Justin Lee Collins in crocodile attack horror

“The crocodile incident in Bristol was not of our doing.” insists Michael Anderson, “although most people think it was.”

You can understand why. Back in February, that silly season gift to the local press, the so-called Bristol Crocodile, erupted onto the front pages and kept hacks in stories until the early summer. Just a couple of months earlier, Anderson and his crew were mucking about with real and full-sized fake crocs on the Somerset Levels as they shot their comedy horror flick, The Hatching, which gets its first public screening at the 2014 Bath Film Festival. Any self-respecting director of a low-budget movie would sell his own grandmother for such publicity. But Anderson remains adamant that he’s not guilty, mainly because he and writer Nick Squire didn’t want to be seen to capitalise on the human misery resulting from flooding of the Levels shortly after filming was completed. “Both Nick and I have friends and family in the area and we were really concerned about their wellbeing,” he explains. “We decided that any stunts and publicity gimmicks should be held in abeyance, because we did not want to make light of the situation when others were facing real misfortune.”

The Hatching is the tale of Tim (The Mill star Andrew Lee Potts), whose schoolboy prank comes back to haunt him 15 years later when he returns home to his sleepy Somerset village. People have been going missing, and when the occasional limb starts showing up, betraying tell-tale signs of snacking, it becomes clear that large, toothy predators are on the loose. (See video, left, for some behind-the-scenes footage.)

Anderson has family and friends who live in Burrowbridge next to the River Parrett, and once made a documentary called Life On The Levels for Channel 4. “I spent over a year filming the documentary and got to know the area and the moods of the landscape. So when Nick suggested locating the film in this watery and very special place that is criss-crossed by canals, rhynes and drainage ditches, I knew instantly that it was the perfect place for a couple of freelance crocodiles. And what’s more, I knew the locations and where to film each sequence in advance.”

The cast also includes that fine young actor Thomas Turgoose, of This is England fame, and a certain Justin Lee Collins of this parish, making his acting debut. “Justin was absolutely great to work with,” enthuses Anderson. “A real trooper. He had to jump into freezing water several times and then be put into a hot tent to get his body temperature back up to normal. Then he’d be re-dressed into dry clothes before repeating the scene and  jumping into the water again, which was at freezing point. He had a great sense of humour, had to handle snakes and eat raw onions, and was very popular with crew and cast.”

He had also recently been convicted of harassing an ex-girlfriend and has kept a relatively low profile ever since. Anderson takes the view that he was unfairly treated by the press. “We all knew that he had been through a very traumatic time and felt sorry that any human being should be demonised like that. He would rush off at the end of the shoot to see his kids and was the complete professional. A pleasure to work with throughout.”

You can’t help wondering what the locals made of all that crocodile attack action and gore on their doorsteps. Anderson reports that they loved the idea. “We were overwhelmed by their enthusiasm. Everyone was incredibly generous, from the owners of the Railway in Pub in Ashcott, Nr. Glastonbury to Sean Briffet, who let us film in his butchers shop in Westonzoyland, to Ben Mallin at Godwin’s peat, who provided us with stunning locations.”

A quick glance at his CV reveals that he began his career working as a lowly clapper loader on John Landis‘s classic An American Werewolf in London, which is clearly a major influence on The Hatching. That must have been an incredible experience. “I loved working on American Werewolf. John Landis was the most laidback director I have ever worked with, and incredibly talented. Rick Baker went on to win an Oscar for the special effects, and rightly so – although I was completely freaked by the werewolf. The work was very hard and hours incredibly long. We worked nights in mid-winter on the bleak Brecon Beacons. By the time dawn broke, the whole crew would be soaked, frozen and completely knackered. I could never look at the werewolf, even during meals. When I got back to the hotel I would check under the bed, inside the cupboard, and sleep with the light on!”

The Hatching premieres at the Little Theatre, Bath, on Nov 22 as part of the Bath Film Festival. See the Bath Film Festival website for more details. For more about the film, see the official Hatching site.