Old Chatham jail ‘fantastic’ setting for horror flick Fresh Meat

Walking through the corridors of the old Chatham jail, it was hard to find a spot not splattered with blood.

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It’s the same thing for the various jail cells used in scenes for the horror-comedy Fresh Meat that is wrapping up filming soon.

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“I have been in prison now for 20-plus days,” laughs filmmaker Daniel Turres, adding the vacant Chatham jail has been a unique location and “looks fantastic” on film.

Filming here has been a “wild roller-coaster of mixed emotions,” he said. “Every day we’re going in thinking, ‘Are we going to get it today? Are we going to make this film happen?’ ”

Everyone involved has been putting in 110 per cent “in making this film stronger than it initially was expected to be,” he added.

Chatham’s Ben Srokosz, owner of OOAK (One of a Kind) Productions, has been brought on as a producer and sound supervisor.

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“I’ve been helping the film get made, but I’ve also been helping with the sound department, especially making sure the film sounds as great as it looks,” he said.

Srokosz, who worked with Turres on his last film, another horror-comedy called Here for Blood, said everyone on the production has been upping their game, and it’s showing up as they review filmed scenes in the editing room.

Fresh Meat isn’t even finished and “I already feel we’ve surpassed some of things we’ve done on the last film,” he said.

“I can’t even imagine where this might take us,” Srokosz added. “And the fact that it was made in Chatham is that much sweeter.”

Srokosz said the film focuses on a group of social media influencers seeking their next great exploration. They infiltrate an abandoned jail and post about it, hoping to win new followers, he added.

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“Unwittingly, they ended up trapped in a jail with a very, very lethal killer and . . . accidentally let him loose, so the rest of the film is them trying to escape,” he said.

While Fresh Meat is a very bloody horror film, “there’s going to be a lot of funny moments that have to do with the personality of an influencer or social media celebrity,” he said.

Some people may cover their eyes at some points, but he’s confidant audiences will leave the theater saying they had fun.

Distribution sales agents are taking the film toward international markets, theatrical releases and streaming, Turres said.

The finished film will go on a film festival circuit beginning in Berlin, Germany, in February and heading to Cannes, France, in the summer, he added. From there, it will go to different platforms for distribution.

And there’s something special in the works for Fresh Meat’s local premiere, Turres hinted.

“I think Chatham-Kent will have an earlier and exclusive view of the film,” he said.

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