Rena Riffel
Encyclopedia
Rena Riffel is an American actress, singer, dancer, model, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her supporting roles in films such as Showgirls
, Striptease
, and Mulholland Drive
.
. When she was two years old her family moved from Playa Del Rey to Atascadero. Her father’s side of the family came from the music business and vaudeville
in South Bend, Indiana
and included a father who studied tap dancing and acrobatic ballet, a grandmother who was an accomplished singer, and a great grandmother who was a professional opera singer. Her mother is an accomplished accordion player and has performed with Myron Floren
and Lawrence Welk
.
From an early age, Riffel enjoyed horseback riding, competing in rodeo barrel racing, and acting in home productions with her brother Todd. Performing in her first dance recital at age four, Riffel continued to study ballet, jazz, and tap. She also began taking vocal lessons and sang in a children’s all-girl group who performed locally at church events.
At age 11, she landed her first acting and dance part in a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein
’s The King and I
at the Paso Robles Playhouse. Riffel’s parents began driving her down to Los Angeles at age 15 to take acting classes for commercials and to attend acting seminars. Riffel also excelled as a cheerleader and was appointed head song leader and choreographer for Atascadero High School during her senior year.
In 1987, the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce chose Riffel as Miss Atascadero to compete in the San Luis Obispo Mid-State Fair Pageant where she was crowned Princess of the Mid-State Fair.
After graduating high school, Riffel briefly enrolled in college where she was a pre-med major, but left early on in order to pursue an acting career. She moved to Los Angeles where she auditioned for dance parts, modeled for Catalina Swimwear, and landed a handful of minor roles in movies and television. Riffel began studying acting with Floyd Levine and dance with Marguerite Derricks
. She auditioned at the Rodunsky School of Dance where she earned a scholarship.
While at a restaurant, she was spotted by a scout for Elite Model Agency and was subsequently signed. She then began modeling for major brands such as Joe Boxer
, Avon
, and Joico hair products.
Riffel landed her first film role in the horror thriller film Satan’s Princess (1990) with Academy Award nominated Robert Forster
. During this time, Riffel also recorded a demo and was signed to Mercury/Polygram records by Ed Eckstein. Her record was unreleased.
Riffel had minor roles on the television series Freshman Dorm and in the film Batman Returns
as one of the Penguin’s Girls. She landed her first featured role opposite Patrick Stewart
in the 1994 action movie Gunmen. She was also featured in the made for TV movie Sinatra playing May Britt, the wife of Sammy Davis, Jr.
as well as the television series Quantum Leap. Riffel also began modeling for Robinsons-May
and appeared in a Clio Award and Telly Award winning Fantastic Sams
commercial, both of which contributed to her recognition.
Riffel then began studying the Meisner Technique
at Playhouse West.
While working on her music, Riffel was asked to sing a song called "Spaceeba" for the 1992 film Back in the USSR
. She was invited to visit the set in Moscow, Russia where she played the song to the Russian audience and received a standing ovation.
Riffel booked her first lead role as twins Meg/Julie Hudson in the 1994 independent film Art Deco Detective directed by Phillippe Mora, which screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival
. She also landed the role of Rain in the 1995 thriller Undercover Heat, which opened at #1 in the U.K.
starring Elizabeth Berkley
, Gina Gershon
, and Kyle McLachlan. Initially reading for the lead role of Cristal Connors, Riffel was cast in the supporting role of Penny/Hope after director Paul Verhoeven decided that she was too young to play an aging showgirl.
While on the set of Showgirls, Riffel approached the music supervisor with a song she recorded, "Deep Kiss". The music supervisor tested the song on the production office (without telling them it had been written by one of the actresses) to determine if it was suitable for the film. Director Paul Verhoeven listened to the song and decided to include it in the lap dance scene at the Cheetah strip club.
Although an initial box office failure, Showgirls enjoyed success in the home video market, generating more than $100 million in video rentals and became one of MGM’s top 20 all-time best sellers.
For the 2004 re-release as a DVD limited edition box set, Riffel, along with cast members Lin Tucci and Patrick Bristow, had their hand prints and names put in cement in front of the Hollywood Vista Theater at the red carpet event where they were also interviewed by Access Hollywood
. Riffel and Bristow were also special guests at Peaches Christ's Midnight Mass midnight screening of Showgirls in 2008 in San Francisco, California. They were interviewed on stage after the live performance of the Goddess volcano dance performed by drag queens in gold lamé and featuring Peaches Christ
as Goddess.
When asked if she expected Showgirls to produce such a cult legacy, Riffel replied, “No. I went into it thinking it would be a really erotic, serious, shocking expose. People would be sitting on the edge of their seats from suspense..like we did with Basic Instinct. But my character was comical, the ditzy blonde. Verhoeven is a genius, I think he did make the movie how he had envisioned it. Have you seen Basic Instinct
lately? Even that seems kind of cult campy now…I think it’s a special magic that European filmmakers have. I think – and this is my theory – …that there’s something that European filmmakers have, a punched-up, extreme vibe. Everything’s extreme and more like a fairtytale. And that is what I love about European films.”
She is also quoted as saying, “Showgirls just keeps getting more and more popular, it’s a total phenomenon. I don't think a film could even try to have this afterlife happen to it. This cult status and celebration is all created by the fans and the people who saw something special in the film. I seem to be one of the only actors that represents and gets involved with the cult status. I think Elizabeth (Berkley) is still upset about how the film was received initially. I think she is brilliant in her role and she should have won best actress at some film festivals, and I think Joe Eszterhas's writing is remarkably brilliant. I suspect because the way they marketed the film, that is what led to the backlash. The marketing campaign was misleading. But at the end of the day, it all worked out for the best. The movie just needed to find the right audience, and it did.”
A sequel to Showgirls was announced in Entertainment Weekly Magazine July 23, 2010 issue. Rena is starring in the film, entitled SHOWGIRL (2012). It is a follow-up to Showgirls (1995) and inspired by the original. It was later renamed, SHOWGIRLS 2: PENNY'S FROM HEAVEN (2012).
starring Demi Moore
and Burt Reynolds
. Showgirls was generally disliked and the filmmakers feared people would pre-judge Striptease on this basis. To avoid any association between the two films, advertisements were designed to make Striptease look more comedic than Showgirls, which was marketed as a drama. Besides the subject matter, Striptease and Showgirls did have two notable connections: the choreography in these films were by the same person, Marguerite Derricks
; and both also featured performances by Rena Riffel.
Widely considered a box office failure, Striptease lacked the momentum that Showgirls gained in its cult status and has subsequently been referred to as one of the worst movies ever made.
film Mulholland Drive
. When interviewed about the film and if she “got it”, Riffel replied, “See…I can’t remember. No, I guess it still doesn’t make sense to me. It’s been a while – I’d like to watch it again….one website put a lot of clarity on it with their theories.”
as well as the HBO movie Breast Men
before making a string of films with European director Lloyd Simandl. These movies, referred to by some as “Czechsploitation” films, include Dark Confessions, Bound Cargo, Caligula’s Spawn, and No Escape. These films, coupled with Riffel’s roles in Showgirls and Striptease opened the door for her to be cast in a handful of erotic/thriller films such as The Pornographer and Scandalous Behavior (with Shannon Tweed
).
In 1999, Riffel appeared alongside cult-film legends Udo Kier
, Joe Dallesandro
, and Mink Stole
in Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence
, a gay-themed comedy/drama/art film.
Riffel also appeared in several horror/thriller movies including Candyman III: Day of the Dead, Unstable Minds, and Dark Reel starring Edward Furlong and Tony Todd.
In 2004, Riffel’s song "Geisha Girl" was featured in Oliver Robbins film Wild Roomies. She also sang the theme song for 2007 E! Entertainment's series, Billionaire Heiresses, called "Livin' In The Fast Lane". In 2008, she starred in Coheed And Cambria
's music video for "Feathers" playing the 1950s character, Judy Feathers. Judy Feathers is the perfect housewife with a secret of being a cannibal, killing then serving the milkman, postman, sailor, and a boyscout for dinner. It won Best Video in 2008 in the UK for the Kerring Awards and Rena appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 5, 2008 with the band.
In 2008, Riffel directed/produced/wrote and starred in the movie Trasharella, a comedy/crime/fantasy musical. She edited the film herself and her production company, Rena Riffel Films, released the film on DVD through Amazon.com in 2009.
When asked to describe Trasharella, Riffel stated, “It is a satire on B-movie horror films.... I went against the grain and instead of trying to make this slick Hollywood film, I just let things be as they were and made it into a really bad grindhouse style exploitation film. ...it's not a dumb film, it's just 'bad'... in a good way. Mae West said: 'When I'm good I'm good, but when I'm bad I'm better.' and we use her quote in Trasharella".
According to her blog, Riffel is now working on a musical based on Showgirls. A teaser should be released in the first months of 2010, and the movie should soon enter in pre-production. The film had a it's first screening in 2011, October 27, at the Laemmle Theatre's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood, California. It played to a packed house who thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours and 24 minute long epic. The film, now titled, ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven received excellent reviews, with references made to David Lynch's Inland Empire
by Craveonline.com and LA Weekly. ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven can be seen in art house theatres across the country and posts surprise screenings on the movie website, ShowGirls2Movie.com.
Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
, Striptease
Striptease (film)
-Release:Striptease was distributed by Sony and was finally released in the United States on June 28, 1996, after a June 23 premiere in New York City. It opened in Australia, France and Germany in August, and Argentina, Italy, Bolivia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan in...
, and Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive (film)
Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
.
Childhood and early career
Rena Riffel was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. When she was two years old her family moved from Playa Del Rey to Atascadero. Her father’s side of the family came from the music business and vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
and included a father who studied tap dancing and acrobatic ballet, a grandmother who was an accomplished singer, and a great grandmother who was a professional opera singer. Her mother is an accomplished accordion player and has performed with Myron Floren
Myron Floren
Myron Floren was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982...
and Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
.
From an early age, Riffel enjoyed horseback riding, competing in rodeo barrel racing, and acting in home productions with her brother Todd. Performing in her first dance recital at age four, Riffel continued to study ballet, jazz, and tap. She also began taking vocal lessons and sang in a children’s all-girl group who performed locally at church events.
At age 11, she landed her first acting and dance part in a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
’s The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
at the Paso Robles Playhouse. Riffel’s parents began driving her down to Los Angeles at age 15 to take acting classes for commercials and to attend acting seminars. Riffel also excelled as a cheerleader and was appointed head song leader and choreographer for Atascadero High School during her senior year.
In 1987, the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce chose Riffel as Miss Atascadero to compete in the San Luis Obispo Mid-State Fair Pageant where she was crowned Princess of the Mid-State Fair.
After graduating high school, Riffel briefly enrolled in college where she was a pre-med major, but left early on in order to pursue an acting career. She moved to Los Angeles where she auditioned for dance parts, modeled for Catalina Swimwear, and landed a handful of minor roles in movies and television. Riffel began studying acting with Floyd Levine and dance with Marguerite Derricks
Marguerite Derricks
Marguerite Pomerhn-Derricks, professionally known as Marguerite Derricks, is a multi award-winning choreographer, ballerina and actress born in Buffalo, New York in 1961....
. She auditioned at the Rodunsky School of Dance where she earned a scholarship.
While at a restaurant, she was spotted by a scout for Elite Model Agency and was subsequently signed. She then began modeling for major brands such as Joe Boxer
Joe Boxer
Joe Boxer is a brand of underwear and related apparel founded by Nicholas Graham. The brand pioneered the concept of novelty hanging underwear. Joe Boxer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Iconix Brand Group...
, Avon
Avon Products
Avon Products, Inc. is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 140 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.-Business Model:...
, and Joico hair products.
Riffel landed her first film role in the horror thriller film Satan’s Princess (1990) with Academy Award nominated Robert Forster
Robert Forster
Robert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
. During this time, Riffel also recorded a demo and was signed to Mercury/Polygram records by Ed Eckstein. Her record was unreleased.
Riffel had minor roles on the television series Freshman Dorm and in the film Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
as one of the Penguin’s Girls. She landed her first featured role opposite Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
in the 1994 action movie Gunmen. She was also featured in the made for TV movie Sinatra playing May Britt, the wife of Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
as well as the television series Quantum Leap. Riffel also began modeling for Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...
and appeared in a Clio Award and Telly Award winning Fantastic Sams
Fantastic Sams
Fantastic Sams is a chain of haircut salons in the United States and Canada. With over 1,250 locations, it is considered one of the largest full-service salon chains in the U.S., although each store is a franchise and independently owned....
commercial, both of which contributed to her recognition.
Riffel then began studying the Meisner Technique
Meisner technique
The Meisner technique is an acting technique developed by the American theatre practitioner Sanford Meisner.Meisner developed this technique after working with Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler at the Group Theatre and as head of the acting program at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse and...
at Playhouse West.
While working on her music, Riffel was asked to sing a song called "Spaceeba" for the 1992 film Back in the USSR
Back in the USSR (film)
Back in the USSR is a 1992 American thriller film directed by Deran Sarafian and starring Frank Whaley, Natalya Negoda and Roman Polanski. The film is set in Moscow during the last years of the Soviet Union, with Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika in full swing...
. She was invited to visit the set in Moscow, Russia where she played the song to the Russian audience and received a standing ovation.
Riffel booked her first lead role as twins Meg/Julie Hudson in the 1994 independent film Art Deco Detective directed by Phillippe Mora, which screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. She also landed the role of Rain in the 1995 thriller Undercover Heat, which opened at #1 in the U.K.
Showgirls
Riffel landed her breakthrough role in the 1995 film ShowgirlsShowgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
starring Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley is an American television, film, and theatre actress. Berkley's most notable roles were in the television series Saved by the Bell, as brainy feminist Jessie Spano, and the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film Showgirls, as exotic dancer Nomi Malone.-Early life:Berkley was born and raised...
, Gina Gershon
Gina Gershon
Gina L. Gershon is an American film, television and stage actress, singer and author, known for her roles in the films Cocktail , Showgirls , Bound , Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back , Face/Off , The Insider , Demonlover , Category 7: The End of the World , P.S...
, and Kyle McLachlan. Initially reading for the lead role of Cristal Connors, Riffel was cast in the supporting role of Penny/Hope after director Paul Verhoeven decided that she was too young to play an aging showgirl.
While on the set of Showgirls, Riffel approached the music supervisor with a song she recorded, "Deep Kiss". The music supervisor tested the song on the production office (without telling them it had been written by one of the actresses) to determine if it was suitable for the film. Director Paul Verhoeven listened to the song and decided to include it in the lap dance scene at the Cheetah strip club.
Although an initial box office failure, Showgirls enjoyed success in the home video market, generating more than $100 million in video rentals and became one of MGM’s top 20 all-time best sellers.
For the 2004 re-release as a DVD limited edition box set, Riffel, along with cast members Lin Tucci and Patrick Bristow, had their hand prints and names put in cement in front of the Hollywood Vista Theater at the red carpet event where they were also interviewed by Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
. Riffel and Bristow were also special guests at Peaches Christ's Midnight Mass midnight screening of Showgirls in 2008 in San Francisco, California. They were interviewed on stage after the live performance of the Goddess volcano dance performed by drag queens in gold lamé and featuring Peaches Christ
Peaches Christ
Peaches Christ is an American underground drag performer, emcee, filmmaker, and actor. Peaches currently resides in San Francisco where his Backlash Production Company and Midnight Mass movie series are based....
as Goddess.
When asked if she expected Showgirls to produce such a cult legacy, Riffel replied, “No. I went into it thinking it would be a really erotic, serious, shocking expose. People would be sitting on the edge of their seats from suspense..like we did with Basic Instinct. But my character was comical, the ditzy blonde. Verhoeven is a genius, I think he did make the movie how he had envisioned it. Have you seen Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
lately? Even that seems kind of cult campy now…I think it’s a special magic that European filmmakers have. I think – and this is my theory – …that there’s something that European filmmakers have, a punched-up, extreme vibe. Everything’s extreme and more like a fairtytale. And that is what I love about European films.”
She is also quoted as saying, “Showgirls just keeps getting more and more popular, it’s a total phenomenon. I don't think a film could even try to have this afterlife happen to it. This cult status and celebration is all created by the fans and the people who saw something special in the film. I seem to be one of the only actors that represents and gets involved with the cult status. I think Elizabeth (Berkley) is still upset about how the film was received initially. I think she is brilliant in her role and she should have won best actress at some film festivals, and I think Joe Eszterhas's writing is remarkably brilliant. I suspect because the way they marketed the film, that is what led to the backlash. The marketing campaign was misleading. But at the end of the day, it all worked out for the best. The movie just needed to find the right audience, and it did.”
A sequel to Showgirls was announced in Entertainment Weekly Magazine July 23, 2010 issue. Rena is starring in the film, entitled SHOWGIRL (2012). It is a follow-up to Showgirls (1995) and inspired by the original. It was later renamed, SHOWGIRLS 2: PENNY'S FROM HEAVEN (2012).
Striptease
Following her role in Showgirls, Riffel was cast in StripteaseStriptease (film)
-Release:Striptease was distributed by Sony and was finally released in the United States on June 28, 1996, after a June 23 premiere in New York City. It opened in Australia, France and Germany in August, and Argentina, Italy, Bolivia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan in...
starring Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
and Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
. Showgirls was generally disliked and the filmmakers feared people would pre-judge Striptease on this basis. To avoid any association between the two films, advertisements were designed to make Striptease look more comedic than Showgirls, which was marketed as a drama. Besides the subject matter, Striptease and Showgirls did have two notable connections: the choreography in these films were by the same person, Marguerite Derricks
Marguerite Derricks
Marguerite Pomerhn-Derricks, professionally known as Marguerite Derricks, is a multi award-winning choreographer, ballerina and actress born in Buffalo, New York in 1961....
; and both also featured performances by Rena Riffel.
Widely considered a box office failure, Striptease lacked the momentum that Showgirls gained in its cult status and has subsequently been referred to as one of the worst movies ever made.
Mulholland Drive
In 2001, Riffel appeared in the David LynchDavid Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
film Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive (film)
Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
. When interviewed about the film and if she “got it”, Riffel replied, “See…I can’t remember. No, I guess it still doesn’t make sense to me. It’s been a while – I’d like to watch it again….one website put a lot of clarity on it with their theories.”
Czechsploitation, erotica and horror
After Striptease, Riffel accepted minor roles on the television series Married… with Children in 1997, and CluelessClueless (TV series)
Clueless is a television series spun off from the 1995 teen film of the same name . The series originally premiered on ABC on September 20, 1996 as a part of the TGIF lineup during its first season...
as well as the HBO movie Breast Men
Breast Men
Breast Men is a 1997 United States semibiographical, dark comedy film written by John Stockwell and directed by Lawrence O'Neil for HBO.- Plot :The film tells the tale of the doctors who pioneered the usage of silicone breast implants...
before making a string of films with European director Lloyd Simandl. These movies, referred to by some as “Czechsploitation” films, include Dark Confessions, Bound Cargo, Caligula’s Spawn, and No Escape. These films, coupled with Riffel’s roles in Showgirls and Striptease opened the door for her to be cast in a handful of erotic/thriller films such as The Pornographer and Scandalous Behavior (with Shannon Tweed
Shannon Tweed
Shannon Lee Tweed is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller...
).
In 1999, Riffel appeared alongside cult-film legends Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
, Joe Dallesandro
Joe Dallesandro
Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro , better known as Joe Dallesandro, is an American actor, and Warhol superstar. Although he never became a mainstream film star, Dallesandro is generally considered to be the most famous male sex symbol of American underground films of the 20th century, as well as a sex...
, and Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
in Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence
Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence
Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence is a gay-themed comedy/drama/art film. The film features an appearance by singer/actress Stacey Q. The title is a pun on the name of the organization of gay "nuns" known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence....
, a gay-themed comedy/drama/art film.
Riffel also appeared in several horror/thriller movies including Candyman III: Day of the Dead, Unstable Minds, and Dark Reel starring Edward Furlong and Tony Todd.
Musical work and current projects
According to the text trivia track on the 2010 Blu-Ray release of Showgirls, one of the songs played during the film's lap-dance sequence was co-written by Riffel.In 2004, Riffel’s song "Geisha Girl" was featured in Oliver Robbins film Wild Roomies. She also sang the theme song for 2007 E! Entertainment's series, Billionaire Heiresses, called "Livin' In The Fast Lane". In 2008, she starred in Coheed And Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
's music video for "Feathers" playing the 1950s character, Judy Feathers. Judy Feathers is the perfect housewife with a secret of being a cannibal, killing then serving the milkman, postman, sailor, and a boyscout for dinner. It won Best Video in 2008 in the UK for the Kerring Awards and Rena appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 5, 2008 with the band.
In 2008, Riffel directed/produced/wrote and starred in the movie Trasharella, a comedy/crime/fantasy musical. She edited the film herself and her production company, Rena Riffel Films, released the film on DVD through Amazon.com in 2009.
When asked to describe Trasharella, Riffel stated, “It is a satire on B-movie horror films.... I went against the grain and instead of trying to make this slick Hollywood film, I just let things be as they were and made it into a really bad grindhouse style exploitation film. ...it's not a dumb film, it's just 'bad'... in a good way. Mae West said: 'When I'm good I'm good, but when I'm bad I'm better.' and we use her quote in Trasharella".
According to her blog, Riffel is now working on a musical based on Showgirls. A teaser should be released in the first months of 2010, and the movie should soon enter in pre-production. The film had a it's first screening in 2011, October 27, at the Laemmle Theatre's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood, California. It played to a packed house who thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours and 24 minute long epic. The film, now titled, ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven received excellent reviews, with references made to David Lynch's Inland Empire
Inland Empire
Inland Empire may refer to:In geography:* Inland Empire , a geographic region in Southern California* Inland Empire , a geographic region encompassing Eastern Washington and North IdahoIn entertainment:...
by Craveonline.com and LA Weekly. ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven can be seen in art house theatres across the country and posts surprise screenings on the movie website, ShowGirls2Movie.com.
Actress
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Satan’s Princess | Erica Dunn | aka Malediction (UK: video title) | |
| 1992 | Sinatra (TV) | May Britt | ||
| 1994 | Art Deco Detective | Julie/Meg Hudson | ||
| Gunmen | Loomis’ Bride | |||
| 1995 | Undercover Heat | Rain | ||
| Showgirls Showgirls Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon... |
Penny/Hope | |||
| 1996 | Striptease Striptease (film) -Release:Striptease was distributed by Sony and was finally released in the United States on June 28, 1996, after a June 23 premiere in New York City. It opened in Australia, France and Germany in August, and Argentina, Italy, Bolivia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan in... |
Tiffany | ||
| 1997 | Breast Men Breast Men Breast Men is a 1997 United States semibiographical, dark comedy film written by John Stockwell and directed by Lawrence O'Neil for HBO.- Plot :The film tells the tale of the doctors who pioneered the usage of silicone breast implants... (HBO) |
Swimming Pool Girl | ||
| 1998 | Dark Confessions | Erica | aka Chained Heat III: No Holds Barred (UK: video title) | |
| Shark in a Bottle | Receptionist | |||
| MP Da Last Don MP Da Last Don (film) MP da Last Don is a 1998 direct-to-video film written, directed, produced and starring Master P. Also appearing in the film were Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, C-Murder and Snoop Dogg.-Cast:*Master P as Nino*Silkk the Shocker as D.J.*John Marlo as Rico... |
Dancer | |||
| 1999 | The Pornographer | Tiffany | ||
| Candyman: Day of the Dead Candyman 3: Day of the Dead Candyman 3: Day of the Dead is a 1999 straight-to-DVD horror film directed by Turi Meyer. It is the third film in the Candyman series.-Plot:... |
Lena | aka Candyman 3: Day of the Dead | ||
| Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish Smiling Fish and Goat on Fire Smiling Fish And Goat On Fire is a film about brothers, made by brothers Derick Martini and Steven Martini who wrote, produced and portrayed two brothers. It's reported that the film was shot on 35mm film but only cost fifty thousand dollars and was completed in twelve days, which is false. The... |
Party Girl #2 | aka Smiling Fish & Goat on Fire (USA: new title) | ||
| Singapore Sling | Michelle Drake | aka Scandalous Behavior (USA) | ||
| Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence is a gay-themed comedy/drama/art film. The film features an appearance by singer/actress Stacey Q. The title is a pun on the name of the organization of gay "nuns" known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.... |
Uncredited | |||
| 2000 | Between Christmas and New Year’s | Blue | ||
| 2001 | Mulholland Drive Mulholland Drive (film) Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival... |
Laney | ||
| 2002 | Unstable Minds | Pamela | ||
| 2003 | Lady Killers National Lampoon's Gold Diggers National Lampoon's Gold Diggers is a 2004 film directed by Gary Preisler. It features two friends, played by Will Friedle and Chris Owen, who marry two old ladies, played by Louise Lasser and Renée Taylor, so they can inherit their fortunes when they die.- Reception :The film was considered a... |
Fantasy Girl (uncredited) | aka Gold Diggers (USA); aka National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers (USA: new title); aka National Lampoon’s Lady Killers (USA: complete title) | |
| Bound Cargo | Widow | aka White Slave Virgins | ||
| Welcome to the Real Hollywood | Rena | |||
| 2004 | Roomies | Female Caller | aka Wild Roomies (USA: new title) | |
| 2008 | One, Two, Many | Tiffany | ||
| Caligula’s Spawn | Druscilla | |||
| Dark Reel Dark Reel Dark Reel is a 2008 horror/thriller starring Tiffany Shepis, Edward Furlong, Mercedes McNab, Alexandra Holden, Tony Todd and Lance Henriksen and directed by Josh Eisenstadt.-Plot:... |
Detective LaRue | |||
| No Escape | Brandt | |||
| 2009 | Trasharella | Trasharella/Helena Beestrom | ||
| The Making of Gnome Killer 2 | Detective LaRue/Gnome Queen | |||
| The Gertrude Stein Mystery | Agent Agnes Goddard | completed | ||
| 2010 | Sickle | Penny | post-production | |
| Eerie, PA | Condi | pre-production | ||
| 2011 | Spreading Darkness | Elle | production | |
| In Development | Trasharella in Space | |||
| Untitled James Buster Douglas Story | ||||
| Completed 2011 remix | Trasharella Ultra Vixen | |||
| 2012 | Completed | ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven | Penny Slot/Helga |
Television
- Paradise (aka “Guns of Paradise”) episode "Childhood’s End" as Teenage Prostitute (1988)
- Freshman Dorm episode "My Boyfriend’s Back" as Lisa (1992)
- Land’s End episode “Land’s End: Part 1” as Taffi Bishop (1995)
- Land’s End episode “Land’s End: Part 2” as Taffi Bishop (1995)
- Minor Adjustments episode “The Model Wife” as Leslie (1996)
- Married... with ChildrenMarried... with ChildrenMarried... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
episode “How to Marry a Moron” as Stripper #1 (1997) - CluelessClueless (TV series)Clueless is a television series spun off from the 1995 teen film of the same name . The series originally premiered on ABC on September 20, 1996 as a part of the TGIF lineup during its first season...
episode “Sharing Cher” as Second Masseuse (1997) - The PretenderThe Pretender (TV series)The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work...
episode “Cold Dick” as Mona Jeffries (2000) - The X ShowThe X ShowThe X Show was a magazine, variety, and interview/talk program that aired on FX Network in the US from May 1999 to April 2001. Running time was originally one hour, but this was later reduced to a half-hour. The show was 'guy-themed' much like a TV equivalent of Maxim magazine , though seldom as...
episode dated 26 January 2000 as Herself (2000) - Spyder GamesSpyder GamesSpyder Games is a television series that was broadcast on MTV from June 18, 2001 through September 20, 2001. MTV's second foray into the soap opera format following the run of the anthology series Undressed, the series was originally called Spyder Web in development.Originally intended for a 3 pm...
episode “Episode #1.56” as Lydia (2001) - Spyder GamesSpyder GamesSpyder Games is a television series that was broadcast on MTV from June 18, 2001 through September 20, 2001. MTV's second foray into the soap opera format following the run of the anthology series Undressed, the series was originally called Spyder Web in development.Originally intended for a 3 pm...
episode “Episode #1.58” as Lydia (2001) - Dante's CoveDante's CoveDante's Cove is an American LGBT-oriented supernatural soap opera. The series airs on here!, an American gay-oriented network, and on Gay.com....
episode “In the Beginning” as Tina (2005) - Dante's CoveDante's CoveDante's Cove is an American LGBT-oriented supernatural soap opera. The series airs on here!, an American gay-oriented network, and on Gay.com....
episode “Then There Was Darkness” as Tina (2005) - Celebrity Rehab with Dr. DrewCelebrity Rehab with Dr. DrewCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is a reality television show airing on the cable network VH1 that chronicles a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first season premiered...
episode “Sex and Trauma” as Herself (2008)
Producer
- Between Christmas and New Year’s (2000) (associate producer)
- Trasharella (2009) (producer)
- The Making of Gnome Killer 2 (2009) (associate producer)
- The Gertrude Stein Mystery (2009) (associate producer)
- Trasharella Ultra Vixen (2011) (Producer)
- ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven (2012) (Producer)
Composer
- Back in the USSR (1992)
- ShowgirlsShowgirlsShowgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
(1995) - Bloodthirsty (1999)
- Roomies (2004)
- Trasharella (2009)
Soundtrack
- ShowgirlsShowgirlsShowgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
(1995) (writer: “Deep Kiss”); (performer: “Deep Kiss”) - Roomies (2004) (performer: “Geisha Girl”
- "Forbes 20 Billionaire Heiresses: Young, Fabulous and Incredibly Rich" (2007) (performer: “Livin’ In the Fast Lane” – theme song)
- Trasharella (2009)
Director
- Trasharella (2009)
- Trasharella Ultra Vixen (2011)
- ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven (2012)
Writer
- Trasharella (2009) (screenplay) (story)
- ShowGirls 2: Penny's From Heaven (2012)
Editor
- Trasharella (2009)
- Trasharella Ultra Vixen (2011)
- ShowGirls2: Penny's From Heaven (2012)