Just in time for Halloween, director Stiles White is bringing "Ouija" to theaters starring Olivia Cooke ("Bates Motel"), Douglas Smith ("Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters"), Ana Coto ("DISconnected"), and Bianca Santos ("The Fosters"). The film is about a group of friends who try to look into the mystery of their friend's death and turn to a Ouija board for answers. Latin Times spoke with Coto and Santos about their roles, their experiences and their history with the Ouija board.
Latin Times: What drew you to your roles?
Bianca Santos: For me, I remember getting the script and doing the part -- I was drawn to the movie but more so after getting into the interview process and meeting with the director, Stiles White. That's when I got really excited about the project because the way he spoke about what he was going to do with the movie and the story him and his wife wrote, and the way he described it. I could see the passion that he had for it and I was excited to be a part of it if it worked out and that's kind of what drew me in.
Ana Coto: I had never done a horror movie before and the script was actually really scary so that was the first thing that drew me in. And then, I was lucky enough to get a callback and meet with Stiles. I echo Bianca's feelings about him -- he made me feel really comfortable and he knew what he wanted from us as actors and from the story. When it comes to Sarah -- I felt a kinship to Sarah because I was very much like her when I was a teenager. I was very rebellious and challenging authority. Her character changes so much during the film and the arch is so great that any actor would love to play her.
LT: How does it differ to work on a supernatural thriller than other genres?
BS: It's really different. Coming from doing a little bit of comedy and a little bit of drama on television, horror really is a genre about being in the imagination and creating. A lot of things are built on the sense towards things that aren't actually happening. Like, I'm reaching for the door and it's supposed to be this big moment. So you have to be living in the world of imagination to bring that to life and make that suspenseful. It's really fun, actually, I had so much fun.
AC: Absolutely! There were so many moments, for me, that were really funny because I was in a harness being dragged across floor of a room over rubber glass, and I couldn't help but laugh cause there are three attractive men pulling me on ropes and fifty people watching. You really do have to live in your imagination and be good at making it seem like the scariest moment of your life when really, it just seems like a fun joy ride.
LT: What measures did you take to get into character?
AC: I went ghost hunting; no big deal.
BS: She did. Ana went ghost hunting.
AC: I have played the Ouija before so I knew what I was getting into in that sense. But the ghost hunting was to get into the vibe and remember what it feels like cause I hadn't gone since I was really young -- a teenager -- so I wanted to remember what it felt like to hear a noise and be super afraid and have that feeling to be organic again.
BS: I think Stiles did an excellent job of really setting up what was happening in the scene and really helped me believe and create. Apart from that, something funny that happened, to make our scares look authentic, at times the directors and producers would take blow horns to get real scares from us. A lot of the moments where we are afraid are real moments and a lot of them are creative moments.
LT: Was it eerie on the set of the film? Did anything spooky happen?
BS: Yup. There were a few moments. One of the houses we shot at had these crazy puppets and marionettes in these glass cases and it was weird. We walked into that and had to shoot at night in that location and it was really, really creepy.
AC: That's true. It was eerie.
BS: In another moment, we did hear some creepy sounds from an attic. We were rolling and they had to call cut cause we heard footsteps from up above and, you know, someone went upstairs to check. And, lo and behold, the attic was completely clear and there was nobody upstairs and there was no way for someone to be there. We don't know if that was a prank but that was kind of weird.
LT: Bianca, have you ever used a Ouija board?
BS: For me, I always got a warning from my superstition mother to never play with it. And, I was pretty obedient. I was like, "Okay, great. That's something I don't wanna do."
LT: Ana, what was your experience like using a Ouija board?
AC: I feel like I'm ratting out all my secrets about my Ouija board experience. But the truth is that it's really simple: I was usually the one pushing it. I think I wanted to be a little daring, a bit of a troublemaker. I was playing in high school with high school friends and I wanted to be an instigator. But in reality, all of that comes from the fear of the unknown. Like, if I hadn't done that I'd be leaving it up to chance or maybe, would a real spirit make contact? And that was terrifying. And also, I couldn't live with the idea of not trusting my other friends who were doing it. I knew if I was the one pushing it then I felt in control and just safer that way.
LT: What can fans expect from the film?
BS: I think they can expect lots of thrills, lots of suspense, but also a lot of fun. We were just talking about how it is possible for there to be a "feel-good horror" and "Ouija" is the one. It's Halloween, grab your friends or your date, and enjoy thrills and suspense. You leave feeling not scarred. It's a fun movie.
AC: Not to mention the fact that I foresee many pizza party Ouija board movies.
BS: What does that mean?
AC: I was just having a fantasy about this: I love pizza and I love Ouija boards. Wouldn't it be cool if you order a box of pizza and get Ouija. The point is, I love Halloween, I'm an October baby, and Ouija fits right into that.
You can follow Ana Coto on Twitter @HelloCoto and Bianca Santos @Bianca00Alexa. "Ouija" releases nationwide on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014.
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