A guest on a previous Women in Horror Month spotlight, I'm pleased to welcome back Johnna Hodge to catch up on some of her recent film projects and upcoming work.
Me: Hello and thank you for returning to this! Since the last time we spoke, you were involved in the back-to-back filmed “Reunion from Hell” films as Jen for filmmaker Hayden Newman. How did you get attached to these films?
Johnna Hodge: I came to set as a producer and audio mixer/boom operator with my husband, Sam Hodge, who was the DP and also Directed the film. After Hayden got to know me and my personality, he preferred what I brought to the role of Jen. So, the challenge then became balancing crew and actor, which was an incredible weight.
Me: Was the close filming schedule a benefit to allow you a chance to remain in character quite easily?
JH: Jen is quite different from 1 to 2 so that was easy, as I’ve evolved emotionally as a person. However, we did film a flashback to a pretty gnarly scene with me from part 1 and it’s pretty amazing how closely it matches.
Me: Upon arriving to film part 2, did you find the relationships built with the cast and crew also returning from part 1 help to allow for an easy time on-set?
JH: To be honest, it was a whole new cast, with the exception of Hayden Newman, Jeremiah Lee Steinert, and James Stokes. Of course, it was Sam and I on the crew again but we had the wonderful work of Travis Robinson for makeup and special effects. We’ve worked with Travis a lot on previous films so we had a rapport with him that is hard to find in filmmaking. But, we made friends with everyone easily and the environment was hard to beat. That is good considering we were essentially stuck in the middle of nowhere on top of a nearly impossible mountain.
Me: What updates, if any, can you provide about either of them getting a release?
JH: The first Reunion From Hell is in the processing of deliverables stage for streaming. Part 2 is just about to hit the festival circuit. We did the premiere for that but, as usual, there are still some things to work on to make sure it is as good as it can be.
Me: As well, you’re also involved with the upcoming film “Redhead” as Autumn Blacksmith. What can you tell us about the film?
JH: Redhead is a film that Sam and I conceptualized as a result of the abuse of everyday life. Honestly, it’s hard being a woman of any kind in today’s society, without being accosted in some way. We wanted to do an incredibly violent slasher film and agreed to go with a female revenge story… but not in the 70s or early 80s way. The bad things happen to Autumn in the beginning… she watches people get chewed apart by chainsaws and turned into meat in front of her. She witnesses the death of her own husband and has to escape the cannibals by getting a little taste of that animosity herself. After a short, mandatory stay in a psychiatric facility, she is released, with nothing but her own vices and memories. She quickly finds that just about every man around her is garbage… which is partly a distorted result of her trauma and partly the real world. So she kills them… as brutally as she can. And there’s a possessive quality to her drive as well… demons do love grief and misery and if you’re vulnerable, they will inspire you. In addition to all that, the film is largely driven by local talent. We have the contacts to cast big names, but we want to prove to ourselves that we can make high-level slasher brutality on our own.
Me: Where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
JH: To be honest, bars we regularly go to inspire us. We find all kinds of stupidity there. The interactions we’ve had with predatory men, who don’t even pay attention to my husband, are sick. I have issues going to the gas station or even stores alone. Plus, I’ve always just wanted to play a female slasher… as a fan of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, and even Terrifier, I want to be on the killing end of things.
Me: Due to the subject matter of the film, what tactics or tricks did you use to get into the character's mindset during filming? Is there anything odd or unusual that helped to flesh out the characterizations?
JH: The truth about certain scenes is that I was very much drawing upon real-life trauma that beat me almost to death at different stages of my life. That’s for the parts where I am being victimized. As a killer, it’s just fun and I can turn it on and off. Plus, my husband is very involved in the motivation process. He can bring the nasty out, even if it’s already bad, he can make it worse.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
JH: It’s always a blast and positive as far as Redhead is concerned. The makeup and blood gags are a challenge but just plain silly on the setup. My husband gets a saw on the crotch and he’s sitting there in tighty white briefs. The blade is cardboard but really reciprocating, so, he stuffed it with a sock. Well, every time I jammed it into his crotch, it missed the sock and hit him right in a goody. There’s some fun behind-the-scenes footage of that. He was tied down, tightly, and for him, that’s challenging enough because he’s used to directing. Imagine getting a saw in the balls without being able to block it with your hands, haha. Also, I really vomit in this film and that had other crew members gagging. That was hilarious since I was miserable for most of the scene… then they got to be miserable.
Me: With all this recent work in your career, how have you seen your skillset develop compared to when you first started?
JH: In 2019, I enjoyed being a zombie that literally bit Travis Robinson in the ass… I got to be outgoing but I didn’t have dialogue. I had some dialogue in a short film, Conversation With The Devil, and then jumped up to a starring role in the Reunion From Hell films. Since then, I’ve really grown to understand my place in each shot… I want to see the big picture and want to know the context of where I fit in each composition. So, with Redhead, I can see myself and where I fit. Because of that, I’m less worried about the context part, I can be confident in where I am in the shot, and I can really focus on letting loose as my character. I credit some of that awareness to doing character photography. It helps me be more confident in my body movement… empowered.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
JH: At the moment, I’m focused solely on finishing Redhead. It is all I want to worry about, as far as a major project. If I had another small role or something that would be fun but Redhead… that’s the one.
Me: Lastly, being that this is our Women in Horror Movement, 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!
JH: Believe in yourself, always trust that you can handle what comes your way. You’re never too old to let a camera capture what’s already inside you. Just let it out. Whatever character you want to play, attack it.
Thank you so much for having me!! Love you all!!
Johnna Hodge
This interview ran as part of our 2023 Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out the rest of our month-long celebrations including various reviews and interviews:
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