark ride. No
punches get pulled. It’s raw, and I think what makes it so scary, is that there
aren’t fantastical villains. The terror comes from a real place, and
real people. What’s portrayed happens somewhere, on some level, all the time.

Any talks of a SHUTTLE sequel? Either way, would you be
interested in doing one?

Not yet.
But given the price of gas we might have to change the shuttle to an
electric-powered golf cart, which would be thorny creatively.

Are you happy with the distribution the film has gotten thus far?

It’s a
tough environment right now for all businesses everywhere. We had a limited
theatrical run. Magnolia is handling all other markets in the U.S., so I’m
confident that will be successful. I think all filmmakers want as many people
as possible to experience their film.

What’s next for you? Any other projects in the pipe line we
should know about?

There are a
few irons in the fire, so I’ll to keep you posted.

What was the first drink you drank at the SHUTTLE wrap party?

There was a
big crash scene for the last shot on the night principle photography wrapped.
The sun was coming up, and we were racing to do the crash before first light.
As soon as I yelled “CUT” our stunt coordinated uncorked a bottle of Champaign.

I respect that! Thanks for talking shop with us Edward!

My pleasure
guys.

GET THE SHUTTLE DVD HERE