Deadly Beauty: Horror’s Scream Queens and Rising Talent: Kelsey Zukowski

Deadly Beauty: Horror’s Scream Queens and Rising Talent: Kelsey Zukowski

“Kelsey Zukowski is an experienced and passionate screenwriter, actress, and model, specializing in the horror genre through dark examination. Based in Los Angeles, she has worked on productions across the country, working heavily in the indie horror scene in Chicago as well as LA. Zukowski is most well-known for penning and co-starring in the surreal dark drama, “What They Say”, winning awards at film festivals across the country. More recently her tale of real life horrors of bullying and abuse in the psychological slasher, “Words Like Knives”, premiered at Blood at the Beach festival in Virginia Beach. Zukowski is working on the feature haunted house film, “Within These Walls”, a gritty collaboration with filmmaker James Tucker, centering on a disturbing ghost story that brings out complete entrapment and relentless torment of one girl as she struggles to find her inner-strength (played by Zukowski).

Zukowski is a huge believer in all that the horror genre is capable of. She strives to dive in to the good and the bad, the light and darkness, that surrounds us, in a creative, justifying sense through the genre. She eagerly ventures in to other genres, but her home is in horror. Zukowski was heavily inspired at an early age by the Halloween franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and fellow Cleveland-native, Wes Craven’s surreal and ‘fighting through the mind’ brand of horror in particular.

Zukowski has a background in theater, having fallen in love with acting during a school production when she was 10. This love of acting proved to be a love of storytelling and the cinema in particular. When Zukowski was 14 she began writing film reviews, greatly inspired by the late Roger Ebert’s writing style and ability to relay the entire movie going experience in his reviews. While still in high school in Ohio, Zukowski’s film reviews were being published in the California-based newspaper, The Valley Voice. She has been a published film critic for the past 7 years writing for a variety of websites including Criticsword.com, HorrorYearbook.com, FilmArcade.net, DirectorsLive.com, TheCelebrityCafe.com, and 8th-circuit.com. She’s written TV recaps, music and movie reviews, news stories, and has conducted interviews with independent film makers around the world. She has covered and shown appreciation for all types of films from low budget independent to Hollywood mainstream and always eager to highlight foreign films or unknown gems.

Zukowski has a Bachelors of Arts in Digital Cinema with a concentration in Screenwriting from DePaul University. Shortly after graduating, Zukowski became involved with the independent film scene. Some of her earliest roles were in various productions of crime writer, Kevin Jamison’s intense serial killer depictions, the throwback horror anthology “Psycho Street”, and the Autumn Offering “Born Dead” music video, which aired on MTV2’s Head Banger’s Ball. From acting she bridged in to modeling, working heavily with alternative, pin-up, and glamor modeling. As in her writing, Zukowski is most drawn to thematic, stylistic modeling that has an artistic expression, human emotion, and creates a singular world within an image.”*

Location: Los Angeles, CA (originally from Eastlake, OH and was very involved with indie horror in Chicago for years).

1. How did you get into the industry?

A wonderful domino effect series of events. It really depends how far back you want to go. My passion for film and horror obviously are the fundamentals that caused me to get where I am, but I feel like a huge part of it was just meeting and being embraced by some amazing people in horror at the right time. I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Digital Cinema with a Concentration in Screenwriting in 2010. That’s really when I became actively involved with independent horror and decided to pursue acting. Being cast in one of gritty crime writer/director, Kevin Jamison’s films was a huge step. I got in contact with him after reviewing one of his films for HorrorYearbook.com, where I covered all kinds of indie horror films for years. Every project I was able to work on and each person in the industry I was able to collaborate with, just enabled me to become more and more involved. The more exposure I got from acting, the more writing opportunities opened up for me as well.

2. What Scream Queen inspired you most?

Well the big 3 are obviously Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Heather Langenkamp, the ladies of 3 of the most influential horror films to me. Psycho was the first horror film I ever saw. I was completely terrified and scarred at a young age. Halloween was really my “gateway drug” in to horror films; the first experience I had with something equally horrifying and fun. The series is a major staple of my young teenage years. I still get such a warm, fuzzy nostalgic feeling when watching it. Of course, A Nightmare on Elm Street still being my favorite horror film after all these years, made the biggest impact of all so I’m going to have to go with Heather Langenkamp as the scream queen that influenced me the most. She really stood out as a female heroine far stronger than most that were being depicted in slashers at the time. To this day I respect the hell out of Langenkamp for her portrayal of Nancy. Against all odds in her plight for survival, she mentally battled and trapped a villain like Freddy who’s the master of psychological power if only for the time being.

3. What are the next couple projects you are working on?

The project I’m most involved with and excited about coming up is ‘Within These Walls’, a gritty psychological horror film centering on my character trapped and alone in her own home. It takes away the disillusionment of your home being a place of safety and comfort as it now breeds evil and her own captivity. The film is a haunted house/ghost film more heavily rested in discomforting realism than most of the genre filled with shock factor and CGI effects. It’s full of nightmarish dream sequences that force our heroine to face her deepest, darkest thoughts as the unknown attacks her. She goes through a great deal of reflection and self-exploration as she is pushed more and more. It really is an example of the type of films I set out to create, those that push the genre to the fullest through creatively, dark examination, and compelling themes. We’re currently raising funds until August 3 through Indiegogo (although we are accepting direct paypal donations with a less restricted time frame that will go directly to the project). We greatly appreciate anyone who is able to donate to the project, perks include pre-ordering a copy of the film now! Thanks to any who are able to share or support, this is how we’re able to keep indie horror alive and thriving!

Within These Walls Indiegogo (with teaser trailer)
Within These Walls Facebook Page