“eVil Sublet” is Allan Piper’s third feature film. The horror comedy, which stars Sally Struthers, tells the story of a couple who knowingly move into a haunted apartment because the rent is cheap.
The film will have its New England premiere on May 4 at the Somerville Theatre as part of the Independent Film Festival Boston.
Piper, a 1996 graduate of Harvard University, says he fell in love with filmmaking at Harvard, taking classes from Spike Lee and the late Vlada Petric, and watching movies nonstop at the Brattle, Harvard Film Archive, and Somerville Theatre. “I’m thrilled to show ‘eVil Sublet’ at one of these theaters now,” he said.
Piper agreed to an interview, in addition to sharing his lighter side for Nina’s 9.
NINA: What inspired you to pursue film?
ALLAN: My mom made art films in the ’70s. She was cutting one when I was in utero, so that might have been an influence. And then there were the influence teachers I mentioned. I find it the most exciting way to tell stories.
NINA: Are you a fan of horror films?
ALLAN: Yes. I’ve always been a horror fan, but I’ve become an even deeper one in recent years because, as I’ve said, fictional horror is cathartic when the state of the world is horrifying.
NINA: What is the one thing people notice most about you?
ALLAN: I’m told I have excellent manners.
NINA: What is the one thing you can’t live without?
ALLAN: My wife.
NINA: What should people know about you before meeting you?
ALLAN: I have prosopagnosia, and it’s difficult for me to recognize people’s faces.
NINA: Describe your favorite meal?
ALLAN: Jen (wife Jennifer Leigh Houston) is a baker and sculptor of often spooky cakes. She created some of the gory effects in the movie out of her own edible ingredients. For our wedding, she made a chocolate, rose, cardamom cake with a Dia de los Muertos bride and groom cake topper. Everything she makes is delicious, so any meal that ends with one of her cakes would be a favorite meal.
NINA: If you could plan a dinner party with four guests, who would they be?
ALLAN: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Harvey Weinstein.
NINA: … and what would you serve?
ALLAN: Arsenic.
NINA: What advice would you have given your younger self?
ALLAN: Get more sleep while you can.
NINA: What is your favorite film, book, streaming series?
ALLAN: That’s too big a question. There are too many books and movies I love to pick one. But if we limit it to the horror genre, I think my favorite horror movie is “The Shining.” I think my favorite horror book is Stephen King’s “It.” I think my favorite horror streaming series might be Mike Flanagan’s “Fall of the House of Usher.”
Nina Livingstone is a Boston-based writer who loves eating food as much as she loves writing about it. With the loss of her sight, Nina’s sense of taste has been heightened, and, yes, tomatoes remain at the top of her list. To learn more, visit her website Destination Mirth or contact her at nina@ninalivingstone.com.
