CHECK OUT PART 1 OF OUR SET VISIT HERE
“Why won't you follow the rules?” Yes, my friends, Brahms is back, and I was lucky enough to visit the set of STX films and Lakeshore Entertainment’s Brahms: The Boy II back in March.
Directed once again by the talented William Brent Bell, it stars Katie Holmes (The Gift, Batman Begins) as Liza, Owain Yeoman (The Belko Experiment, The Mentalist) as Sean, Christopher Convery (The Girl in the Spider's Web, Gotham) as Jude, and Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Absentia) as Joseph. The screenplay is by Stacey Menear, and the story goes as follows. Unaware of the terrifying history of Heelshire Mansion, a young family moves into the estate, where their young son soon makes an unsettling new friend, an eerily life-like doll he calls Brahms.
Warning: Mild Spoilers ahead.
My experience took me from the cold and grim Chicago winter to the colder and gloomier Vancouver. From there, I transferred to a small express plane powered by old fashion propellers to reach the “Florida of Canada” – Victoria, British Columbia. The whole experience felt like that scene from CONGO where Monroe Kelly and Karen Ross are tricking missiles with flares. I did hope to see a sign language-speaking gorillas drinking martinis, but alas, I did not. Trust me, I looked.
Our first stop is the set which houses a few areas from the previous film and never before seen areas of the Heelshire Mansion. Later, we’re also able to visit the actual Heelshire Mansion, which is known to the real world as the Craigdarroch Castle. My first thought when we pull up to this Canadian wonder of architecture is how isolated it looks despite being dead set in the middle of the suburbs.
A little movie magic will place the Heelshire mansion in the middle of nowhere when in reality it’s no more than a stone’s throw away from its next-door neighbor. Craigdarroch Castle couldn't be more centered in an idyllic suburb if they tried.
Though some sets stand-in for areas of the mansion, many scenes were shot inside the mansion itself. The National Historic Site brings some filming challenges.“We had a few places we were looking between and that, to me, had a silhouette that never seen. It’s one of the crown jewels of architecture. It was super cool in that way. As far as shooting goes, it was not an easy place to cheat because you can’t move against the walls. You can’t do anything. You even have to put booties on your shoes." Bell recounted.
In our time at the castle, we are given a good rundown in its Canadian history. A 19th-century Victorian-era mansion or “bonanza castle,” it was built for the wealthy industrialist Robert Dunsmuir and his family. The tour guide is sure to mention multiple times that the mansion is not haunted, which is precisely what one would say if one were trying to hide a home’s thinning veil to the realm of the damned. Nice try, Canada, but you won’t fool me that easily.
Next, we pull up to an unassuming, empty-looking strip mall which is later confirmed as an old Canadian Tire in downtown Victoria. Besides a large number of parked trailers and security, nothing gives the impression of a major motion picture being filmed here. Once inside, we are immediately surrounded by the organized chaos of the Hollywood machine. A giant fan sits in front of a hazer, basically a professional fog machine, constantly blowing down set. Across the room, Christopher Convery’s stand-in/stunt double does leg lunges. Nearby, two production assistants hurriedly walk with clipboards in hand. And off in the corner, we get a glance at the storyboards lined up on six big, black display boards. However, to keep the film’s twists and turns a secret, we are held far away from the corner.
Despite the large size of this location, the entire place is covered with a thin layer of haze, giving even the most routine task an eerie feel. We see two Brahms dolls, one for posing and one for stunts, laying on a white craft table. We are then introduced to costume designer Aieisha Li who explains the inspiration for Brahms's look: “Well, we built a three-piece suit and the inspiration behind the design was the 1930s.” Li also hints at the fact that Brahms’s wardrobe will play a part in the new film, “We wanted an idea where he was buried. So, somebody found the doll and put him in a special burial outfit.”
This adds some context to the teaser photo released last February and gets our wheels turning about what happened with Brahms at the end of the last film.
Later, we walk over to two large monitors where there is a live, on-camera rehearsal in what looks to be the never-before-seen Heelshire basement. The stand-ins are waiting patiently. Director William Brent Bell comes over to greet us. Dressed in all black with his signature glasses, Like an old friend, he is kind, calm and approachable. He welcomes us like we've known him for years and is genuinely excited to share his thoughts on the production. In the distance, we hear someone start playing a complex piano piece.
Bell excitedly tells us that Christopher Convery is a classically trained pianist and that he just recently found this out for himself. After learning about Convery’s hidden talents, Bell decided to add a piano into the story so that Convery could show off his skills on camera.“OK. Let's bring a piano into his bedroom, this old little organ. He then starts to play this simple lullaby, a Brahms lullaby” says Bell.
Soon after, Convery and Katie Holmes walk on set and take their place, and Bell bows out to take his place. Liza (Holmes) is brandishing a shotgun, slowly walking down the cellar stairs. The extensive cellar is styled to look old and dusty and is filled with junk. The excellent set design perfectly complements the energy of the scene.
As Holmes works her way around each corner, the camera glides with her. We then hear a low humming coming from her son, Jude – the Brahms Lullaby. Scared and not looking for a confrontation, Liza finds Jude dressed as Brahms standing in front of the furnace, as the orange glow from the fire silhouettes him. She drops the gun and runs towards her son. “CUT!” yells Bell, and the set once again becomes a flurry of activity. This scene is a part of the big finale, and though not too revealing, it did give us a good idea as to what the overall feel of Brahms: The Boy II is going to be.
But wait! There is still much more to delve into. Below are some highlights and takeaways of what we learned, interview blurbs and interesting tidbits, as Ray Arnold unenthusiastically said, “Hold on to your butts.”
-During a round table discussion with Bell and producers Gary Lucchesi and Richard S. Wright, we learn that Liza (Holmes) and her family relocate to the countryside after a violent home invasion. Lucchesi explained: “The mother and father were concerned, and the father decided maybe we should move to the country. Out walking one day the boy (Jude) discovers a doll, and it ends up being Brahms. Well, we can't have a guy in the wall again. This movie is more grounded in some ways because of Katie Holmes. She is just so strong; she's so human…You can see her as this completely devoted mother who can't figure out what the f*ck is going on with their kid.”
-Additional background information we are given is that Ralph Ineson plays a character named Joseph, who is the caretaker for the Heelshire Estate. We weren't told much other than that he is a bit mysterious, and that there is more to him than meets the eye.
-Since the first film ended, a fire had broken out at the Heelshire mansion, causing significant damage. Brahms's bedroom, now scarred from the fire, is covered in soot with a couple of ceiling beams crashed around his desk. The walls of the Heelshire Estate will still play a role in the story; they are still covered in cobwebs with random sheet music pinned to the walls.
-Now, let’s talk about our main man, Brahms. Somehow, the doll has been meticulously put back together, with the cracks looking almost vein-like. As we saw in the finale of the first film, a wounded adult Brahms took the time to start the repairs. We are still in the dark as to how this will tie into the sequel.
-The relationship between Jude (Convery) and Brahms is sure to be interesting. As a result of the trauma of the home invasion, Jude is mute. It's through his interaction with the doll Brahms that he begins talking again. Furthermore, the Brahms doll will have six to seven costume changes, and as the story goes on Jude will slowly start to dress more and more like the doll.
-Finally, here’s a cool tidbit about the mask worn by adult Brahms. The test screening for the first film went very well except for some negative feedback about the end of the third act when we finally see the man behind the curtain, the reveal of the presumed-dead Brahms Heelshire. The problem you ask? Actor James Russell was far too handsome to be an evil wall-dweller. Since production was too far along to re-shoot, the only fix was to add a mask via CGI. Yes. Every scene with Adult Brahms includes a CGI MASK! This wasn’t planned; no markers were placed on the actor’s face for tracking. It's crazy that a last-minute change has some of the better CGI I have seen in a while.
Final thoughts:
The creative forces behind Brahms: The Boy II are going for something very different from the first film, and with the amount of energy and excitement I saw on set, I believe they got something great brewing. To avoid the sophomore slump, Bell and the producers are trying to give us a more grounded, psychological thriller with higher stakes. There was a great deal of secrecy on set, and it was quite apparent that whatever they have planned will go in a different direction than the first film. The sets were creepy, the lighting eerie, and the camera work lively. I'm very excited to see where things go. I hope you are there along with me.
We aren't done just yet. We sat down with Director William Brent Bell and producer Gary Lucchesi to talk about the film’s casting and much, much more!
How do you approach the sequel after the third act in the first movie caught everybody with their pants down?
GL: It's challenging. We've cast this guy who you think is the caretaker of the Heelshire Estate, but you find out later that he's more. Ralph Ineson was the guy in THE WITCH, and he's fantastic. So there are surprises with him.
Does this movie take the more supernatural route now that we know Brahms is this man-child? Or is it going to be more of a slasher?
GL: No. It's not a slasher. It's more a horror thriller. And there is a supernatural component, but it's not forced, it's not like Brahms is flying all over the place.
We know that Jude stumbles across the Brahms doll in the woods. How did the doll get there? Brahms, the person, took very good care of it. Why would he leave it somewhere to be found?
GL: There is an answer.
WBB: Definitely in developing that because it's a big part of it. It's going to be a major part of the first 30 seconds of the trailer, so it's not giving away anything. But how the doll is discovered is so important. That idea of finding him buried is just visually stunning to me. But then my question was why was he buried? It's a provocative question.
So how much of the movie takes place back at the Heelshire Estate as opposed to the cottage where the family stays?
GL: It's probably two thirds at the cottage and one third in the Heelshire Estate.
Is that where the grand finale takes place?
GL: Yes. Well, in part of the Heelshire Estate.
How is Brahms instigating the child since he doesn't have the house to creep around in anymore?
GL: It's not the house. It is Brahms influencing the kid. It's not supernatural, but it's bizarre. The kid might do something, and the parents would say “Well why, why did you do this?” and he'd say “Well, Brahms told me to do this.” But Brahms is sitting right there. Brahms didn't say anything!
What kind of Brahms are we going to see? Is he hurt because of the screwdriver to the chest?
WBB: I can't tell you the story past the setup, and that's been a fun thing too about this whole world. We had a lot of fun with the first one and kind of the twist of it all. It was surprising to see it worked so well and more surprising to see it stayed a secret as long as it did.
What happened to the Heelshire Estate between the first and second film?
GL: Ralph Ineson lived there. He actually purchased it, and then he lost it. It is in somewhat disrepair
Has there been a lengthy period of time in between?
GL: I don't know, five years or something? But it's not 20 years.
Do you feel you had more freedom on part two as opposed to part one?
WBB: Good question. I think we had more freedom on part two for sure. We kind of knew what worked in the first one and maybe some other things that didn't. As a team, we've all felt more confident. We just trusted our instincts on what works and what doesn't.
What were some of the things you think didn't work on the first movie?
WBB: I would say that the jeopardy didn't exist enough for me. It's cool that we got the opportunity to make a kind of an origin story. A movie that could set everything up slowly instead of jumping right into it. It didn't have a teaser at the beginning. It doesn't have a flashback or something unique. But for me, there was a point where he's doing things. He's leaving her a sandwich. He might have cut her hair. He takes her clothes: They're all cute little things, but they're not necessarily deadly. I want to make sure that if we do a second movie, there has to be stakes. He's not just being cute but being deadly.
Knowing that the audience is going to be expecting something like that this time, how do you not give away what you’re leading to? How do you maintain that surprise?
WBB: Well, I think part of it is the jeopardy. People in there are definitely getting hurt, and stuff is going to happen. We had such great luck with STX before. I'm shooting this movie, and we have to make sure that we have the makings of a great trailer without giving away the last 20 minutes. It has to stand on its own. Usually, trailers give away everything. But they could have easily done it, and people have done in the past. Where they just kind of screw it all. But in this case, we had to sign things. We did a lot of things to hide that. So that's the key.
Can you talk about the locations? I like the idea of this family not moving into the same mansion
WBB: Sure. Do you know the estate for this place? It's a castle, and there are a lot of castles kind of like all over the world. And this time we're just trying to get out of the city and in an estate like that. One that has multiple houses on it, like a guest house on that estate. But they have no idea that the names have changed. And so as the family goes wandering and is like oh, what's that? That must be the main house.
Are you trying to match the look of the first film or are you going to experiment more with this one?
WBB: Definitely experiment, but in a way it still has that quality. It's not going to feel like a completely different movie, but as I said, the first one was a little more gothic and a little more dreamlike. And this is a little more real.
The first film felt very cold. It was overcast with a lot of muted tones, a kind of rainy look to it, but that was also very reflective of the characters. But in this one, we have a family that is far more caring. Are we going to see more warm tones?
WBB: I think it's probably darker because the kid is traumatized. We open with a pretty intense attack that scars this kid to where he won't speak and scars Liza to the point where she's haunted with nightmares. So they're both damaged. There is a quality of the story where she's not sure if she is going crazy. And is her son becoming too attached to this doll? Or is the son going crazy? It's dark in that respect.
Gary Lucchesi and William Brent Belle also discussed the process of making films and how no amount of prep work can prepare you for everything.
GL: There is something about the process of making movies, that you have a screenplay, you do all of this preparation, but then there are certain things that occur during the making of the movie. I think it's always good to have these conversations. I wish in hindsight now we fixed it, but in hindsight, I wish we had had a conversation with the first boy about putting the mask on his face.
WBB: We shot the movie. He had no mask on. You know he just was a guy with a beard. He looked crazy coming out the walls, and we tested the movie. It tested well, and everybody liked it [except that the actor wasn't physically threatening]. Roy Lee, who is one of the producers said: “Did you ever think about putting a mask on him?” …The mask was never on him, and we never planned it. Totally digital!
Brahms: The Boy II haunts theaters on February 21, 2020
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