Cinefantastique Horror Interview

[Rawhead Rotten]

A damn fine interview appeared in the recent issue of CFQ that involved Don Mancini (Child's Play), Eli Roth, Scott Spiegel, and Rob Zombie all sitting around the table shooting the shit.

An unedited version of the interview is on-line (link below), you cats might dig reading what they have to say:

<a href="http://www.cfq.com/pages/cfq-september03/horror.html" target="_blank">http://www.cfq.com/pages/cfq-september03/horror.html</a>

[David Toy]

Thanks for the link Ryan! It was an interesting read. The MPAA wanting to rate DVD extras is not a good sign of the times.

[mrstiffie]

It's like reading this board! They think like we do, that's a good thing.

[Floydian Trip]

That was a great interview.

ZOMBIE: And they have a real specific idea of who should be in the focus group. Strangely enough, Wayne Toth, who did the special makeup effects for my movie, was in a mall and got offered free tickets to our movie. So he went to the preview screening. They actually asked him to be in the focus group — not knowing he had worked in the film — but when they asked how old he was, and I forget how old he is, maybe 33, but they said, “Whoa, you’re way too old.” They wanted people no older than 18 or 19 — it’s whatever the kids want. Wayne is part of the key audience for horror movies, but they were like, “Sorry old man, you can’t go.”

That needs to change. Until they start going to the older crowd and getting their take on things they'll always be hesitant to break that 90's mold they created. The problem is is that the teenage crowd now have been conditioned by the studios to expect and like certain things which go against what makes a truly good horror movie. I would bet good money that of all the people that liked FvJ the majority are the teenage bracket. This is why I loved Cabin Fever, House and May so much because they felt like horror movies made by people who have been into horror movies as long as I have.

This is not a blanket statement about all tennagers because I know there are some around here that have damn good taste in films. I'm thinking about the general teen audience.

[shootitinthehead]

Wow. It turns out I know the guy from back in the day who did the interview. His sister and my ex used to be best friends. he's a hella cool dude, and showed me my first John Woo film in his living room a lifetime ago in Martinez, Ca.

GO DAVID! :)

[dolarhyde]

It's a good interview. I got my issue in the mail the other day but it's good to read the extra online comments pertaining to test screenings - it's sobering stuff that should've been left in the print interview. It really does show what a battle filmmakers face these days in an environment where studios strive to make every film accessible to everyone across the board.

On the other hand I also find it amusing that the likes of Roth, Zombie, et al, complain about the major studios not treating horror seriously only to turn around and make films that are just as - if not clearly more - campy than anything out of mainstream Hollywood. Fans will be loath to admit it but House of 1,000 Corpses and Cabin Fever are just as self-aware and post-modern as Scream was - although neither is as well written, of course.

I liked Cabin Fever a lot and thought it had plenty of charm and I thought House lacked any such qualities but neither can lay claim to being some return to "real" horror.

The fact is horror hasn't gone anywhere. The Others is real horror. So is The Ring, or One Hour Photo, or Wrong Turn, or Signs, or Willard, or Stir of Echoes or Blair Witch Project or Identity or Final Destination or any number of recent films that are straight-up, serious horror films. Sure, you could make various arguements as to the relative qualities of one film or another but in terms of whether these are serious, non-camp horror-thrillers, the answer is that yes, they are. It's a totally false perception that somehow the studios are out to undermine the genre with one campy send-up after another. I find that especially annoying when it comes from people who position themselves as fighting the good fight against that imaginary trend while at the same time doing more to perpetrate it than anyone else. I have a lot more admiration for people like Guillermo del Toro, David Twohy, Stuart Gordon or Brad Anderson who've made serious horror films that really DO honor the spirit of '70s horror like Devil's Backbone, Below, Dagon and Session 9. And yet because they don't try to drum up a lot of knee-jerk resentment towards modern horror among fans and they choose not to make films that consciously remind you how "retro" they are they're seldom recognized for furthering the cause of "real" horror.

I hope that Roth, Zombie, Spiegel and Mancini all continue to make the films that they want to make. But I also hope they - that is, Roth and Zombie in particular - stop trying to pass off their campy efforts as the real deal. Or at least just until they decide to make a truly scary film to call their own.

[Disciple_72]

After Blair Witch, everyone said, “Well we can all grab camcorders and run into the woods and make horror movies.” But those movies they made are so awful. So very true, Eli Roth. So very true. :D

[Bad Mojo]

That's valid... but personally I think that Roth and Zombie in particular have done so much to rally horror fans, that it's almost more important than the movies that they make. I mean they truly inspire me, and I think that overshadows the fact that they tend to get carried away when talking about their own films.

[Disciple_72]

Roth seems to me to be a big bundle of enthusiasm with not much directing talent. Cabin Fever really truly does not deserve all this attention.

Zombie has skills at least (and I say that despite having various issues with House of 1000 Corpses)

[Floydian Trip]

Dolarhyde put camp and serious horror together and that's what House and Cabin Fever are to me. Serious-camp horror films. They were both campy but they weren't campy at the expense or gore or horrifying elements. You can see the movies these guys mentioned and were inspired by themselves. They are the very same movies that are discussed so often on these boards. I don't think they ever claimed their movies to be the next Shining or Omen but definitely a break from the typical 90's BS that were written, directed and overseen by a bunch of people that either had no interest in horror really or did but don't understand it.

That type of film may not be what every horror fan is looking for but I'm pretty sure it's what they wanted to make.

As Bad Mojo said what's more important than their movies is the fact that they know and love horror as much as anyone out there and they will have the power to help others get their films made which might turn out to be exactely what everyone is looking for.

Like they said in the interview the old stalwarts are tired and have been beaten down so they lack the energy and enthusiasm to try and break the barriers anymore. They still need to make money so at this point in their careers it's easier to go with the flow.

As far as Rob Zombie's movie goes it was exactely what I had expected out of him. I've been listening to his music forever and the style he created with that totally came across on the big screen to me. As far as Roth goes the guys got a sense of humour. Look at any of his interviews. Is it surprising he wanted to put that into his movie.

I think for every Zombie, Roth and Lucky McGee that gets a seat in the directors chair the balance of power shifts in Hollywood and eventually there will be enough people that really understand what's going on in positions to be heard and respected that things will start changing drastically.

[Bad Mojo]

well said

[ZombieZack]

"The Others is real horror. So is The Ring, or One Hour Photo, or Wrong Turn, or Signs, or Willard, or Stir of Echoes or Blair Witch Project or Identity or Final Destination or any number of recent films that are straight-up, serious horror films."

But how can you say that films like The Others and Stir of Echoes are real horror? Theres nothing horrific about them. I think of these as "thrillers". Thats the only word I know to describe them. Theyre not how I think of horror. Theyre just basically mysterys. Theres nothing scary or shocking about them. That is why I loved Cabin Fever and HO1KC, because they were horrific, shocking, and at times, scary. And lets not forget the gore! But anyways, my point is, I dont see films like The Others, The 6th Sense, and Stir OF Echoes as horror. I really dont see any of the Argento films as horror, because they are all just mysterys, nothing horrific or scary about them. But films like Tenebrae and Suspiria have a real horror sense, but I always find his films a bit boring. But, I love the classic horror films, so Im not one of these "a film needs to be quick to impress" freaks. Im not, I just dont see these mysterys as horror.

[Andrew Hein]

Damn good interview. You know, it's nice to see that those guys are just as big of fans as we are.

[Floydian Trip]

The Others feels like a "classic" horror movie to me and Stir of Echoes is definitely horror. Horrific elements don't need to be gory or monsters I mean ghosts, even beautiful ones like Nicole, are definitely in the horror genre. A mystery is a Sherlock Holmes movie or something like that. Horror has a hard sound to it but it doesn't have to be shocking or piss-your-pants scary. The original House on Haunted Hill is a "classic" horror movie but it has no gore or shocking scenes but it is frightening mostly due to the audio.

[ZombieZack]

I guess I sometimes see these films as non horror because the horror element doesn't encompass the whole film and storyline. I agree that the original House on Haunted Hill is a classic horror film, it scared the shit outta me when I was lke 4, I had to shut it off. But something like Stir Of Echoes I don't see as horror because there is so much of the film that isn't about anything horror. Like the familys problems and all that. And I know not every film is all out horror, but these films just seem more true crime than anything. Its almomst like calling CSI a horror show............

[Floydian Trip]

Stir of Echoes dealt with the paranormal which is horror. Mothman Prophecies is horror too. That's the way I see it but call em as you see em I guess.