Danielle Harris Bites Back within Inoperable: An Interview

Danielle Harris is an actress, based in Los Angeles. She has appeared in dozens and dozens of films. Notably, she appeared in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, at the very young age of 11 and Halloween 5, just a year later. She has also appeared in the the two Halloween remakes, shot by Rob Zombie. This film fan and critic knows her from her work on Stakeland (2010), Hatchet II (2010), Hatchet III (2013), See No Evil 2 (2014), Havenhurst (2016) and now in Christopher Lawrence Chapman's Inoperable. Harris is a prolific and talented actress. And, she is interesting, in that she has chosen to specifically work in the horror genre.

In this interview, Harris talks about some of the difficulties of shooting in the genre. She also talks about doing her own stunt work, on Hatchet III and what she liked about her latest production, Inoperable. Her spirit animal is a wolf. And, there are lot more details on Harris and her perspective on the filmmaking biz' in this exclusive interview (taken Dec. 1st).

(Michael R. Allen) "I was watching some of your older material, like See No Evil 2, yesterday. I rewatched your death scene there. And, you were basically stabbed through a door. At any point, were you actually scared while working on See No Evil 2. I know Kane (Glenn Jacobs) is a fairly intimidating guy.

(Danielle Harris) "All of these guys that play these big killers are the nicest, kindest, most friendly, soft spoken sweethearts men. And, they play these big scary monsters. They are so not that guy.

(MRA) "These silent killers."

(DH) "Exactly, silent but deadly. There were no moments when I felt in fear of my life."

(MRA) "I also looked at some of the material from Hatchet II and Hatchet III. At the end of Hatchet III, you kind of got impaled on a tree branch - by Victor Crowley."

(DH) "Kind of? I really did."

(MRA) "What was it like to hang sideways like that? Was that you, or a double?"

(DH) "It was horrible. Yes, it was really me. What was horrible about it was that they rigged it in a funky way. We were actually in the swamps. They had pulled out a branch and created a hole in the tree. And, they had pulled out something from the hole in the tree. It had been covered with red, fire ants. So, they sprayed the tree with poison."

(MRA) "Oh no (laughs)."

(DH) "Then, they put me on it. Then, there was a bit of a faux pas with stunts. They kind of dropped me a little bit and there was a jerk of motion, at the very end of the fall. My double did the other part of it. And, when they did it, they dropped me a little too far. So, I ended up hitting the bottom of the tree trunk."

(MRA) "Ouch."

(DH) "So, I sliced my side and scratched my back. My back opened up pretty severely. Plus, there was poison on the tree. So, I just laid on the tree. I got chigger bites all over me. So, there is nothing glamorous about filming in the swamp."

(MRA) "It sounds like dangerous work."

(DH) "It was. You know, I work with 6 foot chainsaws and I end up getting hurt doing stuff like that. I don't get hurt doing things that I should get hurt doing. I get hurt from dumb stunt stuff."

(MRA) "You get hurt from things that go wrong.

I wanted to ask a follow-up question on that series (Hatchet). Victor Crowley just came out this year. Were you contacted to be in this film? I have not seen the film, yet."

(DH) "I can't give you any spoilers then."

(MRA) "Oh no. Okay, that is fine (laughs)."

(DH) "I can't tell you anything. I don't want to ruin it for your readers. Go and watch."

(MRA) "Last night, I rewatched Halloween II. This one was shot by Rob Zombie. In the film, you play Annie. Basically, you are stalked by Michael Myers and killed in a bathroom. What were the difficulties in shooting this scene? There was blood everywhere. Rob Zombie mentioned (on the commentary track) that it was cold at night, even though shooting took place in July (the film was shot in Georgia)."

(DH) "This was my second film with Rob and BJ [McDonell]. He was the camera operator. He had directed Hatchet III. I had worked with him on the other Halloween. So, there is a level of comfort, between all of us. We kind of just did that scene off the cuff. The scene was not originally written that way. Originally, there was a bathtub full of water. It just seemed to me, after reading the script, that my head would be laying on the side of the bathtub. Originally, the tub would be full of blood. Then, he would drag me out of the bathtub.

I thought it would look worse and more traumatic if I was naked and covered in blood. Like a fetus - you know?

(MRA) "Yes, the scene looks very gory."

(DH) "Yes, I just laid there naked and they just dumped buckets of blood on me. It was pretty intense."

(MRA) "Visually, it looks really good."

(DH) "It was definitely different. It was better this way, than how it would have been. There is a scene leading up to it, where you don't really see what happens to Annie. You just see little flashes with Michael and her in a bit of a struggle. That was off-the-cuff, again. We just kind of went for it. It was not scripted. In the script, there was no scene between Michael Myers and Annie. That would really suck for fans, if I die in a Halloween movie by Michael Myers and no one gets to see it! So, we played around with that, for a bit.

Rob let us have freedom to do what we wanted to do."

(MRA) "Just before we talk about Inoperable, I want to ask you one silly question."

(DH) "Okay (sounds apprehensive)."

(MRA) "What is your spirit animal?"

(DH) "My spirit animal? Interesting. Hmmmm. It is not a unicorn."

(MRA) "Everyone has one."

(DH) "Okay, let me think. Wow. It has to be a wolf. Yes, probably a wolf. I am kind of trouble alone."

(MRA) "Like a lone wolf?"

(DH) "A bit of a lone wolf - for sure. Definitely, I look sweet and fluffy, but I would not get too close."

(MRA) "You might bite."

(DH) "Exactly."

(MRA) "Now, Inoperable comes out today (Dec. 1st). I have not seen it."

(DH) "Yes (excited)."

(MRA) "You play Amy. You are in a hospital. And, events repeat over and over again. It is definitely a horror film."

(DH) "It is dark and twisted, a bit like Groundhog Day (1993)."

(MRA) "Can you tell me and the readers a little more about your character Amy?"

(DH) "Yes, she is in a bit of a car accident. She finds herself stuck in this hospital, from where she has come from. And, she is finding out - unfortunately - that she is having to relive this day over and over again. There is an eye of a hurricane above the hospital. It is causing all of this strange shit to happen. She can't decide what is real and what is not.

Plus, there are all of these horrible, twisted things going on around her. She is trying to put the pieces together. It is called resetting. As she is learning how to get out of the hospital, she is resetting the time of the day, every day. She is trying to put the pieces together and gather information, from what is around her. She is trying to figure her way outside of the hospital."

(MRA) "Is the hospital a supernatural location?"

(DH) "(pauses) There is definitely nothing supernatural about it. It is more like 'Twilight Zone'-esque."

(MRA) "Okay."

(DH) "We shot it in an abandoned old hospital. There were bats and black mold."

(MRA) "Oh God (laughs)."

(DH) "If anyone has told you that making movies is glamorous, they have never made a movie."

(MRA) "Shooting indie, horror films is not glamorous at all."

(DH) "It is no vacation. But, we shot in Tampa Bay, which I love. I am happy to work in Florida, because my family is from there. I have never filmed there, before. I was stoked about that."

(MRA) "Just a follow-up question on Inoperable, what stood about the script, when you read it?"

(DH) "It was a cool mind trip. It makes you think. It is hard to figure out. I did not have it figured out, in the beginning. In some scripts, I know what is going to happen. And, I felt that I had done a lot of slasher movies. You know - where I am fighting for my life. I thought that this was something more cerebral. It was interesting to play someone like that.

Also, we shot it in sequence, which I have not often done before. When you shoot a film in order, it allows you to play around a bit. You have to get very creative. Otherwise, it would get really boring if you don't take chances. I like that our DP (director of photography) took some real chances creatively and visually. It really shows.

(MRA) "So, the film sounds more psychological (not supernatural)."

(DH) "Yes, that is for sure."

(MRA) "Okay, I will just ask one more silly question on the way out, here."

(DH) "Okay (sounds apprehensive)."

(MRA) "If there was a remake of Home Alone (1993) and A Christmas Carol (1951), which character would you want to play? Would it be Kevin or Scrooge?"

(DH) "I would say Kevin."

(MRA) "It is more fun setting all of those traps?"

(DH) "Oh for sure."

(MRA) "Just to wrap it up, you have a website at DanielleHarris.org. People can order some of your merchandise here, including signed material."

(DH) "I have some cool stuff. We are taking some more pictures at the end of December. We will have some cool, new stuff up soon."

(MRA) "And, you are on Twitter as @HalloweenGal, correct?"

(DH) "Yes, I am also on Instagram as HorrorGal."

(MRA) "Thanks for taking the time to do the interview. It was an honour. Hope you have a good weekend."

(DH) "You too!"

*End*

Danielle Harris' website can be found here: The Danielle Harris Official Website

On Twitter: Danielle Harris' Official Twitter

On Instagram: Danielle Harris' Official Instagram

Danielle's latest film, Inoperable, is currently out in several select cities. A listing of cities, showing the film, is available here:

Danielle Harris in Inoperable on 28DLA w/Trailer



Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis 28 Days Later Analysis Email Subscription

Posted in: 2017,actor interview,actress,danielle harris,film,horror,horror film,indie,indie horror movie preview,interview,preview