May 13, 2025 • 8 mins
Director Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil) breaks down his new slasher film, "Clown in a Cornfield," in this exclusive interview. Discover how he balances horror and comedy, creates authentic Gen Z characters, and draws inspiration from classics like Jaws. This is essential listening for haunted attraction creators and horror fans alike, with insights on the modern horror renaissance and the enduring power of communal fear experiences.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I think that's what film is right. We're trying to
give people better understanding of themselves.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
In the world. Film director Eli Craig reveals why clowns
in cornfields are as terrifying as sharks in oceans. That's
coming up on today's show. Welcome to the show. I'm
Philip on the HN Show. We bring you the news
and information you need to prepare for Halloween. This show
is just one small part of what we do. The
best place to find everything is in our free weekly
(00:35):
email newsletter, check the link for that at our website
or in the show notes. As Haunters, you know that
we're constantly exploring the art of storytelling across different mediums.
Our work is designing theatrical spaces that guests physically move through,
and it shares many commonalities with or filmmaking, which is
why when I had the opportunity to sit down with
Eli and discuss this new slasher film, I thought it
(00:56):
was a great idea to figure out a little bit
about what he sees his model and horror. So today
here's my conversation with Eli Craig, the director of the
new slasher film Clown in a Cornfield. We cover horror, comedy, balance,
authentic gen z storytelling, and what he thinks about modern
horrors and renaissance. The film is in theaters nationwide. Now
let's dive in Eli Craig.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I'm a director.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
A director.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Clown in a Cornfield Little Evil Tucker and Dale Versus
Evil Clown in a Cornfield is a epic saga about
a girl trying to survive a night being stalked by
an evil clown through a cornfield. It is David Lean
style movie, and it basically is relentless in like the
(01:42):
T two fashion. So if you love those kind of movies,
you're gonna love Clown in a Cornfield perfect.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I think some of your signature style is a little
bit of horror and comedy and how those two flavors
work together. Can you tell me a little bit about
that and how you blended horror and comedy in this movie.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Every scenario where there's a massive amount of horror has
like a possibility of comedy because the human mind tries
to find a break and tries to find an outlet
for all the just nastiness. And in this movie, I
think that there's these elements where you're like you're heightened
like you're ready to just cry and instead you laugh.
(02:25):
And so there's moments where it just reverses. And for me,
it's the balance is very clear, because if it's very tense,
I just want to give people a place to quit
that tension and just' that's what I like to do.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I read that what inspired you to produce this novel
into a movie is that you saw just the title
and that captured your imagination. Can you take us to
that moment and tell me a little bit about what, like,
what was it about town in a Cornfield that really
inspired you.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I don't know, there's something about a title that just
feels like it grabs you right, And for me, the
title Clowner in a Cornfield just felt like it was
something that both it may be curious, Okay, there's a
clown in a cornfield and what happens next? Yeah, And
then also it kind of set the bar to a
level where I was like, I was sure that that
movie would be extremely stupid but fun. And so I thought,
(03:22):
if I could just make that stupid fun movie but
also elevate it to being not as stupid, I want
to make like smart, stupid movies.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
What I like about it too, is that you do
have those a lot of comedic moments, but you also
have the tension between the generational aspects. There's also a
lot of stuff that reminds us of our current polarized time.
You have the insiders and the outsiders. You have the
small town versus the large town. You have urban suburban,
but I also have generations that are fighting each other.
(03:53):
I mean, there's a lot of layers to this, but
at the same level, you can just enjoy it because
it's a fun slash right said, it's really fun. There's
so many fun nods.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah. I mean my goal was to kind of make
like a breakthrough, like a horror movie that would grab
gen Z. And so many movies now are just remakes
of movies that were made in my generation. Every movie is, oh,
come see this movie. It's a remake of the movie
gen X saw. And I wanted to make like something
(04:24):
for gen Z. My son is in the movie. He's
he was seventeen years old when he got shot in
the head with a bow and arrow, and that's my son.
He was the djeh and he helped me so much
to figure out the tone and texture of this, and
I figured it was time to just just start with
a movie, for a gateway movie, for just like that.
(04:47):
I want this to be the first movie some kids
watch at whatever age and are just like, holy shit,
I love horrors. That's kind of the dream. I feel
like so much dialogue written by guys my age right
to our teenagers are like diminishing their actual intellectual ability,
and this movie is I respect the teens, but I'm
(05:10):
also recognizing that the rebels, you know, to me, it's
like Breakfast Club meets Scream meets Footloose.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, did you take any inspirations for creating this Cornfield chase?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
What's funny is I was. It seems like a weird inspiration,
but I was thinking a lot about Jaws and sort
of the predator in the ocean movies. And then he
was like a predator in the corn and people were
trying to get away. If you see Jaws, you're above
the water, but corn you can't see somebody in it either,
(05:45):
so you're just running and slashing through it and you
don't know where the creature it was. It's a predator
movie basically, and so you don't know where the clown
is and then boom, it appears here and then you're dead.
So it was really like I thought a lot about
I thought a lot about like Jaws. For some reason,
it just grabbed me and I even homaged because I
(06:07):
thought about that movie so much. I the first scene
is an homage to Jaws.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Looking now, for people that are trying to write horror
or produce horror, tell me what you think about modern horror.
I mean, I know with this you're balancing comedy, you're
balancing horror, but you're also balancing, like you said, speaking
truth to not basically not infantilizing teenage issues, but also
putting in a setting that is a real setting with
(06:33):
people that have different values. I mean, there's a lot
going on here. Is that what you think modern horror
is or what do you think?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I think modern horror is in this amazing like Renaissance.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Age, and it's more popular, it's.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Being reinvented all the time. It's really exciting to see
things from this year of like Heart Eyes and Companion
and The Monkey, and then of course Centers, and there's
so much there's so much breakout horror right now that
it makes me really excited for what comes next. And
I think the reason why there's so much horror is
(07:06):
because it also is plugging into what the anxiety that
human beings are going through right now, and it's giving
people an outlet because it's a very anxious time and
to come into a movie feel bonded with other people
and give that anxiety a place to go and sometimes
give it some meaning too, like my film tries to
(07:27):
give it some I try to understand where it's coming from.
But I think that's what film is right. We're trying
to give people a better understanding of themselves in the world.
I think horror is going through Renaissance age, and that
means theaters are as well. So I think that this
is the communal experience now. It's not going to church.
(07:50):
It's not like going to hang out your local YMCA.
The theater is the place where people go to hang out,
and it would be awesome if people coalesced around the
theater to see this movie.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Today's episode was edited by me Philipernandez, with post production
by David Swape and original music composed by Chris Thomas.
Support for today's episode comes from Gantum Lightning and Controls.
Gantum illuminates attractions worldwide with the world's smallest intelligent spotlights.
From Dark hourg to Other World, Super Mario Land to
Hagrid's Bike, Gantum goes where other fixtures can't see what
(08:27):
you're missing With a free demo, sign up at gantum
dot com slash demo. That's scantum dot com slash demo.
The ha N team includes Daryl Plunky, Emily Luis Rua,
Megan Spells, Gavin Burns and Omniadventures. Until next time, stay scary.
This is a haunted attraction network
I think that's what film is right. We're trying to
give people better understanding of themselves.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
In the world. Film director Eli Craig reveals why clowns
in cornfields are as terrifying as sharks in oceans. That's
coming up on today's show. Welcome to the show. I'm
Philip on the HN Show. We bring you the news
and information you need to prepare for Halloween. This show
is just one small part of what we do. The
best place to find everything is in our free weekly
(00:35):
email newsletter, check the link for that at our website
or in the show notes. As Haunters, you know that
we're constantly exploring the art of storytelling across different mediums.
Our work is designing theatrical spaces that guests physically move through,
and it shares many commonalities with or filmmaking, which is
why when I had the opportunity to sit down with
Eli and discuss this new slasher film, I thought it
(00:56):
was a great idea to figure out a little bit
about what he sees his model and horror. So today
here's my conversation with Eli Craig, the director of the
new slasher film Clown in a Cornfield. We cover horror, comedy, balance,
authentic gen z storytelling, and what he thinks about modern
horrors and renaissance. The film is in theaters nationwide. Now
let's dive in Eli Craig.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I'm a director.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
A director.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Clown in a Cornfield Little Evil Tucker and Dale Versus
Evil Clown in a Cornfield is a epic saga about
a girl trying to survive a night being stalked by
an evil clown through a cornfield. It is David Lean
style movie, and it basically is relentless in like the
(01:42):
T two fashion. So if you love those kind of movies,
you're gonna love Clown in a Cornfield perfect.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I think some of your signature style is a little
bit of horror and comedy and how those two flavors
work together. Can you tell me a little bit about
that and how you blended horror and comedy in this movie.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Every scenario where there's a massive amount of horror has
like a possibility of comedy because the human mind tries
to find a break and tries to find an outlet
for all the just nastiness. And in this movie, I
think that there's these elements where you're like you're heightened
like you're ready to just cry and instead you laugh.
(02:25):
And so there's moments where it just reverses. And for me,
it's the balance is very clear, because if it's very tense,
I just want to give people a place to quit
that tension and just' that's what I like to do.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I read that what inspired you to produce this novel
into a movie is that you saw just the title
and that captured your imagination. Can you take us to
that moment and tell me a little bit about what, like,
what was it about town in a Cornfield that really
inspired you.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I don't know, there's something about a title that just
feels like it grabs you right, And for me, the
title Clowner in a Cornfield just felt like it was
something that both it may be curious, Okay, there's a
clown in a cornfield and what happens next? Yeah, And
then also it kind of set the bar to a
level where I was like, I was sure that that
movie would be extremely stupid but fun. And so I thought,
(03:22):
if I could just make that stupid fun movie but
also elevate it to being not as stupid, I want
to make like smart, stupid movies.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
What I like about it too, is that you do
have those a lot of comedic moments, but you also
have the tension between the generational aspects. There's also a
lot of stuff that reminds us of our current polarized time.
You have the insiders and the outsiders. You have the
small town versus the large town. You have urban suburban,
but I also have generations that are fighting each other.
(03:53):
I mean, there's a lot of layers to this, but
at the same level, you can just enjoy it because
it's a fun slash right said, it's really fun. There's
so many fun nods.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah. I mean my goal was to kind of make
like a breakthrough, like a horror movie that would grab
gen Z. And so many movies now are just remakes
of movies that were made in my generation. Every movie is, oh,
come see this movie. It's a remake of the movie
gen X saw. And I wanted to make like something
(04:24):
for gen Z. My son is in the movie. He's
he was seventeen years old when he got shot in
the head with a bow and arrow, and that's my son.
He was the djeh and he helped me so much
to figure out the tone and texture of this, and
I figured it was time to just just start with
a movie, for a gateway movie, for just like that.
(04:47):
I want this to be the first movie some kids
watch at whatever age and are just like, holy shit,
I love horrors. That's kind of the dream. I feel
like so much dialogue written by guys my age right
to our teenagers are like diminishing their actual intellectual ability,
and this movie is I respect the teens, but I'm
(05:10):
also recognizing that the rebels, you know, to me, it's
like Breakfast Club meets Scream meets Footloose.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, did you take any inspirations for creating this Cornfield chase?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
What's funny is I was. It seems like a weird inspiration,
but I was thinking a lot about Jaws and sort
of the predator in the ocean movies. And then he
was like a predator in the corn and people were
trying to get away. If you see Jaws, you're above
the water, but corn you can't see somebody in it either,
(05:45):
so you're just running and slashing through it and you
don't know where the creature it was. It's a predator
movie basically, and so you don't know where the clown
is and then boom, it appears here and then you're dead.
So it was really like I thought a lot about
I thought a lot about like Jaws. For some reason,
it just grabbed me and I even homaged because I
(06:07):
thought about that movie so much. I the first scene
is an homage to Jaws.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Looking now, for people that are trying to write horror
or produce horror, tell me what you think about modern horror.
I mean, I know with this you're balancing comedy, you're
balancing horror, but you're also balancing, like you said, speaking
truth to not basically not infantilizing teenage issues, but also
putting in a setting that is a real setting with
(06:33):
people that have different values. I mean, there's a lot
going on here. Is that what you think modern horror
is or what do you think?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I think modern horror is in this amazing like Renaissance.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Age, and it's more popular, it's.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Being reinvented all the time. It's really exciting to see
things from this year of like Heart Eyes and Companion
and The Monkey, and then of course Centers, and there's
so much there's so much breakout horror right now that
it makes me really excited for what comes next. And
I think the reason why there's so much horror is
(07:06):
because it also is plugging into what the anxiety that
human beings are going through right now, and it's giving
people an outlet because it's a very anxious time and
to come into a movie feel bonded with other people
and give that anxiety a place to go and sometimes
give it some meaning too, like my film tries to
(07:27):
give it some I try to understand where it's coming from.
But I think that's what film is right. We're trying
to give people a better understanding of themselves in the world.
I think horror is going through Renaissance age, and that
means theaters are as well. So I think that this
is the communal experience now. It's not going to church.
(07:50):
It's not like going to hang out your local YMCA.
The theater is the place where people go to hang out,
and it would be awesome if people coalesced around the
theater to see this movie.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Today's episode was edited by me Philipernandez, with post production
by David Swape and original music composed by Chris Thomas.
Support for today's episode comes from Gantum Lightning and Controls.
Gantum illuminates attractions worldwide with the world's smallest intelligent spotlights.
From Dark hourg to Other World, Super Mario Land to
Hagrid's Bike, Gantum goes where other fixtures can't see what
(08:27):
you're missing With a free demo, sign up at gantum
dot com slash demo. That's scantum dot com slash demo.
The ha N team includes Daryl Plunky, Emily Luis Rua,
Megan Spells, Gavin Burns and Omniadventures. Until next time, stay scary.
This is a haunted attraction network
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