d3rang3d Interviews : Shey Bland

We've just been wowed by Dissolve Pictures brilliant Indie outing into the world of snuff, porn and zombies : Johnny Sunshine, Maximum Violence. With it's mix of ultra violence and dark hedonistic world, it's one to check out as soon as you get chance.

We couldn't stop at just a review though - we've lined up some interviews with cast and crew too! Here we give you Shey Bland, aka Johnny Sunshine :

d3rang3d : Can you tell us in your own words about your character, Johnny Sunshine?
                    
Shey Bland : Johnny lives for the kill fuck. She feeds off the adrenaline, the blood, the fear. She needs it. She's very vain. She wants to be looked at, watched, envied, 'cause she has the nerve to do what other people want to do, but can't. Flaunting her sex and power and knowing she inspires fear in people is a major rush for her. 

In her reality, she has two friends, so she's probably a little lonely, but this is her life, her world, and it can't be any other way. In a world where everyone watches each other for entertainment, Johnny's gonna make sure you can't look away.

d3rang3d : How cool was it to play someone like Johnny, who isn't bound by the normal rules and moral constraints of the world, someone where pretty much anything goes?

Shey Bland : Having the freedom to be a sick bitch with no consequences was a helluva lot of fun.  Plus, I made this movie with my friends, who were very encouraging and are just as sick and twisted as I am.

And let's face it, who doesn't love a little T and A? It's healthy.

d3rang3d : What was the hardest part of playing Johnny Sunshine?

Shey Bland : We only shot at night and on weekends because I was working full time and playing Roller Derby, so, spending the rest of my time mostly naked, covered in blood, in the dead of winter was a little tough. Not being able to wear a coat 'cause it'd mess up my bloody makeup and no heater cause it'd screw with the sound, trying to act with my friends snorting and laughing behind the camera in my eye-line. Thanks, guys!

Good times!

d3rang3d : Johnny certainly gets to play a lead part in some nasty scenes - the condom/crowbar/tied up chick made my wife cringe when she watched it. How did you feel playing in those kind of scenes?

Shey Bland : Well, maybe the girl in the scene didn't have as much fun as I did, but hey, what the hell? And there was gratuitous boobage, too.

Actually, even though everyone comments on the crowbar scene, the basement Zombie Show was more fun for me to shoot.    

d3rang3d : Johnny is one hard mean chick who it ain't a good idea to cross - do you share any of her traits in real life?
 
Shey Bland : Well, I have a black belt in Taekwando and have worked as a stripper and a professional dominatrix, so some of the role wasn't so out there for me. I like to entertain people, shock them and get a reaction. Really, Johnny and I aren't that far apart in a lot of ways. I haven't killed anyone yet, for example.

My parents taught me to be nice, but if nice doesn't cut it, then do what you have to, to control the situation.

d3rang3d : It looks and sounds like you all had great fun making Johnny Sunshine - any stories, funny or serious, you can share from the set?
 
Shey Bland : I wasn't there for this, but a man burst into the set while they were getting ready to shoot, yelling, "Where's my wife!!?"  One of the extras, a fake tittied zombie in full makeup, jumped up and ran for it. 
 
Okay, the guy who plays Stein in the movie is my real life boyfriend; we had been dating for about six months and our first scene together was the rape/beating scene. He punches me, tortures me, rapes me frontways, backways and sideways for like -hours, while all our friends and the camera are watching our half-naked selves go at it.
 
When we finally get home, absolutely vibrating from the day, we start all over again! 

d3rang3d : What's your favourite moment in the film?
 
Shey Bland : The basement Zombie Show. Hands down. I look like a Mortal Kombat badass!

d3rang3d : Who do you most admire in the world of movies and why?
 
Shey Bland : I really can't answer that, I grew up immersed in movies. My parents collect movies, memorabilia, scripts. I've seen so many movies from every time period and genre. My family is into horror and the bizarre and yeah, they're a little eccentric, but it gave me broad appreciation of so many actors, directors and production designers, etc., etc, etc. I just can't be limited to one example.
 
I admire the world of movies and the work it takes to make them.
 

d3rang3d : Have you any new projects currently underway - when can we expect to see you back on our screens?
 
Shey Bland : Dissolve pictures will be releasing a new movie called Arkane this year. I play the "Dark Woman." I've worked on other productions in the art department and plan to keep going, whether in front of or behind the camera.
 
Who knows? You might even see Johnny back on your screens again!

d3rang3d : Any final words? Anything goes, the mic is yours :
 
Shey Bland : I spent three years in New York trying to find me and what I wanted to be. In a way, I did, but I had to come back home to realize it. I'd like to say thank you to my family, and my friends who are family. I wouldn't be me without you all. I'm very excited about this movie and I hope the people who see it enjoy it. The feedback has been positive and awesome. I think Johnny Sunshine: Maximum Violence proves what you can accomplish with hard work and imagination. We didn't have a lot of money, but we had lots of that.
 
And a lot of fun.
 
Absolutely no regrets. 
 
I am Johnny Sunshine.