I sat down with delightful actress Hayley Griffith, star of the hilarious new horror comedy Satanic Panic. Hayley filled me in on how some scenes were shot and how hard it was to make the movie while trying to keep a straight face. You see, Satanic Panic is a hilarious, gore-filled flick that is a ton of fun.
Hayley, who has also had roles in “The Mysteries of Laura” and “Law & Order SVU,” stars as Sam Craft, a young woman working her first night as a pizza delivery person. After a series of cheapskates, she is sent to a rich neighborhood. When she gets stiffed again, she goes to talk with the customer only to find herself in the middle of a satanic ritual, and she happens to be the virgin they need for the sacrifice.
Horror Fuel: “Let me say, I really enjoyed Satanic Panic. It’s a fun flick. It got a five-star review from us.”
Hayley Griffith: “Awe, thank you. It is insane.”
Horror Fuel: “I assume filming it was crazy as well?”
Hayley Griffith: “Ohhhh, yeah.”
Horror Fuel: “What was your favorite aspect of your character Sam?”
Hayley Griffith: “There’s so much that I love about her. She’s so sweet and kind-hearted, but the thing about her that I love about her is that that’s not the only thing about her. She has this level of badass in her and her willingness to survive. She’ll hit a kid in the face to remain safe and escape that situation. I like that she didn’t just succumb to what was happening to her. She’s really fighting for her life. I love the dynamics of her.”
Horror Fuel: “Sam is a great character. I love that even though she’s fighting to survive, she’s still kind and good-hearted. Do you see any of yourself in her?”
Hayley Griffith: “Oh, yeah. Sam is a little awkward, and I’m extremely awkward but in different ways. You want things to work out and try hard, but things don’t always go right for you. I think we have a lot in common in that kind of way. Like Judy, I think she cares about people and is very open. She wants to start a friendship even during this crazy night. She’s open and still wants to make a friend. I think I’m like that, like, ‘Hey, let’s be friends right now. Is this weird? I don’t care.’
Horror Fuel: “If I may ask, how did they pull off that scene with the sheet when it’s trying to go down your throat?”
Hayley Griffith: “A lot of it was reverse photography, which I didn’t know was a thing. It blew my mind when I learned about it. Basically, you shoot it in reverse. When I jump off the bed, it wraps around my leg and tapes around the back. They’d rip the sheet off, and then I’d have to jump back onto the bed like I was jumping off, which was very weird to figure out how to do so that my feet would look natural. When you play it forward, it looks like I was jumping off. In that scene, it looks like it was going down my throat – you have to be very aware of your blinking because it would show. They started with it in my mouth, and it would come out, and I had to look down. It was so complicated [laughter], but it ended up looking crazy good. I’m grateful that it looks really cool.”
Horror Fuel: “I would have never guessed. It looks so natural. You and the special effects team really did a great job.
Was it awkward to be strapped to that altar? It was such a crazy scene.’
Hayley Griffith: “Not extremely. I feel like with some people, it might be, but I don’t have a lot of shame [laughter] as a human being, so for me, I was like, ‘Yeap, okay.’ The crew was amazing and very respectful. No one came around that didn’t have to. In between takes, they covered us in jackets, and warming blankets, so we were covered the whole time except when we were filming. At that moment, that was the last thing I was thinking about. It made it easy. I thought, ‘Oh, I’m in my bra, and I’ve got my cooter out [laughter].’ It was pretty easy [laughter].”
Horror Fuel: “[laughter] I guess it’s not like you were alone [laughter]; there were dozens of people letting it all hangout.”
Hayley Griffith: “Oh my god, yeah. We were covered compared to them. I really have nothing to complain about. Seeing that, I’m like, ‘Nope, I’m fine [laughter].”
Horror Fuel: “That’s hilarious!”
Hayley Griffith: “They were super comfortable too. They were hanging out like it wasn’t a big deal. Oh, yeah. I have nothing to be embarrassed about now. These people are incredible.”
Horror Fuel: “Good for them. I couldn’t do it.”
Hayley Griffith: “Right? They just didn’t give a fuck. It was cool as hell.”
Horror Fuel: “In that scene where you are writing on your co-star, what were you writing?”
Hayley Griffith: “It’s Enochian language, which I believe is the language of the angels. The symbols protect against evil, so when I wrote it on her, it was to protect her from the spell. It’s crazy, I always thought it was just symbols, but no, it’s real. It was crazy to do that all over Ruby [Modine], poor her. That day of filming was insane for her. She killed it.”
Horror Fuel: “Yes, she did. The entire cast was fantastic. But I don’t know how you kept a straight face, especially during that “Killdo” scene.”
Hayley Griffith: “I didn’t [laughter]. Oh, my god! Yeah! When I read the script and got to that part, I was like, ‘Oh, my god! I have to be in this movie!’ That was so crazy, so absurd. That was something II’dnever heard of or even thought of. I was like, ‘I have to do this. I have to be a part of this.’ But it was so hard to keep a straight face, especially with Jerry O’Connell and AJ Bowen. Trying to keep a straight face was a nightmare because they made me laugh so hard. I’d have been like, ‘Please do their coverage first because I can not do it simultaneously. I’m just going to die laughing.’ It was so good.’
Horror Fuel: “Satanic Panic is hilarious. It’s such a fun movie. I can’t imagine trying not to laugh or smile on set.
If you had to give viewers a reason why they have to watch this film, what would it be?”
Hayley Griffith: “That’s hard. I would say because it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It’s just wild. It’s a crazy ride. And there are a lot of sweet messages in it about friendship. It’s got everything in it.”
Horror Fuel: “Those are a lot of good reasons. And they’re all true. It is a lot of fun. Another reason to watch it is that it’s a fresh take on the cult subgenre te haven’t seen. Plus, it’s a great movie.
Hayley Griffith: “It’s also really about women, which I think is a normal thing that’s not much and should be. People should watch it to support women. So, that’s another excellent reason.
Horror Fuel: “After this crazy, fun movie, what have you coming up next?”
Hayley Griffith: “Hilariously, I finished a movie in May that is a dramatic period piece. The very opposite of this movie. I just did that, and I’m hopefully auditioning for my next job, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
Horror Fuel: “That’s fantastic; I love period pieces. And we’ll be rooting for you. What’s the title?”
Hayley Griffith: “It’s called Martin Eden, based on a book by Jack London. It was set in 1912. It should be coming out next year, I believe.”
Horror Fuel: “I look forward to seeing it. It’s good that you get to do different genres. It’s not like you are repeatedly sitting in an office doing the same thing.”
Hayley Griffith: “Right? Oh yeah, it’s nice to have that. It’s all different; it’s enjoyable.”
Horror Fuel: “Hopefully, we’ll see more of you in the horror genre. I think you’re a great fit for it.”
Hayley Griffith: “I love horror, so it’s like, ‘Give me more!’ I want to be covered in blood again. Let’s do it!”
Horror Fuel: “What’s your favorite scary movie?”
Oh, god. I have so many. I love Train to Busan; that’s one of my favorites. I love the Halloween series; all of them are incredible. Evil Dead, the new one and the old one, are excellent. Jennifer’s Body, stuff like that. I love horror movies.”
Horror Fuel: “Those are great picks. I’m thrilled that you want to do more in the genre. When horror fans see you in Satanic Panic, they’ll beg to see you cast.
Are you going to be heading to any of the horror conventions?”
Hayley Griffith: “I would love to. I’ve always wanted to go to a horror convention. And now there’s even more of a reason to. Many of my friends are terrified of horror movies, but now I have people I can go with. I’m hoping that happens. I would love that.”
Horror Fuel: “You have to go to some conventions. They are awesome! Satanic Panic would fit right in.”
Hayley Griffith: “Oh, good. I was talking to AJ Bown, and he said, ‘Dude, you’d love it. You’ve got to go.’ I’m hoping that works out.”
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Satanic Panic arrives On Digital and On Demand on September 6, 2019. Watch it!