Erik And Carson Bloomquist Talk "Founders Day" And More!
Carson (left) and Erik (right) Bloomquist. Photo: IMDB
My colleague at Macabre Daily, Matt Orozco, coined the term “nutmegger horror” to describe Connecticut-based horror films. While this sounds like a subset of Christmas horror, I’ll take his word for it, since he is a native of Connecticut, as are Erik and Carson Bloomquist, the minds behind the new slasher “Founders Day.” Written by the brothers and directed by Erik, the film takes place in a quaint New England town, where a killer in an ornate judge mask (“The Founder”) is picking people off days before a heated local election.
The Bloomquists talked to us candidly about their ideas, their love of slashers, and their Connecticut roots. There’s also some mild spoiler talk about the ending of “Founders Day,” but if you’ve seen the film, how could we not talk about it?
Macabre Daily: We have a few connections between us. I interned for Jayce Bartok years ago, and I lived with one of your go-to stuntmen in college.
Carson Bloomquist: That’s awesome.
Erik Bloomquist: The guy who was under the mask in “Founders Day” [Jack Lynch] was similar. I directed him in college. He’s always been equipped for this, but he’s become a stunt guy who’s in the thick of it. It’s really amazing.
The 90’s are alive.
MD: Paul mentioned you made a proof-of-concept short of “Founders Day” over a decade ago. Did your vision for the feature change as politics in the country shifted?
CB: It changed a lot, actually. Interestingly, there wasn’t a political overtone in that version of the script. It came years later when we revisited the script, which was originally more of a small town murder mystery. The political component came to us as a piece that made it click in a modern way.
EB: I think it was 2 and half years ago when Carson saw a [political] lawn sign and we thought “what if we…?”
CB: The story was always set in autumn, so it made sense in a sort of post-”Halloween” way.
MD: Can you talk about the design of the killer’s costume? The “evil judge” mask looks fantastic.
EB: We didn’t want it to be a Halloween costume or feel like it came from a Hollywood costume shop. We wanted it to seem semi-homemade by someone with skill, and we wanted the mask to look like something well-crafted that was found in a high school prop closet after decades.The original description in the script was “dressed in all black with simple, tactical accessories.” The idea of the judge felt sharp, like political theater. Like comedy/tragedy masks fused together.
CB: And the red color.
EB: Yeah, and the whole movie feels somewhat theatrical. The idea is that the look ties into that without being overt. We wanted the silhouette to be simple and striking. The wig, mask, and gavel make enough of a statement. You’re trying to thread the needle between low effort and trying too hard.
CB: I like the balance we struck. The Founder feels like a new take on a classic slasher.
EB: Fortunately, we had a great group of people realizing it with us, between costumes, props, production design, and special effects. It was a team sport, for sure.
The Founder wants you to stop talking in the theater.
MD: Jayce Bartok and Amy Hargreaves not only play against type as these outlandishly selfish characters, but they go head-to-head while doing it. Can you talk about bringing out their “inner assholes?”
EB: It was easy [Laughs]. They get to play, and it allowed us to play, too.
EB: They also worked together in a play years back, so they’re in each other's orbits. I think they came in knowing these characters were bombastic blowhards who are slightly disconnected from reality.
CB: They’re chewy roles, and there’s fun, cynical energy between them. The pursuit for both of them are their whole worlds, even though it’s just a small town election.
EB: People remarked that their performances were so over the top and I’m like “I know, right?” [Both laugh]. Isn’t it great? Don’t you know people like that? I do.
CB: You noticed! [Laughs]
MD: Did you grow up with people like the Mayor and Harold?
EB: Bits and pieces. [The film is] equal parts love letter to, and satire of small town Americana. I’ve definitely faced bureaucratic red tape and people who go on power trips to enforce things. Both characters are doing that in their own ways. As different as they are, they’re exactly the same. A lot of the time, people in these bizarre races are talking about nothing. I’ve definitely been in rooms in my life, not in politics, where you’ll hear an hour of someone talking and realize they don’t know what they’re talking about.
CB: You just know they’re arguing.
EB: Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about here. The political backdrop lets us play, but it’s more about social dynamics and people trying to look like the most powerful person in the room.
MD: You’ve made a political slasher film without politics. There are no issues or causes that anyone is championing. They’re just going on ego trips.
CB: Exactly! [Laughs]
EB: I think earlier there was talk of having a hot-button issue. Does that weave its way into the town’s history? Is there lore there? There’s a movie where you can do that, but we were more drawn to people’s personal politics. We were more interested in making a movie about dysfunction [Laughs]. I’ve said it’s a little like “Waiting for Guffman” meets “Scream.”
(This section contains light spoilers)
MD: I was thinking “Scream” meets “Drop Dead Gorgeous.” Though speaking of “Scream,” I’ll tread lightly, but I have to unpack that ending with you. It’s so insane. I half-expected Benoit Blanc to walk out and explain everything.
CB: [Laughs] We tried!
EB: [Laughs] Yeah, he was busy.
MD: There are reveals upon reveals, including a moment I’ve never seen in a slasher film before. How did you craft this murderous “campaign?”
EB: Thank you for noticing that. It’s exactly what we were going for. We knew what the ending was going to be. We liked the idea of a nesting doll of twists, and going back, and recontextualizing scenes. I’ll hand it off to Carson, but we love slashers. It was fun to ask “what happens if that thing that usually happens at the end of these movies happens in the middle? What if that period turns into a comma, and you have to keep going?”
CB: We wanted to make some decisions that pose new questions and prompt conversations, which felt like an interesting choice for us. We also layer things throughout. There are lines and moments that can be recontextualized after you see the film. It’s very intentional. When you see the killer’s logic at the end, you can go back and realize it makes more sense.
EB: I’m not advocating for political assassination here. It’s just a pulpy, fun movie.
MD: There’s a whole history of “nutmegger horror” from “Friday the 13th part 2” to the early films of Ti West. Did any of it inspire you to make your own films?
CB: We live not far from where “The House of the Devil” was shot and we’re very familiar with, and inspired by those films. There’s something about the regional component that adds an authenticity and perspective.
EB: Fangoria wrote about that, too. I went to the premiere of “The Innkeepers” at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, where I met Ti West very briefly. It was cool to realize he was “doing the thing.” It was also at a time where there was more breathing room [for these films]. I remember coming up at that time. Now, there's a lot of competition for people’s attention. There are some great voices, of course, but back then, it was a little easier to break through. It was a time I found very inspiring because it was around the time we started. So hopefully we’re part of that lineage, too. We’re grateful for our Connecticut connections and roots to be able to make it happen.
Interview edited for length and clarity. “Founders Day” is now available on VOD.
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