By Shannon McGrew
In MR. CROCKET, which takes place in 1993, a mysterious children's show host of the same name magically emerges from television sets to kidnap young children, brutally slaying their parents in the process. When the host snatches one woman's child, she embarks on a perilous quest to track down the demonic entertainer and rescue her boy.
For the release of MR. CROCKET, Creepy Kingdom's Shannon McGrew spoke with director Brandon Espy and actors Elvis Nolasco ("Mr. Crocket"), Kristolyn Lloyd ("Rhonda") and Ayden Gavin ("Major"). During our chat, we discussed everything from the challenges of balancing childlike wonder with brutal horror to the cast's reactions to stepping into such a twisted world.
Thank you all so much for speaking with me today! As colorful and fun as this film is in its presentation, I imagine it's also every parent's worst nightmare. How did each of you react when you read the script?
Kristolyn Lloyd: I was terrified [Laughs]. The first five pages, I was like, "I don't know if I can do this," but it was also really exciting. I was looking forward to auditioning and was very excited when I heard I got to do it.
Elvis Nolasco: Same here. I was very excited reading the script, but I think the excitement actually grew sitting down and meeting Brandon for the first time and just listening to him delve more outside of the script and what it meant for him, how he started this idea, and how he wanted to shoot it. To see his passion and how much this meant to him added to the excitement.
Ayden Gavin: It was a really great experience, but the excitement came from meeting all of them because they were all really great. The one thing I liked about the set was that everybody was really nice, and nobody had an attitude or was mean.
Brandon, where did the inspiration for the story come from?
Brandon Espy: It was inspired by my eldest kid. He was obsessed with the kid's show host Blippi. I couldn't say hello to him, and he wouldn't listen to me at all. He was in a trance in a different world. I thought of how scary it would be if there were this figure that would trap these kids in this different type of world, especially if it is such a trusting figure as a kid show host. Blippi, Mr. Rogers, and so many others today that kids, once they watch, it's almost like their second parent. That whole idea intrigued me. I also thought about those old shows and their set designs and how, in today's world, they seemed a little creepy; I thought I had a pretty big world to play with and build out. And I thought of a mother going on this journey to get her son back. I thought the stakes were pretty high with that, and I could build a lot of dynamic characters with it. I think this is something that people would like to see. I think the horror community would appreciate it, and, in general, all walks of life could resonate with it.
Elvis, did you find it difficult to switch from Mr. Crocket's charisma to a much darker side of the character?
Elvis Nolasco: No, I didn't find it difficult to be able to go in between these two worlds. I think it was very important for me to isolate myself a little so that I could be sure to go in and out of both worlds. I love what I do, and when I'm having fun, it makes the ride a lot easier. It was just a matter of being in a space where I believed what I was doing and that it had meaning and purpose.
Kristolyn and Ayden, when you saw Elvis as Mr. Crocket for the first time, what were your reactions?
Ayden Gavin: It wasn't really scary. It was odd. I had to get used to it, but it wasn't freaky. Well, it was freaky, but it wasn't terrifying.
Kristolyn Lloyd: I think I heard Elvis before I saw him as Mr. Crocket [Laughs]. Having an actor like Elvis who is so immersed in the world makes [my job] so easy. Obviously, [he's] terrifying. The first day I shot with him was my last day of shooting, and it felt very immersive and very real.
Brandon, how did you balance a kid's show's fun, light-hearted tone with the intense, gory elements?
Brandon Espy: I had a lot of fun with it, and I think I owe it to the horror community to have that gore pay off and lean into certain practical effect elements. On the other side of things, when it comes to the trusting side of Mr. Crocket, [it was about] really leaning into these kid's shows of our past and the trusting factor of it and having a charismatic figure who does care for these kids and really does want the best for them. I didn't want any type of him to give any creepy vibes towards the kids within this element cause he genuinely cares for them and wants them to do well. He's kind of like a vigilante representing these kids going after these undeserving parents. I wanted to show that aspect, which worked well with the tone and how things shift. To have a dynamic actor like Elvis who can wave and smile a kid out the door and then suddenly threaten a parent, I couldn't ask for a better person to work with.
The Hulu Original Horror Film, MR. CROCKET, premieres on the streaming service Friday, October 11, 2024