Unveiling the Terrifying World of John Carpenter's Suburban Screams: EP Sandy King Dishes on the Unparalleled Docudrama Experience

Summary

John Carpenter's Suburban Screams is a genre-busting anthology docudrama that explores true tales of horror in small towns.

Executive-produced by Carpenter, the show showcases interviews with individuals directly impacted by the events, skillfully intertwining bone-chilling reenactments of their harrowing encounters.

Striving to strike a delicate equilibrium between captivating entertainment and showing utmost consideration towards the victims, the stories remain firmly rooted in truth, avoiding any gratuitous exaggerations.

John Carpenter, the master of horror storytelling, delves into a new format with his latest project, John Carpenter's Suburban Screams. This anthology docudrama, produced by the creator of the Halloween franchise, explores an array of true stories that have haunted small towns across the nation. Through a combination of interviews with the actual individuals affected and spine-chilling scripted recreations, viewers will be taken on a terrifying journey.

Notably, Carpenter not only serves as the executive producer but also returns to the director's chair for Suburban Screams after more than a decade. His previous narrative-driven venture was the 2010 horror film, The Ward. Joining him in directing duties are Jordan Roberts from Haunted, Michelle Latimer from Trickster, and Jan Pavlacky, another Haunted alum.

Sandy King Talks John Carpenter's Suburban Screams

On our website: I am thrilled to have a conversation with you, Sandy, particularly about Suburban Screams. Knowing that you and John have a long history together in your careers, I'm curious to know when John first got the idea for this project and started working on it.

They approached us shortly before we began shooting. The production company, DiGa, presented us with the concept during the year leading up to the shoot, and we were impressed by it. That's why we decided to do it, it was quite straightforward.

It seems like the perfect expansion since he has created one of the most iconic suburban horror franchises until now. However, it also feels like a unique direction for both of you. You have produced numerous live productions, but John has not worked on many docudrama-style projects. What was it like for both of you to explore this newer genre and format?

Sandy King: The intriguing aspect for both of us was the novelty of new challenges. We are not fans of monotonous routines, so when you introduced something fresh, it immediately caught our attention. The idea of combining unscripted and scripted elements was appealing. We were curious to see if unscripted content could be presented in a compelling theatrical manner, without any deception or sudden transformation into something else. We wanted to explore if it could serve as a starting point for a different story. Additionally, we wanted to demonstrate that a network division could execute this concept in an entertaining way while maintaining the underlying truth. It became an evolving process with the production company and the network, convincing them that it was possible. This required letting go of some documentary elements and utilizing the unscripted moments as markers within the scripted narrative, reaffirming that it was grounded in reality. This is what made the entire scripting process fascinating.

Were the stories already chosen before you were approached with the concept, or did you and your team, along with John, actively search for the stories you wanted to include?

Sandy King: The stories were partially predetermined. They had a selection of stories they wanted to include, but we removed the ones that were too paranormal and lacked a sense of reality. We aimed to keep the stories within the realm of possibility, so that viewers could relate and ask themselves, "What if that happened to me?" We wanted to present the stories from the perspective of the victims. While many people are aware of infamous criminals like Jeffrey Dahmer and the acts he committed, not as many know about the character played by Niecy Nash, the woman who lived below and experienced it firsthand. Furthermore, we wanted to explore the long-term effects on the victims' lives after such traumatic events. Even if the case is solved or justice is served, it is never truly resolved for the individuals who endured the trauma.

In the case of semi-paranormal activities, such as the use of Ouija boards, whether one believes in their authenticity or not becomes irrelevant. What truly matters is how individuals perceive their experiences and the lasting impact it has on their lives. The goal was to prompt viewers to ponder whether they would ever be able to view their reality in the same way again if they genuinely believed they had made contact with the other side during a casual gathering or party. This aspect took center stage in our exploration. Moving on to "The Phone Stalker", the unresolved nature of the woman's situation, which continues even after six years, creates a sense of unsolvability. Bunny Man, on the other hand, originated from a few authentic incidents but transformed into a myth and legend that has been used to instill fear in children for over a century. These stories forever impact the neighborhoods and individuals involved. Personally, I find the psychological aftermath more intriguing than the actual crimes themselves.

I completely agree, especially when it comes to "Kelly" and "The Phone Stalker". The interviews were incredibly powerful, as the subjects allowed themselves to be vulnerable in front of the camera. Did you have the opportunity to be present during the interviews or interact with these individuals? If so, how did you manage to establish a sense of trust or connection with them in order to make them feel comfortable sharing their experiences?

Sandy King: I witnessed their individualities firsthand. Each of them had unique personalities, with some being trapped or haunted by their memories. Take Beth from "The Phone Stalker" for example. She is unable to break free from the clutches of her traumatic past. The interviewer was about to conclude the interview, but I insisted that he go back and ask her one question. "Have you always had that trembling? Have you always had those shakes?" Surprisingly, she revealed that it all began with the stalker. Similarly, there are others like the historian who is completely absorbed in the world of The Bunny Man. She writes books on the subject and lives and breathes The Bunny Man as if she had experienced the attacks herself.

Then there's the guy who broke into The Bunny Man's house when he was just a kid. He too lives in the shadow of The Bunny Man. These individuals seem to be stuck in those haunting moments. As for the man with the Ouija board, it's difficult to comprehend where he truly resides mentally. In his mind, he fell in love with a ghost who directed him to her grave. Astonishingly, he actually found the grave, which becomes his reality. I believe these people are confined to that specific point in time. Our researcher, who conducted pre-interviews with these individuals, discovered their remarkable effectiveness, although some were better than others. We have another story coming up about an escaped serial killer who terrorized the town not once, but twice. This reminds me of a recent incident in Pennsylvania where a serial killer escaped and plunged an entire town into fear. In our story, the serial killer would flee and continue killing in the same town, causing immense terror.

What is the experience of collaborating with the writers of scripted segments and collaborating with the directors to ensure that while delivering exciting moments, we also maintain the authenticity and sensitivity towards the individuals we have interviewed for this project?

Sandy King emphasized the importance of not exceeding the boundaries when redrawing the stories. Although there is a temptation to embellish the narratives, she believed that the true stories were already compelling enough and didn't require fictionalization. Therefore, the scripted content remains authentic, with only occasional brief moments of imagination to enhance the overall vision. However, these imaginative segments are minimal, comprising only around 20 seconds out of an entire hour. Aside from these moments, everything depicted is based on real events. Regarding the scripted segment, Sandy King was asked if there was a particular story that stood out as either the most exciting or the most challenging to assemble.

Sandy King: The challenges faced by the director of "The House Next Door" were primarily practical. Shooting in the Czech Republic made it difficult to find two houses that looked American and were positioned in a way that allowed for a child to look from one house to the other. Additionally, there were practical issues in trying to make the Czech Republic resemble America convincingly. These practical obstacles extended to the production itself, as the episodes had low budgets and were required to be shot quickly, often within four days. Despite these limitations, the directors, John, Jann, Michelle, and Jordan, made efforts to maintain high production values and deliver quality camera work and sets. Achieving this within such tight time constraints required careful planning and the implementation of a template for managing locations and streamlining them. As an executive producer, my main challenge was determining whether a particular location was suitable for shooting and making decisions based on practical considerations.

Back in the day, I used to be a huge admirer of Body Bags, and John's on-camera performance in that film was exceptional. During the development of this show, did you or John ever contemplate the notion of him taking on a role similar to that or perhaps narrating more than just the opening credits?

About John Carpenter's Suburban Screams

John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams is a captivating horror anthology series that defies genre boundaries. Created by the iconic director, writer, and producer John Carpenter, this unscripted show delves into the hidden darkness and unimaginable malevolence that often resides beneath the idyllic facades of suburban neighborhoods. Each episode delivers an authentic account of terror, narrated by those who have lived through it. These firsthand stories come to life through top-tier cinematic reenactments, news clips, personal photographs, and historic footage. Blending the visual language of horror films with the tools and techniques of documentaries, Suburban Screams offers viewers a uniquely chilling experience.

John Carpenter's Suburban Screams begins streaming on Peacock on Friday, October 13.

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