Reyna, why don't you start us off with a visual
and describe the place where you are answered
these questions?
Well, I am in my office
surrounded by pictures and posters of me all over
the walls. I have figures still in there
packaging pinned onto another wall, a stack of
ghost rider comic books on one side to me, and an
axe on the other. Inglorious bastards is playing
in the background and a hot chocolate in front of
my keyboard with marshmallows of course...
So tell me
about your production company, Last Doorway
Productions. First off where does the title come
from?
It's a
name I thought of when I was younger and it kind
of just stuck with me, I have tried other names
but kept going back to this one, its like when
you watch my films you will be stepping into the
doorway to your imagination. I did have
negativity towards the name when I first started
using it but that's by people I know and well I
don't listen to what other people say, I just do
what I want!!
And does Last
Doorway have some sort of mission statement or
umbrella goal or goals you would care to share?
Yes!!
Last Doorway productions is a film company that I
started to help promote myself and my films and
everything I love and want to do. As the company
grew I wanted to do the same for other
Independent artists. Our Mission is to help
promote the unknown and help them out any way we
can. We have a news section where we throw up all
of our press releases, newest indie films,
internet radio, anyone and everything that has to
do with independent horror. I love helping out
anyway I can and I get several e-mails a day from
independent artists wanting to make a film but
don't know how to start. I give them the best
advice that I can and try to help them out with
any situations they are going through. Anything I
have learned on the way I share with them. Our
goal is to help build the independent horror
community.
I also want to
hear about The Last Doorway Show?
I have
always wanted my own type of twilight zone show,
so I started The Last Doorway! A show dedicated
to Independent horror. I host under the name Miss
Misery and what my husband John and I do is we go
to conventions and I do interviews with
independent filmmakers, artists, celebrities and
anyone we can get our hands on. We also show
independent horror shorts and help promote anyone
who wants to be on the show. We advertise for
them and we have so much fun making the show. We
have about 60 episodes and more to come. We also
go around to sets and film the making of
independent horror shorts and interview the cast
and crew. The show from day one has been pretty
popular, I'm always shocked when someone says
they watch our show, it's just so cool how far
we've come. John does all the camera work and
editing, it's just us two but damn we get a lot
done. So the Last Doorway Show is kind of like my
type of 'Twilight Zone' show I've always wanted
to have.
So tell me
about shooting your first film
'Uninvited' in 2004. How did that
come about and what influence did it have upon
you?
To keep
the story short (laughing). I was helping a
friend do his films; I thought to myself I could
just do my own. I bought a camera, wrote a
script, had a bunch of friends help out, did a
casting call, bought filmmaking for dummies, and
started on my way. It didn't go so well though,
my friends didn't help out to much it was all fun
and games to them; I fired the two lead
actresses, and then fired the crew. Hired two new
girls and shot the whole thirty minute flick by
myself in one night. Had my friend edit it for me
and he was awesome by the way. People seemed to
like it and yes I did get teased a lot, but hey
it was my first attempt. Then I had a jealous
boyfriend at the time who didn't like me being
away filming so I stopped for a while and got
back into filming a year later. I liked shooting
with no crew, I guess I just like doing
everything myself ...
You also
host/do a short film festival called
'A Nightmare to Remember'. I want
to hear how that started and what your reasoning
is behind it?
One day I
thought to myself "I want to throw a film
fest!" So I put together a short horror film
fest press release and said we were going to have
awards and guests and a raffle and door goodie
bags. I released it and then told my husband we
were doing one. His jaw dropped. "Do you
know how to throw a fest together?" I said
no, I'll learn as I go... I did! There was so
much to it but for some reason it was a breeze
because I just went with instinct and with what
I've seen at other fests and it came out great.
My first guest of Honor was John Stanley, horror
host of creature features; it was a successful
night and I we almost sold out the place. The
fact that anyone showed up was just so cool. I
had it in San Francisco because there aren't
really any short horror film fests at all and I
did exactly what I would want to see at a fest.
The second year was bigger and better, we knew
what to do and putting it together was smoother
and we had Mr. Lobo of Cinema Insomnia and Tony
Moran, the original Michael Myers. We had first
20 people in line get a goodie bag and free
raffle and prizes for the audience. We were ten
seats away from selling out again. I'm trying to
get in touch with more local filmmakers by doing
this and of course helping out with exposure. I
am so proud we are going into our third year with
Guest of Honor Brooke Lewis. More to come on our
website. www.anightmaretoremember.com
Tell me about
the documentary you are making about women in
horror called 'Welcome to My
Darkside'. Who
have you talked with thus far, what sort of
things have you learned...do you see any common
elements emerging among these women?
I wanted
to make a documentary that was about the up and
coming women in the horror genre. The actresses,
radio personal, directors, fx, photographers, and
horror websites run by women. I wanted to learn
more about these women, why they are doing what
they are doing. What is it about horror that
intrigues them and how do they feel about a male
dominated genre, or what does the name Scream
Queen mean to them? I have learned a great deal
from these women and how they feel and the
different views and answers, it\rquote s really
interesting and so far it's coming along great.
It will be released February 1st. It is done and
I am just going through some minor glitches and
making the cover. I have Dai Green, Elske McCain,
Michelle Fatale, Bianca Barnet, and so many more
girls who are just so extraordinary and I am so
happy to have met and gotten to know them. I
cannot wait for them to see it. They are all so
talented and I can see each one of them going far
in the genre.
Why do you
think the horror genre, seemingly more so than
other genres, has been so welcoming of women not
only as actresses, but also as writers/directors
etc?
I think
it's because in horror everyone has the love of
blood and thrill and the drive to be scared.
Women are welcomed because women have always been
there from the running and screaming to the
shower scenes, to the getting cut up several
different ways on screen. Men in the genre love
Women covered in blood so they welcome it with
open arms, because that's what they want to see.
Women Directing and producing is just a whole new
element of surprise and I think the genre just
loves seeing new things and there's so many men
in the genre why not make room for the Women. Men
love Women! That's all there is to it...
Reyna, you've
been labeled 'The Queen of Horror
in the Bay Area'. So what duties
and rights do you have and plan to enact with
such a lofty title?
I was
shocked when I read this title and very honored.
My duty is to do everything I can to keep the
horror alive in San Francisco and beyond in that
matter. Keeping my film fests going, I had a
Zombie prom; I'm throwing events when I get a
chance and always seeking actors and shooting
around San Francisco. I'm going to be starting a
little segment on Creepy Kofy Movie time which
airs on Kofy 20 Saturday nights at Midnight.
Helping out all local filmmakers and hosting
events, that's always, fun. There's just so much
and I plan on doing my best to keep horror alive
in the bay area.
I also want to
hear a little bit about your poetry. You've
published a book of poetry. What sort of thing
attracts you to it as an art form and what sort
of things do you tend to write about?
I have
always and will always be in love with Edgar
Allan Poe, I started reading his works when I was
a little girl and he helped contribute to my
madness. I have always been a writer, and I love
it. I write dark poetry and my two poetry books I
have self published are poetry I wrote throughout
high school. It's everything from break ups to I
hate people to I hate life. What every teenager
goes through pretty much. I'm working on my third
which is going to be a lot darker, I write when
I'm really mad. HEHEHE! More comes out of me when
I'm angry and it turns into some really dark
stuff. It is very therapeutic. I want to share
all of my talents with everyone and writing
Poetry was another talent of mine.
Do you have
any other upcoming projects you want the
racksandrazors readers to know about?
YES! I
have a Women in horror Con coming in February in
San Francisco, it's Women in horror recognition
month in February so I thought about throwing an
event together to celebrate all the local horror
females. More info on my site and it's a free
con! There will be Michelle Fatale, Dai Green,
Kaci Hanson and more. Each Woman will receive a
Women in horror recognition month award. It's
going to be a blast! Working on my third annual
Film Festival, getting ready for conventions to
start up and I will be a guest this next coming
year at a lot of them. More films to come as
well, and also my feature film "Out Of
Print". Stay tuned because who knows what
else I will pull out of my sleeve...
Vampires,
werewolves, zombies, witches, creatures, aliens,
telemarketers...what does it for you horrorwise
Reyna and why?
It's the
thrill of being scared, I love it and I guess I'm
sick in that way. I love the feeling of my spine
tingling and my eyes widening in fear and the
nightmares I may have after watching a horror
flick that got to me. I'm sick and twisted and
full of sick thoughts myself and I guess I need
therapy! It's hard to explain, it's more of a
feeling than what I can describe to you but I
have always been like this ever since I was a
little girl living in a haunted house.
What was the
first movie to scare the shit out of you?
I snuck
into my fathers VHS collection early one morning
and pulled out the first film I saw, John
Carpenters 'Halloween'. I wasn't ever allowed to
watch horror films but at the tender age of 8 I
watched, I got scared and I fell in love with it.
I then grabbed more and more out of his
collection early every morning and watched until
one day I threw up over 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Part Two'. I tell you after that every time I was
bullied at school I would imagine Leatherface
going after the bullies for me, I started writing
stories after that and then reading some of Mr.
Poe I got into poetry heavily. Halloween though
has always been my favorite.
Okay, we're
pulling into the Reyna Young 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?
Great
Question because this is one of my dreams! Drive
in called "Stab In" Zombie waitresses
on Rollerskates serving food to your car, Hot
Dogs called an "Intestine dog" Popcorn
called "Blood corn" and the butter will
be dyed red, which would be cool. Of course we'll
have Freddy Burgers, and Camp Crystal Fries! Also
an order of your favorite drink, Blood! HAHA!!!
All drinks will just be blood. Let's see, you get
your order and the movie starts, a short two
minute indie flick by someone local before the
film starts. The feature will be tonight
Halloween; every person who orders food will
receive a Michael Myers mask. Then the second
film which will be Alice Sweet Alice, while the
movie plays I will hire people to walk around in
raincoats to scare everyone at their car windows.
Then for the final film, Texas Chainsaw massacre,
order your chainsaw tenders which are served in
your very own Chainsaw shaped box. Now how cool
would that be...????
What is your
dream (or nightmare) horror movie role?
Well wow!
Hmmm. I would love to be in the 'Alice Sweet
Alice' remake, if there's ever going to be one
and I want to be the main creepy girl. I think
that would be freaking awesome. Other then that I
just cannot wait to be in a role where I just
kill people! I would love to die in films but
killing people is my goal...
What's the
best Halloween costume you ever had?
When I
was 10 I was Elvira! I loved that costume and I
have no pics of it either which really sucks.
What scares
you in real life?
Getting
run over by a Muni bus! They really don't know
how to drive. Getting caught underneath and
dragged would not be cool. If I was followed home
and raped that would not be good, I walk home at
night from work with pepper spray in one hand and
a knife in the other. I'm always prepared with an
axe and a butcher knife near my bed. I have
weapons hidden around the house to get too if
needed. Real life murder scares me, anything that
has to do with people being kidnapped. That is
scary shit!!! |