“ABIGAIL”, DRACULA’S DAUGHTER
Cinema Writer/Film Critic Efe TEKSOY; wrote the horror and thriller film “ABIGAIL”, for America’s Los Angeles-based Internet Newspaper @alaturkanews.
A MODERNIZED INTERPRETATION ON THE CLASSIC VAMPIRE MYTH
Abigail, which made its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on April 7, 2024, is based on the horror film series Universal Classic Monsters, produced by Universal Pictures from the 1930s to the 1950s. A modern adaptation of the 1936 film Dracula’s Daughter, this production preserves all the features of the horror series while offering an exciting new perspective on the classic vampire mythology. Radio Silence, the film production collective comprised of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella, since bursting onto the independent film scene with the 2012 found footage anthology V/H/S; It achieved great success at the box office with hit films such as Ready or Not, Scream and Scream VI. Seamlessly combining high tension with serious scares and bloody mayhem, and offering a healthy dose of black humor, Radio Silence’s films helped renew interest in the genre and introduced a new generation of horror fans. When we look at the story of Abigail, the last of his extraordinary works; We see that the plot of the book And Then There Were None, written by British author Agatha Christie, is successfully combined with the classic vampire mythology narrative and elements of horror and thriller. Offering a high-voltage adventure to the audience with its mild dose of black humor, popular cast and impressive horror atmosphere, Abigail is a blockbuster movie that appeals to the new generation of horror fans.
TOPIC OF THE FILM
After a group of criminals kidnap a 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do is dominate her for one night to collect the $50 million ransom. When the kidnappers begin to die one by one at an isolated mansion they are staying in, they discover that they are not locked inside with a normal little girl.
Stars; MELISSA BARRERA, DAN STEVENS, KATHRYN NEWTON, WILL CATLETT, KEVIN DURAND, ANGUS CLOUD, ALISHA WEIR, MATTHEW GOODE and GIANCARLO ESPOSITO.
MAKE-UP AND PROSTHETICS
Tasked with transforming Irish actress Alisha Weir into a menacing vampire and creating the carnage she leaves behind, Abigail’s makeup and prosthetics teams let their imaginations run wild, encouraged by directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Makeup designer LIZ BYRNE (Cocaine Bear, Gretel & Hansel); “We were told in the beginning that everything would be too much. Matt and Tyler, ‘There’s never enough blood.’ they said. When you think you have enough blood, add another 50 percent and it still won’t be enough. So everything was more; more sweat, more blood, more dirt.” Lead actress Alisha Weir wore custom dentures and contact lenses for the look designed by Byrne for the vampire scenes. Hairstylist LINDA GANNON (Cocaine Bear, Gretel & Hansel) used Weir’s long brown locks to show off the transformation and make her look wilder and more dangerous.
CHOREOGRAPHY AND STUNNS
Movement coach and choreographer BELINDA MURPHY (The Last Duel, Vikings television series) worked with actress Alisha Weir to develop the graceful physicality of vampire Abigail and teach the actress how to perform the film’s opening ballet sequence. Actress Alisha Weir also wanted to do pointe while dancing Swan Lake, which was a difficult task because most dancers typically need at least two years of ballet training before starting pointe work. Weir; Although she had a background in lyrical, contemporary and jazz dance, she had never studied ballet. Murphy, “I started training Alisha to do pointe about 8 weeks before filming. We focused on strengthening her feet, ankles and core. Alisha has an incredible work ethic and is conscious of the preparation required. She has a natural talent, learns at an incredible pace and is very determined. As we worked together, the choreography naturally became an extension of her own movement. There was really a lot of Alisha in there, she’s so creative.”
EFE TEKSOY
