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Richard Bates Jr. is not the filmmaker to turn to if you're looking for more of the same or for a story that plays by familiar rules, and his latest feature Tone-Deaf is no different. A synopsis probably won't do this one justice but for what it's worth, Amanda Crew leads as Olive. After losing a job and a relationship, she opts to ditch the big city for some alone time by renting a country house from Robert Patrick's character, Harvey. Little does she know though, Harvey's got some sinister things on his mind, which include a serious grudge against entitled millennials.

Tone-Deaf is a genre mash-up like you've never seen before with some serious authorial flair that made it quite the treat to talk about with Bates Jr., Crew and Patrick when the trio swung by the Collider Studio in Austin. You can hear all about what sparked the idea, what it was like for Crew and Patrick reading the script for the first time, the "bullshit lookbook" Bates Jr. made to get financiers behind such a bold project, the scene that took Patrick to a weird and dark place, and so much more in the video interview at the top of this article. Also, if you'd like, there's a handy breakdown of the full chat below.

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I’d also like to take a moment to give special thanks to our Collider Studio partner, A-List Communications. At the Moonfire Lounge venue in Austin, libations were flowing courtesy of Tequila Comisario, Blue Moon Belgian White, Line39 Wine, and Hint Water. Without these fine folks, we wouldn’t be able to share conversations about movies like Tone-Deaf with all of you, so another big thank you to our partners for their support.

Robert Patrick, Richard Bates Jr., Amanda Crew:

  • Bates Jr. on the painting that inspired Tone-Deaf.
  • There's some serious style to the final film; was the cast able to picture everything from the script alone?
  • The "bullshit lookbook" needed to get financing to make a horror movie like this.
  • Patrick talks about his experience reading the script for the first time, and investigating Bates Jr. and his work.
  • The good vibes on set; Bates Jr. on why he had so much fun making Tone-Deaf.
  • The scene that seemed crazy on set but wound up working in the final film.
  • Crew and Patrick on the character they've played in the past that stuck with them most.

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Image via SXSW