SET VISIT: Christian Alvart's Case 39 Starring Renée Zellweger.

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

Some people have certain traditions they like to partake in on Friday the 13th- whether it’s having a FRIDAY THE 13TH marathon, or drinking 13 beers in 13 minutes over the course of an evening, or walking through a graveyard in the middle of the night. For me, I like to watch a good scare flick, have a few beers, kick back and relax. But when King JoBlo asked me if I wanted to visit the set of the upcoming horror flick CASE 39 on Friday the 13th this past October, you know I couldn’t turn it down- what better day to spend on a movie set- and in October too!

What’s even better than rockin’ a Set Visit on Friday, October 13th? How about the set being located at an abandoned mental institution outside Vancouver, BC (Hollywood II)! Throw in the fact that the flick stars genre all-stars Rene Zelwegger (TCM4), Ian McShane (TV’s DEADWOOD) and Jodelle Ferland (SILENT HILL) not to mention director Christian ALVART (ANTIBODIES) in the mix, and you have yourself the ultimate Friday the 13th! In case you were wondering, CASE 39 goes a little something like this:

After rescuing a young girl, Lily Sullivan, from her abusive parents, the predictable world of social worker Emily Jenkins begins to spiral dangerously out of control. It gradually becomes apparent that Emily has inadvertently unleashed an ancient and mysterious force, one which threatens not only her life but that of her young charge and those around her.

Sounds like fun, no? So stick around, as not only was I able to visit the set and see a few scenes filmed (including ‘The Oven’ scene), but I had a nice chat with the director and the always squinting Ms. Zellweger. And now… on to the Set Visit!

THE SET

The day started out a bit unusual in Vancouver- it was actually sunny out and halfway decent, weather-wise. Last few visits to the lovely city it did a good job to show me how much like Seattle it really is (i.e., it rains a lot). But not this brisk October day- not that it would matter, as today we (the gang of other online journalists & I) were scheduled to watch scenes filmed entirely inside, including a scene that has only been described to us as ‘The Oven’ scene… Today’s scenes that were filming today were set on location at the Riverview Hospital, an old abandoned mental hospital just outside the city limits (same place they filmed FREDDY VS JASON). Yes folks, no soundstages here but an actual location- so far, this Friday the 13th has been nothing but lucky!

Cruising up to the hospital, we had a good over-view of what this place looked like- which was exactly what you’d expect of an abandoned mental hospital. Set amongst rolling plush green hills, with plenty of trees and beautiful landscaping to set even the craziest person at ease. Check out the image below to see exactly what I’m talkin’ about.

Nice, huh? Almost as nice as the Bates Motel. After we arrive, the first thing we do is have lunch, courtesy of Kraft Food Services. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again- Kraft Food Services is the bomb! Yum-yum! Shortly after lunch we were shuffled into the hospital, down one of the many eerily creepy and totally deserted hallways and into an empty room- presumably a place where patients were rehabilitized.

Once there we had a chance to sit down with the director and producers Kevin Misher (THE INTERPRETER) and Steve Golin (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND), and while I’ll have more on the interview with the director later, here are some key points the producers had to share about the film:

CASE 39 is a very Sophisticated Horror Film/ Psychological Thriller- like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS & THE OTHERS

It’s about a character going through this experience of trying to interpret and figure out exactly what’s going on instead of trying to figure out who’s doing what to whom

They were attracted to how smart the script was

Rene was really excited about the film because it’s smart, and she was looking to do a more sophisticated horror flick

Rene picked Alvart because they got along, and because of his other film ANITBODIES

Director Alvart storyboards EVERY SINGLE shot in the film himself- action, effects and even dialog – which is helpful for everyone

Each day they have a record amount of set ups to shoot, more so than most other films

They’re so busy filming that they never have time to be in their trailers (even big stars, like Rene)

Alvart has lots of energy, and keeps the energy up (even on 12 hour days) for the rest of the cast/crew to feed off of

Alvart doesn’t waste time filming extra stuff with the actors- he knows exactly what he’s going to film, and when he’s going to cut and switch to the next shot, a lot like director Sam Raimi

The Film was floating around for a bit before they picked it up- and it’s had a quick turn around, filming directly after Rene was finished filming BEATRIX POTTER

Writer Ray Write is currently working on the remake of George Romero’s THE CRAZIES (he also wrote last year’s shitfest PULSE)

After we talked with the producers for a bit, we were treated to a real… well, treat. They had cut together what they’ve already filmed (we’re here at about halfway into filming) into a faux-trailer exclusively for us, which showcased a few quick scenes of what they’ve shot already, giving us a good look at what the final trailer might look like- there’s no effects done yet, and the music wasn’t anything official… but it worked for me! From what I saw, this flick is gonna rock- great visuals, shots of blood and gore, intense and terrifying sequences, and even Zellweger looked like she belonged in a horror movie again (we’ve missed her since TCM 4). Here’s a quick re-cap of what we were shown:

Social Worker see’s ‘signs of neglect’ and takes child away from “neglecting parents” because the little girl “heard her parents say they’re going to send her to hell”.

Parents are then mysteriously murdered by shot-gun blasts, killed in their sleep…”slaughtered would be a better word”

There’s some car chases through the city streets

Whole thing is interlaced with scary images, with Rene saying in the last shot…”It’ll be alright…” then cut to black with a flash.

THE SCENES

Now that we had our fill on some sweet exclusive footage, it was time to see some actual scenes filmed! We were ushered upstairs to another part of the hospital and into a little room (which looked liked it served as the nurses break room or font desk area for that floor), where 2 video monitors were set up with a few ‘director’s chair’ chairs lined up along the wall for us to watch. The actual set of scenes were being filmed in the room next door to us, but watching the monitors gave us a real feel of what the final product would eventually look like.

We’ve heard a lot from the producers and the director himself, about how fast the filming of this movie is in compared to other films. And they were right! Usually, on a Set Visit of this caliber, we’re on set for HOURS to see just a handful of set ups, and maybe one entire scene filmed. This visit to CASE 39, after being on set for only a few hours, we saw lots of set ups, and an entire scene filmed! That’s fast! It’s surprising that most films aren’t made this way, and I have to hand it to them… everything looked just as slick and well done as a film that takes so much longer to complete. But enough of that, and onto the actual scenes!

The scene is set in a day care for troubled youth at the hospital. There are kids mulling around in the background, playing games and chatting with each other quietly. The key players here are Rene (in a sleek business suite with shoulder-length hair), Jodelle and the day care worker, ‘Diane’. Ready? Here we go:

Scene 119: Rene grabs Jodelle in a jerking matter out the room (this is done a couple of time, each ‘jerk’ harder than the first)

Scene 119A: Same scene, different angle. Room is surrounded by windows, giving off lots of natural light to the whole thing. People in the background are shocked to the way Rene ‘jerks’ Jodelle

Scene 119B: Same scene, different angle- this time, Rene ‘jerks’ and pulls Jodelle directly towards the camera. ‘Diane’ is pissed, and stops her from dragging her completely out of the room. Jodelle sticks up for Rene, and tells ‘Diane’ that it’s ‘Okay’. Jodelle is laying on the creepiness thick here, and it all plays really well

Scene 119C: Close up of dialog shot- everyone puts forth a great effort, and hey… I’m actually believing what I’m seeing!

Scene 120: After the exchange of words with ‘Diane’, Rene tells Jodelle to follow her, and they approach an elevator. This is where Rene tells Jodelle that she won’t be allowed to go back to the day care center. Jodelle responds in a monotone voice “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?…” Over and over again. This scene just proves that Jodelle really is one of the creepiest kids in movies these days.

To watch an entire scene like this filmed, with only a few takes of each in-between, was a real treat. Most times it’s just snippets, and you don’t really know what’s going on. Here, I could see the whole mini-scene played out, with exchanges of dialog and everything. Very cool- from what I saw here, Rene is playing it very serious, and Jodelle is playing it with that creepy vibe that she does so well.

COOL GEL

From there we have a bit of break, while they set up ‘The Oven’ scene, so we’re corralled out the doors and into the hospital parking lot, where we’re given a little demonstration of Cool Gel, by creator’s Dustin Brooks and Colin Decker. Cool Gel is this jelly substance that, when applied to skin / hair, will allow a person to actually be set on fire, with giant flames burning for about 30-45 seconds before it even gets hot. Yes, a person can be set on fire and only feel the cool, jelly feel of the Cool Jell substance. Think of all the fun you could have at parties if you had something like this at home!

They demonstrate with Colin sticking his arm in a bucket of the Cool Gel. Dustin then sprays this cool-burning fluid (like lighter fluid) on top of the Cool Gel on Colin’s arm. After it’s dosed with a good amount, Dustin lights the fluid on fire, and voila! Colin’s arm is on fire– like totally engulfed in flames. I’ve never seen someone set on fire before, and let me tell you, it was cool as shit! They let it burn for about 45 seconds (after a while, the clear gel begins to turn white) when it starts to get hot- he then sticks his arm in a bucket of water, and there you go- fire’s out, and everything’s Ok. They relatively recently invented this stuff just about a year and a half ago, and it’s been used I a few TV shows, and in the tanning-bed scene from FINAL DESTINATION 3. This stuff is genius, and I’m sure it’ll be the way to go for scenes with people on fire from now on. I mean, they’ve even set a persons full body on fire before!

JODELLE FERLAND

After the Cool Gel demonstration, we went back into the creepy Riverview Hospital for a quick interview with creepy child-star Jodelle Ferland, who’s biggest claim to fame at this point is being on the poster for last year’s SILENT HILL- the girl without a mouth. Pretty cool to meet her, and she’s like any other 12 year old you’ve ever met. Most questions were answered with simple, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers, which makes it easier to transcribe, but less interesting to read. So here’s some highlights with our interview with Jodelle:

She had six auditions for this movie- more than she’s ever had before in her life

She wants to keep acting when she grows up because ‘she really likes it’.

She thinks it’s great working with Rene, but when asked if she was learning a lot from her, she replied “Um…. Not really.”

Loves the fast paced shooting schedule for this film

She reads the script inside and out, and so there’s no films that she’s starred in that she’s not allowed to see- she knows it’s make believe

She liked working with director Uwe Boll on SEED because ‘he’s really nice’

Maybe not the most in-depth interview I’ve ever done, but probably one of the more ‘real’, since she’s 12, she didn’t really feel the need to kiss a bunch of ass, or play the part of an actress being interviewed. Unlike other child actors right now, I think Jodelle will likely go far in the industry, and in about 10 years, she’ll be one of the bigger Scream Queens out there. At least, I think so…

‘The Oven’ Scene

Now for the scene that we’ve been waiting for all day: that of ‘The Oven’ scene. We weren’t told much about it, other than it’s the scene where they’re going to set a woman on fire in. This is a real treat, as not only were we able to check out a few scenes of dialog, but now we get to see a woman actually lit on fire!

We were shuffled into another part of the hospital, this one on the 3rd floor, in front of another set of monitors. The actual Oven set was on another part of the floor, but for safety issues and all that… we had the privilege to watch it all go down on the monitors, and see it the way it will look like in theaters. Here’s the play-by-play:

The setting: The Oven is a HUGE oven, about the size of a small office on the inside, which is covered in that burnt-grime film from floor to ceiling. The woman inside has cuts all over her face and her arms- she has a patients gown on, and a crazy look in her eye.

Scene 145: The woman begins screaming hysterically, spinning around, hitting the sides of the oven, frantically trying to find a way out. Apparently while she’s in there, the heat is turning up- and you can tell! In subsequent takes, she screams even louder- and it’s surprisingly a really intense scene to watch.

Scene 145A: The woman is screaming when she erupts ON FIRE from her hands/arms. It’s a case of part Oven, part spontaneous combustion. She waves her hands around and screams like… well, like she’s ON FIRE! She begins pounding on the door (which has a tiny window to see out of), as she pleads to be let out.

Scene 145B: Close-up now on her flaming arms. More intense screaming is going on. Probably even louder than normal, but since she has cuts all over her body, it hurts her even more.

And that was pretty much it- though seeing a woman set on fire inside a giant oven is about as good as it gets, in my book! Overall, I had a great experience on set, and based on the solid performances and the enthusiasm of the filmmakers, CASE 39 is going to be one sweet ride (especially considering the fact that it’ll actually be an R rated horror flick)! After they showed us the trailer (with footage from just half of the film), I knew this flick was gonna rock the Kasbah.

I’d like to thank producers Kevin Misher and Steve Golin, director Christian Alvart, as well as stars Rene Zellweger and Jodelle Ferland for their time and generous hospitality on the set. I had a blast, and have a feeling this flick could be the one to watch out for in 2010!