Q&A WITH IRENA A. HOFFMAN
October 14th 2010 23:26
I saw Irena (pronounced E-ray-na) in House of Flesh Mannequins (2009), a sensual and surreal nightmare, which screened earlier this year at A Night of Horror international film festival in Sydney. She has been steadily forging an acting career in Los Angeles, working in movies, television and in short films, but is already successful as a model. Apart from House of Flesh Mannequins she has a few other nightmares to her bow; Metamorphosis (2007), where she plays Elizabeth Bathory, alongside Christopher Lambert, another Euro supernatural thriller, The Seer (2007), and as a vamp in the spoof Translymania (2009).
None of these movies have yet been released in Australia, but keep your eyes peeled, Irena is a natural star.
Horrorphile: Tell me a little about your heritage and why you made the move from modeling into acting.
House of Flesh Mannequins fetish-fashion publicity shoot
H: You have a strong screen presence and a naturalistic acting technique, have you done, or do you do, much stage work?
I: Thank you very much. As much as I enjoy watching a good play, stage experience is not something that has influenced my acting style. While I really enjoy the theatre as a spectator, movies have always been my first love, because of their direct ability to move by employing the visual and the music, with its immediate and direct effect of emotional associations and reminiscence.
With House of Flesh Mannequins producer and actor Domi Archangeli
H: What do you find so compelling about movies, either shorts or features, with dark, difficult subject matter?
I: I love films and scripts that leave you reflecting for a long while after having watched them. Complex stories and characters are always a good challenge, as I am always attracted to subject matters that inspire me or that I can connect with in one-way or another, and especially to the films whose story centers upon exploiting human nature at its worst or at its best.
H: Tell me about working on the Euro productions Metamorphosis and The Seer. What differences are there, if any, between those and the American productions?
H: There’s a new wave of Euro horror (Spain and France in particular) that is visceral, uncompromising; very dark and intense. So what are your thoughts then on the current trend of tamer PG-13 horror? Are there any taboos that shouldn’t be broken?
I: I believe being open to exploiting what we deem as taboos is key; being open to anything, really, that appeals to my particular interest and common sense. If there is a story that makes good sense, that is blessed with originality, a challenging character and a deep sense of artistic value attached to a deemed “dark” project, I will definitely be very interested. There is for sure a bit of a difference between the general attitude towards what society and the public consider “taboo” in America, versus Europe.
In make-up on the set of Translymania
H: On the other side of the coin; what’s your opinion on horror-comedies, having acted in a schlocky comedy, Translymania.
I: Transylmania was very fun to work on and very different from a lot of films out there, and what I really liked was something a lot of people seem to miss about the film: the fact that its is really a cartoon with real characters, silly and smart at the same time, with a lot of stuff always going on in the background. I love cartoons and I enjoy their humor, but then again, de gustibus non disputandum est. Perhaps not everyone remembers what it was like to be a little kid, and how many hours of Cartoon Network most of us used to include in our daily routine.
H: So, what are some of the horror movies that made a strong impression on you when you were younger? What recent horror movies have you enjoyed?
I: The Descent is definitely one of my favorites. I also love Dog Soldiers, Interview with a Vampire, Open Water, The Ring, to just name a few. I think when I was little I was most impressed by the horror films dealing with mythology and curses, and there is one type of film which I can’t say I like to watch very often: the exorcism movies.
I: Precisely your wonderful description of it above!! The script, which is dark and a far cry from anything I had done before working on House of Flesh Mannequins, and Domi Arcangeli whom I had previously worked with on The Seer. I liked my character very much, as I saw a good potential in its arc and a great opportunity to see what I can do with it.
H: Directors such as David Lynch and Dario Argento have often employed a very expressionistic style to tell their stories, and horror lends itself to possessing strong atmosphere. What are the most important elements in a horror movie for you? What do you look for in a script and director?
I: In my opinion House Of Flesh Mannequins is not necessarily a horror film but an almost rather unclassifiable one, which is at first perceived as a horror only to further embrace a variety of contexts to provide a visual picture that is hypnotic, surreal, exciting and new. I prefer movies such as House of Flesh for their haunting quality and their ability to affect the collective conscience by exposing the power of human desire and the dramatic collision with its object.
A little bloodlust on the set of House of Flesh Mannequins
H: Tell me about the reactions House of Flesh Mannequins has been getting since its release. Your performance shines, but has the movie’s graphic sexuality hindered or helped your acting career in any way?
I: I am happy that the film has been very well received so far. In my opinion, the graphic sexuality depicted in the film, which is part of Sebastian’s nightmares, never falls into vulgarity because it depicts either a voyage into a character’s mind (where nothing is really taboo) or it is presented as a memory. I don’t think it has either helped or hindered my career because that is not what the movie really focuses on as a message. And I am happy to notice that a lot of the reviewers for the film have picked up on that very accurately.
H: Will you continue to work in the independent film industry, or do you plan to concentrate on more commercial feature work?
I: I believe I will do both.
H: Any new feature horror movie roles on the horizon?
I: I suppose time will tell, as I don’t specialise in playing a particular type of role … which is a good thing!
H: Finally, what’s your favourite Edgar Allen Poe story?
I: The Spectacles!! A true gem!!
Irena's character Sarah reveals her scars in House of Flesh Mannequins
All pics are courtesy of Irena Hoffman, many thanks!
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Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Certainly fills the eye candy quotient for horror. Love the make up effects too for the scar. Sounds like she is a realistic about the industry too.
Thanks for the interview with an until now unknown.