PopHorror Let's Get Scared
One of my most anticipated indie films this year is Matthew Packman’s, Morbid Colors. I’ve been promoting it since day once and it just looks phenomenal. I was happy to interview Kara Gray and Lanae Hyneman, the stars of the film, ahead of its Fall release.
Synopsis for Morbid Colors
This is a tale of two foster sisters forced to hunt down a wealthy socialite (Cindy Maples: Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories) believed to have infected the elder sibling with vampirism.
PopHorror – Hi ladies, It’s great to talk with you both! What made you want to get involved in the film industry?
Kara Gray – Hi, thank you so much for doing this piece! I’ve been a theatre actress for some time now, and like most out there I’m a giant film & tv buff. The transition into indie film seemed like a natural progression for me; I’ve loved acting for so long why not try it out in all its forms?
Lanae Hyneman – This is actually my first film role. I come from a small theater background.
PopHorror – Do you prefer being behind the camera or in front of it?
Kara Gray – I’m definitely an actress first, so being in front of the camera is where I feel the most natural. However, producing on this film and being a director in the theatre world has me excited about the possibility of expanding my time behind the camera.
Lanae Hyneman – Both take a lot of hard work and dedication. Kara and I both got to do behind the scenes stuff while making Morbid Colors. I’d say I’m more comfortable acting though.
PopHorror – Kara, what was the first film you worked on?
Kara Gray – Oh my gosh, I honestly can’t even remember the name of it. I know that sounds awful, but as many in the world of indie film know, some projects just never see the light of day. I started out doing bit roles in several short films around the southern Indiana area and it just spiraled from there.
PopHorror – Your new film Morbid Colors is a horror thriller. Do you enjoy this genre?
Kara Gray – I absolutely love it! Horror is actually a pretty popular genre to make in this area, so I’ve done mostly that. There’s something very exciting about stepping out of the bounds of your normal life and playing around with fake weapons and blood.
Lanae Hyneman – I’m a big horror fan, so working on Morbid Colors was quite the experience. Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror thrillers ever made. Definitely an all time favorite movie for me.
PopHorror – How did you ladies get involved with this film?
Kara Gray – I was lucky enough to get the request from Matthew directly. We had met previously, and he had me in mind when he started to formulate this project.
Lanae Hyneman – After Kara auditioned with Matt and got the part of Myca, he told her he was still looking to cast Devin. She referred me and the rest is history. I’m thankful to Matt for giving me the part, but ultimately I owe it to Kara.
PopHorror – Can you tell us about the film?
Kara Gray – The best way to describe Morbid Colors is that it is a twist on a classic vampire movie. There are real monsters in this movie, they just might not be the ones you expect.
PopHorror – Can you tell us about your characters?
Kara Gray – I play Myca, a girl who has had a pretty tough life since she was a child. Without giving too much away, I’ll say she’s a chronic runaway, an addict who ends up in a terrifying position that starts to transform her into something she never thought possible.
Lanae Hyneman – Devin had a rough childhood, but is still kind and loyal. So loyal that it gets her into trouble. She blindly follows Myca on this journey willing to give everything to help her.
PopHorror – Kara, can you relate to your character at all?
Kara Gray – Myca and I are definitely wildly different. However it’s not too difficult, as a woman, to take any bottled up anger from previous misogyny in all its forms and push that anger right into the character.
PopHorror – Kara, what are you looking forward to most of all regarding this film?
Kara Gray –I’m just looking forward to everyone’s reactions. Yes this is a horror thriller, yes there are vampiric elements, but there’s a lot more to it. It’s a movie about relationships, co-dependency, what abuse can do to a person, and how all of these things can have a spiderweb effect to them.
PopHorror – Lanae, do you have any favorite scenes?
Lanae Hyneman – I have a couple of fight scenes that were a lot fun to film.
PopHorror – Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?
Kara Gray – Right now we’re focused on finishing up Morbid Colors and getting it ready for a festival run, but who knows what 2020 may bring!
Lanae Hyneman – As of right now this is my main focus. Hopefully, because of amazing this film is, it will open some doors for me. If not, I got to make something with my best friend and it was great.
