The Mothman Prophecies: Interview

Review by By Clint Morris

Interview with Mark Pellington
Director of The Mothman Prophecies film.

In 1967, residents of a small town were plagued by strange incidents and sightings of a moth-like man, and it's through the new film The Mothman Prophecies that documentation, streaming from a 1975 book by John Keel, take form. Clint Morris spoke to director Mark Pellington about what attracted him to make such a genuinely freaky feature. The Truth's Still Out There.

Director Mark Pellington plying his trade

"For me, the attraction to the film was that I could make it genuinely spooky through the use of space, sound, image and atmosphere. I'm not a fan of the supernatural, though, surprisingly enough," explains Pellington.

The question then remains how can someone make a movie based on spooky events that 'apparently' happened. "Whether or not these 'true' circumstances happened is still debatable. We went on John Keel's book primarily, and talked to a few people. Very few people are still around that apparently saw something, but we did meet some that knew or was on that bridge. But in essence, Keel's book was as good as a doco - (there was) enough in there."

"I believe in some things. I've had dreams; I've had reality-like dreams. Waking visions. I've seen things in the corner of my eye. I believe in fear and the subjective human truth - but if you want clear-cut answers you won't always get them," says Pellington. "There's a hard core group who believe they saw something, but as I said with the book, it's debatable."

Richard Gere won the role of reporter John Klein, a man whose wife encounters the aforementioned vision. "Gere had always been interested in it, and I thought he could bring some maturity to the role. You can buy him as a straight guy, as a reporter and someone on the edge. With Laura Linney, well, Gere had worked with her before as had the producer, so it worked out well. She's glamorous, but she didn't mind at all doing such a small role in what is basically a 'genre' movie."

Debra Messing, of TV's Will and Grace plays Mary, John Klein's wife and first-hand witness to the bizarre moth-like apparition. "Debra has a great, great part. She got the chance to be scared, sweet and funny. She actually has the only funny line in the whole movie. She's also hard working and was just really into her character. We would put CDs on, sit her in her bed and she would be so immersed in her part. She really could it play it strange and weird," he says.

The events of the film are cited as occuring in 1967 - but Pellington felt it was a universal story that could be adjustable to any year. "I didn't know about the story when I was handed the screenplay. I didn't feel like it needed to be updated, even after I read it. It's very universal."

Prior to The Mothman Prophecies, Pellington directed the acclaimed thriller Arlington Road, but stresses he doesn't revel in doing dark pictures. "I was playing with my new-born daughter this morning," Pellington says "I'm far from dark. I think I'm just attracted to dark, intense pictures. I think the films have psychological tender sides, and I'm the interpreter."

"We've actually talked about doing a sequel to Arlington Road called Grants Revenge," explains Pellington. "The kid comes back, a few years later, to seek revenge on Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack's characters, but gets entangled in the terrorist life himself." But Pellington admits his films have never made enough money to garner interest in a sequel.

"I'm next doing something lighter, but it's not set-up yet. It's a cross between Mulholland Drive and Deathtrap. It's about a female writer's struggle to do original stuff, and its called Dolly Dimple," he explains.

"There's a heap of people I'd love to work with - Russell Crowe, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Connelly, Johnny Depp. I'd also work with Gere again too. He, like most of the people I've worked with, have been open to my style, and should a project come up that he would be appropriate for, I wouldn't at all oppose it."

How will Australian audiences take to the Mark Pellington style of directing? "I have no idea how The Mothman Prophecies will go in Australia, I'm purely basing it on the U.S response," he says.

"It wasn't a big hit, but it has a potential cult audience because of its more weird 'slam-bang' style. Lots of people don't get it; but some do - so be it. If 50,000 people, even 200,000 or even 50 people get it and dig it - I'm glad.

"The film plays on a box. It's hard to pin down. It doesn't have that twist of similar films, but judging from Internet response, they like it."

The Mothman Prophecies commences May 23 around Australia.
Click here for the review.

Brought to you by MovieHole