As independent we’re constantly at odds with time and budget. Our ambitions are humungous, but we only have so many resources (and so much cash) to pull off the grandiose ideas floating around our creative minds. That’s why it’s such a breath of fresh air to hear about success stories like David Jame’s Bag of Lies.
Shot in 13 days with only $75K in the bank, Bag of Lies pulled off the impossible as a solid horror outing that landed a theatrical release and an immediately successful online run. Currently available on Amazon Prime, Bag of Lies follows Matt (Patrick Taft), a down on his luck husband willing to do anything to combat his wife’s long battle with cancer. When he stumbles upon an offer to save her life via the titular bag of lies, well… it doesn’t go great!
Below, we speak with director David James and lead Patrick Taft about all things low-budget horror. Please enjoy, and do know they are lovely, trustworthy guys that don’t associate with that manipulative bag.
Editor’s note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity.
Bag Of Lies Official Trailer
www.youtube.com
No Film School: Tell me a little bit about where the idea for Bag of Lies originated.
David James: Nicholas Laughlin wrote and directed the short film of the same name back in 2021. I played the lead role in it, and Patrick Taft (who plays the lead in the feature) played the Al character, the stranger who hands over the mysterious Bag. I got the chance to pitch features to a producer, and along with Joe Zappa, he, Nick, and I developed it into the feature now streaming on Prime.
We wanted to craft a strong drama about a person losing their partner to terminal illness, which was something I witnessed my father go through. The fear and horror oozed out from there.
NFS: What was your budget and what was it like shooting in the midwest?
James: We had a humble budget of $75K to make the film, from A to Z, pre to post. It was a daunting task; we burned all our favors with some really talented folks who worked on the crew (shout-outs to DoP Brandt Hackney, Production Designer Stephonika Kaye, and Makeup/Creature Designer Trevor Thompson. I love you all).
We shot the film in 13 days. With any other cast and crew, it would have been a major bummer, however with the gang we assembled, they made it a blast.
NFS: Were there any unforeseen challenges that popped up while shooting?
James: I’d say the biggest challenge that arises when you’re making a movie, is the greatness of what a script demands versus the reality of your logistics. The script called for a mansion; we got a townhouse that was within our price range. The script had a few more scenes with the creature; we couldn’t afford any further prosthetics than what’s on screen.
When trying to balance that out, we leaned into the Spielberg approach, with what he did on Jaws (and honestly, a lot of other films he’s made), where you leave the audience alone with their imagination for most of the film. We decided to wait as long as humanly possible before we featured the creature.
Since the script was rooted in drama and psychological horror, we were able to balance it out accordingly. I don’t mean to insinuate that we didn’t have our work cut out for us. We absolutely had problems to solve on a daily basis. Regardless, no one put themselves before the film.
It was true collaboration that saved the day. I seem to continue to be avoiding the question, so I’ll leave you with this: The biggest challenge was a small budget.
‘Bag of Lies’Dread Central
NFS: Patrick, any particular challenges portraying a slow decline of sanity?
Patrick Taft: I’m not method by any means, but this role got in my bones. Although the remedy was supernatural, the malady was not. Cancer is very real. Unfortunately, just about everyone knows someone who has dealt with it. The exhaustion, and the powerlessness, of watching a loved one slip away…on top of that, you’re fighting a supernatural battle of your own that you’re forced to keep to yourself. This role took so much out of me. I think we all felt the responsibility of taking on something so real, that so many families have actually faced. We did our best to honor that.
NFS: Let’s hear a little about creating that titular bag of lies!
James: Oh, boy! The fun part. Stephonika Kaye, our Production Designer, really took the lead in developing that Bag. She and I had a few conversations about its origins. We decided that it was an ancient evil, that has never lost a fight. Burlap was most likely invented in France, so that gave us a good starting point as to its look, and feel; something that was hidden within the catacombs of France for centuries, after it had wreaked havoc on unfortunate souls, only to be discovered much later by a baker with a dying cousin (hmm, perhaps we have a prequel on our hands).
Anyway, I have to give the credit to Steph. She really brought it to life. It was a blast.
NFS: What did you keep in mind while shooting to try and keep the scares coming?
James: I think the goal was to try and be original with our scares. Obviously that’s unattainable, but when you aim for it, you land somewhere in the area of ‘appropriate horror’. The scares needed to be rooted in Matt’s fears and vulnerability, which revolved around losing his wife, Claire. All he wants is to live with the love of his life, and when you think about it in those terms, anything can strike fear. We were surprised at what popped out at us.
Matt’s (Patrick Taft) deterioration of his mind was another avenue we explored. The Bag is constantly trying to warp your brain, and so we wanted to blur the lines between what was real and what wasn’t—but only from a script standpoint. We didn’t want to visualize those moments any different from reality, which further melts the audience’s perception a bit. Did it work?
No, seriously. I’m asking.
Oddly enough, we didn’t do a lot of jump-scares, which was higher on my list during development. As I mentioned, I think it boils down to what’s appropriate, and I’m hopeful the audience feels satisfied about what we made scary. And if you did, then you’ll love the sequel, if we get a chance to make it.
Taft: We took a bit of a different approach to the terror with this. The scares don’t ebb and flow like most films I’ve seen, it’s more of a free-flowing assault on Matt’s senses. He has a history of mental illness and hallucinations, so it’s doubly difficult to tell whether what he’s seeing and experiencing is real. I did my best to walk that fine line without teetering in either direction.
‘Bag of Lies’Dread Central
NFS: What’s your advice for aspiring filmmakers?
James: Oof. I reckon I’m not qualified to give advice, just yet, but I’ll part with what I’ve gathered, thus far: The only way I can make a film is to have exhausted every other possible way a story can go, so that what remains is what must be. It gives a certain confidence when you’re on set that affords you the ability to make those gut decisions, when the clock is running, and you have limited time to get the job done.
Be as prepared as humanly possible, but don’t be a curmudgeon. Everyone within your ranks, cast and crew alike, are going to see things from a new perspective, and they’re going to give you gold if you let them. Consume all the information you can about the project you’re making, during prep; once you’re on set, and you have your plan, take a step back and listen.
Was that long-winded, pretentious and contradictory? I think so. But hey, that’s the job, dude.
Watch Bag of Lies now on Amazon Prime.
Author: Grant Vance
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
