Talking With The Dead: 13 Questions with Diane Foster

Talking With The Dead: 13 Questions with Diane Foster

Diane Foster is an award winning American actress and producer. She grew up in New Jersey. Throughout her high school years, she attended PaperMill Playhouse Conservatory and won the coveted Rising Star Award. She went on to play young Liza Minnelli in the off broadway play “Thats Liza”.  After her move to Los Angeles she became an original member of “The Pussycat Dolls”. Diane also produced IOWA, Dying for Meth, and The Orphan Killer with Matt Farnsworth. Iowa was nominated at the Tribeca Film Festival as best picture. The Chicago Tribune said “Diane Foster has a real screen presence”. She was awarded “best actress” at the Midwest Independent Film Festival for her role in IOWA, and has already gained a massive cult following based on her outstanding performance in The Orphan Killer. She is hailed by fans worldwide as “Baby Sister”.

1. You got your start in the horror genre in co-directors Kermit Christman’s and Del Tenney’s horror/thriller Descendant (2003). The film had a strong cast, with names like Jeremy London, Katherine Heigl and William Katt. The film involves a young novelist, tormented by his family’s history and haunted by the specter of his long-dead, more famous ancestor, falls in love with a woman, a distant relative of his ancestor, whose friends and family begin to disappear mysteriously. You play the character of Vicki in the film. What can you tell us about the character, how you got involved in the project and were you nervous in your first film working with talent like Jeremy, Katherine and William?

I had worked with the production company making the film doing lots of office work such as organizing and editing scripts, so I was able to early on in the process audition for the project. It was a great experience because I had done mostly music video roles and theater work previously, so it was nice being able to play a character on a set that I knew would make it most likely, into the final edit. I am never nervous when I am working. That totally defeats the purpose of your job and everyone’s time. The only instances I have ever gotten nervous is when I first started auditioning. It’s such a silly thing, but you feel so vulnerable in that strange moment when you must lay it all on the table, yet you just walked in the door. Those moments must fade when you actually get the job. I had worked with celebrities before doing that film, so I didn’t have any reservations about who I was working with. It was great fun and I remember it favorably.

2. While on the set of Descendant, you worked with your future co-producer Matt Farnsworth, (Iowa (2005) and The Orphan Killer (2011)) who played the role of Keifer Hedgerow. What do you remember about working with him on Descendant, and what was it about him that drew you to working and co-producing with him on future projects?

I met Matt Farnsworth on set the first day and we have worked together ever since, so for me, it was a very memorable and happy moment in my life. We really hit it off on set and that transcended over to making our own projects. Matt and I work hellishly well together. We get one another. We both know exactly what needs to be done and have figured out how to get it efficiently. As a director, Matt is insanely creative and I, as a producer, try to turn that creativity into feasibility. We honestly work very hard. And although it may sound cliche. The truth is, it pays off. We both came to Los Angeles from different places, but have always had the same goals in mind, and that was making movies. If you don’t absolutely love it, find something you do. Luckily, we have a track record now of several films, so we will hopefully continue making films we have a desire to produce.

3. Your next film, Iowa (2005) was directed by Matt Farnsworth and co-produced by the both of you. You and Matt play the roles of Donna Huffman and Esper Harte in the film. How much more work was it for both of you to not only be actors, but producers as well, and what did you find to be rewarding part of doing both?

IOWA, was a project of passion. We did years of research and Matt had done years of writing to get IOWA into a shooting script. We always knew we were going to play the parts of Esper and Donna. We had a real story in mind and felt that we both could handle the physical and emotional trauma that came along with doing a film about meth addiction. We spent a lot of time putting the cast together, and it really is something we are proud of. IOWA went on to be the most sold out screening at Tribeca and was written about in every paper in New York City as the “must see” movie at Tribeca. The film was corroborating all the stories that were coming out of the Midwest at a time when know one really knew what all the weird explosions were. Not until recently, with the success of Breaking Bad, are people coming back to us and saying “wow, you were hitting a nerve before we knew it was there”. It was a very strenuous shoot because I found out I was pregnant on the first day of principal photography and Matt was so sick with allergies, he was getting shots the size of a horse needle administered by the local doctors daily. I would be puking off set from “morning sickness” and then I would have to act like I was a meth addict, so it was very rough on the body and mind, but it probably helped me look like hell during Donna’s downward spiral. It was absolutely awesome getting to work with John Savage, Michael T. Weiss, and Rosanna Arquette. Looking back, I don’t think either of us were thinking during that time, because we couldn’t. We were just doing and getting it done. We had a crew of about 60 and we had the well known actors to take care of while trying to tell a very honest, gritty love story gone wrong with the introduction of meth. It was a big responsibility and I feel that having it shown at Tribeca was the most fun, but most rewarding is having someone tell me that it totally changed their mind about meth addiction and they were thankful we made the movie.

4. In 2003, you and Matt had worked on a documentary entitled Poor Man’s Dope. It is the story of a twenty year old girl burned over sixty percent of her body in a rolling meth lab. The brutal unveiling of her hospital recovery photos and the events in her life that created an environment for this horrific tragedy to take place. What led you to investigating and filming the documentary, was it partly the basis for Iowa and if so, how were you able to incorporate the horrific real life events into your film?

We met Amber McNealy on a visit to Iowa to do some location scouting for the film. Her probation officers made her speak to us about her experience with meth. Although Amber was a heavy addict and dealer, she is a kind and very smart girl. We befriended her almost immediately because of her spirit and willingness to talk to us. The deal with her having to speak to us became an outlet for her to tell her story and we decided that it would make not only great research for the film, IOWA, but also a very real look at meth addiction close up and would hopefully make other young people think twice before doing it. We spent over two years filming her for a few days at a time. We were allowed in to her life and met many people affected in some way by meth. Poor Man’s Dope was essentially a working title and grew into what would be called “Dying For Meth”. After we made the documentary, we were asked by PAL, BCJA, BGCA, and other governmental agencies to speak at their annual functions on our stories about the meth. We then toured the country going to high schools speaking on behalf of meth awareness. So many people didn’t know what it was, how it was made and why their kids were trying it. We spent many hours in many schools all over the nation, listening and talking to kids and parents about anti-meth. The doc aired on Current TV, previously Al Gore’s network, and received Prism Award honors at the Beverly Hills Hotel along side CBS Cares and NBC’s The More You Know famous education campaigns. It is a highlight for me in my career so far, to have touched so many lives for the better, and to have been honored among industry giants with a crusade to educate. We are looking into putting Dying For Meth in libraries all across the nation so people can have access to it freely.

5. Both you and Matt fell off the face of the earth in the film industry for five years after Iowa. You both came back very hard with The Orphan Killer, where you guys co-wrote, co-produced and acted in, with the added bonus of Matt directing. After the five years away, what was it about The Orphan Killer that brought you back not only at full force, but with a gory explosion and such a gritty, skin crawling concept?

I have always lived on Earth even if it felt like I wasn’t here! I am thinking about grabbing one of those reserved tickets to Mars soon, however. Seriously though, in those five years I grew as a person and had two beautiful and amazing children that I have the honor of knowing. I became a happy mom. My children are older now so I was lucky enough to take the time to enjoy their first years to the fullest. It took five years from conception to unleash the monster, known as The Orphan Killer, on the public and we still have a way to go. I was a part of the film in the very early stages when Matt would talk to me about something he was writing called SilverFace. Then it became several other different names and concepts. I had always wanted to shoot a film where I grew up in New Jersey. It is a beautifully gothic and charming place, but can also be very scary looking, so what better for a horror film. I suggested we look at shooting in my hometown, because after all, I was a hometown girl. At 8, I had won Little Miss Union, which is the local talent contest. I had walked in all the parades next to the Mayor. I starred in all of the schools plays and won a Rising Star Award in high school garnering attention from the famed PaperMill Playhouse for my beloved hometown. I thought for sure everyone would allow us to film there because of my reputation and who doesn’t want to see a movie made in their town? Graciously, town officials opened their doors and hearts to us. While Matt finished a boiler plate shooting script, we got the locations under wraps and started to hire people. This process took about a year. When we finally started shooting it would be another year to edit the picture. Then Matt and I both decided what we had wasn’t going to work without something more. Over the next two years, we went back to those hallowed halls and streets of New Jersey and filmed some of the most gruesome acts put to film and this time Matt was going to shoot every frame himself. It was utter madness and so much fun, I am cracking up just thinking about it. Matt decided this time around our crew would be small, maybe about 12 people tops and everyone was going to move lights, clean up blood, or you were out. And just like that, magic happened. Everyone on that crew was incredible and really hard working. We all had one idea in mind and that was put everything you got on film. When Matt returned to Los Angeles to edit, it came together like wildfire. We even shot a few more fill in scenes in Los Angeles. The dialogue from Marcus was all filled in post production and then we went on to do Foley and Sound Design. The movie was stitched together like a hand sewn glove until it fit perfectly. The story is Marcus Miller’s and everyone else’s to revel in. The fun we had with the blood and SFX on the second filming is really where the heart of the film stands. I think after putting in all that hard work on the first round of filming and not getting exactly what we intended, we decided to go full throttle, push it to the extreme, in your face, no emotion, no remorse, hard core brutality and that is what became “The Orphan Killer”.

6. You play the lead role of Audrey, who as a little girl, witnesses with her brother the brutal murder of her mother. The children are put into a religious foster home, where her brother snaps and kills another child. Audrey is adopted and does not see him again until he shows up to make her life hell. One of the most powerful things about the movie is how you are able to convey the fear and pain your character is forced to endure at the hands of her brother, Marcus. How did you prepare yourself for those scenes, and how were you able to keep expressing those emotions through the constant application of make-up and different camera angles?

Audrey Miller lives in my breath. In an instant, I can feel the cold hard floor of the boiler room that I had been barb wired to for so many days. Audrey really came alive for me in some of the very first scenes we shot on the second round of shooting. The rooftop and chase scenes were the first things we shot so it was automatically a very physical role. I know that I was not prepared for all the stunts I would end up doing but it felt so right and would not have worked any other way. Matt allowed all the actors to take their time and give life organically to their characters and I still appreciate that. I tell everyone that asks, about my transformation as a person after playing Audrey. She taught me so many things I didn’t even know about myself. Almost like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.The pain and suffering she endures in the film was completely purposeful and filmed that way. Everyone on set allowed me to just be in those moments alone. It was so hard somedays for the sound guy to watch me go through these things that sometimes he couldn’t eat lunch or the very generous actors would try and help me but I didn’t want it. Audrey had to suffer through the pain alone and I wanted to prove that she could get through it somehow. I watched tons of interviews with real life people who endured horrific things and how it felt while it was happening. Through that research and the uncomfortableness of our filming situation, I was challenging myself to bring an energy to a character who could have just given up, but I wanted to Audrey to be a symbol of hope for the film, that maybe she could endure this and make it through and be a bit of light in all the darkness.

7. The character of Marcus is a truly a terrifying character. From witnessing the brutal murder of their mother and beating the boy that was tickling his sister with a baseball bat as a child to his murderous rampage as an adult, his character carries a presence very similar to Rob Zombie’s Michael Myers in Halloween and Kane Hodder’s body movements as Jason in the Friday the 13th franchise. Where either one of these characters a template for how you wanted the character of Marcus to act and move, and where did the concept for that awesome mask he wears come from?

Marcus Miller The Orphan Killer is a monster all his own. Although I am inspired by Halloween and all the Friday the 13th films, we never intended on trying to emulate those characters directly. Marcus was born through Matt Farnsworth’s mind and through David Backhaus’ physical being. We grew up watching those films and in many ways TOK is an homage, if you will, to those classic movie monsters, we believe this slasher is it’s own and we would like to play Marcus and Audrey’s story out in many more installments. Marcus is brutal and scary but also has a childlike disposition which is why some people actually feel bad for the maniac. He was robbed of his childhood, so I think many fans want to see the destruction he gives. The mask is so killer. Literally! It came from a concept of Matt’s to meld together a unique mask that had the qualities of a character like He-Man’s Skeletor and a mask from the band SlipKnot. The combination has made it something so sick and iconic that the cinema replica is going into stores with Trick or Treat Studios version this summer. It is put on him as a child and that makes it so much more definite. So much more frightening, that he has lived all this time behind the mask. The sequel has exciting plans for the mask.I can’t wait!!

8. There is a good deal of religious elements in the film, both on the good and the bad. You have on the one hand Marcus, who is shown to go through many punishments metered out by the nuns due to him not repenting his “sins”, while you see Audrey praying and leading the schools religious themed dance. At what point in the creative process did you decide to go so heavy handed with the religious aspect of the film, and was there ever any concern over backlash from the way it was being portrayed in the film?

Religion is merely the drop back for these characters in the film and that is how it is portrayed. There are religious overtones and messages in the film, but it is the glue that holds Marcus and Audrey together. They are both connected to the church which connects them physically. There was never a heavy hand about putting it in the film, because it is part of these characters lives naturally. It is something relatable, and that makes the horrific moments in the film that much more real and intense. Religion is also something that divides us. The things we stand for and believe in. To what extent are you willing to go for something you believe in? There hasn’t been any backlash because it is just one of the many messages that a topic like religion can bring up in any given conversation, but so is human rights, the environment, politics, and the economy. A film should explore all it can through the eyes of it’s characters lives and if religion is a part of it’s story then so be it.

9. The location that was used for the school and foster home were stunning set pieces. Did you guys shoot the film all in one location, what were the conditions like in the building (how much actual set up did you have to do or was it pretty much in that condition when you got there) and were there any problems at the location that led to delays or safety issues?

We have some of the most incredible locations because of the wonderful people we had the pleasure of knowing in New Jersey. The boiler room scenes were all shot at Irvington General Hospital which is in complete disrepair and vacant. Perfect for Marcus’ rampage. We broke doors and windows and had a crazy wild time in that decrepit hospital. It was haunted undoubtedly and creepy as hell. It smelled like feces most of the time and had dead squirrels all over it. It was made for Horror Movies! The conditions were actually disturbing at times. The toilets didn’t work and neither did the heat, so it was freezing and everyone had to use a port-o-potty that hadn’t been changed in probably a few months. It was just plain disgusting. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. There was something so freeing about being in the shit of it all telling this crazy as hell blood drenched story. The orphanage was actually my kindergarten class in my elementary school and so were all the school sequences. We also shot at two different churches. One of them we got thrown out of because we poured blood everywhere and it didn’t go over too well. We were lucky that people were willing to have us shoot at their locations because once we were in, the blood was going to flow. We poured around 15 gallons of blood and it was hard to clean up.

10. You guys certainly did not skimp on the blood and gore in this film. Do to the gory, well done FX work, credible acting and atmosphere, the film gives you feeling of needing to take a shower after watching. How did you guys go about finding Paul Molnar, David Presto, Arielle Toelke and Josh Turi to do your make-up and FX and what influenced you to bring them on?

The process of putting any team together is a sensitive one. The SFX in the film are top notch. Matt and I wanted the blood to look as real as possible. David Presto and Josh Turi are real artists. They each had many pieces of flesh and blood to put together and did it beautifully. They are located on the East Coast and luckily both had the availability to do the picture. David had previously worked on I, Robot with Will Smith and Josh Turi had done the original Toxic Avenger and is the go to guy for Saturday Night Live makeup and SFX. They are both really talented and wanted to bring their expertise to TOK. We worked on several prosthetics with them until they were just right. Many of the actors had to get their whole heads sculpted with this pink plaster stuff which is not fun. You have to sit with this shitty paste all over your face while you can barely breathe for over an hour. If you are claustrophobic, this will kill you. Josh has some of the most famous faces we know today hung up on the walls of his NJ basement workshop so it was really cool to be a part of that line up. I owe a lot of my performance in the film to these awesome artists. They made every moment grosser than the next, so as an actor it was easy to rely on the blood to do a lot of the talking.

11. The sheer brutality of the murders, combined with Marcus’ religious induced rage give him a depth of character that many masked killers fail to exude. Seeing how the ending of the film is left open, what are the chances we will see a sequel to The Orphan Killer and do you think you could top the story, gore and grittiness of the original?

The sequel and two more films beyond that, which Matt has already mapped out and written, will be more brutal and gorier than ever before seen. The scenarios he has lined up for both Marcus and Audrey, in what is now being tentatively titled, The Orphan Killer 2: Bound by Blood, will make your toes curl. It is so sick and twisted!! Of course we must up the ante in the second film and explore even more into Marcus and Audrey’s past. I can promise you snow, ice, tons of blood, and someone else wearing the mask besides Marcus for TOK 2. Let’s just say these films are for the fans. That is all I can say for now, so I guess you will have to wait to see it to believe it.

12. The Orphan Killer received an award at the Festival de Cine de Terror de Molins de Rei for “Best Picture”. In Italy, Matt Farnsworth was honored with an Antonio Margheriti award at the Tohorror film festival for his work on the film. The award “symbolizes the birth of a new master creator in the genre and his monster”. How proud are you of how the film has been received, and what is your take on the film being banned in Germany?

It is an absolute honor to have traveled the world with this film. We have met so many amazing people along the way. As I have said before, we work hard and not because we want people to pat us on the back, but because we have been given this opportunity and we don’t take it for granted. Having fans and critics alike, enjoy your work, and honor it, is the reason why all the hard work ends up being so special in the first place. When we began this journey with TOK, we never went into it thinking we will be praised for this or given all kinds of awards or the biggest honor of all, being banned in a country. Those are all things that we are certainly happy about but weren’t the reason for doing it. We like to make movies and tell stories and we want fans of the genre to enjoy it at the end of the day. Knowing that people have watched your movie over 20 times is like no other feeling in the world. Your work is loved. The time and energy you have put in, is not just relevant to you but supported by your peers, consumers, and film fans. When we got the letter from the German Government confirming the ban, it was surreal. Here we are just an indie film. How could we be banned in a country that we live so far away from? Some of the films that have been banned there are the horror genre’s greatest including TCM 2, Hostel, and Evil Dead. That is quite a list to be a part of. So although I find it completely unfair for a government to control what people watch for entertainment, I believe it has solidified in capital letters what so many genre fans here in the US and around the world believe to be their new horror icon. That is something that hard work, marketing plans, and the release of a film doesn’t prepare you for. I am really proud of this film and even more ecstatic that the fans get what they really want. Uncensored. Uncut. Madness.

13. Thank you for such a great film and doing the interview! Is there anything that you would like to say about any of your other projects, and is there anything you would like to say to all of your fans?

Thanks so much for asking! I speak to a lot of the fans daily on my Facebook fan page and always tell them how happy I am and honored to have them enjoy my work. As an actor and a producer, your final product is not always the way you envision it but with TOK, I had zero expectations and that has made this all the more special. There are no other fans on Planet Earth, that are as cool as Horror Fans. I am completely loved by them and will bask in their sunlight so long as they give it. I plan to bring lots more cruelty on film to the world and will continue to glorify it. Bloody kisses and thx again!!

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THE ORPHAN KILLER AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Honored at Sitges Film Festival
Best Picture Award Winner at Terror Molins De Rei (Spain)
Official Selection San Sebastian Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival (Spain)
Official Selection Morbido (Mexico)
Official Selection Bram Stoker (UK)
Official Selection Shriekfest LA
Official Selection South Africa Horrorfest
Official Selection Eerie Horror Film Festival
Antonio Margheriti Award Tohorror (Italy)
Official Selection Montreal Comicon and Horrorfest

REVIEW QUOTES

Hayes Hudson House of Horrors
TOK will be seen along the likes of Jason, Freddy, and Leatherface when it comes to discussion about the greatest horror movie killers.

ROBERT RHINE OF GIRLS AND CORPSES MAGAZINE
“I saw your blood drenched movie The Orphan Killer. It is old school, knife in the belly, eviscerating horror – the kind of movie H.G Lewis would applaud. Your movie created an endorphin rush of horror along with a puddle of pee under my seat. Congrats on doing what so few movies can do…..FREAK ME OUT! ”

MIKE BOHATCH OF HORRORNEWS.NET SAID
“I’m gonna have to call this one outstanding and a return to classic horror with a lethal bang! An impressive visceral contribution that will be talked about for quite some time.”

SHOCK HORROR MAGAZINE’S DEAN BOOR ASKED CREATOR MATT FARNSWORTH….
“How does it feel to know you’ve accomplished what you set out to do – to create a new legacy in horror?”

THE CULTUREGEDDON SAID
“The Orphan Killer is a totally formulaic movie but again all the odds director and star Matt Farnsworth (best known for Iowa 2005) has turned out a real franchise baby that manages to look great wearing the same old clothes. With all the cliche ingredients to be Halloween on Elm Street part 7 this movie risks falling very flat but ends up a real solid slasher that delivers on all expectations of gore and action.”

HORRORHOUND MAGAZINE – JASON HIGNITE
“The effects are so well executed and scenes so well acted it becomes impossible to look away.”

HAPPY HORROR HOUR – TONY SULLIVAN
Keep an eye out for The Orphan Killer and grab it with both hands as soon as you possibly can. It really is above and beyond and lives and breathes in a league of its own. Gorehounds and slasher fans take note… a future classic is born.

DR. GASH OF DREAD CENTRAL
“I’ve never seen anyone swing an axe as hard or with such bad intentions, as this new serial Killer.
Goddamn, he simply pulverizes his victims. He speaks, and It’s the fact that he verbalizes his
intentions and sufferings that makes the character that much more chilling. Matt Farnsworth had an
agenda with this film. To create a character he could build a franchise around. I think
he did it.”

DELAMORTE’S DUNGEON OF DEADLY DELIGHTS
“Matt Farnsworth is the future of horror”

THOMAS GLEBA AT NERDREMIX
“Matt Farnsworth has lightning in a fucking bottle here”

ANDY ERUPTS
“Farnsworth definitely knows how to stage a death sequence and Backus certainly has a flair for ferocity that verges on troubling. Have no doubt that when I say that The Orphan Killer is a very bloody film, I mean it. The deaths are crushingly violent and are, for the most part, excellently executed using practical effects. Gore-hounds will not be disappointed as heads splat, hands are removed and the stabbings? Oh the stabbings… There are also sawings, gougings and choppings and it’s all there, splattered in gor-ious technicolour, for all to see.”