FlickDirect caught up with her recently to discuss Detention and her other upcoming projects.
Shanley Caswell: Hi! How's it going?
FlickDirect: Very well, but probably not as well as it is going for you with Detention opening today. It's a teen horror movie where the characters are somehow trying to not only get out of detention, but also save the world? It sounds strange, but I watched the trailer, and it looked really witty and smart. Did you find it that way?
Shanley Caswell: It is definitely smart. The writing is very smart, and the plot is crazy. I would say it pokes fun at some common horror elements and is really well thought out.
FlickDirect: Did you have any action scenes that were taxing? Gore hoses?
Shanley Caswell: I had to do some pretty active stuff, and had stunt training for it - mostly just me falling. I had to do a scene where I hang myself, and so I was hooked up to a rig for like six hours. We wound up shooting really, really late at night, and that was the hardest thing I had to do.
FlickDirect: Hanging like with a noose?
Shanley Caswell: Yes - with a noose. I was in the harness for like six or more hours. I was hanging for four to five hours. That was really difficult. It was very tight and uncomfortable, and hard to breathe in. I got some bruises and a little claustrophobic. But it was fun, and it was a new experience - I really enjoyed it, and was really proud of myself!
FlickDirect: It is interesting to hear about all the stuff that goes into a film behind the scenes.
Shanley Caswell: Yeah. That scene took about two days to complete, and it was pretty intense. It looks like it was easy, but it was not.
FlickDirect: I can see now you are doing The Warren Files - another scary movie. Which is more psychologically intense?
Shanley Caswell: They are two completely different movies. Warren is more a paranormal move. Detention has paranormal elements in it, but it is more of a slasher flick. I gravitate more towards The Warren Files - those really freak me out!
FlickDirect: How did you feel about being cast as playing a high school student?
Shanley Caswell: I was 18 when I did Detention. Usually in high school movies everyone is 25 years old. The director wanted to make a movie that was true to kids nowadays. Everyone was young. Josh [Hutcherson] was 17 and turned 18 on the set. Everyone else was around 18, and the ages we were playing.
Detention does show how fast kids move nowadays and how we have conversations over text instead of in person. We have such ADD. It hits how kids talk today too. It is definitely stylized as a view of high school - more colorful than normal high school, but it got the talk right and the pace right.
It is a hipster movie; I am not cool enough to be one, but the cool kids do talk like that and dress like that!
FlickDirect: Did your Mother see Detention?
Shanley Caswell: laughs My mom didn't really get it. My dad loved it. The younger generation will love the action - the older generation may get some of the deeper references.
FlickDirect: Can you talk to us about The Warren Files? What can you compare it too? Is it like the Paranormal Activity movies?
Shanley Caswell: It is a classic paranormal horror film. It isn't shaky-cam like the Paranormal Activity movies. It's more like The Amityville Horror - really deep scary psychological horror. I think people are going to be really impressed by it. It is by the maker of Saw, and is very intense.
FlickDirect: I hope it does well for you. I am intrigued by what I saw of Detention as well. Good luck with everything.
Photo by Gabriel Goldberg.
