Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Pale Door’s Bill Sage

With over a hundred credits to his name, actor Bill Sage has done it all in his career. So when he attaches his name to a project, you know it’s going to be good. He’ll be the first to tell you that when he heard the concept for the Western-horror film The Pale Door, he had his reservations. But as soon as he read the script, he knew he had to be a part of it—so much so that he also stepped into the role of associate producer. Pop Culturalist caught up with Bill to learn more about The Pale Door and what stood out to him.

PC: Tell us about The Pale Door, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Bill: The Pale Door came to me through Keith Lansdale. I’ve worked with his dad a few times. The thing that hooked me in was these female characters. Initially, I wasn’t interested in doing something where we have this group of outlaws who are the good guys, but then we have these evil witches. It’s so interesting that once they get burned at the stake, they become fully alive. I’ve worked with Melora Walters before and she’s the head of the brothel. I thought, “Okay, this is going to be good!” It was a lot of fun.

My character, Dodd, is great. He’s a gunslinger badass, but he’s a scoundrel with a heart of gold. He’s a great arc, and that appealed to me. He’s really, really flawed. It’s interesting to see how he owns his brokenness. I find my own identity with him in that sometimes you become really proficient at something that keeps you alive.

PC: The Pale Door brings two unexpected genres together. What is the preparation like when you’re working on a film like this? Why do you think the story lends itself to the marriage between these genres?
Bill: What a great mixture! They’re both classics. One feels like it’s always relevant in some way; the other feels outdated. Bringing that mythology of the West into something that’s shocking, horrific, delightful, and curious is like gumbo. It has just enough of what you don’t expect. It’s not just about these two brothers. It’s their story, but there’s this story of retribution and that people got to pay. Everyone has their reasons. Everybody is just flawed. Everybody is given a point of view.

PC: You don’t often see these two genres paired together. Does that bring extra pressure to this project or does that create a sense of freedom for you as an actor?
Bill: Both. Luckily, we have Keith Lansdale, who knows all about the Western genre and brings this authenticity. You want it grounded with a certain amount of authenticity. Plus, we’re in Oklahoma, so you have that classic landscape. It gives you a freedom. There’s a fun aspect there. But what are horror films about? I love the horror fans. They’re authentic. They own their genre, and they’re what has become true, authentic, indie filming. Because they fu-king love it, and they stick to it, and it’s theirs, and they’re passionate about it. I came to horror films a little later. I thought, “Wow, I’ve been missing it.” I was like, “Wow.”

I always wondered why my favorite movie was The Shining. It’s always been my favorite movie, but it’s about anxiety, and you can couch in there a real serious message—like we did with We Are What We Are. I mean, or things that you see with American Psycho. I did a film called Welcome to Willits that I thought was really smart. It’s a genre that you don’t need to beat anybody over the head with it because you’re already dealing with anxiety of horror and that’s unexpected.

So I think bringing those things together, these confident, macho guys who wander into the wrong brothel. These women aren’t playing. They’re not the bad guys.

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences takeaway?
Bill: It’s going to be a litmus test. First of all, I just hope they enjoy it. But I am interested to see if people pick up on how women are really the heroes in the film. These guys, they’re wonderful, they’re entertaining, but they get what’s coming. I love that. Aaron [Koontz] saw it and brought that together. Keith really grounded it. I hope that people dig a little deeper. I hope they’re entertained and they come away with something.

PC: Besides The Pale Door, do you have any other upcoming projects that you can chat about?
Bill: I’m getting ready to shoot a Hal Hartley film called Where to Land with me and Edie Falco.

To keep up with Bill, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch The Pale Door in theaters, VOD, and Digital HD.

Photo Credit: RLJE Films/Shudder