This British film site has posted a new interview with Carlos Brooks, who co-directed Burning Bright with the tigers. No definite release date yet, but at least things seem to be moving in that direction.
Snippets:
Tell us a little bit about the plot of Burning Bright…
Carlos Brooks: Burning Bright is about an incredibly HOT CHICK trapped in a house with a TIGER during a HURRICANE. We had another version that explored the latent Freudian implications of her existential dilemma in terms of various indigenous animal myths, but we were running long, and something had to go… Oh yeah, and she has to face off with her demented stepfather, played by the brilliant Garret Dillahunt [The Road, The Last House On The Left – Ed], and all the while protecting her tripped-out little brother, played by newcomer prodigy Charlie Tahan. (…)
What was your reaction when you first read the screenplay? Because ours was ‘this sounds absolutely mental’.
Carlos Brooks: My first reaction, after I got over the crazy-sounding pitch, was to the extremely well crafted screenplay – which takes you by the hand and walks you into rural Florida where you have these low-rent wild animal preserves in people’s back yards, and where houses routinely get boarded up to protect from epic hurricanes.
Throw in a homicidal circus tiger bought on the cheap and one demented stepfather, and you have a story unlike that which we’ve ever seen, all of it rooted in reality. I found myself caught up in the girl’s struggle, and in the movie she becomes much more than just “the hot chick” – she becomes a thinking hero who has to use her wits and her household surroundings to outwit a natural predator who just happens to be stalking her from kitchen to bedroom. (…)
Did you have any tiger related accidents on the set? Did it take your direction well?
Carlos Brooks: No, the tiger didn’t like my direction. You find out early on that the tiger will rewrite your script for you. You may want the tiger to peer over the kitchen island. Then when you say “Action!” you find out the tiger’s idea is to actually leap up onto the island and crash into the hanging pots. You go with the tiger’s version. There were three tigers, actually. Once or twice they got loose on the set, but the trainers were the best in the business — had to be, we were getting very aggressive behavior. Nobody got hurt. Traumatized, perhaps. No injuries. (…)
Any news on a worldwide release? Will Burning Bright be released in cinemas or on DVD/Blu-Ray?
Carlos Brooks: None yet. Theatrical is still in the offing – we’re holding out. Of course it will be available on DVD worldwide, but the movie is worth seeing in the cinema. It’s a tough market these days, but this movie was made for movie lovers who actually still go out to the cinemas. Fortunately, everybody behind it believes in it so stay tuned. [TheShiznit.co.uk]
