Cinema Scholars interviews Lydia Hearst, star of the upcoming horror/comedy Slayers. The Avenue will release Slayers in theaters, On Demand, and Digital on October 21, 2022.
Introduction
If you heard the term “influencer” ten years ago, visions of spokesmodels or celebrity endorsements would probably come to mind. As social media has grown to dominate the attention of the masses, however, an entirely new breed of hype person has emerged. Social media influencers have become a lucrative force in the marketing landscape. From movies to makeup and everything in between, an endorsement from an influencer guarantees a product’s exposure to millions of followers. While many people born before the turn of the century may cringe at this new form of advertising, there is no denying the power these nouveau celebrities wield.
K. Asher Levin’s new pithy horror/comedy, Slayers, pokes fun at this new-ish phenomenon with a dark yet silly tale. In Slayers, a group of online influencers dubbed “The Stream Team” have been recruited by a mysterious magnate to help bring a younger following to his brand. Once ensconced at his remote New Mexico compound, the team learns all too quickly that their participation, though lucrative, comes with a hefty, and maybe even deadly, price tag.
Familiar Cues
Much like the spastic YouTube or TikTok posts the film openly mocks, Slayers is packed with visual fodder, pop culture reference, and attention-grabbing musical/sound effect cues. Cutaway sequences featuring a dizzying array of stock footage and stills are used to explain the film’s multiple backstories. Several obligatory needle drops throughout the film also nudge the narrative along in a distinctly modern way. Amid all the Gen Z signaling, a cast including Malin Ackerman, Abigail Breslin, Lydia Hearst, and the ever/charismatic Thomas Jane as a crusty badass help gel the Slayers’ frenetic feel.
As one of the more original offerings in the emerging “tech-horror” sub-genre, Slayers is also a fun, and funny, take on the classic horror/comedy. With tongue firmly in cheek, the film’s gore and scares firmly hold up, but the gold is in the legit laughs and amusing social commentary.
Cinema Scholars recently caught up with Slayers’ star Lydia Hearst ahead of the film’s world premiere at Screamfest. We talk about her longtime ambassadorship for the annual fest, finding the right tone in horror/comedy, and embracing the spooky side with her family.
Interview
Rebecca Elliott:
Hi, Lydia. Thank you so much for chatting with me today.
Lydia Hearst:
Oh my gosh, of course.
Rebecca Elliott:
I really appreciate your time. And I really enjoyed Slayers. It’s super fun.
Lydia Hearst:
Oh, thank you. Yes, we had a lot of fun making it.
Rebecca Elliott:
It sure looked like it! And I understand that it is premiering at Screamfest, and also that you’re an ambassador to the festival.
Lydia Hearst:
I am, yeah.
Rebecca Elliott:
It must mean so much to have your film premiering at the festival, especially as an official ambassador. How did that gig come about?
Lydia Hearst:
Oh gosh, I’ve been a long time fan and supporter of the festival. Many, many years ago, it must have been at least six years ago, an earlier horror film that I did called Condemned premiered there. That was kind of my intro into Screamfest. The second that I went, I fell in love with the festival and the people involved in running it. And also all the fans who were there, because it’s a true community of people who are passionate about the genre, supporting one another, elevating the art and the projects, and just really being there. It’s really refreshing and nice to see many friendly and now familiar faces. Everyone’s just there for the art, the creativity, and to really just, like I said, support one another.
Horror Community
Rebecca Elliott:
Oh yeah, there’s nothing like horror fan community. For such a morbid fascination, it’s really such a caring, amazing community. I always crack up at that irony.
Lydia Hearst:
Horror isn’t just slasher and gore. There’s so many subgenres and intricate stories with atmospheres that really draw you in. It’s not just the slasher. I mean, I was at a film last night that really had a heart behind it. I found myself sort of almost tearing up at moments because of the sentiment and the story that was there. It was really remarkable to see the audience’s reaction to these films as well. It’s a really wonderful community, and there really is something for everybody.
Rebecca Elliott:
It’s true! And horror, of all genres, somehow serves as such a perfect conduit for social commentary. It can bring in so many other themes. Like you were saying, dramatic themes all the way to horror comedy, which Slayers is firmly in the horror comedy sub-genre.
Lydia Hearst:
It definitely is.
Influencer Universe
Rebecca Elliott:
Slayers is about this supergroup of famous influencers that are sort of recruited by an evil syndicate. And, of course, the social commentary on influencer culture abounds. What are your thoughts on the whole influencer culture thing and how it fits into this particular universe in Slayers?
Lydia Hearst:
I mean, I’m always impressed and fascinated by influencers and the work that they do. I could not do that. More power to them. I think I’m a different mindset. I like going to work and being on set and doing my job. But then I also like going home and turning off and having the quiet time with my husband and my daughter and my dog and just shutting it off.
It was kind of fun to play someone really just so different from myself and who’s so consumed by the social media, not just Instagram, but the likes and the streamers and the subscribers and anything and everything that she can get from it. And it was obviously a bit tongue in cheek, because the people who do do those jobs, I know that they’re working really hard and they’re having to constantly generate content and create. But even just doing this for that movie, I sort of got to dip my toe into that world and I was like, “Oh my gosh, it’s fun and it’s exciting.” But I think I prefer just being on set and having other people give me the content and tell me what to do and I can breathe life into these roles. Then at the end of the day I get to go home and just be myself.
On The Job 24/7
Rebecca Elliott:
Exactly. Exactly. Let the publicists worry about getting everything out there and promoting.
Lydia Hearst:
Right. Right. I like quiet family time at the end of the day. I love my job and I love family time, so I try to just maintain that balance.
Rebecca Elliott:
Absolutely. Yeah, it is a lot of work for them. I did think it was hilarious how the film poked fun. But then also showed that, yeah, this is an actual job that they do where you can’t really clock out. And that they have real issues just like everyone else with a different kind of job.
Lydia Hearst:
Oh, exactly. We poked fun in it, but not in the sense like we weren’t making fun of it. We were having fun with it. So there is that difference there, which is what actually drew me to the script itself. Because there was nothing cruel about the nature of the story depicting the mainstream influencers. We really got to have fun with it and kind of make them our own and just elaborate on these characters. I mean, it was really remarkable, too, getting to work in the ensemble cast and just play off one another and have fun.
Work/Life Balance
Rebecca Elliott:
For sure. So, you mentioned you are a mom now.
Lydia Hearst:
I am.
Rebecca Elliott:
Congratulations. It changes everything.
Lydia Hearst:
Thank you.
Rebecca Elliott:
It seems like you have a billion projects coming up, too. I hate that it’s always a women who get this question, but I’m honestly curious. How do you do it? I’m sure you have help and a husband who pitches in too, but it must be tricky keeping that balance. And when you’re working in darker subject matter, I’m sure it’s hard not to bring a little of that home with you. Can you talk a little bit about working in the genre and then switching gears to come home to your family?
Unique Challenges
Lydia Hearst:
Yeah, it’s definitely got its challenges. But I mean, I’m so incredibly fortunate that I managed to work up until sort of the end of my second trimester of being pregnant. And then I was actually back on set eight weeks postpartum.
Rebecca Elliott:
Whoa.
Lydia Hearst:
So I really didn’t get much time off.
Rebecca Elliott:
Holy cow. That’s crazy.
Lydia Hearst:
It’s been a pretty remarkable journey. I work in horror, mainly in the indie world. So it’s fast and furious when you’re on set for a couple weeks or a handful of days. Just full-on deep in it with the emotions and the horror. And I think I’m lucky that when I do go home at the end of the day, work stays at work. I get to come home and see my husband and see my beautiful little girl, and it’s just really refreshing and nice. I don’t have to go away for extended periods of time, but I still get to keep doing what I love.
Sharing The Genre Love
Rebecca Elliott:
Are you going to be the type of mom that goes all out for Halloween with your little one? Or are you going to kind of shelter her a little bit at first? What’s your take?
Lydia Hearst:
I think I am going to go all out. My house itself is covered in props and memorabilia, so there’s really no sheltering her from any of that.
Rebecca Elliott:
Nice. I love it.
Lydia Hearst:
She already sort of seems like a little carbon copy of me, so if that still continues to stay true, I think she will be another lover of horror.
Rebecca Elliott:
And like we were saying earlier, it’s another conversation starter for all kinds of subjects and issues, so there’s that part of it too.
Lydia Hearst:
It is, yeah.
Balancing Horror and Comedy
Rebecca Elliott:
So Slayers is definitely a horror comedy, and it seems like such a tricky balance to strike. Can you talk a little bit about your approach to maintaining the tone where there’s this scary element to it, but also you’re playing it for laughs?
Lydia Hearst:
I’m not a comedian. I admire comedians and I think they’re really talented at what they do. For me, I sort of find it more ironic and funnier to play it a little more straight. To really embrace the character and breathe authenticity into that person. Don’t try to be funny. Just be however you want to be, and the comedy’s just going to come from those natural moments of you with the other actors living in that moment. Because the material was funny, the script was great. I mean, the cast was amazing. So just being there and getting to play and have fun is what really brought it to life and what made it funny.
Let’s Get Physical
Rebecca Elliott:
It kind of gets a little physical in this role. Are you the type of actress that likes to embrace the physicality? Or are you looking around like, “Where’s my stunt double?”
Lydia Hearst:
Well, a little bit of both. A few years ago I had a very unfortunate accident on set.
Rebecca Elliott:
Oh, man.
Lydia Hearst:
So I used to be full on, you know, do everything and anything. Since then I’m a little bit more careful.
Rebecca Elliott:
Good for you.
Lydia Hearst:
And especially being a mom now, and I have a lot to live for. I need to be able to come home and give my full energy and attention to my family just as I do when I’m on set. But I mean, I will do as much as I can within reason. It doesn’t make sense to hurt yourself, because then you’re putting yourself and the production at risk. I would never want to hold anything up or cause any issues on set. So it’s good to find that balance. It’s great to be eager, but it’s also important to know your limit.
Rebecca Elliott:
Totally. Well, I’m about to get cut off, but I just have one last question.
Lydia Hearst:
Oh no!
Inspirations
Rebecca Elliott:
I know! Gotta ask. Favorite vampire movie?
Lydia Hearst:
Oh, there’s a lot, so I don’t know. I really love the old timey classic Nosferatu. Also, I grew up a big fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. And of course Interview With the Vampire. You can’t go wrong with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater. I mean, all of it. Antonio Banderas. That movie had everybody.
Rebecca Elliott:
Oh yeah.
Lydia Hearst:
I love all of those movies.
Rebecca Elliott:
Great answer! Well, thank you so much, Lydia, for chatting with me again. I really appreciate it. Oh, and have a great festival! You guys are going to have a blast.
Lydia Hearst:
Thank you. It was great to chat with you too.
The Avenue will release Slayers in theaters, On Demand and Digital on October 21, 2022.
Read more Cinema Scholars interviews!
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