The Carmilla Movie and your two favorite web-series starlets
Fellow gals of Fan Girl Land, I know you’ve been eagerly and anxiously awaiting this moment for quite some time now—just like I have! The wait is just about over and The Carmilla Movie is coming THIS month!
Last we left off the #Hollstein ship was making their way out of a cavernous hole in the ground after saving the Silas University campus, and basically the entire world from eminent doom. The Carmilla girls, Laura Hollis (Elise Bauman) and Carmilla Karnstein (Natasha Negovanlis) have seen their fair share of rough times over the series’ three epic seasons on the KindaTV YouTube channel, but through all the heartache, battles and quirky sentiments, it was always obvious that these two were simply meant to be together.
I was fortunate enough to hang with the Carmilla cast at the New York City Comic Con this month to discuss the release of The Carmilla Movie, where they reprise their famous roles from the show. We teamed up with the wonderfully amazing ClexaCon – A media and entertainment convention for LGBT women and allies, where the #Hollstein duo returns in April 2018 in Las Vegas – to get your burning questions about the movie answered!
The film begins with the dynamic duo in their cozy relationship five years after they vanquished the apocalypse and Carmilla became a bona fide human. So what were they doing in those five years post-earth ending drama?
“They finally get to see Paris,” said Negovanlis. “Once it was all said and done they got to travel. Carmilla also became super supportive of Laura’s career. She’s just enjoying human life.”
While the girls are enjoying a rather picturesque romance with all the apocalyptic nonsense in the past, Carmilla begins to feel the urge for blood again, and the prospect of re-vamping becomes a reality.
“There’s a bit of lightness, especially in the beginning of the film, a sense of happiness,” said Negovanlis. “She begins to feel what an addict feels. After all, she was a blood addict for three hundred years.”
“It starts out very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” said Bauman. “You can see Laura shift to experiencing the actual fear.”
The Carmilla Movie has all the elements of the series but has taken on some exciting new endeavors. We’ve been so mesmerized by that one camera set-up in Laura’s dorm room and then in the pits of the Silas library that can we even imagine actual camera movements, dancing and fight scenes? It’s like the holiday season has graced us two months early!
If you caught the newest trailer, which was released at the NYCC just a couple weeks ago, you will notice changes in scenery, exterior shots, some action, and yes, ball gowns!
“They were remarkably comfortable to wear,” said Negovanlis. “It wasn’t about the dresses themselves, but way back when they had to wear horrible things under them. We didn’t have to do that. There was, however, a bit of a power struggle as to who was leading.”
As some, if not most, of you Creampuffs know, the film also stars Dominique Provost-Chalkley, best known for playing Waverly Earp, the other half of the queer ship #WayHaught, on the SyFy hit series, Wynonna Earp. Only this time she’s not the bubbly, shotgun-slinging, brainiac we all know and love.
No! She plays Ell, Carmilla’s centuries old ex-girlfriend who’s come back to clean up some loose ends. Also, may I mention, she gets to show off her sexy, and authentic, British accent.
“This isn’t a love triangle at all,” said Bauman. “With Ell coming back, she doesn’t try to sabotage their relationship. She’s trying to figure things out from where her old life left off. It’s interesting, Laura and Ell’s characters sort of mirror each other in a sense.”
“Dom [Provost-Chalkley] was so wonderful,” said Negovanlis. “She was absolutely perfect for this role and we clicked really well.”
Badass female leads, masquerade balls (and ball gowns), perhaps a fight scene or two and some sexy lady-loving action. It has the whole package.
“This film is reaching a broader spectrum,” said Bauman. “This is a love story. We don’t have to start telling love stories differently because we’re all humans. Whether it’s two women, two men, or a man and woman.”
“ClexaCon was the best con experience,” said Negovanlis. “We got to really connect with our LGBTQ audience, which meant so much. It would be great to screen the film there for them.”
“Carmilla will always be inside of me,” added Negovanlis. “I have a love affair with her. I will miss her so much because I love her deeply.”
And we just adore her too!
If you live in Canada, do we have some awesome news for you! On Thursday October 26th The Carmilla Movie will be screening across thirty cities. As a Cineplex Events exclusive, theatrical screenings of the film will feature additional footage that will not be available on streaming platforms. So if you live in Canada, I’m super jealous.