A guest in a previous Women in Horror Month spotlight, I'm pleased to welcome Sarah Schultz back to discuss her new film work and other creative projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for returning! Since we last spoke, you played Sarah in “Amityville Hex” with your husband. How did you come to be involved with that?
Sarah Schultz: Thank you for having me as a guest again! Tony Newton, who cast Josh and myself in “Dark Web: Mystery Box”, asked us to be a part of “Amityville Hex.” Tony is awesome, we love working with him. He is a director based out of the U.K. We shot this movie in our home like we did with “Dark Web”, as the height of Covid was coming to a slow stop. Josh created the set and was also the SFX coordinator. He is a jack of all trades! He has done makeup on other sets that he has been an actor on as well so he has the experience.
Me: Having already filmed “Dark Web: Mystery Box” previously through the pandemic in the same format, did that make it easier for you to acclimate to the style of filming this time around?
SS: Yes, it was definitely easy because we had that experience under our belt. We have a studio set up at home, and Josh is quite particular about the kind of camera and equipment he purchases. We would have loved to work ONSET with the fantastic folks he cast in both movies, however, the world wasn’t allowing any movies to be filmed that way again yet. Lloyd Kaufman is the Hex reader in “Amityville Hex.” Working with him on set would have been a dream, however, I do count my blessings that I can say we did a movie with him regardless of how we shot the film.
Me: Working with Tony Newton again more directly, did that allow for a comfortable collaboration while filming?
SS: Absolutely!! He enjoyed watching our Haunted Honeymooners true crime unboxing videos, that’s how our relationship began. He contacted us about “Dark Web” which led to us being offered roles in “Amityville Hex.” He is easy to work with and open to his actors' ideas.
Me: As well, you and your husband are working on the upcoming “Phone in the Door” for Eric Lawson. What about the project appealed to you to help bring it to life?
SS: Psychological horror has always been interesting to me personally and very spooky. The reason is that what happens in that genre of the film could actually happen to anyone. Our minds can play tricks on us. Our production company Mort House Films does not have a psychological horror under our belt yet. Eric Lawson is awesome!! The script takes twists and turns you don’t expect. Also, the main character is a woman, a powerful one at that, and we cannot wait to bring her to life.
Me: What are you looking forward to with producing the film and getting it filmed?
SS: I can’t wait to cast the characters. We are sending the script over to a dear friend of ours who has created quite the buzz over the last couple of years in the horror community, so hopefully, he will be able to take part in the movie. Shooting the actual film itself and being in the moment is always a rush, I can’t wait to feel that again!!
Me: You’re also involved quite heavily with your cosplay sets. What have several of your recent photoshoots been inspired by?
SS: Most recently, Sheri Moon Zombie’s character in “House of 1000 Corpses” Baby Firefly. My favorite scene in the movie is when Baby is serenading her guests to “I wanna be loved by you” which is the scene that I recreated for my recent shoot. Josh built the entire set, and I made the Tunnel of Love sign in the background. We shot the set in our garage. The Queen of Threads Ama Lea of Poltergeists and Paramours custom made my dress and headband. She also made me a super cool matching face mask! Ariel Stafford of Exquisitely Made Up did my hair and makeup. She is my go-to for all things Jessica Stabbit and cosplay shoots. I have also done a Freddy vs. Jason shoot with model and fire breather Heather Renee Nance, and a Dexter-themed shoot with adult model Afton Marie.
Me: What type of creative output do you put into your new sets to keep producing original content after this much time in your career?
SS: I am in love with the oldies but goodies. Hence Dexter and House of 1000 Corpses. Josh can build any set, he did build the Dexter set as well and we shot that in our living room. When you have creative juices flowing and need to outlet that, even if it's something you cannot do at that moment, writing it down has always helped Josh and myself so we can archive it and use it later. I love recreating my favorite characters and specific scenes from films or tv especially.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
SS: Josh is editing the mini-movie that Scout and I made during our witch photo shoot a few years ago. That was fun to make. Watching Scout in action was an honor. We are also shopping around the Baby Firefly photo set to horror websites and magazines. I do have a few photos from the set in February’s issue of Jo Gonsalves’s Any Last Words Magazine digital and hard copy. Follow her pages for the link. The prints from the House shoot are on our website www.gravedirtclothing.com for $15.00 and autographed by me!
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!
SS: After my years in the industry I have seen some amazing young women such as Lydia Manson and Angel Bradford grace the screen and kill it making movies, podcasts, and more. Whether you want to act, direct, do sfx work, or hold a boom mic, do not allow anyone to make you feel less than others. Your opinions do matter. Women in the industry have always been so inspiring to me. We all have a mix of badass and professional in us. Be both respectfully!
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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