Paradise Cove, out Feb 12 from Quiver, is the story of a contractor and his wife who move to Malibu to flip his mother’s beach house and are terrorized by the deranged homeless lady living under the house.
Written and executive produced by Sherry Klein, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Martin Guigui, it’s a super-wild throwback that’s six years in the making.
-PH: Congratulations on PARADISE COVE? Has it been a long time coming for you?
-Sherry: Yes, it sure has. I’ve been working on my craft for many years. I started writing this screenplay over six years ago.
-PH: When did you shoot it?
-Sherry: We shot it in April 2019 and did pickups that summer and through this fall 2020.
-PH: The film is an effective mix of genres – – how did you pitch it initially?
-Sherry: A midwestern contractor and his wife go to Malibu to flip his late mother’s beach house and encounter a mysterious lady living under the house who will do anything to stop them.
I also stressed that it was a contained thriller.
-PH: Was it important to you that the movie be fun but still grounded?
-Sherry: Exactly. Everything that happens to these characters, even the most vicious and crazy personal attacks, are rooted in reality, so the ride is wild but real.
-PH: How long did it take to get out that initial draft?
-Sherry: The initial draft took about six months to expel from my brain.
-PH: How much did the script change over the course of the next few drafts?
-Sherry: Actually, the first draft was a supernatural ghost story. But while ghosts are frightening, there’s nothing scarier than a crazy lady who has nothing to lose.
-PH: Is there anything you found more challenging when penning the screenplay?
-Sherry: It was challenging to keep it contained with limited locations. I also wanted to be sure also to escalate the threats, have character-based cat and mouse action versus scattershot events.
-PH: Did you do a Tarantino and cameo in the movie?
-Sherry: I’m in the bank scene reacting to Knox slamming the counter.
-PH: Any advice for those looking to write a movie? Should they write with a budget in mind? The resources available to them?
-Sherry: Keeping an eye on budget is always important. You want to be able to finish your movie. Mine went over budget because we used a ton of green screen because the surf was too loud in Malibu. We had to shoot a lot in studio. But I did have access to a practical beach house—And that was the launching pad for making a compelling thriller, a location we haven’t seen there since “Mildred Pierce,” so I used it!
