The Upstate can be terrifying: Director says new horror movie showcases prime setting to film (2024)

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  • By Benjamin Simonbsimon@postandcourier.com

    Benjamin Simon

    Benjamin Simon covers arts and entertainment The Post andCourier in Greenville. He previously worked for the RiverfrontTimes in St. Louis and served in Report for America.

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The Upstate can be terrifying: Director says new horror movie showcases prime setting to film (4)

GREENVILLE— It was a beautiful day in downtown Inman.

People flooded the 140-year-old small Upstate town for its monthly vendor festival, Market on Mill, strolling around, talking to each other, listening to music, grabbing food and perusing the vendors.

There,Silas Rowland saw a horror movie.

Since then, the Greenville native has written, directed and produced his latest independent film, "All That Is Evil." Centered around a witch who terrorizes a rustic small town, it was shot in downtown Inman, downtown Gaffney and at Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg.

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“(My) first goal would be just to showcase that creative minds exist in our area and they got projects ready to go,” he said. “They got stories that haven't been told over and over again.”

In recent years, South Carolina has sought to bolster its film industry which has lagged behind neighboring states such as Georgia and North Carolina.

The state has historically focused funding on Charleston, but the Upstate has become its main priority, South Carolina's film commissioner Matt Storm previously told the Post and Courier.

Rowland called his film a "proof of concept" that movies can be produced here.

"We're in the prime spot now, especially with this movie, to be making something to showcase like, 'Hey, these resources exist,'" he said.

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Growing up in Greenville, Rowland found filmmaking as a skateboard-riding 13-year-old who loved the TV series "Jackass." By 18, he wrote comedic skits, filmed short movies and even created a business for corporate commercials.

While at Powdersville High School, he produced a zombie short film called "The Z Line," receiving over 170,000 views on YouTube.

"You're the first film that I've ever been to where (the director) got dropped off by their dad,'" an actor in the movie told Rowland.

He taught himself through trial and error and estimates he has 50 screenwriting books in his office.

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"(He) really loved imagination and story," said Rhodes Farrell, founder of the clubFilm Bar. "That is the heart of filmmaking. People can talk about gear or the way it's lit or the way it's shot. Sure, those things have validity. But the saying is, 'story is king.' Always."

Since then, the 28-year-old has done a little bit of everything in the film world. He created feature movies, shot a documentary in Scotland and worked with Sit-N-Spin Recording Studios. At one point, he took a break from filmmaking to serve as a videographer for Gerber Childrenswear.

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But in summer 2023, the itch came back. More specifically,he wanted to create an indie horror movie. He didn't have a major budget, but he believed a more-niche genre could catch people's attention.

Inspired by "Jaws" and "No Country for Old Men," Rowland's film, "All That Is Evil," follows a quiet, peaceful small town wrecked by a witch twice per year.

The sheriff, played by Merritt Vann, tries to get the residents to hide, while a widow, played by Tammy Mattox, seeks to hunt the witch down.

"It really speaks to the whole good versus evil nature and how different personalities might respond to dire situations," he said. "Do you turn and run? Or do you stand and face off against the demons that are at the doorstep?"

Shot with a camera from "Stranger Things," it's his largest project to date, featuring 60 cast and crew members and more than a $100,000 budget. One day, nearly 100 extras acted for a scene in Inman.

The Upstate can be terrifying: Director says new horror movie showcases prime setting to film (9)

The Upstate and Western North Carolina served as the backdrop for the rural fictional town, Glen.

"A lot of horror films have that grungier, bare-tree look to it. They always look cold," he said. "(Glen) is the most beautiful, nostalgic place you can live. That's even said in the script. One of the leads says, 'It's the most beautiful place to live 363 days out of the year. It's just those two days that get us.'"

Rowland plans to host multiple red carpet screenings throughout the Upstate in March 2025. He hopes to stream the movie on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.

Then he's on to the next one.

"Maybe the film does good enough to do another project here in the Upstate on a much bigger scale."

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Benjamin Simon

Benjamin Simon covers arts and entertainment The Post andCourier in Greenville. He previously worked for the RiverfrontTimes in St. Louis and served in Report for America.

  • Author email

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The Upstate can be terrifying: Director says new horror movie showcases prime setting to film (2024)

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