Hot & Horrifying: The First Ladies Of Horror (7)
With access to so much to so much knowledge of the horror genre, has writing a book or producing a film ever crossed your mind? - Shhhhh, I have a lot of projects coming up that will have my name on them but for now I will wait to announce them. I will give a little hint and say you can look for me collaborating with a certain married couple, a well known Indie actor, a really hot muscular guy, and an Indie newcomer who has already left a mark on the genre with his first film. That’s just to name a few. My first love is and will always been writing but crossing into the main screen aspect is a fun and exciting thing for me. I can’t wait until some of these come out! How about becoming an actress? You most definitely have the looks and the brains. - That’s subjective. Haha I do try to concentrate on my site and behind the camera type work but I also will be acting in a few films coming up. I enjoy being able to pull away from myself and becoming someone else for a little bit. That’s the little girl who used to play Dark Shadows as a school yard pastime in Elementary school talking. ;) Soon a lot of announcements will be coming out about me and you won’t believe how busy I’ve been keeping behind the HorrorNews.net curtain! What is on the horizon for A date with me?! {Laughs}. - Well I have a strict policy that I will try anything once so make sure to slip me your number, although in order to get that second date, you’re gonna have to work for it! HA You’re adorable, ya know it?? So are you, my love. Any last words before you leave is? - On a serious note, I want to say too often in life we are told that we CAN’T do something. There is someone who is always being negative and will tell you that something is never going to happen. Part of my job is talking to people who have come up hearing the same things over and over in their lives and they are doing what they were told they’d never do. Never listen to people who have anything negative to say. It will only hold you back. Take it from a female in the HORROR and male dominated industry who has actually made a reputable name for herself, you CAN do it and who knows, you may do it better than anyone you admire. You will never know until you try. Check out HorrorNews.net and I hope you enjoy all we have to offer! Drop me a line and let us know what you think Thank you for having me and I hope I didn’t bore you all too much! NVF Films Interview with April Billingsley Good morning, April. How are you today? I'm doing great! I have been known to claim that 'good' and 'morning' make up an oxymoron, but lately I've actually been enjoying waking up early and working out, fixing my breakfast, etc. Go figure, people can change. Now, don't think I am picking on you for asking you this, but....what is it like having an appearance in Andre The Butcher listed in your resume? That film is infamous for featuring the ex-King of porn, Ron Jeremy. I love it! How many girls get to say, "yeah... I had a kung fu fight with Ron Jeremy"? Probably a lot less than have slept with him! And, for the record, I haven't. Was that film alot of fun to make? It looked like it would have been a blast. I had such a great experience working on that film. I wouldn't trade it for the world! The crew were the real stars. Those guys and gals busted their behinds day and night to get it made and never once that I remember lost their sense of humor. What exactly is the plot behind the film Robodoc? Is it about a cyborg surgeon? {Laughs}. Actually, yes. Wow...I walked right into that one, huh? What prompted your interest in becoming an actress? With your talent and intelligence, - as well as beauty - you could have easily picked a less stressful and time-consuming career. Awww, thank you so much! Truthfully, I have asked myself this question many-a-times, minus the talent, intelligence and beauty part. (Laughs). Seriously, I have no idea. It's like there is this alien inside of me, controlling me, keeping me from getting a real job, forcing me to keep following my dream no matter what. And, how did it end up my dream in the first place? All I know is that ever since I was a kid I always had this insatiable curiosity about why I was only myself and no one else. An odd thing for a kid to think about, right? But acting, becoming other people, experiencing their lives as my own always came very naturally to me. It's like I was born with this obsession and better I go with it than fight it. That being said, I'm extremely thankful for that little alien because my life has been pretty incredible so far. What do you do to unwind? I see you are into yoga. I am. Whenever I get restless and can't stop my mind or sleep, it is almost always because I haven't been doing my yoga practice. I also really enjoy unwinding with a good cup of leaf tea and a bag mint Milano cookies. I love those cookies! I could eat the whole bag all by myself in one sitting. I try not to. I see you are into martial arts as well. Have you ever had to defend yourself using your martial arts experience? Beat up any bad guys? Thank god, no. I haven't. Not for real at least. Just on film, pretend, you know. I have scared friends who snuck up on me a couple times, but that's about it. Here's hoping the answer to this question doesn't change anytime soon! What's on the horizon for April? Let's see. A lot. I just finished pickups for a pilot called Rehab-for-Rejects where I play a girl addicted to choking herself that might or might not get picked up. I also recently played a superhero, Twinkle, who has pink hair and rides a pink motorcycle in the first three webisodes of iTwinkle.tv, which we are currently searching for an investor to continue. There is definitely a lot of interest in the project so I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but I'm not holding my breath. Last but definitely not least, right now I'm most excited about my next project, a independent horror film called Hellphone. You can check it out at www.hellphonefilm.com. I'm the lead, the sheriff in a small town... I can't say anymore right now. Check out the website! I'll be filming that end of August, beginning of September. And, you guys should look for it to come out about a year to a year and a half from now. Any last words before you leave us? I'll be back! That was cheesy, wasn't it? Seriously, thank you for all of your support! Keep watching and making movies. Listen to your alien. XOXO! NVF Films Interview with Melanie Robel Good morning, Melanie. I trust you are doing well? I am doing very well, thank you. I am extremely honored you would include me in this book. It’s so crazy because I am still so new at this. The things I’ve done so far and the things I have coming up? Wow, I still want to slap myself some mornings to see if it’s really real or a dream… So...you classify yourself as an Army brat, huh? Hmm...does that mean you are the type to take full control over a tough situation? Yep, I am very much an Army Brat and Proud of it. I was born in Ft. Riley hospital in Kansas, home of the Big Red One, also known as the 1st Infantry Division. I support our troops wherever they are sent. Do I take control? Well, here’s the thing, it also depends on the situation. If I am on set I won’t take control because it’s not my job. It’s the directors. My job is to show up on time prepared to make my character believable, the director’s job easier and do my part to make the script work. We have all worked with people we can’t stand, but you’d never know it and that’s part of the job. There are times I choose to ignore situations but if it’s really bad I will step in and I have no problem saying why. For example, I was on set and one of the other actors didn’t know their lines. We were all getting frustrated and yes, I did jump in and coach/que her the lines. It worked, we finished up and I don’t think it was wrong to do. In the film industry, time is money and that is the reality of it. I really don’t like the term “full control” because that makes it sound like I want to direct, or that I’m really a diva. I am not a Diva...LOL. I’ve been told I am really easy going and I know I am really adaptable. If you are the ''take control'' type, then you would most likely make a good director. Has the thought ever crossed your mind? I’ve been asked that question a lot. Now isn’t the time for me to think about directing. I want to act and will continue to act, hopefully for a very long time. Maybe someday I will take a stab at directing. I will say though, that when I am on a set and waiting for my scenes. I am not really socializing. I watch what is going on behind the scene. I talk to the camera people, make-up artists, the techs, if they aren’t busy of course. The more you can learn about what goes on behind the scenes, then the better you will be in front of the camera. It all makes their job easier because you know camera angles, lighting and stuff. My first acting coach, Ken Grant, advised me on that and it is so true. As an actor you need to keep learning. I see you were a production assistant on the film For Christ’s Sake. Is that the film with Nicola Fiore? I have interviewed her, too. She is really cool. Yes, For Christs Sake is that movie. Nicola Fiore is a very cool lady and I wish the best for her in her career. Actually, it’s kind of funny how we met. I did a short film, my first, with Brian Troxell of Scruffy Ruffians. On that set I met Jason Liquori, another director, who took modeling pictures of me. I worked for Jason at Megacon 08, doing publicity for his company Hocus Focus Productions. Jason told me to keep to keep an eye out for Nicola and we ran into each there on the patio outside. What are the odds? We talked and then I also met most of the For Christ Sake crew. What a lot people don’t realize is, I was actually in Sarasota to be Nicole Grace in the short film, For Nicole’s Sake. Dustin Hubbard was making some shorts to explain the background history of the characters that were in For Christ Sake. On set there I met co-actors Joel and Cathy Wynkoop. They have helped me out a lot and have been very supportive. I can’t thank them enough. For Nicole Sake, was the second thing I had ever done with movies. I had just gotten back into the business and had also just started taking acting classes. It’s going to be fun to look back and see how much improvement there’s been! Hey, you’ve got to start somewhere you know. Whats your involvement with the film The Perfect Serial Killer? I see it was co-written by Dee Dee Bigelow. The Perfect Serial Killer is a project that I find amazing that I am a part of it. Have you seen the cast list? Wow. Courtney Gains, Erin Moran, Larry Laverty and Camden Toy, are all in it to name a few. When I found out I was going to be involved with it, I got so excited that I almost threw-up. It’s about two detectives who are faced with the challenge of figuring out who could be the perfect serial killer. When you think about it, it really gets your mind going in circles and it’s kind of scary. I am Mary Crawford and the only one with parents. My movie parents are DeeDee Bigelow and Tom Archdeacon and boy are they “hot”…lol… When you look at the character list, you see a lot of Mary’s and a lot of blondes. Could there be a pattern here? Guess you will have to watch the movie and find out. You also describe yourself as a ''modern day gypsy.'' Do you tend to reflect that in your lifestyle? If you look in the dictionary, a gypsy is, "persons of nomadic habit of life, whatever their race of origin.” I really feel that reflects my attitude and my willingness to travel. Growing up military, we moved around a lot. By the time I graduated high school, I had been in nine different schools. There was one time where the six of us lived in a RV for three months between duty stations. That included the dog and four hamsters. That doesn’t count the three cross country and weekend trips. Basically, if you need me to be somewhere, I can be packed and ready to go in less than a hour. If I were to move to California or someplace else for acting….I could live in a “customized” van as long as I can plug into a KOA or RV park. If I have electricity, water and a bed, I’m happy. Yes, I am also independent, open minded and proud that I am part European. Maybe growing up in Germany and having family in Norway has something to do with it? If I needed to be a character that was cross-cultured or foreign, then I’m your girl. As an actress and model, do you find it difficult to balance your professional and personal life? It has to be hard to do without some type of sacrifice. I’ll be extremely honest with you, but I really hate this question. Balancing my actress/model life? Well, I am an actress. I love it and I am planning on staying with it for a very long time. Yes, I also model because it’s fun and for me it’s relaxing. The modeling projects have to be interesting though and catch my attention. You also need to have a very good calendar to stay on track. OK, my personal life? I really don’t like talking about my personal life at all, because it hasn’t been easy this year. I have been doing this for less than a year and a half. The weird thing is that I have already had to deal with vindictiveness and slanderous behavior. It’s crazy, because I feel I haven’t done enough to warrant this. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it. Basically, I’m a homebody and I love to watch movies on DVD’s. It’s my guilty pleasure. Here's one for fun; If you could pick out ANY famous filmmaker you'd want to co-direct a film with, who would it be? Clint Eastwood!!!! I think he is a Cinema Genius! His movies are amazing, it doesn’t matter if he is in the movie, directing the movie or doing both. I blame my dad for my fascination with Eastwood. Dads two favorite movies are, Kelly’s Heroes and Paint Your Wagon and Clint Eastwood was a co-star in both of them. He used to watch them all time. Did you know that Clint Eastwood sang in Paint Your Wagon? I grew up on his westerns and war movies. I think his creepiest movie though was Dirty Harry. My favorite two modern movies of his are Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino. To work with Clint Eastwood… co-directing would be great, but I wouldn’t care if I was the third victim on the right, standing there holding his paperwork for him, or handing him bottles of water. Any exciting news to tell us about right now? Oh, yeah. I am doing a lot of exciting things. I am on two web-episodes. In Fleur De Mai, written by Durant St Hillary. I am Tiffany Geary, a kind of bitchy, wanna-be model. If you liked the shows, the L Word, Queer As Folk, or the BBC show Skins. Then you are going to love this show. The other one is called Stories Of The Paranormal. A different story is shot each time and I have been in two episodes so far. Kelly Weaver wrote and directed the stories. It’s an adults, who’s afraid of the dark stories. With the movies…I did Nightmare Collection Vol. II. and did a scene with NecroNancy Krista Grotti, directed by Rick Danford. Also, Bikini Monsters, directed by Terrence Munncy, which was a lot of fun. I was Rose, who becomes a genetically altered monster. Picture, body painting, fangs and add water, even though the beach was closed down that weekend. There was, Post Mortem, 2021, written, directed and produced by Cameron Scott. I am Rattlesnake Sally, a teenage assassin with a conscience, which makes her character a little bit conflicted. Basically it’s “a gritty, action/horror tale about a women seeking revenge in a world of zombies, grave robbers and killers while civilization crumbles around them.” I got to do scenes with Linnea Quigley and Joel Wynkoop. Working with them was the best and I learned a lot. Linnea taught me to go with my instincts and Joel taught me to be “quick”. As in, my reaction time, physically and with words. Jim O’Rear, Monique Dupree, Larry Laverty, Lilith Stabs are also in the movie. I also have a few up and coming projects which I can’t wait to start filming on. The first one is Feed, by Ricardo Vasquez and we shoot in Arizona. I am Rachel Massie and I work in a hotel. There is also, Courtney Gains, DeeDee Bigalow, and Ed Gary in the movie. Feed is basically an experiment that has gone very wrong. It becomes a mystery to science, preys on living organisms and they have to stop the virus before it becomes a worldwide outbreak. Very cool! Zen Hunter, written and directed by Jim DeVault, is a vampire movie. As Zen herself says,”I was a living breathing women…until someone changed my life forever. Now I am a bloodthirsty creature that stalks the night, seeking prey for myself and my new master.” Elissa Dowling, Nicole Kuex and Tim Taylor are involved. I am Joni and Thomas Daniel is Brent, my boyfriend. We already talked about, The Perfect Serial Killer with DeeDee and all of them… it will be great! Then I am doing some movies with directors that I’ve worked with before. Very, very cool! For example, Jason Liquori cast me as a cheerleader in his movie Stopped Dead. It was great because I looked like a believable, mainstream character and I didn’t have to open my mouth. I am doing another movie with Jason and I can’t wait. Brian Troxell cast me in his movie, Closing Costs with Joel Wynkoop. I love working with Joel. So I am staying a bit busy, portraying different characters and having a blast. Any last words before you have to leave us? I’ve never thought of myself as being among “Women of Horror”. There are amazing “Scream Queens”, out there that have worked so hard, have developed a name and a following. For you to even consider me, still makes my head spin. When I was on set with Linnea Quigley, a little twelve year old girl came up to me and asked if I was a “Scream Queen”? I said, “Not yet” and Linnea laughed and said, “these kids are going to take our place someday.” I can picture myself as a “Horror Princess” though… I am still in “training”….but, who knows. NVF Films Interview with Julie Anne Good morning, Julie. How are you this fine August day? I'm very well, kind of tired though! I just finished working on a film out in Deland Florida this weekend. It's called "Wayward", and I play a gypsy. How is your film Slices doing? I have heard some good stuff about it. I believe it's doing quite well. That was my first role ever, so I'm very happy to see it out on DVD. I learned a lot working on that, and it was definitely a great experience, especially for being a first! Speaking of films, your resume lists a film entitled 2:22 . Now, there is a film title that will keep you guessing. It definitely isn't self-explanatory, is it? {Laughs}. What is the plot line there? It's about a girl who goes out clubbing with her friends, has some fun, meets some guys, and then all hell breaks loose. I know that's not much of a giveaway there, so I guess you'll just have to look out for it once it's released! Party pooper! I see you have worked with Troma, too. What's working with Lloyd Kaufman like? He seems to me like he'd be a real blast to work with. Sorry! Yes, that's actually where I got my start from! I worked with Lloyd at the conventions in Orlando for several years as a spokesmodel, and he was always a lot of fun! I recently got the chance to film a scene with him in "Grim Fairy Tale", directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. He plays a pimp, and he does it hysterically. Working with him in a film was a dream come true, not to mention Herschell Gordon Lewis! I see you were born in St. Petersburg, Florida. Was that a good venue for an aspiring actress/model? Yes, overall. There isn't a lot of work in Florida, but the work I have found has been amazing. I am proud of each and every project that I have been involved in. There are a lot of hard working and extremely talented people around here, so I feel very grateful to have started out here! Everyone I've worked with has helped me as well as taught me how to become a better actress with each film I've worked on. I think your modeling moniker, ''Vanity Flair'' is cute. Does that describe your overall personality? Do you add your own special ''flair'' to everything you do? Thank you! It actually started out as kind of a joke. I needed a modeling alias to use for my portfolio and convention work. So this was sort of a silly name we came up with, and I ended up having some photos published and a couple articles in "Gothic Beauty Magazine", so the name just stuck with me. I used it as well for my stage shows, but once I started getting serious with the acting I decided to go back and use my own name. I'm neither Vain nor flairy! My personality is very laid back and flexible. I like to be creative and add whatever I can to my work, but you would have to ask someone else what exactly that is that I contribute, haha! In your personal opinion, what it is about the horror genre that is so appealing to it's fans? Well being a dedicated fan myself, I find it appealing because I'm twisted and I have a dark sense of humor. All I watch basically are horror movies. The scares, the suspense, sometimes the cheesiness depending on what sub-genre you are specifically referring to, are all things I gravitate towards, and give me a satisfying viewing experience. It can be very addictive as well, the way it gets your adrenaline going. Horror has a whole culture behind it, people just live in that nature. It's a passion, and a comfort to them. That's why there aren't romantic comedy conventions, people can be very dedicated to horror. That's one of the reasons why I do most of my acting work in that genre as well. It's what I love personally, and I know that people are going to feel very passionately about my films as well. It's just a very rewarding genre, and I can't imagine having more fun being a part of anything else. Now I'm not saying that I won't branch out at times, but I'll always continue to do horror no matter what I become involved in. How did you land your first role in film? I mean other than the obvious reasons; your beauty, talent, and brains. Well the first role I officially landed was in "Teen Zombies in Love", but I ended up filming "Night Scream", which was a segment in "Slices", first, which I mentioned earlier. I got the role in "Teen Zombies", basically by not being a total chicken, and having great friends and family supporting me both inside as well as outside of the "business". I had always been too scared to audition for films. I worked at the conventions with Troma, I did stage shows which involved a bit of acting, I even did a few music videos, but no film work and I had no formal training. After a few years of being a "model", I was starting to get bored with just dancing, or standing, or posing around. I wanted more action, and to really have the chance to be a character. So I eventually ended up trying out for "Teen Zombies in Love", and I got the lead role the first time! You just have to go out and make your life happen, anything is truly possible! Since you are obviously on your way to Scream Queen status, how does it feel? Do you hold such an honor in high regard? Yes I do. This is what I love. I have had a chance to work with two of the most amazing scream queens ever, Debbie Rochon, and Linnea Quigley, and I don't consider myself to be anywhere near as bad-ass as them. I do hope that I can make a contribution to the genre however, and help promote it as much as possible. If anything I definitely feel like a scream princess! The horror genre is my genre of choice both for my own entertainment, as well as my outlet to entertain others. So to be recognized and appreciated is beyond an honor. What's on the horizon for Julie? A date with me? {Laughs}.
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