The Making of Last Getaway:
Combining Comedy with Horror:
While Last Getaway is predominantly a horror film, it embraces the absurdity that is more often associated with comedy. This blending of genres is necessary since the first half of the movie is plot driven; thus the humor functions to hold audience attention. Making it obvious to viewers that the movie is meant to be funny became a real challenge since most people expect a certain level of seriousness from a truly frightening film. On the other hand, we did not want to make the movie so comical that it loses any hope of creating horror. The key to balancing these two aspects proved to be music. By lightening the general mood of certain scenes and even toying with audience expectations , the music itself works to enhance the overall feel of the film.
Music as Character:
Featuring songs by Tryad as well as music by Kevin MacLeod and other talented artists, Last Getaway uses music like a character. As the film progresses, it becomes as much a part of the irony as the plot itself. Rather than functioning like a polish, it instead becomes a driving force. From the techno-style music that opens the film to the twangy country music at the store, it does more than subtly enhance the audience's state of mind. It actively competes for their attention, at times even becoming the dominant player in a scene. Rather than reinforce, it often times undercuts, thus creating its own kind of humor. Even the lyrics to the songs more often than not counteract the mood of a scene. These contradictions in tone actually enhance the film as a whole, creating an environment that is difficult to predict. Because the music is only sometimes misleading, the viewer is left with none of the normal film cues to rely on. Like a mischievous narrator, it seems to lie as much as tell the truth. In the end, audience members are left to fend for themselves, just like the campers.