Monster Summer isn’t perfect, but it is a solid entry in the subgenre of spooky horror. Clearly inspired by works like Goosebumps, it may not give you them, but the homages to other, more memorable films, paired with Mel Gibson’s performance, are enough to call it a wicked fun time. 

 

Monster Summer is one of many new spooky films being released this month.

Directed by David Henrie (Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place). The film stars Academy Award winner Mel Gibson and Mason Thames (The Black Phone) as members of a small town who suspect that a mysterious creature is preying on local children.

 

While you can read our full review HERE, our very own Dempsey Pillot was fortunate enough to speak to two of the films producers, John Blanford and Dan McDonough

 

In the interview, the duo went in depth on the film’s creation, specifically mentioning the mission of their production company, Pastime Pictures. 

 

Dan and I and the team around us really missed this kind of storytelling,” Blaford said. “It's an original narrative, that could be serial [or] allegorical, like Goosebumps, but you don't really know where it's going. You don't really know who the bad guys are, but at the end of the day, when you walk away from it, you're walking home with something that feels like it's resonating with you.”

 

While you would think someone of Mel Gibson’s caliber would be too busy to even look at the script of a small horror film, both John and Dan explained that he was not. In a brief anecdote they explain that they were fortunate enough to have someone connected to Gibson to share the script with him, but no one forced him to look at it. It was after reading it himself, that he realized how much he resonated with the character. His only “non-negotiable” request before agreeing to be a part of the film was that he meet Henrie to make sure their visions for the film aligned. 

 

Surprisingly, Gibson’s involvement in the film did not stop when the cameras finished rolling. As Blanford and McDonough also explain, Gibson provided both tips - and a physical space - for Henrie and the post-production team to work on the final edit of the film. “Mel sat down with David for over 16 hours with the edit, and went through every frame of the movie and gave us just like little nuggets of his genius in the final cut,” the duo shared.

 

From more interesting tidbits about the movie’s production, it’s homages to other coming-of-age genre films and even its unforgettable twist, you can listen to the full interview below!