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[0:00] Robert Bannon: Well hey everybody, this is Robert Bannon, and before I hit the theme song and introduce the show, I want to tell you about some exciting Roundtable news. The Roundtable has a brand new website. You can go to robertbannon.com, find out all about me, find out all about the show, brand new and now up and running with brand new Roundtable merchandise. Go to robertbannon.com, follow me on Instagram, and make sure you're subscribing to us wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube. Now let's do a show.

[0:29] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Well, welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World, the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, Spotify, wherever artists are talking about art. Today we're going to the movies. And you know, I'm a Halloween baby, which means this kind of genre should be my favorite, but I've always been scared. But I've made a pledge that as I turn 43, I'm going to live outside my comfort zone, Kristian. It's time to not be scared. So why not go on a new road trip horror movie called Kill Trip. We have the writer and the director, Kristian McKay. Welcome to the show.

[1:07] Kristian McKay: Thank you. Thank you for having me. Hi, everybody.

[1:10] Robert Bannon: You are somebody who must have had this idea about a festival. You know, festivals are the perfect place for a horror movie. They seem like a horror movie to me.

[1:22] Kristian McKay: Yeah, the older we get. Yeah, I couldn't imagine it. I couldn't imagine it. Coachella, all that stuff sounds like a horror movie.

[1:29] Robert Bannon: The Burning Man where I have to live in the woods and like eat. I don't know why. I'm not doing that anymore.

[1:35] Kristian McKay: No, retired.

[1:37] Robert Bannon: So where did you come up with this idea? When did you first come up with the idea that there should be a road trip horror movie?

[1:43] Kristian McKay: I mean, you know, that's the thing is I'm really a dramatist. So this is kind of like, you know, you're like you're the way you're speaking about, you know, like, going in and starting to try to watch horror movies at 43. It's like that was kind of like me as a writer director, which is that I, you know, it's hard to get the funding outside of a genre. So I thought, oh, well, like I'll do. I'll just try to put elements of things that I care about inside of the genre, you know, and that's where we obscure a film kind of was created through like kind of an art house genre model, which is, you know, basically the films buried in a genre, but it's got sentiments and things that are not of the not regular, I guess I would say the tropes of horror are not, they are there loosely, but we're always trying to push that, that ground.

So, you know, the story actually came from, you know, I remember reading Sherwood Anderson novel when I was young, the Winesburg, Ohio. And so, you know, you each chapter is about a character and we get done with the novel. You kind of know the town and the characters and this idea that, you know, horror is more of a thing that you kind of run into. And so, and it happens like when you're least expecting it, like when you're having a good time and you're on the road and, you know, it could be anything from a breakdown. And of course there's those tropes too. And Texas is such a great landscape because the cities are, there's still, you know, highways and emptiness in between the cities, you know, with, you know, nature and, you know, broken down vehicles or, you know, people needing help or just anything can happen because it's still kind of in a way, the wild, wild west a little bit to where in New York, LA, it's like, you don't know where the city begins and it ends and the next one ends.

So, that had a lot to do with it in terms of terrain. And then just, you know, the idea that, you know, for me, like I said, going back to like trying to do, you know, a genre based, but having elements of it for myself was that, you know, a friend of mine said the other day, it's like, yeah, you were just crazy enough to make a horror film that you're trying to make into a love story. That's perfect. Because if you're scared, well, see, I like horror films because I think horror films are kind of romantic. I know that sounds weird.

[4:03] Kristian McKay: It doesn't sound weird at all to me. I think that's exactly where the idea came from. There's a romance to it. I mean, Frankenstein, all of it. You know, one of the things that I mentioned, you know, people, I'll tell you this story, is that one of the places it came from was I was watching, you know, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. And I thought, instead of everybody being fear, like, I know there's got to be somebody out there that's like, hey, you know what, Frank? Like, I dig it. Like, why don't me and you hang out? You know, like the whole thing, instead of everybody running and screaming, you know, it's like, where's the person that's just like, I'm not afraid? Like, let's see where this goes.

So it's based on that. It's completely based on that kind of idea. Absolutely. And look, if you're going to want to, it's coming out. It's going to be on October 16th. It's going to be on Amazon Prime. So when you're home, right, and you're ordering a pizza or cooking food, and you're with your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, whomever, and you want to be able to have a romantic night, you put on a horror movie, because they're going to be scared. They're going to jump in your arms. And you could thank Kristian later. See, this is what I'm thinking, Kristian. Is this not your intentions?

[5:18] Kristian McKay: I mean, somewhat. Dramatologically, this is how I feel. I mean, somewhat, it does, it's, the thing about Kill Trip is we purposely went in a direction to where I wanted it to feel the framing, the aspect ratio, the look of the film is very much like it doesn't look like your typical kind of Netflix embalmed kind of look or a streamer made movie or something. It really kind of harks back to the, a real independent film. It's like, we were out there in the elements. Nothing is VFX. It was 98 degrees while we were shooting it. So people were tallying off, and luckily, we never had anybody pass out or anything. And the kids were great, and I cast it from a very diverse background. Everybody's from California, New York, Texas.

We brought in a couple of older names like Samaire Armstrong, Celia Cervantes, Corin Nemec is great in the film. They're all really terrific veteran actors. And so to bring in that collective together to with the youth coming up as training actors was a really great, great thing. And I just, yeah, I mean, I think that there's a lot of traditional horror fans that will hate it, and they have hated it. And because it's not gory, it has some blood, but it is not, there are some tropes in it for horror. But the basic storyline, I mean, we, you know, in distribution, I mean, we caught everything from, this is a love story drama, like, you know, like, we can't buy this or, you know, this kind of thing.

And so I think that's what's really cool about Kill Trip is it is a very different experience. And we got some comparisons to some Twin Peaks and some different, you know, publications have wrote really, really nice things about the film. And they're really close to my intention, which is kind of cool, you know, but, you know, my daughter sends me, you know, she sends me letterbox stuff all the time that, you know, they're destroying it, and she's loving it, you know, we're like, but you know, like I said, criticism is, you know, it's prestige, and it's a gift to get criticized at this level. So I, you know, that's kind of my thing with Kill Trip is that I wanted to do something it's purposely stilted acting, it's purposely framed odd.

It's talking about a community of violence more than just like the bad guy chasing people or these wearing a mask or any of these kinds of things. It's like everybody has violence in them, you know, it's kind of the idea. So, you know, in a lot of the older folks seem to dig it. I get the comparison to Twin, because Twin Peaks is not a scary show per se, but it is. This film is creepy and scary too, but it isn't in a different way. It's not going to just be a gory bloodbath story. There's a story, there's great acting, and there's great cinematography and setting.

[8:19] Robert Bannon: You're from Mississippi, and then you move to Texas. Now for somebody, is that true?

[8:24] Kristian McKay: That is true. Yes, I was born in Pascagoula.

[8:27] Robert Bannon: Now for somebody, I'm not trying to be shady to Texas or Mississippi, but for somebody that was born and raised in New Jersey, Mississippi and Texas is a horror movie in and of itself. With love, I mean that with love. There's a stereotype and a picture that I see that it's the perfect spot to shoot a horror movie. What element did Texas bring to this movie for you, and what does it bring to you, period?

[8:49] Kristian McKay: Oh, I mean, you know, we started the company here. We're on like our third films coming up in October. I mean, the terrain is, I think Robert Rodriguez said it best, it's like you can make sci-fi, you can make any genre here. The terrain lends itself to, like I said, there are just pockets of culture everywhere. Everybody's setting up their own bubbles. There's so much land. There's German people up by past Austin. There's these different civilizations that are happening all over the place from different kind of ethnical backgrounds that are kind of this really kind of a melting pot. It really is kind of the, I guess, it harks back to kind of the 70s in California or something. It's just like you got people from all diversity and all walks of life.

That fits in with Obscura because we hire all backgrounds. We hire all political framing, so we don't really discern. That's why our parties are the best. That's why our parties are great. People are on set. The humans have to deal with each other, whether they're pro-Palestine or pro-Israel or whatever. It's like there's nothing else we can do in the film set. I can tell you that my feedback from actors and people from Kill Trip to Do Not Open, that we run a really great set and everybody was full of love. That's really a great thing for moviemaking when everybody's so, we find ourselves in the times that we are. It's great to be able to kind of disappear for a minute.

[10:34] Robert Bannon: Yeah, I love that. That's what we do at Obscura. One of my best friends in the world lives in Austin and I tease her all the time, but it's such an up and coming, cool, South by Southwest and all the things that have been done in art and culture in Texas is really moving and growing by leaps and bounds. How do you, aside from this film, and we'll talk about the film that's just been announced as well and this incredible film is going to be out, Mark Your Calendars on the 16th, how do you get the guts to say, I'm going to raise money and I'm going to write something and I'm going to direct it, put my name on it? Is there pressure? Is there fear?

[11:08] Kristian McKay: Oh yeah, there's a lot of that stuff. I mean, one of the things is that I'm kind of lucky in that regard to where I was in South America making films before the pandemic and I basically had a Cinemark deal where I was basically doing the Warner Herzog thing down there and my co-producer partner in the company, he read an article about me and he thought that it was ingenuity that I was creating and all the theaters here had kind of turned to digital.

[12:05] Kristian McKay: Thank you for having me, Robert. I'm excited to be here and talk about KILL TRIP.

[12:25] Robert Bannon: Absolutely! So, let's dive right in. What inspired you to create KILL TRIP?

[12:45] Kristian McKay: The idea came from my own experiences on road trips. You know, there's something about being on the open road that can feel both liberating and terrifying at the same time. I wanted to explore that duality, especially when you throw in a horror element.

[13:05] Robert Bannon: That makes a lot of sense. The film has a unique premise where a group of friends takes a ride from a stranger. How did you develop that storyline?

[13:25] Kristian McKay: It started with the concept of trust. In today's world, we often hear about the dangers of hitchhiking or accepting rides from strangers. I wanted to take that fear and amplify it, turning what should be a fun adventure into a nightmare.

[13:45] Robert Bannon: It sounds intense! Can you tell us about the casting process? You have an eclectic group of actors in the film.

[14:05] Kristian McKay: Absolutely! I wanted to assemble a cast that brought a mix of talent and chemistry. Each actor brings something unique to their role, which adds depth to the story. It was important for me to find people who could embody the characters authentically.

[14:25] Robert Bannon: And you shot the film in Texas, right? How did that location influence the film's atmosphere?

[14:45] Kristian McKay: Texas was the perfect backdrop. The vast landscapes and small towns added to the sense of isolation and tension. Plus, the local culture and vibe really infused the film with authenticity.

[15:05] Robert Bannon: That's fascinating! Balancing suspense and horror can be tricky. How did you approach that in KILL TRIP?

[15:25] Kristian McKay: It was all about pacing. I wanted to build suspense gradually, allowing the audience to feel the tension before the horror hits. It's important to develop the characters so that when the scares come, they resonate more deeply.

[15:45] Robert Bannon: Definitely! As an independent filmmaker, what challenges did you face in bringing this project to life?

[16:05] Kristian McKay: There are always hurdles in indie filmmaking, from budget constraints to finding the right locations. But I believe in the story and the team I assembled, which kept us motivated. It's all about passion and perseverance.

[16:25] Robert Bannon: That's inspiring! What do you hope audiences take away from KILL TRIP?

[16:45] Kristian McKay: I hope they experience the thrill of the ride and reflect on the themes of trust and friendship. It's a wild journey, and I want viewers to feel that adrenaline rush while also thinking about the deeper messages.

[17:05] Robert Bannon: Sounds like a perfect blend! I'm excited for everyone to see it.

[17:25] Kristian McKay: Thank you! I can't wait for the audience's reactions.

[17:45] Robert Bannon: And for those interested, where can they watch KILL TRIP?

[18:05] Kristian McKay: KILL TRIP is available digitally and on VOD from Quiver Distribution.

[18:25] Robert Bannon: Great! Thanks for sharing that.

[18:45] Kristian McKay: Thank you for having me, Robert. It's been a pleasure discussing the film with you.

[19:05] Robert Bannon: Likewise! Best of luck with KILL TRIP, and I hope to see more of your work in the future.

[19:25] Kristian McKay: Thank you! I appreciate it.

[19:45] Robert Bannon: And to our listeners, make sure to check out KILL TRIP and support independent filmmakers like Kristian.

[20:05] Kristian McKay: Yes, please do!

[20:25] Robert Bannon: Until next time, everyone!

[20:45] Kristian McKay: Bye!

[21:05] Robert Bannon: Bye!

[21:25] Kristian McKay: Take care!

[21:45] Robert Bannon: You too!

[22:05] Kristian McKay: Thanks!

[22:25] Robert Bannon: Alright, see you soon!

[22:45] Kristian McKay: Bye!

[23:15] Kristian McKay: Bye!