One of the things I”m hearing from you guys is that you”re concerned about the amount of video versus the amount of writing that appears here at HitFix these days, and I wanted to quickly address that concern. I am, first and foremost, a writer. The purest expression of what I do comes when it”s just me speaking directly to you guys via the written word. We work in a new media landscape, though, and video is an important part of not only keeping the site going, but building it, which is always our goal.
When we decided to stop attending junkets and doing those five minute sound bite videos, we started pushing to invite guests to our studios instead so we could sit down for a longer conversation. The results have been better across the board, and it”s because a longer conversation is always going to be a better way to get to know someone and a better showcase for their thoughts about the work they”ve done. And honestly, I feel like a video interview is better than a print one because of things like body language and nuances in tone. It's better to present the person as they are, instead of imposing an editorial voice on them.
For example, It was our pleasure to have Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel drop by the studio together to discuss their new film Hush, which is available on Netflix today. My review for the film will be up as soon as I get this interview posted, but it”s safe to say I like what Flanagan”s doing as a director. I dug his film, Oculus, and last year I saw his strangely sweet film Before I Wake, which is stuck in distribution limbo at the moment. Hush had a special screening at the SXSW Film Festival a few weeks back, and the first thing I wanted to talk to Flanagan about was how it felt to screen it with one of the best film audiences in the world.
Kate Siegel, who is not only the lead in the film but the co-author and, as of very recently, Flanagan”s partner in life as well, spoke about trying to create a lead character who is more than just a victim or a final girl or a horror trope. What”s nice about interviewing the two of them together is seeing how much they enjoy each other”s contributions to the work they”re doing. They just teamed again on Ouija 2 for Blumhouse, and I”ll be curious to see what happens with Flanagan”s proposed adaptation of Gerald”s Game. Siegel”s work in Hush almost feels like a dry run for the sort of punishment Gerald”s Game is going to put some actress through, but in Flanagan”s hands, I feel like there”s a chance it won”t feel like exploitation.
So check out Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel, and then check out Hush on Netflix, and we”ll be sure to keep an eye on these filmmakers as they move forward.
Hush is on Netflix now.