She is quickly approaching 100 credits to her name with the vast majority of what she has worked on being in the realm of horror. Most recently, Madison is appearing in a remake of the Bela Lugosi film White Zombie.
Inside, Shock talks with the actress about her new movie, White Zombie (2014), accepting her role as a scream queen, how she got her start in the horror business, and, she gives us the exclusive scoop on her upcoming film, The Room.
Shock Till You Drop: Tell us about your new film White Zombie
Elina Madison: Its a remake of the Bela Lugosi classic White Zombie. We kept it along the lines of the original story, but with some twists. As far the performances go, the director [Creep Creepersin] kept in line with the style of the original. It was really fun. We had a lot of fun making it. We just wrapped it, this last Sunday. I had a really fun time playing a zombie. That was a first for me.
Shock: So, the remake that you just wrapped brings some elements from the original film, but youre saying that its not a blow-by-blow remake, right?
Madison: Yes. Exactly.
Shock: What made you want to do the film?
Madison: First off, the zombie aspect of it appealed to me. As far as my character goes, she portrays the innocent victim. In a lot of the roles that I play, Im not the innocent victim. So, I thought that would be a really good experience for me. I liked the style and the idea of the film. All around, it was very intriguing to me.
Shock: Youve worked with Creep Creepersin in the past. Did he cast you based on your working relationship, or was it coincidental that you two ended up reteaming for White Zombie?
Madison: On this project, it was based on our working relationship. On another project that we did together, it was a complete coincidence, so it works both ways. But, in this case, it was our working relationship.
Shock: You mentioned previously, that you have some news about a new project. What do you have to tell us?
Shock: Is there any relation to the Japanese film, The Room, or do the two just share the same title?
Madison: Its the same title, but there is no relationship between the two. My character in the film is Laura. The director is Will Holman. Hes primarily directed music videos. So, hes new to the horror genre, but hes very passionate about this project. We have Ken Sagoes from A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors attached to the film, as well.
Shock: Youve done a large number of horror films. Has that been happenstance, or have you been seeking out roles in the genre?
Madison: It just so happens that I ended up working in the horror genre, but once I got to know people and built some working relationships, that led to work on other horror projects. And, I continued to get called in to work on other horror films. But, I became a big fan of horror through working in the genre. By working with people in the genre and attending film festivals, Ive really developed an appreciation for horror films. I love that some of the films are unbelievably scary and some of them are just gory. The horror genre has a lot of aspects to it and a lot to offer, and people working in the genre are so supportive.
Shock: The horror community is very much a family. And, you dont really see that with other film genres. As far as I am aware, there is no romantic comedy community.
Madison: Ive definitely found a good niche in the horror genre. There are people whose films Ive known of but, when when you actually meet them in person, its like everyone is connected. Its almost like you already know them.
Shock: Do you think of yourself as a scream queen?
Shock: The term scream queen used to be seen as somewhat of a stigma, but now, its embraced and worn like a badge of honor. Its something that people are proud of.
Madison: Ive come across many people who have asked me if I was worried about being typecast and I was thinking No way. I think its great. Being a scream queen is an aspect of my career, but if you take a look at the roles that Ive been involved with, I think that Im very versatile. Ive done a lot of different things throughout the course of my career.
Shock: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us.
Madison: Thank you!
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