Caffeinated Clint
Lin Shaye…don’t recognize the name? Well, you’ll definitely know the face. Somewhat of a horror movie veteran, having appeared in an abundance of icky creature features (including “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, which brother Robert produced, and “2001 Maniacs”), the acting vet has appeared in more than fifty films since her film debut in the Oscar nominated “Hesher Street” some 36 years ago. Clint Morris talks to the genre’s ‘lucky horseshoe’ about how she became to be somewhat of a scream queen and what appealed to her about her latest pic, “Insidious”.
Did you ever think, looking back, you’d be this ‘go-to girl’ for horror films?
NO! I never ever thought about being a go-to gal for horror films! [Laughs] I don’t even like horror films!
What!? You don’t like…
Now don’t take that the wrong way! I like good films…no matter what the genre…
Okay, getcha…
…and am a big fan of many of the well-known thrillers, like the original Psycho, The Birds…almost every Alfred Hitchcock film for that matter. I also love the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, even the original 3D House of Wax – and of course I love Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and all the Lon Chaney films and so on. But I am not a fan of blood and gore for the sake of blood and gore. It does not move me or make me happy. That is just not my thing.
I hear ya on that one. So how did you end up tied to the genre?
I guess my brother Bob [Shaye, the founder of New Line Cinema] gave me my first horror opportunities – first in the first Elm Street, and then Critters…but again, for me, it was not about being in a “horror” film, for me, it was about story and character: first about a high school teacher who loved Shakespeare, a little fed up, but very concerned for her kids; and then in Critters about small- town USA, where a lonely woman named Sal lived, a dreamer who happened to work in the sheriffs office as a dispatcher, who lived in her own world of Hollywood gossip magazines and movie stars, who loves Oreo cookies and… happens to get involved in some pretty scary stuff!
Speaking of ‘pretty scary stuff’, how did you get involved in “Insidious”? When did you meet James?
I met James [Wan] through Tim Sullivan. James was a fan of a film I did called Dead End, with Ray Wise. Tim was coming to my house for a party, and James asked if he could come along! I had actually auditioned for Dead Silence way before this – James was not there…it was put on tape – had killed the audition, but did not get cast. James told me that night it was pretty much between me and the woman who did the role! – something an actress hardly ever gets to know!. Sometime later James asked me if I would do a little short prequel he was making for an X-Box video game release called Doggie Heaven. That was when I met Leigh [Whannell]. We starred in it together. It is hilarious if you have never seen it? Then, a year or so later, a year ago last January, James asked if he could send me a script they were hoping to shoot in April called Insidious – It scared the shit out of me when I read it! I even put it in a closet before I went to bed, after reading it! The rest is history!
Indeed. What kind of research did you, or can you do for the medium character you play in the film?
I have actually had some personal experiences that were helpful to me in creating the role; I believe and respect all paranormal possibilities, and consider myself, in real life, a good receiver. I worked more on the personal importance the events in the film had for Elise…her back story…what her life is like that made the events in the story important to her, and also on her relationship to Specs and Tucker…Leigh, Angus [Sampson] and I talked quite a bit about that. I did look up some information on the internet about paranormalists, but when Leigh and Angus went to visit a real one, I opted to stay home and eat!
Fair enough! You’ve worked with some great directors, how does Melbourne boy James compare?
James is a dream of a director. He is one of the kindest most respectful people I have ever worked with. He loves and completely trusts all his actors and all the people on his team. He is both a wonderful leader and team player at the same time. He knows what he wants, but at the same time is open to all discussion and ideas. We often discovered things together. His “eye” is impeccable. He 100% conveys his trust in you and the material, and therefore inspires 100% trust in him. Can you tell I love the guy??
Does it help that he’s young? That make him hungrier… more enthused?
Age has nothing to do with it. Soul, film experience, artists’ intuition and being a good listener, do!
“Insidious” has done amazing business. It must be good to see a smaller film like this do great guns at the box-office!?
I think the industry”and the public are always ready for a good story, well expressed and well told but we all know there are many wonderful films made that never see the light of day. This film had a lot going for it to begin with. James and Leigh had already created one of the most successful horror franchises in history (with “Saw”), now they had a wonderfully written new story to tell, Oren Peli and Jason Blum had also produced another maga hit/franchise in Paranormal Activity….so the fans were primed. Then combine that with elegant wonderful talent like Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne – who I believe were James’s first choices – and Barbara Hershey, who brought the story to life, and you have a recipe for success. But still, if it had not gotten into the Toronto film festival…if the business end had not been handled as well as it was, who knows? Sony and Film District saw the financial potential, and took many risks financially in promoting and betting on the film’s success. It paid off literally and figuratively. The ingredients for success are many. First the film had to get out there, and then the fans have to come. Art and business have to collide. With Insidious, it did.
Speaking of success stories, having been involved in the ”Elm Street” films, and being that your brother was the producer on them, what are your feelings on the recent remake?
The film business is also a matter of commerce.It is indeed a business. A film’s success or failure can be artistic,and/or financial. It is still the financial end that determines the final exposure for the film. When distributors and producers see something has succeeded they are often bound to try and exploit that. Elm Street gave lots of joy artistically and financially to it’s creators, and Robert Englund. I think both Wes and Robert stayed with it as long as they wanted, and got from it everything there was for them to get…probably financially as well as artistically. What happened to it after that, to me seems a matter of commerce primarily. I have absolutely no sentimental feelings about it at all. I am proud to be in the first on and the last…both written and directed by Wes, and produced by the original New Line Cinema and my big brother Bob….the others??…and especially the remake? I don’t really have any feelings about…
There were many “Elm Street” sequels, think there will be an “Insidious” franchise?
Gotta ask James and Leigh about that one.
