What’s in the Bag? In David Andrew James’ new film, Bag of Lies, the clock is ticking for Matt (Patrick Taft), whose wife Claire (Brandi Botkin) is dying of a rare bone cancer. Having exhausted all traditional healthcare options, Matt refuses to give up hope, and in his desperation, seeks from a haggard man named Al (Terry Tocantins). Al offers him to The Bag, an ancient relic possessed with dark magic that can heal the dying. The Bag demands a ritual: You must light a candle, pour the blood of the person whom you want it to affect in its mouth, and you must speak your intention only once. After the ritual is completed, there are three rules to follow: Don’t talk to it. Don’t look at it. Don’t touch it. The rules may sound simple enough, but as Matt furthers down the rabbit hole, his state of mind declines as Claire’s health improves. With nothing left to lose, and little standing in his way, Matt must bear the hardships of the next three days, no matter the terror The Bag imposes on his psyche.
Director David Andrew James answers our questions about Bag of Lies in the below interview…
How did you become a filmmaker?
Sending me fast-balls on question 1, I love it. Well, it’s been a long, winding road. I started writing and directing short films that will never see the light of day about ten years ago. I’ve been working crew-side this whole time as well, which gave me a certain leg up when it came to directing; you know what you can and cannot ask for, given your respective scale. I’ve wanted to make films since I was a tiny tot, however my hometown of Cincinnati didn’t really get on the map for it until about 2014. It’s nice to finally get a shot.
What inspires you creatively when making a film?
The biggest inspiration once we’re in production, is authenticity. Not so much what’s right or wrong, rather what’s appropriate for the film. Tone is another factor, making sure that you’re well-rounded, yet keeping it appropriate for the piece. How’d we do on this one? I’m dying to know. Anyway, lightyears before we get on set, it starts with a good script. Inspiration can come from anywhere: a book, a song, a painting, another film… I don’t chase ideas, I let them come to me. I think David Lynch said that, or maybe I saw it on a bumper sticker.
What was the hardest artistic choice you made in the production of Bag of Lies?
I think the hardest choice was to keep the script as minimal as we did. We shredded it down to 72 pages, which removed two subplots and a solid handful of more scares. We just didn’t have the budget to facilitate those elements. Nonetheless, I’m proud of where we ended up. I mean, y’know, as proud as a director can be; obviously there are a half-dozen moments I wish I could reshoot, but that’s for my constituents to hear me gripe about at some dive bar.
During the process of financing the film, what do you think made people have faith in the film? How did you finally get it into production?
Part One: The fine folks over at Epic just really liked the script. They never asked for any changes to it. I should add in response to my last answer: those pages we cut were self-imposed, and we cut them before Epic saw the script. Jake Heineke (my co-producer) and I knew what the budget size was going to be if we got the green light, so we decided to remove temptation and present a document we knew we could deliver on.
Part Two: The script development process took about four months, in collaboration with my sick and twisted co-writers Nick Laughlin and Joe Zappa. Once we delivered a draft that our EP felt was up to snuff, we sent it to Epic. Two weeks later, we had our green light. Three weeks after that, we were shooting. Our shoot ended March 14th, 2023. Having the film come out in April 2024 is pretty wild.
Bag of Lies is your first feature film. What surprised you most about the process?
This is a fun little easter-egg for everyone playing along at home: This is my first-released feature, however this is my second time directing one. I directed a no-budget crime-comedy in 2017; I didn’t feel it made the grade, so I never did anything with it (luckily everyone involved got over it and they still work with me). I’d done the long hauls. I was prepared for the hurry-up and-wait moments. I’d worked with actors, divas and easy-going ones alike (ditto that with crews). I felt prepared on this one, and luckily, the entire cast and crew were the latter. I will relent, the biggest surprise was realizing how quickly a budget can go up in smoke. It gives you some whiplash when you plan on doing a scene one way, then realizing you can’t afford to. We made this one for five figures, which was tough; however if you can do that, you can do anything.
What has been your favorite remark to read about Bag of Lies online?
Nothing, because I don’t read them. I learned that early on from a very lovely director who was nice enough to talk with me, when I was a PA on his set, another lifetime ago. Although it has been nice to receive the odd text or two from friends and family. My favorite unofficial remark that I’ve received was this: “You did great, but you needed a million dollars for that.” Keeps me humble, keeps me hungry.
What made you want to make a movie in the horror genre for your first feature?
It felt appropriate for this particular story, for these particular characters, that this be set within the horror genre. The looming threat of your significant other being terminally ill… What’s scarier than that? I think it allowed us to roll the dice a bit on how we approached certain genre moments. I hope people connect with them as much as they do anything else in the film. Also, there was the brashness of having never made a horror film before, that made me want to rise to the challenge. I’d return to horror in a heartbeat.
Bag of Lies is a horror film but also has a lot of heart and soul at the same time. In the early drafts of the script, was that always intended or did it happen organically with the actors’ performances?
First of all: Thank you kindly, that means a lot. Secondly: Yes, it was always the intention, from the jump. The inspiration came from watching my dad and my late stepmother go through hell together; although it was a losing battle, I’ve never seen two people rally around each other as strongly and as lovingly as they did. It was important for me for the first half of the film to have that. The second half of the film… Yeah. That’s where the similarities end.
What type of film are you working on next?
I’m prepping to pitch a film called The Jump right now, which is a crime-drama/thriller. I’m still looking for investors; can you help me out with that? I’ll give you my number. Have your people call my people. While I’m gearing up for that, I’m writing a sci-fi/thriller, called Copy. It’s my magnum opus. Ironically enough, both projects have become a lot scarier, after having made Bag of Lies. In any case, thank you so much for your time. I look forward to doing this again!
Thanks to David Andrew James for taking the time for this interview. You can watch Bag of Lies here.
