Directed by Peter Engert, this somber reflection of a post-apocalyptic America stars C.J. Thomason, Monica Keena, Edward Furlong and Andre Royo.
Shock had the pleasure of reconnecting with Thomason recently to discuss his time on the film. We first met this actor a few years back at the premiere of Brett Simmons’ Husk, in which Thomason plays a man who must contend with a supernatural force at a farmhouse (you may have also spotted him in the “body count” TV series Harper’s Island).
In Remnants, he plays Hunter, a young doctor who survives a nuclear attack and, with other survivors, holes up in a basement to ride things out. But waiting for help to arrive proves difficult as hunger and radiation sickness begin to seep in.
Head inside for our chat with Thomason who details the challenges of making this indie film and also drops some information about his upcoming project, The Monkey’s Paw, which reunites him with his Husk director.
Shock Till You Drop: Following Husk, you jumped right into Remnants – what was it about the latter that made you want to live with it for a bit?
C.J. Thomason: I was getting ready to read for Brad, Eddie Furlong’s character. But what I really liked was the idea of exploring the humanity behind strangers trying to survive with each other knowing that they might be the last people they get to know…in a basement. It’s just so dark.
Shock: Very dark. And that’s something – as an actor – you have to commit to and adapt to for a bit during shooting…
Thomason: There really was a mood you couldn’t shake. We were all really nice and having fun. But, man, there was a dark cloud over me every day, especially toward the end of the film. It was pretty rough, but what really brought me to the material was the exploration of the character. Saying to myself, ‘Okay, what would you do if you were in this situation?’ Because I rarely allow my brain to go there, because it’s not a fun place to go. But if you’ve got a job like this, you’re a man on a mission.
Shock: How did you lighten things up?
When you’re in make-up and everyone around you is in make-up wearing bruises and blood and your hair is being matted down – we were made up every day to look uglier and uglier – there’s a claustrophobic feeling. There’s a feeling of dread and remorse when you look around at everyone at breakfast and it looks like their faces are about to melt off.
Shock: You’ve done various genre projects, does the experience change for you from thriller to thriller or do you feel like a pro by the third or fourth time you’ve done it?
Thomason: I actually will go on to say I’m 100% certain I know how I’m going to react if I’m killed. I’ve dealt with the situation a few times now and I feel like a pro now when it comes to being killed, but, the more interesting aspect to this… So far, everything I’ve shot is different in my mind. First and foremost, directors run the show and the project is based on what they have in mind. Harper’s Island was a big budget show. You’re dealing with a different level there with directors and a network to answer to. Then there’s Husk with After Dark and they’ve got their own thing going. On set of that, I never felt more relaxed as an actor. In comes Remnants, not a big budget, we don’t have a lot of time. Everyone came on last minute and from that moment forward, it had this “little engine that could” attitude. We didn’t have anyone to answer to, and we really played the game that way. It felt like a bunch of people making a film. I didn’t feel like I was on a set with an agenda, I felt like I was on the set with people with a story they wanted to tell. There wasn’t distribution in line, or an air date. There’s something interesting that happens with that. All of a sudden, you’re making decisions based on instincts and “the now” rather than answering to people who don’t know what they want. This movie really changed in the editing room and that was, in part to [producers] Bobbi [Luther] and Scott [Winig], and it turned out great.
Thomason: Yeah, I’m going back out to New Orleans. Haven’t been there since Remants. We start shooting September 20th. We’re definitely not making a period piece, which would have been bad-ass, it’s more along the lines of a re-telling. A fairly traditional re-telling and they follow the formula and beging the story where the first one ends, which is a nice clean homage. It’s going to be a solid re-telling. Brett’s a good director, man. He knows how to get a performance.
We’ll keep you posted on further Remnants developments as they come in!
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