MacabreDaily Talks with Kansas Bowling, Antonio Woodruff, and Jay Burleson From "The Third Saturday In October" Double Feature!

Antonio Woodruff as Jakkariah Harding

“The Third Saturday In October” might require an explainer, but don’t let that stop you from checking out the film and its “sequel.”  To help dig further into this ambitious double feature, I spoke with writer/director Jay Burleson, star of “Part V” Kansas Bowling, and Jakkariah Harding, the slasher himself, Antonio Woodruff!

I'm sure you're getting this a lot, but what inspired you to do this?  It’s no simple undertaking.

Jay Burleson: I wanted to create my own “lost” slasher series for years, and I always knew that I wanted to call it “The Third Saturday in October,” set in Alabama, and capture the spirit of small towns, but also the pageantry of college football.  I wanted to pair that with the slasher formula of having an undead killer on the loose, while having the victims get together to watch this game.

We'd originally been trying to get this bigger arthouse slasher movie off the ground for a couple of years. We built momentum and built our team, but we weren't really in a position to do [that film] justice. But, we decided we were making a movie no matter what, So in the Fall of 2019, I had some ideas for these films on the back burner, and we just pivoted very quickly. We decided to make “Part V’ first, because it felt like the most accessible thing to do was to lean into my love of “Halloween 4 and 5,” “Friday the 13th part VI”, and to do something that had that the absurdity and comedic aspects of some of those later sequels, intentional and unintentional.  A year later, we were in a position where we could make another movie, and we decided to double down on the idea.  We went back and made “Part I,” and ended up with this double feature approach.

So you didn’t make them concurrently?

My team and I shot “Part V” through January 2020, and I had an assembly edit done by the summer.  Then, by fall of 2020, we were shooting “Part I.”  So there was really no break in between.  I've been working on nothing but these movies since fall 2019 [Laughs].

So Antonio, horror sequels usually swap out their slasher stunt performers between films, but you've played Harding in both.  Was that always the plan?

JB: I'll set this up, because originally my friend Andrew Wasserburger was volunteering his time to play the role on “Part V,” but I wasn't sure if he was going to be there every day, so we saw a couple of actors. Antonio and I were joking, because Andrew’s shirt size dictated the actors that we saw, and that's what brought Antonio to us [Laughs]. And then Andrews' wife had a baby during the shoot, so he was no longer available,and Antonio stepped in. He was replacing one of my oldest friends, but quickly became a friend.  So when we decided to do “Part I,” it was a no-brainer.

Poppy Cunningham (left) and final girl Kansas Bowling (right) from “Part V”

Where did Poppy Cunningham come from? She seems like an actor who’s been there the whole time. 

JB: I knew her through her dad, Ian Cunningham, who is one of the producers on the film. And she was in the A24 film “The Death of Dick Long,” so I knew she could act and that she was talented.  I kind of seized on the idea of capturing some of that Jamie Lloyd vibe from “Halloween 4 and 5.”  She was really one of the things that made this so enjoyable.  I think just having a kid on set brought out the best and everybody.

Kansas Bowling:  Yeah, she's such a great actress, too. Watching it again, she's like the best actress in the movie!

Speaking of “Halloween 4 and 5,” I love “Halloween 4,” but I have strong feelings about “Halloween 5.”

JB:  Most people do [Laughs].

KB: But “Halloween 3” is the best one! 

Oh, I love “Season of the Witch.” I just don’t consider it a part of the franchise.  Now Kansas and Antonio, did Jim sit you down and make you watch “Halloween 5?”

Antonio Woodruff:  [Laughs] No, I was always a big fan.  I love “Candyman” and “Dr. Giggles”

Serial killer Jakkariah Harding (Antonio Woodruff) is more of a hockey guy.

KB: I'm very familiar with all the franchises, as well.

JB: I did show “Halloween 4 and 5” to our DP Chris Hilleke. He is the only person I put through the ringer on that. 

Well, they’re fun.  And they contain some of Danielle Harris's best performances.

JB: Absolutely! 

Why was “Part V” set in 1994, of all years? 

JB:  It was really a practical decision because I made a movie called”The Nobodies” that was released a few years ago, which also took place in that specific time period. I just felt comfortable pivoting into this project from a production design standpoint.  Plus, in the 90’s slasher films were experimenting and often going in different directions, which wasn't the choice we made.  It's not like the film is set in Manhattan or outer space, but the time period worked for us for a lot of logical reasons. 

It was important to set it right before “Scream” changed the dynamic of slasher movies in general. And having the option to do a sequel to “Part V” that is post-“Scream”is something that is exciting to me as well. 

Do you have any idea of how the franchise could continue with “Part VI” or perhaps see an earlier installment? 

Yeah, it's set up where we can go in any direction. We can make “Part II” next, or even “Part III,” but the one I want to make the most is “Part VI” with Kansas, Poppy and a few others, as well as Antonio returning.

Interview edited for length and clarity. 

“The Third Saturday in October” and “The Third Saturday in October Part V” are both now available on VOD and digital.

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