Image source: Netflix
“Hello is someone there?” Usually the last lines are the characters brave enough to go looking for a masked serial killer. In honor of the publication of Angststrasse: 1984, the first film on Netflix Scared street Trilogy, inspired by the book series RL Stine, Kiana Madeira sat down with POPSUGAR to explain how her character Deena overcomes typical horror film stereotypes in the best way.
“She’s a true heroine … There’s something so empowering about playing characters like her, especially when she’s not just a young woman, but a young colored woman and a queer young woman.”
“I was drawn to Deena because she is so passionate,” said Madeira. “She is extremely loyal, she is ready to go through such extremes to protect the people she loves. And that’s something I’ve really connected with. She is fearless. She is a true heroine … not just being a young woman, but a young colored woman and a queer young woman. “
Filmed entirely in the summer of 2019, the trilogy follows Deena and her friends as they set out to put an end to a 300-year-old curse that has supernaturally ravaged their small town. As Deena, Madeira leads the way, staying strong and resilient as she helps her friends escape bloody horror scenes while also coping with her own relationship with her friend Samantha, played by Olivia Scott Welch. Off-screen, the co-stars would often hear Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” a song that captured their on-screen relationship perfectly. “That was a song we used a lot to delve into our circumstances,” she said. “And even now, when I hear this song, I think about the characters we’re playing in Scared street and it is very important to me. “
Image source: Netflix
Although filming is complete, Madiera says that in her group chat she still stays in touch with her co-stars, including Benji Flores Jr. “Benji, who plays my younger brother in the film, feels like he’s in real life actually my little brother is. I love him so much, “she said, adding that alongside Ashley Zukerman, aka Sheriff Nick, he was also one of the biggest jokes on the set that led the cast to believe he was the only actor in a Set was supposed to pose by action hero dolls. “He was so serious about his delivery that we really didn’t know whether he was telling the truth or not,” she recalled.
The trilogy is a mish-mash of all of our favorite slasher films and is inspired by dynamic’s friendship dynamics The goonieswho have favourited The Terrible Events of M. Night Shyamalan The village, and the nostalgic 90s horror of movies like movies Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street. “You will find little Easter eggs that will definitely call you back to the classic horror scenarios,” Madeira said, adding that the creepy movie elements are no joke, especially when it comes to running away from the supernatural villains. “It’s not just like we’re doing three casual films; it’s three horror films and there are some crazy things going on in them. So it was pretty physically demanding, which I enjoyed.”
Madeira who is a big fan of the goose bumps Growing Up Books also mentioned that RL Stine stopped by one day during filming to share his praise and give everyone a dose of nostalgia. “He’s so amazing and supportive,” she said. “He told me he couldn’t imagine a better person playing Deena. And I thought, ‘Oh my god, this means so much to me.’ He was really encouraging to all of us, and he had such a calm demeanor too, which made it a lot less intimidating because he’s like a childhood hero to so many of us. Meeting him was a great experience. “
“I think something unexpected is that there really is a love story at the core of all three films.”
While Fear Street: 1994 is an adventure 1978 is full of heartache, and 1666 is “extremely dark”, the trilogy itself fits together wonderfully. At its core, Madeira reveals Scared street is a love story that for once focuses on LGBTQ + characters as heroes and brings an unexpected love and hope to an otherwise chilling series. “I think something unexpected is that there really is a love story at the core of all three films. I haven’t seen that too often in horror, and that love story is strong enough to last through all three films… It’s strong “It’s powerful, it’s authentic, and it’s unconventional compared to what we often see on screen.”
On a scale from 1-10, Madeira is considered a trilogy Scared street 10/10 in terms of scary, indicating that the third film is their favorite because of the dark, twisted plot and the imagination it takes to mentally go back to 1666.[Director Leigh Janiak] Doesn’t shy away from showing the horror, which in my opinion definitely pushes [the movies] “Plus, the things these kids go through are really scary, and I think it’s great that the pictures go hand in hand with that … I think real horror fans will be very happy.”
Image source: Brendan Wixted
