Submitted by Unknown on 2003-01-20
Emma on the Big Screen

Source: Movie Zone

An entertaining interview with our favourite vengence demon about her new movie, Darkness Falls, and her work on Buffy

The interview does contain spoilers for the upcoming season, so if you would like to see the edited version without spoilers, just click on the link to the read the full story. Otherwise click here for the full interview

As her character on UPN’s hugely popular series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Emma Caulfield (29) has slayed vampires and demons, wreaked vengeance on countless humans and staved off apocalypse after apocalypse. Now, the actress jumps into a new and dangerous arena just as fraught with challenges and dire consequences – the big screen. After a successful decade of television work (Beverly Hills 90210, General Hospital, and Silk Stalkings) including her five seasons as ex-vengeance demon Anya on Buffy, Emma is starring in her first film - the creepy thriller, Darkness Falls.

Shot primarily in Australia, the movie nonetheless centers on the sleepy New England town of Darkness Falls, which is harboring a hundred year old secret shame. In the early 1800’s, the reclusive widow Matilda Dixon was considered a harmless woman who took a shine to the children of the community. They would offer her their baby teeth in exchange for cakes and treats thus earning her the nickname of “The Tooth Fairy.” That is until two children turned up missing and the townspeople, spurred by distrust and rage, savagely murdered Matilda. As her body burned, the missing children appeared having only been lost in the woods. Since then, legend tells of “The Tooth Fairy” haunting the dark places of the town killing anyone who sees her.

Emma plays Caitlin 'Cat' Greene, a young woman from the town who fights to protect her younger brother (Lee Cormie) from the “The Tooth Fairy” who is menacing him when he sleeps. Caitlin’s former beau Kyle (played by newcomer Chaney Kley) who was also plagued by “The Tooth Fairy” in his youth, returns to town to help stop the evil specter from taking any more victims.

Emma and I talked last month by phone from LA, as she was finishing up filming Buffy before the holiday break. Spirited, funny and refreshingly candid, Caulfield talked about her role in Darkness Falls, her role as Anya on Buffy and the challenges of balancing her artistic and professional soul.

For many of the members of the Darkness Falls cast and crew including director Jonathan Liebsman and co-stars Chaney Kley & Lee Cormie and yourself, this was a first major film experience. What kind of challenges did that present for you?

I wouldn’t say it was challenging, so much. There’s really not a huge difference between the mediums [of TV and film] except for the amount of time that you are allotted to actually do a scene. I’ve been in the business in one form or another for awhile so I was pretty comfortable. I suppose the time difference was the most challenging aspect of shooting the film concurrently with shooting Buffy.

That’s a huge challenge considering the distance alone. How did that work out for you?

I went back and forth twice. Then, I went east for three-week intervals. I would shoot my stuff at Buffy and then run off and get on a plane to Australia and then come back and pick right up shooting Buffy with the second unit. We shoot far enough in advance [on Buffy] that I could pick my stuff up later so luckily I didn’t have to miss any episodes. The beginning of the shoot was very difficult. I had horrible jet lag but you get used to it. It was hard but by the second time it was easier. It was well worth it.

You shot the film mostly in Australia even though the film takes place in New England. How was it working Down Under?

I absolutely obsessively love that country. It’s amazing. It’s well worth the travel. I could see myself having a place there – ideally I can see myself doing that someday.

How was it working with Lee and Chaney?

Chaney was pretty new to the business entirely so he was trying to find his way and he did it completely fantastically. He was just lovely. Lee had done a few commercials in Australia so he was pretty new to the business as well as one would be considering he is eight. [Chuckles] I was definitely the veteran coming into the film. It was a group effort to get it made.

Your character, Caitlin, is a reluctant heroine who rises to the occasion in the film. Was it important to you that she not be portrayed as the typical horror film damsel in distress?

Oh, very much. I had no interest in being your basic vanilla girl. I’ve been lucky enough that I haven’t had to play that [in my career.] I certainly don’t play it on Buffy and Caitlin’s definitely not that girl. She is a heroine and reluctant in the sense that she doesn’t believe what is going on at first but once she does, she’s right there in the mix. She can handle herself. [Chuckles].

Did you enjoy the physicality of the role?

It was so much fun. I don’t get a chance to do many of my own stunts on Buffy – none of us do. We have amazing stunt people who make us all look really believable and really good. So when [the producers of Darkness Falls] actually said I could do as much of my own stunt work as I wanted, I was totally elated and had so much fun doing it. I went back to the hotel every night with bruises and cuts so it was like being a little kid again.

Buffy has thriller and horror elements depending on the episode and Darkness Falls is a full-out thriller, do you particularly like the genre?

I definitely gravitate towards quality genre projects and genre of any kind whether it’s science fiction, horror or really anything. I’m just drawn to quality. I don’t think Darkness Falls is horror; there isn’t any gore by any stretch of the imagination.

Speaking of which, director Jonathan Liebsman really has made a film that is throwback to the more suspenseful days of horror/thriller films.

Yes! Jonathan is the sole reason for my doing the project. I saw a short film of his called Genesis and Catastrophe that blew me away. It was so dark and visceral and thought provoking. So, when I heard he was doing the film, I said ‘Ok, where do I sign on?’ I knew that anything he was going to bring to the picture was going to be great.

Sometimes actually working with someone you admire can be a completely different experience. Did he live up to your expectations? What made him special to work with?

He is just so untouched by everything. He is completely new to the business – this is his first film. He was looking at everything through virgin eyes. Sometimes, he would have a communication breakdown with his accent; he has a heavy South African accent. So it was a challenge to sometimes understand what he was looking for but it didn’t take too long. After awhile, I began to understand Liebsman-speak. We got to the point as he would prattle on about ‘uhm…I think I’d like you to look and maybe this and do…’ and I’d just look at him and say ‘More scared?’ and he would light up and say ‘Yeah!’ [Laughs]

I adore him. I can’t wait to work with him again!

The legendary FX guru, Stan Winston brings the villainous spirit of Matilda to life for the film. How much of Matilda did you get to see and work against while shooting?

I had nothing to work off. I never did so I was literally acting to nothing. [Laughs]

It made it interesting because when I saw the final product and they had inserted the elements, it was very interesting, to say the least. There was me with this thing on screen and I could finally say ‘Oh, that’s what it was!’ There was no way to even really imagine it because how can you imagine something that is going to come out of Stan’s genius. What he created is really creepy looking, it’s going to scare people.

I read you have a degree in psychology and this film deals with the dilemma of what is real and what is imagined in the psyche. Was that fun to delve into?

I don’t have a degree in psychology. I attempted to acquire that numerous times and each time dropped out for work so I don’t actually have the degree. Sadly, it will plague me until whenever. But I learned enough to get a background and it’s been helpful in all aspects of what I do. It’s in every acting job I’ve had and there is a fine line to the art of understanding human beings and probably one I will never master. I’ve spent years doing it in an imaginary way.

Is there a scene in the film that you are particularly proud of?

The scene with the cat is my favorite. We barely got that scene off because we ran over that day so we were going to scrap it. I was leaving to go back to LA and there was just no time but I really wanted to get the scene. I knew it would be great. So, we threw it together and we got it off in one take and it just worked. I just loved that moment. It was an unexpected scare and it was a tension release - a very much needed audience breather moment.

What are your favorite scary films?

Oh, as for thrillers: Silence of the Lambs, which is my all-time favorite film or The Others, which I loved. As for action horror films maybe Aliens and Alien; I could watch them over and over. I’m a big fan of being scared – I like being scared. I like being involved in a film that will make audiences scared, that intrigues me.

Is the studio talking sequel yet?

I am already attached to a sequel. They have me if they want to make another one.


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