Recently I reviewed the sinister short, The Ghost That Wouldn’t Die.
Why am I tellin’ you cats n’ creeps that? Because the fine fiends responsible for the fright flick have just showed up at the demonic doorstep of ol’ Danny XIII!
Please introduce yourselves to our arcane audience!
Lanae Hyneman: Hey, I’m Lanae Hyneman. Thanks for this opportunity to talk with you!
Matthew Packman: And I’m Matt Packman. Thank you for having us!
As mentioned up yonder, I recently reviewed your new short, The Ghost That Wouldn’t Die right here on this wicked website. Please give the cats n’ creeps out there the lowdown on the short and how it came together!
LH: The Ghost That Wouldn’t Die is actually our 3rd installment in this universe we’ve created. Morbid Colors (2021) was the first film, a feature, and then Real Cool Time (2023), a short, came after. When production for Morbid Colors was over, we thought there was more of Devin’s story to tell. That’s how Real Cool Time came to be. We filmed Real Cool Time in a weekend from sun down to sun up for two days. The same day we finished filming, Matt decided he wanted to get even deeper into it. The Ghost That Wouldn’t Die is a more intimate look at what’s going on with Devin.
MP: Originally, we didn’t plan on doing anything past Real Cool Time. It was just supposed to be a fun little one-off that continued the Morbid Colors story. But after going through that weekend with our team, and just seeing the story play out in real time while we were shooting it, I felt like we weren’t done. I felt like Devin’s story was far from finished. By the time I got home from the shoot, I was already on the phone with Lanae about moving forward with future installments. We knew the next story would be Devin on the road with her band, and that we’d be focusing on the daily struggle of keeping her affliction under wraps while on tour.
How has the character of Devin Crane evolved over the course of the sinister shorts, and what challenges have there been bringing her to lascivious life?
LH: Devin started out with a bit of hope, then just gets more desperate as the films go on. We’ve been lucky, story wise, and haven’t had much issue creating, but there have been a few weather challenges. Filming in the freezing cold and rain wasn’t fun, but we made it work.
MP: One of the biggest changes in Devin between Morbid Colors and these last two shorts is that she’s experienced a lot of life. She’s far more traveled. There was five years between films, and in that time, Devin got out of her small town, started a successful rock band, and got to see a lot of the world. So, one of the biggest challenges for us when we came back to her on Real Cool Time was maintaining the core of the character while also showing her personal growth since the first feature.
Are future Devin shorts planned, and are there plans to turn the story into another frightful feature film?
LH: We’ve got a few things in the works right now, but I won’t give away too much. I really hope everyone is going to like what we’re doing. If not, it’s just an amazing time making art with my friends.
MP: I definitely second that. It’s been the best experience creating this universe with my favorite people and artists. It’s beyond special to me. But yeah, Devin definitely has more story to tell.
Where can our raucous readers keep up with your horror happenings?
LH: The best way to get updates is to follow us on Instagram @ghostthatwouldntdiemovie that’s where we share all our news.
Well that’s that with the ol’ chit chat!
The Ghost That Wouldn’t Die is currently rippin’ through the festival circuit, so keep your putrid peepers peeled!
