Pop-Culturalist.com

Director, co-writer, and star Erik Bloomquist, accompanied by actor Devin Druid, unleash a cinematic bloodbath in Founders Day—a love letter to the slasher genre infused with nostalgia, unexpected twists, and humor.

Following a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a small town’s heated mayoral election, accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner. As their paranoia grows, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of catching up with both Erik and Devin to discuss Founders Day, their collaboration, honoring the slasher genre with their unique take, and the film’s distinct use of humor.

PC: Erik, what you and Carson have done so brilliantly with this screenplay is you’ve been able to find the perfect balance where it plays well to the general public and it’s a conversation starter, but there’s also going to be a deeper appreciation from fans of this genre and how you were able to take all these staples of slasher films and bring your unique perspective to them while catering to both audiences. Was that something you were mindful of as you were penning this script? How were you able to toe that line so seamlessly where it feels so authentic and organic to your writing styles and the story, and not for shock value?
Erik: Thank you for that question. That’s a lovely observation, and I’m glad that it translates because that’s definitely the intent. We wanted to make something that was populated by slightly north of reality, absurd characters where everyone is so caught up in their own inflated ego that they make a joke out of themselves, but have a couple of people that were played straight around them so that you show that contrast.

That’s where a lot of the comedy and conflict comes from. A lot of the silly stuff is very intentional in terms of satirizing people who make a lot of noise but don’t necessarily say anything. That’s the point of the movie. We’re not making some grandiose, deep political statement. We’re shining a light on the folks that use the system to feed their own egos. Again, that’s where the comedy, conflict, and good vibes come from.

PC: Devin, without giving any spoilers, one of the reasons why this genre is so popular is because audiences feel like an active participant in the film where they’re trying to piece everything together and figure out who’s behind these murders. What was your initial reaction when you read the script and what made you want to be a part of it? Were you able to guess the different twists and turns that this narrative takes?
Devin: I definitely was not able to guess all the twists and turns, which is always fun. Whenever you’re reading a script, especially this far into my career when you read scripts, it’s always fun when you see something that’s fresh, new, and has such a unique voice to it that Erik and Carson bring. I love their blend of love letter to things that they love as well as the absurdist irony in a way that turns the joke on you. It turns the joke on the audience where they’re like, “I see that archetype. I do sometimes fit that.”

It was just reading the script and getting to know Erik and Carson. We had a great phone call when we were first introduced and getting to know them, their vibe, and their vision for the script, it seemed like something that would be so fun to do.

We’ve talked about this before, but we’re in this amazing new renaissance of horror and horror voices, and people seeing it as more than just a genre. It’s now in a new space that allows creative opportunity to tell different kinds of stories in different ways. For audiences, it’s so much fun because people are so used to their typical slashers that they’ve grown up with and they love this sort of thing, there are things that you’re well adapted to and love, but also things that are going to make you smile and laugh. It’s very fun.

PC: It’s very nostalgic, but also refreshing. Erik, one of the ways in which you put your own stamp on this genre is through that political component, which bridges these generations of characters, allowing you to explore the social dynamics in such an innovative way. It was interesting the last time that we chatted that you said the political aspect wasn’t part of the original screenplay. Were the adult characters as prominent in that first draft as they are in this final product because they’re often overlooked in these types of films, but they feel so paramount to this story?
Erik: They were, and thank you again for observing that. The political aspect made it all lock into place and made it all make sense. But from the beginning, it was important to us that we did have a youth and adult ensemble to see how this mystery and inciting incident worked its way through both of these groups and how they interrelate. This isn’t a deep-cut political messaging film. But that political backdrop defines the characters more and really heightens their purpose and relationships, certainly with Devin’s character and his dad, and his girlfriend and her mom. You understand how these people function in the town. The movie is really about how this incident affects the community, which is a world where everybody either knows each other or knows about each other and has an opinion about one another. Having both ensembles is really important for that.

Devin: Shout out to New Milford (Connecticut).

Erik: Yeah.

Devin: It was an amazing shooting location in the fall of that year. It provided an incredible backdrop. The small-town community, coupled with the mayoral election, made it much more insular and intertwined within the local community. It added an intimate touch while maintaining tension throughout.

Erik: We were living very close to and in the town where we were filming. It was immersive, and we had many local background actors and residents contributing to make the place feel lived in. The texture of the town becomes a character in its own right.

Devin: The locals did a great job supporting us and independent film. It was really cool.

PC: Devin, getting to the emotional core of your character is your bread and butter. You have this innate gift to make audiences feel for your characters. It’s established early on that your character has a strained relationship with his father due to the campaign as well as this Romeo and Juliet history with Lily. But there are also moments throughout the film where you’re questioning each of the characters and whether they’re behind the mask. As an actor, how do you create the space to tackle the vulnerable place your character is in while also finding moments to add to that suspicion?
Devin: That’s a great question. The first thing is always the script and character, followed by great collaborative conversations with my directors, Erik and Carson. We had a lot of in-depth discussions about the background of Adam and Melissa (Adam’s sister), their parental lineage, how Nancy Faulkner may be a new addition to their family, and how that could have informed characters and how things may have fractured in different ways.

Also, my amazing wonder twin, Olivia Nikkanen, was so great. We got to put our heads together to discuss things that our characters may have grown up with, what are the secrets between the two, and what are the ways in which they differ in their parents’ eyes, and vice versa. Those were all really interesting and cool avenues to find different ways to explore. For example, maybe it was fun for Adam to be on the Fourth of July parade float with his dad back in fourth grade, but now it’s affecting his ability to go to school, make normal friends, and have a life. It’s something that’s always hanging over him. It’s all these different things that could influence motives for Adam. It’s taking them into those scenes and finding ways to interject little nuances here and there. It’s always about picking and finding those little pockets.

One of my favorite parts about this film is that I get to interact with so much of the ensemble throughout the film too. So seeing how the different characters play off Adam was really interesting as well because it gave me areas to put people in his life. I never felt like Adam was someone that an enemy. His and Rob’s relationship isn’t a feud or rivalry, it’s hard to describe, but maybe in another town, we would have been friends. But it’s always those different instincts in those relationships where I can drag and drop in those little bits.

PC: Erik, there are so many incredible performances across the board, yourself included. Your character brings a lot of levity with his quips. There’s a scene halfway through the film where Amy’s character is talking to the townspeople, and your facial reactions and responses are cinematic gold. How do you prepare for a scene like that when you’re not only acting it in but also directing? How much of that is feeding off what Amy is giving you?
Devin: It’s all Amy.

Erik: Everything is Amy. [laughs] If I’m acting in something that I’m also directing, I’m still very collaborative with the actors. I’ve always been an actor first and I evolved into directing. I love being in the trenches with them, but also directing a bit and setting a tone and cadence. But so much is responding and playing with what people like [Amy] Hargreaves is giving you and trying to build out our own little weird relationship. I think the way in which I and the deputy function in this is that we bridge the two ensembles we were talking about earlier in terms of being able to speak and translate for both “worlds” between the high schoolers and the adults. But it’s certainly a lot of fun. My guy is this straight man who’s kind of aware of the absurdity but using it for his own ends.

PC: Shout out to Adam [Weppler] as well. Devin, you’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative and a storyteller?
Devin: They’re just the best, especially looking at the past year that we’ve had with the actors and writers’ strikes and the incredible unity that all the guilds have had together. It really comes at a time where we’ve needed this renaissance after years and years of these “new media deals” not really working anymore for a lot of the industry. It’s going back to the roots of people working passionately on something that they’ve cared about for so long.

Erik, the original Founders Day concept trailer from ten years ago just popped up on my Vimeo. I saw that on the original Twitter. Those are exactly the stories that I’m talking about that are ten years in the making. This thing has been in Erik and Carson’s heads, and they’ve chipped away at it like a marble statue over time. It’s that love, care, and passion that’s so attractive.

I was fortunate enough that Amy actually called me and she was like, “What are you doing these months? I just did this amazing movie with these amazing directors, and we’re about to do another one together. They’re the most incredible human beings. They have the best environment and crew. They’re so collaborative. There’s a role that you’d be great for, and they’d love to talk to you.” It was talking with Erik and Carson about it and hearing their passion and vision that made me be a part of it. Also, when Amy Hargreaves calls you and asks you what you’re doing and that you should be a part of this, these are amazing people that you listen to. That’s a gold star next to your name. Those are always the relationships that I want.

Getting on that set with these guys, you show up in the middle of New Milford, Connecticut, and you’re like, “What is this going to be? What did I get myself into?” Then the first day on set, it was just amazing collaborative vibes. Erik, you were talking about being collaboration first, and it couldn’t be more accurate. You have the freedom to come up with ideas and discuss them at length and then being able to try that. It was amazing.

We had at least one PA that I discussed with who was like, “Yeah, I was on this streamer show, but I heard Erik and Carson were working on this new project, so I dropped that and I immediately came here…

Erik: [laughs]

Devin: …I was making more money, but Erik and Carson have such a great environment. It’s more fun, and it’s a great place to be.” I’m in a very privileged place to be able to make decisions like that and to work with great people like them. I’ll take those opportunities whenever I can.

PC: The Erik and Carson effect and the way that they build casts and crews, and get great performances. Erik, there’s also a practicality that you’ve included that’s so often overlooked in these films, which is a result of the passion and love that you and Carson have for this genre and the inclusion of explaining who is behind each kill, which is another way this project is so innovative and refreshing. Was that something that was part of the script throughout? Why was that so important for you to include?
Erik: Without saying too much, I always think it’s fun to revisit something and pan the camera and see what was on the other side and what you didn’t see. I’m not saying that’s for every movie, but it’s fun to see what was just out of your peripheral vision when you saw something. I will say that in terms of what happened, we build backward. We knew where things were going to end first, and we built backward from there. Everything that happened before is in support of that.

PC: Devin, you recently wrapped on a short film that’s near and dear to your heart. Is there anything that you can say about that upcoming project and when audiences might be able to see that?
Devin: Definitely. Thank you so much for bringing this up. I just wrapped on my first horror short film that I got to produce, but even more importantly to me, it was directed by my partner and the love of my life, Annie Marie Elliot. She directed, produced, wrote, and acted in it. She’s amazing. She was on a call with our sound designers yesterday and she’s on a call with the editor and the VFX artists, all day long. It’s so cool to see something take shape in my living room from my person, and then collaborate with her and work together on it. It’s such a joyful experience. It’s this amazing proof of concept horror short. She has this amazing feature script that she’s working on to tell the full story. We got some of our best friends, which is also an incredible cast, and we’re trying to finish this up in post right now so hopefully we can get some cool festival premiere. That’s the best that I can say right now. Hopefully from there, we’ll be making the full-length movie, which would be really sick. I would love that.

PC: Erik, another staple of a good slasher film is its sequel. Have there been any early conversations about potentially continuing this story?
Erik: It was never something that was the intention, but the more time that I’ve been asked that question, the more the seed is planted for what could happen. There’s some fun imagery that we would certainly be apt to visit if the opportunity presents itself.

Devin: The Founder becomes a Fairwood boogeyman?

Erik: A change of setting, actually. We’ll see. I hope that people pick up what we’re putting down because it’s an interesting tone that we have here. It’s not outright comedy, but it’s not meant to be taken completely seriously. There’s meant to be a sense of mischief and absurdity. If people pick up what we’re putting down, I love the Founder.

Make sure to follow Erik (Twitter/Instagram) and Devin (Twitter/Instagram). Stream Founders Day on Apple TV today.