Write On: 'The Home' Director/Co-Writer James DeMonaco and Co-Writer Adam Cantor

“Write your own anxieties. Get into your own psyche. I think if
it scares you – like, I'm terrified of guns, and that's where The
Purge came from. But here, there were various generational fears
and whatnot that led to The Home, Adam's fears and my fears about
getting older and our anxiety. So I would say if it's born from
your fear, the majority of the audience probably has a similar
fear. I think we are communal in that way. Fears are not
singular, so I think you should work off your own fears, and on a
practical level, if you can keep the budget small, you're in a
much better place getting it made. That was key to The Purge
getting made, that it was one location,” says James DeMonaco,
director and co-writer of the new horror film, The Home.


On today’s show, we talk with both James DeMonaco and Adam
Cantor, co-writers of the new horror film The Home.


The Home is about Max (Pete Davidson), a troubled young man, who
starts working at a retirement home only to realize its residents
and caretakers harbor sinister secrets. As he investigates the
building and its forbidden fourth floor, he starts to uncover
connections to his own past and upbringing as a foster
child. 


DeMonaco, best known for creating The Purge franchise, and
Cantor, an actor-turned-writer, talk about their favorite horror
films from the 1970s, the challenge of bringing a 70s vibe to
modern horror films, and working with their Staten Island buddy,
comedian Pete Davidson and bringing out his intense dramatic
performance.


DeMonaco also talks about the impact The Purge films have had on
our culture. 


“I grew up watching Romero and Carpenter films and George Miller.
I always thought they put great mirrors up to society, and there
was always some kind of smuggler's cinema idea, where they were
smuggling socio-political themes into the genre's pieces. So
sadly, The Purge is reflective of the world we're living in and
becoming, I think, more reflective, which is scary. And
terrifying. I wish it wasn't, I wish it was a complete fantasy to
purge. Unfortunately, it's not right now, and it's seemingly
getting worse,” says DeMonaco who weighs in on whether something
like The Purge could happen in real life. 


“I used to say, ‘Absolutely not!’ Now, I don't know if I would
say that any longer, and that's even scarier to me,” says
DeMonaco.


To hear more about The Home and the spooky events that
h appened on set, listen to the podcast.