Courtesy of Epic Pictures/DREAD
Colin Krawchuk has been steadily releasing short films for more than 10 years. He came onto our radar when he debuted the killer horror short The Jester in 2016. It caught on like wildfire. The 10-minute film quickly went viral and paved the way for two more short films and a full-length feature adaptation via our DREAD distribution label in 2023. Two years later, the character is back in a second feature film, The Jester 2.
Following a nationwide theatrical exhibition last month, The Jester 2 is now available on VOD. With that in mind, Krawchuk was good enough to spend a few moments speaking to a diverse collection of films that influenced the sequel and the ruthless title character. Surprisingly, many of the reference points aren’t actually horror movies. You can scope all of his various points of inspiration below!
The Mask
“Mike [Sheffield, who plays the titular character] is a big Jim Carrey fan, so naturally, The Mask was mentioned a few times when figuring out the Jester’s physicality. There’s also a cartoonish quality to the supernatural elements that feels very akin to the character.” – Colin Krawchuk
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
“Definitely more inspiration from the Carrey physicality, but also the begrudging dynamic between the Grinch and Cindy was sometimes referenced in the Max/Jester relationship. It wasn’t hard to think of Ron Howard’s Grinch, since a lot of it feels like a horror movie.” Colin Krawchuk
Trick ‘r Treat
“A great Halloween movie drenched in seasonal atmosphere. A great reference point when trying to figure out what makes a Halloween movie feel “Halloween,” with everything from supernatural entities to spooky ghost stories.” Colin Krawchuk
Aftersun
“This movie was a big inspiration for the Max character, specifically. Frankie Corio so perfectly captured that feeling of uncertainty in adolescence, and was one of the roles I gave Kaitlyn Trentham to reference for Max.” – Colin Krawchuk
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
“Maybe my favorite of the Nightmares, but Freddy is a clear inspiration for the Jester’s kills. Using supernatural elements in creative ways, and seemingly loving what he does, it’s hard not to draw comparisons while coming up with set pieces.” – Colin Krawchuk
The Terminator
“We see the Jester under pressure in this film, and there’s a relentlessness that emerges that felt very evocative of The Terminator. The climax of The Jester 2 borrows heavily from this film as well, so much so that once we said, “Like Terminator!” We couldn’t not do it.” – Colin Krawchuk
Collateral
“This is maybe the biggest inspiration for The Jester 2, and the biggest model for the relationship between Max and The Jester. I loved trying to capture the dynamic between Vincent and Max in this movie so much that I just thought Max was the perfect name for our protagonist, too, as an homage to Collateral.” – Colin Krawchuk
It’s interesting to get a feel for some of the seemingly unlikely inspirations behind the film and its antagonist. Jim Carrey’s influence makes a lot of sense. He’s such a physical actor. With The Jester being a non-speaking character, his physicality is of paramount importance.
Will you be checking out The Jester 2 on VOD? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.
Categorized: News
