Exclusive Interview: Casper Kelly Talks About Surprising Adult Swim Audiences with Yule Log

The yule log has become a staple during the holidays. But Adult Swim and writer-director Casper Kelly have taken that tradition and flipped it on its head, creating the must-see horror film, Yule Log a.k.a The Fireplace. Yes, a horror film! Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Casper about the feature.

PC: You came up with this idea of having a fireplace and legs walking across the foreground. How did you take that initial concept and expand it to the story that we see unfold with all these different twists? Where did you draw inspiration from?
Casper: It was a matter of creative problem-solving. If I can’t move the camera, what can I do? I can have reflections. I can have time travel. It’s like you have a net as you’re doing your days. As things happen, you’re like, “I can use that!” Then it’s improvising in your mind as you’re rewriting.

PC: This project finds you weaving together all these different subgenres of horror so brilliantly. Was it a challenge to find that balance? How did you make it all feel so cohesive?
Casper: Thank you so much. That means a lot. It was working with our wonderful editors and cinematographer. It was moving things around a bit and screening it with trusted friends to make sure that it felt right. It was a bit of a risk, so I’m glad it panned out.

PC: You also come from a comedic background. Did anything surprise you as you made the transition from that genre into horror?
Casper: Certain things that I didn’t necessarily mean to be funny still came off funny. That just happened, so that’s good. But it was interesting because when you’re shooting something dark, it’s a different feeling on the set than when you’re doing a pure comedy. But you try to keep it light and still have fun while being serious about the material.

PC: With this being your first feature film, what was the biggest takeaway that you learned on the set that you’re now going to bring to your future projects?
Casper: Oh, wow. I could talk about this for hours. We did this so fast. We did it in six months, so we didn’t get to do all the pre-production that I would’ve liked to have done. I would have loved to have had more time. It would be fun to be able to do a scene and experiment more with it. Not to compare me to him, but I’m a huge Stanley Kubrick fan. He tried very hard to have as small of a crew as he could to afford as much time as he could. Because when you watch the making of The Shining documentary, there are only five people on that set that I can see, which is crazy. He would set everything up and then play around a lot with a very lean crew, which looks fun.

PC: The characters feel so authentic and their dialogue is so organic. Did you have a favorite character that you wrote for? How did the actors elevate the material?
Casper: Oh, wow. That’s a great question. I tried to put a little bit of myself into all these characters. In a way, I’m attached to all of them. I’m a pretty self-effacing person, but I do think I’m pretty good at casting and I was so happy with the cast. Everyone was so committed to the material. For example, Andrea Laing plays Zoe. When she had moments expressing her pain and anxiety, I felt it. When she was afraid, I felt that. She was so great. But I’m so happy with the entire cast.

PC: You tackle so many timely and universal themes within the film. Why do you think horror lends itself to this type of storytelling?
Casper: That’s a great question. It’s an exploitation genre. It’s built to be entertaining, but the rules are so loose that you can add a lot of things to it and it’s still a horror movie. You can add anything to it. It’s like a great base for soup. Then you can add other ingredients and it still tastes good.

PC: You’ve said in previous interviews that there were a lot of nerves heading into this project. Have you been able to see all the love and praise this film has gotten on social media? Has it inspired you to write another feature?
Casper: It feels so good. I can’t even tell you. I realize I’ve been carrying a bit of stress about it for a long time, so it feels great. I can’t tell you how happy I am. I’m already inspired to make another movie. I’m very excited about it. I feel like a kid in the candy store, so I’m ready to do more.

PC: You and the Adult Swim team are known for surprising audiences. Are there any talks about how you’re going to build on this success and what’s ahead for next year?
Casper: Not yet, but we will! I’m excited about it. I just had an idea pop in my head a few minutes ago that involves a gas station. That’s all I can say.

To keep up with Casper, follow him on Twitter. Watch Yule Log on HBO Max today.