Alejandro Brugués is an Argentinian-Cuban director and writer known for directing Juan of the Dead, which is credited as Cuba's first zombie movie. He made his directorial debut with the 2006 film Personal Belongings and directed the segment The Thing in the Woods in the anthology horror film Nightmare Cinema from Mick Garris, as well as a segment for ABCs of Death 2.

Alejandro’s latest movie is The Inheritance, a horror thriller that revolves around a wealthy patriarch who devises a twisted scheme to prolong his life through a sinister game of manipulation with his own children.

Joe Russo is a dear friend, consistent guest on the show, three-time BloodList writer, producer, and director known for The Au Pair Nightmare, which he directed, Hard Kill, which he wrote, and as a producer on Nightmare Cinema, The World’s Greatest Beer Run, and of course, The Inheritance, which he produced and co-wrote.

In this episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, I speak to Joe and Alejandro about the making of The Inheritance, which was a multi-year labor of love riddled with challenges. We get into everything from their multi-year collaborative relationship, the movie’s influences, hair-raising production challenges, and how adaptability and resourcefulness are crucial for getting your movies made.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Joe and Alejandro.

The Door Never Opens the Right Way. Filmmaking is rife with unexpected challenges and setbacks, humorously summarized by Alejandro when he recalled how a 400-pound door was installed to open in the wrong direction. This illustrates that on set, problems are inevitable: set pieces won’t work as planned, locations will change at the last minute, props will malfunction, and actors will break down. This movie experienced more than its fair share of problems, including restrictive COVID protocols, unexpected location changes, and losing their distributor. Understanding that these issues are a natural part of filmmaking can help maintain a positive and proactive attitude on set. Both Joe and Alejandro highlighted the importance of being flexible and creative in problem-solving on set.

Keep a shot list and a shit list. In addition to a shot list, Alejandro keeps a list of everything that could go wrong on a particular day with every single shot and mentally prepares for those scenarios. Preempting problems is crucial for staying on schedule and maintaining quality under pressure. The ability to get ahead of any technical, acting, or camera problems that can occur with your shots will develop your problem-solving skills and enable your resilience as a director.

Storyboard with Action Figures. Alejandro uses action figures in pre-production and on set to visualize and stage scenes. This technique helps him communicate his vision clearly to the cast and crew and even test out blocking. Not everyone can draw storyboards, but it's essential to figure out how to visually communicate your ideas effectively. Whether it's through action figures, detailed sketches, or digital tools, find what works best for you and stick to it without shame.

Show Notes

Movies:

Evil Dead
Knives Out
House on Haunted Hill
Ready or Not
Thief
The Fall of the House of Usher

Books:

"Making Movies" by Sidney Lumet

TV Shows:

The Walking Dead
Succession

Follow Joe Russo at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerussogram
X (Twitter): https://x.com/joerussotweets
Website: https://joerussofilm.com/
IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2349665/

Follow Alejandro Brugués at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abrugues/
IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1486025/

The Inheritance’s Joe Russo and Alejandro Brugués