Posted in: Horror, Movies, Sony | Tagged: eli roth, film, horror, thanksgiving
Eli Roth Discusses the Lengthy Wait for his Thanksgiving Horror Flick
Eli Roth is revealing why it took so long to make his Thanksgiving horror flick after the fake Grindhouse trailer dropped in 2007.
Article Summary
- Eli Roth finally unveils the long-awaited Thanksgiving horror film in theaters now.
- More than a decade since its teaser, Roth explains the challenges in crafting the story.
- Conceived as a lost 1980 film, the movie is a dark reboot reflecting Roth's original vision.
- Set in Plymouth, a killer turns the town’s holiday celebration into a horrifying feast.
It's been more than 15 years since filmmaker Eli Roth originally conceptualized a Thanksgiving slasher-style film as referenced in a mock trailer for the 2007 Grindhouse flicks (comprised of Death Proof and Planet Terror). And while we knew early on that Roth had concrete plans to bring the concept to life, it actually required a lot of time to bring everything together perfectly. With the film finally in theaters, the established horror director is officially taking the time to explain why the holiday genre film needed a little longer to prepare.
Why Thanksgiving Needed a Little Extra Time to Cook
When talking to The New York Times about the film, Roth was specifically asked why it took so long to be made; he explained, "We wanted to get it right. We couldn't crack the story. The fun thing about doing a fake trailer is that you get to do the best parts of the movie, and nothing has to make sense. For years, we were thinking, why would someone dress like a pilgrim and go on a killing spree? How do you go from one kill to another without it feeling like a 90-minute version of the trailer?"
Roth continues, "Then it occurred to me: What if we pretend that a Thanksgiving movie from 1980 was really made, and the day it was released, it was so shocking and offensive that every print was pulled from the theater and ordered destroyed. The only thing that survived was one copy of the trailer that's been lurking around the darkest corners of 4Chan. This is the 2023 reboot of what that movie might have been."
The film's official summary: After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts — the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan. Will the town uncover the killer and survive the holidays… or become guests at his twisted holiday dinner table?
Thanksgiving is in theaters now if you're looking for your holiday horror fix!