Are you a fan of indie filmmakers? If so, you won’t want to miss this exclusive one-on-one interview with the talented director, Steven Spiel. In a solid B-horror movie, titled Living Space (now renamed “Nazi Undead“), a young couple embarks on a holiday in Germany, only to discover that the place they are staying in is haunted. But this is not your ordinary haunting; an ominous presence from the past lingers in the shadows.
Unveiling a dark and chilling tale, the couple soon learns that the malevolent spirit haunting their “Living Space” is none other than a Nazi officer who was convicted of murdering his own family. As the suspense thickens, a pivotal question arises: Did the disturbed spirit manage to escape the confines of its dark past?
Living Space, now known as Nazi Undead is a film that delves into themes of history, horror, and the supernatural, delivering a unique cinematic experience that questions the boundaries of life and death.
For a great review, see HorrorBuzz’s thoughts on Nazi Undead via this link.
Steven Spiel, Director of Living Space
The Day I Met Steven Spiel
I am like a nervous gazelle in front of people I admire in fame circles. I dropped the ball at question time after the screening of the movie in this instance. Don’t worry though, next time I will swallow my jitters and raise my hand with confidence. At the moment I consoled myself that I wouldn’t have been able to get all my questions answered anyway. There just wasn’t enough time to get to everyone.
This is the type of filmmaker that gets me excited about movies. I am extremely fortunate to have received a personal response from the director Steven Spiel of Living Space to be able to bring you this quasi-interview via email and I hope it is the first of many with not only this talented writer and director but also with others.
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3 Questions With Steven Spiel
Mother Of Movies “When you get angry (everyone has their “no don’t do it!” moments) while watching movies, what sets you off?”
Steven: I don’t find myself in this situation often but when watching films I can sometimes find myself frustrated if the film has “no” ending whatsoever.
Mother Of Movies “Is there anything you tend to avoid or rebel against in your work? For eg. Certain themes or techniques.”
Steven: As far as technical shots, I prefer more static cinematic shots over handheld which can be overused at times, specifically in the modern indie horror genre. I rarely will go handheld unless necessary to portray a specific story element. I don’t hide away from including any themes within my films although I don’t intend to exploit sensitive subject matter. For example, I don’t see “Living Space” as a Nazi Exploitation film.
Mother Of Movies “Being a fan of 90’s horror, do you ever think of better ways to end the film?”
Steven: I enjoy 90’s horror. I feel that most of the successful horrors of that time have fantastic endings involving twists that are not always predictable. I hope to always have this element within my films to ensure the audience discusses the film in more detail and possibly re-watch the film.
Question Time For Living Space aka Nazi Undead
After the interview for Living Space with Steven Spiel, I was able to stay and listen to the cast field questions from the audience.
I did take some great notes at question time while others chatted with cast and crew;
- Steven started as a short filmmaker with one entry winning an award at Cannes called ‘Addiction.’
- Steven’s all-time favorite horror movie is Insidious.
- He loves horror films from the late ’90s like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Shutter Island.“
- The starting point for Living Space was somewhat drawn from 90’s horror. He likes putting different types of figures into a psychological loop sequence film.
- The film was shot in 11 days with an extra day for aerial images.
- Ashley’s (Georgia Chara) casting came about due to her ability to have restraint in the face of terror. Spiel didn’t want someone who would just be screaming. Her character goes through changes with each loop and he wanted someone able to show being able to internalize that fear.
- Because cinematographer Branco had not seen many horror films, Spiel suggested he watch Sinister and Cabin in the Woods to get a gist of the overall feeling he wanted to create.
- Steven Spiel’s all-time favorite horror film is American Werewolf in London.
