Lacey talks to JimmyO and Chainsaw Sally from Forbidden Pictures
It goes without saying that creators of the feverishly frightening femme fatal Chainsaw Sally, JimmyO & April Monique are a match made in horror heaven. Following their backgrounds in the performing arts, JimmyO & April Monique Burril went on to birth a chainsaw-wielding cherry bomb named Sally, who has since become one of the most important and dangerous leading ladies in the horror genre. April Monique made her first appearance as the sultry Sally in 2004 in her self-titled cult-status worthy independent feature. They have since gone on to produce their second independent feature film, co-starring horror hottie Debbie Rochon, The Good Sisters (produced under their own Forbidden Pictures label). They’ve recently turned Chainsaw Sally into a full-blown web series (now also available on DVD), which turned out to be a smash-splatter hit, so they continued the series with a special “Groundhog’s Day” episode. The Burril’s, along with other members of the Forbidden Pictures crew, are currently shooting the second season of the Sally show. They took some time from their hectic schedule to chat about their history, their experiences as independent artists and some upcoming projects.
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Laceration Lacey: JimmyO, tell me a bit about your background in theatre production and performing arts.
JimmyO Burril: I started in theater over 20 years ago, playing King in The King and I three times, Che’ in Evita, and numerous other roles really in an effort to make up for no longer playing in my band ‘Next Window’ on stage. It started as a supplement and wound up a passion; a wonderful outlet for all of the things I liked to do. I studied tech, set design and building, scenic art, acting, dancing, singing, and eventually writing and directing. The only thing I did not like about theater—and more to the point, musicals—are the sappy lyrics and shitty show tunes. Some of them are fine, but most don’t fit my taste. Coming from a musical back ground of The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Who, XTC, and other punk/pop/new wave styles, it was a hell of a leap to “Seventy- Six Trombones”. So I decided to make my own.
LL: You were part of a production company in the nineties called JAMO productions with your former partner in crime, James Taylor. Tell me a bit about JAMO.
JB: ‘JamO Alturnative Theater’ was the collaborative works of myself & James M. Taylor. I wrote the stories and lyrics, he wrote the music. We started doing a children’s show—a campy version of The Jungle Book called Jungle. We had a good time and it was very well received so we did our next one, The Milky Way Mars and Other Candy Bars. But being a horror fan, I wanted to do a horror musical, so we came up with Silver Scream—a horror musical performed in living black and white. It was a big local success on the Gulf Coast and later here in Baltimore.
LL: Tell me a bit more about Silver Scream, how did it go from being a stage show to an independent film feature?
JB: Necessity is the mother of invention. I simply wanted a good video of the show to pitch in New York. I had several people videotape live shows, but they were not professional and the videos were not a good representation of the show. So we did it ourselves, with no film making knowledge at all. After I shot it, with the help of a few friends, I had to teach myself to edit…and that’s pretty much it. I just did it, and people liked it. We liked making it so we kept going, and here we are.
LL: So what broke down the barriers between theatre arts and filmmaking for you? Did you have any previous experience with writing for the big screen or film production before Silver Scream? Did you have anyone mentoring you along the way?
JB: Nope. After Silver Scream I started reading every book I could find on the subject, including tech manuals. If I have a mentor, it’s Herschell Gordon Lewis. He mostly reminds me that there are no rules and if “The Big Guys” can do it, I can too.
LL: Tell me a bit about the origin of Forbidden Pictures. Who do you currently have on board?
JB: Forbidden Pictures is kind of like a snowball. It started with just April and I, but has grown with each project. The backbone of the company now are April and I; Jeffrey K. Meek, who is our producer and business manager and Shawn Jones, who is our DP / Co-Director. We also have Patrick Storck who was a camera man, but is now focused on lighting, shooting, and does a good deal of writing for Season 2 [of the Chainsaw Sally show). Joey Russo is our soundman. Rio Lacour and Victor Acord who do make up and FX. We also have D-Day and Nurse Hatchet…(no, I don’t know their real names or what they really look like) who make gore for us and mail it in. We also now have Anders Erikson, a major artistic talent, who will be heading our FX department. (He is the owner and maker of Nightmare Gloves.) Our daughter, Lilli (Poe), also works in various positions from grip to paper work, and she also runs the online store. That’s most of us. There are a few others who come and go, but those are the major players.
LL: You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the genre like Gunnar Hansen and H.G. Lewis. How did you get so lucky as to get to work with these horror icons?
JB: We became friends before we worked together, in both cases. Both of them liked Chainsaw Sally (the web character) and when we pitched the various ideas, they were into it. They are both very well educated men, and thought Sally was clever, I guess. They really came on board strong, and helped us promote, push and really put Sally over.
LL: April, how do you feel about females playing the role of the villain in horror films as opposed to the more conventional dim-wit victim?
April Monique Burril: Great, of course. There is a category we shouldn’t ignore though: the smart-girl heroine—like Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, Nancy in Nightmare on Elm Street, or Ann in Friday the 13th. There’s that one that isn’t the stupid bimbo—that remembers to unlock a door before turning the knob, that comes up with a crafty weapon or trap to escape the killer. That said, I’m glad that we’ve developed enough equality that women don’t have to be the hero of a movie to have a strong role. I think it shows that we, as a gender, can play the bad guy and it doesn’t mean all women are represented by what we do. A female serial killer does NOT mean that the movie is trying to say all women are serial killers…just that this particular ONE woman is.
LL: Horror hottie Debbie Rochon is a regular in Forbidden Pictures, how did you all meet and end up working together?
JB: We met at a horror convention. [I] have [some] odd connection that I won’t go into too deeply; It’s sort of a brother sister thing, which galvanized its self when we both went through surgery at the same time. April and Debbie have this whole other thing—once again on a sibling level, but different from she and I. Many of the scenes in The Good Sisters, April and Debbie are so connected that it was spine tingling. It’s a little spooky…but good spooky.
AMB: Yes…I love Debbie. She was a sweetheart from the first time we met. When she came to stay with us for a couple of days prior to the shooting for The Good Sisters, I knew we had a bond. Honestly, almost from the moment she walked in—and, mysterious bonds aside—she constantly breathes life into everything we do with her. She has so much energy, intensity and enthusiasm and so willingly shares it. She really galvanizes the room.
LL: Jimmy, you basically did a complete 180 with The Good Sisters; it’s much darker, much less comedic, and very somber compared to Chainsaw Sally. What were your intentions behind making a film that, for the first time, was actually meant to be taken seriously. Do you plan on doing more films of this style? Any plans of doing a follow up to The Good Sisters?
JB: Well, like I said, I don’t like doing just one thing. Will I do a follow up to Good Sisters? Nope, but I fully plan to touch on all of the genres I love. As Herschell says: “Don’t be a one string violin.” Even if I try something and fail…at least I’ve tried. The only problem with that is Sally is very addictive. I expect that she is our hallmark and that’s fine too. I am grateful for anyone who pays attention to our projects, and even more grateful when they enjoy it. All I wish to do is entertain in some way or another. Seems simple enough. When I was young, my friend Brian (who does The Chainsaw Sally Show theme song) always accused me of “entertaining at all costs.” I guess he was right.
LL: You sort of took a whole new approach to horror follow-ups by creating a full-blown web series rather than just doing a sequel. What inspired you to do The Chainsaw Sally Show rather than just a sequel or two?
JB: Simple. April and I wanted to do something without restriction, with out rules, and without having to wait on anyone, or count on anyone to back it. So we did.
LL: You recently started filming the second season, who does Sally have on the chopping block this time around?
JB: Well, the group has grown, the cast as grown, and we learned by fire how to make a TV show. Our first project for season two is a Christmas Special called Chainsaw Sally Saves Christmas from the Lesbian Vampire Nazis; it’s exploitation. We’ve never done something THIS outlandish: Full on boobs, blood and bad jokes. This is so campy it makes season one look like The Wire. After that we will kick into season two full on, which we are hoping will have a very nice budget to do all we want. Season two is a little heavier, a little darker and a little deeper. I really like the scripts which were written by Mike Watt, Patrick Storck, Nicolette leFaye and myself. I feel it’s a very well rounded piece, still keeping the light heartedness from season one, but taking it a few steps closer to a professional production.
AMB: With this new special coming up, and comparing it to the scripts for Season 2, I’m loving that The Chainsaw Sally Show is really jumping around too fast to land in any pigeonhole. We go from total camp to practically a drama…sometimes in a single episode! I don’t know of many other shows that are willing to have such disregard for labeling. I love it!
LL: What’s in store for Chainsaw Sally & the gang in the future?
JB: After Season 2 is wrapped up I have a film called Bad Kitty that is written and ready to roll. I also have the TV Drama I want to work on. There are two other films I have treatments for that are also very different that I want to work towards…and of course, the first Chainsaw Sally comic book is now being drawn by “Fern” and I’m really looking forward to that.
LL: Any last words for Cinesploitation?
JB: Thank you for being so kind as to support our show and films. We are very grateful to you, and all of the fans who have shown so much love for the silly shit that comes out of my head. I am abundantly grateful.
AMB: Thanks so much!
