Box Office Poison | In Conversation

The brightest stars tend to fall hardest, and this is no different for Mrs. York, featured in Faith Carolyn Ward’s latest film, Box Office Poison. The film follows the troubling dynamic between the formerly successful star and her caretaker, Brenda, leading to a frightening close. Clocking in at just over 7 minutes, the film is brimming with a stunning variety of references and leaves audiences exhilarated and filled with curiosity about the former starlet’s career— wondering what exactly could have pushed her to this state of no return…

This being Starmaker Machine’s first time working with Miss Ward, we were lucky enough to pick her brain and learn more about the process of creating the film, as well as more about what drives her creative force.

Is there a particular moment that made you realize you want to pursue film? If so, what was it and why?

FAITH CAROLYN WARD: I’ve been really into films for such a long time, and have loved creative writing since I was in primary school, but what really made me want to write and direct my own films actually sprung from my experiences as an actress. As much as acting is one of my greatest passions, I really liked the idea of being the one in the creative engine room. I would always think up ideas for films and characters that I’d want to play myself, and then write them down.

I actually think I’ve matured a lot in the sense that I don’t see myself casting myself in something I’ve written, as I used to think I was gonna end up writing roles especially for myself- even though I recently stepped into one of the lead roles of a stageplay I wrote, due to cast member illness, and really enjoyed it. Aside from situations like that, I just find it so rewarding to see another actor’s take on my characters.

Since I’ve known you, you’ve been part of numerous exciting projects including short films, music videos, plays and more. What was the thought process behind creating Box Office Poison? Being an actress yourself, does this affect the way you write your characters at all?

FCW: I actually have a “bucket list” of very specific and niche sub-genres of films that I wanna make at least once in my career- “hagsploitation” was very high on that list, next to “historically inaccurate ancient historical epic,” “tearjerker about an elderly couple,” “camp sci-fi film that looks like it was made in the sixties” and many more.

I find older, seasoned, veteran actresses so fascinating, and the majority of my works feature an outspoken or eccentric older woman whose nonconformist ways drive the narrative. I may end up having this as my “thing” and unique trademark, actually.

I also love hagsploitation horror, but I thought that if I were to revive a trope that was at its prime decades and decades ago, I couldn’t use it and have it be relevant nowadays without questioning it, and having my film be self-aware that the dated “hagsploitation” trope could be interpreted as misogynistic and “ageist” through a modern lens. This is what led me to make the portrayal of the lead character “Mrs. York” far deeper than her just being the stereotypical “crazy older woman” from most hagsploitations.

Mrs. York is a representation of how the acting industry treats actresses as if they have a use-by date, and become less relevant as they age. I wanted to show that there’s a reason why this “crazy old woman” is so disillusioned as she dwells on fond memories of her younger self and wallows in the misery of being a has-been.

As I’m also an actress myself, I’m especially into pre 1970s plays. I really made this film my own by sprinkling in allusions to some of my favourites; the modern classics such as Ibsen, Tennessee Williams, O’neill, Pinter, Genet, and more actual classics like Shakespeare. Plays by these playwrights also tend to have bucket-list roles for any stage actress of the twentieth century (Hedda Gabler, Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra, etc), so Mrs. York reminiscences what she once had when she was was considered a suitable fit for these roles.

Having been in the actors’ shoes many times definitely helps me write characters. It further encourages me to write complex characters that’d be challenging to play. To me, it’s very rewarding to tell my actors about the role I’ve cast them in, and to see their excitement, as my characters are definitely not the type of roles you’d come across everyday! The Box Office Poison stars, Vivian and Trudie were absolutely thrilled to know they’d be playing a washed-up actress and her masochistic nurse! Same goes for Tara, my friend from my acting group who I cast as a nun in one of my previous films, and now a politician in my next one. That’s quite the range, isn’t it?! As a writer/director, I really do love to give my actors an interesting challenge of a character. And it’s what I always want for myself, as an actor.

What is your direction process like? Do you reference any past or contemporary directors when it comes to your direction style? I know everyone is very different in their own ways, so it would be lovely to hear more about what you feel gives you a unique directorial touch.

FCW: The director who inspires me the most aesthetically and content-wise is Ken Russell, so for Box Office Poison I took a lot of aesthetic inspirations from his films “The Boy Friend” and “Valentino.” If I were to describe my personal style and image, I’d have to say it’s very “A 1970s or 1960s movie that is set in the 1920s and directed by Ken Russell.” Not only is that one of the main aesthetics for Box Office Poison, that really sums up how I dress and present myself, so it was super cool that Box Office Poison channeled that style. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense as my film takes place in the sixties, but is about an actress who tries to relive her days in the twenties and thirties.

The other director who aesthetically reflects my style best is Tony Richardson, and other directors of the British new wave movement.

Although I often have a clear vision, I’d say my directorial style focuses on the actors being completely intuitive in order to get the most genuine performances from them. I try to find a balance between being too nitpicky and being too laissez-faire. It is difficult, especially when there’d be times where I either gravitate to being entirely one, or entirely the other. I’ve gotten good advice from two mentors of mine. I remember that Katy, my tutor from film school said that if you don’t give your actors enough constructive criticism, they won’t trust you as a director, and will doubt their performance and the genuineness of your praises. On the flip side, my acting coach, Ryan, told me that if you micromanage your actors, it’ll show your lack of trust in them, and that you doubt their ability to act intuitively.

I also give Ryan a lot of credit for lending me David Mamet’s book “True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor,” as he thought I’d be able to resonate with his directing style quite well, which was true. In the book, Mamet speaks about how his expectation of his actors is to be true and authentic, and act spur of the moment without method acting, or “emotional preparation” because I firmly believe that acting isn’t about trying hard or forcing it, it’s just meant to come naturally, really. With time, and acting sessions with Ryan, I’ve managed to find it quite easy to tell when actors are forcing and faking, and when they’re being natural and intuitive. And that’s what my casting process is like too. I almost always can just tell when an actor is right for my roles. And not to brag, but I often am right! I’ve never regretted a single casting choice in my life.

On the note of method acting, funnily enough, Box Office Poison is a very anti-method acting film! It shows the absolute worst that could happen when actors don’t emotionally separate themselves from their character.

Do you have any upcoming projects other than the release of Box Office Poison that you’d like to promote or speak about? I know that you created a successful startup for another film by the title of God’s Favourites Fall Hardest. Have you started filming yet? How is that process going?

FCW: My producer slash editor and I are pretty much done with the cut of God’s Favourites Fall Hardest, my nunsploitation film I mentioned earlier. We just have a few tweaks to do, and then we’ll send it off to our colorist, sound designer, and score composer. I’m so grateful that many talented creatives and I have come together to work on this film, as it’s been one of my most challenging shoots, as we had to hire a church, crucify a man on a very muddy paddock, and many more challenges that all paid off, seeing what the shots look like. I’m super excited to have this one released. I’ve had quite an interesting journey with it. I think the fact that the themes of it caused quite a bit of a stir with some people means I’m definitely doing it right!

I just finished a season of my very first stage play Love Makes the Bed It Lies In, which is a queer kitchen sink drama I put on for pride month. It was very well-received, I’ve received very encouraging feedback, and am planning to write way more plays. I've already written another, and have got some ideas for future ones!

In terms of film projects, my next one is still in its early stages of production. I’d say this project is quite a milestone for me, as it’s my first ever film that is a straight-up drama that doesn’t heavily rely on my artsy fartsy vintage flair, or something messed up and disturbing. It’s quite a challenge, and I’m prepared for it. Although this makes it seem like it’s a film that’s quite unlikely for me to be making, it’s still about something that’s quite close to my heart, and that I was especially interested in when I was younger. It’s a psychological drama about politics, particularly New Zealand women in politics, and it has clear feminist themes. It still relates to what I said earlier about how aging women are viewed, and how I love writing strong roles for older women, as one of the main characters is an older veteran politician, while the other main character, her rival, is a younger and more charming one. Both find different ways to navigate their way through the different forms of misogyny they face.

If you could choose any specific film, book or album that you feel has consistently shown up for you and inspired you throughout your life and film career, what would that be and why?

FCW: This is difficult! Whenever I get asked questions like these, I can’t help but just list heaps. There’s way too many! I can’t stick to just one.

Films would be Ken Russell’s “Women in Love,” or Tony Richardson’s “Look Back In Anger.” Both have inspired the way I write dialogue so much, and have helped me grow as a writer and give my works more emotional depth, as that’s something I struggled with early on. Also I love David Lynch so his film “Blue Velvet” is up there because it’s such a great one to analyse and I remember my high school teachers being so fond of the essay I wrote on it, which was before I seriously considered getting into writing and directing.

For books, I do read a lot of plays, so I pretty much covered them already. Honestly, anything by D.H Lawrence. I love modernism so much, and try to write characters with hints of modernist views in my plays. For its time, his work was considered incredibly shocking and was even banned in some countries. He’s a literary inspiration to me because knowing this has helped me realise that writing things that could possibly be considered controversial and shocking is not always a bad thing.

In terms of albums, I’ve definitely gotta say anything by Pulp, particularly His N Hers and This is Hardcore. I don’t talk about my favourite musicians as much as I do with my favourite directors and authors and playwrights, but Pulp’s music have inspired me in so many ways- my fashion sense being one of them. The image they’ve created for themself, and their music videos also are inspiring to me when I visualise my scripts as I write them. They’ve got a real kitchen sink realism vibe about them. I had heaps of their songs on the walk-in playlist for my play! Their lyrics just seemed to fit with the themes of it too. I give them heaps of credit for my personal style, and style of my films and plays. They’ve got this kitschiness and campness about them, yet still manage to stay slick and classy.

Is there a particular moment that made you realize you want to pursue film? If so, what was it and why?

FAITH CAROLYN WARD: I’ve been really into films for such a long time, and have loved creative writing since I was in primary school, but what really made me want to write and direct my own films actually sprung from my experiences as an actress. As much as acting is one of my greatest passions, I really liked the idea of being the one in the creative engine room. I would always think up ideas for films and characters that I’d want to play myself, and then write them down.

I actually think I’ve matured a lot in the sense that I don’t see myself casting myself in something I’ve written, as I used to think I was gonna end up writing roles especially for myself- even though I recently stepped into one of the lead roles of a stageplay I wrote, due to cast member illness, and really enjoyed it. Aside from situations like that, I just find it so rewarding to see another actor’s take on my characters.

Where would you like to see yourself in the coming years creatively? Do you have a dream project that you would do if budget and connections weren’t an issue? Perhaps a dream actor to work with? Be as detailed as you’d like!

FCW: I’m planning to keep writing and directing. I wanna pursue acting too, but I’m planning to be very selective about it, and then just go hard out with writing because I never seem to run out of ideas.

I have a very when there’s a will, there’s a way mindset, so when I want to achieve something, I’ll do everything in my power to achieve it. I’d say my upcoming political film is a dream project of mine. It’d particularly be my younger self’s dream, as I was heavily set on the fact that I’d enter politics! I’m actually considering it for later on in life. I’d like to be like my idol, Glenda Jackson, as she was an actress and then became an MP. I’d like to have a similar journey with my writing, directing, and acting. I mean, politics is just a bunch of theatrics, isn’t it?

I did mention how I have a little bucket-list of films I’d like to make one day. A lot of those would fall into the “dream project” category. If I had the budget, I would definitely make something set in medieval times- à la the 1967 Camelot or the 1968 The Lion in Winter. The late sixties certainly were a time for medieval films. And I’m also a massive fan of that specific genre of British actor who’d usually start in theatre, then migrate to film, and then ends up getting a knighthood or a CBE or OBE title. Love Maggie Smith, Michael Caine, Diana Rigg, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Bates, and so on! I’ve actually been planning a trip to the UK, and have thought about how cool it’d be to film something in actual medieval castles. If only!

Another dream project of mine that I actually do plan to work on a script for in the near future… I would so love to make a film set in the 1920s. Ken Russell’s “The Boy Friend” and “Women in Love” style. D.H Lawrence style. I’d love to make a film as extravagant as possible, and go all out with the makeup and costume and set design.

A 1920s film is very high up on my bucket-list! It’s a gorgeous decade, fashion-wise. For me and my mum, our highlight of the year is always going down to Napier, New Zealand’s Art Deco capital, as they do an Art Deco festival every year and are easily my number one place recommendation for people looking to visit NZ. I’d absolutely love to shoot a film there. The authentic buildings of that era are absolutely stunning, and the locals have done so well to preserve them. Filming something of that era there would lift the film’s game completely because you really can’t beat authenticity.

Sticking with shoot locations in my country, I’d love to make a Ken Russell-esque biopic about modernist NZ author Katherine Mansfield. Her old house is open to the public, but it’d be very difficult to get a permit to film there since it’s a heritage building. I know I said I don’t see myself writing roles for myself, but I’d love to play Katherine Mansfield. I reckon I could pull it off.

Based on my past two ideas, it’s very clear that I love films set in that era. My mum loves art deco too, and we are both very quick to comment on whether a movie or basically anything portrays the fashion of that era inaccurately, or tackily! I guess this just shows that I’m very pedantic about aesthetics in my films, and will do my very best to make it visually pleasing to watch. Every filmmaker is different, but to me, I don’t see the point of making films if they’re not also nice to look at, no matter what the film’s about. When you order something at a nice restaurant, you care about the presentation of the dish, as well as the taste, don’t you? I’d say it’s the same with films.