The scare is the star

MANILA, Philippines - In the horror genre, says Eli Roth, “The scare is the star.” Rather than A-list names, a horror film requires “good actors, a good script and a director who understands how to shoot and edit it.”

After almost seven years, the horror mastermind returns to the big screen with a new, more twisted and blood-soaked film — The Green Inferno.

This time, he is not out to scare backpackers looking for some hostel fun in Europe, instead shifting his lens to another popular held nightmare — that the jungles are still full of voracious man-eaters — to whom white (and ideally virginal) flesh is a delicacy.

The Green Inferno tells the story of what happens when “slacktivism” — the well-meaning social-media response to global catastrophes turns deadly deep in a South American rainforest.

Charismatic young activist Alejandro inspires his fellow students with a rousing story about an untouched Peruvian jungle about to be destroyed by a greedy energy company looking to exploit its natural resources. Soon eight young protestors, including Justine, the daughter of a UN official, and her roommate Kaycee, are headed to the remote Amazon village to ward off the bulldozers. But when their small plane crashes in the jungle, they are horrified to discover that the tribe they came to save still practices the ancient rite of cannibalism.

For the main character of Justine, Roth cast Chilean-born model-turned-actress Lorenza Izzo, whose previous credits include Aftershock, Sex Ed and Hemlock Grove. “Lorenza has an amazing combination of riveting on-screen presence, incredible natural beauty and a sweetness that makes her sympathetic and likeable,” says the director.  Playing Justine’s roommate Kaycee is singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira. “Sky and Lorenza are close friends so the onscreen chemistry really worked,” Roth observes.

Other members of the ensemble include Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids), Kirby Bliss Blanton (Project X), Magda Apanowicz (Caprica) and newcomer Aaron Burns. Sabara, who plays another student, Lars, was impressed with Roth’s lean, fast-moving shooting style. Rounding out the cast are Ariel Levy, Nicolás Martínez and Ignacia Allamand.

To make the film work, Roth cast a real Peruvian tribe called the Callanayacu tribe he discovered deep in the Amazon while scouting for a location. The Callanayacu tribe live a life that has not changed for hundreds of years, does not know about electricity and has never seen or heard about movies or TV.

So to give them an idea of what they would be doing and imitating, Roth and crew brought a generator, a TV and perhaps the craziest choice to introduce the tribe to “the magical world of movies” — he made them watch the 1980 grindhouse film, Cannibal Holocaust.

“We had to explain to them conceptually what a movie was, and showed them Cannibal Holocaust — and they thought it was the funniest thing that they had ever seen — but we had to know whether they were down with it to let us in their village,” Roth said in an interview.

The perils of the river, the jungle’s unpredictable weather conditions, the heat, stinging insects and other unfamiliar creatures made The Green Inferno shoot a rite of passage for many of the young cast and crew members. 

“Thank God. No one got killed, but there were tarantulas, spider bites, there were snakes. It was insane, everybody had to get de-parasited after we got back,” Roth said.

“No one made it out unscathed,” he said. “All the actors were cut, bruised and bitten. They all signed up for an adventure, but were thrilled when we made it back to the city.”

The Green Inferno is now showing in theaters nationwide.