Canadian actress and writer August Kyss:
To start, please introduce yourself:
Thank you so much for including me in the Women in Horror Month at Cinema Crazed! My name is August Kyss. I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but have lived in Toronto, Ontario, for over fifteen years. I am an actress and writer.
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
To me, horror is the opportunity to experience stimulation and novel experiences in the safety of my own environment. The genre has allowed me to experience the darker aspects of life and all its morbidity. It has given me the chance to explore my shadow self. Art in horror is correlated with the fact that good horror films make people question things about life. The “what if factor” is prevalent for me in an intense horror movie. I love things that make me think. Horror does that for me.
What made you want to work in horror?
I wanted to work in horror because I had and continue to have a fierce nostalgia for a time that has since passed us by. I am referring tom the eighties and the video store era. The happiest and most innocent times of my life were going to the video store with my dad, cousins, or best friend and picking out the most B-looking horror movies we could find, many times over, picking out the same one, “Return of the Living Dead.”
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get most of my inspiration from Linnea Quigly. Her “Trash” character from “Return Of The Living Dead” inspired me to be strong and bold from the impressionable age of eight. I had no business watching it then, but it was the eighties! We also grabbed packs of cigarettes for our parents with a handwritten note; imagine that!
Another fabulous woman in horror who has inspired me in recent years is the iconic Debbie Roshon. I only discovered Debbie when I watched “Axe To Grind” a few years ago, and she was fantastic. Since then, I have been inspired by the multitude of films under her belt and the numerous awards she has won.
I’m looking forward to watching many more of her movies and reading her column, “The Roshon Report,” in Videoscope magazine. Debbie is also a director, which is super inspiring because that is a road I want to cross when the time is right.
A local gal I am super inspired by is my dear friend, Ali Chappell. We have recently bonded over our love of the horror and our wins and mishaps in the acting world. Ali has comforted me during those “not sure I can do this anymore” times. We legitimately have the same goals, and it is lovely to have someone who simultaneously understands how hard but rewarding it can be. I am also proud that she is an emerging female director of the monster-centered anthology horror film” God of Frogs” and would really love to work with her someday.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
I want my legacy to inspire people willing to give their dreams a second chance, not just in horror but in all ways. Unfortunately, I gave up acting for twenty years due to a traumatic experience on a set in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It took a long while, but I’m back. All systems go!
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
Women in Horror Month is a relatively new discovery for me, but I am super stoked that something like this exists! The underrepresentation of women in the film industry has been prevalent for a long time. I love how there is this amazing outlet to represent women positively, excelling in the art we call horror. We need it, and it creates a sense of sisterhood that is unique to the genre. There are no fans like horror fans.
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
I have some exciting projects coming up. I am waiting for my ‘Painkiller” segment in anthology film, “One Night In Lethargia,” to be released in 2024. The film was made by an international team of filmmakers, including director Stephen Beason and cinematographer Darryl Ayles. The “Painkiller” segment is about an ex-boxing champ turned gambler who gets noticed by a bigoted gang of thugs. Working alongside Skeeta Jenkins (Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich) and actor, Jack Leslie Hunter (Resident Evil: NuGenix Archives), who is represented by the same agency as myself, was a treat.
Instagram – Stephen Beason @bmoviemagic, Skeeta Jenkins @officialskeetajenkins, Jack Leslie Hunter @jack.leslie.hunter
I also recently wrapped on a film, “Flesh of The Unforgiven.” The film stars Debbie Rochon (Model Hunger) my former co-star, Adriana Uchishiba (Murdercise) and actor/director, Joe Hollow (The Family). It is the first feature-length film of the series, Joe Hollow’s Diary of Death. We were able to get gorgeous locations for the shots. Although I can not go into full detail about the film, we are working on a press release, artwork, and updating information to IMDB. I can not praise Joe Hollow enough. He made me feel extremely safe and nurtured throughout the entire filming process and was amazing at keep all of actors and crew in the loop through out the entire event. It’s because of Joe Hollow that I was able to fully let myself go and deliver what I believe is my best performance to date.
Instagram – Debbie Roshon @officialdebbierochon, Adriana Uchishiba @shriekmouth, Joe Hollow @joehollowfilms
I am filming two features with Toronto director, Nigel Hartwell, “Demented Two”, and “The Massage Parlour Massacre”. I am very excited to be part of such a stellar cast on both films including Bret Hart (WWF Wrestling Legend) Robert Mukes (Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses) Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp) Dakota House (North of 60) and cult filmmaker Barry J. Gillis (Things)
Instagram – Nigel Hartwell @new_blood_entertainment
I will be filming “Death Bitch” in my home province of Manitoba. I am excited to work alongside director/writer Ken Brewer (Zombie Rage) and director Mark Kiazyk (Zombie Rage). I am content to be in a film with cult star, Bridget Powers, also known as “Bridget the Midget” (The Howard Stern Show). The film is about a woman vigilante who tears up a ruckus in a local community.
Facebook – Ken Ace Brewer
I am proud to be part of the Chatham-Kent pop culture show, www.ckexpo.ca, on April 27 and 28. It’s almost surreal to be part of an event with guests Pat Mastroianni and Stacie Mistysyn, who starred in Degrassi High; I only used to watch that show every day! It is also an honour to be at be asked to attend the same show as mega stars such as Jenette Goldstien (Aliens) and Janus Blythe (Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes).
I am attached to two other films, which will be shooting later in the year, summer/fall. “Grind” by writer/director Mark Cantu starring Ginger Lynn Allen (Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Reject’s), Lynn Lowry (George A. Romero’s The Crazies) and Warren Dean Fulton’s “Daedalus Melon in Rebel Bikers vs. Vampires from Venus.” with a starry cast that can not be revealed at this moment. “Grind” is about a group of students that host a film festival and accidentally unleash mayhem and “Daedalus Melon in Rebel Bikers vs. Vampires from Venus” is decorated with a cascade of zombies, cowboys, and space-aged vampires. Daedalus Melon will be filming in Vancouver, and I am anxiously awaiting the adventure.
Instagram – @grindofficialmovie, Warren Dean Fulton @warrendeanfulton
The project that I am most excited about is my very own horror hosting show on NYX TV Canada www.nyxtv.ca. Corrine Ferguson runs Canada’s Only 24/7 Horror TV channel, which is one hundred percent free. The show will be eighties-based and is currently in development.
Thank you for taking the time to this, we greatly appreciate it.
It was an absolute pleasure connecting!
Please feel free to follow me on Instagram @augustkyss_backup_account_
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm13528831/
Photo credits: @Denise Grant and Michael Jason @outoffocus11