St. Agatha | Darren Lynn Bousman

"A Tension Reunion in Atlanta."

We were in the middle of THE TENSION EXPERIENCE, knee deep with insanity, when Srdjan, the line producer asked me... "Yo, will you read my script? I got money for it, and we can go tomorrow if you want..."

It's important to remember this is Hollywood. Everyone has a script, and everyone thinks they have money. I blew the question off, and went on with TENSION. However, I realized that night when I came home that he had snuck the script into my bag... I flipped through it, but did not read it.

The next week, Srjdan once again inquired about his movie (he was the producer, not the writer). I promised him I would read it that night and get back to him. Honestly, I didn't pick the script up for another month.

TENSION was ending, and I was devastated. I had grown to love my cast, and was broken this thing was coming to a close. Once again at the wrap party Srdjan confronted me... "Seriously Bousman, I have money for this, we can go into production the moment you sign on." Jokingly I said, “Can I bring the TENSION cast?” He responded, “Bring whoever the fuck you want to bring…”

That night I read the script… It was dark… I mean… really, really, really fucking dark… Dark to the point that I wasn’t even sure I could do it.

I called Srdjan back. "Let me cast my actors from TENSION, and let me bring my writer Clint Sears in to make it more 'me' and I will do it…"

Two weeks later I was in Atlanta in prep on ST. AGATHA.

Every movie is a battle. In the case of ST. AGATHA it was a WAR.

It was the lowest budget film I had ever tried to direct, and that presented challenges I wasn’t prepared for. However, amidst all of the challenges I was able to work with Joseph White my DP, and I did cast a large portion of the TENSION cast, so it eased the insanity of the shoot.

"A Tension Reunion in Atlanta."

We were in the middle of THE TENSION EXPERIENCE, knee deep with insanity, when Srdjan, the line producer asked me... "Yo, will you read my script? I got money for it, and we can go tomorrow if you want..."

It's important to remember this is Hollywood. Everyone has a script, and everyone thinks they have money. I blew the question off, and went on with TENSION. However, I realized that night when I came home that he had snuck the script into my bag... I flipped through it, but did not read it.

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​The next week, Srjdan once again inquired about his movie (he was the producer, not the writer). I promised him I would read it that night and get back to him. Honestly, I didn't pick the script up for another month.

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​

The next week, Srjdan once again inquired about his movie (he was the producer, not the writer). I promised him I would read it that night and get back to him. Honestly, I didn't pick the script up for another month.