Emily Haack: The Mr Skin Interview

Your two best-known films are the Wicked Pixel productions Scrapbook (Picture: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7)and I Spit on Your Corpse, I Piss on Your Grave (Picture: 1 - 2). Tell us about some of your other work.
I have done five other movies with Wicked Pixel, some of them being made under the Sub Rosa Extreme label. The most recent movie we have finished is Savage Harvest 2: October Blood and it's currently in post-production.

All of the movies I have been a part of would be in the horror genre, but they range from straight-up slasher to the abstract to thriller. They are all unique in their own right. I have been with Wicked Pixel for almost seven years now. Scrapbook was my first movie. Before that, I had really only been behind the camera.

How did you get involved with Wicked Pixel?
In 1997, I was fortunate enough to meet [Scrapbook writer-director-star] Tommy Biondo and through him I was introduced to the rest of Wicked Pixel. There was an instant connection and I haven't ever looked back. They are the best thing that has ever come into my life.

The Wicked Pixel films tend to seem realistic to the poiont of almost being documentaries. Are they completely scripted, or is some of it improvised?
It really depends on the project. Some of them have had full scripts, a couple of them have had a basic plot line and were then ad-libbed and improvised during shooting. When I have acted in our movies, whoever is directing it has always been open to ideas or comments from me, and also from the other actors. I think I've thrown in some ideas that we've done. The one that comes to mind is the broomstick sequence in I Spit on Your Corpse. There was some confusion as to whose idea it was for me to, shall we say, get jiggy with it -- but I think Eric and I decided I was the one who suggested it. I thought it would add to the already extreme, graphic nature of the movie. Also, the final sequence in Scrapbook was thought up by Eric and me without Tommy's knowledge. Tommy was told only to do what my character told him to do.

You and Wicked Pixel hail from St. Louis. Is there some kind of crazy underground film scene there?
Here in St. Louis there seem to be a lot of filmmakers, but everyone is doing something completely different. We are really the only ones doing feature-length movies that are being distributed nationally and internationally -- to my knowledge, at least. We get a lot of flack for the kind of projects we do. St. Louis can be a very conservative, close-minded city and people aren't ready to accept our visions. But, really, we don't give a shit and we do the movies we want to do! As far as an underground film scene, I would have to say no. Again, we're the only people doing edgy, graphic, controversial stuff, "we" being Wicked Pixel and anyone affiliated with us. The main type of filmmaking that goes on around here is commercials, industrial films, and shorts. Hopefully no one is St. Louis gets mad at me for saying that!

Do you want to direct films?
I went to school for film & video production and there we had to make our own short films, but the only other project outside of school that I've directed is a short called chokehold. I have to say that I don't think I'm cut out for directing. I think I am of better use elsewhere on a movie set! I do love editing, however, and wish that I could do more of that. The most recent project I edited was the trailer to our movie The Undertow.

Revenge is a profound theme in both Scrapbook and I Spit on Your Corpse, I Piss on Your Grave. Do you think about anything in particular to prepare you for some of the insane behavior that comes out this emotion?
I'd be lying if I said there weren't a few people in this world who have wronged me and whom I would gladly like to beat the crap out of...so thinking about them helps me tremendously in the revenge movies! And if any of them are reading this...you know who you are!

You are a fearless actress. You've shoved a broomstick up your vagina, been shoved into a garbage can, crawled around in mud and dirt, et cetera. Do you enjoy these scenes? Do you have a favorite?
Thank you! I really love challenging myself in our movies. I love doing fight scenes, especially when they involve weapons! So far, my favorite role has been Ashley Lomack in Savage Harvest 2. I got to wield many different weapons and there was plenty of confrontation between all of the characters. It was great!

Since you are so eager to give every bit of yourself for the films you are in, is there anything that you would not do for a film?
I wouldn't go so far as to say I will do anything in a movie, but I am always willing to entertain ideas that are given to me. I mean, I have done a few extreme things in our projects, but I have always been comfortable with my decisions. I do not want to be exploited and, so far, have never felt like I have been. I have turned down a project because I wasn't comfortable with what I was being asked to do, but for the most part, I am very open to doing edgy, extreme, violent, or graphic things in our movies. I like to push myself.

What actresses and filmmakers do you most admire?
I do love Angelina Jolie. I think she's gutsy and I really admire her work in Girl, Interrupted and in Tomb Raider. Juliette Lewis is another actress that can kick ass when she wants to...her Mallory Knox [in Natural Born Killers] was incredible. And you know who else I really like? Woody Allen. He makes me want to do a comedy some day. That would be so fun!

Are you familiar with Misty Mundae and her early FACTORY 2000 films? They seem to be thematically similar to your work, depicting poor Misty getting stalked, abused and strangled to death. Are you a fan?
I am familiar with Misty Mundae. She's hot! Wicked Pixel loves her! I haven't seen too many [simulated] "snuff" films, but the ones I have on tape are French and German, I think, and they're pretty wild! I love to see actors pushing the envelope and doing extreme things on film -- as long as no one is truly being harmed against their will.

Are you at all interested in switching to mainstream cinema instead of doing underground and independent work? Would you ever be in a Hollywood movie?
I would never say that I don't ever want to be in a "Hollywood" movie. It would be great to be given the chance to be in a big-budget film. But I am also happy where I am now. I am very lucky to be with the people I am with and if all of our hard work leads to bigger things, then we definitely deserve it!

One very interesting aspect of you as an actress is that you're atypical of what a person would think of as a Scream Queen. You're definitely a great alternative to the unrealistic sugar-coated dream girls in other horror films. Do you think that you are helping to pave the way for some more unique-looking actresses?
I would like to think so! But honestly, it can be intimidating when you watch films in our genre, especially the big-budget flicks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and Cabin Fever and Wrong Turn, and everyone cast in those movies is your stereotypical, good-looking kids with hard bodies and creamy skin. But, hopefully, we're beginning to change the public opinion on what an actor can look like.

Is Emily Haack your real name? It just seems too perfect for the roles you play.
Yes, actually. Emily Haack is my real name! Haack is my stepfather's last name and I've had it since 5th grade. I used to absolutely hate my last name after getting so much shit in middle and high school! It's a very easy name to make fun of -- just insert joke here!

Do you have plans for the future? Are there any new projects that we can look forward to?
I hope to be able to do this for a very long time. I love it and I love working with Wicked Pixel. They are a phenomenal bunch of artists. Our next project is going to be very interesting. I'm not acting in it, I'm the First Assistant Director, and I'm very excited for it!