Review: 100 Acres of Hell

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

100 Acres of Hell
Directed by Hank Leigh Hump
Screenshot Entertainment; KOA Nation; Jersey Lights Productions; 
Lionsgate; Indican Pictures
84 minutes, 2019
www.facebook.com/100AcresOfHell/
https://100acresofhell.com/
www.indicanpictures.com/new-releases/100-acres-of-hell 

To be honest with yaz, I have never been on a “Bro’s Weekend,” where my macho friends gather to camp out with guns. Yeah, I’ve done the tent thing while out on multi-day road trips or have gone on photo-taking sojourns into the wilderness of farm country with a bunch of guys, but it didn’t entail drinkin’ and huntin’ and carousin’. It has been tame, just the way I like reality (as opposed to cinema versions). But it’s a bit different for the protagonists in this film. And where do they put up their tents? Trespassing at Foggy Creek Nature Preserve aka 100 Acres of Wildlife Fun, of course.

But before that, there is the obligatory prologue, which features a nice cameo by Eileen Dietz (she played Pazuzu in the original 1973 The Exorcist), taking place in the 100 Woods at a time when Nixon was president (remember when Kinky Friedman’s detective novels referred to going to the bathroom as “Taking a Nixon”? Actually, one of the characters in this release mentions he “has to take a weasel.” But I digress…). I won’t go into details, but two important things to note from this: pay attention to the prologue dialogue, and that it is extremely bloody. Early on, this is showing some promise.

Gene Snitsky

For the story, the hero of our tale is Buck (wrestler Gene Snitsky), who when we meet him, is in recovery from a devastating accident that took his family and broke his back. While he is healing, we get informed on his mental condition by the number of pills he takes, washed down with a straight-from-the-bottle swig of Jack D. When I fractured my vertebrae last year, hydromorphone was a blessing, so I understand, somewhat).

With the push of his friend record producer Trent (Jeff Swanton), the two join banker Morgan (Ernest O’Donnell, who was in a bunch of early Kevin Smith films, including Clerks in 1994), and sex obsessed car dealership owner Bo (Jim Roof), who is trying too hard to fit in. Of course, like all macho studs, they belittle each other and reminisce back to High School. Past resentments are bound to come up during this Bro’s Weekend, as they are wont to do in not just genre releases, but all macho bros-above-hoes mentality films.

After the traditional warning not to go to their planned location from the local gas station owner (Robert Waldron), our quartet of differing personality types head to where they were told not to go. A bit cliché, but the trope is there for a reason beyond the red herring. The road trip to the Preserve makes up the entirety of the first act. The arrival starts act 2.

From the prologue, we know they are not going to be alone, so I don’t feel like I’m giving anything away. We – I mean our guys – are warned numerous times along the way, but who listens to old men and a “creepy girl” with yellow teeth (Olivia Parulis)?

It will not take genre fans long to figure out this is a mash-up of the genres of camping in the woods while being hunted, and the inbred cannibal family trope, commonly used since at least The Hills Have Eyes (1977). You may think, four guys? That’s not much of a body count. Au contrare, as they are visited by a few of the local girls they run into along the way, Kitty (cute Katie Walsh) and Sissy (Catherine Corcoran, who died the most infamous death in 2016’s Terrifier), and a couple of their male friends. And then there are the bikers…

Samu Anoa'i

They are being hunted one by one (or in pairs on occasion) by the masked pater of the clan, Jeb Tucker (Samu Anoa’i – aka Sam Anoai – who is a title winning part of the professional wrestling Samoan Swat Team under the noms de ring the Great Samu and The Tahitian Prince; this is his first non-wrestling acting role), who uses a bow and arrow in a The Most Dangerous Game type of scenario, hence the film’s working title, Manhunt. There is no surprise at all that at some point, the two wresters, Anoa’i and Snitsky will come face to face sometime in Act 3.

Filmed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the woods look very Northeastern, and being near Autumn, a bit foreboding and forbidding. It’s the perfect setting for hunting and being hunted. The old cars and trailer looks like the kinds of places I like to photograph with my friends, so I know how scary those kinds of deep woods can be, even if not that far from civilization, and the director uses the space wisely.

While this is not a comedy, there are some funny moments, but it does not get in the way of the arrows or deaths. The gore is minimal, but looks really good, especially in one instance in the middle of the film, though I have to say the whole prologue looks great in this – err – vein. The make-up, especially for Jeb, looks fun and satisfying.

There are certainly moments in here where you just want to tell a character or two to just shut the hell up (especially Bo), but the fact that he is so annoying speaks to the quality of Roof’s work. Speaking of roles, everyone does pretty well, but Walsh comes out the most natural.

Eileen Dietz

My only real complaint is that the box cover makes it appear as if this is similar to The Strangers or The Purge franchise, but it is not. Written well by Ed McKeever, Snitsky and Producer Jason Koerner, the end of the film is a bit predictable while at the same time it made me go, “really?” I’m sure it will satisfy, and between my “why?,” I also smiled. This is the kind of release that is pleasant to watch, and if you like these murderer-in-the-woods types, you won’t be sorry.

The film is available on a number of Video on Demand outlets, and I have to admit I’m really looking forward to this group’s next release, a werewolf film titled The Beast Comes at Midnight, which is currently in production.

 

A Brief Interview with Director and Actor Henrique Couto

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

A Brief Interview with Director and Actor Henrique Couto

If one is familiar at all with indie director and actor Henrique Couto, what will probably come to mind is colorful glasses, Dali-esque facial hair, loud clothes including Hawaiian shirts, and two incredibly beautiful, big dogs, Henwolf and Chicano. Oh, of course, then there are his films.

Hailing from the state of Ohio, one of the things I like about Henrique’s works is no matter what the topic or genre, they have heart. Also, he finds actors that fit his characters so well.

I sent him a list of questions, and he was gracious enough to answer back. Note that my queries are quite random, trying to get to know Henrique a bit better, as we have only previously “talked” a few times on Messenger.

* * *

Indie Horror Films: Let me start with a silly question: Is it pronounced Hen-REEK, or Hen-REE-kay?.|
Henrique Couto: You’re close on the first! My family has always went with a somewhat off-English pronunciation, so it’s Hen-RICK, but I have never corrected Hen-REEK as I see it being basically the same.

IHF: To begin in earnest with a simple query: what brought you to directing? Was it a particular film, or something you’ve wanted to do since, like, forever?
Henrique: Movies were my favorite thing in the world for as long as I can remember. The first thing I ever wanted, the first ever, was a TV set. The second thing I ever wanted was a video camera. The first film I ever saw that I think informed my imagination on the subject was the 1989 Batman, the scene where the Joker and his thugs ruin a museum full of art while moving and dancing to a Prince song. That was the first time I actively noticed that in film there is a rhythm to the presentation style, that made me grow more curious and then fascinated by the process.

                                                                                      

IHF: You’ve been making films since at least 2003, and acting in them since 2002? How do you direct yourself as an actor, that’s different from other actors that aren’t you?
Henrique: In 2003 I was 15 years old directing movies in my backyard, so it wasn’t exactly high art by any stretch, but it was where I began to learn the nuts and bolts of how to do what I do. It’s funny when you’re some kid with a camera throwing fake blood around your yard, you don’t realize you’re building a ton of skills that will pay off more later. When it comes to appearing in my own films, however, it’s a mixed bag. I usually give myself small roles, something I knock out in an hour so I can get back to concentrating only on directing. But in my romantic comedy Making Out (2016), I was actually a bit of a major character, which was challenging because I needed to remember my lines but also worry about all the other aspects of the scenes. I find acting comes pretty natural to me and I’ve watched myself back enough to kinda know when to reel it in a bit. When I did Devil’s Trail (2017), one of the main reasons I starred in it was because my co-star John Hambrick and I had great chemistry and we loved to improvise together. I had learned that just from directing him.

 

IHF: You are part of big collective of directors and actors in the Ohio area, such as Dustin Mills, John Oak Dalton, John Bradley Hambrick, Erin R. Ryan, Joni Durian, and Josh Miller, just to name a few. Many of them appear in multiple films you have directed. Why do you think that neck of the woods is so prolific in talent?
Henrique: I couldn’t tell you for sure. Ohio is, however, a pretty big place; a lot of the people you mentioned live 2-3 hours away, so we collaborate when we are able to make the drive. I think there are lots of talented people hiding most places and I’m just so honored to be able to showcase some of them in my work.

 

John Bradley Hambrick and Henrique Couto on Devil's Trail

IHF: Hambrick seems of be one of your muses. How did you two connect up? I kind of see him to you, as actor Brandon Salkil is to director Dustin Mills.
Henrique: John Hambrick has everything going for him in that he is talented, he is reliable, and I like him. I met John and formed our friendship from making movies and I always have a good time with him. I’ve also seen his ability as an actor grow so fast before my eyes, I’m really very proud of him.

 

Erin R. Ryan

IHF: I guess a similar question would be about Erin R. Ryan, whom you often share with Mills’ films.
Henrique: Erin and I met on an audition for Babysitter Massacre (2013) and I thought she had a great presence; after that film we went on a tear working together any chance we could. We just had fun and she was very reliable, so we kept it going.

 

IHF: You have also been a Cinematographer for other directors, such as Dalton (The Girl in the Crawlspace in 2018; Scarecrow County in 2019). How does it feel to work the camera under other directors?
Henrique: I love running the camera on those films. I also produced so I had some extra duties. Most of the Cinematography I’ve done has been for first time feature directors, so I sometimes find myself frustrated, but I always find myself enthralled in collaborating to bring their films to life. John Dalton is a dear friend and I often joke with him, “I wish my first film looked as good as yours!”

 

IHF: What is the appeal of acting to you. Do you ever want to help out the directors with advice?
Henrique: Acting is fun! It’s playing and pretending. It’s also a lot of intense work and heavy thought but also just a blast to do. So, I jump at any opportunity I get honestly. As far as helping directors with advice, I love to talk shop with directors and try to help them find their way whether we are working together or not.

 

IHF: While I first became aware of you with 2009’s anthology, The Faces of Shlock, you seemed to hit some level of stride and fame with Babysitter Massacre. What do you think changed, or did it feel like making any other film?
Henrique: Faces of Schlock was my first film to get national exposure, but Babysitter Massacre was something special. It was a love letter to the films I adored as a teenager, but it was also a desperate film: I was desperate to be successful, desperate to make a film that delivered. I was working part time, barely paying my bills, but I had this opportunity with Camp Motion Pictures to create this wild, bloody film, and I didn’t want to disappoint. I think that youthful energy fed into the film itself and made people connect with it on a deeper level.

 

IHF: That same year you came out with another popular film, the comedic A Bulldog for Christmas. Is doing a horror film a different headspace than a seasonal comedy, or do you approach all your films the same?
Henrique: Films are as different as they are the same. I’d say every horror film is as different from other horror movies as they are from comedies. I mean you may have less makeup effects or a smaller cast but overall, they all have unexpected challenges and you never truly know what you’ve gotten into ‘til you’re out there doing it.

 

IHF: Similarly, the following year, 2014, you came out with Haunted House on Sorority Row and Awkward Thanksgiving. I see a pattern here…
Henrique: Awkward Thanksgiving was basically all the ideas I had for Bulldog for Christmas that were NOT family friendly, haha. So, I made a holiday film that was raunchy and ridiculous and hilarious. Haunted House on Sorority Row is a good example of how different two horror films can be if you compare it to Babysitter Massacre. Both horror movies, similar cast, but so massively different in tone and style.

 

IHF: In 2015, you came out with a very “straight” western, Calamity Jane’s Revenge. I don’t know too many genre directors that have done westerns, so I wanted to know if and how it felt different to you, compared to comedies or horror.
Henrique: Making a western was fun; you just slap on the costumes and the guns and start running around making it. I remember getting the first shot of a cowboy with their gun up and their hat tilted, and I thought, “Whoa, this is a western!” I made some style choices that fed into my influences from spaghetti westerns, but the movie found its own groove as we went.

 

IHF: In 2017, you did a found footage style release, Devil’s Trail. How was the FF experience, compared to blocking and shooting a film?
Henrique: Devil’s Trail was my third found footage film. What I love about making a found footage project is how it is captured and what types of cameras you are using is part of the story itself. You tell a story as much with why people are filming each other as you do with who they are. In many ways you can film scenes incredibly fast, but in other ways you don’t have as much control and you have to think your shots and choices out very deeply. You may do scenes in a found footage movie where you don’t cut for more than a minute or longer, as to where on a narrative feature you wouldn’t go longer than 20 seconds.

 

IHF: Lately, it seems you have really been getting into podcasts, having three running at once (Spooky Stories, Boggy Creek: The Bigfoot Series, Popcorn Fodder). How are they different from each other? Do you like podcasting as much as filmmaking?
Henrique: Boggy Creek: The Series is a TV series produced by Fred Olen Ray and directed by me, available on Prime Video. Popcorn Fodder is also a TV series available on various outlets that I host. I have two podcasts: Weekly Spooky, which is a new short story audiobook every week, and This Show is Awkward, which is a talk show featuring myself and musician/comic artist Michelle Antisocial. Podcasting is very fun and allows a lot of engagement with your audience.

 

IHF: Do you like podcasting as much as filmmaking?
Henrique: Comparing it to filmmaking wouldn’t be fair. Podcasts are a long term commitment, but you maybe only put an hour or two in a week, as to where films you work all at once, get it done, then move on. I enjoy podcasting and find it relaxing because the pressure is a lot lower, but filmmaking is a deep passion for me.

 

Henwolf and Chicano

IHF: Love your dogs, by the way. Very cute. Thank you so much for your time. It was a pleasure getting to ask you these questions, and I look forward to seeing your upcoming films.
Henrique: My pleasure, thank you for the chat! 

* * *

Between this article being written and its publication, Couto’s Christmas-themed horror short, Christmas Presence (can be seen for free HERE; film reviewed by me HERE), won the New York PBS Thirteen “Reel 13 Shorts” contest on January 13, 2021. It received over 300 more votes than its nearest competitor. Congrats, Henrique! 

Review: The Trees Have Eyes

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

The Trees Have Eyes (aka Dead Bounty)
Directed by Jordan Pacheco
Lock It Down Productions; Cyfuno Productions
75 minutes, 2020,
https://www.facebook.com/DeadBounty

There must be something in the water in the area between Boston, MA, and Providence, RI. The amount of cinema – especially genre films – is stunning. Directors Richard Griffin, Lenny Schwartz, Laura Pepper, Richard Chandler, and Alex DiVincenzo, among others, all come from this area, producing quality work. And let’s not forget Jordan Pacheco, who recently came out with the fun Blood Pi (2020; reviewed HERE, and available on TubiTV, etc.). 

Cate Carson and David Carpenter

We start off with five rough and tumble bail bondsmen/woman, also known as bounty hunters – four men and one woman – who scour out into the woods in search of their prey. They are an older gent, Henry (Timothy Patrick Quill), his son Junior (James Baker), Junior’s partner Hannah (Cate Carson), Colt (David Carpenter), and macho/toxic masculinity-embused Bosk (Tony Moran, the original adult Michael Myers in 1978’s Halloween).

They drive a car that has the slogan “It’s more fun if they run” and scratch marks for the numbers caught that is often used by prisoners in these kinds of films (four horizontal lines and one diagonal through them). They are searching for a(n alleged) murderer (and the only black member of the main cast), Darnel (Kevin O. Peterson).

Good mourning campters!

Sharing the woods with our hunters-select, are a group of really obnoxious youths who are camping out. This gaggle includes a lesbian couple, a straight couple, and two other women, including Clair (Alexandra Cipolla) who is the “flirty” one in the cheerleader outfit, Tucker (Johnny Sederquist in a somewhat cameo role), and the group is rounded out by one woman out for a nude nighttime swim. Most are sitting around the campfire, talking smack and one pretending to be “manly”: Randall (Alexander Gautheir, who starred in the comedic 2016 short “Trouser Snake”; reviewed HERE) is embarrassed that he was intimidated by the huge, gun carrying bounty hunters in front of his girlfriend, Samantha (Jacquelyn Fabian). Hell, I would have been terrified and not be ashamed of it…they were pointing guns). Anyway, considering the cheerleading duds, I’m guessing these over-agers are supposed to be in college. While this group is definitely more stereotypical of these films, it also increases the number of the future body count, so I’m okay with it.

It is obvious these groups are going to meet in other ways in the second act when the zombies start to attack. Yep, zombies. While they are the slow, stumbling Romero type (director Pacheco has stated that the 1978 version of Dawn of the Dead is his favorite zombie film, and rightfully so), they still manage to come out of freakin’ nowhere to kill and give a good jump scare or few. Once it starts, the attacks are relentless, which of course is part of the fun for the viewer, if not the characters.

Johnny Sederquist

The special makeup SFX looks great for a low budget release, thanks to a team led by Phil “Skippy” Adams, and including Eric Rodrigues, who graduated from The Tom Savini’s Special Makeup Effects School. When the carnage starts proper, the blood and gore flow generously.

Most of the characters, as I find to be true in films with large fodder casts, are not that likeable, other than Hannah and Colt, whom Cate and David, respectively, allow to show some empathy. Nearly everyone else is out for themselves, and that hubris often brings their downfall. And speaking of cameos, there is an enormously short one with Rhode Island stalwart actors Nathaniel Sylva and Jamie Lyn Bagley.

Tony Moran

There is a similar theme to Dog Soldiers (2002), as a group – including a military-style one – is lost in the woods and being hunted by blood-thirsty creatures, albeit zombies rather than werewolves. But the deadly end result is the same, except in this case, just because you kill a zombie does not mean you have killed the zombie. The undead are tricky that way.

Alexandra Cipolla

While this is certainly not a comedy per se, there are some giggle-worthy moments here and there, which are great fleeting tension breakers. Just what is the cause of this zombiemania? There’s a couple of guesses within the film, but it’s left open. Though a major lesson here seems to be that when the zombie apocalypse does occur, people are going to crash their cars if they drive on small roads, to make them easy pickings.

A nice aspect about this film is that when it reaches the point where it would probably end in most cases, that is just the start of the third act, as the survivors (won’t say who) end up in a farmhouse and gather more wood for the fire, or meat for the zombies, as it were. Pacheco has found some clever ways to keep the story and blood flowing, and it’s appreciated. Also, the last section really is the finest moments of a quite good picture overall. The blood red cherry on top of the gray skinned cake. And the ending looks like there could be more baking in the oven. Cut me up a slice.

The film is available on the likes of Amazon, Tubi and YouTube. As zombie films go, this one is worth checking out.

 

Review: Witch Hunters

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Witch Hunters (aka Witch Hunt)
Directed by Richard Chandler
Boston Film Family; Gravitas Ventures
74 minutes, 2016 / 2020
www.bostonfilmfamily.com/

This film started its brief and succinct life a few years ago under the title Witch Hunt, at 53 minutes in length. A few additional shots over the years and now it is the full length Witch Hunters. And that concludes the history lesson part of this review.

 There are multiple substories going on here that will, of course, merge at some point. First, there’s the brother and sister witch hunters (shades of 2013’s Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who wear Hells Angels-type leather jackets that denote their profession: Dominic Damarus (director Richard “Rick” Chandler, who played Hansel in James Balsamo’s The Litch in 2018) and mute Morrigan Ramsey (Carver Riot). They slaughter – usually via knives – witches.

Richard Chandler and Carver Riot

Second, there is the coven of said witches, led by a literally bloodthirsty piece of work (Lilith Astaroth, from the metal band Sorrowseed, who was in Nun of That and the recent Blood Pi), who is not given a name. This is more the traditional film coven, like you may see in Suspiria (1977), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), or The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), rather than the cutsie ones of The Craft (1996), for example. They huddle over their victims and sacrifice them…yes, using knives.

The third follows a priest and failed exorcist, Father James Costello (Graham King). He’s having an existential crisis, questioning his faith and his once suppressed gay sexuality. He is one mixed up dude. Lastly, there is Sheriff Tormada (Tony Ramos Wright), possibly named after Torquemada, who devised the worst of the Spanish Inquisition (as Mel Brooks said in 1981’s History of the World, Part I, “You can’t talk him outta anything!”); after all, the original tag line for the film is “The Inquisition Returns.” He is a murderous hedonist, riding on his power trip and will take down whomever he likes, just for the momentary thrill of it.

Lilith Astraroth and her Cult

Religion as supernatural has really become almost a sub-genre of late. I am not talking about the general possession type which has been a staple topic since The Exorcist (1973), but rather evil in religious forms, such as The Nun (2018), Beyond Hell (2020), or Red Letters (2020). Here we delve into the Satanic, more than, say, Satan proper. All of these tropes have been used multiple times in previous films, but combining them all successfully creates something new-ish. The question is whether or not it is successful, of course.

Every character suffers from affliction of at least a few of the seven deadly sins, especially those of the flesh. There is a lot of cleavage, nudity, and sex of various forms with numerous participants of either or both genders. For some reason, I find that the films out of New England, specifically between Boston (the environs where this was filmed) and Providence, RI, especially, have been recently focusing more on pan-sexual play, which I think is great. There is as much LGBTQ+ lust here as straight, as it should be. While that is refreshing, it’s definitely more sexual than sensual, as it’s more a meeting of bodies than hearts. There is also a lot of blood, with little gristle, which is also nice. Most of the SFX appears to be practical, rather than digital.

Graham King

What we are presented with is a series of set pieces, where storylines and characters sometimes overlaps like a Venn Diagram. While it loses some on story narration fluidity, what is positive about it is that not all the action is displaced into sections, such as nothing happening in the first act (usually about 20-30 minutes), little in the second act (about 40 minutes), and then crammed into the third act (the rest of the remaining time). Here, the sex, drugs and violence are nicely dispersed throughout. I can live with that.

In this story, the women are pure, be they good or evil; they know who they are and are consistent. The men, however, are contradictions, behaving in ways that betray (or believe it to be so) what they represent.

And when all the stories truly converge near the end, as they are wont to do in multi-line plots, the question of who will live to kill again and who will die to – err – not, is pretty well done, as the viewer is not totally sure who will come out on top. After all, in most straight, big budgeters, the flawed always fall, but in genre films, that is a gray area, thankfully.

For me, I can live with the questionably narrative storyline, seeing each set piece on its own as well as part of the zeitgeist, helped by the editing and cinematography. The “quality” of the image degrades a bit in the darker scenes, but that is common with some cameras (to paraphrase, “the fault…lies within the equipment, not in the director”).

That being said, the weakest point here is the acting, which is often wooden, or over-emoted. Some actors fare pretty well, but one in particular – and I won’t name names – was sincerely off the mark into overacting.

This may sound strange, but I feel like I was underserved on Father Costello’s story. The IMDB Storyline makes it sound like he was the central focus, but of the main characters – and there are at least five – his is one that feels like there could be a lot more. Perhaps a prequel, if not a sequel? I would watch that. Meanwhile, make sure you sit through the credits for this one.

 

A Brief interview with Actor Anna Rizzo

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

A Brief Interview with Actor Anna Rizzo

www.annarizzo.net/

In the decade of her career so far, Anna Rizzo has managed to show a wide range of characters, from comedy (Fairfield Follies, 2018), to deep drama (Moments from a Sidewalk, 2016), to classics (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2017), to television and web-series work (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” 2019; “The Realm,” 2015, respectively), and definitely a few in the horror genre, including her most recent release, Blood Pi (2020). Being quite prolific, she also have some other films due out this year in post-production.

Part of the Rhode Island film collective, a much more active group than you might imagine, she has also spread her wings to other parts of the country for roles, and is a musician, too boot (not to be confused with another musician with the same name, though).

Personally, I’ve been a fan since Seven Dorms of Death (2015). I sent her a list of questions, and she was gracious enough to answer back. You can find other, role-specific interviews with her on YouTube. My questions are more random.

Indie Horror Films: I’m happy to be able to give you the second degree (a shade lighter than a third degree).
Anna Rizzo: Happy to be second degreed!

 

IHF: I guess the place to start is with a simple query: what brought you to acting?
Anna: I did plays ever since I was a little kid, but usually because the plays I had access to would involve a decent amount of singing, which was the real draw to me at the time. I was a very shy and introverted kid who was always reading in the corner rather than talking to people, but I liked to sing. The high school I went to had a respected and competitive theatre program. The first semester of my freshman year my parents convinced me to audition for the school's production of The Importance of Being Earnest (even though there was no singing), saying “you have to pay your dues and audition multiple times before they're going to cast you in a musical. You won't get in this time, but they will start to get to know you that way.” So I went in, figuring nothing would happen, and ended up cast as Gwendolyn. And I absolutely loved it. I fell completely in love with acting and never looked back.

 

IHF: Do you have a favorite role, so far?
Anna: It's so hard to pick because, honestly, I fall in love with every character I get to play while I'm preparing the role. Getting to know who they are, what makes them tick, then finding that within myself – how could you not love each one after all that? The closest I could come to picking would probably be Tara in On the Seventh Date (2016), because she came to me at a time when I was living through something remarkably similar – knowing exactly what my heart wanted but being too scared to own it. But she had the ability to take bold action and speak what she wanted. She might be the closest to a favorite because working on that story and getting to deeply know her taught me a lot. It helped me find those parts of her that I admired in me.

 

IHF: Being in the Rhode Island area, you’ve done a lot of films with director Richard Griffin. Any stories of the films or working with him?
Anna: So many! The reason I've worked with Richard Griffin so many times is because he is such an incredible creative, whose enthusiasm and love of filmmaking spreads to everyone who steps foot on his sets. Every single film he does, he invites you into this incredible world he is creating, and as an actor that is such a gift. I've seen him create everything from post-apocalyptic bomb shelters, to haunted abandoned catholic schools, to magical woods in colonial America to raucous romantic comedies, and everything in between. I think one story which beautifully encapsulates Richard Griffin magic in its element, was the first day of shooting Seven Dorms of Death. We were filming in a closed-down, beautiful old theater in the middle of January, shooting 8-10 pages with most of the cast that day. And there was no heat in the building. In January. But he and the crew bundled themselves up and got to work. They lit the whole thing, all while letting us actors stay bundled up and warm as long as possible, and they did amazing work. But it was still freezing. And all of us actors were shivering through our lines with our noses looking more and more like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer each take. And yet, even through those conditions, it was still so much fun. Everyone's spirits were high because Richard always finds amazing people to be a part of his team. But at the end of the day, Richard made the tough decision to scrap location, and therefore the day, because it was too much to battle against the cold for the rest of the shoot. For those not familiar with filmmaking, scrapping a day of shooting and changing locations is a big deal and I don't know too many other filmmakers that could have kept a production on schedule after that. But not only did he keep it on schedule, he found us a new theater to shoot in (pretty much overnight) that worked even better, and he shot a visually beautiful, hilarious movie that was an absolute joy to work on. Because that is what he does – he comes in with such a clear vision of the film he wants to make, that no upset knocks him out of the game. Things that would sink another production, he rises above and uses his creativity and vast experience to find an even better solution and makes the whole film better for it. You cannot stop him when he wants to make a film!

 

IHF: Your range is quite large, from comedy to deep drama and horror. Do you have a preference?
Anna: My preference is all of the above! I love working on things that make me laugh and making other people laugh. And then I also love working on things that make me feel deeply and move other people to feel something. I think we try to crack each other up in the most tense and difficult circumstances in order to survive them, and the funniest moments are often infused with life-or-death stakes at the time they happen.

 

IHF: In Blood Pi, you play a psycho so well. Did you have a model to base it on?
Anna: Thank you! And yes, actually. I had an up-close experience with a sociopath, and the characteristic that really haunted me afterwards was that reptilian stare. I did a lot of reading around the psychology of antisocial personality disorder to try to make sense of what I had witnessed. And then years later when Jordan (Pacheco, the director) first approached me with the Blood Pi script, I instantly knew exactly who Amber was. And I was so excited to see a female role like this. I didn't want Amber to be two-dimensional, so entering into her world was a lot of figuring out what drives her and what her own weird sense of justice/punishment was, because I think she feels deeply justified in her actions.

 

IHF: Congrats on your role on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” What was that experience like, and how did it compare to working on indie features?
Anna: Thank you! That was an amazing experience. The “Law and Order” set is massive in terms of how many people work in each department, and they are truly a well-oiled machine. They built that entire dance studio I shot my scene in that morning and then as soon as we were done shooting, in a matter of minutes, had dismantled the whole thing to begin building another set in that same space. That level of organized teamwork was incredible. The first day I was on set was actually their first day of their 21st season and everyone was returning from the break between seasons. It was so cool to see how bonded everyone was, sharing stories of what they had each done with their time off, asking about each other's families, etc. What I love about indie filmmaking is the camaraderie and bond you form when working together and it was so cool to see that even on this massive set with so many people; they still had that bond.

 

IHF: You seemed to flourish in the role of Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. How was the experience of playing such an infamous Shakespearean character?

Anna: It was so much fun! I would have been massively intimidated, but earlier that year, I played Desdemona in a production of Othello that fellow Richard Griffin actor, Aaron Andrade, directed and starred in. So having just performed another Shakespeare play right before Midsummer helped boost my confidence that I could even do it! Also, Richard did several rehearsals before we got on set, which was such a gift because we had time to play and experiment together. By the time we arrived on set, the words and the cadencing were deeply in my bones, so I could forget about them and just live in the moment as Titania. But the real cherry on top was that Richard and the crew built the whole fairy woods on the stage of the Barker Playhouse [in Providence, RI; it is America’s oldest continually run little theater – Ed.] and each actor had the most incredible hair, make-up, and wardrobe to totally transform us. And that process of physically transforming and then stepping into this magical world they had created was exhilarating.

 

IHF: I know you were a composer for the film Moments From a Sidewalk. Are you planning to further your fingers into the area of film music, or the use of your singing ability in films?

Anna: I would absolutely love to play more characters who sing and play music! It was so much fun to incorporate that side of my creativity into Sarah's character in Moments From a Sidewalk. I loved taking songs that I had written and were personal and meaningful to me, and then adapt them for Sarah.

 

IHF: While I enjoy watching you work on the screen, have you thought about working behind the camera, perhaps in directing, writing, or producing?
Anna: I am pretty sure I will experiment at some point, but honestly, the level of skill and talent that goes into directing, writing, and producing is intimidating and I deeply respect the people who do those jobs. They truly each do hold a production up.

 

IHF: Thank you so much for your time. It was a pleasure getting to ask you these questions, and I look forward to seeing your upcoming roles.
Anna: Thank you so much! It was a pleasure!

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To contact Anna Rizzo for future endeavors on the screen or stage, here is her information:
arizzo@alumni.berklee.edu
www.annarizzo.net

New York Agent:
Take 3 Talent Agency

1411 Broadway, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10018
(646) 289-3915

New England Agent:
Andrew Wilson Agency
(617) 701-6400