Queens Of Scream: The New Blood (7) God Bless… God bless you, too, dear. Take care. *** INDEPENDENT SHORT FILM “8 Minute Date”... Featured Role as “Desperate Mother of 3” and Key MUA. Produced by Zoo Productions. Director, Michael D. Higgins. FEATURE FILM ”Kalamazoo? The Movie” comedy/drama Featured Role as "Caterer". Stand-In for Principle actors Dee Wallace Stone and Mayim Bialik. Stunt-Double for Renee Taylor and Extra in High School Reunion scene . Director, David O’ Malley. Produced by Londinium Films/Two Islands Entertainment/Shoreline Entertainment. FEATURE FILM “The Dread”. Horror/thriller...Featured role as “Admitting Nurse”. Director, Michael Spence. Produced by Safe Harbor Productions/Shoreline Entertainment/Sci-Fi Network FEATURE FILM “A Sheer Agenda”…Psychological thriller…Featured role as “College Student”. Director, Jenifer Triezenberg. Produced by Ream Enterprises/ Nevermore Pictures FEATURE FILM.”Buddy Bebop vs. The Living Dead”…Horror…Featured role as “The Waitress”. Director, Justin Cash Kirkpatrick. Produced by Ream Enterprises/ CinXperia Productions FEATURE FILM”Cherry”…Drama/Comedy…Featured role as “Coffee Shop Owner”. Director, Jeffrey Fine. Produced by Sam Kitt & Paul Kurta. MUSIC VIDEO...for “Buddy Bebop vs. The Living Dead” soundtrack...Featured role as dancer. Director, Chad Ream. Produced by Ream Enterprises/CinXperia Productions NVF Magazine Interview With Krista Grotte Greetings, Krista. How are you today? You look lovely. I am very well, Thank You!!! Tell me about your film debut in the film Filthy. The title may sound self-explanatory, but, you never know… It is very self explanatory if you are thinking in terms of dirty and grotesque. Of course many have asked if it's a porno, especially when they hear that I played the character of "Pussey". Nope, it is a Horror film not a Whore film! Whew…you had me worried there… In "Filthy" I was a member of an insane transient family (think Texas Chainsaw Massacre). I was the childlike, inbred psycho who fought for the love of my brother. There are some sick and sadistic scenes in "Filthy"! We had an amazing cast and crew, we worked many long hours on this short. I also had never had more fun in my life. The F/X makeup alone took hours. I gained so much knowledge from that experience and learned just how much work and literally blood, sweat and tears go into making a movie. I became addicted to movie making as well as gained a whole new respect for the hard working people in the industry. "Filthy" went on to earn 22 awards in the Film Fest circuit across the nation. It also launched my career. Sounds absolutely…filthy! LOL! How about the film Alarum? Now, that does not sound self-explanatory. Alarum actually is self explanatory, to a degree. Since the definition of Alarum is an automatic signal warning of danger- we agreed that title would be perfect. Synopsis: ALARUM A conservative Nanette Bentley spends a quiet evening at home performing her Obsessive Compulsive Rituals that she feels keep her safe. As the night creeps in, so does the stalking shadow of her past-Who is it and what do they want? Just when Nanette thought it was all in her head- she opens her eyes to a startling wake up call from her alarm that flat lines her into a world of domestic abuse, rape and murder. What ritual will she attempt to use to get her out of this one? She asks, as she comes face to face with her Alarm…The Wakeup call to Die for. Alarum is a low budget short that really happened quite quickly. I was hosting a mansion shootout and met Playboy Photographer Bo Hitchcock. Bo and I were shooting and we began talking about movies, I said f*ck shooting, let's talk. That is where he discussed the concept, I went home that night and began brainstorming on the story I would implement into that concept. I immediately began writing. This is where I earned a whole new respect for writers as well. Writing this script gave me more emotional freedom than a lifetime of therapy could do. Submersing myself in the world I was creating was intense, complete hell, scary and therapeutic at the same time. I could definitely see truth in "The Shining"!! I completed the script within a few weeks and sent it over to Rick Danford. Rick added his touch to it and then I began securing our amazing cast and crew. Joel Wynkoop did an amazing job doing the voice of the clock. He really nailed it and gave that character a reality that no one else could do. Doing this movie also gave me an opportunity to play a character with many layers of emotion with absolutely no focus on my looks. It was very, very intense and it paid off. I won best lead Actress in a short at the prestigious Crystal Reel Awards 2008 through the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association. Magdalen Graal won best female Vocalist in Alarum as well! Alarum is still in post production as we have many bonus extras being added to the DVD. Wow…busy little beaver, aren’t we? What a resume; actress, producer, writer, - boxer?! – weightlifter, dancer, voice-overs. Kind of spoils the ‘’dumb blonde’’ image just a tad bit, doesn’t it? LOL! I love to be able to snatch that "dumb blonde" image by the hair and punch it in the face. Yeah, you go, girl! I have always been somewhat fascinated by the close-mindedness the viewing public seems to possess when watching the average horror film. If you are starring in an NBC movie of the week, you are considered an actress. If you are starring in a low-budget horror film entitled Blood-sucking Bitches From Hell, you are considered to be a blonde bimbo with the IQ of a gnat. Ever run across this situation? I have run across that through critics and some people in the public. I simply find it hilarious because I would LOVE to see them walk in my shoes for one day on the set, one thing is guaranteed, they will certainly stumble and fall. I often get cast as the eye candy, however I take that as a compliment because if I was being cast as the lady with a mustache, it would probably hurt quite a bit- {insert photo here} I most certainly agree…I like that kind of candy! - A great example is when I went to New York to work on "Death on Demand", I stayed in Brooklyn (no hotels available in Peekskill) and had to travel to Peekskill each day by walking, catching the bus, then the subway, transfer to another subway then take the metro from Grand Central station. I had to leave daily at 5 am rain or shine and would usually return around 3 am sleep, an hour and do it all over again. I had two days notice of getting the part, therefore, through each day of travel I had to study my lines and then get into makeup and portray that I was a sexy porn star- sexy was the last thing I was feeling. One night we were shooting late, after the last train ran to Manhattan. I had to get dropped off in Harlem at 1:30 am in Harlem, in my porn makeup and find the way back to Brooklyn on the subway- Just through that, many people would be dropping like flies. If people had any true idea, they would be kissing my exhausted damn feet. Instead they talk about my tits, so whatever, I and only I can handle walking in my shoes. Almost can’t blame them though. Kissing your cute little feet, I mean. Haha! Aw…aren’t you sweet? I try… The bottom line is Acting is WORK, whether you play a Doctor or a Porn Star, I am going to give the porn star that credit for standing there exposed, with a crew of about 20 people, cameras, lights and director explaining how he wants the scene as she pays close attention so that it can be done in minimal takes! I’d be mortified, myself. I am not exactly stud-muffin material. Haha! Speaking of film in general, which way do you tend to lean where horror cinema is concerned? Do you enjoy the older, classic horror more, or the newer films? I liked the 1980s slasher films, myself. I also LOVE the 80's slasher flicks. I love Friday the 13th sequels. I also love movies such as "The Shining" and the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" as well as "Natural Born Killers". The classics such as "The Tingler" and "Bloodfeast" are a riot to watch in a theatre. I bet! I see you were also co-host for Herschell Gordon Lewis’s 45th Anniversary for Blood Feast. Tell me about it, it sounds like a real blast! Anyone who knows of Herschell Gordon Lewis, knows that he is the Godfather of Gore. His movies started the gruesome effects way back when in the 50' and 60's. His movies were literally banned from certain theatres. He got such hell for it then, and now it is so funny to watch! I played the nurse for Bloodfeast at the Gasparilla Film Fest. I handed out barf bags and was on hand in case anyone fainted during the movie- all I would probably do is throw cold water on them, but hey, I was there for them! The bags I handed out were special collectors from the night where the audience lined up to get Herschell's autograph. He is such a sweet guy. I first met him at the Chiller convention in New Jersey and my good friends at The Film Ranch are working on an upcoming film with him, so I know we will be working together very soon. Sounds way cool! Tell me a little about your cosmetics line, too. I bet you are excited about that. I am so excited about my cosmetic line. My management at World Entertainment Agency hooked me up with a high end million dollar cosmetic line. I have complete creative control. I am calling it CELEBRETTY by Krista Grotte The products are amazing, long lasting and so natural looking, truly high end in a class of their own. I could not be happier. We are currently working on the licensing, packaging, website and distribution. I wear my own products exclusively. So stay tuned to my site for further updates! Will do! How about any up coming film projects? What is on the horizon for Krista? I am currently co-producing a Psychological Horror film to be shot on HD titled "The Deepest Cut" written by the unbelievably talented John Strong. I will play the lead role and we have an amazing cast and crew plus the best of the best in Hollywood will be marketing this feature. I am so excited about it and shooting is slated to begin in February '09 We are currently in production of "The Nightmare Collection 2", the highly anticipated "Brainjacked" is in post production as well as "Stilettos". So stay tuned!!! Will do! Any last words before you have to leave us? Thanks so much for the interview and thanks so much for taking the time to read it!!!! Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/thereelkrista You can count on it, babe. See ya! *** Brainjacked (2008) (post-production) .... Heaven Death on Demand (2008) .... Velvet Luv Real Premonition (2007) .... Agent Lori Harris The Nightmare Collection Volume 1 (2004) (V) .... Necro Nancy "The Spot" (2003) TV series .... Guest Appearance Filthy (2003) .... Pussey NVF Magazine interview With Sarah {of Fatally-Yours.com} : Good day to you, Sarah. How are you this fine day? Sarah: Very well, thank you! Thanks for having me! I have visited your site, and always found the quality of your reviews outstanding. You must be very proud. Have you always been a film buff? Thank you very much! We keep to pretty high standards, so that means a lot. Yes, I’ve always been a film buff, though my love of horror really started more with literature than movies. I was a big Stephen King fan from elementary school up to high school, as well as any other scary books I could get my hands on. I’ve always loved movies, but didn’t truly delve into the horror genre until college, where I took a film class whose sole focus was horror films. Thanks Professor Steensland!! After doing my senior thesis on the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, I was completely hooked! I see you also do interviews with directors, actors, and FX artists. Me too! What made you decide to broaden your horizons past the reviews? I have always been interested in the “behind-the-scenes” aspects of filmmaking, so naturally I wanted to interview the people responsible for the films I was watching. I wanted to peek behind the curtain to see just how things were done, how ideas came to life and just exactly how much hard work went into making a horror film. I also love interviewing authors, clothes designers, artists, photographers and anyone else whose work involves the macabre and horrific. Their creativity is inspiring! Be honest, now, don’t you think it’s great that women are so prominent within the horror genre now? I think it is high time the reading public knows even more about the fact that women in the horror genre possess such a high degree of intelligence. Of course! I think it is fantastic more women are becoming involved in the horror genre! And it’s not only one aspect of the genre they are becoming involved in…overall, there are more women horror directors, writers, producers, special FX artists and even more female horror fans than ever before! It is still a male-dominated field, though, so I think encouraging more and more women to become involved with the horror genre is still a must. Do you write fiction as well? If so, I’d like to see some of it sometime. No, I haven’t delved into fiction and don’t have any plans to. I have a more analytical mind suited for critiquing films rather than coming up with imaginative fiction, so I’ll leave the fiction writing to the pros! Being a critic of film myself – although not to the extent you are, obviously – I was curious as to your taste in cinematic horror. What have been your top picks within…oh..say the last ten years? One of my recent favorites was The Ruins. I’ve been impressed with a lot of independent horror films over the last few years. I’ve really championed films like Bad Reputation, Stupid Teenagers Must Die!, Grace, Midnight Movie and so on, that don’t have big budgets to spend on advertising and therefore fall under most people’s radars. There are a lot of independent movies out there to wade through, but when you find ones that you really love it’s worth sitting through all the bad ones! I’ve also enjoyed Neil Marshall’s films, including Dog Soldiers, The Descent and, most recently, Doomsday. I also loved all the great Asian horror we’ve seen in recent years, like Tale of Two Sisters. Films in the last 10 years….that could fill up pages!! Where do see yourself ten years from now? Continuing to bring honest (often brutally so) reviews to horror fans. I can’t stand it when sites start peddling the latest big-budget drivel just because they are in the studios’ pocketbooks or when sites feel pressured, for whatever reason, to give a horror film a good review even though they know it sucks. I’ll still be behind Fatally-Yours.com, writing for the fans, standing for standards and doing it, as our motto says, “for the love of horror.” Any advice to your readers and fans? Any words of wisdom to those interested in a career within the horror genre? I started from the ground up with an unknown blog just writing small paragraphs about horror movies I was watching. From there it just snowballed and I was lucky enough to get some kick ass writers to contribute to the site. A few revamps here and there, thanks to my wicked cool designer, and I had a full horror review website up. For those that want to break into the horror genre it is all about persistence, tenacity and quality. Whether you want to be a writer, an actor, a director or a critic, those three things will see you through, but only if you stay true to yourself and stay honest. It also helps to remember that your responsibility lays with the fans, not the filmmakers…honesty and personal responsibility are a big part of my writing. Any last words before you have to leave us? It’s been a ton of fun and thanks so much! My pleasure. {insert photo here} NVF Magazine interview With Emily Brownell Good afternoon, Emily. How are you on this fine December day? Well Good and Bad actually. I have a pretty awful cold, and I HATE runny noses. Also my head is a bit foggy so excuse me if this sounds like it is written by someone all hopped up on over the counter meds, because it was. But a friend and I did spend a few hours wandering around MOMA, which was great. Van Gogh has a special Night exhibit there, and it was very fitting for a rainy day such as this. I understand you starred in your first TV commercial at the age of four. A true prodigy in the making! Did it help your Grandpa sell any cars? I’d buy a car from you any day! Not sure if our commercials helped close any deals, but people were always recognizing me around town. Once I remember after my cousin and I did this one where we talked the jingle at the end of the commercial, but in the final edit they dubbed music over it, so it looked as if we couldn’t sing, which was kind of the truth, but we were never asked to, and mind you only 8 at the time. Anyway this lady came up to us in the grocery and store and said, “Why didn’t you girls sing? You should have sung.” As if she were mad over some local car dealership commercial. People are strange. Did you have any favorite actresses growing up? Sometimes the acting bug seems to be in the blood. Yeah, Alyssa Milano. No, like every young girl I was fascinated by Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. But I think it wasn’t until I understood the craft of acting that I really decided who I admired. Everyone else just seemed more of icons than idols to me. {insert photo here} I see you have been compared to Ellen Sandwiess { The Evil Dead}. Do you take that as a compliment? She sure could scream! Well I have to be honest here. I have never actually seen Evil Dead, and I know that is horrible, but Ellen was great in Brutal so I suppose it’s a compliment, it’s just I don’t see myself as a genre actor, though Comedy seems to come easy for me and I do have a blood curdling scream. Tell me a little about your film Brutal Massacre. The title sounds fairly self-explanatory, but you never know. Well the full title is Brutal Massacre: A Comedy. So that makes it even more self-explanatory. But its about a B-horror film director trying to get back on top of his game making his masterpiece entitled Brutal Massacre, only everything that could go possibly go wrong during production does. I play the lead actress in his film, who is a bit of a diva and refuses to do nudity. Which creates some serious problems for the director Harry. I really enjoy interviewing women in horror, because they tend to show just how intelligent they really are, which really blows a lot of guy’s minds. I think that’s funny, myself. How about you? You have a BFA in film! I do have a BFA in Film, and actually took a Horror Film class while at Syracuse University. It’s funny because I don’t know what my parents were thinking but my favorite film at the age of 4 was Children of the Corn. I watched that and The Exorcist over and over. And Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal was actually pretty creepy too.
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