Interview: Lynn Lowry Credits Horror Films for her Comeback

BWW: You've been getting a lot of attention for your role as Ginny in MODEL HUNGER.

LYNN: We've gotten really great reviews so far. (One reviewer said,) I was "over the top" and I thought, She's a southern belle, serial killer-cannibal. So, yeah! I'd say that's a bit over the top.

BWW: How did you get involved in this project?

LYNN: I was on my computer one day and saw where Debbie (Rochon) was going to be on the cover of FANGORIA...we were both in a movie that Richard Griffin directed called SPLATTER DISCO, but we weren't in any scenes together.

So, I emailed her and said, "Congratulations on the cover! I'd love to work with you sometime." I don't think three minutes had passed before she emailed me back and said she might have something. She sent me the script (for MODEL HUNGER) and I read it and loved it. Although the last scene gave me pause. I thought, Wow, that's pushing the envelope!

I've done a lot of things in a lot of movies, but I never did anything like that. You really did have to do something in that final scene to top the other things my character had done. So, I quickly agreed to do it.

BWW: Some are comparing your performance to Piper Laurie's in CARRIE.

LYNN: I've heard that and Faye Dunaway in MOMMIE DEAREST. Now Faye Dunaway, she was "over the top" in MOMMIE DEAREST. In MODEL HUNGER, I tried to find a real, deep emotional pain that (my character) is going through. So, that she's not just a serial killer...there are all these reasons why she's doing this and why it's pushing her to get more and more crazy.

You actually feel sorry her, even though she's done these horrible things. That's just so important when you play a serial killer...not that you will approve of, or like what (she's) done, but you'll sympathize in some way and that makes the film more meaningful.

BWW: That sounds like your co-star's take on FRANKENSTEIN. During her interview, Tiffany Shepis said, "I think a lot of people can associate with The Monster... he's big and he's mean and he's angry, but none of it's his fault."

LYNN:Yeah, you do. It's sad. You felt sorry for THE MUMMY too.

BWW: Do you have a favorite classic horror monster?

LYNN: I think my favorite old-time movie is KING KONG. I just loved that movie when I was a child and I love the remakes too. I also liked THE WOLF MAN...I loved all those films.

BWW: Who's your favorite modern-day monster?

LYNN: Leatherface in the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (played by) Gunnar Hansen. If you looked up "terror" in the dictionary, it would say that steel door slamming shut after Leatherface pulled the girl inside. I get chills every time I see that scene. I thought it was really, really frightening.

The first time I saw Gunnar, I was like, "Oh, My God! It's Leatherface!" I wanted to go over and meet him. I just felt like such a fangirl! Finally, I did go over and meet him and he was the sweetest, nicest person you could ever want to meet.

BWW: Did you ever have a chance to work with him?

LYNN: No, but I have become good friends with John Dugan (Grandfather in TCM).

BWW: He'll be joining you at FANGORIA FearCON, October 7-9 in Tempe, Arizona.

LYNN: Oh, he's great! He's a lot of fun.

BWW: Talk about SCHISM, where you hosted a radio show called "In Touch With Insanity".

LYNN: I met Derek and Erika (Purtell) at a horror convention and we talked about working together on a project. I had an idea and came up with the chronological order of how the script could play out. Erika actually wrote the script; Derek produced and directed. They did the majority of the work, I just came in and played five different people.

BWW: All you had to do was play multiple personalities, like that's simple.

LYNN: Right, it was a lot of fun actually.

BWW: You also sing in SCHISM.

LYNN: Yes, I sang with a jazz trio in L.A. and pretty much did that because of my father, who was a jazz trumpet player. I started playing the trumpet when I was like five-years-old.

BWW: And you've done live theatre...including summer stock with John Belushi.

LYNN: We were in TEN LITTLE INDIANS together. He was supposed to strangle me and my boyfriend was supposed to shoot Belushi, but the gun wouldn't go off! Poor John just kept strangling me until my boyfriend pretended to hit him on the head with a vase and he fell over.

BWW: Do you have any favorite films of your own?

LYNN: I love the three classic films that I did, I DRINK YOUR BLOOD, SHIVERS...how lucky was I to be in (David) Cronenberg's first feature film...and of course (George) Romero's THE CRAZIES. You can't beat Cronenberg and Romero for knowing their craft. Getting to work with them was just incredible.

BWW: Did you audition for the role of Carrie in I DRINK YOUR BLOOD?

LYNN: Actually, I went in to meet David (Durston, writer-director) after he had already finished casting. He was just packing up for the day when I walked in. He just LOVED the way I looked and said, "OH, MY GOD! I must have you in my movie! I'm going to write you a part."

I kind of thought it was all bullshit. I (had) heard this before, but he sure enough did - I mean, he didn't actually "write" me a part; he put me in the movie as a mute, so he wouldn't have to write anymore.

BWW: After CAT PEOPLE, you took a break from making horror movies. Why is that?

LYNN: I didn't know that I had this huge horror fan base. Then I started being contacted by Bob Murawski (of Grindhouse Releasing) who put I DRINK YOUR BLOOD out on DVD, and David Szulkin who released THE CRAZIES on Blue Underground and interviewed me.

I started getting all this attention and all this work. And so, I came back and haven't stopped working. It's incredible!

In the last few years, I've worked with J.T. Seaton (THE PERIPHERAL), Mark Vella (THE NEIGHBOURS), Michael Haberfelner (TALK OF THE DEAD), Michael Shelton (BASEMENT JACK), Devon Downs, Kenny Gage and Robert Rhine on (CYNTHIA)...

I've had a great time and so many different kinds of roles. It's been a real wonderful comeback.

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Meet Lynn Lowry, Tiffany Shepis and Debbie Rochon for the Phoenix premiere of MODEL HUNGER during FANGORIA FearCON at SUN STUDIOS of Arizona, Oct. 7-9. Order tickets online.

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