The makers of the
horror thriller In the
Devil’s Courthouse
congregated at the
University Grill, a
stone’s throw from
Elon University, earlier
this week to celebrate
completion of
principal photography.
Spirits were high and smiles were common as members of the production team reveled in a job well done, with resident auteur Ken Comito (writer/producer/ director) acting as master of ceremonies. He thanked cast, crew, friends, family, location owners, caterers and particularly his wife Melanie “who’s put up with all of this.” “You guys put up with a lot,” producer Jose Correa, also prop master and makeup effects artist, told those assembled. “You tolerated hot days, staying up all night and all the blood… It was quite a rollercoaster ride, it really was.”
The filmmakers hope that audiences fi nd In the Devil’s Courthouse a rollercoaster ride, too. Inspired by a Cherokee legend about the Devil’s Courthouse in Transylvania County (appropriate!), the fi lm follows a group of characters who fall prey to a monstrous menace on a grisly rampage. In order to survive, those who remain alive must combine forces to destroy their common foe. But as their numbers dwindle, it becomes evident that they’re fi ghting something that isn’t human. Will anyone survive to fi ght another day? Nobody’s saying for sure, but Comito confi rmed with a smile that the fi lm boasts a big body count. That includes producer Tim Scales, who shares a love of all things scary with Comito. “I grew up on all the basics: Halloween, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead,” and he jumped at the chance to bring one to life. Even though he’s an on-screen casualty, “this has been an experience like no other,” Scales said. “It’s a great group to work with and a really positive experience. We worked hard, but it was a very relaxed atmosphere. We knew what we’d set out to do.”
“It’s in the ’cabin-in-the-woods’ genre,” said Comito, “a tried-and-true horror theme.” The majority of the fi lm’s budget (in the $100,000 range) was raised in North Carolina, and the fi lm was shot entirely in the state, with locations including Hanging Rock State Park, Pisgah Covered Bridge in Asheboro, Burlington, Liberty, Trinity, in the Appalachian Mountains and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The fi lm was shot in 18 days, mostly on weekends, and frequently long into the night. (In any respectable horror fi lm, a lot happens at night — most of it bad.)
Although he dabbled in stop-motion animation and short fi lms as a youngster, this marks the 46-year-old Comito’s fi rst feature. “I wish I’d done it in my twenties,” he said with a shrug, but he was determined to make the most of the opportunity. “There was a lot of planning and organization,” he said. “I drew up storyboards. I had a shot list. We made sure everything was in place before we started.” One bonus of such thorough pre-planning was time enough to improvise. If a line of dialogue or a camera angle didn’t work, they had the time to throw ideas around on the spot, in the moment, to make it work. “It gave it more substance,” Comito said. “We could go beyond, we could add a little bit more.”
For both lead actors, Ashley Nelson and Dustin Webb, In the Devil’s Courthouse also marks their feature-fi lm debuts. They play Leah and Steve, a brother and sister whose strained relationship becomes a secondary consideration when their lives are jeopardized. In a roundabout way, said Comito, “it’s about the importance of family. Through adversity, the siblings are forced to become heroes.”
“I was humbled — my fi rst time in a featurelength fi lm and I got the lead,” Webb said. “I was really happy with the opportunity. It was a blast to work with these people, and I hope there’s more to come.” “I was very excited,“ said Nelson about nabbing the female lead. “And, yes, I did all my own screaming.” “Horror fi lms used to freak me out,” she said. “Now, I watch them and I laugh. ‘Been there, done that!’ I used to see all the blood and the gore, now I know it’s just syrup and makeup.”
Both actors admit that they’ll miss the hard work and the camaraderie that made this such a memorable experience, but both are grateful that their fi lm debut was a happy one. “I can’t wait to see it myself,” Webb said.
The film is currently being edited in Los Angeles, after which a distributor will be sought. Horror is a popular (and frequently lucrative) genre, but from the very beginning, said Comito, the plan was simple: “We’re going to do this for fun,” he said, adding with a laugh, “and if it makes money, even better!”
Spirits were high and smiles were common as members of the production team reveled in a job well done, with resident auteur Ken Comito (writer/producer/ director) acting as master of ceremonies. He thanked cast, crew, friends, family, location owners, caterers and particularly his wife Melanie “who’s put up with all of this.” “You guys put up with a lot,” producer Jose Correa, also prop master and makeup effects artist, told those assembled. “You tolerated hot days, staying up all night and all the blood… It was quite a rollercoaster ride, it really was.”
The filmmakers hope that audiences fi nd In the Devil’s Courthouse a rollercoaster ride, too. Inspired by a Cherokee legend about the Devil’s Courthouse in Transylvania County (appropriate!), the fi lm follows a group of characters who fall prey to a monstrous menace on a grisly rampage. In order to survive, those who remain alive must combine forces to destroy their common foe. But as their numbers dwindle, it becomes evident that they’re fi ghting something that isn’t human. Will anyone survive to fi ght another day? Nobody’s saying for sure, but Comito confi rmed with a smile that the fi lm boasts a big body count. That includes producer Tim Scales, who shares a love of all things scary with Comito. “I grew up on all the basics: Halloween, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead,” and he jumped at the chance to bring one to life. Even though he’s an on-screen casualty, “this has been an experience like no other,” Scales said. “It’s a great group to work with and a really positive experience. We worked hard, but it was a very relaxed atmosphere. We knew what we’d set out to do.”
“It’s in the ’cabin-in-the-woods’ genre,” said Comito, “a tried-and-true horror theme.” The majority of the fi lm’s budget (in the $100,000 range) was raised in North Carolina, and the fi lm was shot entirely in the state, with locations including Hanging Rock State Park, Pisgah Covered Bridge in Asheboro, Burlington, Liberty, Trinity, in the Appalachian Mountains and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The fi lm was shot in 18 days, mostly on weekends, and frequently long into the night. (In any respectable horror fi lm, a lot happens at night — most of it bad.)
Although he dabbled in stop-motion animation and short fi lms as a youngster, this marks the 46-year-old Comito’s fi rst feature. “I wish I’d done it in my twenties,” he said with a shrug, but he was determined to make the most of the opportunity. “There was a lot of planning and organization,” he said. “I drew up storyboards. I had a shot list. We made sure everything was in place before we started.” One bonus of such thorough pre-planning was time enough to improvise. If a line of dialogue or a camera angle didn’t work, they had the time to throw ideas around on the spot, in the moment, to make it work. “It gave it more substance,” Comito said. “We could go beyond, we could add a little bit more.”
For both lead actors, Ashley Nelson and Dustin Webb, In the Devil’s Courthouse also marks their feature-fi lm debuts. They play Leah and Steve, a brother and sister whose strained relationship becomes a secondary consideration when their lives are jeopardized. In a roundabout way, said Comito, “it’s about the importance of family. Through adversity, the siblings are forced to become heroes.”
“I was humbled — my fi rst time in a featurelength fi lm and I got the lead,” Webb said. “I was really happy with the opportunity. It was a blast to work with these people, and I hope there’s more to come.” “I was very excited,“ said Nelson about nabbing the female lead. “And, yes, I did all my own screaming.” “Horror fi lms used to freak me out,” she said. “Now, I watch them and I laugh. ‘Been there, done that!’ I used to see all the blood and the gore, now I know it’s just syrup and makeup.”
Both actors admit that they’ll miss the hard work and the camaraderie that made this such a memorable experience, but both are grateful that their fi lm debut was a happy one. “I can’t wait to see it myself,” Webb said.
The film is currently being edited in Los Angeles, after which a distributor will be sought. Horror is a popular (and frequently lucrative) genre, but from the very beginning, said Comito, the plan was simple: “We’re going to do this for fun,” he said, adding with a laugh, “and if it makes money, even better!”
