You have just starred in Into the Woods. What can you tell us
about your role in the movie?
I
play women called Danielle. She is reaching middle age. No kids, no husband
or any bright future. She is messing with a married guy who promises to leave
his wife. The time comes when he has to make a decision, a decision that
has her left out in the cold and feeling used. Fun and games and her
perfect life she thought was coming are all gone. Her life is changed
overnight and she is left alone. Things are not what they seem and she is
thrusted in a nightmare like scenario.
I
took the role because it was a challenge. I have always taken small roles.
This was the first starring role. I also saw it as something I would have
never done but was talked into because of the powerful script. It was a
real thinking script. Where the viewer could not get up and leave, they
have to watch from scene 1 till the end.
As I understand it, your
role in the film was very demanding. Is it right that you twisted an ankle
during shooting? Twisted? Broke is more like it. We were a
few weeks in the shoot. The movie is like 90% outdoors and had to deal
with natural elements. We had good weather but there was rain. We were
shooting a random chase scene through the woods. It was very dense the
woods and rugged terrain. Shooting a simple scene like that on a low
budget takes a few hours. You’re shooting the same
thing from different angles over and over - the reason is you’re only using 1 camera due to
budget limitations. Well, we were a couple of hours into me running around
and getting tired. I am a runner and this is a natural thing for me, but
even I was tiring out. It was close to the end of the shoot and it was a
pretty hilly rocky area. I was watching myself to prevent a stumble and
out of nowhere was a root. I stopped but not in time, when I heard a crack
and took a fall. I felt the pain like I never felt before. It shot through
every nerve of my body and I saw stars. After a few minutes of crying and
cursing the director (Phil Herman) we finished. But afterwards while
packing up the equipment I was feeling real dizzy and threw up. My ankle
was throbbing and purple. Phil rushed me to the hospital and it was
x-rayed and confirmed broken. Therapy and a slow recovery followed.
Obviously a long delay in filming (6 months) but all is better now and we
did finish the movie, obviously.
Any other moments while shooting Into
the Woods where you had the feeling you were pushed beyond breaking
point?
From beginning to end I felt like that. Between the nudity and weather I was
really thinking why I took this on. It was grueling, the things that went on. But
I can say my breaking point was the pivotal rape scene. It was handled very
tastefully but it was still very explicit and tough to do. I agreed to do it
with Phil. We have worked together a lot in the past and I feel so comfortable
with him. He is such a professional. After kicking and screaming about the scene
and refusing at first to do it, he assured me it would be done tastefully and not
exploitive.
It
was shot over a week and was being done over and over till I agreed to
what was shot. It needed some nudity but was not done explicitly. The finished
result had everyone convinced and disturbed at what they saw. It was a
really grim realistic depiction of a brutal rape and leaves a bad taste in your
mouth - exactly what the
filmmakers wanted.
I
am very proud of our work, and that scene really sets the tone for the
movie.
As an actress, how did you prepare for Into
the Woods? I started running 7 miles a day and watching
my diet. I had to make sure I was in shape. For not only the grueling
running stuff but also my body was on display throughout the movie with
nothing to hide. I was so scared it made me sick thinking about to what I
agreed to. But now after seeing it and all the good press I am getting, I don’t
regret it.
There is quite a bit of nudity in Into
the Woods. Do you, or did you ever, have any problems appearing naked
in front of the camera, and do you still remember your first ever nude
scene?
When
I first started making movies I did not do any nudity. But to stay in the
game - and also sometimes it really helps the script - I had to change my game
play. In the beginning I just did a lot of tame stuff. Tight shirts, low
cut shirts, behind shots so you couldn’t see anything. The magazine Draculina had
asked me to pose and I said hey why not? The rest is history, I had received so much fan mail that I
had to disrobe in my next
movie. The first movie was Before I
Die. My topless shot generated a lot
of interest, and I was a bonafide scream queen.
I
still really don’t like doing nude scenes but if the role calls for it I
will not have any problem with it. Also you get paid a lot more than for non-nude
scenes. You’re not young forever so I think I might as well while I
can.
In
the case of Into The Woods the whole tagline is
Stripped of
Everything. So did not want to mislead the viewers. The beginning of
the movie where I wake totally nude in the old bunker was very scary.
It
was in a public place with joggers nearby. I was completely naked and
scared of getting caught. So the fear on my face was real. I also felt
though it was necessary for the role. We were going to do with panties but
I said let's go for it. What is the most feared thing for everyone? Waking
up complete naked in the middle of nowhere. Not knowing where you are and
why you're there. You’re vulnerable to begin with being in that situation
but also to be naked you are completely violated. Clothes can hide and
give you security, without them you’re open for the world to see you for
who are and nothing is left to the imagination. I don’t know about you
but that is a nightmarish scenario that scares the hell out of me.
A few words about Into The Woods' director
Phil Herman [Phil Herman interview -
click here], and how did you first get in touch with him?
director/co-star Phil Herman |
Phil
Herman is a certified lunatic. The scene in the movie that shows him in a
nuthouse is not far from the truth. Phil has a way with people and really
is a kind person. He can make anyone do anything eventually. He has a true
gift of being charming and very talented. That helps him in getting what
he wants. Plus I really like those blue eyes and blond hair. Ever since
the first time I answered an ad in a local paper for his movie back in the
early 90’s called Arena of Death. It called for a girl in a bikini on a
beach who spoke two lines. Those two lines and scene got more exposure and
inquiry than the movie. I became a permanent fixture for Falcon
Video ever
since. I have such a fan base in the lil roles I played that it was just a
matter of time before I got to do a lead role. After all these years Phil
finally wrote something (Into The Woods) that I found appealing and a
challenge and not a silly slasher movie with a masked maniac after me.
Something I can really sink my teeth into. As
I understand it, Into the Woods is the first film with you in the
lead. Did you find it difficult to really carry a movie as opposed to just
appear in a supporting role?
Oh
my god I was terrified. I had initially rejected it. Debbie D was asked
and agreed to do it. I felt it was more of a role for her due to the
extensive nudity. But because of scheduling and a pay dispute Deb D
dropped out. I was coaxed back with major script changes. The original
movie had all the wood stuff having the lead in the nude the whole time. I
explained that was not happening and out of the question no matter how
much money I would get. We did some test shoots in the woods and Phil
really liked the way I took on the character. We both sat down and pumped
out a revised script. While the first script was more of a revenge flick
this had a revenge twilight zone type of theme. It took on a mystery an
awe that the first one did not have. We injected flashbacks and a richer
deeper storyline on why this was happening. It is not told right away but
unfolds and really injects the viewers with a storyline that has you
guessing what the F * * * is going on!
It’s
funny we have had a lot of reviews on this. There is no in-between either
people love or hate this movie. It seems those who have actually watched
and listened really got it and give an in-depth review. The people that
didn’t like it give two sentences and couldn’t understand it. There
are no mentions of specific scenes or actors just a negative assault. But
like I said, people that have sat through and really watched find it very
rewarding, the payout at the end.
So far, you have mostly
appeared in horror films. Is horror a genre especially dear to you? I
love horror. It is such a great escape. Some people say horror movies
degrade women or are silly. I say. “Don’t watch them”. Horror is not
real. When you go see a horror movie you’re escaping from real life
horrors. We live horror but cannot escape it. In a movie you're scared silly
but know after 90 minutes it will be resolved an everything will be all
right. Sure I love all types of movies but horror is true to my heart. I
love sitting in a dark theatre with friends and being scared out of my mind
and scream my lungs out. It is so much fun! What better way to spend a night
than with good friends and a good scary movie.
Women
in horror film are automatically labelled scream queens (while
oddly enough, there are no scream kings). What do you think about
that label, which somehow of course applies to you as well? Well,
it is nice to be labeled scream queens and not scream bitches. Your
being labeled as a scream queen is a form of royalty. Scream Queens in the
genre are put on a pedestal and praised, from early favorites like Linda
Blair and Jamie Lee Curtis to new genre stars Danielle Harries and Shawnee
Smith. I feel like I am among High Ranks! I am labeled as a scream queen
and not a scream bimbo. Scream kings - that sounds so uncool. The title
should go to the ladies, which is what horror is all about! I have been
named and also presented as a scream queen and have no regrets! How
did you get into acting in the first place?
Never liked it and if I never do it again will have no
regrets. Feel obligated to Falcon
Video cause of the following I have gotten. I
never went into this thinking anything would amount to what it has. Like I
said previously I had answered a newspaper ad for a small role in an Indy
film called Arena of Death. I said hey that sounds fun. After doing
it I said this sucks and didn’t really think I would ever do anything
else. A dozen movies later I still hate filming because of all that goes
into it and the time it takes but I also feel I have an obligation to Phil
and the fan-base that has grown over the years.
What can you tell us about your movies before Into the Woods?
I really appreciated the roles I have done in the past. They were all no more
than cameos and guest spots. I would show up for one day of shooting and that
was it. When the mags found out I was involved they wanted exclusive photo
shoots and interviews. That was a funny thought cause I would only be in parts that
if you would blink you would miss me. It was until Phil and company started
making anthologies that my roles had increased. I got to play the host in one
of the Midnight movie, which was part of a trilogy. I was to host the
final
one too but one of the producers, Joel D. Wynkoop, felt a different direction was
needed for the series to inject new life. I was cut from the movie and given
just a few scenes in flashbacks. I really respect Joel D. Wynkoops decision
and was happy with the results. Even though I was not in the movie a lot, the
whole short I was in was dedicated to me in a narration of a prophet type of
dude. I really liked that the short was called the Bronze Princess, which is
what they call me in the summer…I wish! It was cool because it was all about
me and I felt really privileged that someone would take the time to write a
story praising my character like that.
Any future projects you'd like to talk about?
As
of now were really promoting Into The Woods
and have no future
plans. This movie is pretty much do or die. Either it makes or breaks
Phil. Him and his editor Chris Kahler have put a lot into getting this
movie done. Chris painstakingly spent hours and endless nights to get this
done. What is not known is all the specialeffects and color correcting was
done to make this look a lot more than what it originally looked like.
With the harsh tones, sounds, and piecing together of hours and hours of
footage the finished product is pure genius. When I had shot it
originally and then saw what was done I was amazed. The movie did not look
like a cheap video production that floods the market but a finely polished
masterpiece that he should be proud of. It takes a lot to film the movie
but the finished product is what everyone will look at with awe in this case!
If
all does will with this ,there is a sequel already written. We're hoping a
company will pick it up and finance it. That will be the only way it will
be made. We have had interested parties that were eager to get a sequel in
the works, but nothing inked out yet. I would be eager to get back in the
woods, if the price is right. If this does well financially I see a sequel
being made very soon. I peeked at the script and it is really cool!
Any role you'd like to play (no matter how unlikely)?
I
would love to play in an upcoming Rob Zombie-Halloween- or Saw-sequel. Then I would come full circle as a Scream Queen! Are you
listening, producers?!
Your website/mySpace/whatever else?
http://www.geocities.com/pharmpon/INTOTHEWOODS.html
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Actresses/actors who have inspired you?
Jaime
Lee Curtis and Linda Blair! Your
favourite films? Love
Story and Revolutionary Road! Sorry Horror Fans! ... and of course some films you really
deplored? For
some reason I hated Vacancy with a passion! Why? I don’t know, I
just hated it! Anything else you are dying to tell us and I
have just forgotten to ask?
My
god you have asked everything and I take this as such an honor to have my
work noticed. At this level of filmmaking, people come and go and are
pretty much one hit wonders. I am proud to say that I have been noticed
and recognized. I really hope to do a few more movies before I call it
quits. You have to know when to say no more. But as long as I keep getting
requests for interviews and roles I will be out there. There are so many
more things I would like to do, but it is such a hard demanding level of
filmmaking with little true rewards financially. But as long as I get
offers you can count me in.
Thanks
for interviewing me, it has been fun and hope to do so again in the near
future!
Thank you for the interview!
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