(Photo By Luke Fontana)
In an exclusive interview with Villain Media, actress Ashley Naglieri talks about the sequel, Slashening 2: The Final Beginning, and her upcoming projects. Find out what happens in the second installment of The Slashening and how Shakespeare’s last work gets the TROMAtic adaptation.
Five years after The Slashening, 22-year-old Madison Santangeli moves to Brooklyn to start a new life in the wake of her father’s suicide. Two decades after Tromeo and Juliet, Lloyd Kaufman and The Troma Team go “Back to The Bard” for a TROMAtic adaptation of Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest.
With her upcoming projects currently in post production, Ashley Naglieri talks about her passion for the creative process and what her previous experiences have taught her. Join us as we head into the actor’s studio and discuss the craft of filmmaking.
Villain Media: What initially inspired you to pursue a career in entertainment?
Ashley Naglieri: Growing up, I was always very passionate about film, theatre, and very curious about the creative process. I’d always make every effort to watch any interview or behind-the-scenes extras that were included on DVDs. Ultimately what convinced me was when I had the opportunity to attend the preview process for both a Broadway and an Off-Broadway production. It’s very common for there to be numerous changes made to the script, staging or choreography. When I noticed that, I was easily able to retain and differentiate these changes, it all kind of clicked.
VM: Tell me about your acting background. What kind of roles are you looking to play?
AN: First and foremost, it’s always important to be consistently pushing and maintaining yourself as a performer. So you have to stay fresh. Like mostly everyone else, I’ve spent many years taking various acting, vocal, and dance classes. Recently, I was out in L.A. over the summer, and worked with Mark Teschner, who is not only an extraordinary acting coach, but also a 9 time Emmy winner for his work as Casting Director for ABC’s General Hospital.
VM: I spotted you in the trailer of Slashening 2: The Final Beginning. What can you say about the movie?
AN: It’s a sequel to the first one. It is a smartly written horror comedy film from Brandon Bassham. It’s really hard to say anything more about Slashening 2 without potentially spoiling The Slashening for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. So if you haven’t, it’s definitely worth checking out as it’s one of my favorite films in this genre.
If you happen to be around Brooklyn this weekend, you can actually catch The Slashening on October 19th in a double feature with Fear Town USA at Film Noir Cinema in Greenpoint, as part of the Troma-thon of Horror. Bassham will be in attendance for an in person Q&A. If you can’t make it out, it’s also available to stream on Troma Now at watch.troma.com and available on Blu-Ray at tromadirect.com.
VM: What did you learn from the experience of Slashening 2: The Final Beginning?
AN: How to quietly scream, so as to not frighten the unsuspecting customers up above, who are unaware that we’re filming a movie in the basement of the coffee shop they’re in!
VM: What can you say about Shakespeare’s Sh*storm? How much of The Tempest — from the actual text to Cliff Notes — does someone need to refer to?
AN: At the moment, the official title is #shakespearessh*tstorm, which is Troma’s modernized, comedic take on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Bassham also wrote the script for #shakespearessh*tstorm; it tackles the opioid crisis. It features a terrific and diverse ensemble cast. It was specifically designed to be accessible for everyone, even if you’re not a long-time fan of Troma, or aren’t familiar with Shakespeare’s original source material. It’s very different and unique from anything that’s come before it, which I think is going to surprise a lot of people.
[Writer’s Note: The Villain Media Style Guide aims to provide an evolving set of standards for the internet and social media. Oh, you get the point!]
VM: What did you learn from the experience from #shakespearesh*storm?
AN: In addition to acting, I spent the majority of my downtime on set learning a lot from Lloyd Kaufman, about the technical aspects of what it takes behind-the-scenes to make a movie. As of right now, my main focus is just solely acting. But my experience and his encouragement have at least inspired me not to limit myself to any one specific career path.
VM: How can the readers of Villain Media find your movies?
AN: Both films are currently in post and due for release in 2020. We’re currently seeking theatrical distribution for #shakespearessh*tstorm. Look for more details about that in the coming months.
In the meantime, keep checking Troma on social media at twitter.com/troma_team & Instagram.com/tromateam. You can find the trailers for both films at YouTube.com/tromamovies, along with an exclusive Safespacia promo from #shakespearessh*tstorm, which we filmed in New York City at YouTube Studios in Chelsea Market.
VM: What are you working on now?
AN: I’m actually about to begin rehearsal this week for a short film from up and coming talent out of Long Island, which I’m really excited about!
Readers can stay tuned for news about that and future projects by following Ashley Naglieri at Instagram.com/ashleynaglieri.
[Writer’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Links are highlighted in bold.]