Victoria De Mare Interview from www.withoutyourhead.com

Neal: Alright we’re back and we are joined by Victoria De Mare.
Welcome to Without Your Head

Victoria: Thank you.

Neal: How’s it going?

Victoria: Very well. How are you?

Neal: I’m good, I think we are all doing pretty good.

Victoria: Good.

Neal: Just let everybody know that you got “Werewolf in a Women’s Prison” coming out. It’s going to come out on DVD on September 4th.

Victoria: That is correct yes.

Neal: Under the Bed Films.

Victoria: Available nation wide.

Neal: Yeah, that is definitely a name that jumps out at you.

Victoria: Yeah the title in itself it’s a must rent for sure

Neal: Yeah, I think the name sells it

Victoria: Good [laughter]

Neal: What did you think when you saw the name for the script. Did you think they would keep going with that title?

Victoria: Yeah definitely. It was co-written by Vincent Bilancio and Jeff Leroy who also directed it and while I was reading the script I thought it was perfect and I would have been against any changes in the title. I was pretty sure that we were going to go with that.

Neal: Was it as fun to make as it looks and sounds?

Victoria: I’m sorry, can you say that again?

Neal: Was it as fun to make?

Victoria: Omg. Very Fun. I had the most fun working on this film than any other film I have participated in.

Neal: Any funny stories from the set?

Victoria: So many…
Neal: ….. that you can say on air..

Victoria: I was a little tortured by the rats? Which are really interesting component in the prison. I am technically very fearful of rats and they were fine healthy rats.

Neal: Ok, they bought them on the set, they weren’t just there?

Victoria: Oh yeah, they were purchased for the production.

Neal: I was wondering where did they film this. Does this sound like an abandoned warehouse?

Troy: It was in the Prison, come on Neal.

Victoria: They were real typo rats. I am little fearful of rats, I didn’t want any of them to hurt me and I didn’t want to hurt any of them. So I was very stressed. A bit of method acting there in those scenes but it was a little difficult because I was really very frightened.

Neal: No rats were hurt in the production of the film?

Victoria: No rats were hurt in any way shape or form. They had their own room and holding tank and everything.

Troy There were dressing rooms for the rats? I like that!
Victoria: [laughter]

Neal: High Class!

Neal: Has Horror Movies something you always wanted to do?

Victoria: Yes, yeah horror films were always my favorite genre as a kid and still are. I love to be scared and I’m still scared when I’m watching a horror feature. Even though I’m pretty sure how most of it is being done or with me figuring out how the did this and that. Yeah horror has always been my favorite genre. It is wonderful to have been a child and watching the girl screaming and running around in the woods and that girl becomes me.

Troy Oh that’s great.

Jack What was it like then the first time you heard someone refer to you as a scream queen?

Victoria: In an interview last year I was referred to as such and I was thrilled. I am like what a milestone. What an accomplishment. Wow, I’m on the list of such esteemed women in the horror genre.

Jack You put it right into to your website which is http://www.screamqueendemare.com/

Victoria: Yes screemqueendemare.com.

Neal: Oh Ok.. Did I mispronounce the name?

Victoria: Yes but that is ok. People pronounce it Demaray.. Demare it is actually pronounced De Mare

Neal: I do that quite often but I usually ask the person before we introduce them.

Victoria: That’s ok I have made many mistakes in pronunciations of names.

Neal: We talked about this beforehand, do think the film will make both werewolf and women in prison aficionados happy?

Victoria: Oh, absolutely. Definitely. It is a werewolf movie and the fact the story evolves in a women’s prison is really hilarious and I don’t think quite has ever been combined in any way let alone this way. Fans of both genres will be completely satisfied.

Troy Well it is about damn time that is all I have to say.

Victoria: Yeah, I agree and you’re not the only one that has commented so I agree.

Neal: Well you were a horror movie fan were you a women in prison movie fan

Victoria: I had never actually seen a women’s prison film. Of course I knew of them. Werewolf movies for sure but and the fact my character turns into a werewolf and was taking everybody out was the best part.

Neal: So you’re not really a scream queen in the movie then, you’re the villain.

Victoria: I’m the villain. I’m the villain. I have played the villain a lot. I have been possessed as a demon witch by Julia Strain in a film and took everybody out in that too. So I love the dichotomy of playing the innocent American girl that is in a female prison that turns into this fierce creature and she is battling with that, not knowing what the heck is going on. That was brilliant.

Neal : Is that more fun, to play the villain?

Victoria: For me it is. I like playing the good girl turn bad. The villain for me is defiantly more fun.

Neal: Do you think there is not enough women villains in horror movies?

Victoria: Yeah, I would agree. The women are usually the victims which is fine and that component works for certainly many of the horror films but it is fun to see the woman be the killer, be the villain, be the bad guy, be the monster.

Neal: How long did it take to put the make up on?

Victoria: Well we did some of the effects shots in sequences of her transformation. The actual werewolf was an actor, a stunt actor in a suit running around. So I didn’t actually have to get into the suit. It was a nine foot full on costume. So yeah there was a brilliant stunt man in the suit running around taking care of mayhem.

Neal: Do you think that made the werewolf scarier since it was someone bigger?

Victoria: Yes! Absolutely. I am very petite so yeah, that was awesome.

Neal: You mean you are nine feet tall?

Victoria: No, unfortunately not!

Neal: That is just a couple of inches taller than me. Have you got a question from the board John?

John: Actually I had a question, was there any specials on the DVD that you participated in?

Victoria: Oh yeah there are many special features on the DVD. There is a commentary with the director, Jeff Leroy, co-producer, co-writer and co-star Vincent Bilancio and myself which was a blast to do and there many special features of outtakes and special footage and interviews.

John: Awesome. We had another question from the message board. Glibbering Mouther who is a member on our boards, wants to know if you are going to stay with the horror genre.

Victoria: Yes, I suppose I will continue to do as many horror movies throughout my career as possible. However, I am not limited to that genre in though itself it is my favorite but I have performed in many comedies, dramas, sci fi’s, thrillers. All genres, it really depends on the script and story and whether there’s a character I might be interested in fits into the story. I love period piece dramas and epics and all of them. I love stories I guess but horror has always been my favorite and will always have a special place in my repertoire and my heart and my career.

Neal: You actually have a lot of movies coming out. You have, I believe 10 movies?

Victoria: Actually, I do, I have 13 releases coming out.

Neal: Wow

Victoria: Yeah which are coming out at once in little spurts over possibly the next year. So that is really exciting.

Neal: You are like the Samuel L Jackson of scream queens.

Victoria: Oh thank you. What an honor.

Neal: Do you think that is important, to stay busy?

Victoria: Absolutely, my career is my life and I love to work and work as much as possible. Just preparing myself into different experiences. Working with different people. Working on different projects. The more experiences the better so yeah. I go into a postproduction depression when my part is done and it is in the hands of the masters and the editors and post. So yeah I’m frantically looking what I will be engaged in next.

Neal: Is it more depressing if you know you put time into something and it isn’t released?

Victoria: Yes, very discouraging. Approximately 8 or 9 films in my career were not finished or were not picked up and distributed in any market whether it be foreign or domestic. So it is discouraging because you want it to actually see the light of day. That can be upsetting but you certainly can’t predict that though. I give my all in each production and I definitely go through a mourning when the performance part is over, when the fun parts over.

Neal: I always think you know a really important part of any werewolf movie is the transformation. They show it in the trailer and I thought it was pretty impressive. It’s really unique.

Victoria. Yes it is. It is. A lot of the effects by were done by Jeff Leroy and Vincent Bilancio. Just the two of them with some assistance from a filmmaker named John Letrago of Blood Gnome and the upcoming Magus release this year so yeah I am amazed that their talent and their strength of resources that they have.

Neal: How have people reacted to the movie?

Victoria: My goodness it has been a wonderful reaction. It has all been good reviews. There’s been a serious and honest interest in seeing it and it reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

Neal: Is this the second time you have worked with the director?

Victoria: Yes, this is my second time working with Nick Melillo and Jeff Leroy. I have worked with Vincent Bilancio on six other films. I believe we are working on our sixth now. So have worked with him quite a bit as well. I love working with them. I have a lot of respect and admiration for what they do and from being my colleagues they have become my friends and it’s really fun to work with your friends.

Neal: Do you find like you have a good chemistry together.

Victoria: Very good yes.

Neal: I also see from the trailer, well I noticed there is a zombie character..

Victoria: Yes Jack played by Vincent Bilancio is Sarah’s, my characters boyfriend and he is bitten and killed by the werewolf but is coming back to me in the night telling me what I need to do and of course he keeps decomposing. Of course he is dead and is stuck between the two worlds. The make up and effects for that I thought was awesome.

Neal: I was wondering if that is kind of like a homage to American Werewolf in London?

Victoria: Yes it is.

Neal: Definitely. That is one of my favourites.

Victoria. Mine as well.

Neal: I guess this one has a lot of comedy in it so it is just like it?

Victoria: Oh yes, yes it’s hilarious.

Neal: I guess you really couldn’t make a Werewolf in a Women’s Prison and be a drama.

Victoria: Exactly and we were all taking it with a grain of salt and giving it what exactly it needed not knowing exactly what we were making and what we had to make it with the whole time.

Neal: Since you are billing you as the scream queen have you ever hurt your throat screaming?

Victoria: No, I have not. I have quite a full bodied scream and I've also been trained vocally and some people find that funny. I try to use my diaphragm and the techniques of vocal training and I am telling you it really works. Certainly sometimes your voice becomes hoarse and stuff like that but honestly if you place it in the right places when you are screaming you can really save yourself from any damage.

Neal: Right. Well that is always something you could always do sometime in the future is teach people how to scream.

Victoria: Yes.. yes.. I guess I am not screaming all too long or anything there are different screams, different moments, different takes and different set-ups so you do have a breather.

Neal: On http://www.screamqueendemare.com/ you actually give free autographs on merchandise if they buy it?

Victoria: Yes, I don’t actually autograph the merchandise that they might actually be interested in purchasing, however, I can but autographs are free…..

Neal: You like include one with something they buy?

Victoria: Well yeah. I get a decent amount of fan mail with people pressing if they could please have a photo to add to their collection and I send that stuff free.

Neal: That’s cool.

Victoria: The merchandise is on sale and of course I can autograph that as well. If it is someone just requesting a promotional photo to add to their collection and it is not a pin up print or a calendar I am happy to sign those and send back to them for free.

Neal: What would be like the top selling thing?

Victoria: The pinup pictures I guess.

Neal: I think John buys a few of those for his room.

John: Oh man, you’re outing me.
Victoria: … and the t-shirts

Neal: I like the t-shirts. I like the artwork on those.

Victoria: Thank you. There has been a decent amount of sales on those too.

Neal: I don’t know if you caught it or not but there is actually a caricature up on our website of you

Victoria: I did. I loved it.

Neal: That was drawn by Troy over here.

Victoria: Oh Troy. I am extremely impressed.

Neal: I always like to ask people on air about them. One person hated it but everyone else is pretty cool with them.

Troy: I have a fragile ego so am glad you like it. If someone doesn’t like them that just crushes me.

Victoria: Oh I loved it. I thought it was great. I thought it was fierce and very well done and very exciting. Made me want to listen to the interview.

Troy: Thank you.

Victoria You’re welcome.

Neal: I also read you have ballet and dancing training?

Victoria: Yes.

Neal: Has any of that helped you in any of the movies at any time?

Victoria: They have. There was quite a bit of physicality in my character in werewolf wherein I was beating everybody up, escaping, running and stuff like that. That kind of activity certainly helps, to know how to move for sure. I have danced in a few films, which has been a very useful skill.

Neal: Did you keep any props from a Werewolf in a Women’s Prison?

Victoria: The Teeth. I kept the teeth because as I was transforming, showing my fangs, running around out in the desert as such. I kept those but I was going to keep some of the wardrobe but it became so destroyed and bloodied that I didn’t. The teeth I kept.

Neal: Have you kept anything from any other movies you did?

Victoria Yah you know, little keepsakes, little things, from the wardrobes or props, stuff like that.

Neal: Did you collect anything before you were an actress?

Victoria: No, no I did not.

Neal: Have you been to any fan fests or anything like that?

Victoria: I have been to the Fangoria Magazine convention twice in Burbank California, this year and last year. Where I was asked to attend to promote films but I have not attended as a fan.

Neal: Yeah, just as a guest.

Victoria: Yes, just a guest and promoter for some of the material.

Neal: I was wondering if anybody has ever asked you to sign anything kind of crazy?

Victoria: Oh no not yet.

Neal: That is until we go to the fan fest.
You have a Thomas Wolfe quote up on your website. I was just wondering why that was important to you.

Victoria: I think it is a very profound speech, one that I very much believe in. That speech in general holds a special place for me. I have read that in an introduction in some other books, memoirs of screen legends and such so I thought that was very profound and I completely believe in it.

Neal: Here in our chat room Riren Vorhees wants to know if you have used the teeth since then? Perhaps for pranks?

Victoria: Have I used the teeth? No unfortunately I have not. They are so fragile I don’t want to lose them. I keep them in a special place.

Neal: Maybe for trick or treaters this coming Halloween?

Victoria: It’s a possibility.

Troy: Maybe on the Pizza delivery guy.

Victoria: That would be hilarious actually.

Neal: I am going to throw it to a movie Delivery if no one ever seen that. Speaking of Pizza delivery men. Victoria’s not in that but it’s a good movie.

Neal: Someone wants to know what was you favorite horror movie growing up?

Victoria: I have a few. I would say the one that scared me the most was Pet Sematary. Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Wonderful book. Great film. I was petrified of that woman in the attic, scarred me for life.

Neal: The sister?

Troy: That one spooked me out

Neal And still does today.

Victoria: Then, looking back on some of the classics, Friday the 13th films and all the Halloween films I am a fan of all those.

Neal: When you did the movie Slaughter Studios. It was produced by Roger Corman. Did you work with Roger Corman at all on it? Like in person?

Victoria: Yes, I have met him and been with him on the set in person but I have not worked with him in that way. Brian Katkin was the director of that production so yeah I have not worked one on one with Roger Corman.

Neal: Was it still special to be in a movie that was produced by Roger Corman?

Victoria: I was so thrilled. It was the job where I thought “I’ve made it. This is it, I am in a Corman film”. That was the end all and be all and yeah, I was thrilled and yeah, I am very proud of that credit.

Neal: here in the chat room Santo Muerto wants to know was the werewolf movie the most bloody movie you have made.

Victoria. It was one of the two. I would say “Azira: Blood from the Sand” that I co-stared in with Julie Strain, Vincent Bilancio and Julie’s sister, Lizzie Strain was actually quite bloody. I was ripping of limbs and ripping of heads and piercing brains with drumsticks and such and that was very bloody. I would say those two.

John: Excellent!

Neal: It's a typical weekend for John.

John: Come on now Neal.

Victoria It was great fun actually.

Neal: You can pick that one up on DVD I believe?

Victoria: Yes it is available on DVD, you can order it directly off their site.

Neal: Do you know the website offhand?

Victoria: http://www.azirathemovie.com/

Neal: Have you got a question John?

John: Glibbering Mouther actually has another question, he wants to know is it more fun to play the damsel in distress or the murderer, killer, monster in a movie?

Victoria: It’s Much more fun for me to play the monster, killer or the bad guy for sure.

John: Excellent.

Victoria: There just seems to be so much more going on in the mind in someone that's experiencing that. The damsel in distress, which is exactly what she is; she is distressed. But the Monster or killer has many different emotions and motives.

Neal: How important do you think gore is to a horror movie?

Victoria: I think it is an essential component. I think the cult fans and followers are looking for that. I think it’s essential.

Neal: Just let everyone know, the movie is “Werewolf in a Women’s Prison”. It comes out September 4th on DVD by Under the Bed Films.
Anything you want to tell your fans out there why they should pick it up?

Victoria: It’ll be one of the best movies of this year that you’ll have seen and it will be the best horror movies ever made.

Neal: Oh Man

Troy: I like that!

Neal: Everybody has to check out the trailer. If the name alone doesn’t want to make you buy it, I think once you see the trailer you will be hooked.

Troy: I’m sold. I’ll buy one.

Victoria: Oh thank you. It is very entertaining. Just want to say to the fans that you wont be disappointed. It’s a must see and for what it is in its genre and low budget and B I think it will quickly become a cult classic.

Neal: You don’t take that as an insult when someone says that a movie that you are in is a B movie?

Victoria: Oh no. My career has been predominately in the B’s and I’m fine with that. I look to progress in my profession like everyone else but I have had a career in it and I feel quite proud of it.

Neal: You're starring in a movie with C Thomas Howell that’s coming out soon?

Victoria: Yes,

Neal: “The Stolen Moments of September”

Victoria: Correct.

Neal: What was it like to work with him?

Victoria: Amazing. Amazing he is very gifted. A very nice person. Very serious and focused on the set and we had a horrific scene together which was amazing. It was wonderful. I was very happy that he was a part of that production and I got to work with him.

Neal: I also read that you were on a TV show that’s in Spanish?

Victoria: Descontrol yes. NBC Telemundo I am a dancer

Neal: Is it harder to work, I know you are bi lingual but is it harder to act in Spanish

Victoria: It is, I don’t have dialogue on this show as I am just a performer and a dancer but it is completely different. I work predominantly all in English but I have worked in Spanish for a little bit.

Neal: We should get a liner from you in Spanish.

Troy: That would be cool.

Victoria: You want a one line from me in Spanish?

Neal: We need a liner for the website.

Victoria: A liner for the website?

Neal: That would be www.Withoutyourhead.com
We just always like to put all the guests right on the spot here. Live on the show.

Victoria: No esta tu cabesa??

Neal: Let everyone know, the movie is “Werewolf in a Women’s Prison”. It comes out September 4th on DVD by Under the Bed Films. Everybody go check it out.
We want to thank you for coming on tonight.

Victoria: Thank you so much

Neal: We really appreciate it.