Columbus native gets big break in 'Malum' movie

Central Ohio movie buffs have many reasons to see the new movie “Malum.” The horror flick, which was officially released Friday, stars Jessica Sula — who achieved her widest recognition to date for a supporting role in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split” (2016) — as a novice police officer tasked with spending an evening in an apparently empty, soon-to-be-decommissioned police station.

Of course, in horror movies, places promised to be empty seldom are.

In director Anthony DiBlasi’s movie — a reworking of his own 2014 release “Last Shift” — all manner of strange beings turn up to keep Sula’s character company.

Local audiences may also want to check out the flick due to a surprising Ohio connection: Featured in the cast is Ohio native Christopher Matthew Spencer.

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Born in Columbus to a father from India and a mother from Mansfield who went on to receive a medical degree from Ohio State University, Spencer moved with his family to Virginia when he was 3.

“All of our roots are from Ohio, and we have many relatives throughout Ohio,” said Spencer in a recent phone interview with The Dispatch.

Now based in California, Spencer served a stint in the Navy, worked as a consultant and authored books, but he sees all of that as a prelude to an acting career.

Already a prolific veteran of music videos − including Coldplay's "Biutyful"− and short films, with “Malum,” Spencer can add another credit to his resume: supporting actor in a feature-length horror movie.

Below are highlights from The Dispatch’s conversation with Spencer about “Malum” and his burgeoning screen career.

Question: When did the acting bug bite you?

Christopher Matthew Spencer: My mother got me involved in theater in school. ... I did school plays. I was actually a lead in a school play. Then, in the ’80s, when I came to Los Angeles, I did repertory theater. Over the past 30 years, I’ve always been involved in some type of entertainment-related activity. I did public speaking. .... and I consider that kind of a prelude to being in a movie, because I learned a lot of confidence skills. I also did 12 courses for LinkedIn Learning, which is a powerful online learning program. I did a lot of on-camera work for them.

I’m now heading towards my later years in life, and I wanted to really give acting its full focus. I love the adventure, I love being in character, I’m really enjoying the opportunity. The director of this film, Anthony DiBlasi, has really given me my big break. There’s no such thing as an overnight success anyway.

Q: Tell us about the movie, which I know is a remake of DiBlasi’s “Last Shift.”

Spencer: Anthony would never do a remake shot-by-shot. First of all, that’s a scary idea. That would just end up as a bloody, boring movie. “Malum” forgets the “Last Shift” DNA in a great way. It’s a rebirth of this as a fresh, new film. It penetrates the demographic of a more hardcore horror fan, because it’s far more intense, much bigger budget and they have much greater resources to work with. ... There’s a lot of digital these days, and you see a lot of (special effects) made in the computer, (but) Anthony decided to put a tremendous amount of money into practical effects.

Q: What’s the plot?

Spencer: You have a rookie cop. She comes to a decommissioned police station to spend the evening on the last shift. In that situation, she encounters all kinds of people. Whether they’re living or not living, that’s going to be interesting to find out. ... The intriguing part of the film is: Are they dead? Are they spirits? Are they from another dimension? We really don’t know, so that’s what unfolds during the night.

Sam Brooks portrays Officer Price, and I portray Officer Hudson. We are partners, and we’re kind of a Laurel and Hardy team. I love being typecast. I am a character actor. I’m pretty dusty and conservative on the veneer, but acting lets me ventilate my inner demons, and it lets you play them out on camera. ... There’s a lot of comic relief, and (Sam and I) do the funny bits. It’s not just innocent fun, though; we’re pranksters in the film and we do some damage.

Q: How did you get the part?

Spencer: The process involved a self-tape. You have to tape yourself on a phone, send the tape and then show that you’re able to do the part. Then the second phase is that you do a Zoom. Unlike many people, Anthony has great faith in people. There are a lot of casting (sessions) where you have to physically show up somewhere. Anthony was willing to do the entire callback on Zoom, without a meeting. When we got onto the Zoom meeting, Anthony said, “Please do your takes.” I did a couple of takes. He said, “That’s nice, thank you.” Then I immediately said, “May I say something?” I took a chance at asking for the job. ,,, The next thing I know, I get a booking.

Q: Where was the movie filmed?

Spencer: Because of the generosity of people living in Kentucky, we were able to put the movie together in Louisville. It was filmed (with) a beautiful tax credit. ... Lots of local people were hired.

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Q: What do you see yourself doing more of? More feature films? You have said you want to do some writing and directing.

Spencer: The writing and directing is a journey, because you have to learn those things. Acting is already something I study anyway. ... I would like to be in all of Anthony’s films. I think he’s very talented: no endless takes, very efficient, he has a clear vision. ... Film is really something I’d like to spend more time on.

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At a glance

The new movie “Malum” is playing at Gateway Film Center, Easton 30, Grove City 14, Dublin Village 18, Crosswoods and Pickerington. Consult listings for showtimes.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Actor, Columbus native Christopher Matthew Spencer featured in Malum