She’s back and I am always proud to have her here! Earlier this year, WorldFilmGeek Hall of Famer Sarah French, who is going to be (if not already) one of this generation’s icons of horror, talked about the amazing Garden of Eden. Now, Sarah is back as we talk about her film Brute 1976, in which she plays the role of Sunshine, a make-up artist who replaces a missing model and finds herself and the rest of the crew at the mercy of an abandoned town run by a family of psychopaths. 

The 1970s-set and inspired horror film is now available on Digital from Cinephobia Releasing with some upcoming news on a physical media release…but I’ll let Sarah tell you about that! 

WFG: Welcome back Sarah! It is always a pleasure to have you here. Having just talked about Garden of Eden not too long ago, now we’re talking about Brute 1976. What a fantastic homage to some of the 1970s genre classics, especially The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. 

SF: Thank you so much and yes that is exactly what we were going for. We’re all big fans of horror, especially the 70s style grind house type films, so this one was very fitting for us to do next on the slate.

WFG: It is clear that your films with Marcel Walz and Joe Knetter (seen with Sarah and the cast above-scroll for more) are top-notch and what I like even more is that there is always a different sort of element. In my personal opinion, the three of you are like the Robert DeNiro-Martin Scorsese or even the Isaac Florentine-Scott Adkins of the indie horror genre. When I hear the three of you are collaborating, I get goosebumps in anticipation. 

SF: Awwww, thank you for saying that. That is a huge compliment. We all worked very well together and each one of us brought our experience and expertise to the table. Each one of us has been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years. So that’s 30+ years of experience the 3 of us were bringing to the table. With that being said, we were all driven, go getters, and wanted to create our own opportunities instead of waiting for them. If you want something done you have to do it yourself. We had a good run with 3 films so far and have one more coming, so stay tuned.

WFG: Let’s delve into Brute 1976. I absolutely love your character of Sunshine. You bring this energy to the role that is reminiscent of Sally Hardesty of Chain Saw when it calls for it but you also have this bit of strength in the character. Who were your inspirations in bringing the character to life?

SF: Thank you! Sunshine is a unique character and she was loads of fun to bring to life. I feel like you’re trying to skirt around who she is with no spoilers. I don’t want to give too much away, but in all honesty, the film has been out now for about a month. If you haven’t seen it, I suggest watching the film before you read this. I may give away spoilers, but I don’t want to lay it on too heavy.

I am basically playing 2 roles in one… I’ll stop there just because I don’t want to give anything away. Maybe down the road I’ll dive more into her. But yes she definitely has the strength to get through the madness that is happening in front of her. She’s smart, resilient, knows what she wants, and trusts her instincts. She is also following something that she thinks is good, but in the end is it? Or is it serving someone else’s ego and craziness?

My inspirations are no one in particular, just a mix of watching many horror films with strong female characters over time and adding my own flair to her.

WFG: You share the screen quite a lot with Adriane McLean’s Roxy, a no-nonsense fiery woman who due to the time frame, instantly brings the likes of icons such as Pam Grier to mind with her performance. What was it like working with her?

SF: I couldn’t agree more. Adrianne was fantastic to work with. She was prepared and ready to go into war with us when the time came. Sharing the scenes I did with her was amazing too. She’s just a delight to work with and her being prepared and ready to go makes my job that much easier and more fun! 

WFG: What I like about the film as well is that we see some familiar faces in the film, ones you have worked with in the past such as Jed Rowen and Robert Felsted Jr. just to name a few. I like that while everyone has different roles in these films, there tends to be this chemistry that constantly works well because you have such a great rapport with them. Jed especially surprised me with his character of “Daisy”. As one of the producers, do you give the other actors a chance to bring input in their characters? 

 SF: Jed was fantastic as Daisy and Robert was fantastic as Charlie. Both those guys are definitely fan favorites! We always give the cast the opportunity to add their own voice into each of their characters. If they have ideas or input, Joe and Marcel have no problem working with them. If the cast can add their own voices to their characters, it makes it that much more real, to them and to the audience. Making films is a collaborative venture, so we are always open to ideas and input.

WFG: Do you have a favorite kill scene in this film? For me, I think you’ve known me for quite some time and you can guess exactly which one I would say is a favorite but still made me cringe so bad (Laughs)? 

SF: Haha! I think that’s almost everyone’s favorite! Hmmmm..I love all of them in different ways. It’s really hard to pick a favorite. I know how much time and energy went into creating and executing all the kills, so they’re all special in their own way. Our SPFX team lead by Robert Kern lll, just nailed it. Robert also created the masks the family are wearing, so they’re all very unique and special. But yes I’d say Ray… the reaction to the kill from people is my favorite thing, especially hearing it in a sold out screening at the theater! 

WFG: How long was production on this film and were there any challenges you had to face this time around?

SF: If I remember correctly, it was a total of 11 days with 1 pick up day. I may be off a day but it was roughly that. There are many challenges when making a film. The more you do it the better you get at navigating the challenges, but they are always there.

The big one on this was, although we shot mostly in 1 location, it was a HUGE location that sprawled throughout. We didn’t expect the challenges that came with that, we thought we were prepared with enough crew, but it was tough. It was a large ghost town in the middle of the Nevada desert, about 50 minutes from Vegas. It was in the summer. That was also a huge challenge. Making sure everyone was staying safe and hydrated. We probably tripled our budget just trying to keep people hydrated properly. Those are a few of the many challenges we encountered, to give you an idea.

WFG: You’ve been in the acting world for over fifteen years and I personally feel you are definitely one of the best names in the indie horror community today. Of course, I also enjoy your works in other genres when it calls for it. Just recently, Sorority of the Damned (poster above) was released and this is a role that fans are going to see something very different from you. That must have been exciting to shoot. 

SF: I absolutely loved playing that role! For those who haven’t seen the film yet, I play the “Air Witch”. She’s an elemental witch from way back in the day, dead and buried, and she is brought back to life by a cursed book that was read by these sorority girls and their madam. It’s so much fun! I got to wear prosthetics every day I was on set with a wig and cool costume. You can’t really tell it’s me and I loved it! The only thing is I wish they would’ve done something creepy with my voice, but it is what it is. I can’t do anything about that. But yes, I’m hoping for more unique roles like that, just because it was something very different for me, and I like different!

WFG: And of course, we had mentioned this in our last interview, but you know I am excited about Brute 1986. And when that comes out, you know we’re going to have to talk about it!

SF: Hell yes I cannot wait! When that one comes out I will dive more into Sunshine and her backstory. Yes, Sunshine is returning!

WFG: Finally, any new projects on the horizon that you can talk about in the meantime?

SF:  I’m working with Julie Anne Prescott and her team on an upcoming horror film called, Bed and Rotting. I’ll be heading to Texas to shoot that soon. I’m looking forward to it and to reconnect with Julie, it’s been a while and I’m so proud of her. She’s a go-getter and I love that about fellow artists. When you have drive, passion, support, anything is possible. Plus more cool photo shoots to come along with more projects in the works. Be sure to follow me on my socials to stay up to date!

WFG: Brute 1976 is now on Digital from Cinephobia Releasing. If you’re a fan of 70s horror, then you have to see this! And what better time than now with Halloween coming! Sarah, it’s always a pleasure to get to chat with you and am looking forward to more down the road.

SF: Thank you my friend and don’t forget, we have Blu-Rays coming in November, right around the corner. So you’ll be able to stream it as well as have a physical copy from Vinegar Syndrome!  

Special Thanks to Sarah French for making this interview possible and check out Garden of Eden and Brute 1976 on Digital right now while Sorority of the Damned as of today, is streaming on Tubi (you can see my review here.) Look for Vinegar Syndrome’s Blu-Ray of Brute 1976 in November and soon, get ready for the wild sequel Brute 1986!