October 26, 2009

If you’re not familiar yet with actress Jocelin Donahue, you soon will be.

After making her debut in J.T. Petty’s The Burrowers, she’s now playing the lead in Ti West’s latest critically acclaimed film The House Of The Devil. Evoking the beauty and look of a young Jessica Harper, while channeling the innocence of Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode from Halloween, it’s easy to see why West chose her to be the character whose shoulders his latest film rests upon.

Shock Till You Drop got the chance to chat with her candidly about the making of the movie, the films she used as “homework” and playing opposite genre vets Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov.

Robg.: How’d this project come to you? I know you’d worked with JT Petty on The Burrowers and both he and Ti (West) have the Larry Fessenden and Glass Eye Pix connection. So was it through there?

Jocelin Donahue: Actually, I came into it just through the normal casting avenue. I auditioned and met with Ti something like six times before I actually got the part, but we ended up just talking about what the film would be and what it’d take to make it. Because it was an independent film and they were shooting for three weeks straight, 14 hours a night. I think probably JT put in a good word for me, and I’m so lucky that I did two kind of art house horror films.

Robg.: What were your initial reactions to reading this script? Because this is obviously not like other horror genre movies. I can’t recall the last time we had a horror flick with “Satanists.”

Jocelin: What a delight to have this come across my desk! I read a lot of horror film scripts because that’s what’s out there for skinny girls. [Laughs] This was so different and definitely something immediately that I knew I wanted to do, especially after meeting and talking to Ti. You could tell right away that he’s a serious filmmaker and this really came from the heart. I just knew it was going to be something special and authentic. In terms of my role of Samantha, she’s smart and innocent in a way that many modern female roles aren’t. I’m really proud that I got to do that, play this kind of character in a movie I could show to my little cousin’s. [Laughs] A lot of times you read scripts for horror films and think “OK, my parents can’t watch me in this.”

Robg.: One of the things I love about this is how authentically this felt like an 80’s movie. As the editor also, Ti obviously had a very clear vision of how this movie would play out. How’d he go about explaining to you how some of these scenes would work? For example, I love the scene where you put on your headphones and dance around the house…

Jocelin: Ti is really good at communicating what he wants from the scene, from it being thematic ideas to the minutia of motivation or feeling of fear or whatever it is. It’s funny you bring up the dancing scene – that was the one scene we didn’t rehearse or talk about until we did it and Ti said he had anxiety before I popped in through the door and danced because he thought “What if this is cheesy and doesn’t work at all?” But he was really happy for the way I danced for him, I suppose. [Laughs] It was pretty easy to work with him on set, especially since he’s had this script for so long. I mean, you could tell this was something really from his heart. He knew what he wanted from each moment, but at the same time since a lot of it is just me by myself, he did let me be by myself in my own space, even though there’s 30 people around. It was great and really collaborative, but at the same time it was truly his vision.

Robg.: Considering the style of the movie and how much it feels and looks like a 70’s-80’s movie, did he ever reference or recommend films for you to check out?

Jocelin: Oh yeah!

Robg.: So, what was your homework for this?

Jocelin: He put me through the ringer. Before this, it’s not that I would say I didn’t like horror, it’s just that I’m very squeamish when it comes to violence and blood, so I would avoid movies with them. But he gave maybe 15 films to watch from the 70’s and the 80’s including Polanski’s Apartment Trilogy and Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Changeling and Suspiria and Don’t Look Now and The Exorcist. So that was fun to do that kind of research and see where the style he was basing this on came from, the classic horror movies. Those films really changed my ideas of what horror really is.

Robg.: It’s funny you mentioned Suspiria in that list. You reminded me very much of a young Jessica Harper in this!

Jocelin: [Laughs] That’s cool! That’s a great compliment, so thanks!

Robg.: One of my favorite moments is when Tom Noonan’s character opens the door for you and you realize what a giant he is standing next to you. What was your working relationship like with Tom? Were you familiar with some of his films prior to this?

Jocelin: Well, I had seen Manhunter and then I watched The Monster Squad, so I did my homework on both Mary Woronov and Tom and they were just so cool. I mean, they’re so interesting and really such characters. When it came time to do our scenes, they became totally creepy, but at the same time, not so creepy that she seems like a fool for staying. I think that’s a testament to Ti’s writing, especially that scene where Tom and I are talking at the table and he’s trying to convince me to stay. He’s very gentle, but weird and awkward and you almost feel bad for him and you’re a little weirded out but she stays regardless. I just think that he does a great balancing act of being odd but sympathetic. And Mary on the other hand is a little more domineering, but she also has a great sense of humor. You just have to take everything as tongue in cheek. You can’t be intimidated by her because then she’ll take advantage of you! [Laughs] We had such a great rapport. I just feel so lucky to have worked with a small cast that included them. My God, this is my first lead role with the two of them!

Robg.: Can you talk a bit about working with Greta Gerwig, who plays your best friend Megan in the movie, because I felt like you both had a really authentic friendship in your scenes together, especially in the pizza parlor. I didn’t sense a false moment at all. So were you friendly beforehand?

Jocelin: Yeah, now we’re friends and keep in touch, but I hadn’t met her before this movie. I felt an instant connection to because she’s such a cool chick and she’s someone I would be friends with, and I am! But it was great. It did feel natural and she’s so funny that I always had to stop myself from laughing, but then again that’s the type of friendship that they have. She’s the carefree, quirky, silly girl and I’m the more dour, anxious, sad girl, but they click and care about each other. And even though the dialogue is very sparse, it does feel to me the way they would actually talk to each other.

Robg.: You guys shot this in Lime Rock, Connecticut and the two things I remember from my set visit was that one) it was very cold. And two) the house you shot in was awesome. I was so impressed by how good a job the production designers did on it making it an authentic 80’s house, complete with rotary phones and Master Of The Universe action figures in the kids room upstairs. The level of detail was amazing…

Jocelin: Yeah, and to me because most of my performance was me alone in the house, there really was so much to work off of. Since she’s snooping around someone else’s house, it was fun to find all the little things that Jade (Healy) and Ti had put in there. Stuff like the popcorn machine and in the office, all the busts and paintings – they just did such a great job of transforming it into the Ulman’s house. The house itself was so scary, yet beautiful and huge and Victorian. They really made it feel like the 80’s. And I actually grew up in Connecticut, so we were shooting about 40 minutes away from where I grew up, so I’m used to the cold winters. It really felt insular, because we were all just kind of existing in the house in the middle of the night for a month and it was so cool.

Robg.: The buzz that’s built for this movie over the course of the last few months has been positive. How do you feel about the momentum and word of mouth The House Of The Devil has generated? Have you seen it with an audience theatrically?

Jocelin: The first time I saw it was with an audience, which is kind of sadistic on Ti’s part! [Laughs] The fact that I had to wait and watch it with all of my friends and family. But it was amazing to watch it with an audience, and it’s been really interesting to see the reaction in real time, because I have my Google alerts set up, so I see the conversations as they’re happening. Especially with this new platform of video on demand. You get to see people’s reaction right away. I hope that translates into real world interest into the film, because it seems the on-line community is really excited about the film.

Robg.: What are you up to next? Would you like to do more genre work?

Jocelin: I don’t have anything right now in the genre department, but we’ll see. Hopefully this film will open some doors for me for more genre work. I’m really proud of it and of the role. To be able to play the survivor girl type role and have her not be a blonde busty chick is cool.

The House Of The Devil opens in limited theatrical release on October 30th and is now available for VOD.