Hot & Horrifying: The First Ladies Of Horror (4)
NVF Films Interview With April Burril Good day to you, April. How have you been? Very good, Dave – very busy! I bet! It’s been awhile since we have chatted. What’s new with you? Currently, we are in the midst of filming for our upcoming webcast sitcom – The Chainsaw Sally Show. It’s wonderful to be chopping folks up again! Sounds great! How did The Good Sisters turn out? As well as expected? Even better, I think. It’s not a fast-paced film, but it’s very original. I think it will appeal to both our “sally” audience as well as a new spectrum of horror and psycho-thriller fan. The film is a real exercise in paranoia and a huge step up in quality on all levels. It was really a pleasure to have you in both of my previous books, Film Prodigies and Legends and Queens Of Scream. It wouldn’t have been the same without you. And Jimmy, too. How many interviews have you done over the years? Lots. And lots…. And lots. That man huh? What was it exactly that attracted you to the indie film industry to begin with? Just a genuine love for the horror genre, or wanting to see talented, unknown filmmakers get the exposure they deserve? Well, both those things are factors, certainly. What drew me in was a natural transference from live stage to film. I’ve always been a horror fan, and same with Jimmy O, so what better genre to film in? I hear that! Who all have you worked with over the years? As far as Scream Queens, I mean. There’s a new one popping up every day! Hahaha – true enough. At least, there are a lot going by that title. I’ve been called a Scream Queen, and really don’t feel I deserve that crown…. BUT, I digress…. I’ve worked with a few great people. The fascinating thing is that the horror community is so close-knit that it’s sometimes only a matter of asking someone if they want to be in the film, as quite often, they’re people we’ve already gotten to know through more casual conversation. So far, we’ve worked with Gunnar Hansen, Herschell Gordon Lewis, George Stover, Susie Lorraine, Debbie Rochon, and Amy Lynn Best. But there’s a list of other horror celebrities cast in future projects. I always thought it would be neat to have you, Monique Dupree, and about five or six other first ladies of horror in ONE film, and give you all an unlimited budget, and all the time in the world to come up with a GREAT, UNFORGETTABLE horror film! How does that sound? Let Jimmy O write and direct and I’m THERE!! That’ll work! Or…maybe a documentary on indie filmmakers?! You and Jimmy could be the directors! I don’t know – might be fun, but I think both of us have too much fun doing fiction. I’m still too much of a kid – all this “acting” is just me playing make-believe and dress-up. SOMEONE should certainly do that, though. Do you still hope to be working within the film industry for many years to come? YES! SOOOO FUN! Yipee! Any last words of wisdom before you leave us for now? Red jello, just barely set up so it’s still runny, not only makes neat looking fake-blood, but it tastes fantastic! Okey dokey, then… NVF Films Interview with Michelle Tomlinson Greetings Michelle! How have you been since we chatted last? I’ve been great! The Film Festival at Eastern New Mexico University went really well and I had a blast teaching the Acting on Film Workshop with my friend Landall Goolsby. I also just found out my latest Feature Film, GEORGE’S INTERVENTION, was accepted into the Bram Stoker Film Festival! Keeping my fingers crossed, it was a lot of fun to make. I am happy for you! I have recently watched the film The Cellar Door, and I must say, your performance as Rudy MADE the film. You can speak with your eyes, too, which is a real plus in an actress's performance. Have you had training as an actress, or did it just come naturally to you? Thank you! She was the most challenging role for me to date. I didn’t start getting formal acting training until I was in College at ENMU in Portales, New Mexico. I took a Theatrical Make Up Class with a Professor named Felipe Macias for what I thought would be just an easy credit… Then I fell in love with acting through that and got my BFA in Theatre Performance. When I moved to Los Angeles, I studied the Strasberg Technique, followed by extensive Stella Adler training with the great Arthur Mendoza and extensive “Booking” training with Amy Lyndon and her 15 Guideline Booking Technique. (aka The Lyndon Technique) Amy’s who an actor goes to when they’re ready to learn more about the Business of Acting and how to book jobs in Film and Television. Now, not to get off the subject of your acting career, but I'd like to ask you some more in depth questions right now. OK? No sweat! Good. Now, first of all, what was it like growing up in New Mexico? With so much culture there, it must have made for an interesting childhood. New Mexico… IS AMAZING! I grew up in Northern New Mexico, near the Jemez Mountains. Since I was raised by a Marine/Biker Dad and an Artist Mom, I’d say I had a pretty balanced childhood! The three of us went camping and hiking a lot―we pretty much covered all of Northern New Mexico on our expeditions. It’s due to those times where I gained my love for nature and animals. And the art in New Mexico… Is unparalleled! Southwestern Art is available in every medium imaginable. My favorite artist (other than my Mom, of course!) is D.L. Valdes whose gallery is Father Sky Mother Earth on Galisteo Street on the Plaza of Santa Fe. Native New Mexicans tend to be very salt of the earth, spiritual, peacefully energetic people and New Mexico is still a place where a handshake stands for something. Has your family always been supportive of your career? YES. I am blessed to have been raised by the two most amazing human beings. My parents always encouraged me to follow my heart and live my life to the fullest. That’s wonderful. When was the very first time you looked in the mirror and said, ''I am going to be an actress''? I think I was 6 years old, maybe? It was either that or I was going to become a lead singer in a rock band… And I can’t hold a tune to save my life, so I think choosing this wacky industry was actually a safer choice for me! To me, you are a perfect example of how an unknown actress can exhibit so much dedication to their craft, it won't be too long until they are considered a ''household name.'' Has your critical praise and quick success spoiled you at least a tad bit, or you the same old Michelle everyone knows and loves? I have to say, it wouldn't take much for me to fall for you! You are such a doll, Dave! I know that…{Laughs} My bits of success encourage me to work harder to keep momentum going. So I am very much the same chick my family and friends have known forever—someone who works hard and plays hard. Do you find it hard to balance your career and private life at the same time? One would think it would be very tiring. I think balancing life in any capacity can be very tiring. When you’re in this industry, you’re constantly looking for the next gig, promoting your most current projects, creating upcoming ones, working and trying to breathe! The moments when I do get some solid down time are a huge gift and I’m an extremely private person by nature. So while it is a bit tiring, every second of every day―insane or calm―is worth it. Who would you say is your most memorable experience in film? One would think The Cellar Door would come to mind with that question. LOL! Well, The Cellar Door certainly rings true! In truth, though, every moment I get to spend on set is memorable. There’s always a ton going on while you have to focus and be true to your character. The way my character (Claudia Bush) dies in Brain Dead was EXTREMELY memorable! And a sticky mess! And moments when shooting The Seer were emotionally intense. And when I was shooting Backfire, I almost got shot by the real live LAPD―that was nutty all unto itself! In George’s Intervention, some products that were used for some SFX were so grotesque that we couldn’t go in the kitchen until several sticks of incense were burned. With Indelible, we shot during the hottest and most humid weeks that Iowa had seen in over 5 years. So there’s snippets from every project I’ve done that have stayed with me. How does it feel to have three feature films and two pilots circulating at the same time? I know...dumb question. It feels incredible and I’m really lucky that some of my hard work has come to fruition this way. I’m just working on keeping the momentum up and keeping it going. You have such a vast resume; dancer, martial arts, painting, sculpting, stunt work, improvisation, and much, much more. Do you hope to add director to your resume someday? I think you'd be a natural behind the camera, too. YES! I am in talks with a writer friend of mine about producing a Web Series and I will most likely direct the first two episodes. Directing has always interested me, and I very much intend to follow that path to see where it leads me. What is on the horizon for Michelle right now? Any exciting news for us? The upcoming Web Series I’m helping produce and direct! Not to mention George’s Intervention is hitting Film Festivals in a huge way, so keep an eye out! Will do! How about some parting words of wisdom for our readers? MOMENTUM. What you do today affects tomorrow. So if you want something… You best be busting your ass every day to achieve it. There’s always a zillion people in line in front of you and behind you. So time is precious. How very true… NVF Films interview with Michelle Fatale Greetings, Michelle! Been keeping busy? You bet! Always gotta stay busy! Got that right! What's this about you winning an award for best short film?! tell me all about it. It’s been such an honor to receive the recognition we have for THE CLEANER. We’ve actually won four best film awards now, which is incredible. The first was from a film fest in Modesto, California called the Northern California Film Festival. That was the first time I got to see the film on the big screen. It was very well received, and it was an audience vote. Which as far as I’m concerned, is the most honorable win. The second award we received was from a packed theatre at the first annual Nightmare To Remember Film Festival in San Francisco, CA. The theatre was packed and it was such a rush to hide myself in the audience and listen to the reaction of the crowd. It was a nice affirmation as a filmmaker that the audience was responding in the ways I’d hoped, in all the right places. I sincerely thank Reyna Young of Last Doorway Productions for putting on such a great event. It was truly memorable. And last but not least, we won two awards at the Mid-Ohio Indie Film Festival which I sadly did not get to attend due to distance and financial constraints. We tied for best short, and won for best horror film. I see you have also done costuming for the Living Dead Girlz. Cool! Who all is in the troupe besides Shannon Lark? I was assigned to costuming on the viral video “Brains” for The Living Dead Girlz. That was a blast. However, I was not responsible for the costuming awesomeness! The girls put together their own wardrobe. All other costumed characters, Shannon Lark was responsible for everything and basically gave me a shopping list based on her vision, so there’s no way I could take credit for it. That girl worked her ass off. Shannon’s no longer with the LDG, but they’re still alive..er..undead!! Amber Steele, the director and choreographer of the Living Dead Girlz is still organizing the troupes. They’re performing mainly in San Francisco, and collectively have toured across the country. Amazing, dedicated, and talented, group of girls! Check them out at: http://www.livingdeadgirlz.com/ Can’t wait to see it! I just LOVE a pretty zombie! Producer, writer, director, actress. Whew! How do you find time to relax? Hide in a closet? I hide in a closet more then I want to. If it was up to me, I would be working 24 hours a day. No relaxing. The Beastie Boys said it right. “No sleep ‘till Brooklyn.” Or…wherever. Speaking of closets, tell me about the film Closet Monster. With a title like that, the plotline could be interpreted in more than one way.... Don’t remind me. Sorry… Oh, you just did. Shit. Well, it was this little 3 minute movie we did in one day for a local radio station. They were holding a short film contest. The obvious constraint was it had to be three minutes. That’s very hard. It’s also difficult when your camera guy doesn’t show up with his awesome camera and you’re left with a point and shoot. It was a big of a flop, but we had such a great time filming it. And to this day, it’s one of my highest rated Youtube videos. And...makeup/FX artist! Are you into the older hands-on approach, or do you like the new CGI stuff? I, myself, prefer the style of men like Rob Bottin and Rick Baker. No contest! Hands on, practical effects. If you wanna see what CGI has done to cinema, go see the new Wolverine movie. Pay attention when Hugh Jackman gets his new claws. It looks like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” Ha-ha! Yeah, it sure did. No offense to Hugh, of course. What is sitting in the director's chair like? I don't think I could do it, myself. Too many headaches. But I'd give it a shot as the bad guy anyday! {And no, that wasn't a shameless plug, even though I am a sexy, handsome, older man. LOL!}. Well, I never had an official directors chair. I’d really like one of those. With my name on it, like the big guys. And of course I wouldn’t pay for it, I’m too awesome and big time for that. Alright. I’d at least pay for shipping. Wanna do an action movie? We could call it “The Fantastc Four: The Silver Fox” As long as I’m the FOX. I see you are a writer as well. Now, is that screenwriting only, or do you ever try your hand at fiction? Actually, if you think about it, the two are virtually one-in-the-same. I have written a handful of screenplays, and it’s funny that you mention, I’m pretty obsessed with writing a novel this year. I hope it happens, although I have no knowledge of what it takes to write one. Let me get back to you. Ok, now, I just HAVE to ask you about this film; Monkey VS Hooker. It isn't really all that self-explanatory, if you think about it. Sometimes, a title will fool you. No fooling here. It really is what it says. No question really, the monkey always wins. I suppose that’s common knowledge. Okey dokey, then. Anything exciting going on right now with Michelle? I know...dumb question. Not dumb at all. I wish I could predict the future of myself, however, every time I’ve tried it’s the proverbial this project or the next. I have things in the melting pot that is my brain. Stay tuned. Will do. Any last words before you leave us? Thank you sir for the great questions!! I had fun and I appreciate anyone out there who has the misfortune of reading my responses. Please visit my website at: www.michellefatale.com. Emails are welcome. Thank you and, good night. Hey! Wait! Doesn’t the FOX get a kiss goodbye?! NVF Films Interview
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