An Interview with Tina Krause – Indie Scream Queen

Posted on by Grimoire of Horror

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Born in Queens, New York, in 1970, Tina Krause is an actress, writer, and director best known for her extensive work with W.A.V.E. Productions and other similar shoestring-budget independent producers. Beginning her career with Gary Whitson’s Sorority Slaughter (1994), Tina has gone on to star in around 140 projects, such as Bloodletting (1997), Titanic 2000 (1999), and the more recent Silent Night, Bloody Night 3: Descent (2024), to name a few. Additionally, Tina has a fair amount of experience behind the camera, writing and directing Limbo (1999) and the short The Answering Machine (2001), as well as directing Shock 2000: Snuff Perversions Part II (2000), and Tina Krause Captured (2001).

Being big fans of Tina’s work, we were excited to get the opportunity to chat with her about her past films, her upcoming work, as well as some of her inspirations.

Tina Krause filming for the documentary Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions (2020)

How did you get involved with horror films, Tina? Are you a fan of the genre?

Well, to tell ya the truth, I’ve always been a fan since I was a kid. My dad actually was the person to get me interested in horror. He would let me stay up late with him and watch all these horror movies kids my age weren’t supposed to watch. Not 100 percent sure but I don’t think my mom knew lol. The whole childhood story led into me acting and directing in horror films.

Any favorite horror films?

I have a few. I love Asian cinema as well as here of course… actually I have a lot. Lost Highway, Hereditary, The Thing, The Shining, I saw the Devil (asian), Tag (Asian), Audition (asian), [Tetsuo: The] Iron man (asain), Videodrome and of course the classics.. the list goes on

Besides acting, you have also directed. What was that experience like, Tina?

Stressful I mean its harder than one would think but I love it if I’m being honest. Look as a director your kinda responsible for everything and by that I mean if the picture looks like shit at the end of the day its your fault. Soooo yes its pretty stressful on the flip side you do control pretty much everything so there’s that.

Tina Krause in The Recovered (2008)

Could you tell us about “Penny Dreadful”?

Yes.. great flick you should check it out. The director was or still is I’m not sure, a teacher at NY film academy and I believe he was the little kid riding the bike in the beginning of Jaws. Don’t quote me lol

What was it like being in that film?

It was very professional and everyone was very sweet. Brian is a great director and an awesome person. I enjoyed working with him. Love your dogs Brian.. I’m still gonna put them on a shelf with the rest of the stuffed animals

What are you working on nowdays?

HA! Funny you should ask… So I’m the DP for a movie thats very pulp fiction meets clash of the titans call LUNA and PERSIA go to Atlantic City. I’m also shooting a new short in the summer called Mystery TV, its a dark comedy. In the future I have 3 scripts that I’m planning on shooting as soon as we get the budgets called Bughouse, Sundowners and Man-A-Kin and of course still acting in several things.

How have horror films changed over the last twenty years?

Oh boy well technology is a big factor in all of it but also mentality too. I feel like a lot of people lost style and just saw hey I got this phone or whatever camera but never learned how to really use it and more importantly never learned how to stylize there shit so tpo speak. Look now a days you can pick up anything and shoot but that doesn’t make it good and that’s what I’m talking about.

Tina Krause in The Vampire’s Seduction (1998)

Tell us about being in “Zombiegeddon”. Are you a fan of the George Romero zombie series?

hahaha we shot that segment in MA. I was working on another film in MASS. I think I was working on The Dinner, which I suggest you see by Jason Santos. So Jason shot this for me while trying to be a reporter being attacked by zombies… problem was, well.. no zombies, and no people so we thought okay sit in the back of a jeep … do med shots and drive like a maniac while I try to report and don’t fly out the back seat.

Do you always work with a screenplay in your directing or do you sometimes improvise?

I work with a screenplay, my scripts are complicated and intertwine with each other so I really have to follow a script

This interview was provided to Grimoire of Horror by John Wisniewski

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