The Horror Revolution: First off, what’s your favorite horror movie? What movie scared you the most?
Richard J. Bosner: Hmmm that’s so tough, my favorite would probably be between Psycho and The Shining. However, the movie that scared me the most was Event Horizon. When I saw that film in the theater, I was totally freaked out! Sam Neill as Hell’s apostle in space!? That was some scary shit (and brilliant casting).
THR: Devotee was incredible. It’s so rare to find a short film as expertly made as this one. What inspired the film?
RB: Devotee is actually part of a feature film I wrote during the pandemic called Devoted. There was a section of the feature I knew I could turn into an enticing short film, so I gathered my industry friends, and we shot it over a weekend in Kensington, CA.
THR: I was greatly impressed by your short, it felt so much larger of a scale than you usually find with short horror films. What was the budget for the film, and what were the difficulties in making a short with such an expandable concept?
RB: The short film was always intended to be a proof of concept, so the size and scale of it needed to correlate directly to values of the feature version. That started with hiring an incredible crew and finding the most cinematic location possible. We also did our color grading at Company 3 and sound design at Skywalker Sound. We never cut any corners. Although I can’t discuss the exact budget, I can tell you it was around the price of a luxury car.
THR: Speaking of expandable concept, Devotee really feels like a short film that could be translated into a feature length project. Are there any plans to do more with the film, or in the world the film creates?
RB: Yes, Mary Vernieu and Bret Howe are casting the feature, Devoted, as we speak. I hope to have some exciting updates to announce in the near future.
THR: Your filmography covers a lot of genres already. Do you plan on working more within the horror genre in the future?
RB: I love horror/thriller films. Absolutely! I’ve been fortunate to produce a lot of incredible prestige indies, but my true love lies in the horror/thriller genre.
THR: If you could work with anyone in the industry, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
RB: It would have to be the tortured genius, Orson Wells. I’ve always loved his films, but the story of his life is also fascinating. The passion he had for filmmaking was undeniable and he pushed himself to keep creating to the bitter end. When asked if he had any regrets he said “I suppose that I fell in love with movies.”
THR: What inspired you to want to be a filmmaker? Were there any movies that made you know this is what you wanted to do?
RB: If I’m being really honest, the thing that inspired me most is community. In general, I love being surrounded by dreamers and creative people. Filmmaking is a collaboration of so many types of artists and when they come together, it really is magic. Also, it wasn’t an actual film that ever set me on the path to filmmaking. It was all the behind-the-scenes featurettes I grew up watching. Especially this series in the 90’s called Movie Magic. I loved watching the different crews do stunts, special effects, and model building. Just a bunch of adults playing make believe - who wouldn’t want that life!?
THR: You wrote and directed Devotee. Is it easier to make sure that your vision completely comes to life on-screen when you had a hand in each part of the development?
RB: Without a doubt, yes. I started by working with Warren Drummond, a prolific storyboard artist, on getting my entire vision down on paper. After that I created my master plan to execute everything and assemble the best team possible to bring it all to life.
THR: What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects you’re excited to talk about?
RB: In addition to my feature film, Devoted, I’m also working on producing several other exciting projects. A boxing feature called The Faith of Long Beach, alongside producer Adonis Tountas and writer/director Eric Amadio. Another is a contained erotic thriller, Outage, with writer/director Thomas Dekker.
THR: Finally, if you were to somehow be elected President in November, what is the first law you’d try to pass?
RB: National Horror Movie day, of course!!
