Melantha Blackthorne Interview
2006
By Living Corpse Ron
Official
Link
What made you decide to really
make a go at making and acting in movies? It seems like one of those things
that we all probably think about at one time or another (lumping myself in with
you and the rest of the real creative people, in a delusion of grandeur), but
what really spurred you on to say “You know what? I'm going to make me a
movie, I'm going to act, and I'm going to kick ass at it.”
Thank you for the compliment!
I've always had the desire to make some sort
of mark on the world…. to leave something behind that will last a little
longer than I do. After creating my website in 1999 I was contacted to play the
lead role in a vampire film loosely based on my web persona. I remember being
quite disappointed with the film's outcome because it contained no 'genre
elements' i.e. gore, eroticism, action. It would have been a big let down for
my fans! My then co-star, Jason Cavalier and I decided to put our heads and
talents together to create something much more satisfying. Although we were
lacking in budget we tried to pack our first feature full of these missing
elements leaving no room for the audience to get bored. Shortly
thereafter…“Sinners
And Saints” was born!
Here's a question you probably
get all the time, so I'll ask it too. When are we gonna see “Sinners &
Saints 2”?!
The script is almost finished but there are
two movies on the slate ahead of it. Jason and I have some killer ideas for the
sequel…stay tuned!
So you write, direct, act,
produce, and run your own website. Is there anything that you don't do that you
want to try sometime? Not that I can't think of anything you haven't done.
I'd like to become more involved with politics
and perhaps even try to persuade Schwarzenegger into changing his policy on
outlawing sex with corpses in the state of California. I was going to visit
this summer but now just don't see the point!
No, in all seriousness, I'm in a very happy
place right now and feel like I've accomplished pretty much everything I've set
out to do!
In every movie of yours that
I've seen, you're always evil, a bitch, an evil bitch, or a crazy chick who
becomes evil. Well, all those things and sexy. Do you ever get tired of being
the bad girl and get an urge to be the screaming, virginal Final Girl?
It's funny that you ask this question, because
I was just telling my friend Jeff from Horrorwatch that my new goal is to play
the submissive female victim in my next film. I am a little typecast, which
limits me in the roles I'm offered. On the other hand playing the crazy, evil
or bitchy chick is always much more challenging and fun!
In your movies, you seem to
tower over everyone. Are you very tall, or am I hallucinating?
I'm actually only 5'5 and ½…the same height
as the lovely Marilyn Monroe. She's one of my favorite icons. Lately I've been
working with very petite actresses in turn making me look like an Amazon giant.
Oh… and the heels help too.
How cool was the Buffalo
Central Station Terminal (site of “Prison
of the Psychotic Damned”)? Did you get any real haunting vibes off of it?
Was it such a wreck when you got there, or did you all have to dress the set to
make it extra creepy and battered?
Very cool! There are definitely ghosts living
in that decrepit old building and it wasn't just me who felt their presence.
Creepy…yes! The Gothic architecture is phenomenal and the fact that it's
falling to pieces definitely added to look and feel of the film. It is without
a doubt the perfect location for a horror movie!
In this movie, we finally get
to see you in your full glory, so to speak (and might I add, you look
spectacular). How difficult was it for you to do a topless scene?
It wasn't difficult at all. Producer David
Williams and director D.W. Kann were very professional about the whole thing
and didn't ask me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. I was holding out
for the right role and felt being topless in “Prison
of the Psychotic Damned” worked for the scene and the character. I have
no regrets!
What gave you the idea for
your website (Evil
Sexual Fantasies, obviously not safe for work)?
As a young girl I was always writing little
horror stories and eventually borrowed my father's video camera to create mini
home movies. As I grew, my taste for horror evolved into something of a fetish
and I began exploring new and unique ways of expressing myself. In 1999 I
created the website Bathoria,
dousing myself in a fantasy world of eroticism, blood, violence and death. Evil
Sexual Fantasies is the adult version of the Countess Bathoria website
where you will find my harem girls involved in naughty sexual escapades and
tasteful erotic nudes of myself.
Due to the new laws of the internet…my sites
are much tamer than I'd like them to be as far as horror goes, but still
provides an outlet for my creative dementia.
Can I get a free password to
the good, kinky stuff inside?
I'll give you a password if you send me an
erotic nude of yourself first.
Trust me, you don't want that.
I know you love horror, but that is something even you will be sickened by.
Okay, I have to ask this, even though everyone always asks this: What are some
of your favorite movies, both horror and otherwise?
Some of my favorite films include “Evil
Dead II,” “Visitor
Q,” “Ichi
The Killer,” “Faster
Pussy Cat Kill Kill,” “Alucarda,”
“Dead Alive,”
“Possession”
(Andrzej Zulawski), “Crazy
Lips,” “Versus,”
“Tetsuo,”
“Hanzo The
Razor,” “Battle
Royale,” “Fudoh,”
“Requiem
for a Dream,” “Once
Upon A Time In The West,” “The
Mechanic,” “The
Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Dr.
Lamb,” “In
A Glass Cage,” “Nekromantik
II,” “Entrails
Of A Virgin” and anything by José Mojica Marins A.K.A. Coffin Joe.
What do you like in
horror movies?
I tend to like horror movies that contain a
lot of shocking and bizarre elements. Also…sex and sadism are a must!
Do you have any
recommendations on flicks we should review here at Living Corpse?
I've noticed that you haven't reviewed
anything by José Mojica Marins… “This
Night I Will Possess Your Corpse” or “The
Strange World of Coffin Joe” would be great ones to review.
If you could act with/write
for/direct anyone, who would they be and why?
Not to sound repetitive but I would love to
spend some time on set with José Mojica Marins. He's a remarkable and unique
filmmaker who has shown that budget can never constrain a true mastermind. No
one makes movies like him anymore, and they sure don't make them any better! I
feel a very strong connection to Coffin Joe and his work.
Horror is a constantly
evolving genre of films. If you could pick a direction for the future of
horror, where would you take it? What would you change, what would stay
the same, and what old-school elements would you bring back, if any?
I'm a big fan of originality! Bringing back
old-school elements can be a good thing if you make the film your own i.e. “Cabin
Fever” and “Chainsaw
Sally.” I'm a little tired of the whole remake thing and would like to
see more new ideas come to life on screen. Also… a couple of my favorite
genre elements are brutality and gore! It's difficult to find these things in
mainstream cinema, which is why I watch a lot of Japanese films. Mind you,
after seeing Alexandre Aja's films “High
Tension” (uncut) and the remake of “The
Hills Have Eyes,” I'd say we're not far off from having these things make
a break for mainstream cinema.
Nowadays audiences are much more desensitized
and to give them that roller coaster of fear they're craving filmmakers
sometimes have to take things to that next level…smart filmmakers. It makes
for a very scary and exciting ride!
Are you making any appearances
at any conventions?
I am hoping to attend Genghis Con, The Eerie
Horror Film Festival, The Festival of the Dead and perhaps a few more.
What's next on your very full
plate?
Well, Braemar and Robomonkey Productions are
finishing the final edit of “The
Order Of One.” I was the director of photography and played a principle
role in this action-packed seventies road flick, so will most likely want to
spend some time promoting it along with the two other films that I did last
year “Prison
of the Psychotic Damned” and “She-Demons
of the Black Sun.” All three will be released sometime this spring! Also,
Robomonkey Productions is currently in pre production with a couple of horror
projects. The first is “Countess Bathoria's Graveyard Picture Show” which
will be a zombie anthology style film showcasing twisted tales from some of
underground horror's most notorious directors. Each unique vision will revolve
around one fateful accident in the same small town. I'll be hosting the show,
Vampira style! The second is “Wicked Harvest,” which will be our first
attempt at making a mainstream horror film. This summer I'll be joining Jimmy
and April Buril on the set of “Chainsaw
Sally II,” Bloodkin and Mark Baranowski and Ryli Morgan on the set of “Twilight's
Parasites” and “Grynn
– Grynn.” Last but not least Suzi Lorraine and I will be reuniting for
the first time since “The
Night They Returned” to film Sv Bell's newest film project “Helljail.”