An accomplished model, burlesque performer and burgeoning filmmaker, Vanessa Gudgeon is making a mark on the industry as she uses her talents across the various mediums she's been involved in over the years. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in the genre, working as her burlesque performer Soxie Liquer'e and moviemaking career.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Vanessa Gudgeon: Thanks for having me!
I’ve never really been able to pinpoint exactly when my love of the horror genre originated, but even as a small child, I was always drawn to the creepier stories and characters in popular culture, which was further fueled by my love for Halloween, which is still my favourite holiday to this day!
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
VG: Absolutely, I was into a lot of different kinds of films growing up, but my love of cinema would always come back to horror. As a child, I was obsessed with The Rocky Horror Picture Show and as I got older I became a massive fan of the old Hammer and Universal horror films and would forever be down the local video store renting out every other horror and thriller movie I could get my hands on, especially eco-horrors and of course, any and every Troma film I could get my hands on!
Me: You're mostly known for your stage work as Soxie Liquere. When did you first develop an interest in burlesque and performing? How did that originally come about?
VG: I grew up with a love of music and dance and took lessons in many different styles and as a young girl, I would see movies and photos in history books of these glamourous ladies in stunning costumes strutting their stuff, with the audience in the palm of their hands. They were powerful and confident and I always wanted to grow up to be like them and after I turned 18 I began to learn “the art of the tease” and started to perform Burlesque routines alongside local bands, which soon lead me to join various troupes where I usually perform at Burlesque variety shows and between acts at metal gigs.
Me: What are some special tricks you've worked into your routine over time?
VG: I’ve added a fair few interesting props over the years, my favourites being homemade false knives, which, through a bit of FX magic, excrete fake blood!
Me: What are some memorable or unique experiences that performing has afforded you?
VG: Being a Burlesque performer has opened so many doors to experiences I never thought would happen to me. One of my favourite experiences so far was performing a solo as part of the opening act for Aurelio Voltaire during his Perth (Western Australia) performance at Deville’s Pad back in 2013.
Me: Having made a transition into the film industry, did you find anything from your performing days that transferred to working in movies?
VG: I actually found that working in film helped me to add more into my Burlesque routines, the more I have learned about the effects side, the more I have tried to adapt them from screen to live performances.
Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?
VG: I really enjoy all the aspects to working in the film industry. I’m a team player, so I’m happy to do whatever is needed, in a safe manner, to get the desired results.
Me: Having worked on plenty of short films early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future film projects?
VG: Honestly, everything! I had studied film in the past but getting out there and actually doing it yourself is a whole other thing. A lot of the aspects to the film projects I have headed have been specifically chosen, so I could learn new skills, sometimes through great trial and error, but it’s always a lot of fun and we end up with a film myself and my crew can be proud of.
Me: After working on several projects, you made your directorial debut with the short Victim. Why did you finally decide to move into that position for this project?
VG: It was just time to make that leap, Victim is only a 1-minute short film, which, while not perfect, is something I am so glad I decided to finally make.
Me: Where did the inspiration for the short come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
VG: Victim has a fairly open interpretation to whatever the viewer gets out of it, for some, this is a supernatural film and for others, it’s pure violence, but for me, it is based on true life details of women who have been abused. In real life, everyone seems to know the name and life story of the criminals, but not many really know much at all about their victims. My film only shows the victim as they are going through a horrendous attack, the attacker is invisible, because in real life, there isn’t any one way an attacker could look, they could be anyone.
Me: Being the writer, director and star among other roles on the short, did it still challenge you to be involved in various capacities at once on a project like this? How do you balance those priorities during a shoot?
VG: For the most part, because I chose to make such a short film, it was quite easy to juggle everything, if the film had of been much longer, I’m sure my answer would be very different!
Me: As well, you just completed the short 'Hobo Sewer Slaughter.' What can you tell us about that?
VG: Hobo Sewer Slaughter is a faux Grindspolitation Trailer (short film) about a hobo who takes revenge upon people who flush the wrong things down the toilet, with dire consequences! He’s a hero of sorts and a champion for environmental activism, even though he takes things to the extreme.
Me: What was the set like while shooting? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
VG: We shot most of the film in bathrooms, which is a lot more difficult than originally expected. For a film set around toilets and murder, the crew all took it pretty well!
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
VG: The make-out scene… For those who haven’t seen it yet, this scene involved an utterly disgusting substance in the actors' mouths, which tasted terrible, I cannot emphasize that enough! It was the last scene shot on location at a venue we couldn’t get back into and because of circumstances beyond our control, we lost the footage, so we had to refilm in a different location, except this time, we all knew how gross it would be, I played the female part in that scene and if you watch closely, you can see the exact point where I started to gag. I say I’d never do it again, but for the right project, I probably would.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
VG: I’m currently working a number of upcoming film projects including a short called “Mr. Bang-Bang and The Babes Of Death”, a documentary about Deadly Earnest and an upcoming anthology called “Bleederville”, which I am one of the writers on.
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!
VG: I’ve said this a lot over the years, but no matter what it is that you want to achieve in your life, don’t ever give up on those dreams. Never stop proving your doubters wrong and if anyone tries to force you into doing something you don’t want to do just to get a role, get the heck out of there, because there will be other roles in your future, no matter what they try to tell you and if you ever have those days when you don’t feel good enough and no matter who we are, we all have them, take that time to be sad, recharge, do something just for you, look towards whatever or whoever inspires you and then when you’re ready, get yourself back out there and doing the things you love to do most!
To follow her work online, check out her social media sites:
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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