Interview with Mike Kehoe (THE HATRED)

Thrill and Kill: Congratulations on your awesome trailer for THE HATRED. A lot of people saw the trailer. How does it feel to reach so many people?

Mike Kehoe: When the trailer went out I was hoping to get at least 100 thousand views. Even that I believed to be out of reach for us. Then, as of this interview right now the trailer on THE HATRED Facebook page has 18,582,324 Views. That is astounding for our film. It feels like I’m in the Twilight Zone!

T&K: What can viewers expect from THE HATRED? And why should people watch THE HATRED?

Mike Kehoe: I think people will be entertained by THE HATRED, that was our goal. We want to take the audience on a ride and make them jump. People should watch this to have fun and make it an event. Turn the lights out, lock the doors and don’t watch this movie alone!!!

T&K: Trailers from THE HATRED combine shock moments and much more subtle horror. What do you focus on?

I prefer to focus on the moments before the shock. I like to take the audience in one direction and let them think they know what will happen. Then, shift gears and jolt them in a completely different direction!

T&K: Four young women are alone in a house. This is the beginning from a lot movies. How is THE HATRED different? Why do you think there are so many female protagonists in horror movies?

Mike Kehoe: When people see the trailer with young women, right away they think “Oh, sexy girls, nudity, and they’re going to die”. Our story deals with a college graduate Regan, that lands a job with her professor after her graduation. He’s an archeologist and has purchased a old country home on the outskirts of the college town. Regan’s friends decide to help her settle in for her new career. The professor and his wife have a seminar to attend and ask Regan to watch over their daughter that Regan knew when she was very small, now at 9 years old, she’s quite a little woman. What Regan and her friends are unaware of is the house has a malevolent past and they will soon have to confront the inevitable!

T&K: The scene with Irene and Regan in the bedroom is a lot like one of those two-sentence horror stories. Did you know that story or is the similarity by accident?

Mike Kehoe: I have twin boys that are now 15 years old, when they were around 4 or 5 before bedtime, they would ask me to look out the window, check the closet and look under the bed. I kept that in mind as it happened almost every night. I wrote the feature script with that scene in the film. I actually shot a short film of that scene because it’s a scene that stands alone. I wanted to have a short film that I could submit with the feature script. While we were in editing, someone mentioned me that there were similar short ideas with the same situation. I didn’t think we were copying it or stealing anything. I believed we had a different approach and we wanted to shoot the film in such a way as to make it look as grand as possible.

T&K: One trailer of THE HATRED implies that in the movie is a connection between nationalsocialism and a supernatural force. How did you came up with that idea and how does it influence the story?

I wrote an adventure script about the Knights Templar and an elite team much like today’s Navy Seals. In history the Templars saved relics that some thought held powers. There were leaders that wanted these relics. In my research I found that Hitler was obsessed with the occult and relics that could possibly hold these powers. I don’t want to give anything away so you’ll have to see the movie!!!

T&K: The movie was formerly known as ALICE. Why did you change the name to THE HATRED?

The original feature script was titled HUSH and when se began to the festival journey for the short film I was notified that Blumhouse was releasing a film on Netflix titled HUSH, so we had to rethink the feature film title and we then went with ALICE which is a character in the film. But we were being told that ALICE was too similar to movies already released. So, there is mention of “hatred” in the script. The decision was made to call it THE HATRED.

T&K: Are there any movies – old or new – you would compare to THE HATRED?

Mike Kehoe: Yes! There was a movie that was released I believe in 1980 or 81 titled “THE CHANGELING” starring George C. Scott. This movie was very affective and the moments of tension gripped me. This film made me think.

T&K: You directed and wrote some comedies and some horror movies. Do you prefer one genre and why?

Mike Kehoe: I like thrillers. I like the journey of a great thriller and the tension that causes you to move to the edge of your seat.

T&K: What are your plans for the future? What kind of movie do you plan do make next?

Mike Kehoe: Next, I am in development with a script I wrote titled KEFLAVIK. It’s a Sci Fi thriller located in Iceland at an abandoned air force base. The producer is Kristinn Thordarson from Truenorth. Tommy Harper will be on this as well.
I’d like to continue to make thrillers and stories that take place in countries all over the world.

There is a script that I am developing that deals with an international team of spies from Germany, America, France, and the Scandinavian countries that band together to secure stolen relics just after World War 2.

 

 

Das Interview mit Mike findet ihr HIER auf deutsch.