MISS JULY 2008

NANCY FELICIANO

She’s back! Nancy Feliciano that is. For those that have never heard of the films “Arena of Death,” “Burglar From Hell,” “Jacker,” “Jacker 2: Descent to Hell,” “Tales Till The End,” “Before I Die,” “HorrorTales.666” and “After Midnight,” the name Nancy Feliciano probably doesn’t ring too many bells. But for fans of indie horror cinema from Falcon Video and Wave Productions, the return of the lovely Latina from Madrid, Spain is welcomed with open arms. Her fans will also be happy to hear that she plays the lead in the upcoming Falcon Video release “Into the Woods.” Nancy Feliciano, who appeared in a 1998 edition of Celebrity Sleuth magazine, opens up to PollyStaffle.com prior to the release of her latest film. She talks about how she first got her start as an actress, why she retired, what brought her back, what she thinks about her status as a Scream Queen, being tied to a tree naked in freezing rain and more in this firecracker-popping July edition of Polly’s Pinups.

IT ALL STARTED WITH A PINK BIKINI

CCF: Nancy, first thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Second, to get this started, I want to go back to the beginning. Your first film appearance was “Arena of Death.” Tell us about how you got involved with that project and the mindset you had. From what I understand, you weren’t really into acting prior to the film and things sort of snowballed after it.

NF: I was in the neighborhood and saw that some locals were making a movie. I am a horror fan and my cousin introduced me to the makers of the film. That was my first introduction to Phil Herman - the producer, writer and director of the film. He explained to me that it was a rough shoot about mutants in the future and a handful of survivors fighting to keep alive. I was told I would play a girlfriend of the main character in a flashback. It was summertime and the movie was just starting. He told me to meet him at the beach the next day in my bathing suit and we would do a flashback/dream scene in the water. I was so excited. I found my best pink bikini and met him the next day. The total shoot only took about an hour. It was done and I didn’t hear about the movie until about four years later when it was finally released. I had given up on acting because it was such a fast little part with no impact. But that all changed when it came out. My 60 second scene garnered a lot of interest in the horror Scream Queen scene. It was only the beginning. Then I was being offered parts and was getting interview and photo shoot requests from magazines. They all wanted to know who this curly top Latin was.

CCF: Jumping ahead, you went on to do a number of other films and then you actually retired from acting a little while back. What made you take a break from it and also what made you jump back into things?

NF: Yeah, I was doing a movie a year for Falcon Video and I did a few movies with Wave as well as a few cameos for other indie projects. I really had a great time doing these movies and was really getting into it. I was really getting a lot of notice for the small parts I took. I never was a lead but had pretty big supporting roles. It was something I never imagined. I was getting Scream Queen status and getting parts over the bigger names just because of my following that I was getting. It was a total surprise. That one time shoot turned in to a sort of a career. Something I did not want or really plan for. I hate being in the spotlight or center of attention and that is what was happening. Also, a few of the people I was filming for were getting upset. I was refusing interviews and appearances at conventions. I was declining magazine shoots and interviews. That is what makes these movies get noticed and if you don’t promote no one is going to see them. So I had a blowout/meltdown and abandoned making films. But making these movies becomes an addiction and I found myself soon returning.

CCF: Just couldn’t stay away, huh? Well, lets talk a bit about “Into the Woods.” How did this project come about?

NF: I had just finished hosting an anthology called “After Midnight.” It had received great reviews and people liked it. We also did a sequel called “Always Midnight,” but Phil lost control and new producers were brought in to finish the movie. My scenes being host of it ended up being taken out and new footage was shot. Then a few lame unrelated scenes of me were put back in just so they could use my name. Phil felt bad and told me he would write a story and use my footage that was shot plus a whole lot more. I was going to play the lead finally and be the featured star. He told me it was going to be called “Into the Woods.”

CCF: So you finally play the lead? Cool. What’s the film about exactly?

NF: The story is about a woman called Danielle that is stuck in a dead end relationship with a married man. It takes a turn for the worse when he leaves her and then comes back and brutality rapes her. Her life, which was turned upside down, has just got worse. She mysteriously turns up in a place unfamiliar with her. On a lonely stretch of beach near an equally desolate unrecognizable forest. Stripped of everything she, wakes drugged and lost in the woods. With a few clues and constant torments, she runs from an unseen character that little by little reveals his intention and who he is. When she returns to reality, an explosive climax ties up all loose ends and conflicts.

CCF: Sounds promising. There have been a lot of scary movies that center around woods. “The Evil Dead,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “Deliverance,” to name a few. What is it about wooded areas that always seems to scare viewers so much?

NF: Wow, the woods are just amazing. They be so beautiful with the birds chirping and a gentle breeze flowing, but if you’re in the thick of the woods, not knowing were you are, who is watching you or what is about to happen, they can be really scary. The woods are very lonely. You quickly start imagining that there is someone watching just up ahead, or behind you. The trees cover and also trick what you see. While there may not be anything ahead, there also may be someone peering from a thick bush or from behind a tree. Add a few clouds or rain and the place takes on another persona of mystery.

CCF: Did writer and director Phil Herman put you through some pretty brutal situations on this project? I read somewhere you had twisted your ankle and had to go through some intensive rehabilitation.

NF: Probably the toughest thing for indie filmmakers is having to actually shoot on location. Unlike big Hollywood movies, these little films are actually shot in the middle of nowhere with no big comfy trailer to go to in between takes. We were shooting in the thick of the woods with bugs, heat and rough terrain. We started filming in late spring and it was already getting hot. I was doing a lot of running on ungroomed trails and it was very bumpy. A few weeks into the shoot we were doing a chase scene and my ankle literally snapped. I never felt so much pain in my life. I was told it was pretty bad and it was going to take a while to heal. Shooting shut down. I am in ninety percent of the movie and it is focused on me and how I deal with the woods and other nightmarish factors of the script. There was no getting around a broken ankle as I needed to be running most of the time. Plus, my attire in the movie left nothing to hide the cast. It was not until late January I was given the okay to start shooting. I am an avid runner and run about five miles a day. I was told that helped my recovery. Now I am back to running my usual regimen and feel almost no pain.

CCF: Good to hear about the recovery. Aside from having dealt with the ankle injury, are there any good stories from the set you can share?

NF: I love Phil and his movies, but this movie was brutal. We shot in extreme heat and extreme cold. I hated him and what he was putting me through. I was terrified half the time and had nightmares at night. The role really affected me. I was running around half the time in the winter scantily clad and it was horrible. How many colds did I get? He owes me big time on this! One day he had me tied to a tree and it was thirty-five degrees with ice rain. The scene called for nudity. So I was tied to the tree topless freezing. Then a group of bird watchers wandered down the path we were shooting and either made believe they didn’t notice or did not know how to react. They walked by not even glancing that we were off the path shooting the scene. How can you miss that? But nothing was said and the scene was shot uneventful. Bet they never figured bird watching was so rewarding.

CCF: (LOL) Phil’s directed most of the stuff you have been in. Do you both sort of inspire each other’s work?

NF: I had a lot of input on this movie. Since I was the lead and I know what my fans expect I had a lot to say in what went on in the scenes. I also rewrote a few things I was not comfortable with. Phil always wants everyone taking showers and running around naked all of the time. He has to be tamed and shown that life is not always like that. But after he knew I was going to play the part we both sat down and looked over it scene by scene. He was surprised I had spiced up a few things he had toned down and vice versa. It is all about trying to be somewhat realistic and not exploitive. He loves my down to Earth natural look at things. I am easy going and very natural. Not a phony. I like my characters to somewhat show that and not be too scripted or unrealistic.

CCF: Sounds like a good team effort. Now, also in “Into the Woods” is fellow Scream Queen Lilith Stabs. In other movies you’ve been involved with the likes of Pamela Sutch and Julie Strain have also been featured. You seem to be kind of shy, reserved and not really as public as these actresses. What’s it like being thought of in the same vein as these lovely ladies?

NF: I sometimes feel intimidated, but I hold my own. Everyone has their own thing and own following. Indie movie fans are very kind and supportive of all the actors and actresses in these movies. Also, none of the people you work with at this level feel like they are better than anyone else. There are no tempers flaring with “She got more close-ups than me” or “She has more screen time.” Everyone is happy to be working and feel honored to be involved in these projects. Any time you make a movie, your fans will sniff you out and not just watch you, but discover other favorites along the way. I had always got letters of support during and after movies from fellow cast mates and fans alike. Never anything negative. And no matter how bad a movie is the critics always have kind words for me.

CCF: Oh, wait till PollyStaffle.com reviews “Into the Woods.” (LOL) Just kidding. Switching gears here, nudity on film was something you struggled with initially, right? But you’ve now done nude scenes and I am assuming appear nude in “Into the Woods.” Was there a change in your view of nudity in films or what exactly?

NF: Nudity!

CCF: (LOL)

NF: It all started with that damn pink bikini. It showed everyone that I had a body underneath those clothes. And human nature is “let’s see what is underneath that bathing suit.” Well, after saying no and just giving hints of flesh, I gave in to “Draculina Magazine.” I had a shoot for them and that opened the flood gates. I was now an official Scream Queen. It took awhile though to do actual nudity. The first movie with nudity was “Before I Die.” It felt okay and the reaction I got gave me a swollen head. I have nothing against nudity in movies as long as it is not over the top. I do nudity if the part calls for it but nothing explicit or weird. I felt “Into the Woods” needed it to show how vulnerable and at odds she was with the character pursuing her. He is unknown to her and she wakes up every morning in the woods with different or no clothing on. How scary is that? You hide behind your clothes. With no clothes there is no hiding and you’re open for everyone to see. How scary is that? I also felt sunglasses are a thing people use to hide behind. So in a few scenes, I had sunglasses to signify that. It was Phil’s idea for me to wake up naked. I think had we had me naked too much, the effect would wear off and it would become exploitive. So it is done at different stages in a tasteful way.

CCF: As a fan of horror movies, are there any particular movies or films that inspire or influence you as an actress?

NF: I grew up watching Jamie Lee Curtis. I always marveled her and how she really grasped the character and gave it dimension. Her portal from the “Halloween” movies to the other countless slasher flicks always had her playing the victim, but never a weak dimwit victim She always fought back and had the upper hand. She was a smart woman to keep doing those movies and never sold out with cheesy scripts. Those movies opened a lot of doors for her and to this day she still does very enjoyable movies. I had always loved watching horror movies growing up. Even though people put down horror movies I always marched behind them and there creators. You go to the movies to escape. What better escape than to be scared. For those 90 minutes you’re away from the real horrors that are around us and tossed into a fantasy world. That is why I jumped at the opportunity to be in “Into the Woods.” It’s a total mind game and is not your run of the mill kill everyone in the neighborhood type. There are chills and questions to be answered that will leave you guessing what the hell’s going on until the end.

CCF: Seen any decent horror films lately? What are your thoughts on the current trend in the genre?

NF: I thought I would be upset at all the remakes coming out, but they have been pretty good and while staying faithful to the originals have new outlooks and explanations on the history behind them. Some of them that have stood out are “Halloween,” “The Hitcher,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Hill Have Eyes.” I am a big fan of the originals and really had reservations going in and seeing these but was pleased how they have handled them. Now the most original one I’ve seen lately would have to be George Romero’s “Diary of the Dead.” It was simple but tapped in on today’s technology that is so used by everyone - the video camera. While it has been done with “The Blair Witch” and “Cloverfield,” Romero’s has been the best so far visually. You didn’t feel ill and could actually see what was going on. I hope Mr. Romero does another one. It was really good.

CCF: You’re in luck. I read there was possibly a sequel to “Diary of the Dead” in the works. Back to “Into the Woods” to wrap things up, what can horror fans expect with this film?

NF: “Into the Woods” is a mix of horror, and the old “Twilight Zones” were you don’t know what’s going on until the end. There are times you think you have it figured out. But then it all goes right back into the dark and you’re left saying “Oh My God! I can’t believe that.” Phil really went out to try to play with the audience and give them a treat. Low budget doesn’t have to be mindless gore. This is a fast paced enjoyable movie with some of the top B-actors working: Tiffany Sinclair, Darla Doom, Joel D. Wynkoop, M. Catherine Wynkoop, Joe Scott, Lilith Stabs, Dave Castigleone and of course Phil Herman. Plus, the reason I really came back is because Phil had secured Chris Kahler to edit it. I love his work and he really can make a scene happen even if initially it was not shot like that. He turned bland scenes into spectacular works through sound, music and color correction. He really made this movie rock and worth seeing. I couldn’t believe it when I saw what he had accomplished. This is a B-movie dream I hope all the fans like it. And who knows, if it is well received, we can always go back “Into the Woods”

CCF: Sounds good. I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Thanks Nancy.

- CCF, July 2008