Ghosts of the Ozarks: A Bit Western, A Bit Folk Horror, A Lot Creepy

Jason chats with Matt Glass and Jordan Wayne Long, directors of Ghosts of the Ozarks, which premieres in select theaters, On Demand and Digital February 3.

The story is a variation often found in folk horror– a stranger finds themselves in a village that starts out wonderful and slowly reveals its hidden terrors– in a western historical setting.

Say the producers:

In Ghosts of the Ozarks, Tim Blake Nelson, David Arquette, Angela Bettis, Thomas Hobson, Phil Norris and Tara Perry star in this exciting new take on the southern ghost story. In post-Civil War Arkansas, a young doctor is mysteriously summoned to a remote town in the Ozarks only to discover that the utopian paradise is filled with secrets and surrounded by a menacing, supernatural presence.

The directing pair chatted about the unique challenges of ambitious independent filmmaking– Long oversaw and joined in building an entire town set, which further cemented the faith of actors and crew. Meanwhile, filming was taking place early in the pandemic, so the pair worked with the heads of each department on the film to plan and create new protocols before they were even laid down. Tara Perry, who co-wrote the screenplay, “was not only a lead actor, and a writer,” said Long, “but she’s also a producer and casting director. Matt [Glass, co-director] was not only a director, DP [director of photography], and composer, but he also handled all the visual effects. And he colored the film.”

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Check out the trailer:

Jason Henderson hosts the Castle of Horror and Castle Talk Podcasts, the “Castle of Horror Anthology” series editor. The newest volume is Femme Fatales: Horror from Women about Women. He is the author of The Serpent’s Nest: Young Captain Nemo from Macmillan Children’s Books. His most recent book is 18 Miles from Town: a Midlife Crisis Thriller.