Connor Paolo talks STAKE LAND and shares a clip

Stake Land's Connor Paolo talked about what it was like to shoot the film in an interview with MTV. You can read his interview below and see a new clip from from the film. The film is directed by Jim Mickle and also stars Nick Damici, Kelly McGillis, Danielle Harris, and Sean Nelson. 

Here is what Paolo had to say about the deadly vampires in the film:

"These vampires are hungry, but very hurtable. They're strong, but only in a crackhead way. There's nothing malevolent about them – they're instinctual."

Paolo goes ont to say that these vampires are based on more scientific realism than supernatural or mythological elements. He gave thanks to Nick Damici, who co-wrote the film's screenplay and also stars as the mysterious Mister.

"Nick actually wrote an entire manual that he had off set about the different kinds of vampires that he was thinking about, different classes, how age effects them, time spent being a vampire. So we were forced to find a way to realistically deal with these things. Usually they're kind of attractive — this is cool, I can dig this — but honestly, this was the first vampire script I've read that didn't make me want to be a vampire."

He goes on to say that Stake Land is not just about vampires:

"It really isn't about making vampires badass again — I've always thought that the vampires are peripheral to the plot. I think they just happen to be there. It's about the characters. I think it would very much be the same movie if you put any other type of negative force in there, but I think it becomes pretty clear pretty quickly that the vampires aren't the antagonist — they're just kind of the catalyst."

Paolo goes on to talk about what makes the film so special:

"This is really something I haven't seen before. This film has a pace to it that's reminiscent to movies like 'Fistful of Dollars' or something like that. It has this crawling, really moseying pace to it at points, punctuated by these scenes of violence. But in between, it's a long, drawn out, thematic experience. It's rare that you find scripts with the confidence to be slow."

Synopsis:

America is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearful of nightfall. When his family is slaughtered, young Martin (Gossip Girl’s Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter (In the Cut’s Nick Damici) whose new prey are the undead. Simply known as Mister, the vampire stalker takes Martin on a journey through the locked-down towns of America’s heartland, searching for a better place while taking down any bloodsuckers that cross their path. Along the way they recruit fellow travellers, including a nun (Kelly McGillis) who is caught in a crisis of faith when her followers turn into ravenous beasts. This ragtag family unit cautiously moves north, avoiding major thoroughfares that have been seized by The Brethren, a fundamentalist militia headed by Jebedia Loven (Tony award-winning actor Michael Cerveris) that interprets the plague as the Lord’s work.

This movie looks awesome, finally we have a gritty/violent vampire film. Check out the trailer and watch the new clip below:

 What are your thoughts?