McIntosh graduate appearing in several low budget horror films

by Michael Boylan

Plenty of big time Hollywood actors have had inauspicious starts in the industry. For instance, both Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger appeared in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation,” and many would admit that both have gone on to bigger and better things. Sarah Hall, a 2000 McIntosh High School graduate, has made several movies, none of which have been released yet. While two of the three are straight to video releases and the other has no scheduled release date, Hall sees these films as a starting point.

“These movies are so much fun to do,” Hall said, adding that she has learned a lot on the set of all three pictures.

“When a Killer Calls,” is due to be released to Blockbuster video stores next Tuesday. The plot is similar to the current release, “When a Stranger Calls,” but is more gory than the version currently in theaters. Hall, daughter of Mike and Debbie Britt of Peachtree City and Randy Hall of Atlanta, plays Chrissy in the film. The producers at Asylum Pictures liked her work so much that they cast her in “Dracula’s Curse,” due out at video stores in April without needing an audition. The first film that Hall was a part of was a movie called “Things You Don’t Tell,” which is still in post-production.

“One interesting thing about my role in all of the films is that my character either dies or gets beaten in all three,” said Hall, who took stage combat classes while studying her craft post high school. She attended Georgia State University for a year before leaving to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City for two years. Upon graduation, Hall left for the west coast and has lived in Hollywood for a little over one year.

“At first I hated it out here,” Hall remarked. “The greedy attitude that a lot of people have just stinks and people are just out to be seen. Even the dentists have head shots. It’s just really weird.” Hall then admitted that she has gotten used to it and has grown to love it out there. During the day she auditions for roles and takes classes and at night works as a bartender. The night job gives her the flexibility to pursue her dreams and gives her time off if she is on location shooting a film.

Anyone who knew Hall when she lived in Fayette County shouldn’t be surprised that she is pursuing an acting career. She appeared in shows at McIntosh High School and worked with Fayette Community Theatre and Offshoot Productions, as well as doing work in Atlanta with the Alliance Theater.

In addition to her current film work, Hall has appeared in a video for an indie band, The Cobras, and has also had a small part in a commercial that plays before movies in California movie theaters. While she is excited about all of her appearances, she is most proud of her work in “Dracula’s Curse,” which gave her the chance to show off her acting chops (her character has a British accent) and also showcase her combat skills. While Hall doesn’t want to get typecast in low budget horror films, she hopes to appear in more action oriented and thriller films in her future.

The budgets aren’t the only things that are smaller with the horror films that Hall has appeared in. The shoots are typically not as long as big budget features and in scenes like her death scene in ‘When a Killer Calls,” because of the mess involved, the crew is hoping to get it in one take. Hall recalled that a typical day of shooting lasted from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. because so much of the films took place at night in creepy conditions. While on set, Hall learned a lot about producing a movie, especially the amount of work that goes in to creating special effects. She has also made friendships, which she feels is one of the most important parts of trying to establish a career in film.

“Even Spielberg was a film student once,” said Hall, adding, “so it’s important to stay close to people as they continue their work.”

The day after the interview for this paper, Hall was scheduled to audition for a role in a Japanese commercial that required her to use numchukus. She trained all weekend long with a guy who had worked with some top martial arts actors and actresses, hoping to get the part. If she is successful, she will go on location to Thailand to film the commercial.

She may not be on stage accepting an Academy Award just yet, but Hall is laying the groundwork for a successful career and having a blast doing it, which is the most important thing.

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