By Joe Puccio

Throughout the years, the number of directors who have indulged in the enticing notion of performing in their own films is seemingly endless. From Orson Welles and Clint Eastwood, who gifted themselves with starring roles in seminal features like Citizen Kane (1941) and Unforgiven (1992), respectively, to Alfred Hitchcock (Dial M for Murder, Vertigo, The Birds, etc.)  and M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, etc.), who both opted for supporting parts or cameos instead, the temptation to pull double duty – and sometimes serving as writer and/or producer as well to achieve the full grand slam treatment – is often too tempting to pass up.

For Scout Taylor-Compton’s directorial debut, however, it was never even considered. “There are people out there who act and direct (simultaneously) and have no problems doing it. But for me, acting was the last thing I was thinking about,” Compton said, during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire. “Bring the Law was my first experience as a director and since then, I’ve acted in projects that I’ve directed. And honestly, I really don’t find it fun.” For those who believe that the clichéd concept of “having your cake and eating it too” would apply here, Compton has a valid reason for her conflicting position, feeling that the only way she could truthfully put her entire focus on the daunting responsibility is to abstain from her most notable artistic talent.

“Directing is difficult,” she acknowledged, matter-of-factly. “You’re basically sailing a ship and there’s constant problem solving. I was able to give everyone on the set the attention they deserved, connect with them, and be my authentic self. I wanted to learn everything I possibly could about creating a story and to do that, I needed to stay in one lane and make sure that lane was perfect.”

To merely say that the gifted artist succeeded would be an understatement. The brand-new crime thriller, released in theaters last month, tells the tale of a disgraced Los Angeles police officer (Brendan Fehr) chosen to lead a task force against a local crime boss (Mickey Rourke) while uncovering corruption in his own department. A combination of solid action sequences that don’t skimp on violence, familiar central themes of both decadence and redemption, and a skilled cast who were able to wonderfully bring Compton’s story to life, have resulted in nothing but positive reviews for the suspenseful nail-biter.

“I wanted the audience to understand the kind of ride they were in for right away,” Compton explained, referring to the three deaths in Bring the Law’s first five minutes. “The opening sets the tone, and the goal was to pull viewers in fast and to make them feel like anything could happen. It was very intentional.”  

As fans of the Long Beach, California-born actress, whose father is a mortician – she has a book titled The Diaries of the Mortician’s Daughter due out this summer – are undoubtedly aware, Compton’s experience with bloody fare is extensive, wowing horror audiences with her starring turn as Laurie Strode in Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake in 2007 and its follow up two years later. And with a wide variety of additional fright flicks to her credit in Halloween’s aftermath, the obvious question is why she chose the action genre instead as her introductory foray into movie making. “When I was given the script for Bring the Law, I expected it to be horror,” she acknowledged. “And I read it and discovered that it was this action/thriller/dude movie. It was wild! When an opportunity comes your way, you have to grab it. I didn’t let fear get in the way and I decided to just see if I could execute it. The shoot was 12 days with 36 actors and nine locations – it was a massive challenge, and I wanted to push myself.”  

Regarding Compton’s experience playing Strode, the iconic character originally portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis in John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), she has only fond memories. “I’ve been of a fan of Jamie’s since I was a little girl, and Halloween was always one of my favorite movies. She paved the way for final girls. I don’t take it lightly that I am one of only two women to ever play Laurie. I have so much love for it and I’m incredibly proud to say that Halloween is part of me.”

While Compton doesn’t rule out a possible return to the franchise if the opportunity arises, ironically, it’s a box that the female lead in Bring the Law can tick. Danielle Harris, who played both Jamie Lloyd and Annie Brackett in different versions of the series, was her first choice for the picture, as was Fehr. “I knew their dynamic and chemistry was going to be amazing,” she beamed. “They created magic and were able to melt their tough exteriors away and they did that beautifully in the film.”  

If excelling as a thespian and helming cinema isn’t impressive enough, Compton also has her sights – or sounds – set on music. With an album in which she sang and played drums already under her belt, she cites performers such as Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Green Day, and Gwen Stefani as influences. It was, therefore, very appropriate for Compton to portray rock queen Lita Ford in 2010’s The Runaways, alongside Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. “My mom always loved Joan Jett and I’m a big fan of the Runaways,” she shared. “After I did that movie, I became very close with Lita, who’s a wonderful human being. She paved the way for females in rock and roll. And I’m in the process of trying to develop a movie about her. It would be a dream project.”

As for the immediate future, Compton makes it clear that she has no plans to give up acting despite her newly ignited spark for directing. And while she admittedly tends to gravitate towards horror (“Maybe it’s because my dad and I enjoyed watching those types of films when I was growing up”), she’s also interested in thinking outside the box. “I really want to take on a sports movie, like Friday Night Lights or 42. And I wrote a script called Road to Recovery that’s coming out soon, which is a young adult road trip drama with Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Sarah Shahi,” she stated. “I’ve also got a woman’s comedy I wrote that I’ll be working on with some cool comedians. On the fear front, Compton has Last Chance Motel, which she co-directed with Harris, currently seeking distribution, as well as a franchise idea that she promises will make horror buffs happy.

“Bring the Law allowed me to find my voice,” Compton smiled. “I’ve been acting since I was eight years old, playing other people. And now I’m really finding out who I am. And it’s super uplifting and powerful for me right now.”

Bring the Law is currently playing in select theaters and is available On Demand.