Johannes Roberts is amongst several directors who have been responsible for the revival of horror in the British film industry. Having self-funded his first feature, Sanitarium, through credit cards, he enjoyed acclaim for his ambitious project When Evil Calls, a series which was initially shot for mobile phones.
His latest feature is F, a gritty and brutal thriller which tells of a bullied teacher who is forced to fight back when his school falls under siege from vicious students after hours. Two years and over thirty drafts later, F stars David Schofield (The Wolfman), Ruth Gemmell (Waking the Dead) and Juliet Aubrey (Primeval) and F made its debut last month at London’s FrightFest to positive reviews.
Johannes Roberts looks back on the making of F…
Where did the initial concept for F originate and were you inspired by the rise in delinquent crime and teacher’s lack of authority in modern society?
“It actually arose from a general disgust at the horror genre at the moment. I wanted to create a character driven fresh and hopefully ingenious movie that scared people to death. My observations on teaching came into later.”
How has the ‘hooded ASBO’ culture influenced the antagonists in your story and are you concerned by the attitude of modern adolescents?
“I think the politically correct world we live in and that marks the downfall of our lead character is as much something of concern than violence in youth.”
F seems to owe a debt to siege movies, specifically John Carpenter’s classic Assault on Precinct 13. Was this intentional and what movies would you say you were inspired by, both as a writer and director?
“It was very much a love letter to John Carpenter; from the siege aspect to the themes and style used, right down to the score.”
Were you inspired by any true-life incidents whilst you were writing the script and were conscious of avoiding typical horror clichés and aiming for something more gritty and realistic?
“I really just wanted to make it a character driven piece.”
How explicit is the movie and does F cater to fans of blood and gore?
“F has some horrific moments but its not a blood bath. It is very influenced by films like The Grudge and The Ring where you see the aftermath and you’re left staring at these distorted faces wondering what happened. I found that very disturbing when I watched them and drew on that a lot for this. I am not a fan of films like Saw and Hostel.”
How did you approach casting the film? Did you have any specific actors in mind as you were writing the script and what kind of casting process did you perform?
“Gail Stevens (Slumdog Millionaire) cast this movie. The casting is incredible. We turned down large sums of money from America to cast a well known name. I love the cast.”
Were you concerned that a movie focusing on violence and children could come under fire from either the censors or tabloids and has there been any negative backlash as yet?
“Not really.”
When can audiences expect to see F?
“The film comes out in cinemas on September 17th nationwide in the UK and then it will be out on DVD in January. Not sure about across the world.”
