Behind The Scenes: Val Kilmer & Francis Ford Coppola On The Set Of The TWIXT

Francis Ford Coppola’s 2011 film Twixt is a modern American gothic horror, infusing elements of Edgar Allan Poe (Poe appears as a character in the film) and Stephen King. Coppola’s artist pretentions may not gel with his self-penned material, but he does have enough good ideas and a great Val Kilmer performance to make this worth your time.

Kilmer plays Hall Baltimore, a low rent Stephen King type who arrives in small town to publicise his latest novel. He meets the local sheriff (Bruce Dern), a mystery fan who wants Baltimore to help him investigate a spate of vampire-style killings. During a dream, Baltimore meets V (Elle Fanning) a young girl who may have a connection to the case. This relationship then forces the writer to face his past in an attempt to solve the case.

On the surface it sounds like Twixt might be a neat little thriller. However, Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t go down the traditional route. He mixes odd visuals into the film, creating a dream-like state that doesn’t lend itself to creating atmosphere. The digital photography doesn’t really spring to life and at times it feels like the film was shot over a long weekend as the director and Kilmer were hanging-out on a road-trip.

Twixt grossed $647,839 at the US box office and $1.26 million globally.