Those who’ve tuned in to the last two episodes ofReservation Dogshave seen a master at work. Standing behind the camera and lending his vision to theTaika WaititiandSterlin Harjoco-created series isBlackhorse Lowe. Having worked on earlier seasons of the production, Lowe was back in action yet again for the psychedelic andout-of-this-worldepisode “House Made of Bongs” and the touching and heartfelt “Frankfurter Sandwich.” In an interview with Collider’sChase Hutchinson, the filmmaker revealed what projects inspired him throughout his time on the series.
“DefinitelyThe Holy Mountain,” Lowe says of the number one film that’s rubbed off onto his work. “I put a lot in [for] a lot of each of those episodes; a lot of[John]Carpenter,The Thing, as much as possible;Two-Lane Blacktop, and then a couple of [John]Cassavetesreferences that plopped in there, especially with the men going out into the woods a lot” - referring to the scenes featuring Cheese (Lane Factor) and the elders taking some time in nature. Specifically, Lowe says that he watched the director’s 1970 filmHusbandsfor these explorations into masculinity.
As for “House Made of Bongs,” Lowe says that he leaned in hard on “the sci-fi stuff,” pouring over titles featuring “the earliest vampires from outer space”. There were also ideas pulled from 1972’sThe Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisiewith Lowe commenting that there were, “Bits and pieces here where I want the camera to move like this one sceneLuis Buñuelshot.”
A Field Trip to the Movies
In what sounds like the absolute dream, Lowe revealed that he would take cast and crew members to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Circle Cinema, where he screened hisinspirationsfor the group to better understand the assignment. “Before my episodes, I always attempt to make it a thing where we would watch a movie from that era or something that thematically fit into what we’d be making.” Pointing back to the second season episode which heavily featuredZahn McClarnon’s Big, the filmmaker says that the group gathered to watchThe Holy Mountainand the 1970’s Western flick,El Topoto prepare for “that type of psychedelic experience that I want.” For his Season 3 episodes, the gang watchedTwo-Lane Blacktopand 1971’sVanishing Pointwith a side showing ofHusbandsspecifically for Factor. Using these favorite titles as his building blocks, Lowe says, “It was just like all these different film references, but they all kind of find a way to - We Native the f*** out of it just to really kind of give it its own voice.”
Season 3 ofReservation Dogsis now streaming on Hulu with new episodes arriving on Wednesdays. Check out a trailer for the season below.
