Tracey Birdsall is an actress breaking new ground with her second film in the horror genre, Dawn of the Crescent Moon. She’s proved her chops in comedy and drama, and while she’ll continue with those types of films, she’s got a future full of horror and sci-fi. After learning that she’s a self-proclaimed sci-fi junkie and Star Trek baby, there’s not doubt that she couldn’t be happier with this new direction. We’re pretty sure she’s thrilled, as a matter of fact, since one of her dreams is to be absolutely slaughtered in a horror movie some day.
I recently had the pleasure of talking with the lovely Tracey about her current film, Dawn of the Crescent Moon, written by Kevin B. Coleman and Kirk Loudon, directed by Kirk Loudon. The movie is about a group of college students who travel to a small Texas town to research the Legend of Blood Lake, an obscure folktale forged by events surrounding the horrible massacre of a Comanche village.
Here’s what transpired in our conversation:
Halloween is coming soon; do you have any plans?
I do, actually! There are a couple of parties I’m going to. And also, they kind of block off the area out here in Malibu West. It’s insane, it’s such a good party. I mean the whole neigborhood, all these college kids, lots of rock bands playing, food and everything out in the streets. It’s very, very exciting.
Do you have a favorite horror movie to watch at Halloween?
Well, this year I’m going to call it Dawn of the Crescent Moon, of course. I like a lot of the horror movies. Some of them scare me to death.
Can you tell me a bit about your latest film, Dawn of the Crescent Moon?
It was actually done by a couple of friends of mine who produced and directed it. They live out in Texas and they sent me out the script. It’s about a group of college students and they’re looking into the Legend of Blood Lake. It’s almost like a throwback to the old horror film classics; it follows all the rules, people disappear and they’re hunting for it.
My character plays opposite Cyrus, Barry Corbinwe recen’s character, and also Alan Pietruszewski who plays Will; we’re the people who are kind of leading the story through. We’re actually after the treasure that comes with Blood Lake, also, because the legend has to do with a treasure. So it’s kind of a twist. Cyrus shuts us down; it’s funny how horror movies quite often have happy endings.
Well, yeah, that was one of my questions; how do you feel about that breaking of horror movie convention and having a happy ending in which people survive?
Well, lots of people die, but I kind of like it when everybody kinda dies. I gotta tell you, one of my dreams is to get killed in one of these things. I’ve done two horror movies now and I never get killed. I would like to be maybe decapitated or chopped up into little pieces, so put the word out there, something brutal.
Are urband legends and myths something that you’re interested in?
Well, they’re stories and curious at best. I like anything that’s kind of mysterious, but I’m not a superstitious person myself, I’m a very logical person. I understand the value of all of it and I have friends that are very into things like that, but for me it’s another great story.
The movie was released last April, does it have a DVD/VOD release date?
I don’t know. I know they’re in the final stages of it, but I don’t think it’s just talking, they’re in the final stages of the [distribution] contract on it.
This is one of your few horror movie credits; what inspired you to make a horror at this point in your career?
I love all genres. I adore comedy. I love drama because you get to get super wrapped up and it messes with your psyche for a few weeks after you shoot. And horror is something I haven’t done a lot of, so I actually kind of jumped on it. The last thing that I did that was kind of horror was Prophets Game with Dennis Hopper. For me, I don’t feel like I’m stuck in any particular genre. I get called on for a lot of different things.
So, no ambitions to become a scream queen?
You know, I’d like to be an everything queen (laughs). I don’t feel like I’ve been stuck in any genre. Actually, the next film that I’m getting ready to do starts in November, and it’s actually science fiction, so it’s completely different than anything else that I’ve done.
What do you like most about the genre?
They say with horror that it tickles you in a different spot; it really does. It’s just a completely different animal. If I got to play a character that was more raw, like I said get murdered or something, that would just be the biggest thrill. I like the genre because it has a different market, it has a different audience. A lot of people who are into horror or science fiction, they’re kind of junkies, so you’re going in front of an audience that isn’t used to seeing your work or isn’t used to seeing you out there, so it’s exciting to open new realms.
Tracey Birdsall loves MMA and boxing, and shares some info about her upcoming roles…
