10 years ago, whilst thumbing through Fangoria Magazine (remember that?), I came across a full page ad for an indie horror film called "Chainsaw Sally". Being a sucker for punk/goth/sexy, I looked for, and eventually rented, the DVD.
Indie horror, for me anyways, changed.
A long and fanatical relationship with Sally Diamon was started with that little low budget gem. And who knew that the woman who brought Chainsaw Sally to such vivid, bloody life would be such a sweetheart (her husband ain't bad either)?
Gorgeous, talented, and a complete bad-ass, April sliced and diced her way through two sanguine soaked seasons of “The Chainsaw Sally Show” and cemented her place in the pantheon of indie horror icons. Often copied but never equaled, the Sally character was the sexy, fem-powered, semi-cynical/semi-sweet shot in the arm the genre needed at the time. No “final girls” here, a violent, unhinged female protagonist broke the decades old rule of women in horror falling into two categories: the frightened cupcake or the avenging bitch-goddess. Combining over-the-top gore, in-jokes, nods to writer/director JimmyO’s favorites, and genuinely funny gags (for horror fans, I’m thinking “normals” might not laugh as hard), “The Chainsaw Sally Show” pushed the envelope of what a web-series could accomplish. Season 2 upped the ante, featuring a much darker tone and more focused stylized writing, and April transitioned like the seasoned performer she is, showing off a range only hinted at before.
Not resting on her laurels, in between all of the above, the amazing Ms. Burril also teamed up with genre legend Debbie Rochon for “The Good Sisters”, a superb little slice of erotic/occult nastiness that remains one of my all time favorites.
April seems to shine in everything she’s in, check out: “Silver Scream”, “Post Mortem, America 2021” or “The Hospital” and others if you don’t believe me!
I’ve met, interviewed, and basically bugged the shit out of April for most of her career thus far (I own a grand total of 14 items bearing her signature, I cherish my signed chainsaw!) and she’s always been gracious, friendly, funny, intelligent and charming as fuck. I think I may own the largest collection of Sally memorabilia in private hands! April, JimmyO and the fam are truly fans-making-films-for-fans-that-fans-will-love, more than earning the “First Family of Indie Horror” moniker I tagged them with years ago. Long may their particular freak flag fly, and here’s hoping for more Sally adventures to come!
See that sweet-ass one sheet poster up top there? I own one of those too, signed by everybody…
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