Film Name: Werewolf Santa
Director: Airell Anthony Hayles
Writer: Airell Anthony Hayles
Starring: Mark Arnold, John Bloom, Emily Booth, Cory Peterson, Katherine Rodden
Santa turns into a werewolf on Christmas Eve, and wreaks havoc in a small seaside town – Lucy has a show called ‘Monster Hunter’s’ on Youtube, but it’s not doing too great with just a few viewers following her. That is until, on Christmas Eve, her camera witnesses Santa get bit by a werewolf in the local park, before turning into a werewolf himself. Lucy and her family then set off on a Christmas Eve adventure to somehow save Christmas, armed with just a rusty ice skate and a vague understanding of how werewolves operate (knowledge gained from the horror comics she pours through) As much a quirky family drama as it is a horror fantasy, Frost Bite is the alternative Christmas movie you’ve been waiting for.
Q. You play Lucy in the upcoming horror Werewolf Santa which has been selected to play at the FrightFest Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. The story follows Lucy and her family as they join forces to save Christmas… from Werewolf Santa.
It’s a lot of fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and really does hark back to Airell’s love for 80’s horror and Werewolf films.
Q. What attracted you to the film and the character of Lucy?
A. Oh my gosh! The script was just so much fun to read- I was in from the first read! And Lucy is this cool, geeky, sassy young woman who has no idea where her life is going but has a lot of potential and some unique skills up her sleeve. I learnt so much from playing her and going on her journey. She grows a lot in the course of the film and that’s always fun to experience. She also has some cracking lines!
Q. What sort of preparation did you do for the role?
A. I read a lot of comics. Mostly in the Werewolf genre and I rewatched Buffy The Vampire Slayer (You can imagine how that was such hard work!) I also have never handled a gun, so I bought myself a weighty BB gun and practiced handling it. I enjoyed that, arguably too much. No one was more surprised than I was to discover that I have a pretty decent aim! (I’m joking, everyone who knows me was shocked.)
Q. Are there any elements of the character which you feel reflect some of your own personality?
A. Yeah totally! She’s cool and sassy! I said that right? But seriously, yeah, there is some crossover. There’s that all too familiar, low level anger in her that I recall very strongly from my teen years and actually the New Rock boots I wear in the film are mine! But the main difference is that she’s very direct and no nonsense- I loved living in that skin!
Q. Did you make any changes to the character from how it was written the original script?
A. I don’t think so. Airell (director) can probably answer that better than me! I’m sure I changed up some lines here and there. But, honestly, the character was so clear to me from the first read. I felt like I knew who she was immediately. That’s good writing.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. The whole shoot was an absolute blast. The team are incredible and hard working and generous. It was a real gift of a job. The Fairground shoot was a lot of fun. Cian Lorcan (who plays Rupert) and I reverted to behaving like absolute children. All the scenes in the car were really fun too. Emily Booth (Carol) makes driving whilst acting look very easy, that’s a skill I had to pick up quickly whilst improvising an argument with the lovely Charlie Preston (Dustin) in the passenger seat, Vincent Knight (DOP) sprawled across the back seat! They must have been terrified!
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. There are always little things that crop up on an Indie shoot, but nothing major and nothing that affected me personally. I think some logistical stuff like the snow machine kicking off more noise than a hungover dinosaur.
Q. What makes Werewolf Santa stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Great question. Wrong person to answer it as I’ve just started on my Horror journey, but I will say – it’s a lot of fun. It is a film that is affectionately winking at the genre. I’ve not come across a Santa Werewolf film before- so I think that says it all.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope they walk away with a smile and a renewed childish spark of love for Christmas.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. There are some things in the air yeah! Always! I started a film company last year with my very talented film maker pal Emily Attwood and we’re in pre-production on our second short film. I of course hope I shall be working with Airell again before too long. (That is what we call a “very subtle hint”.)
Q. If someone was looking to get into acting, what advice would you give them?
A. There are so many routes into the acting world and people come to it at different ages and from different walks of life. Some people go down the drama school route, other people jump straight in. For me- drama school was a great way to build a tool kit and get a lot of hands on experience. I think it’s key to do research and talk to people and work hard! Go into an audition knowing everyone in the room, knowing what they’re worked on, knowing the script. It’s a great job when you’re working! The best in the world. But it’s tough when you’re not working. So keep that skin thick!
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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!
