Halloween Press Junket Report
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Malcolm McDowell
Actor Malcolm McDowell didn't really like the longer, shaggy wig he had to wear as the "younger" Dr. Loomis for the flashback scenes in Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween (due in theaters everywhere Friday, August 31) — let's just hope he never gets cast in a Phil Specter biopic! As for Loomis, he calls doing research to play a psychologist "a lot of bullocks." And shrugs off such actorly pretentions with good nature.
Of course, it wasn't all wigs — Malcolm is pleased to regale with tales on all the fun he had with costar Sheri Zombie, and how Rob would get irritated at their constant crack-ups during takes. Time is money on a movie, after all… And naughty Sheri would always blame her uncontrollable laughter on Malcolm. I can see that; I couldn't help razzing him myself. There is just something very inviting about teasing him. And flirting with him (it's not just me… Sheri and his other costar, Scout Taylor-Compton say he's quite mischievous and completely irresistible).
Malcolm was filming Heroes at the same time as Halloween, "having to run back and forth between sets" (they are not filmed on the same lots.) He candidly states that the Heroes producers got a little pissy about him doing Halloween, and said they lost $50,000 one day because of him. Not that he's not worth every penny (he doesn't say that – but I do!) "I think Linderman will be back," he speculates, in spite of the rather dire-looking circumstances his character was left in at the end of Season One.
But back to Halloween — Malcolm, decidedly not a fan of the slasher genre, says he does not consider Halloween a horror movie. He sees it as a "character-driven, scary" film. He enthusiastically adds that Rob is right up there with the best directors he's worked with. "Rob went to bat for me. The Weinsteins were saying, 'Who is your back up for McDowell?' And he said, there was none."
We were also talking about his recent role in Neil Marshall's upcoming Doomsday. "He's the British Rob Zombie. Without the tattoos," he says of his director, adding how much he loved The Descent (hey, Malcolm… news flash: That's a horror movie!). In Doomsday, Malcolm plays a self-proclaimed king who takes over a castle after an apocalyptic event. He talks about his costume, and how it’s medieval, with some new, very unusual, accoutrements.
His scenes for Doomsday were apparently shot in Scotland (though the bulk of the film was filmed on soundstages in South Africa). He jokes about the weather in Scotland – freezing cold, hot, cloudy, rainy, blazing sun all in one day. The Brit-born actor adds that he doesn't really miss the U.K. "London is one of the greatest cities in the world. But Los Angeles is home, and has been for 30 years." An avid golfer, he loves the weather here.
As for what else's coming up, If was just (finally!) released on DVD, and in October we'll get O Lucky Man, with a new documentary entitled O Lucky Malcolm.
Rob Zombie
Since my favorite part of Halloween was the back story, I'm curious to know how he wrote the young Michael Myers character in his script. "Psychotic children are manipulative and conniving," says Rob. "They are psychotic, but they are children… they don’t really see the end result and the aftermath of what they’ve done."
Rob also talked about working with an ensemble cast, and addresses my question about people who've griped about the use of his core actors from House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects in smaller roles for Halloween. He says flatly that these people "don't really understand how movies are made." Many, many directors over the years have worked with the same ensembles — Woody Allen, John Cassavetes, Martin Scorsese, The Cohen Bros. — he works with people because they are talented and because he likes them. He cast Malcolm because it was like they had been friends for years even after they'd only just met. As for the other actors, "They're more in the background. This really is about Michael, Loomis and Laurie."
As for whether or not he is satisfied with the final product, "I am constantly in the editing room." Nothing happens without his approval. This movie is his cut, and he is happy with it. But, if I understand what he said correctly, there might be a slightly different version for the DVD to accommodate more nudity. (He feels the death are brutal enough, and he was consciously trying to not overdo it.)
As for remaking the hallowed Halloween, he says he could have related to the fan quibbles better had there been only the original 1978 film, because it does stand alone. But with all the remakes – this being the 9th Halloween film – "it's been so watered down, diluted and drained of its power." He wanted to make Michael Myers scary again, and the way to do that was to give him a full, well-rounded back story.
Scout Taylor-Compton
Yes, Scout-Taylor Compton is a Rob Zombie fan. She has always been an enthusiast of really hard rock music like White Zombie, The Misfits, The Sex Pistols, etc. Prior to being cast, she had actually seen Rob in his rock star mode onstage, and was kind of was nervous to work with him as a director thinking he'd be a hard-ass. But that quickly dissipated. "We just passed each other in the hallway," the 18-year-old giggles, "and we were like, 'Yo! Let’s do this!' We always say that. We have a bond."
Apparently Rob was more lenient with Scout's on-set horse-play than he was with Sheri and Malcolm's. In fact, he was even the instigator at times. "There was lot of goofing on the set," Scout reports. For her birthday Rob got her a cake, "the kind with the candles that won't blow out."
Scout adds that although he isn't one himself, Rob understands actors. As for doing another Halloween, she is up for it even though Rob says he would not be on board. "I’m in a family now."
Suffice to say that between the screams she had a lot of laughs and fun with her costars. She really formed a strong friendship with Tyler Mane, who plays her nemesis in the movie. "Me and Tyler watched A Clockwork Orange in Tyler's trailer, and when we came out we saw Malcolm, and I go, 'I just saw you naked!' Malcolm is such a flirt. He loved it. But seriously, he taught me a lot as an actor and gave me a lot of advice."
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By Staci Layne Wilson