Kidnapped

Year:  2010

Director:  Miguel Angel Vivas

Cast:  Fernando Cayo, Ana Wagener, Manuela Velles, Guillermo Barrientos

Fright Meter Award Nominee:  Best Supporting Actress

Spending their first night in their new home in a wealthy, gated community, a family is terrorized by three masked home invaders who demand money.

Home invasion films have enjoyed a certain popularity as a viable sub-genre to the slasher/horror genre.  Films like Straw Dogs, Funny Games, Ils, Inside, The Strangers all bring viewers face to face with a real and seemingly increasing epidemic; criminals are no longer waiting until their victims are away to enter their homes.    Kidnapped follows the formula established by its genre predecessors faithfully, but ultimately is a much more stylish and visceral film.  The exposition of the film is prefaced by a disturbing and frenzied sequence revealing a man who has been bound and has had a plastic bag tied around his head struggling to seek help.  It’s an attention grabbing opening scene that perfectly sets the tone for the remainder of the film.   Abruptly, the opening scene fades into introducing the viewer to an average upper middle class family consisting of well-meaning mother and father and typical, self-absorbed teenage daughter, Isa.  Tension exists because the family is just moving into a new home and movers are scurrying in and out of the house.  Additionally, mother wants nothing more than to enjoy a family dinner in the new house.  Isa, however, has plans with her friend that her father completely supports her following through with.  As night falls and the movers are long gone, the argument between the family persists; quite suddenly the situation is shattered as three masked men violently enter the home, taking the family hostage and demanding their valuables.    From this point, the film becomes a suspense filled roller coaster ride that hooks the viewer and refuses to let go.

Director Vivas masterfully handles the direction, allowing the camera to be a voyeur; the action on screen and the character’s reactions to what is going is utterly and painfully realistic.  The direction is also steeped with enough style and visual flare to set it apart from other recent genre entries.  During one of the film’s most suspenseful sequence, the screen splits and the viewer is allowed to watch the grueling action unfold from various perspectives.  Not since De Palma’s prom scene in Carrie has the split screen been utilized so effectively.  Moreover, the performances are excellent across the board, adding the realism of the film.  Manuela Velles is particularly spectacular as the teenage daughter whose decent from self-centered teenager to emotionally and physically ruined victim is astonishing to witness.  However, despite the film maintaining a taut sense of suspense and dread and being an exemplary entry into the home invasion genre, there will be and has been controversy over the film’s gloomy and unconventional ending.  Simply put, it is an ending that some will love and some will loathe.  To discuss anymore would a spoiler, but love it or hate it, it does pack a huge punch and will leave you breathless. 

Ultimately, because of the ballsy ending, Kidnapped achieves the difficult and rare feat of sticking with the viewer long after the credits have rolled.   And despite some minor flaws, such as questionable actions by a few of the characters and an unsatisfactory tie back to the opening scene, Kidnapped is one of the best home invasion films and a thoroughly chilling, affecting viewing experience.

Fright Meter Grade:

Interview with 2011 Fright Meter Award winner for Best Supporting Actress, Lin Shaye of "Insidious."

Lin Shaye is making quite a name for herself in the horror community.  Even before Insidious achieved massive success this past year, she had already enjoyed widespread acclaim for her performances in 2001 Maniacs, and Dead End for which she won the Fright Meter Award for Best Actress.  With her recent Fright Meter Award win for Insidious, Shaye joins the likes of Danielle Harris, Jamie Lee Curtis, Angela Bettis, and Margot Kidder as an actress who has won two or more Fright Meter Awards.  And there is no arguing that both her wins are much deserved.

In Insidious, her portrayal of no-nonsense psychic investigator Elise Rainer strikes the right balance between stern authority figure and sympathetic, yet frightened support for the Lambert family, who are being terrorized by a malevolent force.  Shaye's confident and commanding screen presence allows her to be the bridge between the audience and the supernatural activity that is occurring in the film.  Through Shaye, the audience knows when they can relax a bit or when they should grasp the arm of the person sitting next to them.  Not since Zelda Rubenstein's portrayal of Tangina Barrons in Poltergeist has portrayal of a psychic investigator been so convincing and entertaining.

Fortunately, Shaye was gracious enough to chat with us about Insidious and her past work in the genre.  Read below for our interview with this wonderful and extremely talented actress.

First, congratulations on your 2011 Fright Meter Award win for Best Supporting Actress for your performance in Insidious and your previous Fright Meter Award win for Best Actress in 2004 for Dead End For those who may be unfamiliar with you, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Well....about myself....in a nutshell...and it's a pretty big nutshell...I was born in Detroit, Michigan...My early acting days came from entertaining myself as a 5 years old, by "playing dress up," making up stories and acting out all the characters!!! I never thought about "being an actress" but always loved stories and plays, and finally it dawned on my after finishing college at University of Michigan where I was an Art History major, what I had always loved to do had a name!!! ACTOR! I went on to a graduate degree in Theater Arts at Columbia University, and living in New York City, fround myself working in off, off off Broadway and even Broadway for the 10 years I lived there. I continued to study with Uta Hagan and also became a life-time member of the Actors Studio under the amazing Lee Strasberg. I came to Los Angeles in the late 70's "to meet Jack Nicholson" for a very small role in his film Goin South...and never left! I still love acting and "trying on clothes and making up stories" as much as I ever did!

In regards to Insidious, how did you become involved and what made you want to be involved with the film?

I met James Wan through the wonderful Tim Sullivan. James was a fan of Dead End and Tim introduced us. James asked me to do a little short called Doggie Heaven...and after that he sent me the script for Insidious. The script and role were fantastic, and so is James. I was flattered and exciting to be working with him on this feature.

Did you do anything particular to create your characterization of Elise Rainer?

For Elise I worked mostly on her "back story" rather than the paranormal aspect of her. She is the story teller in the film, and it could have ended up being all "explanation" and narrative, and I was looking for a way for the audience to relate to Elise and for Elise to have "private stakes from her life" that made this event so urgent to her. This was not her "normal" paranormal problem to solve...but a personal one. The parts of her life I "made up" and worked on is an "actress secret" and will always remain so!

Is it safe to say that Insidious did much better than anticipated by those involved? What about the film do you think made it resonate with so many people?

The film "resonated" I believe because it is essentially a "family drama" turned on it's head.   Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne had such great chemistry and are such warn and appealing people as well as actors, I believe the audience was "drawn in" and drawn into their family which  made everything that happened even more frightening and upsetting. You felt like you knew and loved this family...and they had "universal problems" as a couple and as a family. Its also brilliantly photographed by John Leonetti...and James is indeed a master of "the scare!"

What was it like working with the men responsible for Saw? What was it like on the set with them? Any interesting stories you can share?

James and Leigh Whannell are just fantastic. smart, kind and original. They are also terrific "problem solvers" and listen to the other creative people around them with an open mind. Working with them was a true collaboration...they were never afraid to "change" something if it wasn't working, and always took time to LISTEN...to whatever concern you may have. No tempers or disquiet on this set....a really fertile place to work and create.

So, do you believe in the supernatural?

Do I believe in the supernatural? Absolutely! There are so many things happening in the world and outside of it that are completely unexplainable that it's impossible to say no.

We can't ignore your wonderful past work in the genre. You have appeared in 2001 Maniacs and its sequel, the already mentioned Dead End, Chillerama, A Nightmare on Elm Street as well as non-genre films such as There's Something About Mary and Hate Crime. What has been your favorite role/performance, the one you find the most memorable?

Kingpin and There's Something About Mary are two of the most memorable...both have long stories, but mostly the Farrelleys were the first directors to cast me because, as they put it, "I was the best actress who came in, not because "I was right for the part!" They really let me fly with my creations, and for an actor, nothing feels more rewarding or better. But...I have loved EVERY project I have ever worked on for different reason...(Dead End also being one of my all time favorites...working with Ray Wise...who is one of my favorite "partner's in crime."..).but truly love each and every project I have been lucky enough to do... Tim Sullivan is another fantastic collaborator...we honor and respect each other's creative ideas always, which also makes for a wonderful artistic adventures.

So, what's next for you? Any coming projects we can expect to see you in?

Yes...lots is brewing...but nothing I can "reveal" right now! I will keep you posted!

Interview with 2011 Fright Meter Award Winner for Best Actress , Pollyanna McIntosh of "The Woman."

Photo by Steve Thorton

For those who have seen Lucky McKee's visceral horror film The Woman, which was nominated for the 2011 Fright Meter Award for Best Horror Movie, there is no doubt that Pollyanna McIntosh completely deserves her Fright Meter Award Best Actress win for her incredible performance.  Her portrayal of The Woman is a paramount example of an actress not holding back and completely embodying a character both physically and mentally with zero reservations.  It is a performance that certainly not any actress could have pulled off or would have even been willing to try.  But McIntosh embraces the character's primitive, barbaric characteristics and delivers a jaw-dropping performance that has the potential to become a genre classic.  She certainly deserves her spot among some of the iconic performances that have won this category in the past.

Fortunately, Pollyanna was gracious enough to take time to chat with us about her experience while filming The Woman and her thoughts on the horror genre.  Read below and enjoy the interview with this immensely talented actress.

First, congratulations on your 2011 Fright Meter Award win for Best Actress for your amazing performance in The Woman.  For those who may be unfamiliar with you, can you tell us a little about yourself? 

Thank you mate. I'm a Scottish bird who grew up around the world with a big family. Stories have always fed me and I've been fooling around writing them and acting them out since I was wee. The horror genre has welcomed me so openly with this latest film and I feel very lucky to be part of something that seems to resonate strongly with so many.  

How did you become involved in Offspring and more specifically The Woman and what about the films made you want to be involved?

I made a movie with Moderncine called Headspace (my first audition when I moved to America) and they then thought of me when they were adapting Ketchum's book Offspring into the film. I was asked to read the book to see whether I wanted to do it and I couldn't put it down! I'd never read a horror book before and I was so drawn to the intensity of the Woman character and the detail that Ketchum put into her inner thoughts. He gave me such a gift with that role.

The Woman was written for me because of how happy Moderncine and Ketchum were with her in Offspring. She was supposed to die but they said I was having too much fun and saw a sequel possibility.

The Woman is such a primal, non-conventional character.  How did you even begin your decision in how you would portray her and what challenges did you face in your performance?

I really enjoyed tapping into my animal side. It's been probably the most satisfying character to play as I could immerse myself completely in research seeing as I was granted a lot of time and a lot of freedom.  

Lucky McKee has established himself as a revered figure in the horror community, having directed the highly lauded May.  What was it like working with him? 

Lucky does the work. May, The Woods, Red, he says they were all building to The Woman. He's earned that reverie and if you are a person who likes to collaborate I can't imagine a more appealing partnership. He's damn smart and a shitload of fun. The oddest part of the collaboration can be traveling around the festival and premiere circuit and if we didn't get on so well that would have been very different. 

The Woman is a difficult and disturbingly brutal film to watch at times, often because of the atrocities your character experiences at the hands of her captors.  What was the atmosphere like on the set and what was your relationship with your co-stars during filming? 

The crew and cast were honestly across the board fully committed, focused and creatively facile. It was a joy to see everyone work together for the same goal of making the best film we could, untethered by the usual limits of an indie budget, not always comfortable conditions and tight six day weeks. If anything our limits made us more daring. So the atmosphere was intense, familial and often punctuated by bursts of laughter or woops of jeers and cheers whilst remaining professional, calm and focused. Once I got into character people would leave me alone which worked well for me but as soon as it was lunch or a break we'd be up to some nonsense again. It was fun. Sean and Angela are family now as are many others. 

What is your most memorable experience from filming The Women?  Any interesting, behind the scenes stories you can share?

I hate this question! Most "funny" stories are only funny to cast and crew but I will say taking prom style pictures with Sean Bridgers whilst we were both covered in blood was pretty funny. The "calendar girls of The Woman" invented photo shoot was fun daftness too.

In general, are you a fan of the horror genre?  If so, what are some of your favorite horror films?

I wouldn't describe myself as a horror fan as it's not my go to genre but Rosemary's Baby and The Shining and The Omen had strong influence on me creatively, emotionally and idealistically. Funnily enough the gender issues they brought up for me were probably what connected me to them the strongest. Those are the kind of horrors that would interest me going forward in the genre as an actress.

What scares you?

Small mindedness and meanness being encouraged in children. Certain elements of LA society scare the shit out of me. 

So what’s next for you?  Any upcoming projects?

I just wrapped on Prevertere by the enormously talented and prolific Brian McGuire. (check out his previous films if you haven't already: On Holiday, Everything Will Happen Before You Die, Carlos Spills the Beans). Next is Filth by Jon S Baird (Green Street Hooligans). It's based on the Irvine Welsh novel. He's a great Scot. I hope this year continues to bring odd and interesting projects. I'm stalking Pedro Almodovar as we speak...

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us.  Any final comments?

I'm on Twitter PollyAMcIntosh and Facebook Pollyanna McIntosh if you want to keep up with me. And just a big thanks to all who have supported this movie and said nice things about my work in it. The generosity of spirit I've experienced at screenings has been wonderful and confirming of how easy it is to make someone feel good. That's been a great wee gift.  Thank you. 

 

2011 Fright Meter Award Winners

2011 Fright Meter Award Winners

NOMINEES	WINNERS
BEST HORROR MOVIE Attack the Block Insidious Tucker and Dale vs. Evil I Saw the Devil The Woman	Insidious
BEST DIRECTOR James Wan-Insidious Steven Quale-Final Destination 5 Jim Mickle-Stake Land Joe Cornish-Attack the Block Jee-won Kim-I Saw the Devil	Jee-won Kim-I Saw the Devil
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Josie Ho as Cheng-Lai Sheung in Dream Home Hilary Swank as Juliet Deveraux in The Resident Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert in Insidious Margot Kidder as Beth in Love at First Kill Pollyanna McIntosh as The Woman in The Woman	Pollyanna McIntosh-The Woman
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Alan Tudyk as Tucker in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Laurence R. Harvey as Martin in The Human Centipede: The Full Sequence Rutger Hauer as The Hobo in Hobo With a Shotgun Srdjan Todoroovic as Milos in A Serbian Film Sean Bridgers as Chris Cleek in The Woman	Rutger Hauer-Hobo With a Shotgun
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Hayden Panettiere as Kirby in Scream 4 Lin Shaye as Elise Rainer in Insidious Manuela Velles as Isa in Kidnapped Melissa Leo as Sara in Red State Kerry Bishe as Cheyenne in Red State	Lin Shaye-Insidious
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR David Tenant as Peter Vincent in Fright Night John Goodman as Joseph Keenan in Red State Jesse Moss as Chad in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Kyle Gallner as Jarod in Red State Michael Parks as Abin Cooper in Red State	Jesse Moss-Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil
BEST SCREENPLAY Insidious written by Leigh Whannel Red State written by Kevin Smith Attack the Block written by Joe Cornish Tucker and Dale vs. Evil written by Eli Craig and Morgan Jurgenson Hobo With a Shotgun written by Jason Eisener, John Davies, and Rob Cotterill	Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
BEST MAKE UP/SPECIAL EFFECTS Final Destination 5 The Human Centipede: The Full Sequence Fright Night The Thing Trollhunter	Final Destination 5

Roman's Bride

Year:  2010

Director:  Michael Paul

Cast:  Anne Paul, Michael Rennat, Lisa Rennat, Stanley Massey, Jim Siokis

Having been born and raised in Iowa, it goes without saying that I was highly curious and ecstatic at learning that a fellow Iowan had written and directed a horror film not too far from my stomping ground.  I have always believed that the desolate Iowa landscape, with its endless miles of cornfields, unsettling turn-of-the-century style farmhouses and barns, and quaint, picturesque non-industrialized small towns, contains a plethora of potential for the active imagination of a filmmaker interested in the horror genre.  Low and behold the emergence of director Michael Paul and his wife, Anne, who wrote and stars in the ultra-low budget Roman’s Bride, the culminating result of both of their love and appreciation for the old-school style horror films, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Carrie.   Certainly the first thing viewers will notice is that Roman’s Bride does not possess anywhere near the budget of these predecessors (even the low-budget Massacre).  As the film begins, younger genre fans spoiled by big budgets and slick production values may be immediately turned off, as Roman’s Bride has a visual quality reminiscent of the countless direct-to-video slasher films that emerged in the 80’s in order to cash in on the success of films like Halloween, Friday the 13^th, and Prom Night.  However, what Roman’s Bride possesses that these films severely lack is heart.  It is obvious that the Paul’s paid meticulous attention, despite their virtually non-existent budget, to creating a film that is an unsettling homage to the films that so heavily influenced them.  

Roman’s Bride opens with an attention grabbing, ambiguous torture scene, cleverly filmed to shroud the viewer from witnessing all the details of the violence.  Questions will arise in the viewer’s mind as to what exactly is going on in the scene and just as the worst is about to happen to the unknown victim, the scene fades.  An ominous “Day’s Earlier” title card appears on screen and the plot kicks into high gear.  We are introduced to Lily and it is quickly established through flashbacks that her upbringing was anything but a wholesome, love-drenched experience that is often stereotypically associated with growing up in the Heartland of America.  Instead, she was subjected to abuse in the name of religion by her fanatical mother, who makes Margaret White from Carrie look like Mother of the Year.  Understandably, one day Lily snaps and kills her mother to escape the abuse.   This action slowly takes its toll on her already fragile, bruised psyche.  Instead of feeling relief, she drowns in depression and loneliness.  However, her one saving grace is her friend from childhood, Roman.  Roman still lives next door to Lily and often does odd jobs for her.   Lily has always lusted for Roman, but her conflicted views about sexuality have resulted in awkward displays of affection.  When Roman announces he is going to marry his girlfriend, Lily sinks deeper into a dark depression and loathing, ultimately taking the old cliché “if I can’t have him, no one can!” dangerously to heart.

In spite of the extremely low production values,  Roman’s Bride in genuinely a creepy, atmospheric, disturbing little film.  Anne Paul’s performance starts off a tad shaky, but as the film progresses she envelopes herself into the character of Lily.  Her mannerisms, facial expressions, and voice inflections all portray a woman deeply damaged, dangerously conflicted, and heartbreakingly isolated from reality.  The other actors do well with their parts and look at act like real people.  There is a naturalness to the performances not often seen in these types of films.  The dialogue, for the most part, is crisp, concise, and believable, though there is one major flaw with the screenplay itself as the film reaches its climax.   The violence portrayed in the film is handled extremely well, mainly because of the editing and cut-away of a shot at just the right time to allow the viewer to think he/she saw more than what was actually shown.   The climax of the film comes fast and furious and the exact extent of Lily’s psychotic obsession is displayed.  This is also where the film’s only real unrealistic moment happens; after escaping severe torture and witnessing a murder, Roman escapes.  Does he run from the house screaming for help?  Does he immediately call the police?  Does he tell anyone what just happened?   No.  Instead, he goes home, takes a shower, and decides to return to the house he just escaped from.  It’s one of the moments where you yell at the screen and roll your eyes and was really unnecessary in the context of the plot.  Still, for a film made with virtually no budget and by first time filmmakers, this flaw is minor.

Overall, Roman’s Bride is an unsettling glimpse and religious extremism and forced sexual repression coupled with an already delicate psyche.  The low budget ultimately actually succeeds in creating a gritty atmosphere perfect for capturing the sometimes gritty isolation of rural life.  In this aspect the film heavily reminded me of the early 70’s forgotten gem Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.  Roman's Bride is a homage that works because of the commitment and obvious passion for the genre that the Paul's possess.  Despite the tiny budget, for sheer effectiveness, it outdoes most big budget, theatrical released horror films from the last few years.   It is the prime example of budget being meaningless if the story is engrossing and in the hands of a filmmaker and cast who have a true passion for the project.

Fright Meter Grade:

Interview with Director Lucky McKee of The Woman and May.

In 2003, an independent horror film by a new, virtually unheard of director and screenwriter took the horror community by storm, earning wide critical praise and establishing the filmmaker as a force to be reckoned with.  The film was May,which told the story of a shy, introverted young woman played brilliantly by Angela Bettis, who slowly transcends into madness, resorting to horrific measures in order to keep those she admires close to her.  The film earned five Fright Meter Award nominations, winning two awards: Best Horror Movie and Best Actress in  Leading Role for Bettis.

Now, McKee is back and is once again earning high praise from critics with his film The Woman, adapted from the novel he co-wrote with revered horror novelist Jack Ketchum.  The film tells the story of the last remaining member of a savage cannibalistic family who is discovered by a seemingly all-American family, led by patriarch Chris Cleek.  Cleek makes it his goal to tame The Woman, but with his attempts, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell who the true savage is.   The film recently earned three 2011 Fright Meter Award nominations, including Best Horror Movie.

We got the honor to interview McKee about The Woman.  Read below and enjoy the interview with this extremely talented writer and director.

First, congratulations on the 2011 Fright Meter Award nomination for Best Horror Movie for The Woman and your previous Fright Meter Award win for Best Horror Movie in 2003 for “May.”  For those who may be unfamiliar with you, can you tell us a little about yourself?  

Thanks. It's an honor just to be nominated (yuk, yuk). 

As far as what I can tell you about myself, most of that stuff is on the web. I'm a tall geek that makes shit up and films it. I have no other hobbies than cooking a good meal every night. Movies are my life.

How did you become involved in the writing and directing of the film adaption of The Woman and what about the story made you want to be involved?

I liked what Pollyana did with her character in OFFSPRING. Ketchum and I thought she should have a movie devoted to her. So we hooked up with Andrew van den Houten and told him a new yarn. He dug it and Ketchum and I wrote the book and script concurrently. So, the major factors that made me want to do it were a great actress, a legendary co-writer, and a producer that would give me creative freedom. All of those things paid off in more ways than I could have imagined.

The Woman marks the third time you have worked with Angela Bettis, the previous being of course May and then Sick Girl, your contribution to the Masters of Horror series.  What is it about her that you draws you to collaborating with her?

She's got a gift. And we like and understand each other as people. I'm in awe of her every time we work together. She always surprises me. And she's a good person. One that makes you feel good when you're around her.

From a directorial standpoint, what was the most difficult obstacle you encountered why filming The Woman?  Any interesting stories from the set?

The most difficult obstacle is always time and resource. There's never enough, whether you have a ten dollar budget or a ten million dollar budget. On the flipside, though, that's part of the fun. Having to think on your feet and still tell an involving story.

The most interesting moment on set was when we had a baby and a wolf interacting with each other live on set.  It was a trip and a half to watch that go down.

The Woman contains some extremely brutal and horrific scenes of violence.  What was the atmosphere like on the set?  How did you go about keeping the actors in character and/or lightening their moods during these harsh scenes?

The atmosphere on set was very positive, but it was also very tiring. The actors handled the dark stuff better than I did. At one point, while shooting one of the most difficult sequences in the film, I had to have someone go get my dog so I could look in it's eyes for a bit to calm myself down. Thank god for animals and their purity is all I have to say about that.

I have read reviews that call The Woman misogynistic or, to the other extreme, man-hating.  What are your thoughts on this?  As a director, do you overly concern yourself with how specific elements of your films are going to be criticized?

Well, I'm not a mysogynist (I can't even SPELL it), or a man-hater, but those people exist and that was the story we decided to tell. To soften it or pussyfoot around the reality of situations and characters like that would have been even worse. As far as criticism, I love fucking with people's perceptions, so this has all been a blast for me. As long as the film sparks meaningful conversation, I think I've done my job.

How do you feel about the rash of recent horror remakes?  If you were given the chance to remake a horror film, which one would it be and why?

Remakes are just part of the game now. Why make a new soda, when you can just call it Coke and make a new can? It's much riskier to try something original. There's no particular horror film I would want to remake, but I would never close myself off to the opportunity if the material had something in it that gave me an emotional response that I thought I could turn into something unique and in my own personal style.

So what’s next for you?  Any upcoming projects?

I'm writing the next one and hoping to do some shorts and television directing in the meantime if the opportunity arises.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us.  Any final comments?

Thanks so much for honoring our film (and my first film). Rock and roll. Catch you on the next one.

Luck   

  

   

     

2011 Fright Meter Award Nomination Spotlight: Best Actress

We continue to spotlight our 2011 Fright Meter Award nominees with a look at our five nominees for Best Actress in a leading role

Josie Ho accomplishes a difficult feat in her performance as homicidal psychopath Cheng in Dream Home; she garners sympathy from the viewer.  Despite the horrific manner in which she butchers residents of the apartment building she so desperately wants to live in, Ho always allows Cheng to have a hint of childlike naivety and innocence bubbling below the surface.  The viewer slowly discovers what drives Cheng and Ho portrays the heartbreak and insanity masterfully.  The viewer wants to despise, but Ho makes it nearly impossible,  This is masterful acting considering the atrocities the character commits.

Hilary Swank, a two time Oscar winner, takes another stab at the horror genre after previously starring in The Reaping with her role as Juliet Deveraux in The Resident.  Swank portrays a woman who slowly realizes that her landlord and love interest is obsessed with and is stalking her.  Swank's charisma drives her performance and her feeling of vulnerability when realizing what is happening is palpable. She delivers a plethora of emotions with simple facial expressions and body language and her progression from helpless victim to determined fighter is pitch perfect.

Rose Byrne gives a quiet, understated, yet highly effective performance as Renai Lambert in Insidious.  As a young mother experiencing a variety of unexplained activity, Byrne earns the audience's sympathy because she so powerfully creates an authentic character with Renai.  Her utter confusion and terror at what her family is experiencing strikes all the right chords and, as a result, makes what is playing out on screen that much more terrifying because Byrne is so believable.  Her Renai is undoubtedly one of the most nuanced, grounded genre performances of the year.

Margot Kidder takes every advantage of chewing the scenery with her larger than life portrayal of Beth in Love At First Kill.  Kidder holds nothing back in her chilling performance as a wildly over-protective and jealous mother.  Kidder is a total marvel to watch as one moment she is able to make your skin crawl with a simple wild-eyed look or tone of voice, but the very next second make you feel sorry for her desperation and loneliness at the possibility of losing her only son.  The final moments of the film, complete with Kidder's massive meltdown, establish Beth as one of the most diabolically manipulative screen mothers of the last several years.

 

Pollyanna McIntosh has no clear dialogue in her performance as The Woman in The Woman.  Her performance is one of pure savagery; she completely embraces the look, gait, body language, facial expressions and vocals of the feral cannibal she portrays.  Never once does the viewer think they are watching and actress.  Instead, McIntosh gives us a brutally unpleasant peek at the vicious side of human nature, yet is able to allow the viewer to root for her to prevail in the end.  It is a performance that very well should go down in the annals of horror movie history as a remarkable achievement.

2011 Fright Meter Award Nomination Spotlight: Best Supporting Actress

We will be highlighting a different category each day leading up to the announcement of the 2011 Fright Meter Awards winners.

Up first, the five very different, yet very effective performances nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:


Hayden Panettiere brought an unmistakable energy and charisma to her role as Kirby in the long awaited Scream 4.  Touted as the female equivalent to Randy Meeks, Panettiere's Kirby is an intelligent, strong and comical character who instantly became a franchise favorite among Scream fans.  Panettiere nails the role and easily steals the film from her co-stars.  She oozes just the right balance of vulnerability and charm and elevates the film, lighting up the screen each time she appears and having the audience longing for her return she absent from the screen.

Lin Shaye, who won the Fright Meter Award for Best Actress in 2004 for her marvelously frenzied performance in Dead End, earns her second nomination for her portrayal of no-nonsense psychic investigator Elise Rainer in Insidious.  Shaye strikes the right balance between stern authority figure and sympathetic, yet frightened support for the Lambert family, who are being terrorized by a malevolent force.  Shaye's confident and commanding screen presence allows her to be the bridge between the audience and the supernatural activity that is occurring in the film.  Through Shaye, the audience knows when they can relax a bit or when they should grasp the arm of the person sitting next to them.  Not since Zelda Rubenstein's portrayal of Tangina Barrons in Poltergeist has portrayal of a psychic investigator been so convincing and entertaining.

Maneula Velles may be the lesser known of the five nominees, but make no mistakes about it; her performance as Isa in the Spanish home invasion film Kidnapped is a stellar exercise in an actress completely embracing her character and the situations her character is facing and reacting accordingly.  Perhaps the most physically and emotionally challenging role of the five nominees, Velles' decent from typical self-absorbed teenager girl to brutalized, emotionally wrecked vigilante is a marvel to watch.  She is utterly believable and her last moments on film provide a heavy punch in the gut to the viewer.

Melissa Leo, fresh off an Oscar win for her performance in The Fighter, delivers a wonderfully macabre, against-the-grain performance as Sara, the matriarch figure of a religious fanatic family in Kevin Smith's Red State.  Leo sinks her teeth into the role that allows her to showcase a plethora of sides to her character, from titillating seductress, to loving and protective mother, to psychotic zealot.  And she does so with the ease of a truly great actress, never verging on going over the top or coming off as a caricature rather than a character.  In the hands of a lesser actress, this role could have been a train wreck waiting to happen, but Leo's gives a dazzling and highly effective performance.

Kerry Bishe, perhaps best known for portraying Lucy Bennet on the sitcom Scrubs, gets the opportunity to sink her teeth into a highly dramatic and showy role as Cheyenne, a teenage member of the religious fanatic family in Red State.  Her character is perhaps the most sympathetic to the audience because of her conflicted feelings about her family's beliefs and actions, particularly when it comes to the treatment of a young teenage boy (Kyle Gallner)  they abduct who she feels great sympathy for.  Bishe doesn't miss a beat, going toe to toe with Oscar winner Melissa Leo and veteran actors John Goodman and Michael Parks.  It's a heartbreaking performance in a overtly violent film that sticks with the viewer long after the film credits have rolled.

Interview with 2007 Fright Meter Award Winner for Best Actress, Nadja Brand

2007 was a highly competitive year for Best Actress in a Leading Role, but it was Nadja Brand who ultimately won.  Her intense, no-holds-barred performance as Hope, a young mother who wakes up in the middle of the forest with a madman who is intent on testing her with severe physical and emotional abuse, was hard to ignore and are the kind of stellar, complex performances not seen very often in low budget slasher films.  Her performance is memorable and extreme and sticks with the viewer long after the credits roll.

We recently got the wonderful opportunity to interview her about her Fright Meter Award winning performance, the film, and what is next for her.   Enjoy the interview with this extremely talented actress!

 

First, congratulations on being named our 2007 Best Actress winner for your brilliant performance in Broken.  For those who may be unfamiliar with you, can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I want to say thank so much for the award!  I was really taken aback and extremely flattered.  It is really lovely to have won an award like this.

Well, I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and grew up in Cape Town.  My first stage appearance was at 4 and I loved every second of it.  I studied acting at a film school in Cape Town.  After my studies I moved to the UK with my then husband, director Adam Mason.  We started up a film production company Brand Mason ltd. And produced 5 feature films and 65 music videos.  I acted in The 13^th Sign, Dust, Broken and The Devil’s Chair as well as in several short films and music videos.  My favourite colour is green and my favourite place to relax is the desert.  I enjoy scuba diving, reading and oil painting.  Haha, sounds a bit like a singles ad.

  

How did you become involved in Broken and what about the film made you want to be involved?

My ex-husband Adam Mason was working with co-writer Simon Boyes and wrote a low budget horror originally called The Heart eater.  I was to star in that film but it luckily evolved into Broken.  The part was really written with me in mind so it was easy for the scriptwriters to get a feel for the character, as they both knew me so well.  I read the script and loved the rawness of the theme and how exciting it was going to be as a character.  Broken is a very demanding film and I wanted to do something that was going to push my boundaries and put me out of my comfort zone.  And it did just that… and more!

Broken is an extremely dark, brutal film and your character, Hope, is put through some extremely severe physical and mental anguish.  What was it like filming these scenes and how did you "get into character?"

Yes, I agree fully!  It really was a bleak time for all of us.  The film was shot outside with no running water, no trailers, no luxuries like make-up and hair.  We shot mainly through winter and loads of night shoots. During one of the night shoots it started snowing.  I used the external factors like the cold, the dirt, the location etc. to help me achieve internal emotions.  It was sometimes very hard to get tears on call and something I had to work with a lot.  There is one scene where she asks the man “just kill me”; this was one of my lowest points.  I really went deep inside and thought about how desperate and broken a person had to be to want to be killed.  Her lack of desire to live drove the performance.  I internalised the process and used thoughts about what my life would be like if I had nothing or no one to live for.  Going to mental states where you break your own thoughts down to achieve the desired performance can stay with you and you need to be able to cope with it afterwards.  When the shot is done you sometimes still have deep feelings of despair and you need to find a natural balance to get back to feeling “normal” again, ready for the next shot.  Crying on call is quite hard; we didn’t have tear sticks so each tear on screen was real. 

  

With all the disturbing elements of the film, what was the atmosphere like on the set? 

 

We had such a small crew.   Most of the time it is only Adam (director), Simon (director), Erik (DOP), Ali (production assistant), Eric (actor), Neil (art director), Tristan (SFX) and Gonzalo (gaffer/camera assistant). Mostly we had 9 people on set and sometimes other people helping out on a day-to-day basis. The atmosphere was one of camaraderie.  We all work extremely hard.  The crew worked for free and that says a lot.  Everyone was helping and doing more than was ever expected of them.  We all wanted one thing:  to make this movie and make it great!  We all had worked together on 3 previous films so really knew each other well. Although it was excruciating and so tough, we all had a good time.

What is your most memorable experience from filming Broken?   Any interesting behind-the-scenes stories you can share?

 Cracking my front teeth!  There’s a story.  We were filming the leg-breaking scene.  During rehearsal Eric was told to drag a log, put my leg over it and pretend to break it so we could get the shot set up.  During one rehearsal he decided to pick up this huge 2 meter “tree” and instead of dragging it behind him, lifted it into the air.  I was crawling away but on one bit I have to look back at him and the saw the tree trunk tipping out of balance and landing on my face.  It cut my lip and cracked both my front teeth.  I was in agony.  Filming had to stop for 5 days until my lip was healed.  This was a disaster as people had to go home, and come back again, equipment we had rented had to be extended and I was a grumpy little girl.

So, what's next for you?  Any upcoming projects?

I am in the process of writing a short film with a student of mine.  It is a romantic comedy so something I have not done yet.  I am moving away from the horror genre for a bit to explore different angles of acting and performance.  I will be shooting in Feb/March of 2012.

I know that you currently are involved in teaching acting classes.  What advice would you give to any young person who is interested in getting into the acting business, particularly the horror genre?

The best way to get into acting is to get some training and then to go to as many auditions as possible.  Get into the acting circles; make friends with other actors and crew and network. The horror genre is a difficult one as you are dealing with many raw emotions and you are always covered in blood, or crying, or being scared or running away...  It is not for everyone.  You can’t be a diva on a horror set. Practice your skill and keep at it.  Believe in yourself and just do it!

Any final thoughts/comments?

I just wanted to say thanks again.  It has really meant the world to me to be acknowledged for my performance, which really took blood, sweat and tears.  Thanks to all the fans for supporting low budget, indie filmmakers and allowing us to continue making films and living our dream.