Talking With the Dead: 13 Questions With April Burril
1. You have been one of those lucky people in life and not only did you forge a bloody successful film career so far, you found someone in your husband JimmyO Burril that loves and supports your work as well! The two of you have developed one of the most iconic female horror icons in the last decade in Sally Diamon AKA Chainsaw Sally, but before that story began, the two of you made your first feature film in 2003’s Silver Scream. In it, you play four acting roles (Clamidia/Babysitter/Witch #1/Dancer), property master, art department, assistant make-up artist, costume design and producer! What can you tell us about how you and Jimmy worked together with both of you wearing so many hats on this production, does being married to someone that works on many of the same projects as you easier or harder than you thought and when are you going to turn the tables and direct something with him in it?
Jimmy and I began our relationship working on a show. In 1997, Silver Scream was still solely being performed as a live show. We had known each other for several years in the early 90’s, but fell out of touch for a few years when he moved to Mississippi. When he returned, he brought along Silver Scream and, as he and his sister, Katie Gordon, looked for performers for the show, they called me and asked if I’d come join in the fun and games. Point is… we have been working in shows of one kind or another for our entire relationship, so it’s not hard at all. We would have found out very early on if working together was bad for us. Turns out – it’s great. As to all the roles I played in the filmed version of Silver Scream… the show is kind of like my second stepchild (Lilli Burril being my first.. and human one). A lot of those things – props, assistant make-up… happened simply because I was there and willing to do the job. During the play’s run, I had performed in it, taken a turn w/ props, and eventually taken on costume design, so I just kept going with that when we switched to film. As to me directing… I don’t know. I have, on occasion, considered the idea, but not all that seriously. If I did, however, I feel sure Jimmy and I would continue to work very well together. Sorry if this sounds cornball, but it’s easy when you’re married to your best friend.
2. In 2004, genre fans and the world were introduced Sally Diamon AKA Chainsaw Sally. Quiet and almost mousey during the day as the town librarian, she transforms at night (or whenever provoked by injustices) into Chainsaw Sally, a thigh high wearing, chainsaw wielding serial killer and avenging angel/demon. When you first conceived the character of Sally, was she always envisioned to be such a seductive yet vicious individual, was it awkward in the beginning portraying and showing some of Sally’s more provocative “assets” while JimmyO directed and how liberating has the character become for not only you, but female fans of the character?
Actually, the mousey librarian side is the part I have the most difficulty with. I think, acting-wise, it’s easier to play roles with extreme characteristics – like “killer Sally”… or even “crazy, at-home-in-the-trailer Sally” (which is so ‘me’, it’s barely acting). The character of Chainsaw Sally was created several years before the movie existed, as a kind of web-hostess thing. But from the inception, Sally was always part slasher, part punk-rocker, a bookworm, and a horror fan. Also – on the website – there was an ongoing fangirl love-affair with Leatherface – which is how we eventually befriended Gunnar Hansen. As far as being shy… of my..um… assets… never in life. There are certain brands of nudity and sexuality that I don’t like to play, but by no means all. I’m not concerned about costume issues and – as long as it’s portrayed with some modicum of taste – sexuality onscreen is generally not a problem. As far as feeling liberated… that would be in every kill scene. That is the biggest rush!! (on reading that… I wonder if that’s a sign of deep seated mental issues….)
3. In 2007, you worked on the vampire film A Feast of Flesh, directed by Mike Watt and co-starring fellow Scream Queens Amy Lynn Best and Debbie Rochon. What can you tell us about how you got involved in the project, what was it like to work with Amy and Debbie on a film together for the first time and what experiences did you take away from this project that you still employ today?
My part in the film is pretty brief, but I had a great time on the shoot. Basically, we had become friends with Mike and Amy through a few of the horror cons we’d attended together. They had a big vampire fight scene to shoot and… honestly it was years ago so I don’t remember all the logistics… but we ended up using a large building owned by someone Jimmy knew and – to add to their own cast – brought in a couple of our own actresses to play a war scene for a flashback sequence. It was my first experience with choreographed fighting.. which is a bitch in high heels, just saying’…. and I enjoyed it very much.
4. 2008’s Corpus Kristi, directed by Shawn Jones, you played the role of Doris. This was the second project you acted on with JimmyO where he was not directing, and you both acted in this film with Troma front man Lloyd Kaufman. How much different is a project to you where you and JimmyO are not running the entire thing, what was it like to meet and work with Lloyd and what was the fun moment you guys had on set while making this film?
I never shared screen time with Lloyd, however Jimmy and I have met him several times before and since. We always enjoy his company. He’s a sweet and clever guy. Acting with Jimmy when he’s not directing is actually sort of like a vacation. We both crave being immersed in big projects all the time, but sometimes it’s nice to step back and just act without feeling responsible for every angle of the entire event. It’s nice to see how relaxed Jimmy can be when he can focus on just his acting and not have to worry about lighting, and camera angles, and cues and this and that and that and this. Of course, he’s also well known as a control freak (like any good filmmaker), so there’s definitely an adjustment period while he tries to NOT be concerned about all those things. Pretty funny, actually.
5. You reunited with Debbie Rochon in 2009 in The Good Sisters, this time being directed by JimmyO. In the film, you and Debbie play sisters who practice witchcraft, and then a mysterious man moves in next door. They begin to use their powers to find out what his agenda is. When I was interviewing JimmyO and asked him about this film, he went on to say “the films concept came from a photo I took of April and Debbie at a horror con. Not only do they look like they could be sisters, but the genuine hug and expression of joy on their faces was beautiful. The entire framework of the story popped into my head that weekend.” How much easier have you found it to work with someone like Debbie that you have such a close connection with, what is it about her that you think makes it that way and how are you looking to expand that in the proposed sequel?
Words can’t even express how great it was to work with Debbie on that film (and on everything else we’ve done since). Through emails and phone calls, we’d already begun forging a friendship with her, but when we really got down to the filming, things really took off. I learned a lot from her about acting and about submersing yourself not only into the role, but into the story. It was in this film, by working with her, that I finally reached that point in acting where – though you are saying lines – it doesn’t feel like lines. And I was able to forget about the crew and the lights and the cameras and just be in the story. Such a fantastic experience! And there is definitely some strange bond between us, that really defies explanation. One nice thing I’ll add is that in that film – or any other I’ve shared with her – whenever energy in a scene is dragging, all we have to do is catch each others eyes and BANG! Tons of energy! Debbie is great to be around – as an actress and as a friend.
6. Kim Sonderholm directed you in the segment “A Christmas Haunting” for The Horror Vault 3 and you were in John Johnson’s short The Lovecraft Chronicles: Dumas (both in 2010.) Can you tell us a bit about your characters in these shorts, how you got involved with the projects and what were the public responses to the projects?
I got involved with both projects simply because of social networking. Kim knew of my films and – though his filming was greatly done overseas – asked if I’d film an intro for his project. It sounded like a fun movie, and – lucky him – we had everything we needed to film a quick scene right here! Hooray for indie filmmakers, right? So… that was that! I actually became involved in The Lovecraft Chronicles via a “cattle call” on Facebook. I saw they were looking for some vampiric brides and – as that was my very FAVORITE thing to do in Silver Scream – I thought it’d be a hoot. So I volunteered. They accepted, and I was off to the wilds of Virginia. The role was just as basic as I described – a vampiric bride. We filmed my “turning” (in a church), and then our attacking the main characters in the graveyard. They actually didn’t put together that I was Chainsaw Sally until I’d arrived and – great surprise for me – Monique Dupree was there as well! Her and I had been saying for YEARS “gee, we really need to work together sometime”.. and there we were totally by accident. It was fun. And quite the adventure. All the way out into the mountains to shoot in an abandoned graveyard. I mean OUT THERE… dirt roads, no cell… very “Wrong Turn.” I’m so very thankful my friend, Bridgette Jones, was there with me!
7. 2010 also saw the birth of The Chainsaw Sally Show. Many of the characters and the themes from 2004’s Chainsaw Sally transferred over, and you guys masterfully crafted them in a situational horror/comedy sitcom format. Up to that point, you guys had planned to do a sequel to Chainsaw Sally but you guys passed on the opportunity when the investors wanted to take you and the Sally name, but dump the rest of your crew and JimmyO. You guys obviously passed on the project. Do you know why they wanted to change so much about what made the first film so popular with genre fans, how much courage did it take to pass up what could have been a good payday if you guys had gone that route and what did it say to you about other companies that try and poach other peoples ideas and talent?
It took very little thought to turn that down. We are in this because we love it. If the project became owned by people in neckties, I think it would have lost all it’s heart – which is 90% of the popularity of the show and its characters. It might have been a tiny bit more difficult to make that decision if they were taking both Jimmy and I, but… break up the team?? no way, josé. Jimmy’s writing is what drives this show/movie/whatever we do. Not that there aren’t other great writers out there, but Jimmy needs to be one of them when it comes to the Sally projects. He did, actually work with other writers for season 2 of the Sally Show – Patrick Storck and Mike Watt. Patrick also co-wrote on season 3.
8. The whole family jumped on over to Countess Bathoria’s Graveyard Picture Show in 2011 for the segment entitled S’mores. JimmyO directed, you played the character of Mommy and Lilli play Jenny the zombie. How did you and Countess Bathoria meet and come up with the project, how much fun was it working with your family on a project that was not Chainsaw Sally related and how do you feel the two shows compare to one another?
First, keep in mind that – in the best tradition of indie film – we actually filmed our short for that years earlier… I think circa 2006 (?). So, forgive my foggy memory. We’d known the Countess (i.e., Melantha) via horror cons we’d attended together, and of course, the ever popular social networking. When her and those she was working with had the idea for the anthology “Graveyard Picture Show”, they asked if we’d like to contribute a short and we happily agreed. The shoot only lasted a day (a very very busy day) and took place on the property of a friend of ours. It was basically like our twisted version of a family and friends cookout. Some people play volleyball… some do badminton… we make horror movies. It was a blast!!
9. Cameron Scott’s Post Mortem, America 2021 was a action/adventure/horror film that had quite a mix of talented actors and actresses that bridged some generational gaps in the genre, with talents like Linnea Quigley, Jim O’Rear, Monique Dupree, Melanie Robel and Jessica Cameron. By this point, you had certainly cemented your legacy as a Scream Queen in the genre. What were your thoughts on working with Linnea, how do you feel about Monique, Melanie and Jessica being the next wave of young Scream Queens and how did you become involved in the project?
I LOVE that I’m in the same film as that group. The only one I got to share screen time with, though, was Jessica Cameron. It was the first time I’d met her and she was very nice to work with. Really that entire shoot was wonderful. Everyone – cast, crew, EVERYONE – was so pleasant and made me feel completely at home. Which was extra nice, since I was away from my family for the duration of the shoot and I always miss them. It was great to be in a real house in the morning, have real coffee, and hear kids running around and being crazy like kids do. Also, it was the first time I played a character firing a gun! that was fun! But I did catch myself making little shooting noises from time to time and had to work on stopping that. Too much like playing cops and robbers, I guess. Also got to enjoy a little zombie ass-kickin’. Which, as I have learned, is difficult in leather pants … in the summer. Next time – I’m doing jeans!!
10. 2012 saw the second season of The Chainsaw Sally Show, as well as playing Chainsaw Sally in Kim Sonderholm’s Little Big Boy. It is quite obvious to see that Chainsaw Sally has become quite the character outside of Porterville, MD! Are you surprised by the amount of attention the character has generated outside of your own projects, how long do you want to continue to do the series outside of feature films, and with the character being so much an element of you, how do you differentiate her personality from your everyday life?
I’m constantly and happily surprised by the continued popularity of the Chainsaw Sally character. As far as how long we’ll continue… I guess as long as I’m able to play the character believably or until the story ends. I do know Jimmy will do his best not to let it jump the shark… or at least to end it shortly thereafter. Chainsaw Sally is not hard at all to separate from everyday life… at least to the degree that separation is necessary. We are both readers and horror fans. We both care deeply about and are protective of our family. We both like to dress in our own style, but recognize the occasional need to tone it down for anonymity. We both get homicidal urges on occasion when encountering the rude and the idiotic… but only one of us follows through on those urges.
11. 2013 and 2014 has two interesting projects listed: Mike Gutridge’s The Bone Garden, where you play the Coroner, and JimmyO’s The Bloody Clementines in the role of Esther Louise Clementine. What can you tell us about these projects and the motivations of your characters, what do you think these two projects bring to your resume that wasn’t there before and are you finding it difficult to not let Sally out of the box when not playing her in roles like these?
My cameo as the coroner in The Bone Garden actually came about because of my working with Mike Gutridge as an illustrator … which came about from him knowing me as an actress. Yes, actress to illustrator to actress. It was, as stated, just a cameo. I like the plot of the movie. The shoot was very professionally handled and all there were friendly and easy to work with. The Bloody Clementines is a completely different situation. A disturbing story taking place in the wilds of Appalachia. A mother and her 3 grown daughters live under the mother’s tyrannical and bizarre set of religious morals and she has decided the time has come for the daughters to fulfill their God-given duty to procreate. The trick is finding fathers… willingness to cooperate is optional. Filming has not yet begun – we are still in the pre-production stage. I will be playing one of the Clementines, Esther – the middle child. A sullen, mean character – kind of the work-horse of the family. It’s fairly different from anything else I’ve played. Except that I do get to do some pretty horrible things to our victims. Really horrible. Really really really horrible.
12. What can you tell us about Tommy Golden’s and Daniel Emery Taylor’s The Hospital, your interview on 2011’s The Greatest Women of Horror and Sci-Fi and what is it like when you go to conventions to screen your projects and meet your fans?
The Great Women of Horror and Sci-Fi is basically a series of brief interviews with various actresses in the genre. The Hospital is a dark, haunting and nasty tale that does a brilliant job of combining a ghost story with a slasher film. We actually filmed in a well known haunted hospital and even got to go on a ghost hunt with one of the guys from Ghost Hunters International on one of the shoot nights. Cast and crew were constantly encountering the real paranormal that lurks there as they made the film. Very exciting! Also, after knowing him for several years, I finally got to work with Jim O’Rear, which was a treat, as was working with Daniel Emery Taylor (very sweet) and Tommy Golden (who I pinned immediately as the “get things done” guy. every shoot needs one!!) Jason Crowe kept me laughing during our various scenes, as.. well, really everyone did. It was kind of like camping out and filming at the same time. Strange to think that so much laughter and fun went into a movie so dark and disturbing.
13. Thank you so much for the interview and all of your films! You have certainly raised the bar on what it means to be a Scream Queen and an icon in the genre! What is next for you, what advice would you give to anyone trying to get into the industry and what would you like to say to all of your fans?
Next for me … whatever project comes up! Right now that means either The Bloody Clementines or season 3 of The Chainsaw Sally Show. My advice to those starting out.. be persistent, don’t take rejection personally, but learn from it. Learn your lines ahead of time and always be on your most professional and friendliest behavior on every shoot and at every con! Nothing burns bridges faster than acting the diva! (I’ve watched it happen… it’s ugly!) To my fans, as always, thank you! I am here because of you.
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