1. Each man is desperate for the means to break from the past and start life over, sans his crushing
financial burden. Enter the Crimson Mask, an ancient ritual that could provide Caine and Parker with
the salvation they’re looking for, provided either can survive a rite-of-passage involving guns,
swordplay, and characters whose intentions may not always be what they appear. Part-fantasy,
part-noir, The Crimson Mask has performed remarkably well on the festival circuit to-date, upending
expectations that usually surround a directorial debut (And a micro-budgeted one at that; the total cost
of the film was roughly $200K). Today, it arrives on Blu-ray and DVD.
By Phil Guie, July 27, 2010 in Interviews
The main characters of the new film The Crimson Mask represent a phenomenon not uncommon in modern
society. For years, both Parker and Thomas Caine lived far beyond their means, accumulating debts that
now seem insurmountable. Caine is a seemingly well-to-do businessman who finds his options drying up as
the debt collectors are closing in; meanwhile, Parker is a washed-up fighter in the Terry Malloy mold—a
coulda-been contender who never saved for a rainy day.
Writer/director Elias Plagianos, who spent six years getting his vision up on the big screen, took some time
out following his film’s international premiere at Cannes Film Festival to talk with CinemaSpy. Among other
topics, he discusses whether the current financial crisis adds an extra layer of significance to The Crimson
Mask, the challenge of balancing realism with the fantastical, and why low-budget films should probably
avoid having elaborate swordfights (although his manages it very nicely).
CinemaSpy: So The Crimson Mask got its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17.
How did that feel? Also, what categories did the film compete in?
Elias Plagianos: It was unbelievably exciting. For me, Cannes was always the pinnacle. I'd always dreamt
of just getting a chance to attend the festival, but to actually have my film screened there is amazing. We
screened out of competition in the palais as part of the Marche du Film and in competition as part of the
Independent Film Festival.
CinemaSpy: The plot of the film is about people who have lived beyond their means and who must now
deal with the consequences. It sounds very timely. However, the previews seem to emphasize the action-
thriller elements. Would you characterize the film as having a moral lesson, or more like an action-thriller
which happens to touch on some prevalent issues?
Elias Plagianos: The film was always a morality tale, but it was conceived as a cautionary tale, not a
comment on current issues. The bubble didn't burst until well after we shot the film and the first draft of the
script was completed in 2004. The film is definitely an action-thriller but one that resides in an art house
rather than a multiplex theater. I structured the film to have several different layers so people could get as
much out of it as they wanted. You can watch it as straight up action film or as layered art film.
CinemaSpy: What got you started in wanting to make movies?
Elias Plagianos: I think it had something to do with playing with G.I. Joe action figures. Most kids would
just have the soldiers kicking one another, but I'd sit for hours and construct these elaborate dramas and
interpersonal conflicts. Eventually I took my dad’s video camera and shot little movies with them. I'd do all
the voices, and make sets out of Legos. Yeah, I was a weird kid.
CinemaSpy: I got to see part of The Crimson Mask short. Did it get much festival attention?
Elias Plagianos: The short film was more of a sample for the feature. Something to get investors
interested. It was also used as a testing ground for techniques and looks we were planning to use in the
feature. The script for the short was just a truncated version of the feature script that had already been
written.
CinemaSpy: Can you talk about who influenced you as a director? Looking at the clips and the new trailer,
there were a few shots that reminded me of Bryan Singer, particularly The Usual Suspects. But maybe
that’s just the noir elements of your film?
Elias Plagianos: The Usual Suspects influenced an entire generation of filmmakers, and I was definitely
one of them. I remember the second the film ended I rewound the VHS tape and watched it again. I think
the biggest thing I learned from that film was to try and create a story that is familiar but at the same time
unique. I think Crimson Mask accomplishes that and has some interesting plot twists too. Some other
directors who heavily influenced me are John Frankenheimer, Terry Gilliam, Robert Rodriguez, Sam
Raimi… the list goes on and on, actually. Basically I could never have made this film without a library of
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2. DVD commentaries from filmmakers I love.
CinemaSpy: Earlier you mentioned making short films with your childhood toys, and a lot of directors you
cited as influences — Gilliam, Rodriguez — they’re known for having a very playful style. You can kind of
see that in The Crimson Mask as well; it’s set in modern times, but you have guys in costumes beating each
other up, sword-fights. I guess my question is, at any point during the writing or filming, did you ever worry
you were pushing things too far into the realm of fantasy?
Elias Plagianos: There's always the fear that mainstream audiences won't connect with your film because
they instantly label it as weird or cartoony, but I think if they watch Crimson Mask from beginning to end, all
the fantasy elements make a lot of sense and add to the narrative. I think that you can tell the most honest
stories in the most fictional of settings, and I play with that in the film. I have the boxer storyline set in a
1930's inspired cartoon world, but all the characters in that section are completely honest. The banker
storyline is set in a world that looks and feels much like our own, but all the characters are deceptive and
dishonest.
But to answer your original question: No, I was never worried about the film going too far in the realm of
fantasy, but I was worried about making sure the rules were consistent and the fantasy elements enhanced
the story and theme.
CinemaSpy: You’ve mentioned that you had no formal training in screenwriting, so you studied other
screenplays to figure out how to write The Crimson Mask. Which screenplays did you read?
Elias Plagianos: You know, that's a good question. I honestly don't remember. I was more concerned with
format than structure, so I just read the first couple of pages of a lot of different scripts to see what was
standard and what was up to the writer. In the end, my screenplay was really just a guide for myself and
something to get the actors excited about. We changed a lot on set and even more in the editing room.
CinemaSpy: Your two lead actors were Joshua Burrow and Robert Clohessy, who have each done a lot of
TV work. Had you seen them before and thought, 'That guy would be perfect for my movie,' or was it a case
of them answering a casting call?
Elias Plagianos: I was lucky enough to see Robert in a reading of a play in Manhattan and I instantly knew
this was the guy to play the role of Parker. Robert was essential to getting the rest of the cast together,
because he brought a lot of his friends on board, and his name carried weight with local casting agents.
Josh's casting was somewhat more traditional in that he came in to audition f
or us. The role of Thomas Caine was the hardest to cast because you needed an actor who made Thomas
his own. I didn't want someone to come in and play the same Wall Street suit we've seen a million times.
Josh brought charm and this really interesting inner turmoil.
Having worked really closely with both Josh and Robert, I can't imagine making a film without them, so I
hope they'll sign on for the next one as well.
CinemaSpy: From what I saw of the short, I couldn't tell if Parker was a wrestler. Was that the case, or did
Clohessy’s background as a fighter actually play a part in that?
Elias Plagianos: The short film was really just a loose outline for the feature. It was always a tough guy
role, but the boxer aspect was not there. I got the idea while watching Rod Serling's Requiem for a
Heavyweight. Then when I approached Robert about the change, he told me about his Golden Gloves
experience and it all came together. He even did a boxing film in the early 80's and we used scenes from it
as flashbacks. Robert's buddy Ed Kershen, who plays 3 amazing roles in the Crimson Mask, was also in the
same boxing film and it's really incredible how we were able to add this rich history to the two characters by
having these old film clips interspersed within our storyline.
CinemaSpy: You managed to finance Crimson Mask by yourself and with the help of friends and family. Are
there tips from the experience that you could share with aspiring filmmakers, for example, with keeping
costs down?
Elias Plagianos: I would say the biggest thing is to surround yourself with people you trust. On set
everyone can take advantage of your wallet to make their job easier. Whether it's needing extra crew
members or having a luxurious meal, there are many opportunities for waste. If you trust the people around
you to only spend when necessary, you can keep your budget in check. Also try to learn as many jobs as
you can and have a multi-talented crew. You might be in a spot where you'll need your gaffer to hold a boom
mic, to save a shot.
CinemaSpy: The film was made available instantly on Netflix, Blockbuster and Amazon on May 22. The
Internet seems to be the wave of the present when it comes to film distribution (A recent New York Times
article mentions that a lot of distributors are now going digital to build interest in DVD‘s and foreign sales).
When you made the decision to go the video-on-demand route, did you think it was the best way to reach a
wide audience, or were there other factors as well?
Elias Plagianos: I think that you have to have your film available in as many formats as possible, so your
audience has easy instant access. That being said, I think too much emphasis is being put on the
distribution side of things and not enough on the quality of films. If you have a good film, people will find it
no matter the format. VOD is just the most direct route, so to me it makes the most sense.
CinemaSpy: In an interview last year, it was mentioned how you accumulated debt making the film, and
how you were hoping to break even. How has that been going so far?
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Elias Plagianos: I am excited to say that we have made some foreign sales and our DVD pre-orders are
looking good, so unlike my countrymen in Greece, I will be completely debt free in a few short months. All
joking aside, putting up your own money to make a film is a tremendous risk and one that I would only
suggest doing if you’re prepared for the consequences. For every success story there are a hundred
failures. But if your driven, and have a story that you just have to tell, it could be your only option.
CinemaSpy: So do you already have some idea what your follow-up is going to be?
Elias Plagianos: We just optioned a great film noir script by writer Jim Foye that's called "City of Lies". It's a
classic private eye tale that deals with human trafficking. I'm also developing a video game with Cody
Yarbrough that will eventually be a film called Dark Noon, and I'm writing a comic book that I hope to turn
into a big sci-fi film property. I learned so much making The Crimson Mask and I'm excited to use all that
knowledge and continuing this crazy artistic journey.
CinemaSpy: One more question: Early reviews of The Crimson Mask have praised the sword-fighting. How
did you go about staging and preparing for those scenes?
Elias Plagianos: There is a reason why ultra low budget films don't have swordfights. It's impossibly
difficult to make a believable swordfight on a budget, but because of the dedication of an amazing crew and
a cast that woke up early to go to fight training school, even when they had scenes to shoot that day, we
were able to pull off the impossible. Everyone praises my editing in that scene, but I have to admit, it was so
much fun, and much easier to do than a lot of the dramatic scenes. The hard part was done by our fight
coordinators and our amazing D.P. Matthew Woolf. They have all won a bunch of awards for their work and
they definitely deserve it.
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