“If you kill her, we can go.”
- David, talking about Lila

Check out these 915 site-exclusive 1080p Blu-Ray screen captures of Tricia Helfer as Lila in the Andrew Paquin-directed home invasion slasher thriller Open House, co-starring Brian Geraghty, Rachel Blanchard, Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin. Pending distribution, the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last April, following which Grindstone Entertainment picked it up for a Region 1 / North American straight-to-DVD release.

Personally, I hugely enjoyed Tricia’s terrific portrayal of the unrestrained, psychologically twisted but ultimately quite insecure Lila. Although Lila is certainly seductive and therein reminiscent of e.g. Battlestar Galactica’s Number Six, what’s really worth noticing is the nuance in character Tricia displays in Lila when “no one’s looking”. Brian Geragthy delivers another powerful performance as Lila’s David, and I really enjoyed the overall attention to detail in director Paquin’s visual storytelling. (As an interesting sidenote, which might be worth keeping in mind if and when you get to check out the film for yourself, according to this DVD Talk review of the film, it’s revealed in the Andrew Paquin and Geraghty-narrated DVD audio commentary that Lila and David are actually siblings. This is only once alluded to in the film itself, though.)

Spoiler Warning: Please note that these screen captures, particularly caps 850-915, contain big spoilers as to the outcome of the film. If you wish to remain unspoiled and just watch the movie for yourself, you’ll have skip these. Sorry.

New Photo Albums:

• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Movie Screen Captures

Update Jul 3: Another two new reviews at Inside Pulse Movies and RockStarWeekly.com!

A couple of excerpts on Tricia’s performance:

“Where Open House’s strengths lie are in its cinematography and direction. Paquin shows potential in this first outing for sure. The film looks crisp, moody, and Geraghty’s character is admittedly unsettling. Tricia Helfer also does a good job as the sexed up murderess. No doubt she’ll win over some portion of male viewers. [...] For a debut film, Open House shows promise from Andrew Paquin, but as a psychological thriller and/or slasher film, there are far better movies in these genres that one might want to view. With that said, Brian Geraghty and Tricia Helfer put on wonderful performances and the Blu-ray from Lionsgate will certainly give you an excellent home theatre experience.” Full review > Blu-RayDefinition.com

“Since this is starting to read more like an essay than a movie review, I’m sure it comes across that I find Lila and David kind of fascinating on an intellectual level, I guess, but I don’t really care about them as characters. There’s not a strong emotional hook to drag me in, and what they do isn’t visceral enough to provoke a reaction in that sense either. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t have any gripes at all with Tricia Helfer or Brian Geraghty’s performances here. Helfer is certainly experienced at playing a manipulative vamp, and Geraghty captures the sort of stillness and lack of emotion I’d expect to see in a sociopath. So many of these types of killers in other movies devolve into dementedly over-the-top, scenery-gnawing cartoons, and I appreciate that Open House doesn’t tear off in that direction. I just never really connected with them, and I’m not sure how to describe it any more effectively than that.” Full review > DVD Talk

“It certainly helps that the three leads are so strong (particularly the domineering Helfer and the weak-willed Geraghty), that a few familiar faces pop up for a little carnage, and that Act III ramps up with some sincerely palpable tension. As to what the film is ostensibly trying to “say” about young couples, the dangers or real estate brokerage, or the sort of interior design a pair of his & hers lunatics might prefer, but as a handsomely-shot, generally simple, and enjoyably vicious indie horror flick, Open House may actually surprise a few folks. There’s something about an ugly presence in a beautiful setting that’s just sort of … interesting.” Full review > FEARnet

“While fans of the HBO vampire series may be disappointed to learn the two don’t have larger roles, Geraghty and Helfer both do an impressive job as the film’s resident psychopaths. Quick to slice and dice any unlucky schmuck who wonders in to investigate the missing Alice, David and Lila ooze with repressed danger like a coiled rattlesnake. At once both sexy and extremely creepy, the two are a loosely defined couple — their true relationship never established. The hints the film provides, though, are enough to unnerve. [...] The biggest problems with Open House have to do with the weak script. Instead of building strong characters to inflict fear and danger onto, Paquin throws one-note paper dolls against an intriguing scenario and hopes they stick. The script focuses too much on the sexual chemistry seeping from Battlestar Galactica star Tricia Helfer as she seduces and then promptly murders man after man. While Helfer is able to channel the right combinations of sexy and deadly, her role does not have much depth to it. The movie is filled with characters with as much dimension as M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender in 3D. We don’t need to see an elaborate backstory behind the characters but if Paquin had given the actors a little more meat to work with Open House could have been a real winner.” Full review > Inside Pulse Movies

To refresh your memories, here’s the restricted trailer for Open House once more:

Updated Photo Albums:

• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Posters & Promotional Photography
• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Posters & Promotional Stills

New Photo Albums:

• Photoshoots & Outtakes > Photoshoot #030

It’s a little frightening at first when you realize you have… other desires, you know? How do you admit something like that to the person that most completes you? But if you cross the line together, and you’re honest with each other, it can bring you closer.”
- Lila

Check out this great HD video clip of Tricia Helfer and co-star Stephen Moyer in a scene from debuting director Andrew Paquin’s home invasion thriller, Open House. Lionsgate will be releasing the film on Region 1 / North American DVD and Blu-Ray August 3.

New Photo Albums:

• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Screen Captures – Movie Clip 1

A perfect word to describe Canadian-born actress Tricia Helfer would be ‘versatile’. For looking at the roles she has played, versatile is what’s seen in Helfer’s acting range. Most known for her character in the Battlestar Galatica series, Helfer has played a variety of characters, including portraying the late Farrah Fawcett in the 2004 NBC television film Behind the Camera :The Unauthorized Story of ‘Charlie’s Angels’. The former model has recently joined the cast of Dark Blue for their second season. The way Helfer describes her eclectic new role in the TNT drama once again presents her versatile talent as an actress. She recently discussed with me the fun she’s having with the part, as well as her thoughts on her leading role in the new thriller Open House, which brought her to this year’s Tribeca Film Festival for its premiere.

You’re currently at the Tribeca Film Festival for the premiere of your new film Open House. How is the Film Festival? Is this your first time there?
Tricia – It’s my first time at the festival so it’s quite exciting. The premiere was last night and I think it went over pretty well. I’m just excited to be here in Tribeca. Really looking forward to seeing what happens with Open House.

What most appealed to you about the part of Lila in Open House?
Tricia – What I liked about Lila, what appealed to me in the script was there was more layer to the character than just being evil, seductive serial killer, kind of one note, icy so to speak. I saw when I read as just a real truth, psychosis, to the character and I wanted to try to portray that. You know you don’t expect her to have vulnerabilities but when she’s by herself you do see some glimpses of vulnerabilities in this narcissistic character.

How did this part challenge you differently from any other parts you’ve played?
Tricia – It was great working with Brian Geraghty, he is the playoff between the two of us. We’re playing siblings and his character kept his emotions in and was very reserved in many ways until he lashed out. And it was a very dominate sort of relationship. So I think one of the challenges was playing with him and finding the right balance of the Lila character, who’s very strong and out there and outspoken. Definitely the dominant. And just her having to react to her brother and how she shows love to him but controlling him.

Is there a moment that stands out on set to you?
Tricia – On set just working with Brian was great. He’s great to work with. He’s very much an active actor. The whole environment on set was great. It was a nice environment to be able to talk about the scenes, talk about the motivations, and not just show up and say your lines. It was really a supportive environment. And you know when you’re dealing with tough material like that you do want to bring a truth to it and a realism to it. You need to discuss it and have a good communication with your other actors and director.

You are now a series regular on Dark Blue, how is has that experience been joining the show? What can viewers expect from your role on the show?
Tricia – I’m having a great time. It was a definitely a challenge stepping in to a show that had already gone one season, coming into the second season, you’re the newbie. But the crew is great and I’ve gotten to know the cast well now. They’re a group of really good actors. so it’s fun because you hope you challenge them and they challenge you. And I’m having so much fun with my character. You know they’re all undercover PD and I’m FBI, so my concern coming in was oh she’s just going to be the talking head that comes in and points fingers at them..but that’s really not the case. She’s in the trenches with them, she’s a smart character, very tough. She’s intelligent, but she can also get the job done in the trenches. So what’s fun about the character is you get to do undercover work so you get to play the said role, you get to play the personal role of the character, and you also get to play within the character, when the character plays undercover. It’s a lot of fun.

And I think the show is a fantastic show. It’s so well lit. it’s obviously got great producers with Jerry Bruckheimer and Danny Cannon, and some of the writers, they’re just really high quality and fun to work with.

You’re also in the film A Beginner’s Guide to Endings, what can you tell your fans about your role in that film?
Tricia – A Beginners Guide to Endings is a definitely a role I have not played before. She’s a little crazy. Not crazy in the Open House Lila kind of sociopath way, she’s just got a bit of a screw loose. She’s a very tough character. She’s a little bit kind of a biker chick mixed with a rock. It’s contemporary time but it’s a got a rock girl vibe so the hair and makeup is very unique. She’s just a little bit of a crazy character and she adds some fun.

With the wide variety of roles you’ve played, which role would you say you grew the most from as an actress? The role that taught you the most about acting?
Tricia – I definitely have to say Battlestar Galactica because that was my first lead role, it was my first series and I was basically a brand new actress. I had been acting for a year. So to walk into the Battlestar set and work with some phenomenal younger actors like Jamie Bamber and Katee Sackhoff and established Oscar nominees like Edward James Olmes and Mary McDonnell. Just being on that set and seeing the dedication and professionalism that Mary and Eddie had for their work and for their crew and everything, after they’ve been working that long in the business, that really was instilled in a lot of the younger actors that this is the way that it should be done.

You know you’re in it for the craft, you’re in it for the project, everybody in the project is involved. The show wouldn’t get made without the crew. It’s a collaboration and it should be a collaboration, that’s how some of the best work is made. I think that was certainly the most important lesson in my early career which has followed me through to now and that’s the way I like to work.

What do you look for most when choosing a role?
Tricia – I want to somehow connect to the character. I want to find something in there that will challenge me as an actor, maybe challenge me in a way that I think reveals something about myself. I think every role has a bit of you personally in it, that you connect with. So it’s really about that, it’s that I’m excited to play the character. You want to know who this person is. That’s what I’m interested in, in playing the character. And also obviously working with people, that I want to work with.

When you played Farrah Fawcett in 2004, did you feel a certain amount of extra pressure playing such an iconic person in Hollywood?
Tricia – Yeah I mean obviously when you’re portraying an actual living person, or was at the time, she’s such a cultural icon, there’s an added pressure to your take on the character. Everybody’s going to have an opinion on how well you’re portraying that person. It was early in my career and I was just trying to keep my head above water. I actually met Farrah maybe two years after I shot it and I felt better about my performance after meeting her. I felt I had captured some of her innocence. I watched a lot of her old interviews that she had done at the time. The film was really all about the hit of making her into a star and really all the overwhelming that that entails.

Do you have a dream role, a character you aspire to play in your career?
Tricia – A dream role that I’d love to play is a book role from a book called The First Stone. I’d love to play the lead female character Lisa in that. She starts out college age and ends up about the age I am now. It’s a political story, love story, based in Saudi Arabia and deals with the facade. Fascinating book, one of my favorite books. That would be my lead role, Lisa.

New Photo Albums:

• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Posters & Promotional Photography

The gallery has of course been updated with screen caps from the trailer, as well as with a new promotional still and behind-the-scenes shot of Tricia in the movie. Be sure to have a look at them as well!

New & Updated Photo Albums:

• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) On Set – Unsorted Dates
• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Promotional Stills
• Film Work > ‘Open House’ (2010) Trailer Screen Captures