Making its world premiere at next month’s Fantasia film festival in Montreal is KNIFEPOINT, an extremely nasty thriller concerning two apartment- sharing sisters who become victims of a vicious gang of criminals on Christmas Eve. Check out exclusive comments (and pics) from the film’s writer/director Jed Strahm after the jump.

Starring Krista Braun (TV’s THE MIDDLE), PENANCE’s Katherine Randolph) and Kym Jackson, KNIFEPOINT is by far one of the more realistic, violent and disturbing films within the currently exploding subgenre of home invasion flicks (also see the upcoming KIDNAPPED and STRAW DOGS remake). “The reality of these types of films, I believe, is what attracts people,” says Strahm, who makes his narrative feature debut with KNIFEPOINT. “People love to be scared by the movies, and the threat of real world horror—that these things actually happen—is something that we can easily identify with, be terrified by, and ultimately, learn from. We live in a frightening world. Keep your head on a swivel; lock your doors and windows. The difference between cinema and some of the ripped-from-the-headlines home invasion crimes is, more often than not, the onscreen depiction pales in comparison to the actuality of the gruesome details. While we were editing the picture, there were two massive news stories making headlines that hit a little too close to home: the nightmare crimes that occurred to the Petit family in Connecticut and the Billings couple in Florida. Both stories proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that people are the real bogeymen. We are the monsters in the night. There will always be a monster out there, and as an audience that scares the hell out of us.”

It is exactly this type of disturbing verisimilitude that Strahm infuses his film, setting it apart from all others. “As crazy as the story gets,” he says, “as twisted the road it travels, I wanted to stick to the real world as much as possible, as though anything in this movie could actually happen. We knew we were pushing the envelope in terms of content…the script was so hardcore that things like infanticide were lost early in the preproduction process. The biggest benefit to making a film outside the studio system is the freedom it allows you as a filmmaker. There was no one steering us toward what was acceptable in terms of onscreen violence or sexual perversion. We set out to create an unrelenting horror movie—the type that looks you straight in the eye and spits. At best, I hope we were able to blur the line a bit between what’s deemed acceptable.”

Viewers not only can expect extreme horror and perversion, but unique killing tools to match. “As written, some of the weapons and how they came to be used were even more fantastical and over the top,” says Strahm. “Rizzo’s belt blade is one that remains unchanged from page to screen, even though its presence made some crew-members very uncomfortable. The film takes place nearly entirely within the loft-style, Venice apartment building and the loft shared by the two sisters, so many of the weapons used in the movie were items that would be found in their home.”

Of course, when you mix together gang members and weaponry, bloodshed will ensue, something that KNIFEPOINT has no shortage of. “A lot of emphasis was made early on to keep the effects practical and the gore very visceral and real,” says Strahm. “In addition to all of the special effects, Dean Jones and his team were responsible for all of the cast’s hair and makeup and they had an impeccable eye for blood and wound continuity. Their job was an uphill battle every day to apply everyone’s tattoos, scars, cleft palates, prosthetic limbs and geysers of blood. They were absolutely crucial to the success of the movie.”

KNIFEPOINT’s impact can also be credited to the strong performances given by the actors involved (LEATHERFACE’s R.A. Mihailoff also has a small role). “We were fortunate to have had a cast that was willing to walk barefoot across broken glass in order to get a shot,” says Strahm. “Whether we were firing real weapons at them, soaking them in fake blood, breaking chairs across their backs or dragging them across the concrete floor, they couldn’t have been more gung ho to go the extra mile to really help sell the gags.

“Admittedly, some of these actors have to go to very, very dark places to portray their roles,” he continues. “One of the most memorable was the tension created by the choice of some of the actors to go Method and remain in character. One spent the weekend roaming to various gun and knife trade show conventions by day and crashing in cockroach-infested hotel rooms at night, and he loved every minute of it. The following Monday we held a read-through of the script with the entire cast and this particular actor shows up with possibly the most badass knife I’d ever laid my eyes on. He whipped the intimidating blade out in the middle of the read-through and proceeded to use it to shave the hair off his arm in a display of its sharpness. Needless to say, afterward, I spent the remainder of the evening on the phone to various cast members convincing them to not quit!

“At the end of the day,” says Strahm, “KNIFEPOINT is a love letter to fans of the genre. I wanted to make a movie that my depraved buddies and I would be excited to track down and watch. We do have some screenings on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again very soon at the world premiere of KNIFEPOINT at the Fantasia international film festival next month in Montreal!”

More information on KNIFEPOINT can be found at the film’s official website here. 

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