I was sitting alone at the bar, pondering. It was an off night, but knowing I was to play The Black Dahlia, I had to start my research somewhere. And so there I sat at the bar at one of the oldest Haunts in Hollywood, The Formosa Cafe. Above the bar, I was quickly scanning the old Hollywood glossy 8x10's of Audrey Hepburn and Walter Matthau to name a few. I couldn't help but go back in time, and recreate my own scenario of young girls in the 1940s, walking into this happening place hoping to get discovered. Jack the Ripper was known to whisper to prostitutes asking "Are you Mary Clarke?" Hollywood producers are no different. They instead would whisper to pretty girls, one of the biggest lies on the planet "I have a role of a lifetime for you."

"We need to work together, again" said the very beautiful dark-haired and big blue-eyed, Devanny Pinn. Although Devanny is known for being a B-Scream Horror Queen, to me, she exudes the old Hollywood feel of actress Loretta Young.  I looked at her after that comment, and said, "Um, ok." The only reason I answered that way is, although I did believe her, I still thought,  “If I had a nickel for every time someone said that to me. I would own an Island with no phones.” Well, Devanny Pinn and Brandon Slagle definitely gave me my nickels’ worth.  Brandon and his directing style remind me of Woody Allen. I enjoyed immensely receiving his mysterious e-mails with script notes. It is an actor’s dead sea scroll.

I received an e-mail from Pinnovating Productions in May 2012. For me,  the first time receiving a script feels like Christmas morning. When I read this title for the very first time, it felt like all of my favorite holidays rolled into one:

 "THE BLACK DAHLIA HAUNTING"

To research this character, I contacted Charlie Morfin, film noir enthusiast. I was a little hesitant walking in the footsteps of Elizabeth Short, but found myself at the Hirsh Apartments on Cherokee and Yucca; Apt. 501, where she lived. I knew by me meddling, Pandora's Box would start to open, again. This film had an effect on all of us in some way. I would be texting and emailing the director, constantly keeping him in the loop with all of my Dahlia notes. We never discussed it with one another, but in a small way, I knew we were all sleuths trying to resolve a crime that will never be solved. And at the same time, also make a movie.

My first day on set is something I’ll never forget. As I was slowly walked into this dark, unsettling joint, scanning the torture rooms with these extremely morbid gadgets,  I felt  a strong sense of outer body vulnerability. I was scared. I felt powerless. I was in The Dungeon, a real S&M Club in Los Angeles. While the crew was setting up,  a sadist walked into the room looking like she wanted to hurt someone. She asked Devanny who she will be cutting tonight, mistaking me for one of her victims. “No, no, no, no, this is a real actress. We are doing a real movie! No one is really getting cut! We just need a knife debriefing" says Devanny.  My frozen eyes locked right into Devanny's. Is this how Elizabeth Short felt seconds before she knew she was going to die?

Devanny and Brandon wanted to make TBDH as detailed and authentic as possible. This is a low budget psychological thriller/horror film about a young woman by the name of Holly Jenson (played by Pinn) investigating the murder of her parents by her blind younger brother (Noah Dahl). Holly encounters the spirit of Elizabeth Short, known in lore as The Black Dahlia. I’ve portrayed tortured souls before in films, and even though TBDH plot may be fiction, the way Short was murdered in this movie, was true. This brutal murder happened. And right then and there,  I knew the scene between Cleve Hall  (SyFy's monster Monster Man) and myself would be a test to my well being, and soul.

This is not a gore film from beginning to end, but with Adrian Marcato's brilliant FX, we make sure we educate the audience of Elizabeth's last moments with disturbing realism. I recently emailed Adrian and said "You will be so proud of your fantastic work... on my face!"

I was standing in front of Brandon and Devanny, and felt a smirk. Perhaps it was a little of the Dahlia taking over, but starring and watching them collaborate with one another,  I not only knew this motion picture was going to happen, I knew this experience would carve out our individual paths, indefinitely. The chemistry on this set between director and actor is something unexplainable. We are that team where Brandon would say “Action,” and we all worked hard! And when he said “Cut,” we all went out for burgers and beers afterward, and didn't even think twice.

These creative storytellers make movies about the unsettling side of reality. THE BLACK DAHLIA HAUNTING is their passion project. It was written in May 2012, shot in June,  and then edited throughout July and August.

"Move closer to the fire hydrant" said Brandon, who is slightly kneeling down, holding the camera and about to say "Action."  I was staring down at my black heels, as the orange sunset bounces off the green grass under my feet.  There was not this dramatic surge that ran across my bod, but I knew right here—exactly where I was standing—is where they found her body. Throughout my meddling, sleuthing, and Charlie telling me the secrets of old Hollywood, I always felt an unsettling and indescribable feeling in my gut when I started my Dahlia mission. And the unsettled sensation I felt during the shoot, was not an Elizabeth Short visitation. It was just her lingering presence of abandonment.

Side note:

• Fans who cannot live without the Syfy TV  hit show, GHOST HUNTERS: You’ll get a real treat watching Ghost Hunter  Britt Griffith playing Dr. Brian Owen. You can also look out for him in another up-and-coming Pinnovating  Production; THE ZODIAC LEGACY. Also in the movie is the lovely starlet,  Jessica Cameron (SILENT NIGHT) who plays Norma Jean, aka Marilyn Monroe.

• THE BLACK DAHLIA HAUNTING will be opening Shockfest 2012 at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles CA, and also will be screening at the Las Vegas Pollygrind Film Festival.

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MOVIES/TV - Fearful Features