Interview: Julia Eringer on FOX TRAP, a Witty Throwback to Slasher Films of the Nineties
Michelle Swope
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Julia Eringer is an actress, writer, and producer originally from London. She plays Dina in the new film Fox Trap, a spirited throwback to the prominent slasher films of the nineties. The film tells the story of a group of friends who play a cruel prank on an unpopular girl in high school. The prank goes horribly wrong and the victim is left disabled. Years later, the friends receive invitations to a reunion where, one by one, they are brutally murdered by a mysterious person wearing a mask.
Dread Central recently spoke with Julia about Fox Trap, her favorite genre, her upcoming projects, and more!
If you want to find out if anyone survives and uncover the identity of the killer, Fox Trap is available on DVD now.
Dread Central: Fox Trap is reminiscent of slasher films in the nineties like Scream. What was it that appealed to you most about the script?
Julia Eringer: I loved those movies, like I Know What You Did Last Summer, when they first came out. Scream was one of the first movies I tried to see in the cinema and they wouldn’t let me in. I had to sneak in (laughs). So when they approached me about Fox Trap, it was like you say, harkening back to those sort of horror films, which are actually really funny, too.
DC: How did you get the role of Dina?
JE: I met one of the producers, he’s also the writer, at a film festival. I had made a short film that was at the New Hampshire Film Festival and it was playing the horror category, which was weird because I didn’t consider it that at first. I met the producer there and he told me he had a project and asked me if I’d like to audition. So, I sent a tape and I really went for it in my tape! I did a scene where I discover that my boyfriend is getting killed in bed next to me. I filmed it in bed and I fell out and was screaming (laughs), so I think my commitment to the audition is probably what won me the role.
DC: In my opinion, Dina suffers the most brutal attack in the movie. What was it like shooting those scenes and did you do anything to prepare?
JE: I know! I was like, “is this personal, guys?” There was one frame of reference we used that had to do with a movie called The Killer Inside Me with Jessica Alba and Casey Affleck, where he’s a wife beater type. We drew inspiration from how they did it in that with each blow that I suffer, we’d cut between the blows and get makeup in and do more wounds on my face; then another blow, cut, and more wounds. It was timing the blows to get it right and so that I didn’t actually get hit in the face (laughs). I don’t think that’s giving too much away, but that was an interesting scene to film and it was also two in the morning! I think Dina is kind of a vain character, so the worst thing that could happen to her would be to mess up her face.
DC: Do you prefer one genre over another? I know you’ve done a lot of different types of films, not just horror.
JE: I just love acting and all types of acting. I do love horror, because I think that you get to go deep emotionally into fear and anger, those really primal states. I enjoy getting to go there (laughs). It’s kind of this weird sadomasochistic thing and I really love making that real. I think people watch a lot of horror movies and think that the character isn’t really scared, but I like to really go there and punch myself to imagine what that would be like to be in that situation.
DC: You also have a thriller called Silence that’s about to be released as well as a new horror film you’re working on with Maria Olsen. Can you tell me about those?
JE: Silence is a short film and it’s having its premiere at the Dances With Films Film Festival on June 15th. The film with Maria Olsen is called Straight on Till Morning and we’re starting rehearsals and will begin filming in September. It is essentially a love story between two women. There is one woman who is this rocker chick lesbian who is crossing the country to L.A. to pursue her dream of being onstage on the Sunset Strip and singing. Along the way, she stops at a gas station and meets my character, who is having a relationship with a man and desperately wants to get away, but never leaves her hometown.
This woman comes along and they have this really amazing soul connection and she leaves with her and they cross the country together. On this trip they run into this slightly unsavory family with different ideals about love, and some things happen, as you can imagine in a horror movie (laughs). It’s a great script. It was a semi-finalist in the Screamfest Horror Screenplay competition. Maria Olsen is just so phenomenal. I auditioned with her and she’s such a powerhouse actress. I can’t wait for our scenes together!
DC: You wrote, produced, and star in the LGBTQ dark comedy Girls Like Magic, which I think is an awesome movie. What is it like to be the writer, producer, and an actress all at once? It has to be an unbelievable amount of work.
JE: Oh, thank you! It is an unbelievable amount of work. You hit it on the head! In a way, what’s quite nice about it is that it’s broken up. I had amazing people I was working with who could sort of take over in those areas when I was concentrating on one rather than another. During the writing stage, you’re really not thinking about acting at all. Then when we go into production, it’s acting and producing, but I also have a producer on set, so most of the producing is directed to her during the shoot. After that, I take back over again with post production, so I’m working on all the edits and securing distribution, and then of course, press and things like that.
Kit Williamson was our director and he’s amazing. I just think he’s a genius, so I was like a sponge with him. He created his own LGBT show, which is actually Emmy-nominated. It’s called Eastsiders and he’s done phenomenally well with that, and I think I was lucky to get in under his wing a few years ago. If he had a note for the script, I would be open to it and really work with him and then again on set. It was a really good working relationship. I’m so blessed to have been able to work with him.
DC: Can you tell me about other projects you’re working on besides the ones we’ve talked about?
JE: Yes, I just wrapped a dark comedy called The Divorce. That’s a short film as well by a really up and coming director named Lindsy Campbell, out of New Mexico. It stars myself and Navid Negahban, who played Abu Nazir in Homeland. He’s a pretty prolific actor and he’s been in number of movies, so that was great. I also have a couple of scripts in development. One I’m writing with somebody else and one is like a festival comedy called Pairing, and another one is a supernatural/thriller/horror. Then I have one more that’s in the earlier stage that’s set in Iceland and it’s a dark comedy. I kind of alternate between dark comedy/horror and gender stuff. Those are my favorite genres, I think.
DC: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today, Julia! I’m looking forward to your upcoming films and I wish you a lot of success!
JE: My pleasure! Thank you so much!
To learn more about Julia Eringer, you can check out her website and follow her on Twitter.
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