A horror/thriller about two teenagers who make a shocking discovery that not only threatens their friendship but also their lives. In a forgotten room of an abandoned asylum, they find a beautiful woman tied to a bed, and soon come to realize she is anything but dead.

BD: You’re looking to be in three upcoming horror films this year, is this a genre you like working in?

NS: The horror genre is by nature subversive. It works by constantly lulling and tricking the audience, and I'm all about overt manipulation. I'm the guy you don't want to buy a used car from, and I'm great at getting you out of jury duty...

BD: Do you find it difficult to work in horror as opposed to other genres?

NS: I really dig working in "genre" films. Working on genre movies is a joy, because so many of the rules are always there to back up your decisions. That said, when you know the rules, it's that much easier to break them. The specifics of working in a genre allow me to get into the archetypes and rules of storytelling. If I had my druthers, I'd work exclusively in Westerns, where the rules of good and evil are alive and well but the basics of civility and culture are tossed out the window. It's a world where Charles Bronson speaks through a harmonica and John Wayne, who stood 6'4", still wore lifts just to fuck with people. Warren Oates, the greatest actor ever, made Westerns with Peckinpah and told The Story Of Man again and again. All that said, the horror genre is one where similar rules apply, where we go to extremes and press the buttons of sensitivity. Horror movies tell us that it's always alright to be afraid, that you're never safe and that no one will save you. These are truths and it's my job to always try and tell the truth, even if it's fucking gross. Movies like DEADGIRL do that, much like Romeo's MARTIN, Fuller's WHITE DOG or Clark's DEATHDREAM did. Anything subversive, or absurd, like Dali, Buñuel or Peckinpah make my days.

BD: Of CHAIN LETTER, CABIN FEVER 2 and DEADGIRL, which was your favorite to act in and why? What are your roles in all three films?

NS: All the recent horror films I've done have offered me widely different experiences. CF 2 was, thanks to Ti (our director), a diverse experience that let us go beyond the rules of horror. There's a ton of comedy, action and farce happening all against a truly disgusting backdrop of gore. It's hyperbole, even down to my character, who comes across like JD from HEATHERS meeting Marty McFly in BACK TO THE FUTURE. It's a homage in the best way. DEADGIRL is an allegory, almost a fable, a cautionary tale. Trent Haaga, the writer, is a brilliant guy and we have a similar background and tastes. We both like the down-and-dirty, no-holds-barred honesty of the flicks of the 60s and 70s. It pulls no punches and asks that tough question, "What would you do if no one could stop you?" In both of those I got to work with Michael Bowen, a mentor of mine and one of the best actors around. He's taught me more than anyone personally about acting, about telling the truth even if it's inconvenient. CHAIN LETTER, done by the folks who did SAW, was a great experience in working with people who have offered a lot to the modern horror genre. It was a very tight, clockwork shoot and yet Deon, the director, allowed me from the get-go to turn the character into the kind of artistic bohemian you don't see in a lot of these teen horror flicks. I think that adds a little shock as the relationships and the mystery starts to unfold.

BD: How bloody are CHAIN, CABIN and DEAD? Will horror fans get a good share of gore?

NS: The upcoming movies are about as bloody as anyone could expect and emotional, as well. I can't say literally or figuratively but l I've managed to personally be "separated" from many things I "love", in more than one of those flicks. You can definitely read into that.

BD: How different is CABIN FEVER 2 from the first film?

NS: CF 2 takes a lot of the comedy and tongue-in-cheek satire from the first and really kicks it into high gear. This thing twists genres left and right, like Sam Rami and Peter Jackson did. It's an homage to teen flicks of the 80s, it's an homage to great horror flicks of the 70s and it brings in a new blood with left-of-center actors that make you keep watching, even as you cover your eyes because some of the stuff is unbelievably gross. In CF 2, I play a nice guy, under the radar at school, hopelessly in love with a chick destined to only be his friend. As things get a little more complicated between the two of us during Prom Night and the scariness kicks in, I end up having to "man-up", get the girl and try to save the day. All of these movies, especially CF 2, have gore that I didn't think was possible. There were gags we did that seemed so real I'd have trouble eating BBQ at lunch.

BD: NOBODY has heard of DEADGIRL yet, but I’ve seen it - and it’s effing awesome, what are your personally hopes for this movie?

NS: DEADGIRL keyed into some vibes I got from OLDBOY, which is one of my favorite movies of late. Chan-Wook Park is my current hero, I'd do anything to work with him. Along with STRAW DOGS and IGUANA, OLDBOY did a great job of examining basic human nature, the nature of masculinity and power and personal justice. It eschews the cultural ideas of "good versus bad" and makes it about a specific person. DEADGIRL does the same, and I sincerely hope people are scared not of what I "do" in the movie, but because who I "am". I want to remind them of the depths of their souls, their jealousy and pride. In DEADGIRL, my character, JT, is a delinquent, a lost kid, a piece of white-trash who can barely hustle and resorts to anger and violence. He's a guy who never had the option to make a big choice in his life, and the events of DEADGIRL let him take the reins and finally get some power. It's an important movie for me, because it examines how horrific being a teenager can be. Were you a fucked up kid? Did you wish chicks dug you? Did you wish that just once you had control, a little right to something, the right to be the boss? DEADGIRL put me in the position to answer those questions I've been asking since I was 13. These are real feelings in a surreal world and it helped me a lot, as terrifying as it was to dig down and bring up all that horrific truth and vitriol. I hope people see the movie as a metaphor and not just a horror movie. It's a great flick because it goes beyond the normal rules of the genre and shocks the audience into feeling sympathy (and maybe empathy) for my character. It's an independent movie in the true sense as well as a horror movie. I'm an "indie actor" who happens to be welcomed in the "horror world" and DEADGIRL does a great job of bringing the two together and broadening horizons. DEADGIRL managed to get gory in a visceral way. Along with blood came sweat, tears, bile mucus, semen and other viscous human liquids... Let's get fucking real with some fucked up shit.

BD: You have a heavy role in DEADGIRL, was it difficult carrying an entire film on your shoulders?

NS: I'm a big fan of keeping filmmaking fun, joking around and generally keeping in mind that age-old adage, "relax, it's only a movie". There was no room for kidding around on DEADGIRL. One of the most important choices I made in shooting was to not become friendly with Jenny, the actress who plays the "deadgirl". I'm a pretty easy-going guy, but I tend to really get into character, and knew that I'd be frazzled if I had to be a son-of-a-bitch one minute and my charming self the next. I asked the directors and our amazing stunt coordinator April, to dote on and care for Jenny and let me do my thing. She's a total professional and knew what she was getting herself into, and that sense of stability on her part helped me stay in my part. I'm a big fan of women, whether it be my mom (I have her tattooed on my shoulder) or my gal. I'm a traditionalist, and my respect of The Ladies has always gotten me far. All that had to be forgotten. Luckily, I've known some pretty scummy, chauvinist dudes who have shown me how not to act. History is rife with assholes who hate women. There was a lot to research and I ended up simply always doing the contrary action to what I thought was appropriate. It sounds silly, but I basically spent a couple months fighting my natural instincts to care about other people. To be honest, I scared myself by how much I enjoyed being "JT", but all that is in retrospect. More than my "relationship" with the Deadgirl, I reveled in being the Alpha Dog, The Boss, The Man.

BD: What else are you working on? Any more horror?

NS: As for these days, I just finished my first gig as a leading man and co-producer on QUIT, opposite Diora Baird. It's a black romantic comedy about a hipster couple who venture out into the desert to quit smoking.  Of course, the whole thing is one big metaphor for co-dependence and passive aggression. We shot in Joshua Tree, one of my favorite places on earth. It's like Mars with a Gram Parsons soundtrack. It was an amazing experience, Diora being simply the best actress I've ever worked with, and allowed me to begin a relationship with Nick Ebeling, the producer, who I've partnered with to make another film. The past year has been wild, with more romantic, leading roles that have been a lot more heroic than the nutty character roles that first gave me breaks. Mostly, I'm becoming really happy switching between the bigger, more epic films, like the WWII-era HESSEN AFFAIR and independent, fringe pieces like QUIT or DEADGIRL. If Chan-Wook Park, Monte Hellman or David Milch came calling, I'd flip out. Of course, I'd work with Rian Johnson (BRICK) until the day I die, given the chance. As for horror, the genre has been so good to me that I don't want to let it down.  I'd like to blend the horror films with other genres I like, such as Westerns or War films. Stephen Sussco is doing a re-imagining of Clark's DEATHDREAM which is set in present day with the Iraq war as a back-drop and that sort of thing really excites me, to the point that I guess I'm starting a little campaign for it. I'd like to keep investigating the horrors of mundane life, of basic experiences, whether they be rites of passage, historic events or personal relationships.  Great, unique horror films are hard to find and it's an honor and privilege to get the opportunity to further the genre, so I'll keep doing it as long as they let me.