New Jersey Stage Issue 59 | Page 136

Director Doug Bollinger teaches at the Performing Arts High School in Ocean County and makes mov- ies in his spare time. New Jersey Stage spoke with Bollinger about the film which was released on digital and on demand services in April. I’ve often thought that some of the best horror/thriller films re- volve around a simple premise - something we all do or have done. What inspired this film? Our reference points were Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Ac- tivity. These two films were mile- stones for micro-budget horror/ thriller and they each had that “normal” premise that you refer- ence. We couldn’t afford a shark, an alien (maybe we could if we had the team from North Bergen High School!), or splatter-inducing weapons so we decided to stick with an everyday activity - working on a project with your co-workers. The threat comes from within the walls of the modest house and that is something we feel adds to Watch the trailer for The Samaritans NJ STAGE - ISSUE 59 INDEX 136