FM has been covering the theatrical and festival circuit that SPIDERS has been on ever since it premiered at the 3D Film Festival in Los Angeles back in September. The movie is finally nearing its limited release on February 8th, with it being available on VOD that same day. Today we have parts 1 and 2 of a 3 part series in which we talk with the man behind the camera and the two stars in front of it. That would be Tibor Takacs and Patrick Muldoon and Christa Campbell, respectively. It’s time for our close up with Christa Campbell, the busy actress with a varied resume that includes DRIVE ANGRY, THE MECHANIC, KRAKEN: TENTACLES OF THE DEEP and EROTIC CONFESSIONS.
Put your feet up and learn what inspired Christa to be an actor, why she likes horror so much, her experience working with Tibor and her time on the set of SPIDERS, as well as a bit about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, the hit reboot she helped produce that is currently slaying at the box office. While she was understandably mum about a sequel, that didn’t stop me from asking. Read on!
FM: What films or TV shows did you love while growing up? What inspired you and made you want to be an actress?
I was more obsessed with musicians when I was young actually; I use to dress up as Madonna or Michael Jackson for school so I guess that maybe playing dress up was the foundation for acting for me. But I didn’t fall for the craft until after high school when modeling became boring and not very challenging. I started taking classes and was hooked immediately.
FM: What’s your dream role as an actress?
I love to fight and I love to do action so I’d say something like Underworld, maybe.
FM: Through some [clearly] beginner level IMDB’ing, I discovered you and Tibor had worked together back in 2005 on MANSQUITO, and you’ve also worked on SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH, an entity that Tibor is very familiar with. Did this connection pave the way to your involvement in the film, or did it happen organically? And having had worked with Tibor, how does that help you as an actor when preparing and performing in a film?
Tibor and I have made four films together so he’s pretty much like family now. We have a great shorthand when working together; he knows my angles, how to shoot and light me so it’s very comfortable with him. I was very excited when he asked me to be in Spiders; I knew we’d have a lot of fun making it.
FM: How would you describe the working environment of SPIDERS? How was the overall experience?
It was amazing! I love Boyana, the studios in Bulgaria and there’s just nothing in the world like waking up and going to work on a movie set every day. It’s my dream and it was a fantastic experience making Spiders over there.
FM: Over the past decade, your career has flourished, with roles in a wide variety of films and TV shows. Along the way, it definitely looks like you’re putting your stamp on the horror genre, with parts in THE WICKER MAN, KRAKEN: TENTACLES OF THE DEEP, THE TOMB and many more. What, if anything, draws you to the horror genre?
I love horror; I could be on a soap opera and cry all day or I can do a fun horror flick and get bloody and scream my head off. I’d just rather do horror, you know?
FM: Much more recently, you’ve gotten into the producing side of filmmaking, most notably as an executive producer for this year’s box office smash TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D. What were your experiences like working for and putting together that film, and how different is it to be behind the camera than in front of it? Do you have a preference?
I love producing and acting; it’s very different and both are challenging. My partner Lati Grobman and I secured the financing for Texas Chainsaw so we didn’t do the day to day producing- that was Carl Mazzocone. But I’m very proud of this film and that it did so well at the box office.
FM: I think I’m contractually obliged to ask, can you shed any light on the possibility of a sequel?
It’s too early to tell if we will move forward with the next one right now so I can’t really say yet.
FM: What’s next for you? Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
I have a movie called STRAIGHT A’s coming out next month with Ryan Phillippe, Anna Paquin and Luke Wilson.
