Before Candyman arrives back in theaters, treat yourself to a few sweat-inducing nightmares courtesy the Griffin brothers. Based on an untold true story, brothers Thomas & Meeks Griffin were prominent black farmers who were forced to sell their land and wrongly executed. 100 years later, they’re back to avenge their deaths by killing the descendants of those responsible.
We spoke to director Andre Alfa about his new film Blackstock Boneyard, releasing June 8 from Uncork’d Entertainment.
When did this project come to be?
It came to be what it is today January 2013.
And the inspiration?
The writer Stephen George and I were looking for something new and became intrigued with the idea of wrongful, state executions. We delved into that subject and came across the Griffin Brothers. Two prominent and wealthy black farmers in the South 100 years ago who were deliberately targeted for their land. They were wrongfully executed for a crime they didn’t commit and had their 138 acre farm stolen from them by the town judge and a few others. Everything other than them coming back from the dead really happened. Their story was tragic and captivating on its own, but when considered against the backdrop of today’s socio-political climate regarding race and injustice and our own feelings on the matter, the project was just too relevant and important to ignore.
Is this a genre you normally gravitate towards?
Yes, because it’s a genre I feel close to but whether it’s horror or science fiction or fantasy, I want to tell stories and have characters people can relate to.
Would you say there’s a message in the movie?
I would say the message is “You reap what you sow.” The consequences of the present were shaped by the actions of the past. The Griffin brothers were two prominent and wealthy black farmers who owned 138 acres of farmland in Blackstock, a town in the South over 100 years ago; a time and place deeply embedded in the South geographically and ideologically. Despite this, they achieved the American Dream only to have it ripped away because of the color of their skin. They weren’t alone. Far from it. Black families have suffered years of injustice with respect to not only their civil rights, but their property rights as well. Blackstock Boneyard is a horror film that recognizes those injustices and seeks reckoning in a pound of flesh. Literally. So be careful what you sow for seed will surely grow.
Did you pull a Hitchcock – or a Shyamalan – and cameo in the movie yourself?
I did not. I find director cameos distracting. The last thing I want to do to someone watching my movie is pull them out of the moment.
Being an independent production, I’d think you probably ended up wearing more hats on it than credited. Was that the case?
Blackstock Boneyard was a very intimate production so yes, there were definitely some people wearing multiple hats, less out of a desire and more out of a necessity to get things done. Everyone who worked on it did it because they really connected with the story.
If an awards ceremony were going to show a moment from the film, what moment would you ask them to play?
I would have to say the moment where Lyndsy’s best friend, Sarah (Aubree Storm) gets shot by Corey (Bryan McCclure) in front of Meeks Griffin (Dean Wilson). So much happens so fast with her but it’s also a pivotal moment for Meeks and the audience.
Considering the year, we’ve had, most of us are appreciate film and other forms of entertainment more than ever. How have you been distracting yourself from outside worries during the past year?
My dogs. We have a German Shepherd and a Belgian Malinois. They are the best therapy so spending as much time with them as possible. And painting. I find working with my hands does wonders mentally.
Do you think theaters are going to bounce back?
I do, just as they have in the past. I think we’re going to see some scaling back but nothing beats the big screen. It’s essential for public well-being and the studios recognize that and have long-term plans to commit to it.