Eight for Silver Interview: with Boyd Holbrook, Alistair Petrie and Sean Ellis
Eight for Silver made the Most Anticipated Movies of Sundance lists for both Rob AND Tim. Despite our often differing tastes, there are still through lines that connect us. For this film, “extreme violence and gore,” meets werewolves, was all they needed to know.
I’ll tell you my worry, for this Eight For Silver interviewFor starters, Boyd Holbrook and Alistair Petrie. These two edgy bad-guys top my list of favorites. I loved Holbrook in Logan and Petrie in Rogue One, but with my penchant for revennge and holding grudges, I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet these two. Nevertheless, Rob reminded me that they are in fact “actors” and are probably lovely in real life and they were lovely, indeed.
We also had a chance to talk with the mind behind this wild horror-haunting-monster genre mash-up, Sean Ellis. I mean, the dude clearly has incredible talent, that is obvious even if you’re not a “extreme gore” fan. Metro Manila and Anthropoid were two of his more popular films.
Three interviews for the price of oneWe met with Holbrook first and his mellow Kentuckian disposition, put us right at ease. He was funny and casual and as you probably can guess, my favorite parts of the conversation are when we deviate from talking about movies (ha!). So, in particular, I really in enjoyed talking about family and kids and juggling all of that, on top of a career.
Then on to Petrie, which is where things get a bit more intimidating. English people, right? There is just a shift is presence and polish that puts my insecurities on edge. I probably just didn't breathe for the first five minutes or so, as I tried to settle in to his sense of humor. Of course this always-villain was incredibly gregarious and warm, gosh, why would I ever have thought differently.
The conclusion of our interview is something best caught on video. All I'll say is that Rob's ZOOM dropped, immediately after he's caught Petrie off guard asking about his foundation Borne, which is something he is passionate about, given his personal experience with premature birth and miscarriage. My heart skipped 17 beats, as attempted to plug in and carry the conversation without any premeditated questions. I still haven't played it back to see the horror on my face, probably never will.
At long last, Sean Ellis. He came to us from his closet and admitted he hadn't brushed his hair. We commiserated, but truth be told, we don't usually brush our hair and still did for this interview. I hadn't heard of his name before Sundance this year. However, Ellis proactively offered that his preference is to not have his name known, so the film's success is marked by the story and its characters.
A mini snapshot of Eight For Silver, that it no way prepares you for what you're about to seeIn the late nineteenth century, brutal land baron Seamus Laurent (Alistair Petrie) slaughters a Roma clan, unleashing a curse on his family and village. In the days that follow, the townspeople are plagued by nightmares, Seamus’s son Edward (Max Mackintosh) goes missing, and a boy is found murdered. The locals suspect a wild animal, but visiting pathologist John McBride (Boyd Holbrook) warns of a more sinister presence lurking in the woods.
It's pretty grim and it's definitely filled with more than one cringe-worthy jump scare, but it's also incredibly beautiful and provides an interesting commentary on some of the social issues of the time. And, if you're like Rob and Tim, it's pretty extreme and violent and gory and you'll probably love it.
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