Interview of Chainsaw Sally
(April Monique Burril)
February 3, 2006
Chainsaw Sally belongs to these small independent films of horror which one has hate to discover, when in more film homage to traditional of the cinema of horror like Massacre to the slicer returns and that Gunnar “Leatherface” Hansen makes party of the casting... it was not necessary any more so that psychovision mene the investigation and questions Chainsaw Sally, a news scream queen holding the role principal of measuring.
April Monique Burril, to start, could you present yourself at our readers?
Yes. I am called April Monique Burril, alias Chainsaw Sally, hostess of the horror on the Web and actress in films of Planet X.
Which are your references as regards cinema of horror? You feel to you close to some scream queens last or present?
The influences of the character of Chainsaw Sally are varied. There is a part of Tank Girl, a part of Leatherface, a great part of my own personality pushed to the extreme, a little Cloris Leachman and Madeline Kahn.
The character is not influenced so much by the victims of slasher and is thus not influenced so much by the traditional scream-queens (if it is not for the name of Sally, which comes from Sally Hardesty, in the first Massacre with the Slicer) that by the boogeymen like Leatherface and Jason. But if I were to give names nevertheless, I would say without any doubt Marilyn Burns (Sally Hardesty), Brinke Stevens and Debbie Rochon.
In 2003, you took part in step badly of aspects for the musical horrific Silver Scream, carried out by your JimmyO husband. How did you find yourself implied on this project and which were your functions?
They many and were varied. In time that actress, I incarnated many characters, like wants it the tradition in the musical companies (and the film being a musical, that represents approximately many songs and dance). I played one of been engaged of the Account, an indigenous dancer of the island of Kong, a alien dancer of jazz, a showgirl raising a mask of monkey, a go-go dancer, and a babysitter. It is about all, I believe. I was also responsible for the costumes, and I helped for choreographies and the accessories... More other things here and there which fell to me above.
What can you say to us on film in itself and the reason of this adaptation?
It is different from all that you could see. It has in fact written to be a spectacle played into public, and it is what it was during several years. It is as that which I was attached to the project. In public, it is a musical, with fantastic tendency. The film was made to try to promote the spectacle near the companies of Broadway, while trying to make them assimilate the nature of the spectacle in itself. When one filmed the spectacles in public, much from their impact disappeared, and thus we did not think of making them honor like that.
I would say that to make Silver Scream was incredibly funny. One often joked on the statute of work worship, because all those which managed implied of became accros. And in fact... it is reality! Ca goes up at a few years, now, but me and other members of the casting always let us speak about it, by saying that we would like to remake scene.
In 2004 you connected by Chainsaw Sally. How was the project assembled?
Chainsaw Sally was another tool for promotion for Silver Scream. We wanted a means by which to let know with the amateurs of horror that it was a pleasant musical, and absolutely not of the things like Cats or Annie. Chainsaw Sally was to be located between the two worlds. The site of Sally A finishes by being very attended, and really forged a clean identity, which exceeded by far what we had provided at the beginning. Once that Silver Scream was completed and that it was necessary for us to consider a new project, the film Chainsaw Sally was essential of itself.
Can you say some to us a little more on the scenario of film and the principal character whom you incarnate?
After having seen their parents assassinated by psychopathes (and after having seen his/her father defending its children with a slicer), Sally, a 10 year old a little disturbed child, settles with his/her brother Ruby, a baby, in an old caravan located on the family property. They live there in secrecy, influenced by the death of their parents and television.
Years later, at our time, Steve Kellerman inherits a farm and projects to sell it to the véreux promoter Harvey Benton. To keep their inviolate and secret residence, Sally, from now on adult, must have recourse to extreme measurements, very continuously its search: to get rid of all people who according to it do not deserve to live.
One also finds there two well-known personalities of the world of the horror: Gunnar Hansen and Herschell Gordon Lewis. How were they found on turning?
We knew them already both before making film. We came into contact with Herschell a few years ago, when JimmyO required of him to be the host of a convention on the horror that one of our associates organized. And then later I interviewed it for the site of Sally.
Gunnar contacted me by mall after one of his/her friends advised to him to visit the site. Its e-mail simple and courteous, and was signed Gunnar Hansen. Yes, I ignited! It was formidable! Finally good, after this madness of fan fell down, it became friendly with Jimmy and me, and when the film decided, we asked him to come to play with us.
Who responsible himself for the special effects gores and how was held their turnings?
Eric Supensky responsible himself for the effects. He was one of the people to be worked for the company of production which we are associated, Redfield Arts. For following films (like Chainsaw Sally 2 and 3), we will have the honors of even our special effects carried out by Toe Toe Tag Pictures. When with their turning, it was very amusing. The scenes gores count among my preferred moments of a turning. It is very sticking, some which been able time that, it is often stacking but that remains a very good moment for everyone... Even for the poor David Calhoun (Harvey Benton in film) who was caught full blood the eyes and who was to hold a blade of slicer in his mouth while hoping that I do not drop the machine in the final scene. What a soldier!
More generally, turning was also very pleasant. I did not make film for the money: I was there to pass from the good time with old friends and to meet the new ones in order to combine our talents to deliver something of artistic and of diverting. And I believe that it is what one did.
Finally before leaving us can you speak to us about your projects in progress or to come?
Chainsaw Sally 2 & 3 will be turned in spring. There will be also other projects, nonrelated to Sally, but nothing still sufficiently concrete to speak about it now.
Interview and translation: Walter Paisley
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