If you’ve ever wondered what inspires my horror photography, this interview with Silverthorn Press will explain all. You will also get to read about my views and experiences of ghosts.
Posts Tagged ‘Interview’
Silverthorn Press Interview
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Interview by Paradise of Horror
Sunday, January 17th, 2010Recently I was interviewed by Rick, the webmaster of Paradise of Horror for his Paradise Profiles section.
Paradise of Horror is your tropical gateway to horror and mayhem and I’m sure you will enjoy Rick’s in-depth articles as well as reading our interview.
Rick, stated the following in relation to our interview..
Today, I had the pleasure of talking to somebody that I met online and after checking out her website and her photography I was entranced into it. The noir-ish qualities of her photography capture my eye and I wanted to know more about her. Much like her, I too am attracted to that architecture and quietness of cemeteries so i knew we had something in common. Below is my ‘interview.’
Note: This was such a great interview and she told me some very powerful things and this was by far, one of the best interviews that I conducted and it was so hard for me to edit this interview.
I don’t know why, but I felt compelled to be totally open and honest when answering Rick’s questions. I hope you will enjoy the interview and feel free to comment or ask me or Rick anything you want.
Ingrid Pitt and the Hammer Horror Interview
Monday, August 3rd, 2009
Some years ago, I interviewed the lovely Ingrid Pitt for another site I was involved in. As that site is no longer what it used to be, I’m proud to re-publish it here.
Ingrid Pitt starred as Countess Dracula in Hammer Horror’s 1970 film of the same title.
She also starred as Carmilla in the 1970 Hammer Horror film, ‘The Vampire Lovers’.
Nowadays she is a renowned author with such books as ‘BEDSIDE COMPANION FOR VAMPIRE LOVERS‘ and ‘BOOK OF MURDER, TORTURE & DEPRAVITY‘.
For more information about Ingrid, including the chance to purchase personally signed autographed books, posters and lots more items, visit Ingrid’s official site, http://www.pittofhorror.com. You won’t be disappointed!
A big thank you to Ingrid for answering my questions. Let the interview commence!
Ingrid, you played the role of Countess Dracula in Hammer Horror’s classic film of the same title. This film was based on the true account of Elizabeth Bathory who tortured and murdered over 600 young women. She believed that their blood would keep her skin looking youthful. How did you prepare yourself for this role and what are your thoughts of Countess Bathory?
Well I decided that the best way to get into the role was to round up a few virgins and try out the efficacy of their blood before starting the picture. Unfortunately the extreme difficulty encountered in my search for virgins made this impossible – so I winged it. And the Countess? I once spent the night in Cachtice Castle in Romania to satisfy the sadism of a cackle of journalist. I now fully understand her quest. The castle is so cold and depressing I was willing to do anything to break the monotony after a couple of hours.
You also played the role of Carmilla Karnstein in Hammer’s The Vampire Lovers, based on Joseph Sheridan LeFanu’s 1872 novella, “Carmilla”. Carmilla is my favourite vampiress of all time as she was an excellent seductress with stunning looks, but not only was she deadly, she seemed to have a caring heart, a lost soul searching for her soul mate in eternal life. Did you read the novel before filming and is Carmilla your idea of a female vampire, if not, what is?
Carmilla’s great. Sexy dresses and lots of sultry langorous looks. I did read the novel before I played the part. A fat lot of good that did me. I completely missed the idea that it was a take on lesbianism! It wasn’t until I was asked to introduce the film at a festival at the National Film Theatre that it struck home. There was a big poster saying it was the seminal lesbian/vampire movie. I just thought it was about a couple of friends, bored out of their skulls during a hot summer in Styria. And one of them happened to be a vampire. I’m just an innocent, I guess!
Would you have accepted the role beforehand if you’d known that Carmilla was a lesbian?
I’ve no problem with other peoples sexual proclivities – just don’t understand them. Professionally a role is a role is a role.
Hammer productions have announced that they’re making a comeback for the 21st century. This will involve the remakes of Hammer’s non horror films and at a later date, they will produce horror films. Do you think that Hammer can capture the gothic essence once again and create future cult classics like the films you and other big names such as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing starred in? Also, will you have any involvement with this as you are now a renowned author of vampire books; perhaps one of your tales could be adapted for the screen?
I am supposed to be involved in it. But you obviously know more about it than I do. As to my scripts and things – I’m working on it!
Good luck with the scripts. I simply took my information from their main website. In what way will you be involved?
Hammer are setting up a publishing arm to produce books, fictional and factual. I have been asked to write the definitive Hammer book and help set up the company. There is a bit of an hiatus at the moment. The book was supposed to be out for Christmas last but we are still in the throes of working out who does what in the company. And don’t bother to send in your valued manuscript – at least until the company is up and running. There is no way that it can be looked at in the near future and will be consigned to the trash can.
What are your most memorable moments from your time spent working with Hammer?
Having regular paydays. The thing about Hammer was they didn’t pay much but they did stick with old friends. My problem was I came to the company when it was on the slippery slope. And I had the temerity to turn down a couple of pictures. The poor salary gave everyone a common bond. There was always something to talk about and sympathetic ears to unload into. But it wasn’t serious. Everybody swore at some time or another that they would never work for them again. But they always did. Witness Chris Lee.
There is much speculation about which character from history Bram Stoker based his novel Count Dracula on. Some people say that he got the name Dracula from Vlad Tepes who was also known as Count Dracula. His father was Dracul and Dracula simply means ‘son of’. The real life Dracula is notorious for impaling his victims on stakes. It’s no wonder that people claim Stoker based Dracula on this character but other people claim he only used the name of Dracula and that the novel was actually based on Countess Bathory. Does this kind of speculation interest you and if yes, what do you believe is fact?
I think that when Bram Stoker was scuttling from house to house in Whitby writing his magnum opus he was using what material he had to hand to write fiction. And he had research on Dracula. I did the Dracula Tour a couple of years ago. Visited all the sites mentioned in Stoker’s book, slept in the tower room at Dracula Castle Hotel in the Borgo Pass, had lunch in the Golden Krone in Bistritz (where Jonathan Harker supped on his way to see Count Drac), visited Vlad Tepes’s birthplace at Sigisoara and so on. Great background stuff and I would have thought that there was little doubt about Vlad Tepes being the role model. But Raymond McAnally put the case for Erzebet Bathori in DRACULA WAS A WOMAN and who am I to argue against that?
You obviously still have a big interest with vampires due to your novel, ‘The Bedside Companion for Vampire Lovers’ and a project of which you was involved in, the making of a film titled ‘Dracula Who?’. What are your thoughts to the existence of vampires and what do you imagine one to be like?
My thoughts on vampires? Well the folkloric side is very interesting. So many blood suckers in so many countries over so many centuries. I love some of the stories. I guess my favourite is the Russian Kravalitza. It spends most of the year hanging around as an icicle until a posse of drunken peasants turns up and thaws it out and he savages them. Don’t ask me about the logic – just enjoy the legend. Clearly there are those who would testify to the existence of vampires. Like Colonel Johanne Flukinger who was sent to investigate the case of Arnold Paole who caught a dose in Greece. Vampirism that is. He returned to plague his home town in Serbian until being decapitated by the village Priest. The Colonel reported back to headquarters that it was a clear cut case of vampiric possession.
What do I think vampires are like? I go for the Groglin Grange, Varney The Vampire, Nosferatu model. Skinny, smelling, filthy and not fit to grace the drawing room of a young lady of refinement and breeding.
The topic of vampires is becoming huge on the Internet with more and more vampire sites and discussion forums popping up all over the place. Do you visit such sites and get involved with discussions, and what do you think about the presence of vampires on the Internet?
Not something I’ve thought about and I’ve never been asked to say my piece on the internet. Although I have had a couple of Chatrooms which seemed very interesting although not solely on a vampire theme.
Through out your career you have travelled around the world and met lots of adoring fans. Have you ever had any scary moments and what do you like best about meeting fans?
I can truthfully say that I have never had any problems. It might have something to do with the fact that my husband is 6′ 2″ and mean looking and is constantly with me. But I don’t think so. I just think people are lovely and I adore chatting to them. My favourite night of the year is the Fan Club reunion. Seventy or eighty members turn up in London, we pig out on delicious Polish nosh and dance the night away to a Russian band. And I get lots of time to chat. I sometimes get accused of taking too long to sign autographs when I’m at conventions. Not from the fans waiting for the autographs but from others who won’t be named. Of course, like everybody, I like talking about myself but the nature of the beast means that it gets boring after continous repetition – so I make my time interesting by finding out what everybody who bellies up to the stand do, what their ambitions are, how their family is getting on – and what they think of me!
It’s only fair to mention that your only interest isn’t vampires and that you have starred in numerous non vampire related movies. What is your best achievement in life so far and what plans do you have for the future?
My problem is that I don’t feel I have achieved anything. A few films that didn’t exactly set the screen alight. A dozen or so books which are not and never will be , compulsory reading in schools, a reasonable game of golf, a small ability to pilot a plane. That’s about it. Unless you want to include things like my daughter and through her my beautiful grand daughter – or surviving two serious cancer attacks. And, of course, being happy. Plans for the future are numerous and mainly unattainable – but it makes me happy to have a go. As is often repeated. If you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the lottery.
What message do you have for your fans who read this?
As Sam Goldwyn (I think) famously said, “Messages are for Western Union”.
Interview with Horror Master Drew Daywalt
Friday, July 31st, 2009
Meet Drew Daywalt who is one of my biggest photography fans. ;)
I’m honoured that he allowed me to interview him for my blog as he is a very talented emmy nominated writer/director and is one of the members of the fantastic and horrifying FEWIDO crew.
FEWDIO create nightmares and if you don’t believe me, check them out at http://www.fewdio.com.
As a director, cinematographer, producer and lots more, what is it about horror that attracts you so much?
I think, like a lot of horror film makers, and fans for that matter, there is definite catharsis to it.
As a member of the audience, I love the thrill of a good scare.
I grew up in a 160 year old inn in Hudson Ohio that was chock-full of scary places, cold spots, bad rooms and alien noises (mostly in the basement). I’m the youngest of 6 and my parents bought the 7 bedroom behemoth when it was abandoned and in a state of almost complete ruin. Everyone in town thought they were crazy, but they needed a cheap home for their huge family, so they moved in and started fixing it up.
What followed were great times, but also some terrifying experiences – one afternoon there was a blood curdling scream that shook us all up, but no one was ever able to explain… then there was the inexplicable cold spots in the back staircase to the servants’ quarters. (We didn’t have servants – we used the rooms as some of our bedrooms). There was also a VERY CREEPY well from 100 years ago in the woods behind our house. My parents always warned us not to go near it, for obvious reasons, but all us kids were convinced it was haunted. (When THE RING came out, I was like, THERE’S OUR WELL!)
I loved horror films as a kid – everything from the old James Whale & Todd Browning Universal Monster movies to Jacques Tournier’s Night of the Demon, all the way through Jack Arnold, William Castle, Hammer Horror and eventually John Carpenter. While the other kids were worshiping sports heros, I loved Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price.
Tell us about ‘Camera Obscura’ the horror web series that you’re currently working on?
I wrote Camera Obscura as a pitch about a year ago, and had it sort of sitting on my shelf when I was approached by Robert Kandle from MWG Media.
He liked some of my short horror films that I’d posted on Youtube – Bedfellows and Dinner Date, especially – and said his company wanted to get behind me as an artist. I was floored and complimented.
He said, “What do you have that we could do as a web series?”, so I pitched him Camera Obscura.
It’s the story of a young woman who basically discovers that her recently deceased crime scene photographer grandfather didn’t just photograph crime scenes. Seems he stumbled onto a world of demons and otherworldly abominations that prey upon the human race while moving unseen by almost everyone. Grandpa Sam researched the things in ancient texts and discovered a way to imprison the creatures in photographs with a special magical camera that he built, and he saved the photos in a photo-album – their prison.
Clara accidentally destroys the prison book in episode one, releasing all the demons he’d captured out into the world. After being attacked by one of them, she researches her grandfather’s old files and is horrified by the size and scope of her mistake in destroying the old photo album.
With the demons after her, and the camera she inherits from her grandfather, she sets out to re-capture them all, and commit herself to completing her grandpa’s life work.
It stars Reagan Dale Neis as Clara (she was in my first feature film STARK RAVNG MAD, so I’ve worked with her before and she’s fantastic). Jack Klugman plays her grandpa Sam. He’s most famous for his roles as Quincy on the show of the same name, and Oscar Madison from THE ODD COUPLE tv show with Tony Randall. Strangely enough, I actually was more familiar with Jack through his roles in 9 Twilight Zone episodes, and the films TWELVE ANGRY MEN and MR. ROBERTS. Timm Sharp and Donnie Jeffcoat also star, as her geeky best friend and an overworked LAPD Homicide detective, respectively.
I was also blessed with getting to work with Jeff Farley, a spfx guru behind some of the best physical effects in the last 20 years. He did the Cryptkeeper for HBO, he did Babylon 5, Pet Sematary and like a million other films. He’s not just a world class sculptor, but also a top notch animatronics expert and a sweet sweet guy. We asked a lot of Jeff on this one – he had to create 5 demons from scratch, and he was just unflappable and no matter what I threw at him in the design and construction phase, he would just nod and smile and say, “Yeah. That’s easy. We can do that.” Then he’d always add to the idea and make it ten times better.
You recently filmed ‘Camera Obscura’ in an abandoned hospital in L.A. What was that like and did you get spooked at all?
Linda Vista Hospital in L.A. was built in the 1920’s I’m told, and was used all the way up until 1990.
Since then it’s been a film location, and if you’re into urban decay, this place is a feast for all the senses. The paint is peeling, the doors are squeaky, the windows are boarded up, the electricity shudders and flickers… it’s really like something out of a nightmare.
One of the reasons I think I have such a knack for horror filmmaking is that I’m really a big scaredy cat. The whole 5 days we filmed at Linda Vista (night filming, no less!) we were all uncomfortable and constantly looking over our shoulders… and there was one really bad experience…
It actually happened during preproduction.
While scouting the location, we were in the labyrinthian basement taking location photos. It was very dark and there were 4 of us and when one of the producers, Bea Egeato snapped a picture of a frosted glass door, she and I both exclaimed simultaneously, “Oh shit!” because, in the flash, in that instant, we both saw a face pressed against the frosted glass on the other side, leering at us.
It was seriously fucking scary!
When we looked at the photo after the fact, there’s just a white cloudy thing on the glass.
What does the phrase ‘the dark side of life’ mean to you?
Hmm… That’s a good one. The Dark Side of Life.
Well for me it’s all those dark frightening things on the edge of your peripheral vision when you’re alone at night.
You know when you spin around because you thought you saw something in the corner of your eye, and your adrenaline is going? But then there’s nothing there, and you’re convinced it keeps moving behind you? THAT feeling! I hated that sensation as a kid.
I’ve learned to get kind of a cheap thrill out of it as an adult, and now I’m building a career out of recreating that very sensation of dread. That would be the dark side of life.
I also firmly believe that our darkest, most demented dreams - the really sick twisted stuff that most people bury inside themselves – and that I like to bring out and display in film — THAT is the dark side of life. The darkest animal part of ourselves from our dreams that most people dare not share with anyone, lest they think we’re insane or dangerous or both…
What is your favourite piece of work to date and why?
My fans have responded overwhelmingly to BEDFELLOWS, and I think it’s because that is the one film where I truly and absolutely captured the spirit of my own personal boogeyman. Everyone had a boogeyman as a child. If you ask around, everyone’s boogeyman looks completely different.
Mr. Smiley from Bedfellows was mine. To a T. Make up artist Mikal Sky, actor Peter Giliberti and I worked really hard on that one to really nail my own personal nightmare man and I think that resonated with people. Maybe not the character in particular, but definitely the situation, the helplessness and the anticipatory dread.
Dread is the key ingredient to everything I do. I don’t think the moment of attack is the scary part… it’s that dreadful “moment before” that is REALLY TRULY terrifying. I much prefer slow, building tension and horror to blood and gore, although, I do love the blood and gore too.
What does the future hold for you and your fans?
I have 4 short films completed and in the can, but I still need to edit them.
There’s also CAMERA OBSCURA which will launch the first of 17 episodes in October.
Then there’s my work with FEWDIO. We just announced at Comicon that we’re partnering with FANGORIA to create a webseries together. I’ll be able to give more details on that in a month or two. But it’s very exciting.
Finally, if you could have one print of my work, what would you have and why?
Hands down, it would be THE WITCH.
That one scares the hell out of me and press my “fear of hags” button in a big way.
There’s an amazing amount of rage and violence in that one.
There’s truth in it, an honest primal look of hatred and destruction in her eyes that gets me. I love that one!
I could make a whole short film about the fear that THAT picture radiates in me.
Dark Gothic Magazine Interviews Amanda Norman
Monday, April 13th, 2009
Lucky subscribers to the Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine will be able to read a candid interview about Amanda and her work.
The interview also features some of yours and Amanda’s favourite photographs.
DARK GOTHIC RESURRECTED MAGAZINE is vampire, goth, creepy, and paranormal themed. It features stories, artwork, poetry and interviews. Check it out today!
