Patrick Rea enthralled FrightFest audiences a few years ago with his superb creature feature I Am Lisa, but now he's back with another killer movie, Super Happy Fun Clown she we caught up with this talented creative.
NYX: We last spoke around five years ago when you gave the world, I Am Lisa, a smart twist on the werewolf genre, how did that movie play around the world?
PR: I was quite surprised how well that film did. The film was released nationwide in the Redbox kiosks in January 2021. The film later became available on Peacock, Screambox and other digital platforms and has been showing consistently on SYFY in France. It seems to have developed a following, which feels very rewarding. We made that film on a shoe-string here in Kansas City, so it’s great to see it get a good reaction. Of course we have our detractors as well, but that goes with the territory.
NYX: Tell us how Super Happy Fun Clown developed from a short into a feature?
PR: The writer, Eric Winkler sent me the script for the short film and I thought it was darkly amusing. The script had no dialogue, so it was 100% visual, which was very appealing to me. The short eventually made its way through the festival circuit, playing at festivals like Nightmares Film Festival and Lusca Film Fest. Not long after, Eric began writing a feature length version. We were able to secure a small amount of funding and we jumped right into making it. Its always a bit intimidating to expand a 7 minute short into a feature, but I think we had a fun way to build on the premise without it feeling belaboured.
NYX: Is it always your intention to move from horror genre to horror genre?
PR: I don’t want to repeat myself, so I’m always looking at doing a fresh approach to the sub-genres of horror. “Super Happy Fun Clown” felt like a new way of doing a horror movie with a clown. I recently directed a found footage feature “The Night Is Young” which had a new spin on the vampire story. Our last feature to screen at FrightFest, “They Wait In The Dark” was a slightly different approach to the haunted house story. I’m still waiting to come up with a fresh approach to the zombie sub-genre that I can can excited about.
NYX: Jennifer Seward is superb as the lead of the movie; did she do any “clown” training at all?
PR: Haha. No real clown training was required. We did have a crew member with experiencing in clowning that assisted when needing, but I would say that 99.9% of that is Jennifer. She definitely put all her energy into the performance and she nailed it. I’m very proud of her work in the film.
NYX: Got to say, Deborah Madick seems to have relished playing the part of the abusive Mom.
PR: Deb is a terrific actress. She is also the sweetest lady, so seeing her transform into Mom was amazing.
NYX: You’ve captured the colour of Autumn perfectly; did you have a long shooting schedule?
PR: We started in November of 2023, so we are catching some beautiful colors with the trees around Kansas City. It was a great time to film, especially temperature wise. We did the majority of principal photography from November to December, but we did shoot the film’s finale in the Spring of 2024 since it required a bit more planning to get right.
NYX: The theme running through the movie is “be who you want to be” (but taken to an extreme level) and empowering people, was this your idea from the start?
PR: That was the theme that Eric Winkler infused into his screenplay. I felt it gave the film something relatable for the audience to connect with and elevate it from being a standard slasher film.
NYX: Were all the effects done live on set?
PR: For the most part, yes, all the effects were done practically. However there is a moment in the film that required CG fire, for obvious reasons. I think we did a good job making it look good.
NYX: How did you choose the films showing in the background?
PR: Obviously we had to pick films that were public domain, so that did influence our decisions. Eric is a huge Vincent Price fan, so we incorporated a moment from House on Haunted Hill in the background for one scene.
NYX: Are you a fan of The 3 Stooges?
PR: Again, Eric is a bigger fan of the Three Stooges. Though I do enjoy them.
NYX: Do you find clowns scary?
PR: I have never really found them scary. I have always loved movies like “IT” and “Killer Klowns from Outer Space”. I do enjoy watching other people get scared from clowns though. My sister is terrified of them.
NYX: Will you be nervous when the movie has its UK premiere at FrightFest 2025?
PR: I’m always nervous when screening at FrightFest. You want people to enjoy the film, especially having spent so much time making it. It’s always weird to spend a year to two years on a film, but when people watch it, it’s over in 90 minutes.
NYX: So, what are you up to at the moment?
PR: I’m directing a short film in the fall, that should be fun. I am also working on sequels to “The Night Is Young”, “I Am Lisa" and “Nailbiter” as well as a horror film dealing with Big Pharma, titled “Swallow Them Whole.” Financing is always a big challenge, and it seems to get harder all the time, so hopefully one of these projects comes to fruition soon.
NYX: Patrick Rea, thank you very much.
