Bitter Feast made its world premiere at the LA Film Festival not too long ago and if you are in the LA area, you must check out this limited release as soon as possible. Those not in LA should be anticipating this film’s wider release, as it is one of the most entertaining films that you will see this year.

Peter Grey (James Le Gros), an overly zealous television chef, kidnaps J.T. Franks (Joshua Leonard), an influential and notoriously snarky food blogger after a particularly nasty review deals the final blow to Grey’s already plummeting career.

Sequestered deep in the woods of the Hudson Valley, Grey keeps Franks chained up in a basement, presenting him with a series of deceptively simple food challenges – from preparing a perfect egg over easy, to grilling a steak precisely medium rare – punishing him sadistically for anything less than total perfection.

A tense thrill-ride served up with wicked wit and culinary flare, BITTER FEAST is an exploration of the creative impulse gone tragically and ferociously awry.

Bitter Feast is one of the most entertaining indies of the year so far. While it is debatable if James Le Gros plays a psychotic character, it is safe to say that this film can be described as horror with comedy and class. In the film, a very well known chef, Peter Grey (Le Gros) decides to teach a food critic a thing or two about his art after a bad review is released. There are some serious consequences for anything less than a grade A after his lessons. It’s torture. Literally. If you have ever judged something before trying to become successful at it yourself, this film will be quite an eye opener!

You know the saying, “It’s so easy, a monkey could do it?” Well, “Calling all monkeys” Peter Grey (Le Gros) says to his latest student. Grey takes his lessons for the food blogger, T.J. Franks (Leonard) to the extreme when he gets T.J.’s wife (Amy Semiet) involved. It’s quite a psychological and comedic thrill. Peter has kidnapped T.J. to help him become more attentive in understanding the craft and have empathy for the lives of those chefs he is writing about. Of course that is not all, as the writing is simple on the forefront but quite layered and complex when you really think about where Peter’s head is at.

The back story on Peter is quite incredible and really comes full circle which is quite poetic, to say the least. The empathy can be felt for not only Peter but for every character – and there are not too many films that do that. The characters make this story and those really are the best stories. The cast gave their all and had fun with their roles, really giving their characters life. Bitter Feast is just as terrifying as it is witty and clever and more engaging than I expected it to be.

In the Q&A following the screening, viewers found out the story behind Joe Maggio getting celebrity chef, Mario Batal to make a cameo in the film and some other interesting tid bits. Before the film and Q&A, I had the opportunity to interview Joe Maggio and actress, Amy Seimetz…so watch and read below!

What is your favorite element of horror?
Maggio: I think that the horror genre is really remarkably similar to describing the world we are living in right now. If you can take a situation to its wildest extreme, which is what we do in this movie, and address issues that can affect everyone…you know, it’s a movie about someone who wants someone else to understand him – which is what we all want.

Aside from directing, what else are you passionate about?
Maggio: I always wanted to be a chef. I might still be a chef, I don’t know. I have really look knife skills and I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants in New York. The thing that kept me from being a chef is that I don’t like the lifestyle in the restaurant, it’s just brutal. I like to cook but not in that environment.

So I take it you read a lot of film blogs?
Maggio: That’s all I read. (smiles) You know, I’m a film maker but I am so uninterested in what film makers are doing. I subsrcibe to food magazines, I do all of the shopping in my family, I do the cooking…and I am just all about food and wine.

Bitter Feast is written and directed by Joe Maggio and stars James LeGros, Megan Hilty, Joshua Leonard, Amy Seimetz, Larry Fessenden, John Speredakos, Owen Campbell, Tobias Campbell, and Mario Batali.