We’ve had the pleasure of promoting “Deadly Crush” for a couple of weeks, and now we want to bring you more about the film. We got a chance to speak with filmmaker Dakota Aesquivel about his terrific new supernatural thriller. Find out where he got the idea for the film, about shooting the film, how the cast came together, and more…
-PH: For those not familiar with “Deadly Crush,” can you tell them what’s it about?
-Dakota: Deadly Crush is an erotic supernatural thriller about a painter who rents a cabin in an attempt to jumpstart her creativity. While she’s there, she is seduced by a spirit desperate to bring itself back to life and resume a love affair lost after death.
-PH: How did you come up with the idea for the movie? Was it inspired by anything specific?
-Dakota: Spectrophilia, the sexual attraction to ghosts as well as sexual encounters with ghosts, has been recorded all throughout history. There was an entire Mennonite community in 2011 that was terrorized by a string of “ghost rapes”.
From a human standpoint, I’ve observed relationships where one person’s affection metamorphosizes into straight-up possession. They express their insecurity by weaponizing sex, love, and manipulation in hopes that their partner never leaves them. And a spirit in need of a body is the epitome of insecurity.
-PH: You directed, and wrote the film. What was that like? Did it make it easier or would you have preferred to handle only one role?
-Dakota: Writing and directing a film ensures that the author has 100% creative vision. It also means you can take more risks. Keep in mind, I’m very collaborative with the producer, cast and crew. This team experience was immensely gratifying.
-PH: The film is shot in an interesting way because at times the audience gets the perspective of the spirit. Why did you decide to shoot it in that way?
-Dakota: The writer in me wrote a story about a woman trapped in a bad relationship. The director in me wanted to see a desperate ghost intent on keeping her from leaving him.
-PH: What was the hardest scene to pull off?
-Dakota: The hardest scenes were the ghost’s POV being awakened by living people interacting in its space. We had a crane float above the actors, and since we only had 17 days to shoot the entire film, we didn’t have a lot of setup time.
-PH: Your have a cast with some familiar faces like William Sadler (Shawshank Redemption), Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn) and even James O’Halloran (The Price is Right), and others who might not be so familiar. Tell us a little about how you put this cast together?
-Dakota: Our Associate Producer and Casting Director Pamela Staton got the script in the hands of many great actors who dug the script and expressed their interest. Working with actors of Bill and Courtney’s stature is humbling and such an ideal learning experience. Before he was Price Is Right’s sole male model, Jimmy came in on a cold audition and just killed it.
-PH: We can’t go without mentioning your leading lady Aria London. Can you talk about her performance and what she brought to the film?
-Dakota: Aria and I worked together on an earlier film, and we got along great. She asked if I could write a film for her, and in the course of a year, I wrote four scripts. She strongly vibed with the character of Deadly Crush the most. Onset, she’s one of the most fearless actresses I’ve ever worked with.
-PH: Where will fans be able to see your film?
-Dakota: Deadly Crush will come out on Blu-Ray, DVD and VOD on September 18, 2018.
-PH: Here’s your chance to promote anything we haven’t talk about. Let us know something more about the film, upcoming projects, or anything else you would like to mention.
-Dakota: If you loved Tales from The Crypt, this is the movie for you. Prepare yourself for demonic possession, tongue-in-cheek humor and lots and lots of ghost sex. Deadly Crush comes out on Blu-Ray, DVD and VOD on September 18, 2018.
We would like to thank Dakota for taking the time to answer our questions. Hopefully this gave you a good look at the film, and why you should check it out beginning September 18th! We think you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!