An Interview with 'Freak' Director Eric Casaccio
Eric Casaccio, a North Shore native and first-time director, unveiled his 19-minute flick Freak at the CineMental shorts program at Boston Underground Film Festival on Sunday, March 27 at noon. Casaccio, currently based in Los Angeles, chats with HelloBoston.com reporter Sam Baltrusis about the inspiration behind his Freak show, his favorite hotspots in Boston and whether or not he still pahks the cah in Hahvahd Yahd.
Q: What was the inspiration behind Freak and did you have any hurdles getting it made?
EC: I wanted to tell a story about a type of underdog character that to some looks scary on the outside, but on the inside is one kind, amazing individual who doesn’t quite know where he/she fits into the world. The irony of this experience is that we filmed in June of 2010 and my directorial approach for Aaron Merken (Randall/Sophia) was to develop and guide a backstory focusing on his/her primary emotional struggles triggered from a childhood of bullying and re-attracting that behavior into his/her adulthood. Through too much kindness, this character never quite learned to set boundaries from such static and finally has no choice but to learn to do so.
After completing post-production in September 2010, all the gay teen suicides took place and I literally couldn’t believe the relationship from my initial approach to Freak, to what happened months later. The realization of what this film’s subtext really is and where it came from didn’t sink into my existence until after these tragedies took place. I guess the “hurdle of getting it made” was this discovery I made once it was completed.
Q: Because Freak is a short versus a full-length feature, does it get lost in the mix?
EC: I think short films have a voice and place of their own. When you watch a feature that you may not connect with, you spend at least an hour and a half of your life miserable. I find that in a shorts program, there is less risk of leaving dissatisfied because you get to see at least six different stories in a same themed program but different from one another. There is less chance of disappointment for an audience member in the same amount of time as a feature.
Q: What are some of your favorite things about Boston?
EC: Wow…Too many to list. Yes, I grew up in the suburbs of Boston. I used to spend a lot of time in the South End writing at Francesca’s Café. I really miss going to the North End to Regina Pizzeria followed by a cappuccino at Vittoria Café. The classic architecture of the city is a unique character within itself and I love the Museum of Fine Arts. I also miss people never pronouncing their r’s and still catch myself doing that from time to time when I'm really, really tired…although my accent is pretty much long gone.
Posted on Apr 22, 2011 by Sam Baltrusis
