Photo: Corbin played by Lance Henriksen
Philadelphia writer/director Dan Lantz’s fantasy epic, Alpha Rift is about a game store owner who’s tasked with leading an ageless battle against a demonic evil, will have its world premiere at the 24th annual Dances with Films Festival (DWF 24), Tuesday, August 31 in Los Angeles. 20 years in the making, Alpha Rift explores the legend of modern-day knights fighting supernatural evil. Lantz hopes to expand his Alpha Rift mythology into a franchise—a knightly quest considering the film’s small budget.
Tell us about your early life. What was it like growing up?
As a kid, my dad’s job moved us from Schenectady, NY to San Jose, CA then to Philadelphia, PA. I was really into baseball and model airplanes, and I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up.
How did you decide you wanted to make movies? Chart your path to that. What did your parents think of that idea?
When I was fifteen, I read a magazine article about Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm’s visual effects company, and was blown away by model making. I became obsessed with everything ILM and would make my own models to match the ones they made in movies. Even today, model-making is my form of Zen that helps me escape day-to-day stress.
My parents were not fans of the idea of me making movies. I believe my dad’s exact words were, “Prepare to starve.” However, in high school, one of my short films was featured on Dick Clark’s TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes and the national attention got me “Student of the Month” at my high school—Conestoga High in Berwyn, PA. After that, my parents were very supportive.
Tell us about Alpha Rift. What attracted you to this project?
Back in 1995, when superhero films were considered a bad investment, I thought “what if a superhero really existed?” That person would have to be delusional, almost like Don Quixote. I wrote a screenplay called, The Nobleman, about a quixotic comic book fan who molded his existence around his favorite superhero. Since then, this theme has appeared in dozens of movies, like Kick-Ass and The Dark Knight. Over time, my idea became a cliché and the project languished on the shelf, but the license plate of my car remains QU1X0TE, an homage to that original idea.
In 2017, I went with my sons to a PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) convention, a festival celebrating all types of gaming cultures. While the focus was mostly on video games, I noticed a whole section for tabletop gaming—along with an incredibly dedicated group of fans painting Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) miniatures. Being a model maker myself, I joined in the fun and quickly realized that I finally had my hook to turn The Nobleman into Alpha Rift. Comics were out, gaming was in, and suddenly my story was fresh, my hero Nolan Parthmore relevant. Getting a green light to finally make my 22-year quest a reality was fairly easy, as today superhero movies are a hot commodity.
In your words, what is this film about? What are its core themes?
Alpha Rift is about destiny and leaving your comfort zone. There is a secret age-old conflict that began in the Dark Ages between a group of knights called The Noblemen and their enemy, The Devil’s Apostles. Our reluctant hero, Nolan Parthmore, is an unknowing descendent in the bloodline of an original Nobleman. When a Devil’s Apostle is unexpectedly set free the Noblemen are not prepared and their only solution is to turn to Nolan for help.
Nolan has a good life, but not a great one. It is inspired by many people I’ve known in my life that have potential but never go for it. While he is happy with everything he has, mediocrity is not in the cards as destiny forces him to leave his comfort zone, challenging him to become more than himself. Good enough isn’t good enough. For me personally, I want the most out of life and I’m not afraid of falling on my face a few times trying to get there.
What was the independent vision for this film?
Originally inspired by the King Arthur legend, I spent years coming up with and expanding the lore of The Noblemen, the Devil’s Apostles and the Alpha Rift. It is 100% original. I deliberately bobbed and weaved around existing franchises to be certain it was unique. Since beginning production, a few films have popped up with similar themes or in the same orbit, such as Warrior Nun, The Kid Who Would Be King, Artemis Fowl and Shazam. But Alpha Rift stands on its own.
You’re 52 years old. Why make a movie about tabletop gaming, sword and sorcery?
Why not? I have three sons and I engage in everything they do. I like what they like, and I think the revival of tabletop gaming (like D&D and Catan) is awesome. Throughout the pandemic, the cast has been in a weekly D&D game and we made a music video about D&D with the Alpha Rift characters.
Is this a very personal production? Do you have anything in common with Nolan?
Nolan represents the nerdy side of me, goofing around and playing games. I am very happy that the folks at Catan agreed to participate in the movie, letting us place their boxes all over the game store set. The D&D folks said no, so their stuff is blurred out or flipped backward, but maybe they will like Alpha Rift and let me use them in the sequel.
What is the Alpha Rift? How do you unravel the mythology of the film?
The Alpha Rift is a crack in time and space that imprisons the Devil’s Apostles. When a Nobleman stabs an Apostle, the rift is opened, and the Nobleman’s helmet creates a cage that traps the Apostle’s soul. The first Nobleman to capture an Apostle makes the first, aka “alpha” rift. Only heirs of this Nobleman’s bloodline can reopen the rift and recapture that same Apostle when it escapes. Evil can never be destroyed, only held at bay, and it is fated to always find a way to break free.
While one scene summarizes the general mythology, for the most part, these details are sprinkled throughout the film. Audiences want to know that the specifics are worked out but don’t want to be hammered over the head with it.
This feels like the first chapter in a longer story. Is that on the nose?
Yes, I have already written a sequel! Like the Underworld franchise, I want to expand the Alpha Rift universe, both the origin story from Medieval Times and the contemporary Nolan Parthmore storyline. We have a core group of characters, four helmets of the Noblemen, and twelve Devil’s Apostles—that’s 48 potential stories.
Tell us a little something about each of the principal cast. How did you find them and how did you prepare the actors for their roles?
Lance Henriksen was my first choice for the role of Corbin. I needed someone with the gravitas to play the patriarch of the secret society of the Noblemen. Plus, Lance’s deadpan humor was a great foil for Nolan. Lance is so funny that it was hard to stop laughing on set. He coined the term “fart catcher” to refer to background actors who make the leads look good. And I got him to say the phrase in Alpha Rift after we blew a few takes with everyone laughing.
Aaron Dalla Villa, who plays Nolan, was the toughest actor to find. We auditioned dozens and dozens of actors for the role and just could not find someone who was the perfect combination of funny, a great actor and most of all likable. I wanted the audience to like our lead character and so many actors come across as too serious or a joke. Aaron was able to bring the goofy, without killing the humanity the character needed.
Rachel Nielsen was a big change from my original choice for Gabby. Originally, I had a tattooed, pierced punk in mind for the role, but something about Rachel is so magnetic that she won the part. A lot of what Gabby says and does is pretty harsh and has the potential to alienate the viewer, but Rachel manages to pull off the abrasive scenes and still be likable.
Philip Williams plays Blades. Blades, like Gabby, was envisioned as something completely different. I wrote the Blades characters as a Russian with a bald head and long beard, but when Philip walked into that audition with his 6’4” frame and that incredible voice, he just won the role on the spot. He brings such power to the character. He remains threatening even when we play out the comedy – which he also delivered with aplomb.
Do any of these characters resemble people you’ve known in real life, or are they archetypes?
The characters are archetypes. Nolan is a fish-out-of-water, a la “Marty McFly.” Gabby is a tough woman on the outside, but soft on the inside. Lewis is an ultimate games nerd. Blades is a bad guy in a sticky situation. Pavlov is a weaselly little sidekick. Corbin is a patriarch who has seen it all. Vicars is an over-achiever, frustrated by the slacker. And Kate is Miss Perfect, she never fails and everything she sets out to do, she does. Which begs the question, why doesn’t she fight the demon? (A very meta inside joke that no one notices unless I tell them.)
What do you hope the film will do for audiences? Do you feel you’ve told the story well?
I hope this movie will bring a smile to audiences’ faces. Most of the movies in my personal top ten are crowd-pleasing popcorn movies. When in doubt, I think “What would Jerry Bruckheimer do?” He’s my spirit animal and I want to entertain people in the same way he does.
As a director, I feel we’ve delivered an exciting film. I’ve put my entire heart and soul into this one and have shed real blood (drilled a hole in my hand making props) and tears (too personal to share).
What’s there in Alpha Rift for me?
I am sincere in my storytelling and I believe in the good in people. In other words, I am a dreamer, not a cynic. Most projects these days are very cynical; The Boys and Watchmen, for example, are excellent but don’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Many people have told me that Alpha Rift feels like a modernized ‘80s movie. It’s nostalgic and makes you feel good seeing someone fulfill their potential.
What was it like shooting in Southeastern PA? What do you think the film will do for filming in the area?
Philadelphia City Hall, Holmesburg Prison and Historic Aldie Mansion were all great locations that added a ton of production value. Pennsylvania has a lot of old and singular architecture, but film tax credits are the only thing that influences productions to travel to other states.
Can you speak a little about taking advantage of the film incentives?
Pennsylvania does have a tax incentive program and that money certainly helped Alpha Rift overcome budget limitations and get across the finish line. The program is under constant threat to be axed by the state, so I do not know what the future holds. I do hope they keep it as it keeps PA filmmakers from heading to other states.
What’s next for you?
At the moment, I am preparing to direct a horror movie called Hayride to Hell, which will shoot in the fall. I am also working on the next chapters of the Alpha Rift saga, as either two movies or a six-part TV series. To be continued…
Anything else you’d like to tell us?
Marvel movies brought back the action-comedy genre. If it wasn’t for Kevin Feige and his team, a dreamer like me would never have been able to make a movie like Alpha Rift. If I ever meet Kevin Feige in person, I’ll be sure to thank him.