A multifaceted actress, writer, musician and director, Tonjia Atomic has earned plenty of acclaim for her work both in and out of the genre as she gathers up plenty of credits and opportunities for herself. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about getting involved in the industry, working on several of her past films including Manos Returns and upcoming plans.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Tonjia Atomic: I’ve had a bit of a dark streak all my life. I don’t remember a definitive moment when I got into horror. I do remember drawing pictures of vampires and all the members of The Addams Family when I was still a toddler.
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
TA: Other than Watcher in the Woods, which was a sleepover favorite, I was more into genre books as a child. However, I did like to sneak peeks at movies like The Shining, Poltergeist, and Rosemary’s Baby when I was little. The first time I watched an entire horror movie geared more towards adults was Silver Bullet when I was twelve. My dad rented it for me and a friend. I think he liked that we were interested in horror. When I was a bit older, my friend Wendy and I would rent the Nightmare on Elm Street series and Fright Night repeatedly.
Me: How did you come to be involved in the industry? Was there any specific aspect that appealed to you?
TA: I’ve always been interested in creating and telling stories. I went to school for filmmaking but wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. I started making a few short films and realized that they fit into the horror genre. I was finally like, duh!
Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?
TA: I prefer writing and directing. Lately, I’ve been focusing on acting and have really been enjoying that. I’ve been primarily an actor with no other role (trust me, it feels foreign to me) for Joe Sherlock and Joseph Voegele on a few upcoming projects. Specimen 6 and Things 5 and 6 are available now.
Me: Your first genre short was "Awesome Ouija Board," writing, directing and playing one of the leads among various other roles. What was the inspiration behind the short?
TA: My friend Forrest was talking about some awesome ouija board and I got the idea from that phrase. I thought, let’s make it a turn of the century sort of handmade spirit board kind of thing. I also wanted to use shots from the spirit’s perspective and make it comedic.
Me: Was that an inspiration to start working more heavily in various other shorts and features as an actress and director? How do you balance being involved in various capacities at once during a shoot?
TA: I honestly don’t know how I do it. It’s hard but the desire is there. I often wear many hats on a project out of necessity. I found a love of filmmaking in school and it’s only gotten worse! It’s really a kind of addiction. It sometimes feels like a punishment of sorts. I love it though.
Me: Your first full-length genre feature, “Claudia Qui,” was renowned for its haunting imagery and themes. What do you recall about working on that film?
TA: That film was really an experiment. It is all improvisation. Barbara and Don, who were the two leads, are dear friends of mine. They are both so talented in so many ways. The film is really a love letter to them and to their music.
Me: You’ve also developed a working relationship with director Henrique Couto appearing in several of his films. What kind of working relationship do you have together based on your collaborations together?
TA: Henrique is such a nice guy. We don’t live close, so working together often involves me sending him audio files. I’ve done plenty of voice acting and some music for him too.
Me: You also enjoy a similar experience with Michelle Nessk appearing in several projects together. What do you attribute to your working and professional friendship?
TA: Michelle and I live close enough to one another to be able to get together. We work really well together. I just love them dearly. Michelle and I can bounce ideas off of each other. We even disagree well. They are the one person that I can be super blunt with and say how I feel about a choice and know that whatever I say will be understood and vice versa. I think we also act well together and have a good chemistry.
Me: That brings us to your latest project, "Manos Returns." What can you tell us about the project?
TA: Manos Returns is the sequel to what many deem the worst movie of all time, Manos the Hands of Fate. It was made with actors from the original film as well as the original soundtrack vocalist. We made it a straight sequel, not a parody, but we did try to add situational humor and humor in the main four friend’s dialogue.
Me: What about the original film inspired you to follow it up with this sequel?
TA: Jackey Neyman Jones is really the one who wanted to make the sequel. She played the little girl, Debbie, in the original. She and I met and got along so well. I showed her some of my work and hoped that she would be interested in working with me. It turns out that she already knew some of my good friends and was already working with them on the sequel. Luckily, she liked what she saw in me and wanted me on board.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
TA: The set schedule was really tight. There wasn’t a lot of time for anything other than the work we were doing. I think everyone involved knew what we had all signed up for and took it all quite seriously. I do think people generally had fun with it too. We were filming on location in a creepy old building that was said to be haunted, so that added to the atmosphere.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
TA: As I said, we were filming in a spooky old building that was said to be haunted. People heard things, felt things, got locked in rooms, a brick flew out of the wall, and a bat even started flying over our heads. Some other highlights were: two members of the cast got engaged, I split my pants, three people cried (including me), we found a cat mummy, I touched a human femur, Jackey’s costume broke, a few people slept in tents outside, our phones lost service, we had to hold sound for turkey vultures, we saw baby swallows, and we all shared a single bathroom.
Me: Beyond these projects, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
TA: I appear as Lucifer in Specimen 6 which just came out. I’m working on a feature version of 333: Illuminaughty with Michelle Nessk. I’m in the next couple of sequels of the Things series. I’m acting John Ward’s new cosmic horror anthology coming out in Fall. I’m also working on another anthology and feature that I can hopefully get back to this year.
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
TA: One thing that has helped me the most is to make connections with other supportive filmmakers. You can learn so much and gain so many opportunities that way. Don’t be afraid to get involved.
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
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