Masks (2011)

(Screener Copy)

Directed by Andreas Marschall

Written by by Andreas Marschall

Stars: Susen Ermich, Julita Witt, Sonali Weiderhofer, Michael Siller and Norbert Losch.


Many thanks to Ivo Scheloske of Anolis Entertainment for sending me a screener copy of Andreas (Tears of Kali) Marschall’s new horror/thriller Masks.  The German produced Masks, has been tipped as a murder mystery very much playing homage to the Giallo greats of the 1970s/80s and I am pleased to say that the film very much succeeds in this respect.  

The plot follows young Stella, a below par actress who wants to make it big but has become extremely frustrated at her growing number of failed auditions for drama schools.  Following a tip off Stella auditions for the ominous looking ‘Matteusz Gdula’ school in the hope that she will finally get into a good school. The audition itself goes pretty horribly but to Stella’s surprise (this can never be a good thing) she is invited to study at the school.  Unfortunately the school is home to a deep dark secret, a secret which someone, black gloved hands and all, is willing to kill violently to protect. The increasing bodycount very much appears to be related to the suicide of the schools founder Matteusz Gdula, a man who employed a very questionable method of ‘bringing out the best’ in his students.  

The events of the past are creeping back into the present as Stella comes across a young, terrified looking fellow student Cecile who lets on that she has been removed from normal classes to study ‘The method’. Shortly after this Cecile disappears and following a fight with another classmate, Stella finds herself faced with two options; expulsion, or the chance to take Cecile’s place as student of the notorious method of Gdula. This takes Stella to a very dark place indeed, away from the other students as she is pumped full of some type of drug, put through horrifying rituals and is watched by a mystery assailant from afar.  As several people start to get too close to the truth, the nasty murders start to escalate and it all builds to a shocking and bloody climax as the killer is unmasked and the truth about the school and its murky past are full reveale

Masks has a lot of great things going for it. The atmosphere and colouring is so reminiscentof the great giallo’s of the past that I felt like I was watching a lost Argento film or something along those lines. Andreas Marschall and his team have clearly used an impressive attention to detail in their presentation of the film and I for one was really taken aback by the authenticity of it all. The direction is also top notch and almost experimental in places which I very much appreciated, being a big fan offbeat and gruesome murder mysterys.

The kills are as bloody and gruesome as you might expect with some incredibly nasty sword impalings and stabbings; the double killing about 30 minutes in being a true highlight and is easily going to appease gore hounds.

The acting in the film is also great. Susen Ermich makes for a captivating heroine as the horribly misguided Stella. Susen plays Stella with an interesting mixture of fragile and fearless and it is this that makes watching the character get deeper involved in the unfolding horrors that much more riveting. Sonali Weidenhofer delivers a brilliant performance as mean girl Valeri (hey every school has to have one) and you know that for every nasty comment and spiteful look, she is edging closer and closer to a gory fate. Julita Witt likewise breaths an eerie and tragic life into the character of Cecile, a young girl so drawn into the dark underbelly of the school that it may already be too late for her. The teachers at the school are all suitably mysterious and often creepy and truly bring to mind the great Suspiria.

Check out the films official Facebook HERE to find out more about how YOU might be able to see this great piece of indie cinema soon. The film has been released to DVD in Germany (no English subtitles I am afraid) but I know talks are ongoing for wider distribution so STAY TUNED. 

FINDING OBLIVION A 'near-future' web-feature from Jason Hawkins

Gravestone Entertainment appears to be working all hours under the sun at the moment with all the exciting projects they have afoot! You may recall my recent article highlighting the insanely awesome trailer for their new feature film The Devil Knows His Own - I can tell this is a film you WONT want to miss. While fans anxiously await news of the films release you can get stuck into Gravestone Entertainments brand new project which they will be holding auditions for THIS WEEKEND! The subject matter of this web series  is certainly important and relevant.

From the Gravestone Entertainment official website:

FINDING OBLIVION

A 'near-future' web-feature from Jason Hawkins

Set in the near future, and seen through the eyes of a small group of civilians, Finding Oblivion, explores the future collapse of America, and its transformation into a police state on the verge of civil war.

CASTING

Below is a partial character list for the public auditions being held on May 18th.

Auditions will be held at the Shilo Inn on Canyon Road, (9900 SW Canyon Rd  Portland, OR 97225) in the Oregonian Ballroom from 9am-9pm. Actors must bring a headshot and resume' to the audition. This is an open to the public audition, please be aware that there will probably be a waiting line.

This is a paid gig - (full disclosure: the majority of an actor's day rate will be deferred, though principle actors will receive a per diem as part of their pay, amount dependent on role and contract.)

We will also be casting a variety of other roles, including many, many supporting and featured extras. If you would like to be considered for one of these roles, please come to the auditions and read for one of the characters listed under the casting roles page.

Finding Oblivion is being produced by Edenfall Entertainment, and hosted by Gravestone Entertainment.

Looking forward to finding out more about this project in due course - if you are interested in auditioning and can get over to the venue then I know the Gravestone Team will be pleased to see you, just be sure to follow the advice above!

The Telemarketer (2013) (Short)

Directed by Jon Higgins

Written by John Cosper

Stars: Joe Atkinson, Cindy Maples, Sean Roberts, Mark Dessauer, Rusty James, Rachel Fisher.

Big thanks to the lovely Cindy Maples for sharing the short film The Telemarketer with me. Cindy not only stars in this perky sci-fi comedy thriller but also co produced, provided set decoration and handled the casting...whew!!!

So the film.... The Telemarketer is NOT  a horror short let me just say. However it is an extremely funny, well written, well acted yarn set in the future which I think a lot of people will get a good kick out of.

The story features Joe Atkinson as the titular Telemarketer, Martin, who has been forced by his boss to try a new and controversial method of selling their product. Since the ability to teleport is now a luxury afforded by all (its set in the future remember) the idea is to just...well...show up in a customers house and start selling the item to them. Its of course unconventional and intrusive and the way this is portrayed is totally brilliant...the film pokes fun at the cold calling/telemarketing/door to door selling industry to a fine art and made me chuckle throughout.

In addition to this there is the sneaky thriller edge. It seems this new customer is going to get our hapless telemarketer into a lot of trouble! Cindy Maples plays housewife Chloe Crum brilliantly - her annoyed facial expressions as the Telemarketer starts to destroy her home in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of his product is spot on. Cindy Maples should consider some more comedic roles as well as the indie horror she does so well!  After Chloe unsuccessfully attempts to remove this human pest from her home, a nasty domestic situation transpires putting everyone's lives in danger...but is all as it seems? You will have to watch and find out but I will say that I enjoyed the clever ending.

A really great short movie combining comedy and sci-fi with a bit of a thriller edge. The performances are all good and really quite funny and I would be interested in any future work from both Director Jon Higgins and writer John Cosper!  I hope to share news with you soon as to when you can get to see this film for yourself to keep your ear to the ground!

Joe 'Jengo' Wheeler talks to Hacked in the Head

Hacked in the Head was delighted to get a few words with UK born film director Joe Wheeler whose upcoming film Jengo Hooper looks set to provide the spills and chills!

The trailer is released on May 20, so please keep yours eyes open for this and check out the interview below! 

Hacked in the Head: Hi Joe! Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. You must be a very busy man at the moment with your new horror movie Jengo Hooper in production?

JOE: Yes things have been hectic, prop making, filming and getting things done.

HitH: Could you tell us a bit more about the movie Jengo Hooper and its concept? It sounds very very interesting?

JOE: Thanks, it is a freaky horror movie filmed in the style of the old grindhouse movies from the sixties, seventies and eighties but set in present time. It is about a man who suffers from a mental illness. The illness takes over his mind and he believes he is an alter ego named 'Jengo Hooper' who likes to brutally kill people and tends to participate in Cannibal activities.

HitH: Actress and producer Share Cherrie helped put me in touch with you and she’s just great. It must be fantastic to have her on board for Jengo Hooper? Can you shed any light on her character in the film?

JOE: Yes I met Share in person last year, and we got on really well. She is a great actress and has become a good friend. I am not able to say too much about what happens in the film which also includes info about characters, but all I can say is Share takes on the role of 'scream queen' very well in the movie.

HitH: I believe you are UK born and bred Joe? Where abouts do you hail from and do you live permanently in the US now? I know Jengo Hooper is filming in London which is awesome.

JOE: I was born in a town called Barking which is in Essex, just on the outskirt of East London. I have lived in this town for quite some time but have also ventured out and lived in other places too.

HitH: On a related note could you tell me a bit about your documentary ‘A limey in the USA’?

JOE: The project 'A Limey in the USA' is a series of episodes I filmed on my travels around America. It is a little like a 'Fly on the wall' type of show which was filmed with just me and a camera, no film crews, assistants or presenters.

HitH: I also recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Velle for Hacked in the Head who is also heading out to London soon to film her part for Jengo Hooper. She seems adorable, how did Jessica’s casting come about?

JOE: I met Jessica when I was in LA. She attended my leaving party. We got talking and I gave her an interesting part in the Jengo Hooper movie. It is a small part which will be built upon in the next installment of Jengo Hooper and she will have a lead role in the next installmant. We filmed her parts for Jengo Hooper in Santa Monica and downtown LA.

HitH: Have you always wanted to make horror films Joe, or did it just kind of work out that way? I’m (obviously) a huge fan of the genre so it’s always fantastic to learn of a fellow Brit making horror the indie way.

JOE: I suffer from bad nightmares and I use film and music to express these nightmares. It is a form of release that de-stresses me so that is why most of what I do is horror related although I also will be delving into more documentaries aswell as a Sci Fi feature film.

HitH: Work aside…what does Joe Wheeler do to relax or have fun?

JOE: When im not filming, or editing, or promoting... I like to meet up with friends, take my dog for long walks. Do my weight training and also travel and do some stargazing.

HitH: Finally Joe is there anything else you wish to tell readers about yourself or your work? I wish you all the best with Jengo Hooper and all of your future work!

JOE: The Official Jengo trailer will be released on the 20th May 2013 and you can catch it at www.jengohooperthemovie.co.uk. Thanks to all who have helped with this project :)

HitH: Thank you so much for your time Joe!

15-05-08 (2013) (Short)

Directed by Nikki Chatwin, Jason Chatwin, 

Written by Nikki Chatwin, Jason Chatwin, 

Stars: Scarlett Sibson, Fern Chatwin, Tim Wilson, Kasey Smith

Sick Bunny Pictures is what you get when two film maker brothers get together in order to unleash some great home grown horror to the unsuspecting public.

With new horror short 15-05-08 the brothers Chatwin offer up an alarming, jump filled found footage shocker which I thoroughly enjoyed. It actually made me smile in that there are scores of great found footage flicks out there that you can't help but think 'well that could have all been condensed into a 15 minute short'...well that's exactly what you get here folks! 

The story is nice and simple - four friends are sneakily surveying the house across the street via camera, suspecting that it has been broken into. Their nosiness is going to ensure they pay a high price however as whatever is skulking around their neighbours house is NOT happy with them at all. Cue madness and mayhem found footage style as the four friends are soon subjected to a night of sheer terror. 

As I said I really enjoyed the film. It was snappy and made its point extremely well with more than enough frightening moments to both creep you the hell out and startle you. Noteworthy is a scene on a staircase where the tension really ratchets up to the point I kind of wanted to bite my fist. I also thought the four key players did a great job of portraying a group of curious friends and I think the decision to leave  the slip ups in dialogue was a wise one as it makes the film that much more realistic.

15-05-08 also goes to show how something horrific can happen to anyone, at any time, to anyone - the idea that you may not be safe in your own home in your own neighbourhood is, lets face it, a terrifying one.

I am so excited to see what these guys come up with next seriously. You need to head on over to Sick Bunny Pictures official Facebook right NOW to see how you can get to view the film and to find out more about SBP!

Mister White

Directed by Erica Summers

Written by Erica Summers

Stars: Andy J. Salgado, Amber Watson, Dakota Morrissiey, Carl Summers, Giana Alexis Cambria, Tony Le, Clayton Reynolds, Kelli Hart, Josh Gray, Dorian Council, Julie Trovato, John Salamone, Agostino Buttinelli, Gabriel Lee, Frances Sacarello.



Mister White is hands down one of the most entertaining indie horrors I have seen in the last few months. For me it takes the very serious and important issue of bullying and makes you feel for the characters involved much like that old favourite of mine Carrie (1976). In essence the film is very much a bloody slasher film where its cruel  and sometimes violent bullies very much receive their blood smeared just desserts. However, at the same time it combines elements of touching drama and intriguing mythology.

So...the story. Tyler is very much your stand out like a sore thumb odd kid at college. As far back as high school he has been the butt of other kids spiteful jokes and pranks, particularly via a group of good looking popular kids who are relentless in their torment. The only member of the group, Summer, who shows Tyler any mercy is under so much pressure from her friends to join in that even she finds it difficult to stop the bullying. We are soon introduced to the legend of a sadistic doctor  whose grisly death has been rumoured to have caused the birth of an even more sadistic evil - Mister White. When Tyler's situation becomes absolutely unbearable he takes matters into his own hands and invokes an old voodoo curse. It's not long before Tyler introduces his new friend Mr White to those who have made his life sheer hell - and they are about to learn the error of their ways - hard.

There are a lot of great plus points to focus on with Mister White. Its well written for one thing, meaning that the more than capable actors have the required material to really sink their teeth into their roles. To that end some of the acting was really great and this can be hard to come by in an indie production. There are some definite stand outs however - Amber Watson really delivers the goods as the conflicted Summer who is quickly realising that she cannot be both popular and sympathetic with her friendship group of choice. She also really kicks some arse towards the end of the film - a really fitting 'final girl' with more layers than you might expect from a horror movie character! Andy Salgado delivers both a heartbreaking AND terrifying performance as the tormented Tyler - truly impressive. I also really enjoyed the characters of Kendra (Summer Perkins) Amy (Giana Alexis Cambria) and Lori (Nicole Elias) as three of the more overtly bitchy characters, all three do a great job as being as mean as hell and subsequently reduced to quivering wrecks once the shit hits the fan. A special shout out to Dakota Morrissey as the abhorrent Scott. Dakota plays this character as an out and out nasty piece of work and you just cannot love to hate him throughout!

The direction of the film and overall production is really great. It looks like a professional final product with decent editing and I am excited to see more from the lovely director/writer/producer Erica Summers as this is certainly a film to be most proud of.

In short Mister White is a bloody fantastic, back to basics, revenge horror flick that also tries something new. Check out the film on Facebook for more info and grab the film as soon as it gets a wide release!

Saturday Morning Massacre (2012)

(Online Screener Copy)

Directed by Spencer Parsons

Written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett and Jason Wehling

Produced by Jesse Lyda, Jonny Mars and Jason Wehling

Stars: Ashley Rae Spillers, Jonny Mars, Josephine Decker, Adam Tate, Paul Gordon.


Saturday Morning Massacre is a film I have been eager to check out for some time so I was most grateful when Writer and Producer Jason Wehling offered me an online screener to review. 

Featuring a group of self made ghost hunters, Nancy, Chad, Floyd and Gwen and their dog (Scooby Doo fans paying attention?) who are fed up with cracking cases of reported hauntings and getting no financial reward for it. So when a paid gig over at the old, deserted Kyser School House presents itself, the team hot foot it over there like a bunch of gazelles.

Meeting local police Officer Lance on location, the team refuse to listen to his warnings about spending the night in the Schoolhouse and even creepily placed signs of devil worship are not enough to deter them. As is always the way with a movie with 'massacre' in the tile, things begin to go horribly awry very quickly. That being said, if you are thinking 'oh just another slasher movie then' DONT let my previous comment put you off. The movie has a lot more going for it then that; its comedy is spot on, there is a continued mystery as to what is actually going on in the house and how it relates to the tales of the past and you are kept on the edge of your seat until the very end. Not to mention a perfect final scene.

The film is also very well made, it comes across as very polished and professional and the lighting is impressive throughout considering the team are holed up in such a dark old house. To add to that there are several really cool and offbeat shots throughout the film which helps to give the film the slightly odd edge that it most definitely has.

Further to this 'odd edge'; the group of ghost hunters have a very strange, almost surreal way of interacting with each other, particularly as a whole group. I can't explain if any better than that but trust you will see what I mean when you see it. Some of the more touching moments reminded me of the love scenes in Twin Peaks, from the backing music to the overall acting. I enjoyed this element a lot.

As far as acting goes I enjoyed all of the main performances and you can easily see why Ashley Rae Spillers was chosen to play the quirky lead 'Nancy', she does a great job as a kind hearted yet tough young woman.

Saturday Morning Massacre is one to check out when you get the chance. It has gore, scares and laughs and shows great promise for the people behind it. Check it out on Facebook to find out more! 

Bloody Wedding (2012)

(Screener Copy)


Directed by Robert Hoover

Written by Patty Sharkey, Mike Merickel,

Stars: Jordan Bates, Brad Coffey, Kurt Finney, Marguerite Insolia, Kevin Kennedy, AJ Martin, Kate Murdoch, Mike Pfaff, Pason, Sandy Rhineberger, Armand Rouleau, Ryan Sulak and Tawny Young

MASSIVE thanks to Patty Sharkey, Co Writer of Bloody Wedding for sending me a screener copy for review. This type of movie is SO much my kind of thing I cant tell you enough and I am so pleased to report that it did not disappoint.

The plot is a simple as you like; a group of family members convene for a wedding only to start to fall foul of a mental case out for blood. What makes Bloody Wedding so fun and entertaining is its mixture of characters such as the mean step mother, super bitch half sister from hell, drunk father and so on. Its almost like an episode of Dynasty with a great big meat cleaver through it.

So anyway; Pierce (Ryan Sulak) and Cindy (Kate Murdoch) are tying the knot and they head off to a beautiful lakeside mountain resort in order to make their vows. With this comes the introduction of Pierce to Cindy's interesting mix of family members. You have the aforementioned drunk father (AJ Martin) unsympathetic and cold step mother (Sandy Rhineberger) and flame haired, viper half sister (Pason) on top of this there are various other characters such as Cindy's kind brother (Brad Coffey), Pierces rude as hell (seriously) best friend (Jordan Bates) and brother (Mike Pfaff). Here we have quite the colourful menu for our mysterious killer to pick from and its not long before guests start dropping like flies. Its up to Cindy to find out who is turning her special day into a total blood bath before her and Pierce end up honeymooning beyond the grave!

As mentioned (as well as some great gore and a couple of original death scenes) this film is all about the well written and well performed characters. I am pretty sure there were none that I DIDDNT enjoy which is amazing. My favourites include Pason as the nasty half sister Tiffany, a fantastically bitchy performance, Jordan Bates as Jim, quite possibly the crudest person I have ever heard on screen,  and Marguerite Insolia as the feisty Kitty. Both leads Ryan Sulak and Kate Murdoch are also very impressive as the loved up couple thrown into their worst nightmare!

I am very much going to be keeping my eye out on any future work from 'Sharkey Films' as this team sure know how to make something relentlessly entertaining. Get on over HERE to find out more about this hilarious, bloody and very fun slasher flick!

The G-String Horror (2012)

(Online Screener Copy)

Directed by Charles Webb

Written by Charles Webb

Stars: Debra Lamb, Genna Darling, Natasha Talonz, Trevor O'Donell, Mike Gleason, Ed Bowers.

Release: DVD (US)  June 18 2013

Many thanks to director Charles Webb for sending me a online screener of his new film The G-String Horror. While the films title literally screams 'gory slasher in a strip joint' you will hopefully be pleasantly surprised by what you will see here. Not that many fans wouldn't enjoy aforementioned slasher flick but I think its always a refreshing change to see something different that challenges expectations.

The film plays out as a kind of cross between found footage and shockumentary as a film crew decide to shoot a movie in a reportedly haunted strip club in San Francisco. After hearing some creepy tales about some of the buildings bizarre happenings (and seeing some of these for ourselves via found footage) we start to follow the film crew in action. Sadly for these people, the spirits of those that have died within the buildings walls are about to come and make their own film...

I really enjoyed The G-String Horror partly because I already love the style of these kind of movies but also because this offering was far more idiosyncratic than your standard found footage horror movie. I kind of felt like I watching a found footage/cinema verite horror film set in a strip joint from Twin Peaks which we never knew existed when we first watched the show. Seriously.  Further to this, there is some extremely unsettling imagery in this film and  I found myself a bit creeped out several times. I think anyone who finds dolls in the slightest bit scary then well...I think its only fair to warn you that this film shows some of the freakiest little plastic creations you may ever see!

There are a few nasty moments of gore which will please fans who bemoan the lack of a gruesome pay off in the found footage sub genre. Watch out for a very nasty dagger to head scene.....

My only small gripe with the film is that while some of the acting really works, some of it grates just a little bit. This is in some of the scenes where characters are acting hysterical and it just comes across as a little bit over the top. Still, I wouldnt let  that put you off, the film is still worth your time.

You can head over to Amazon now to pre-order your copy if you live in the states (or own a multi region DVD player). Hopefully news on a UK release will be with us very soon. To stay up to date, please do visit The G-String Horrors official website. 

CINDY MAPLES GETS HACKED IN THE HEAD - AN INTERVIEW

Fast becoming an indie horror favourite, I was very lucky to grab a few words with the lovely Cindy Maples. Cindy's growing popularity is pretty much thanks to her obvious versatility as an actress, playing absolute polar opposites of previous characters in all of her films.  If you are familiar with the films of Big Biting Pig Productions (and you should be) then these are a case in point if you consider Cindy's role in Hell is Full and then go on and watch her in The Creepy Doll! Read on for our great interview and be sure to get yourself familiar with Cindy's work - its fair to say there will be MUCH more to come from this lady!






Hacked in the Head: Hey Cindy thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me! You seem to be becoming ever more popular for your work in indie horror which is amazing as I have enjoyed your characters in all of the films I have seen you in. How do you feel about the recognition your work is getting?

Cindy Maples: Greetings from across the pond and THANK YOU so much for asking me! I’m always thrilled when either my performance or a film I’m in is recognized. Indie film is a tough business, because there are so many of us out there doing it, so to be singled out in such a large crowd is always very humbling and inspiring.

Hacked in the Head: To expand on your acting roles I would love to hear more about your experiences with Big Biting Pig Productions. What was your favourite role for BBP and why?

Cindy Maples:I’ve been lucky enough to work on three BBPP movies, WIDOW, HELL IS FULL and THE CREEPY DOLL. Vivian Potts from WIDOW will always be my favorite role from those three movies. Vivian was such a flawed and rich character that forced me to find this darkness inside that I didn’t even know existed. It was a wonderfully wicked role that I think only comes along once in a lifetime. I had done so much research for that role, that by the time it was over I felt that I was starting to exhibit some of her psychosis. Of course that could have just been exhaustion. Anytime I have to challenge myself like that, I find it much more rewarding and my performance is always enhanced because of it. It’s also special because it was my first movie role, until that point I had only done theatre.

One of the more interesting stories from WIDOW happened on the last night of principle photography when I had to drive home at 2:00 in morning covered in blood. I remember being so tired and praying during the entire trip that I wouldn’t get pulled over. I wasn’t sure that a cop would understand that I wasn’t really dying or that I didn’t just kill someone. Needless to say I learned to always bring a change of clothes with me. Also, I really enjoyed playing the role of Olivia in HELL IS FULL, I’m mean who doesn’t love vomiting blood and turning into a flesh eating zombie.






Hacked in the Head: I loved Vivian Potts also, what a complex character, and I have a real soft spot for your role of Emily Carraway in The Creepy Doll.

I am also a HUGE fan of your short but fantastic role in Jakob Bilinski's short film Bloody Hooker Bang Bang. I wish you could have been around for the blood soaked finale. Do you think there could be bigger plans for this character? I among, many others have harassed poor Jacob to make a feature length spin off from the short ;)

Cindy Maples:I would have LOVED to been around for the blood-soaked finale! Unfortunately, my character just starts the chaos and then sits back and waits. I’m really proud of this short film and all the attention it’s getting. Hopefully someday everyone who has asked for more will get a chance to at least see the extended version. I’ve heard some rumors of more coming from the Hook Squad and that Momma Crowe would make a return, but at this time I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors.

I remember the e-mail from Jake about this film. He simply said, “Hey, I’m doing this grindhouse short and have a part that I would like you to do.” My response was something like “you had me at grindhouse.” Then he sends me the script and I discover that I get to play a bat-shit crazy, head of an underworld crime family and I think I smiled for 3 days straight. I adore Jake and his work is amazing. So I think it’s safe to say that anytime he asked me to do something, I would move heaven and earth to be there.

Hacked in the Head: Awesome, I will make sure Jake reads this :) Momma Crowe was a fantastic character and lets face it - she causes all the bad stuff to go down so you certainly make a huge impact in that film!

I also understand you are making your foray into directing? Tell me more!

Cindy Maples: Even though the cast and crew would say that I was doing some directing, I am actually trying my hand at producing. As an actress I sometimes have scripts sent to me with the hopes that someday the movie/short film will be made. One of these scripts caught my eye and I decided to go for it. The short film is called The Telemarketer and it is based on the short story of the same name written by John Cosper. It is currently in post-production and we are looking to send it out to local film festivals within the next month. Then it will go live on-line after that. I have never attempted anything like this before but I have been around enough to know that I needed a director. So I contacted my friend Jon Higgins of Communindie Films and asked if he would be interested. To my delight he said yes and we started the wheels moving on the project. I secured locations, made props and was able to get a great cast assembled. It’s a fun little comedy that looks at a possible scenario of telemarketing in the not too distant future.

Hacked in the Head: This all sounds amazing! I assumed you were 'taking the helm' so to speak, directing wise after sending me a recent short to check out - nonetheless you are certainly branching out from acting and that's brilliant! :)

How do you feel about the horror genre in general? Are you a fan or has your involvement in the genre just kind of 'come about’? If you are...I would love to know some of your favourites?

Cindy Maples: I’m a huge fan of the Horror genre! Lately I have been involved in other types of film and I find myself really missing the blood and gore of horror. Some of my first memories of watching movies are associated with horror. The first film I really remember seeing is Dracula’s Daughter and that I had to sleep with the blankets up over my head so that I wouldn’t get bitten. I enjoy a good drama or comedy, but there is just nothing like a good scary movie to leave an impact on you after you walk out of the theatre. My favorite will always be The Exorcist, but I also feel myself drawn to the psychological thrillers like The Others and The Six Sense. I like a movie that when it ends you have to immediately see it again, because everything you thought you knew was blown out of the water in the last few minutes.

Hacked in the Head: What would your dream acting role be Cindy? And on the directing side what would be your dream movie to make?

Cindy Maples: I've been so lucky to have already played such great characters; it’s hard for me to say what my dream role would be. I know I would love more characters like Vivian and Momma Crowe where I can just go insane and explore the challenges of the dark side. As far as directing, I currently have no desire to it, but if I did I would definitely be looking for a psychological thriller. I would love the opportunity either through acting, producing or directing to totally mess with people’s minds.

Hacked in the Head: What else do you enjoy doing in your spare time when you are not being transformed into a zombiefied housewife or sending your psychotic offspring out to kill hookers?

Cindy Maples: I'm an avid reader and you can find me curled up with my Nook every night before I go to bed, usually with my Doberman Raven lying beside me. My husband and I purchased an old historic house in the town we live in and we spend a lot of time on that, as well as trying to prove or disprove that we have ghosts living with us. I stay as involved as I can in the local film community either by going to meetings, premieres or film festivals. I consider myself to be as much a fan of indie film as I am a participant in it.

Hacked in the Head: Finally Cindy do you have anything else to share with readers. And I mean anything? ;)

Cindy Maples:First, I would like to say a big THANKS to you Mark and to all the amazing bloggers out there that support Indie film! All of you help us spread the word either by writing reviews, interviews or just talking about our projects. That kind of support is invaluable. Second I would tell your readers to support indie film or get involved in it, you will never regret it! Third, if you’re not completely bored with me yet, check out all my other projects on IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3603974 and while you’re there LIKE me.

Following are links to find some of my projects:

WIDOW, HELL IS FULL and THE CREEPY DOLL http://www.bigbitingpigproductions.com/OurMovies.html

WIREFACE: In the Beginning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bWo930URxc&feature=share

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE
http://www.birthday-massacre.com/

THE TELEMARKETER
http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheTelemarketer?fref=ts

Hacked in the Head: Thank you Cindy so much and best of luck with all of your future and upcoming projects!