Scream Queen Barbie: Talking With the Delightful Devanny Pinn by Owen Keehnen

Though still in her early 20s, actress Devanny Pinn is well on her way to having a major impact on the horror scene. She got her break in 2006 as the lead in the low-budget horror movie 'The Lonely Ones' and has been working continuously in the genre ever since. Some of her credits include the upcoming 'Legend of the Red Reaper' with Tara Cardinal and Lloyd Kaufman, 'Orgy of Blood', 'Return to Yucca Flats: Desert Man-Beast' , 'Ding Dong Dead', 'The Los Angeles Ripper', 'Diary of Death', 'Scream Queen Campfire', 'The New Face of Fear', 'Final Girl', 'Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection', 'Bad Girls Burn in Hell', 'Midnight in the Mortuary', '12-24' , and several others. She's even got a role in Alexandre Aja's highly anticipated remake 'Piranha 3-D' with Elizabeth Shue, Jerry O' Connell, Ving Rhames, Dina Meyer, Christopher Lloyd, Richard Dreyfuss, and Eli Roth. That's not to mention her work in reality TV 'Paris Hilton's New BFF', 'Rock of Love 1 & 2' , and 'Scream Queens'. As if that weren't enough the brown eyed beauty has even found the time to be the spokesmodel for the First International Horror and SciFi Film Festival.

Whew! That is one seriously impressive resume for someone only in the business for three and a half years! She's called 'Horror Barbie' for a reason! True to her word of being interested in "all things horror", Devanny was kind enough to give us a few minutes for this exclusive racksandrazors.com interview.


  Devanny, why don't you start us off with a visual and describe the place where you are answered these questions?

Well believe it or not I am naked in bed. My roommate has gone to the movies so I have been walking around the house nude (I don't like clothes), and I just got back from Las Vegas so I was going to unpack but decided to catch up on some work instead. So now I am lying on gold satin sheets with my pink laptop, and a smile

So how did the 'Horror Barbie' tag come about?

It was given to me as a nickname on set of a film I did last year. I'm really perky and wear a lot of sparkly stuff so one of the crew was saying I looked like a horror Barbie doll, and it just kind of stuck.

Give me a teaser for your new movie 'Final Girl' in which you play Lori Keena. Give me a teaser that is going to make it irresistible to fans?

Well for about 90% of the movie, several girls and I are in our underwear. There's actually a very cool story in there too that touches on some of the basic concepts of horror films, but that seems to be the part that everyone is excited about.

I also want to hear about 'Legend of the Red Reaper'. What about the role of Thialla really attracted you?

This is an action fantasy film and the role was written in for me because a close friend of mine, Tara Cardinal is playing The Red Reaper. They asked me and Lloyd Kaufman if we would do a scene in it. The film is really amazing and I'm excited to be working with both of them again.

You have made so many horror movies in the past few years. Most have been low budget, but first I want to hear about your experience filming the larger budgeted 'Piranha 3D'. What was that shoot like coming from a smaller budgeted background?

Because I had only done smaller budgets, I really wanted to see what a full studio backing got you. Basically you can afford to pay everyone what they deserve, effects are fancier or done in post, locations are bigger, names are A and B list. Honestly I have way more fun on my smaller budget projects. A lot of heart and passion goes into indie flicks and filming piranha seemed more about writing a check for everything and doing a day job rather then doing what you enjoy. I heard its turning out pretty good but the company is pushing back the release date. I guess we will see.

'Bad Girls Burn in Hell, 'Nude Nuns With Big Guns', 'Orgy of Blood', '12-24', 'Ding Dong Dead', 'Scream Queen Campfire' etc. What has been your favorite moment on screen?

In '12-24' I get thrown out of a car in the pouring rain by my boyfriend after he hears I'm cheating on him. The other actor got so into it that he started screaming at my tumbling booty that I was an asshole and sped away. I almost ruined the shot by laughing so hard.

So if a young woman were to come up to you and said how do I become a scream queen ( a title you have had since your first role in the film 'The Lonely Ones') what advice would you give her?

Study other actresses, famous horror films and see what makes them the best. Take note of which performances make you jump more or cry or leave you screaming at the television trying to help her live. Then try to get involved in some films. Student films or shorts are a great way to get your feet wet. A lot of times schooling or books will help you get ready for set, but that doesn't apply to horror films. There is no way to explain it, you simply have to jump in and be part of it. I highly recommend getting involved, it's a great time for women in horror and it's the best thrill there is.

What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you during the filming of any shoot?

Great question. So I'm a method actor, which basically means that I don't act, I relive something. I always tell my costars, in particular the bad guy, that I don't fake or imply anything. If they are going to attack me or try to hurt me then they need to actually do it. It's very important to me that my reactions are as real as possible in my films, and I enjoy the rush I get from it as well. So in a scene in one of my films, the villain chokes me and I made him really do it. Well I guess the director didn't know what we were doing and was watching the magic happening on film and didn't want to say cut and ruin it. Meanwhile, I am literally choking and about to pass out and possibly die. The poor actor opposite me had gone too soft on the last take and I yelled at him to really go for it, so he no idea either and just thought that I was acting. When we watched the footage I had turned purple and blue. It looked great (laughs)!

Do you have any other upcoming projects you want the racksandrazors readers to know about?

I've been really lucky to be involved in a ton of stuff right now. I've pretty much been filming something every month and the best way to keep up is on my website www.devannypinn.net

Vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, creatures, aliens, telemarketers...what does it for you horrorwise Devanny and why?

It used to be vampires; it was my whole life until the whole 'Twilight' craze. Now that it's the 'cool' thing to do I really can't enjoy it anymore. I haven't done a witch film yet so I'm very anxious to do that, and I've really done a couple things as a demon. That was a lot of fun. I love the supernatural element because then there are no rules, that's awesome as an actor. On the other hand, I enjoy real life horror too. I think the scariest things for people are when it actually can happen, or is. Telemarketers are too scary... it's not fair to subject audiences to that. I'm in development for a serial killer project and I think its going to really disturb people. I can't wait.

What was the first movie to scare the shit out of you?

Um, 'Jurassic Park' (laughs). I wasn't allowed to watch scary movies when I was growing up. My mom took me when i was about 10 and my little brothers to see this, expecting a nice dinosaur movie and ended up covering eyes for most of the film. Fortunately since I was the oldest and she didn't have enough hands, I got to watch it. After several years of nightmares I decided it was one of my favorite films.

Okay, we're pulling into the Devanny Pinn Drive In. What three horror flicks are on the triple bill for tonight and what goodies are they going to be serving up at the concession stand?

(Laughs) Ok- need something campy while were camping out in the drive in so I'm going with 'Sleepaway Camp', next up another classic 'The Shining' because that's a good dose of psychological and slasher, and top it off with a twisted giggle in 'Bride of Chucky'. Don't forget to stop by for snacks! The concession stand guy was serving popcorn...but I don't like popcorn. So I've chopped him into bloody bite size pieces and we are now serving "concession stand guy sushi" (it's raw) and I will be the serving platter you eat it off of.

What is your dream (or nightmare) horror movie role?

A 'Scream' sequel with Jamie Lee Curtis and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and I got to be the bad guy

What scares you in real life?

Heights, cold water (really), T-rex, Hollywood Blvd, sociopaths, having to have a 9 to 5 ....and telemarketers. I would love for someone to cast me in a movie with those elements.