* This Halloween I had the pleasure of watching Grave Encounters on DVD. Grave Encounters is a new horror film that is kind of documentary styled because it follows a team of ghost seekers much in the vain of Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State. The team gets locked away in a haunted, abandoned psychiatric hospital and then a bunch of crazy @#$% happens! Really! Grave Encounters is hands down my favorite horror film of 2011 (so far) and one of the few movies in existence to actually scare me. I would recommend it to every single horror fan. Anyway… Actress Ashleigh Gryzko plays “Sasha,” the only female in the group. Ashleigh’s character is put through the ringer as she is targeted several times by a supernatural force that wants to kill them. It’s because of these circumstances that we get to see how great of an actress Ashleigh Gryzko is. She has her kindhearted moments where she seems like the girl next door; then she has her genuinely scared and stubbornly triumphant moments. I enjoyed her character so much I figured that I would have a chat with her. So, read my interview with Ashleigh below as she talks about Grave Encounters.
For starters, can you introduce yourself to readers? Tell us a little about yourself.
A: It’s funny you can ask a person anything and they will talk for hours, as soon as you ask them about themselves their words suddenly thin out. I never hold back when bringing a role to life, and there are definitely facets of myself in every character. Therefore, what I will say is Grave Encounters is your introduction to me, so as you continue to watch my films and follow my career you should get to know me very well.
Q: Have you ever considered doing a horror film before Grave Encounters?
A: Absolutely, it’s the perfect genre for an unknown actor, you don’t always need big names to sell a horror film, so there’s huge opportunity. Along with that opportunity, there is a massive amount of work in shooting a horror, you have to be emotionally available in every moment and able to connect to people or things that may not be there. The stakes are always at there peak, and the actor absolutely needs to be completely truthful, and believe in the circumstances. Horror films are a much sought after challenge, so getting to do Grave Encounters was nothing short of a gift.
Q: Behind the scenes, what was it like walking around this huge abandoned mental hospital?
A: It was really scary, I couldn’t go anywhere by myself. If I had to go somewhere I would sprint. We were shooting from 10pm to 7am so it was insanely dark and creepy. I would look down hallways and see things that were definitely not shadows, and have to convince myself there was nothing there. It was a chilling location to say the least.
Q: Did you experience any real life paranormal phenomenon while filming Grave Encounters?
A: There was one night, Sean kept saying that he heard a voice calling ‘Sasha’. I never heard it but it freaked me right out. A couple of days later when we were shooting in the tunnels, Sean and I were sitting across from Stu and Colin. We were shooting one of Sean’s confessional scenes, and when we finished we looked down and there was this heart-shaped blob of fake blood in front of me… the thing is we weren’t using fake blood in this scene and it wasn’t there when we started…
Q: The ending of the film is a little open ended. What do YOU think ended up happening to your character when she was in the tunnels?
A: I know what happened… hehe, but that is Sasha’s secret, and it’s up to you guys to figure it out.
Q: Have movie goers and critics been receptive to the film and more importantly your role?
A: There has been a lot of positive feedback to the film from critics and fans alike, as always there is negative stuff too, but the vast majority has been phenomenal. I mean there is almost 16 million views on the first trailer. I’m actually a bit taken aback, I have had quite a bit fan mail, that I didn’t expect to get. People seem to feel that they can really relate to “Sasha,” saying that they have a lot of empathy for her, or that they feel they would have acted the same way had they been in the same situation. It’s so great to hear those kind of things cause at the end of the day, it’s about telling a story that people will connect and relate to.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?
A: I think [Grave Encounters] is one hell of a ride, and more people need to see it. I really wish it could have had theatrical release for Halloween, but you can still demand it to your city on eventful.com. It;s a film you gotta see on the big screen and loud! :D
* If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read and seen of Ashleigh Gryzko, then you should visit her official website here for more information on her career and some amazing modeling shoots. She also has a Facebook page you can “like” by clicking here. Grave Encounters is available on DVD and I suggest you go pick up a copy! And as Ashleigh said, you can still always recommend a screening in your area. Give it a shot!
Thank you for your time, Ashleigh.
BUENA PELICULA LA RECOMIENDO.