Deciphering Quicksand:

A Brief Interview with Brinke Stevens

By Rhonda Baughman

Rhonda: What appeals to you most about working on quicksand shoots?

Brinke: I was hooked from the very beginning, when some "fetish" filmmakers told me they'd scoured all the many B-movie releases in search of quicksand scenes. They didn't find too many... but they did become well-aware of my own work. They were so excited when I agreed to join them for some new sinking scenarios, tailored for a devoted community of fans. The pay is excellent, the filmmakers are smart and caring folks, and I always feel a great sense of accomplishment when I've pulled it off.

Rhonda: Do you find the shoots to be therapeutic in any way?

Brinke: Spiritually speaking, I like to riff on the concept of "dying"-- which cinematically happens more than a dozen times over three days. As actresses, we pretend to die as we're sucked into our muddy grave -- and then, seconds later, we rise up and are essentially "reborn" again, over and over. I consciously try to make it a symbolic "death" -- of anything that's old and outdated in my own life -- so that when I fly back home, it's as if I've shed some useless baggage and emerged as a fresh new person. It always works well for me, this mental "transformation" aspect.

Rhonda: What are some of the challenges of working on a quicksand set?

Brinke: The shoots are extremely hard physically, because you end up using muscles that never get a work-out in normal life. Sinking into -- and emerging from -- the thick clay pit is totally exhausting, and you're sore for many days afterwards. As such, I always strenuously work out for months in advance, to be in my best possible physical shape for those summer shoots. It's never a bad thing to look terrific in a bikini!

Rhonda: Do you, yourself, have what one might call a 'fetish' for quicksand?

Brinke: When you're chest-deep in warm, soft, all-embracing clay, it's easy to feel incredibly sensual. I don't share the full passion of its die-hard devotees, but I can surely "get" what they see in it.