Big announcement! Lynn Lowry to play the role of Detective Karen Charwinsky for the film, Into the Basement.
This is based on my first novel written a few years ago. I wrote the screen play with Nick Grabowsky. It’s been an up and down ride as we had financing, lost it and here we are on the up swing again. I’ve taken bits of information from Lynn’s web page to share with everyone. She has done some classic horror movies. Two are my favorites, Cat People and Shivers (one of my all time favorite movies).
• Schism (2009)
I became a Playboy Bunny at the Atlanta Playboy Club. Because I was so thin, they called me Bunny Mia (after Mia Farrow) and had me play bumper pool. Leaning over the table gave you more cleavage.
My bunnydom didn't last very long. With only $40 in my pocket, not knowing a soul in the very Big Apple, I moved to New York City to do what I knew I was meant to do… ACT!
One day, in 1970, I was at an audition for a film entitled "Joe" (Susan Sarandon got the part). While I was waiting, I met a young man embarking on his first film project. He told me they were supposed to start filming in a couple of days and had just lost their lead actress. The director was Lloyd Kaufman, and Lloyd asked me to do the role of the "Dream Girl" in his film, "The Battle of Love's Return." I accepted. Our working relationship was so wonderful, Lloyd later asked me to star in "Sugar Cookies."
Shortly after completing this fi1m, I was called in one day to audition for David Durston who was directing "I Drink Your Blood." The movie was already cast, but David thought I was so beautiful and had such a unique look that he put me in the film anyway. A very special role was established for me, even though it was never actually written in the script… Carrie a mute hippie.
In 1973, I did "Sugar Cookies" and I'm always asked about the relationship with Mary Woronov. Mary is a delightful lady and a very interesting actress. It was a terrific experience working with her and I'm only sorry that I never had the opportunity to work with her again. The lesbian relationship we created was simply a creation and the nudity integral to the plot. This was the first time I had to do extensive nudity.
I was reading backstage, one day in 1973, and I saw that George Romero was casting his new film, "Code Name Trixie." George is, of course, famous for his classic "Night of the Living Dead." They were looking for a sweet, young girl who goes quite crazy, and the film eventually became known as "The Crazies." After several days of grueling auditions and going quite mad, I was cast as Kathy. It was a wonderful experience working for George. He is very easygoing and always interested in the actor's ideas. People have often told me that one of their favorite moments on screen is my death scene. I am shot by the soldiers and simply say "Oh!" When George first asked me to do it that way I was reluctant, because I wanted to have a long, dramatic, drawn-out death. However, I realized after seeing the film, that the simplicity and purity of that one sound was far more powerful. I loved working with George. We stay in touch and have been talking about doing another project together. Blue Underground has released a beautiful DVD of "The Crazies." There's a wonderful 15-minute interview on my career, titled "Cult Film Legacy of Lynn Lowry." I'm very proud of it and I hope you get a chance to view it.
I was a close second for the role of Allison in the daytime soap opera "Peyton Place" and, in 1974, the same producers cast me in "How To Survive A Marriage." It was exciting having Brad Davis as my boyfriend, Armand Assante as my co-worker, and F. Murray Abrahms as my boss.
In 1975, Ivan Reitman called me from Canada and told me they wanted me for David Cronenberg's "They Came From Within," aka "Shivers," to be shot in Montreal. This was a most thrilling experience, working with Cronenberg and visiting Canada. It was a hard film to make, though. Night shoots, dealing with the parasite, and working with certain actors proved to be difficult at times. But, the end result provided me with my favorite cinematic moment of all my films. I was not supposed to be in the last scene of "Shivers" that takes place in the swimming pool. But, after they had flown me home, David decided it would be a brilliant choice to have me give Paul Hampton the parasite. When I come up out of the swimming pool, I play a beautiful, sensual, very scary nurse Forsythe. That is my favorite image of myself. And, of course, I have David to thank for that. He was a magnificent director and I loved working for him. I had always hoped there might be a "Shivers 2," since no one really knows what happens to us. Any fans with ideas please e-mail me. Who knows? We could make a movie.
In the next couple of years I did two more soaps, "Lovers and Friends" and "Another World." Both were for NBC. Neither was a very exciting role or experience, but it's always great to work.
I did get an agent who called me one day with an audition for "Cat People." I only have a three-minute scene, but I was paid more for this than all my other acting jobs put together. One reason for this was that I did my own stunt work. This was my first (and last) big Hollywood movie and the brutality of shooting this scene was surprising. I had to fall on my knee so many times before they were able to get the cat paw under the bed to work correctly that I could hardly walk. The same was true of the fall down the stairs. I was cut by nails that were left in the carpet, rug burned from the fall, and bruised so I could hardly move. The indifference and insensitivity from the people in charge was amazing. But that's HOLLYWOOD!
I did a few things after that… a TV movie "Shoot First," "A Cop's Vengeance," "Disney's Wild Side," a role in "SOB" (that was mostly cut out), a lovely role in an Ivan Passeur film, "Pretty Hatties Baby" (that went into litigation and was never released), another soap opera called "Generations," a short "Mr. Man Works Out" (directed by John Pleshette.
For the past several years, I have been pursuing a career as a singer and I now have a jazz trio that works at different clubs around LA California.
Well, my friends, I am enjoying being a cult film star and having my work recognized by all of you. The new releases of "I Drink Your Blood" and "The Crazies" have brought me back into the limelight again.
Ever, Lynn
