Chanel Ryan (Bad Kids Go to Hell) and Barry Ratcliffe (Ted 2) star in writer-director William Scherer’s Hitchcockian thriller “The House on Rodeo Gulch”, now available on VOD.

Uprooted from her childhood home in Texas by her father’s new job, seventeen-year-old Shani Peterson (Megan Jay Simrell) moves to California with her new step-mom, Denise (Chanel Ryan). Their new home, located deep in the redwoods of Central California is a dream come true… until it’s not. With an over friendly Reverend and his alcoholic assistant as their only neighbors, Shani and Denise must unearth the haunting mysteries of the house and its history, before they lose their home, or lives.

Chanel Ryan, Barry Ratcliffe, Megan Jay Simrell, Jaye Wolfe, Adrian Torres, Mitch Costanza, Brian Spencer and Chen Dubrin star in a William Scherer film.

 

How would you describe the flick to the readers?

“House on Rodeo Gulch” is an exciting thriller with a touch of comedy. People describe it as one fun movie! The story involves a teenage girl and her new step mom who have just moved from Texas to the redwoods of Santa Cruz, California. The Dad is off on assignment with the Army in the Middle East and is unable to be home to help them move into their new house. From the beginning of the movie we witness the conflict between the smart, fiery teenage girl and her laid back new mother, as she could never be a replacement for the teenager’s old mother. Their only neighbor in the desolate forest is a Church Reverend and his alcoholic but trusted assistant. Before long, the house starts revealing it’s dark hidden secrets causing the girls to flee late one night into the darkness. With no place to turn they seek out help from their kind neighbor, the Reverend but when arriving at his house- make a startling discovery- The women are shocked and furious but because of her smart Army upbringing, the teenage girl takes control and saves them from future harm.

How suspenseful is it? How high is our blood pressure likely to rise here? A thrilling actioner, right?

“House on Rodeo Gulch” was written to make audiences think. It has a slow build of tension as the story develops. As a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I wanted to incorporate some of his plot elements into the film. Basically we have two different parties that want to survive and nothing will stop them from coming out on top.

What’s the most unnerving scene in the movie – is there one that stands out over another?

The story takes a big turn when the girls arrive at the Reverends house and discover he’s not the kind old clergyman he claims to be.

Tell us about some of your favorite movies and TV shows.  

I’m not much of a fan for TV but I’ll never miss an episode of the “Big Bang Theory” or any of the dance/talent shows. Movies on the other hand are a different breed. Some my favorite thrillers come from  Spielberg, Eastwood, Hitchcock, Gibson and Kathryn Bigelow.

What about films? Do they have the potential to still scare or grip you – even though you know how they essentially made, well, this and that?

When you have a good story I, like most movie viewers, fall into the “movie zone” where you suspend the problems in your mind and want nothing more than to be entertained. The more emotions the film draws from you, the better the film. Who made the movie, who’s in it or what it cost to make has nothing to do with the quality of the film or how much it entertains you. What I hate are phony special effects, special effects to pulls the story together and special effects that are unbelievable.

Which filmmakers do you admire at the moment?

I really admire Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Kathryn Bigelow and George Miller to name a few.

Have you ever reached out to one of your favorite filmmakers to see if they’d like to work on something together?

I’m not at that point in my film career.

What about actors. Ever reached out to one of your favorite actors and actually gotten them to do your movie?

My next film, “Cantiga Bay” will have some heavy names as I’m now developing a track record.

Why should audiences check out the movie?

“House on Rodeo Gulch” is a great female driven thriller that makes one think. It’s beautifully filmed and also has some great plot twists that will surprise the audience. In addition, it co-stars a pretty young girl named Megan Jay Simrell who is going to be a big star once this movie gets out to the public. This is one fun exciting movie!