INTERVIEW: Dominic Brunt

- By Chris Barnes

Star of one of our most popular TV soaps, Emmerdale, Dominic Brunt is known in every household here in the UK. On top of this, he’s also forging quite a reputation as one of the best indie horror filmmakers in Britain - his directorial debut feature, Before Dawn, was very well received upon its release in 2013 and more recently his second feature, Bait, has accumulated plenty of critical acclaim worldwide.

We had our first catchup since 2014 a little while ago and I was able to ask Dom about all of the above, plus what lay ahead for Mitchell-Brunt Films…

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How’s everything going in the aftermath of Bait, Dom? Are you taking a breather or are you straight back into lovely horror-making?

All well here. I’m very busy this year with Emmerdale which takes up an enormous amount of concentration and time, and I don’t like doing two things by halves. I wouldn’t want one thing to get in the way of the other so I’ve been full on with my lovely and amazing proper job since Bait came out.

I don’t know what a breather is as I’ve not had one in 20 years, although I did go on holiday last year for the first time in years. I like having a busy schedule and lots to do.

Although Bait is classed as a ‘thriller’ and has a less fantastical plot than your previous feature, Before Dawn, I found it to be more horrific – a sad reflection of our current society, governed by greed, without empathy or morals. Being a working-class Northern lad like myself, was that a reason you took the project on?

I’ve been in terrible debt in my life and it truly scared the life out of me - more terrifying than any horror film - and I’ve also seen first hand what the alternative (loan sharks) leads to. We like working in allegories and the loan shark story was lifted from three or more real life situations and spun into a metaphorical tale of the banking system, and the fact we live in a society where accountants and bankers rule above all else; forgoing any feelings of empathy or sympathy towards the individual and seemingly any need to keep within the rule of law.

It was really important for us to go full throttle with the violence and effects. You have to when you’re making a point like this. Also, you can let everything down with piddly effects when it all comes to the crunch. We had Alex Chandon, Darren Grassby, Paul Shrimpton, Graham Taylor and Neale Myers all working on practical prosthetics, CGI and composites. As ever, the more horrific the effect, the more everyone on set is pissing themselves laughing at the sheer gory delight at pulling it off.

The excellent Bait

After a meandering start, the speed in which Bait’s lead characters find themselves in trouble, and the ferocity of Jonathan Slinger’s character, Jeremy, is terrifying – was the contrast something you strived for?

Yes, well I think what worked with Before Dawn was you knew the characters and that’s what made the jeopardy work and fed the tension. You have to give the audience the information they need for these people, but at the same time remind them that a storm is coming. I do feel that you have a 15 - 20 minute slot at the beginning of a story/movie to set up your scenario before you lose the audience or any good will and patience. After that we just let the story go like a rocket and turn it all up.

I felt Before Dawn took a similar approach, bedding us into normality – even mundanity – before hammering us. Is that why you opted for fast vicious zombies over stumbling slow ones?

No not really, I like fast zombies. I realise this makes some people very very angry but THEY DON’T REALLY EXIST so we can do what the frigg we want with them. Frankenstein didn’t scare me but the thought of a person running at me forever without reason and wanting to gnash at my neck does. I loved Nightmare City (even the shitty ending) and the 28 days films. Zombies acting like big, fast, loud rabid dogs is good in my book.

You cut your horror-directing teeth with the excellent Shell Shocked before tackling features – how steep was the learning curve from that to BD, and from BD to Bait?

Film making is a nightmare which everyone should walk away from immediatelly but it’s also unbelievably addictive and utterly satisfying. It never seems to become easier at all. A bigger budget along the way has helped and I never want to make a hand held film again after Before Dawn. I prefer planning shots and keeping the screen still except for sliders and steady cam.

As mentioned, Slinger is flawless as Bait’s loan shark, Jeremy. I know he has an outstanding acting background, but what made you think he could play ‘psychotic sociopath’ so well?

He’s brilliant isn’t he? I saw him in a couple of productions for the RSC in Stratford and he seemed to be a completely different person in each play. He also studies all the facets of each character he is playing. For Jeremy he spent lots of time speaking to a Psychiatrist who specialised in sociopaths. Also, Paul Roundell created a three dimensional gangster which steered well away from all the usual cliches.

Joanne Mitchell (interviewed here!) and Victoria Smurfit are incredible as your 2 leads and elevate Bait way above your usual revenge schlock – how did you approach casting?

I usually try to work with people I either know already or have worked with before. I went to drama school (Bristol Old Vic) with Victoria and Joanne and, of course, later married Jo. I knew Jonathan from years back clubbing in Blackburn before he left for RADA and always admired what he did. Also, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Dom, Jo, Victoria and Jonathan on the set of Bait

As you mention, Paul Roundell’s script is brilliant and really helps us associate with the characters and their plight. Did you have any script input and was there any improvisation?

There is very little improvisation in the script. He’s just a master at dialogue and the three leads hit the ground running. Jo and Vicky are best friends in real life so there was a short cut there.

I read somewhere one of your favourite horror films is Martyrs (mine too) and that reflects brilliantly in Bait’s final few chapters. As well as French extremism, did I also sense a touch of Japanese/Takashi Miike in there, too?

There’s probably all sorts of influences in there. Martyrs is one of the harshest things I’ve ever seen but with an intelligence behind it. I wouldn’t pick that one out especially though. I also love Italian and French new wave films like The Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D and Breathless. My all time favourite film is the British classic Whistle Down The Wind. Dog Day Afternoon. Down By Law. Time Bandits. Night of the Demon. Dawn of the Dead. Nights of Terror (joke) are main stays. It Follows and Sleep Tight from the last few years were brilliant. I’ll watch anything.
Arrow films, 88 Films and Shameless have emptied my bank account in the last few years too.

At the first hint of violence in Bait you cut away at the last moment, which lulled me into thinking you wouldn’t quite go full throttle. Man, I got that spectacularly wrong! Was that your intention?

Yes! Definitely. You need to build up and shock. Reveal your hand slowly. We really wanted people to think this was a tense thriller without suspecting there would be a horror element later on. Hopefully that particular sucker punch worked well.

Why the name change from The Taking to Bait?

International sales and keeping the name the same in all regions. Really nothing to do with me and Metrodome know what they are doing with these things. If it wasn’t for Metrodome, Before Dawn wouldn’t have been seen and distributed throughout the world and Bait wouldn’t have even been made. Apart from what they have done for us as independent film makers, if you look at their roster, they are hugely influential and important for bringing the best in world cinema to this country. Culturally, they are totally on the ball and support film and cinema, where others go for the easy targets and “Main House” releases.

Before Dawn went global thanks to Metrodome

With Before Dawn, you plonked yourself into a intense 15 day shoot with your wife, survived it, then decided to do it all AGAIN with her best mate in tow for Bait – are you mental?! Is it easier having such a great actress close by to bounce ideas off and receive brutally honest feedback?

Well, Jo is always the catalyst in these things. She is the creator of the stories which are then passed to screenwriters. She’s brilliant and we like working together. Before Dawn was tough but we had more time and more of a budget to work with when we came to Bait. Trucks full of equipment and a full crew. The scale then brings it’s own problems but it was a big step up the ladder. It made lifting those ideas off the page and onto the screen (a bit) easier.

Ian Jowett (of 2 Baldies FX) spoke very highly of you and the atmosphere on set during a brief chat we had a while ago. He told me to ask about 2 things: 1) An argument George Romero himself settled for you, and 2) Jo’s sausage casserole recipe.

1. Helen Grace at Left films, who produced Before Dawn, announced on the Fangoria web site that we were making the film (Before Dawn) and we were in production. Someone immediately commented (as people do and can’t help doing) that I was shit and everything I do was shit and that this film was bound to be shit. Now, I’ve been around for a while and I’m used to online abuse. I can very easily shrug it off but it hurt Ian (who is a dear and loyal friend) and he bit back with anger. Almost immediately the real George Romero wades in and tells them both off with a very fair and eloquent post. All parties apologised to each other and we all went “WOW, George Romero saved the day!” We saw it as a good omen.

2. Jo makes the best sausage casserole on the planet earth.

I’ve spoken to you before about working with Alex Chandon and how much we both like his wacky work - do you think you’ll ever take a more ‘out there’ project on – supernatural, etc - or do you think everyday monsters are where your future lies?

If the story is good enough and we can get backing for it then I’ll do it. I like “Worse case scenarios” and allegorical, character-based story telling as a rule. We do have a short kids adventure film closing the Leeds Young Film Festival this year, which is a collaboration between Thomas Ragsdale (Music), Meriel Malone (Poet) and ourselves, along with 7 really rowdy, uncontrollable kids - The Mighty Witch Killers of Pendle Hill. We’re very proud of it and looking forward to seeing it on the big screen.