Look, bad things happen in the water. Kids pee in pools, ocean-dwelling, antisocial sharks eat... well, you know that story, and in the upcoming flick Dead Sea, an overgrown lamprey spends considerable time munching on lake-dipping, scantily-clad people’s bits. We caught up with the film’s star Devanny Pinn recently, who dished on the Brandon Slagle ‘blood and bikini’ feature.
Written and directed by Slagle, who previously helmed the feature The Black Dahlia Haunting, Dead Sea stars (in addition to Pinn) Alexis Iacono (The Penny Dreadful Picture Show), Britt Griffith (Syfy's Ghost Hunters), James Duval (Donnie Darko), Chanel Ryan (Bad Kids Go to Hell), Candace Kita (Nip/Tuck), Tawny Amber Young and KJ McCormick, and revolves around a marine biologist who reluctantly returns to the town she grew up in, only to encounter the violent paranoia that has overtaken its locals as they prepare for the return of a serpentine creature said to appear every thirty years to feed.
Creature effects are provided by Adrian Marcato (Hatchet III) and Phil Nichols of Facades FX Lab (Arlington Road, Boggy Creek, and the upcoming Bigfoot Wars).
As for what attracted burgeoning "scream queen" Pinn to the Origin Releasing and Micro Bay Features project (she’s appeared in a slew of genre flicks, including Nude Nuns with Big Guns, Jessica Cameron’s Truth or Dare and the upcoming Scream Queen Campfire): “I am a big fan of creature features!” she stated.
“Jaws is one of my favorite horror films, and the script for Dead Sea had that feel to it. I had been involved with Piranha 3D, and also Asylums' 2-Headed Shark Attack, and both were a lot of fun! However, I really wanted to do Dead Sea, because it’s more of a character-driven, serious take on the current 'Shlock' craze. I think it sets the film apart from others like it.”
Shot in May of 2013 in Big Bear, Niland and Salton Sea, California, Pinn recalled of the latter location: “I am an advocate for the Salton Sea [writer’s note: it’s a shallow rift lake located on the San Andreas fault, whose salinity has been increasing exponentially] and the movement to restore and preserve it. It is our hope that this movie will shed light on the area, and showcase some of its natural beauty! They are film-friendly that way too, and it made for great production value.”
As for her character: “I play Auriel Servus,” offered Pinn. “She’s a local to the small town in which the film takes place. In her town, a giant lamprey, which is the origin to legends such as the Loch Ness Monster and Oogopogo, visits every thirty years and feeds on everything in the lake until all the fish are dead and the town is barren. In order to make the serpent move on to its next feeding ground, a local resident must sacrifice themselves. Auriel is partying on the lake with friends when she experiences just how dangerous the situation is. When a scientist is called in to investigate the large numbers of dying fish, she tries to save her from being an offering to the creature by the local military veterans who enforce the sacrifice.”
Regarding what genre audiences may expect: “They will get their fix of everything they expect in a creature feature; boobs, blood and a giant aquatic predator!” said Pinn.
“However, you also get some pretty incredible characters, some action elements and with the exception of 1989’s Leviathan, the first-ever film to feature lampreys. Not only are they terrifying, but they are in most lakes in the United States, and are currently overpopulated to the point where entire plants have been built just to attempt to control the growth! So, don't go in the water.”
As for what’s next on the actress’ plate: “I am days away from beginning my next film with the Dead Sea team. It is a biographical thriller about Charles Manson. I am portraying Susan Atkins, who received fame after being convicted of killing actress Sharon Tate and her unborn child. The script is fantastic, and the cast that was tapped is just perfect. Brandon (Slagle) is directing, and I cannot wait to show you what he does with this story.”
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