The Premiere of Dead But Dreaming

I'm late? It's because I spent 45 minutes applying this red lipstick.

Last night's premiere of Dead But Dreaming (Muerta Pero Soñando) in the Multicine movie complex in La Paz, Bolivia was a complete success! Lots of people loved the film and I received many big hugs and congratulations afterward for my acting, and production work/costumes/etc, in the film.

Before the premiere. With some sexy stockings.

Many people told me that they were astounded by the movie, and completely taken with the new, fresh, original vampire myth that Jac has created, the production values, and the acting in the film.

Strangely enough I don't usually have an opinion of my own acting in many films. I figure I did my best, it's cool, I'm fine with it, satisfied with what's there. Sometimes surprised that I managed to pull it off, in the case of Maleficarum.

It's different with Dead But Dreaming. I'm extremely proud of my acting, I found my performance convincing, moving even. That's interesting to me.

I'm very proud of the work that everyone put into the film, my fellow actors, crew, and especially Miguel Inti Canedo, our cinematographer. The images are so beautiful to be overwhelming, almost unreal.

I put together a little video showing the crowds before the premiere, and the party afterward for your viewing enjoyment!

The Official Theatrical Trailer of Dead But Dreaming!

The 25th of July Dead But Dreaming (Muerta Pero Soñando) hits Bolivian movie theaters! Below is the fantastic trailer of Jac Avila's latest masterpiece, featuring yours truly and many other talented actors, such as Veronica Paintoux, Mila Joya, Jac Avila, Jorge Ortiz, Claudia Moscoso, Rhobess Pierre, Beto Lopez, Eric Calancha, and many more!

Use the toggles below to watch it in HD, it's worth it!

Dead But Dreaming: Official poster designed by moi, plus a release date

Fantastic poster, yes?!

Yes, as some of you may know, I don't just sit around eating bonbons and drinking champagne. (I wish).

Instead, I'm hard at work editing the "making of" Dead But Dreaming, doing the graphic design and various and sundry other very important tasks to do with the impending rlease. It would be nice to have at least one clone of myself.

Big news, Dead But Dreaming, the first vampire film ever made in Bolivia (!!!), will hit theaters here down South July 25th. I'm very excited, as I always am. It'll be great to see it on the big screen!

Don't forget to go to the Facebook Page for Dead But Dreaming and give it a like. And check out all of the great photos from the making of the movie!

My First Video Blog Post: Location Scouting for Dead But Dreaming

Cliffs outside of La Paz

I had a great time yesterday location scouting for the remaining scene for Dead But Dreaming. The fresh air was wonderful.

Over the past few months, Jac was editing Dead But Dreaming, made his first cut, and decided that something was missing. Yesterday we made the first step in filling in that fantastic puzzle piece.

The scene will be somewhat elaborate, it's the story of how Mila Joya's character, a slave who is falsely accused of theft, whipped and crucified for the enjoyment of her mistress's guests, becomes a vampire.

The location we found is about an hour outside of La Paz, in a beautiful valley. You can watch the video below, right here:

Vampires

As I've been finishing up the script for my next movie, Olalla, I've been thinking a lot about vampires. Mostly since my next movie involves vampires and we just wrapped on another movie about vampires, Dead But Dreaming, and we'll be shooting the second movie in that series soon as well.

The poster of the movie that ruined my 6th year

That will make my movie the third this year. So, what's with all the interest in vampires? For me it started pretty young. When I was about 6 years old my father showed me the movie Fright Night. I'm sure he thought it was appropriate for someone my age, being rated PG. It wasn't, it scared the living daylights out of me and I wore a scarf to bed for a year after that, even in the summer, thinking that vampires were going to come and kill me in the night.  Children tend to think that the world centers around them, don't they?

After the year was up and the vampires didn't come to kill me, I gave up wearing the scarf to bed and began thinking about the origin of the vampire myth. It was just around this time, I was 7 and in second grade, that I was learning about research papers and researching. So, I went to my school library and found several books about vampires. I read them all. In the midst of this, I began to understand the origins of the vampire in media.

She gives you that weird feeling

In my school library were a series of books about monster movies (Universal Studios) from the 30s-60s. The idea of the vampire in film began to take hold of me as a concept. My research broadened to the local library where I read more books and understood the vampire myth and where it came from. I thought about how amazing it would be to make a movie about vampires. It became a lifelong dream. Nay, obsession.

So, you must be thinking that I'm making a movie about the same kind of vampires as Jac's Dead But Dreaming. Nope. Dead But Dreaming's vamps are more classic, infectious vampires, bites, exchange of blood, and a little magical realism later, you've got a legion of the undead. Romantic vampires, with hopes and dreams, and vengeance, internal struggles. Good stuff, but not the same as my vampires.

In my research, I think I got to Robert Louis Stevenson when I was about 9 or 10 years old, I came across R.L.S.'s Olalla. It's the story considered to be the introduction of the concept of genetic vampirism, on which my movie is partly based. A soldier goes to a villa to convalesce, only to fall in love with the daughter of the decadent family who resides there. The family has a craving for blood. It's a strange story. At that time porphyria and related diseases were little understood, thus resulting in the idea that a "vampiric" disease could, or did, exist.

Olalla

My vampires are a family, a rather large family, who has learned to survive through the ages by keeping a low profile. They crave blood, they have to drink it, but it's not considered good form to kill thy neighbors, so they do it discretely. Some of them never even leave the house. And they tend to live longer than other humans.

My character* is named Olalla. She goes back to her family's home after a few years of attempting to escape them and her affliction; the prodigal daughter returns after having done something very, very bad.

For me, Olalla, inflicted with inherited vampirism, has a struggle that is literally superhuman. It separates her from the rest of humanity, it makes her a monster. At the same time, she has no desire to be like the rest of her family. Riddled by incest, they keep the line going, they do not mix their tainted genes with normal human beings. And there are other branches of the family as well. 

In an attempt to "educate" Olalla, so that she does not have to be "put down", her uncle Victor returns to the house to be her "teacher". What ensues is severe corporeal punishment, incest, nudity, bondage, all of the good nasty stuff that should be in a movie of this sort. You know what I mean. While I'm including a bit of camp, and it has its humorous moments like all of my films, it's a disturbing story.

*Yes, I gave the lead female role to myself. I really didn't want to do a casting for an actor who (might) do what I'll willingly do in a movie. I'm less trouble to work with ;)

Dead But Dreaming

I had some time to post a bit about the new film that I'm producing and acting in, Dead But Dreaming. Mostly because when I was home more sore than I've ever been in my life. I slept on my back because it was the only position that didn't wake me up from the pain.

It could be worse, I suppose. And of course, the big question, really the only question, was it worth it? Yes, of course it was worth it.

My (problem?) is that I have an overactive imagination and an ability to see how things look in a scene, like a little edited reel in my head. And when I see, on that reel, that a scene would look simply awesome if only I did this incredibly difficult and taxing performance... well, if it doesn't involve risk of permanent bodily injury, I'll do it.

And that's why I was writing this at my computer instead of helping everyone bring back the roomful of equipment, costumes and effects from the location we had shot in for the past three days.

And I needed a bit of rest before I went off to NYC for the CineKink film festival. More on that later.

Dead But Dreaming, directed by Jac Avila, is a film that has been in the works for a very long time, and under many names. It's the film that I was slated to act in back in 2005 when I met Jac. He cast me for that movie specifically. Instead, we didn't make the film then, and I slowly took over half of the business, produced Maleficarum, and directed three feature films (Sirwiñakuy, Barbazul and Le Marquis de la Croix). It was finally time to make the vampire movie that had brought us together.

Yes, you read right. A vampire movie, shot in Bolivia, with an international cast. I can tell you right now, it's incredibly sexy and violent, sometimes simultaneously. But you're a fan of that content, that's why you follow my blog. (Unless you're one of the spineless anonymous haters who give me a hard time. And for some reason still read my blog... cough.)

This movie is incredibly involved, takes place in more than one era, and has some extremely complicated scenes, not only involving action, but many people. Normally it's something that an indie company would not want to produce for fear that it wouldn't turn out so great on a lower budget. Now, looking at the rushes from the 16 days we've shot so far, any secret fear I had about that has been dispelled, it looks amazing.


Miquel Inti Canedo is the cinematographer yet again in this movie. He proved himself in Maleficarum and Barbazul and Le Marquis de la Croix, and now, like anything that improves with time, he's more refined. Seriously, this guy's got talent.

We have a lot of the same tried and true actors working with us Veronica Paintoux, Mila Joya, Beto Lopez, yours truly, and a few new faces, like Jorge Ortiz, the experienced and prolific Bolivian actor. Some of the brand new faces are working out really nicely. It doesn't hurt that these individuals came up to me when we were shooting and complimented me on my performance. And were very helpful on set. And acted well. When I say "thank you", I mean it.

Making movies takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice and we're really happy to have more people working with us and willing to make those sacrifices and dedicate themselves to the art of cinema.

New Production!

The poster of Dead But Dreaming

I'm really excited to announce the new production of Pachamama Films/Decadent Cinema, Dead But Dreaming, slated to begin shooting in early 2012!

I'll be producing and acting in this one, much like Maleficarum. Veronica Paintoux, myself, Mila Joya, and Jac Avila are starring, and we're casting soon for lots of other parts. There are lots of interesting speaking parts in this one.

This movie is sizing up to be quite a production, read big. We're already looking at a lot of exotic locations in Bolivia. The diversity in Bolivia and the cost of production will give us some really spectacular scenes.

Since the movie takes place in different parts of the world and in different times, this is a real challenge for me, but one I'm happy to rise to.

I just love making movies!