So Teri, start us off with a visual and describe
the location/room where you're answering these
questions?
I'm answering this
on a laptop while sitting my living room on my
couch with a fake bloody leg sticking out from
underneath it. My movie posters cover the walls
and my replica wooden coffin is in the corner
filled with my horror toys! Everything from a
talking Freddy Krueger doll to my zombie Elvis
figurine.
Tell me how you came to be
involved in the make-up FX business and did you
always want to do horror make-up?
I always knew I wanted to
be involved somehow in the movie industry and
horror movies were always my favorite. As far as
the make-up FX business, it was honestly a last
minute descison. I was spending another year at
Unversal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights when I
stopped and looked around at all the people
running scared from the zombies taking over the
streets, the fog in the air, and the creepy music
playing. I asked myself, "What could I do in
order to be somewhere like this all the
time?"
I did what any human would
do with a unanswerd question, I Googled it! I
looked up Halloween Horror Nights and found out
what and who was behind it all. I found a school
in Orlando, Joe Blascos'. I took a tour, applied,
graduated and before I knew it I was working at
Halloween Horror Nights splattering blood on
people and working on other projects.
What is your all time favorite
Halloween costume you concocted?
A couple of years ago I
wanted to honor one of my favorite horror icons
Freddy Krueger. Although I didnt want to wear the
typical slacks, sweater, and hat like most do. I
wanted to spice it up and make it a little more
feminime. So I became a femme fatale Freddy if
you will... a small ripped up freddy sweater ( I
had to buy the kids size) fishnets, big black
boots, short black shorts, the black hat and of
course... the glove. I had half my face sliced up
and big beautiful eyelashes. It may not have been
the most elaborate costume, or one with
complicated makeup, but come on... how many times
have you seen a female Freddy Krueger?
When you watch movies what are
some make-up effects that blow you away and that
you would put in an all time hall of horror fame?
The more blood the better.
That's a hard question because I admire so many
movies... These days many movies have turned to
CGI, so it's hard because there are some really
awesome effects, but they are not always actual
hands on make-up. Although if I had to pick out
some memorable ones I would go with these:
*The eye removal from
Hostel
(no matter how many times
you watch it, it just gets worse)
*I think every death scene
in the Saw trilogy...
*The scene from Final
Destination 3 where the girl is hit from behind
in the head by a nail gun... let alone most of
the deaths that occur in that trilogy.
*Shaun of the Dead one of
the characters is torn open and eaten by
zombies...yum
*Halloween II where Michael
Myers burns a nurse's face by submerging it over
and over again in a hot tub...
(I actually learned how
that one was done from the actress Pamela Shoop
who played the nurse at a horror convention)
*In The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre (2003) the scene where the girl shoots a
hole in her head....thats a tasty one.
Okay seriously I'm done, I
could continue this list on for days....
So what was the toughest make-up
effect you did for 'The Legend of
the Red Reaper'?
We actually have not
started shooting 'The Legend of the Red Reaper'
According to schedule we will begin sometime in
March. As of right now I've just worked on a
photoshoot with the lead actress Tara Cardinal.
Although this movie is going to be very unique
and I'm looking forward to the make-up we'll be
doing on it.
There's a shot you sent where
you show some amazingly gory neck wound and
decay...YUCK. Care to share your secret of the
effect?
Sure! Pop Rocks, soda and a
gullible friend...
Okay, we're pulling the car into
the Teri Harrison 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?
A Nightmare on Elm Street
because it's a classic, Elvira Mistress of the
Dark for comic relief, and Ginger Snaps. And if
we have time, I'd show the last 10 mins of The
Devil's Rejects because it is one of the best
scenes ever!
Concessions would include
Twizzlers, Mike n Ikes, Coke Slurpee, Popcorn,
and Nacho Cheese (no nachos, just the cheese)
What makes you go psycho in real
life?
Trraffic, Animal Abuse, and
One-Uppers! (those people in your life who always
have to one up you)
Example: Me: I went to the
store today with my mom
One Upper: Oh, well I went
to the store today with Christoper Walken!
The worst would be being
stuck in traffic... with a one upper.. who abuses
animals!! That would send me off the deep end for
sure....
What scares you in real life?
Losing my parents and
leperchauns, or losing my parents to
leperchauns?? Oh, and I have a huge fear that
someday something will spill in our oceans or
lakes that will cause bugs to grow 10x our size
and they will take over the world....
What is the coolest part about
being a gore make-up guru?
For one thing, it's one of
the very few jobs in the world today where I
don't get judged by my appearance. I can actually
wear my peircings and have tattoos and the only
thing being critiqued is my work. Also it's a
pretty cool feeling to know if I ever want to
kill anybody, all I have to do is open up my
make-up kit.
Beside what isn't cool
about being able to throw large amounts of blood
on people and getting paid to do it?? |