| FEATURES
CREATURE FEATURE
INTERVIEWS
WEEKLY HORROR NEWS
BEFORE THEY WERE STARS
BEFORE THEY WERE STARS 2
COMING SOON
WEEKLY RANT
REVIEWS MENU
GOODIES MENU
HOME
|
|
11/13 INTERVIEW WITH SCREAM QUEEN MICHELLE BAUER
She's the B-Cinema's Carole Lombard: beautiful, unspoiled, blessed with a comedic aptitude that oscillates from mischievous mugging to firing-off sophisticated salvos with effortless marksmanship. Veteran filmmakers love her because she's disciplined; on time, knows her lines, delivers the goods. Fledgling directors, weaned on her cult adoration, tailor roles for the thespian so they can flaunt her billing to insiders.
The only person who isn't convinced Michelle Bauer is a splendid actress is Michelle Bauer. Then again, Bauer never pursued the Oscar nor that star-making vehicle; the sheer volume of her work is chronicled in no less than 2 1/2 pages of The Bare Facts. Sure, there's a T&A impulse inherently attached to her characters, but let's get something straight. Starlets who routinely strip in film after film usually prompt even the most seasoned B-addict to groan and press the fast forward button. But Bauer, never a starlet, circumvented status as only a nude presence; projecting a panache that low budgets couldn't buy, she voluntarily breathed a larger than life psyche into the most perfunctory character. The predictability of her nude scenes was much less significant than her unpredictable navigation of the role.
Last year, after wrapping VAMPIRE VIXENS FROM VENUS, Bauer announced her subsequent film--ATTACK OF THE 60 FOOT CENTERFOLD--would be her last. Contrary to speculation, she played the centerfold only for the film's test footage; Bauer's clothes remained intact for her role as a scientist. It was a poignant curtain call for an actress accustomed to playing half-dressed groupies, coeds and cavewomen.
But why did Bauer, who's perpetually in demand, abruptly decide to retire? The cast of VAMPIRE VIXENS are divided behind the reasons for the resignation. "She's getting older," said actress/Penthouse centerfold Leslie Glass. "I didn't want to say that but, sometimes, you have to bow out gracefully. You can tell when people are getting older, they get tired of what they're doing. Your body doesn't look as good as it used to." B-aficionados would very likely challenge this criterion (the physical evidence of Bauer's anatomic maintenance is visible in 1993's DINOSAUR ISLAND). In fact, VAMPIRE VIXENS co-star Theresa Lynn insists that Bauer, during a rehearsal for the 1994 shoot, professed her goal to stretch her longevity in the business. "Michelle's decision to split really surprised me," exclaims Lynn. "She told me that she wanted to keep doing movies, as long as people were willing to look at her in little outfits that exposed her body. She told me that she was proud to show it--that when the day came that nobody wanted to see her anymore, she'd quit. Maybe things have changed since I saw her last July, but that was her statement...."
....Hired by B-moguls Fred Olen Ray, Jim Wynorski and Dave DeCoteau, she resurfaced on video screens as Michelle Bauer. Husband #1 insisted, via a lawsuit, that the actress omit the "Bauer" from her billing. Adapting the last name of her current spouse, she was briefly reborn as Michelle McClellen in HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS (1988). But the press and public, already familiar with exposure as Michelle Bauer, resisted the McClellen denomination. And so did Michelle Bauer. "I told Mr. Bauer, 'So sue me,'" she grins. "I tried the transition to McClellen, but Bauer was already too recognized so I thought, 'Aw, forget it.' The Bauer thing was only used when I was working. It wasn't anything that started affecting my personal life. My current husband finally dealt with it, also [laughs]."
Then came a profusion of sexpot roles in SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-A-RAMA, ASSAULTS OF THE PARTY NERDS I & II, DEADLY EMBRACE, SPIRITS, THE DWELLING, ad infinitum.
"I had so much fun," smiles Bauer. "I would do one day roles for Fred Ray, like in EVIL TOONS, as long as it was funny and I enjoyed myself. It didn't matter to me. I had no pride! I had more fun doing little things, here and there, than being the lead. When directors and producers called me, it was never a matter of the part being big enough. Fred always asked me just because he wanted me to be in the movie, or he had me in mind, or thought it would be perfect for me. There were times when he would give me better things, and times when the parts weren't so good. But I never asked him for a job. He always just came to me when something came along that he could use me in something.
"A lot of B-Queens get lost in the idea that, since they are a B-Queen, they should get top billing all the time. But that's not true at all. You can do B-movies and never have had any experience, just a great body, and get work for a very long time. Your balloon has to be popped one way or the other. If you want to have fun, then work and get it while you can. Hollywood is pretty mean and sad but as long as you get the right attitude, you'll be fine."
Finally, there's the ,000 question: Why is Michelle Bauer retiring from film? Rumors had circulated that Bauer was "tearfully disgusted with the way she was unflatteringly photographed in VAMPIRE VIXENS FROM VENUS, and decided to jump ship." "Yeah, I was told that," winces Bauer. "I won't say by who. But I thought nothing like that. I've never been one to think I could have looked better, because I'm my own worst critic. I've had so many parts over the years that I can't worry about primping. I never made that a big concern. You can probably tell, huh? [laughs]. As for VAMPIRE VIXENS, I was treated very well by that company. I though the film was good and I liked my role. It was funny and sexy.
"No, I'm retiring because I have another life," notes Bauer who shares ownership, with her husband (the aforementioned Mr. McClellen) of parking lot repair and maintenance business, conveniently located along the fault lines of southern California. "I'm a wife and mother, which is very hectic on its own. My daughter has started school, so it isn't like she can just leave home when I travel and it isn't just a simple matter of finding a sitter. I had really been considering it for the last year, and there's nobody in the business who can talk me out of it."...
....Excusing herself for a dinner appointment, she makes her exit. Tomorrow, she'll be home for good. It dawns on me that the next time I'll ever see Michelle Bauer again is in her video legacy. I suddenly get very depressed.
Postscript: by Catherine Carson
April 22, 1995: Chiller Theatre Convention. We realized that within another 24 hours Michelle Bauer would be boarding a plane at the New Jersey airport and subsequently limiting personal appearances to her family. She graciously accepted Femme Fatale's invitation to dine with yours truly, photographer Vinnie Mizzi and editor Bill (The White Russian) George.
7:15 PM: Entering the restaurant, Michelle advises us that she'd obliged a fan's request to have a drink in the lounge. She orders dinner, slips out to be bar and returns to our table within 10 minutes. Though fatigued--she had been on her feet during the entire weekend, complying with hundreds of requests for photos and autographs--Michelle somehow manages a warm smile as she seats herself. Though I admittedly served only a recent apprenticeship with the Michelle Bauer Cinema, the lady impresses me; there's a tenderness intertwined with the gutsy Auntie Mame exterior. I had suspected the farewell homage, from her legions of fans, may have made her resignation a tough call. But her mind was made up. "The decision to leave," she says between bites, "is final."
Cognizant of the drawbacks juggling a career and family, Bauer has put an end to the struggle. On one hand, she regrets separating herself from young daughter Whitney when work dictates travel from home. And on the other hand, she's remiss over losing those close bonds and friendships developed during her prolific movie career. "In the end, I realized that my family is the most important part of my life," she explains without a hint of remorse. "It was time to quit."
Exhaling a deep sigh, Michelle caps her career : "This has all been a real kick in the ass. I don't feel worthy of all this attention." Yeah, she can be a tough cookie, even toasting my editor's burst of sentimentality. "I think NIGHT OF THE LIVING BABES was one of my first Michelle Bauer films," Bill smiled. Rather than quitting while ahead, he follows up with, "That was released about a decade ago, right?" "A decade?," roared Michelle, "Thanks a lot, Bill! A whole DECADE??" Bill swallows, his eyes search the tea-room for a clever comeback or, more likely, a quick exit: "Did I say a decade? But it seems like only yesterday that...y'know something , I'm probably confusing LIVING BABES with SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, which was released only two years ago. Then again, I could be confusing SEATTLE with DINOSAUR ISLAND, I mean they were both released in 1993... Hey waiter, another drink!" Bombs away. I mercifully change the subject, recalling Michelle's resistance to the casting couch syndrome. "I never went in saying, I've got to do this film,'' she hisses. "I had the attitude, 'You fuck with me...I'm outta here.'" Yeah, this chick kicks butt. But, as we exchange goodbyes, a bearded friend of Michelle's (I think he was a bodyguard during her convention appearances) drops by to say, "I've got to go home. I just wanted to tell you that we'll miss you." Michelle melts; she hugs the big lug and bursts into tears.
SIDENOTE: MICHELLE BAUER IS NOW WORKING AGAIN AND WE ARE ALL GLAD SHE'S BACK!!!
|
11/18 Interview With Chuck Parillo Director Of Ed Gein
Ed Gein, the Wisconsin mummy's boy whose grave-robbing, killing and predilection for wearing women's skin sent shockwaves through late-Fifties America, has inspired many fictional films, including Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Ed Gein, now on general release, delves beneath the urban legends to reveal the truth about this bizarre figure. Virgin.net spoke to its director Chuck Parello...
Q.Why has Ed Gein attracted so much interest over the years?
A."There's the simplicity of the man and the dark deeds that he committed, but also the fact that he was essentially somebody who missed his momma. There are a lot of universal things there that people can relate to. But I think it is the way they found the women he murdered that gives Ed his lasting power. He's been topped a thousand times over by sicker people who have done more disgusting stuff."
Q.At a preview screening in London, a girl stood up and said Ed Gein was her favourite killer. How do you respond to that?
A."I just said, 'You're welcome to your opinion, but your phraseology is a little warped, if you ask me'. How can you have a favourite killer? What if that girl's sister were abducted by Ed Gein? People should have a little humanity for what went on, you know?"
"I think what separates movies like Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer and Ed Gein from all the other serial killer movies is that they take their stories seriously and show cause and effect. People get hurt because of these things. Victims are victims and they need to be portrayed as such. Also when they're portrayed as real people and the violence happens, you feel it all the more. I think any good storyteller knows that."
Q.When did you first become aware of Ed Gein?
A."Every time they talked about Psycho he got brought up, so I've known about him for a long time. I did Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer, Part 2 and the producer called me up and said, 'We've got this script on Ed Gein' and I went, 'Oh brother'. But I had been offered all these terrible horror film scripts and I thought that at least this was grounded in reality and character-driven, and I could do it the way I wanted to, which was make it like a morbid drama rather than a slasher film. That's more my speed."
Q.Did you consider shooting the film in Plainfield, Wisconsin, where Ed Gein lived?
A."We were going to shoot in Wisconsin but the Wisconsin Film Commission said not to go anywhere near Plainfield because the people there still have a lot of ill will toward the Ed Gein saga. They think this man was evil and there's no reason why his legacy should live on the way it does. But, ultimately, the decision not to shoot in Wisconsin was a good one, because it's so damn cold there."
Q.There are a lot of misconceptions about Gein. Was there any particular myth you wanted to dispel?
A."Sometimes people talk about the film and say we didn't go into the part where he dug up his mother. Well, he never dug up his mother! I think he was afraid of her. I think he thought if he did open up her coffin, she'd fling out at him with her claws bared. But people are programmed because of Psycho to imagine that he had his mother's corpse in the house."
Q.The film itself is quite restrained. Was this intentional?
A."Most people are ten steps ahead of what's going on, so it was explicit enough. I told it the way I wanted to tell it, and I didn't think all that stuff was necessary. Plus this story's been covered in other films before. It's only a small segment of people that are crying out for that. And even if you did give them that, it wouldn't be enough. They'd always want more."
Q.I couldn't help laughing when Ed came out of his house wearing his skin suit. Am I sick?
A."I think it's funny too! He is liberated and you're supposed to feel the joy that he feels. It's interesting because I have been at screenings where I hear people gasp when that happens. But I never perceived it as anything more than an extension of what's happening in his mind. I never thought it was some horrific thing. The guy was funny, and I just couldn't help myself. So it's OK to laugh."
Q.Was there a sexual component in his dressing up?
A."I think there was a lot of anger, and a lot of that anger was directed toward his mother. He professed to love her dearly, but there was obviously a lot of hatred toward her as well. I also think he was a transvestite, and he just decided to do something with all this stuff he got from his grave-robbing."
Q.Some people think he was trying to become his mother.
A."I don't know if he was actually trying to be his mother, a la Psycho. I think he was just really uncomfortable in his own body and would love to have been a woman. The interesting part of it is that his schizophrenia and other mental illnesses went unchecked because it was such a polite time, and he was such a friendly guy."
Q.Was Ed Gein unique?
A."There are too many people like him: incomplete individuals left alone with their thoughts and desires, who sometimes get goofy and do things to draw attention to themselves. A psychopath rarely acts if he's got a healthy lifestyle and healthy interaction with people. It's usually the person who is bitter with the world and living alone in some ramshackle little apartment."
|
|
11/19 Director David DeCoteau (Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama) Interview
Q.What's your favorite horror movie?
A."Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?" Very creepy and quite a shocker for its time.
Q.How was your road to "movie director" status? Hard, easy, a fluke? Was making films your lifelong dream?
A.Very difficult. I directed my first film at 24 years old. I was quite young and naïve but it was something of a hit and that allowed me to make many more films. I think directing "Leather Jacket Love Story" in '96 was a life-long dream. Critical acclaim and numerous world wide film festivals.
Q.One of your earlier films, "Creepozoids" scared me when I was a kid (I'm sure today that wouldn't be the case...but hey...I was young). Looking back, can you share a memory about the shoot of that film?
A.Creepozoids was shot in 15 days in a warehouse in Los Angeles. I think the budget was something like 150k. It was a difficult shoot because of all the FX and monster sequences. Lotsa slime and very ambitious. Linnea Quigley starred in it and we had a great time working together. It was my first feature shot in 35mm. It was theatrically released and a hit on video.
Q."Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama" has become a cult classic. It's pretty wild stuff! Did you expect the movie to attain such a cult following?
A.Not at all. It was shot in 14 days in San Marcos, California at night. Working nights, it was a real pain but we got through it. We flipped cars and caught people on fire. That IMP was quite the handful too. I couldn't get him out of his trailer!
Q.The "Brotherhood" films seem to be doing very well. I heard that the movies are mainly aimed at gay horror fans (taking into account the abundance of male flesh that's showcased in them). I guess my question is: being a heterosexual male, will I be able to enjoy The Brotherhood series?
A.The Brotherhood series of films are for everybody who likes a good thrill. It was not intentionally aimed at gay audiences but the film was discovered by gay men and straight women who seem to have really taken a liking to them. Since I am an openly gay man, I made a film that was in line with my thinking. I think "The Brotherhood" is unusual because it is a horror "DATE" movie. All straight guys should watch it with their girlfriends.
Q."Final Stab" (a film that I'm personally looking forward to seeing) is your more recent slasher. I've heard good things about it. Are you happy with how the film turned out? Any regrets?
A.I'm happy but I'm never content. I always want to do better. "Final Stab" is my valentine to the slasher horror genre of the late 70s and early 80s. The response so far has been great. The film screened at the Cannes Film Festival twice and was quite the hot pick. It is different than The Brotherhood films - much more graphic and in your face.
Q.What mold would you say "Final Stab" fits into? Is it a trendy slasher, an old fashioned slasher? A mix of both?
A.Really both. New and hip with an old school mentality. The cast is gorgeous and very talented.
Q.What's next on your plate? What can we expect from David DeCoteau in the near future?
A.Voodoo Academy 2: The Nocturnalizers is up next. Plus two more before the end of the year. Check out the Rapid Heart Pictures web site at http://www.rapidheart.com/ for updates.
Q.Which one of your films would you qualify as "DeCoteau" at his best?
A.I really don't know. "Skeletons" has been the most important picture for me career-wise. It had the biggest budget and major stars. But I can't live down "Sorority Babes"...
Q.Is there an actor you haven't worked with yet who you'd love to do a film with?
A.Christopher Lee...the last great horror star!
|
|
11/25 INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BUECHLER DIRECTOR OF FRIDAY THE 13TH 7 & SPFX SUPERSTAR
Q.What's your favorite horror movie?
A.Number one horror movie is the Exorcist.
Q.You started off in the business as a special effect artist, what made you jump on the directing bandwagon?
A.I was originally trained as a film maker,--Yet I always had an affinity for creatures and Make-up effects, (my favorite film as a kid was King Kong. --(Still is in a lot of ways) So I taught myself how to create make-up & creature effects as I created them for my own films.
Q.You directed one of my favorite Friday The 13th...Part 7 The New Blood. That entry in the series defined Jason's new look, gave us an official Jason in "Kane Hodder" and gave Jason a worthy adversary. Were you a big Friday The 13th fan before directing part 7? If so what’s your fav Jason flick?
A.I look at any film series with great respect, be it: Tarzan, James Bond, Superman, Batman, Sherlock Holmes ,--or even Jason Voorhees. I believe that all films in the "Friday" series have their strong and weak points. --Including my own.
Q.Are you satisfied with the way The New Blood came out? My only complaint about it is the lack of gore but we all know the MPAA are to blame for that.
A.Aside from the fact that the ratings board castrated my film by making us (Paramount & Friday Four Films Inc) cut out almost all of the visceral impact of the make-up effects sequences, my strongest criticism of my film is that I was not allowed to develop it further away from the same old often illogical "stalk & Slash" formula. I would have put in more surrealistic moments which in my opinion would have enhanced the elements of pure horror.-- But all and all, I like the beginning of my movie, and the end, where the show down between Tina and Jason occurs. --I believe that it was quite successful there. I'm also quite proud of my Jason design as well of the make-up effects, most of which hardly anyone has seen.
Q.You directed the movie Troll (one of my childhood flicks, I'll always remember Sonny Bono turning into a plant). There's a sequel out there and I hear it kind of sucks. What pops in your head when you think of Troll? Ever think of getting back on the Troll vibe and giving us a worthy follow up?
A.I have not seen the sequel to Troll. I hear it suck in a major way. Regarding whether I could get back into a Troll "vibe" again?... Well not as such. --Don't get my wrong, I love the genre of sword and sorcery, with imps giants, dragons, and Trolls. I am in fact developing an epic based on a legendary figure of myth, which includes these critters.
Q.The movie Watchers based on the book by Dean Koontz has been made and remade four times. You directed the last attempt at translating the book to film with Watchers Reborn. In your opinion do you think you succeeded in doing the book justice?
A.While I'm pretty happy with the way my "Watchers" picture came out, I still wasn't allowed to take it all the way back to the book,--WHICH IS A DAMN GOOD BOOK! Remember when I said that I have a great deal of respect for film series?-- This applies to the "Watchers" films as well. Roger (Corman) wanted another sequel, not the book. I did my best to at least steer it back to the basic elements that made the book so great. And I'm rather proud of the fact that I was able to make a picture as good as this with the little money and time that we had.
Q.Any new projects in the works? When can we expect to see John Buechler again?
A.As writer/director, the most immediate projects which I have that are just about ready to go into production are: FOLK LORE, this is a sci-fi horror film. and MIDNIGHT HITS, a horror anthology in the tradition of CREEPSHOW.
Q.Of all the movies you've directed which one are you most proud of?
A.All and none. I guess there's parts of my Friday film which I truly like. "RETRO" magazine said it in an interesting way:, "most of these films really suck (I'm paraphrasing here) but Friday The 13th Part 7 is the best one."-- I don't know if I'd go that far but maybe I'd pick the Friday film.
Q.Of all the effects you've done (I love the Cellar Dweller creature) is
there one particular effect that you're most proud of?
A.I think it's gotta be a four way split. I like the Mausoleum monster: (it's goofy but pretty cool with the biting tits),--The principle Troll creature is pretty nice --lots of character and good movement, Jason of course, I think is a strong design and quite innovative, and of course; Cellar Dweller, he's a very cool cinematic demon.
Q.Being the year 2000, what state do you think the horror genre is in?
A.I believe that the term horror needs to be reclassified. As some of these pictures are truly horror films and others are just down right horrible. For me horror needs to be chilling and at the same time devastatingly visceral. So few films are these days.
I enjoy a good splatterfest as well as the next guy, but c'mon, these aren't truly horror films. They are grotesque, ugly, nauseating, disgusting, and if they're over the top enough they can be quite funny. Don't get me wrong! --I find these pictures to be very amusing and quite enjoyable-- in the context of a horrible movie. A lot of people love these films. Hell, Joe Bob Briggs made a career out of reviewing them. These are fun films. --But they're not always horror films.
A horror film has to scare you, not just gross you out. The EXORCIST did both. It was a picture which was fundamentally rooted in --Believable characters, realistically photographed, very down to earth, real looking effects sequences, and a story that you could empathize with,-- so when the awful stuff started happening, it was real. There's not a lot of that going around these days. Blair Witch took a good stab at it, but ultimately got tedious and silly. I think that this was absolutely due to their minuscule budget. But I have faith. They are good film makers, and I expect to see good stuff from them in future. Reality based in horror is the key, spiced with an element of supernatural to make it interesting.-- This works. It always has, and it always will. I have faith in the future.
|
|
11/27 Interview WIth Bad Taste Star Peter O'Herne
Q.What's your favorite horror movie?
A.My fave horror flick has to be Dawn of the Dead....I like good Classic Horror films that are Kick Ass....and we were all fans of that film. But there were a lot of great films around the time we did Bad Taste....like Evil Dead...Sam Raimi is great and the sequels that followed were cool....Evil Dead 2 was great and Army of Darkness..was hilarious..."Hail To the King Baby"!!
Q.Was there a lot of improv on the Bad Taste set?
A.Yeah sort of, we did go out to the shoot with a plan but it changed when we were all together...... we kept coming up with ideas to make Bad Taste better... there was a lot of laughing on the set.....Funny thing is that we did have scripted dialogue for the film and we did use it.....especially in the studio for voiceovers that was really funny, Me and Pete had to do our scenes together and we kept cracking up and the Tech's were very patient....heehee!!
Q.Have you done more acting since, what have you been up to?
A.I did my back in soon after Bad Taste so I have had problems on and off for years, so I had to turn down a guest spot in Braindead--Dead Alive in the party scene but I have been writing scripts for years as I have a love for the industry. There is a sci-fi/horror flick idea that I have and a couple of classic zombie film ideas too + a weird fantasy treatment that needs work but I'd like to see that happen one day and I'd like to get into a business printing T-shirts with a kick ass attitude to them. I have a lot of ideas + I keep in touch with Pete Jackson and the boys still. I have been doing some work for a comic called Zombie Holocaust which is cool and I have a few other projects too but I can’t say anything at the moment...heehee!!
Q.I loved the sheep getting hit by the rocket bit. How did that come about? Was it in the script?
A.The sheep bit wasn’t in the script but it was definitely in Pete's head. The original plan was the sheep was going to be rabid and chase Barry (me) and Giles all over the landscape and then gets blown up, we even filmed some scenes where we were running but we didn’t use them. But anyway, me and Pete were driving home from location and Pete said, "Hey let's pull over here I wanna try something." So we pulled off the road and set up a makeshift table....like a coffee table. Then we set it with explosives and a sheep skin rug, we went across the road set the charges, got the shot ready and BLEW IT UP!!! The rest is really tight editing.
Q.What was the hardest stunt you had to do?
A.I guess for me some of the hardest stuff I did wasn’t on film and that was helping Pete do his Robert/Derek fight scenes on the side of the cliff....man that cliff was really steep and if Pete was filming himself sometimes he just couldn’t hold the camera at all so it was either me or Ken Hammon who did some of the camera work....it was pretty dangerous up there...
Q.Was it hard keeping a straight face while shooting?
A.Yeah, very much so. All the boys had a hilarious sense of humor and there was a lot of joking on the set and out of 92 mins of finished film there was about 7-9 hours of rushes and a lot of them were outtakes.....heehee!! Also there were a lot of practical jokes too and the one that sticks out is the joke that Pete played on Mike Minett....Mike would turn up late sometimes to filming and we would wait around as a lot of the scenes had all the Boys in it together. Anyway there is a pic that I sent you I think of Pete firing an antique gun called a Brown Bess Musket....that was the day of the joke....hahaha!! So Pete is standing there with this gun and he says to us boys "When Mike turns up I’m gonna have fun with Mike"......so Mike finally turns up and Pete points the gun at Mike (which is loaded with blanks and shouts to him "I AM SICK OF YOU TURNING UP LATE!!" and Fires "BOOM" Mike was so shocked he clutched at his chest and we all fell about the place laughing.
Q.What do you do in your spare time when you're not killing aliens?
A.Well my interests are varied and quite weird......to be honest when I’m not doing the Gym and pursuing my other projects....I like to kick back with watching Movies.....I like Pro-Wrestling (watching it I mean)....and I am a Sci-fi fan too so I like to keep up with what’s going on there.......things like Star trek...X-files....that sort of stuff.......I also like Heavy Rock and I keep up with the latest music + listen to my Faves Like AC/DC....ZZ TOP...Alice Cooper....I like Rob Zombie as well. That Dude is total performance...I like that and I hope his movie does well.
Q.You still talk to Peter Jackson? Any scoops on Lord Of The Rings?
A.I haven’t spoken to Pete since Oct '99.....but we usually catch up sooner or later. I could ring him if I want but I give him space as he is doing what he loves. I grew up with Pete and I have known him since I was about 9 years old so whenever we do touch base it is always the same conversation....MOVIES!! Heehee!! As for Lord Of The Rings, it looks great and is gonna do great.
Q.What's your favorite Peter Jackson flick?
A.My fave Pete Jackson Flick has to be Bad Taste......but I have a fondness for The Frighteners too. It had a lot of our fave actors in it. Guys like Jeffrey Combs cos of Re-Animator....Michael J Fox cos of Back To The Future......John Astin cos of Evil Roy Slade......R. Lee Ermy for Full Metal Jacket....and Dee Wallace Stone cos of The Howling, E.T. and Cujo....all films that we were fans of when we were younger and inspired us to carry on....I'm sure Pete is disappointed that Vincent Price and Peter Cushing are gone now as he would have put them in a film too.
Q.If GOD would come down to earth and tell you to either give up booze or
women. Which one would you toss aside?
A.Well if God said that to me I would know a way around it cos I only know Boozy Women....I mean ya can’t have one without the other if ya know what I mean.......hehehe!!
|
|
12/6 INTERVIEW WITH RE-ANIMATOR STAR BARBARA CRAMPTON
Q. What's your favorite horror movie?
A. Definitely The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I believe it was shot on 16millimetre which made it seem so real, like a home movie or a documentary, like it could happen to you in your hometown in YOUR backyard! The first time I saw it I couldn't sleep for 3 nights.
Q. Did you always want to be an actress? How did you fall into it?
A. Since I was 5. I used to love all the old movie actors. Miriam Hopkins, Bette Davis and Danny Kaye were my favorites. I started acting in school plays when I was in 7th grade, went to college and got a degree in Theatre Arts. I also developed a love for performing from my father who is the ultimate showman. He's a carnie, and much of my childhood was spent on the midway with my family. They call my father "The best mike man" in the business, because he knows a little bit about every subject, and can engage you and enthrall you so much that you are entertained enough to spend most of your money at his game!
Q. You played in four Stuart Gordon films (Re-Animator, From Beyond,
Castle Freak and Space Truckers). I guess you guys must have a great "work" chemistry. What kind of director is Mr. Gordon?
A. I love Stuart. He is so focused and calm as a director. He has a very clear idea of what he wants and works with everyone so directly so that we are all in sync. You know how you watch some movies and there is no cohesion? Like everyone's in their own little movie? Well, in a Stuart Gordon film you would never have that. There is a unified tone to everyone’s performance. He has a wonderful loving family who adore him and in his work he is not afraid to explore his dark side. In fact, he celebrates it! I hope I can work with him again soon. It's been too long.
Q. When you were doing Re-Animator, did you have any idea it would become
the classic that it is today? Do you have a funny set stories that you can share with us?
A. No, I don't think any of us realized it would become a cult favorite. We did have great fun making it though. We rehearsed in my living room for 3 weeks before production. Stuart came from a theatre background, as did I so it felt important for us to do that. We talked about the story, characters and got up on our feet to work through the scenes. There were definite parts we knew were funny but Stuart wanted us to play it really straight. We kept the humour inside, but especially with Jeffrey it was there. The tone became a bit satirical because of that. One night on the set a girlfriend was visiting me, it was very late. We were shooting the scene where Bruce pulls a eye out of a corpse, it was a real cow eye! It was gruesome, smoke was all around and the mood on the set was spooky. My girlfriend got freaked and had to sleep over! We worked 16 hour days, got little sleep and had a blast.
Q. In "From Beyond" you played Dr. Katherine. It was a great part. What kind of preparation did you do for the part? Was it hard keeping a straight face?
A. I talked to a great many experts in the field of mental illness. It was fascinating! I worked a lot on a more restricted walk for her for most of the film until her passion is released and then I wanted to appear strangely sensual, almost in slow motion, as if I was existing in two dimensions. The Pretorius 'get up' was incredible. He was so gross that I would laugh at how disgusting he was! The slime (which was actually a food thickener) was cold and gooey. It was not pleasant! But it wasn't supposed to be. As for the bondage outfit, I quite enjoyed wearing it really! I was in control. It's a secret fantasy for us all. In Stuart's movies we are allowed to indulge our fantasies.
Q. Soap fans also know you well. You had parts in "Bold and Beautiful", "The Guiding Light", "The Young and the Restless" and "Days Of Our Lives". What's the difference between shooting on a soap and shooting on a horror flick?
A. Well, it has a completely different feel being different genres. The only connection could be that both have a heightened feeling of reality. Normal people don't talk like they do on soaps and things don't quite happen like they do in horror movies. I do enjoy the bigness of both. I like to work big and broad and I enjoy playing characters who are full, vibrant and reveal themselves.
Q. Of all the work you've done...what part are you most proud of, in terms of your performance?
A. Believe it or not I would have to say Leanna Love on "The Young and the Restless". When I originally got the part it was supposed to be for 3 months. They told me I was mentally ill and trying to kill Ashly because I was in love with my psychiatrist. I talked to many experts about what illness she might have and how to play scenes with various characters based on feelings I would have. I played her having a borderline personality with bouts of psychosis. She was and is a fascinating character. I played her consistently for 4 years and at present the character continues to recur (I never told the writers what I was playing). Now for longevity purposes Leanna is more eccentric than ill. She's become a bit more healthy. But still lively!
Q. What does Barbara Crampton do when she's not drenched in karo syrup?
A. Actually it is not Karo syrup, although it does look like that! It was methosellulouse (that spelling is wrong, I'm sure). It is a food thickener used in Mc Donald's milkshakes. Lately I've been doing a lot of power yoga. I also love running and working out with weights. I enjoy going to flea markets and shopping for antiques. I started writing a few years ago and am working on various projects, one which is based on my life working and growing up in the carnival business.
Q. Any projects in the works, when will we see you next?
A. Currently I am in Vermont at Edgewood studios working on a movie for Porchlight Entertainment called Lightening- Storm of Destruction (both companies have websites). It is my first family type drama! Stacey Keach, John Schneider and Michele Greene are also in it. I play the evil mayor of the town. A boy, who is a computer and science whiz, predicts a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in 200 years. No one believes him. It has everything. Great storms, pandemonium, humour and a lot of heart. The script is really good and I'm very excited about it! I will also be shooting more episodes of Y and R the middle of August.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
