Surveillance
Jennifer Lynch Keeps Watch
A string of savage murders is at the center of Surveillance, an indie thriller from director Jennifer Lynch, currently playing in theatres.
Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond play two FBI agents who arrive in a tiny 'nothing usually happens here' town to investigate a horrendous roadside rampage and interview the witnesses. But there's a problem. It seems that not everyone is telling the truth, and it's up to the agents to expose the lies.
Using video surveillance cameras to monitor the witnesses' interviews with local cops, the agents much look for cracks in people's seemingly smooth veneers.
Characters include corrupt cops Jack Bennett (Kent Harper and French Stewart respectively); druggie lovers Bobbi (Pell James) and Johnny (Mac Miller). The youngest witness is eight-year-old Stephanie (Ryan Simpkins).
Under Surveillance
"In this story, film is being used as a surveillance tool," said Ormond at a press event to promote the film. "But what really is the truth here? Each and every one of these characters are is flawed in is or her own way, and the only person who does see the truth is an eight year old child."
Lynch - who previously helmed 1993's Boxing Helena - co-wrote the screenplay with long time buddy Kent Harper, with whom she had previously made some short films.
"We wanted to confuse people about what good and evil look like," says Lynch, "so we started writing and the story was born."
Integral to the tale are two lovers who are on a massive killing spree.
"These people are simply infatuated with each other," says Pullman, who is also at the press event.. "And they live completely outside society's laws."
Lynch, who was also at the press event, said that she wanted to make a serial killer thriller with a difference.
Serial Killer Twist
"I hadn't seen a serial killer film where violence and sex get messed up because two individuals, who hurt others, have been hurt themselves. "So here was an opportunity to explore how awful and confusing that moment became for them."
Until they met each other, said Lynch, these killers had never been anything more than than wounds, failures, victims and criminals.
"They get together and decided that {killing} is how they were going to live their lives until they couldn't live anymore. That's obviously a very nightmarish situation, but these people are also completely in love. The result is one very dark mess."
Ever though Pullman would eventually jump into Lynch's project head first, the actor turned it down during the script's early days.
"Jennifer has managed to tell everyone that I initially declined this movie," he laughed. "But when I first read the script, I just didn't hear her voice, and I didn't know what this thing was. But when I read it again a year later, I heard her whacked out tone and word choices. Then I realized it was the only thing I wanted to do."
Meanwhile, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada served as the film's shooting location.
"Shooting in Regina gave us a massive tax break, and the crews were excellent," Lynch recalls. "Originally we wanted to shoot in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but they looked at the script and didn't like it at all. I think the overall story was too dark for them."
Surveillance Info:
- Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
- Stars: Julia Ormond, Bill Pullman, Pell James, Ryan Simpkins, Cheri Oteri, French Stewart, Kent Harper and Michael Ironside
- Director: Jennifer Lynch
- Screenplay: Jennifer Lynch and Kent Harper
- Producer: Marco Mehlitz
- Executive Producer: David Lynch
- Rating: R
- Released: 6/26/09
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