Indie Queen: Susana Gibb

SUSANA GIBB has always brought depth to the myriad of roles she’s undertaken, leaving us with a sense of wonderment each time. Her ability to develop the complexity of characters defines her as a performer. Be it as a damsel in distress or as a perky housewife, she instills a soulfulness that’s consistently riveting. Could it be those ravishing green eyes of hers that keeps viewers coming back for more? With her snagging a part in the upcoming TV Series “Dallas” (continuing the tradition of classic soaps), watch for her to rise in prominence pretty soon.

SUSANA deserves praise for her portrayal in “The Other Side Of Paradise”, a gem of the independent scene. She added much offbeat charm to the road comedy starring fellow actress Arianne Martin. By far in one of the best indie stories I’ve seen, to be in awe of SUSANA’s is alluding to the bundles of talent she displays onscreen. On a day when i received close to 200 Birthday greetings where SUSANA was one of the first to post on my facebook wall, she deserves some love in return with this feature. She has also appeared in the much vaunted film “Earthling”, the trippy tale of aliens donning human form and proves yet again how comfortable she is in a host of genres. Accolades should be just around the corner for SUSANA…:)

Rising Starlet: Carolyn Jania

Sumptuous as a peach, CAROLYN JANIA is more than capable of creating an instant connection with viewers. This lissome cutie with the eye-skimming bangs that effortlessly accentuates her photogenic cheekbones also has an illuminating, heart-melting smile. If you’ve made your way to Shriekfest 2011, then the twisted thriller “Opus” has to be high on your watch list as CAROLYN will also be since she’s one of the female leads. A recognized improv comedienne, she uses those very skills in the improv-driven “Opus”, only this time however it’s no laughing matter. Playing Sandy, the wide-eyed aspiring indie horror starlet, her dreams of making it big might end in tatters when she unknowingly falls victim to a deranged director as will seven others. It’s a privilege to be in contact with CAROLYN as well as Miss Kandice Melonakos (whom i’ve already blogged about), co-stars of such a unique film that dispenses with scripts instead allowing the actors to flesh out their characters naturally.

Have a look at this graceful actress in some of the features she’s done including the tease of her short film “The Diary Of Eloise Painter” at the CAROLYN JANIA OFFICIAL SITE. Industry insiders are noticing how astute she is as a talent, able to convey a fearless depth whenever and wherever she’s called to perform. CAROLYN has already dazzled on stage and it won’t be long before she propers on the independent scene.

Indie Horror Queen: Manoush

MANOUSH stands on her own as a character actress in Horror with an unabashed attitude who has over the years embodied villainous personas with distinction. You won’t be seeing her as the victim in her 40+ films instead unrestrained depravity is the order of the day in MANOUSH’s performances thus far. Her wicked ways as the dominatrix and snuff filmmaker Olga in the much talked about “The Super” is a descend into immoral pleasures, i.e. the act of killing for profit. She excelled as the symbol of domineering feminity, reminiscent of her brilliant turn as Lady Boss Madame Fabienne in the violent “La Petite Mort” who has a bloodlust for hacking off human parts including a dude’s manhood. While gorehounds revel in the terror of the movies she’s been in, it’s the atmosphere of foreboding created by this Swiss-born German actress that’s ultimately resounding.

Humbly unpretentious and deeply passionate for horror herself, MANOUSH is a talented lady who audiences can most definitely relate to. Let me tell you she loves to have a bout of cussing once in a while and not averse to laying bare her opinions on current affairs. Case in point her grouses with the socio-political climate on Facebook, giving her two cents worth regarding the Southwest Airlines/ Leisha Hailey girl-on-girl kiss incident…can you believe Leisha got kicked off the plane for that! MANOUSH can sure rumble with the best and her straight-rule, tell it like she sees it grievances on worldly issues is genuinely remarkable…makes me wanna rid the universe of injustices too!! Lauded as a genre icon, she’s exhibiting a unique depth not only on celluloid but as a person and conversationalist. If you’re looking for an authenticity in a performer then MANOUSH delivers it full on.

Hot Blonde Vixen Of Summer: Jenn Gotzon

When talking about Impact Performers, there’s one lady generating tremendous buzz, so much so her name was ranked #2 on IMDB’s Starmeter only a few weeks ago. I’m referring to the delectable JENN GOTZON who also captured the #1 spot above Natalie Portman in a ranking of top actresses based on search results of her name. As we know, popularity on the IMDB site can be fleeting but it is a wonderful achievement for JENN who industry insiders compare her onscreen presence as on par to a young Meryl Streep. JENN most certainly has that endearing likability that befits a blossoming star in the making. If you’ve already a fan of hers on Facebook, you already know JENN is appealingly sweet even commenting how cool it was that I was featuring her here. For an actress of her stature to interact with fans is invaluable..isn’t it any wonder my huge affection for blondes keeps increasing exponentially…:) This week alone, two trailers of her upcoming films were released which will exhibit her divine loveliness and charming versatility. On the strength of her upcoming feature “Doonby”, JENN GOTZON is at her sassy best as a worldly daughter of a wealthy doctor who becomes weary of life’s trappings until an enigmatic drifter brightens it up. The mysterious man in question is played by John Schneider of Smallville fame and his gruff yet laid-back exterior kind of reminds me of Michael Landon from the TV series “Highway To Heaven”. I can’t wait for the sparks to fly between JENN’s delightful character Laura Reaper and John’s Sam Doonby, the outsider seeing how the two of them have boundless chemistry!

She’s primed to leave you smitten in a host of features such as the French/Indian war drama “Alone Yet Not Alone” and an intriguing cyber-war thriller “Dragon Day”. Be sure to keep up with her latest exploits at the very informative JENN GOTZON OFFICIAL SITE. Stirring turns in “Frost/Nixon” and “Stained” launched her as a sought-after screen siren and her consistent ability to bring out the emotional depth in complex roles is quickly becoming a crowd-pleaser. With no-less than 30 indie films under her belt, she’s living the dream and is encouraging others to do the same via her motivational mentor-outreach program, “Inspiring Audiences”. She’s the irrefutable sparkle in our lives, elevating movie-watching into an absorbing medium which everyone can relish with gusto.

Hot Actress #481 – Laurel Whitsett: Indie Queen

For certain, the image of LAUREL WHITSETT wiping the spines off her face that was emitted by the grotesque critter in “Splinter” was one of many unsettling moments in the smart creature feature. As Sheriff Terri Frankel she happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time, meeting a grisly demise at the hands of the shape-shifting parasite. This movie gets the thumbs up by not delving into CGI to create the monstrosity and maintaining a foreboding of doom much like how “The Thing” impressed with its knife-edge tension. Besides her exceptional scream, LAUREL is one of the prettiest actresses on the indie circuit and I was wishing she had more screen time on “Splinter”. Her abundantly gorgeous set of eyes on its own deserve much adulation…:) Not to worry, LAUREL is currently wowing audiences in the play “Animals Out Of Paper” which explores the drama of origami and you still have 2 days left to watch her perform if you happen to be at Fort Worth, Texas. If you can’t, rent the “The Overbrook Brothers”….don’t know why but SXSW seems to churn out quality movies fronted by wonderful talents such as LAUREL WHITSETT.

That’s precisely why I’ve been an ardent fan of the indie scene for eons and eager to promote indie starlets. Ok I confess her acknowledgement of my support for her might have something to do with it but I’m not alone in expressing my warm approval with one reviewer recently intimating that she has a natural aura and conveys emotional depth in the roles she portrays. She’ll be appearing alongside the glamorous Morgan Fairchild in the upcoming “Code Enforcer” and I can’t wait for sweet-smiling LAUREL to show her mettle in a comedy feature.