Last Updated on July 28, 2021
ARROW IN THE HEAD
INTERVIEWS
JEREMY
HAFT
Director Jeremy Haft tackles horror for the first time with TAMARA
(Read my review here), an undead sexy
chick out for revenge opus that hits
the big screen (limited release) on February 3rd 2006. I got the opportunity
to ping-pong with the man behind the demon babe and here’s what he smacked
back my way when it comes to everything Tamara!
What’s
your favorite horror movie?
I’d
have to say both the Exorcist and the Shining.
What
was it about the Tamara screenplay that made you want to helm it as your
first horror feature?
I’m a
big horror fan, but the movies that really stand out for me in the genre are
those with a thriller or super-natural thriller edge to them. As I
mentioned before, I love the SHINING and THE EXORCIST, as well as The SIXTH
SENSE, all movies I consider as broadly in the horror genre, but with
super-natural elements to them. I felt that TAMARA had both the horror and
super-natural elements as well. I also liked that Tamara wasn’t a slasher
movie, but required some thinking. Finally, I was attracted to the idea of
setting a horror movie in a high-school, as high-schools are truly places of
horror for some kids.
Having
recently read the original draft, I know a lot was snipped out from it when
compared to what you shot. What lost script element were you the most sorry
to have to let go?
The
all-girls’ shower scene. Okay, that was a joke, sort of. But we had to
lose some scenes due to budget and time, and the one that stands out in my
head is a scene we did shoot, but not the way I wanted to shoot it. The
scene currently has Chloe and Jesse stepping into an elevator where they are
immediately attacked by Kisha. I had story-boarded the scene so that Chloe
and Jesse would get into the elevator and feel safe. Then the audience (not
the characters) would see a drop of blood dripping between the elevator
buttons, and the blood would eventually drip onto Jesse just as Kisha
exploded out of the elevator shaft to attack them. That scene would have
kicked ass, but we simply did not have the time or money to do it.
How
would you describe the casting process to find your “Tamara”? Smooth sailing
or arduous?
Arduous until we met Jenna. I met hundreds of girls for the role of Tamara,
and not one could successfully play both sides of Tamara – the mousey scared
girl and the tough seductress. Many actresses could play one of her sides,
but no one played both realistically. Ironically, the hardest thing was
finding someone who could pull off the sexy seductress without being over
the top. So after meeting tons of young women, we were definitely
exasperated. Then, in walked Jenna, and it was over. She blew us away.
She was perfect.
What
would you say were the heftiest obstacles you encountered while shooting the
picture?
The
heftiest obstacles were easily the budget and the shooting time. Frankly we
needed more time and money. That said, because of these constraints there
were complex things we had to swap out for simpler ideas, and they ended up
looking really cool. Sometimes simpler is better.
Another issue was that we were always shooting nights, so it took time for
our bodies to adjust. We’d usually start shooting around 5 or 6 pm and we’d
wrap at 6 or 7 am, as the sun was coming up. We were trying to wind down as
the normal day was dawning. And if you wanted to relax with a beer at the
end of the work day, you couldn’t get it as the bars were closed at 7 am.
Any
funny on set occurrences that happened you’d like to share with us?
Two
very funny stories come to mind. One crazy event was when Kisha was
literally puking her guts out. Our prop guys developed an awesome puke
device that was a vacuum. When activated, it propelled the puke out. Now
mind you, the vomit was made of dog food, gizzards, chicken livers, and
other disgusting refuse from the butcher shop. The stench was unbearable!
Well, we’re shooting the scene and Kisha was about to puke when the machine
malfunctions and shoots this disgusting stuff all over her. And this poor
actress is drenched in the raunchiest stuff you’ve ever seen or smelled.
Another funny incident occurred when we were shooting the scene where Tamara
makes Roger relive her own horror of being buried underground. So as the
scene progresses, worms and bugs break out of Roger’s skin. Well of course
we had real bugs … and one bug, a giant millipede was lost. The bug
wranglers couldn’t track him down, and we assumed he went off to spawn
somewhere. So if there’s ever an attack of millipedes in Winnipeg, Canada,
you’ll know why!
If
Tamara 2 was to happen, would you be interested in directing it?
I had
a great time working on the first one, so, of course, I’d be open to it.
However, we’d have to find an original story, and not merely a re-tread of
the first one.
What’s
next on your plate projects wise? Anything up in the air?
A slew
of things are going on. My writing partner, Ed Gonzalez and I, recently
wrote a thriller for the director William Friedkin, and we also sold a
comedy script with Vince Vaughn attached to New Line Cinema. Both of those
projects are exciting. I also direct a lot of commercials, including spots
for the Harlem Globetrotters, the Ashes and Snow Museum and the opening
titles for a new TLC show, all in the last few months. And of course, I’m
reading scripts and taking meetings in order to find a new feature to
direct.
Do you
have any idea as to when the “once planned, now postponed” Lions Gate Tamara
Home Release date will be?
Sorry,
I don’t know.
What
was the first drink you consumed at the Tamara Wrap Party?
A cup
of coffee to stay awake as we’d been shooting nights, and then a shot of
tequila to start the party!
I’d like to thank Jeremy for
the interview
and for putting yummy actress Jenna Dewan in skimpy outfits throughout
Tamara! Break a neck with the film dude!
READ OUR JENNA DEWAN (LEAD)
INTERVIEW HERE
READ OUR JEFFREY REDDICK (SCREENWRITER) INTERVIEW HERE
READ THE ARROW’S REVIEW OF TAMARA HERE
Follow the JOBLO MOVIE NETWORK
Follow us on YOUTUBE
Follow ARROW IN THE HEAD
Follow AITH on YOUTUBE