Craig Perry, who produced all 4 Final Destinations talked to me about what might be the final one in the franchise at the Warner Bros premiere for the movie that is out now. When it comes to The Final Destination, I think they might have saved the best for last…if it really is the last?
What makes this FD4 so different than the other 3 is this one include 3-D. Craig told me how adding the effect changed the feel of the series, “Working in 3-D is really fun, it’s really interesting to apply to a movie like Final Destination….It’s not just about character, it’s not just about dialogue, it’s not just about the suspense; it’s about making the audience feel like they are literally living that moment, they are immersed in the scene.” Seriously he is not kidding you really feel immersed in the scenes. Final Destination is my favorite horror franchise in the last 10 years largely because the deaths are so slow and so suspenseful and the way they played out in this one they are even more so because of the 3-D effect. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat covering my eyes throughout most of the movie because the way things are jumping off the screen at you. It totally freaked me out, but in a really good way. Saying that I had to ask him how they come up with all the freaking awesome deaths in the series and here is what he told me, “The death sequences really do stand out because we set them arenas you or I might find ourselves in…our bathrooms, our kitchen, maybe a grocery store and if you can take the mundane and invest it with a real sense of malevolence, you have the opportunity to create a sequence that will absolutely be a show stopper.” The opening premonition in this one is a real showstopper. It is the the most gruesome and spine tingling one of them all that you are so full of excitement watching as each person will die only to be saved for a short while…unless they can break death’s chain. This multiple death scene that sets it all off takes place at a NASCAR event and after seeing this movie, there is no way you can get me to go to a race. Which is exactly what Craig was talking about when he said they were creating sequences that are real showstoppers and check out the interview above to see which other deaths he considered the ones he remembered most. I have to say it is appropriate that opening death sequence took place at a racing event because this movie is so fast you feel like your in car on the speedway going over 130 miles an hour from the beginning of the movie until the credits.
Not being spoilerish, but there was also a 3-D movie scene in The Final Destination which was kind of cruel to do the audience, but also quite brilliant! So how did the Final Destination get to the big screen so it could kill off people watching a movie on one? Here is how, “The concept for the original Final Destination was generated by a guy named Jeffrey Reddick. And he actually worked at New Line, the studio that released all these movies. He was an employee. He came up with it based on a failed X-Files script that he wrote and he said I could make this into a feature.” And the rest is movie history. In short, X-Files loss was our gain, but for how many more films?
Is this really the last one? I just had to find out if there is any hope we might be able to get a fifth one??? And here is what Craig told me, “If we have an opportunity to make another movie, it will only be because the audience had so much fun with this one that we have earned the right to talk about it. And I hope we have that right.” I can tell you I had so much fun watching it last night, I say hands down they earned the right to talk about it. So run out and see The Final Destination this weekend for a movie that will frighten you with suspenseful and gruesome gory deaths. We really have to let them know we are not ready to see death stop taking those who thought they could cheat him.
But before we get a fifth one what is up for this producer whose hand I just had to shake after interviewing him? He is working on The Pet for Disney and The Seminar for CBS Films. I will be there on day one for both films!!!
Thank you so very much to Cynthia at Warner Bros for inviting me to cover the premiere and Monica for having an extra ticket so I could see the movie at it!!!
