Film Name: Cleavers 3: Maximum Cleavage
Director: MJ Dixon
Writers: MJ Dixon
Starring: Holly-Anne Dodkins, William Marshall, David Hon Ma Chu, Lewis Cooper, Adam Lezemore
Locked away in a Maximum security prison, the infamous Killer Clown, Mary Beth Layton aka Lil Miss
Cleaver is about to make a prison break that no one will forget.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask actress Holly-Anne Dodkins a few questions about the film ‘Cleavers 3: Maximum Cleavage’, which has been selected to play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday, 24th January at 15:00hrs.
Q. You play Mary-Beth Layton in the upcoming horror ‘Cleavers 3 Maximum Cleavage’ which has been selected to play at Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. What can we expect from the film?
A. You can expect a thrilling prison escape movie with great characters and some real fun. I feel like audiences will quickly grow to like the characters and will be rooting for them from the beginning. As in any Mycho film there are also some great deaths which are always fun to film!
Q. This will be the third time playing the character in the series, having previously played the character in Cleaver: Rise of the Killer Clown and Cleavers: Killer Clowns. What first attracted you to the character and what made you decide to return for Cleavers 3 Maximum Cleavage?
A. Growing up in theatre I always loved the idea of working in the film industry and when the role of Mary-Beth came up I knew this would be a great opportunity to experience this side of performing. It was only a small role but gave me the chance to experience a film set and I loved it. Being asked to return as Mary-Beth in the second Cleaver film was a pleasure and there was no way I would turn down the chance to play this character again for Cleavers 3 Maximum Cleavage.
Q. What sort of preparation did you have to do for the role?
A. The most significant preparation for me was the Southern American accent. Being born and raised in Essex, this couldn’t be more different from my natural speaking voice. I found watching TV shows set in Southern America to be helpful, my personal favourite was Young Sheldon (2007-2024) – listening to the
deep southern twang helped me to understand their dialect and incorporate this into my lines. I also used the help of AI for any lines I found particularly difficult, Chat GPT was able to phonetically spell out any words I was struggling with so I could get a better pronunciation.
I also found watching the first two Cleaver films helpful when preparing for this role. This allowed me to refresh my memory on the backstory of Mary-Beth and I took this into account when portraying her in this film to make the character feel as authentic as possible. I felt I was able to better understand her character development when I had a clearer memory of her history leading up to this film.
Q. Are there any elements of the character which you feel reflect some of your own personality?
A. Definitely! From the first time I read the script for this film I resonated very much with many aspects of Mary-Beth’s character and I think that is why I enjoy playing her so much. I feel I can really bring a part of myself to Mary-Beth making it easier to become her when performing. I think I especially enjoy the sassy and sarcastic side of her character and I am sure my friends and family will see me coming through in those moments!
Q. How do you feel the character has evolved since the previous instalments and did you make any changes to the character from how it was written?
A. Mary-Beth’s character has matured considerably since the last film where she was a teenager, this growth can be seen in her independence in this film. She would have spent many years fending for herself and because of this she knows her strengths and is able to play to them in this film. I tried to keep Mary-Beth’s character as close to the script as possible, MJ’s writing style is detailed and his imagery of the character is so perfect I wanted to align with this as best I could to really bring his character to life.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. There are honestly too many to list, the whole experience was such a blast. I especially enjoyed the first day on set, it had been 7 years since I had last seen most of the cast and crew and it was really nice to catch up after so long. I also enjoyed meeting the new cast members and getting to know everyone. It was so exciting to finally see the script coming to life.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. I wouldn’t say I faced any issues during filming but I think the most difficult part for me was powering through the night shoots. I love my sleep and I am used to only working 9-5 so it took me some time to adjust to working through the night on this shoot. As I became tired I had to focus a lot more on maintaining my accent and remembering my dialogue. This was a challenge but it was really rewarding at the end of each night when we wrapped on all of the scenes we had scheduled to shoot.
Q. What makes Cleavers 3: Maximum Cleavage stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Bringing together a team of infamous serial killers is a recipe for chaos and that is what makes this movie so enjoyable. I think the unlikely relationships that are built between these characters will surprise audiences. The concept of a villain is flipped on its head and this will leave the audiences with a different perspective of the characters by the end of the film.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope that audiences come away feeling entertained and having enjoyed the balance of the intense storyline as well as the light humour throughout the film.
Q. Do you have any other projects you are working on?
A. Unfortunately I don’t currently have any other projects. I really enjoy acting and being on set but as I work full time it is difficult to commit to shoots. Don’t worry though, you haven’t seen the last of me yet- I am very keen to be involved in another Mycho project whenever possible!
If someone was looking to get into acting is there any advice you would give them?
A. Just do it! I would recommend getting involved wherever possible in independent films whether that is auditioning for roles or being an extra. The more experience you have the more confident you will feel on set. Being part of a film is so much fun and seeing it come together at the end is such a rewarding feeling, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love it.
Photos by Asher Chan
Cleavers 3: Maximum Cleavage which will have its World Premiere at Horror- on-Sea on Friday 16th January at 20:00hrs.
You can find out more about Cleavers 3: Maximum Cleavage and purchase tickets for the film 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!
