Film Name: Lactasia
Director: Val Phoenix
Writers: Val Phoenix, Alex Graves
Starring: Kaleya Baxe, Helen Wright, Sue Gives a Fuck
Trouble comes to sunny London when lovelorn funeral parlour manager Michelle hands some suspiciously cheap foundation to her strong-willed trainee, Jen. As the foundation spreads to a drag troupe and into the goth underground, only Michelle’s ex, Dr. Petra Rojas, can save the day! Dancing zombies, exploding body parts, melting baddies and a goth band covering disco tunes make this a hot mess you won’t soon forget!
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds leading up to the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival, I got a chance to ask Director/Co-Writer Val Phoenix a few questions about the film ‘Lactasia‘
‘Lactasia’ has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Sunday 14th January at 12:30pm
Q. Your film Lactasia has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. Fun, camp, bad taste a la John Waters with an underlying message promoting solidarity in the face of peril. Plus, dancing zombies.
Q. You wrote the script with Alex Graves. What was the process for you working together on the script?
A. It was great fun. We had weekly meetings nibbling doughnuts and tossing ideas back and forth that I would then take home and format using the outdated Word template Script Gold. Super high-tech! We went through quite a few drafts before Alex moved on to other projects and I took the film forward.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for Lactasia?
A. I call it Buffy meets John Waters. We wanted a teenaged girl seeking her own power plus lots of bad taste and gore. Alex was keen on involving drag queens and I decided we also needed a lesbian love story.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I grew up in New York City, so I always found the over-saturated look of No Wave to be a great influence: Vivienne Dick, Susan Seidelman and especially Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames (1983). Alex is a big horror fan, so she had giallo in mind.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Many. Usually dictated by actors who could not make the shoots, which took place over four years, or some item we could not source, such as a pedicab. We operated on the principle of availablism and worked with what we could find.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. I quite liked watching the drag queens let rip in their scenes, as they had such strong personae. The finale in a nightclub was also a blast as we got to dance to goth disco played by a live band. That was magic for me after a long shoot. And I am really proud we had so many women doing technical things. I hope the film is a springboard for the cast and crew.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. What DIY film-maker doesn’t? At one of our shoots, we were confronted by an angry vicar. It also rained at inopportune moments (welcome to London!) and we had to do loads of problem-solving with equipment and locations. All part of the experience. Then there was Covid to deal with, and I was having cancer treatment. But we persevered.
Q. What makes Lactasia stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I would say the fact it is a queer feminist B-movie and that it’s quite funny. The horror is in the situations, not the jump scares. It’s also a mid-length film which is a hard sell for festivals. So, thanks to Horror-on-Sea for fitting us in!
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. Their rubbish. I can’t stand littering. Be considerate, people!
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I have a few weird experimental films in development. That’s usually what I make. Lactasia is truly an oddity, in every sense of the word.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. It’s hard work, but if you don’t see what moves you on-screen, do it yourself! DIY forever.
You can find out more about Lactasia on the Website and Facebook
You can check out the The Sounds of LACTASIA on Spotify
‘Lactasia’ has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Sunday 14th January at 12:30pm
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here:
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
