by Scott Weinberg
You may not know who Eli Roth is just yet. There was also a time when nobody knew who Sam Raimi was either. Now, I'm certainly not about to anoint a filmmaker with precisely one feature under his belt as the next King of Cinematic Horror - but if Cabin Fever and Roth's seemingly unquenchable passion for the genre are any indication...this guy's gonna be a fan favorite real soon and an industry darling not soon after.
When I first checked the movie listings for the 2003 SXSW Film Festival, my jaw hit the mousepad with joyous delight. Cabin Fever? Wait a sec...
This was that Flesh Eating Disease movie! The one that Lion's Gate just snatched up! A real live nasty-ass horror movie! In this day and age!
There were plenty of star-driven and pedigreed flicks at SXSW (including A Mighty Wind and Phone Booth), but it was Cabin Fever that I was most excited to see.
While standing in line for a film called EvenHand, a manic little guy kept bopping through the line, smiling, shaking hands, distributing creepy-looking business cards. A hopefully subtle glance at his festival badge informed me that he was Eli Roth, and that name immediately struck a chord in my brain. Since I'd done a little research prior to the trip, it didn't take me long before I placed the guy.
THIS guy directed Cabin Fever? This guy looks like someone I'd play Xbox with! A bowling buddy! A normal...geek! I waited for a break in his enthusiastic banter before introducing myself as a movie critic and lifelong Horror Freak and casually gushed about how excited I was for Cabin Fever. Eli seemed sincerely flattered that I recognized his film from his name and we quickly began discussing Evil Dead 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and (of course) Cabin Fever.
Since he was on the word-of-mouth come-see-my-damn-movie beat, Eli had to run but we would talk again a few nights later at Cabin Fever's sold-out midnight show.
We watched the flick, sincerely adored it, and then enjoyed an animated and joyously vulgarity-laden Q & A session between Roth and his happily receptive audience. Since I didn't have my tape recorder on me at the time, I felt annoyed at missing the chance to share Roth's rants with the universe.
So I interviewed the guy my own damn self. Settle in for a long, fun, profane read:
Who are your main influences, and by that I mean which horror flicks did you watch more than 8 times when you should have been doing homework or making out with girls?
The main influences for Cabin Fever are definitely The Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and John Carpenter's The Thing. I wanted to make a film that would be balls-out horror, holding nothing back, going full-on gore wherever I could. I also wanted to make it independently, as most of my favorite films of all time were made for under $1 million dollars. There are of course exceptions (The Thing, Jaws, The Shining, The Exorcist) but I love Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Dead Alive because without any kind of budget they were forced to be clever.
What would you like to see happen in the world of American Horror Movies over the next 5 years?
I would love to see Hollywood grow a set of balls and start making some original horror movies. There's nothing wrong with a great remake of an old classic or a foreign film, but there's got to be more of a balance. Everyone in Hollywood, I've learned, plays follow the leader and only wants to make what's already been a proven success. These people are so scared for their jobs that they don't make movies they think will do well; they make films they think won't fail. There's a huge distinction there.
For example, if someone remakes Willard and it bombs, they can defend why it didn't do well by saying "Well, it already had a cult following so it was a smart decision to make." Nobody wants to take a chance on original films, or ones that differ from the pack, until a Blair Witch Project or a Sixth Sense comes along. Then they all want to copy the formula that made it successful, not taking into account that the film's startling originality is what drew people to it in the first place. It's very, very, very difficult for filmmakers like me who want to make new films in the tradition of the classics of the 70s and early 80s.
I would also like to see more R rated films get made. Right now the prevailing philosophy is that PG-13 horror sells, because The Ring and The Others were so successful. So what you see happening is horror movies that would work better as an R get neutered down to appeal to 14-year-old girls. Certain films like The Ring are very scary as PG-13s, but we shouldn't try to cram every horror film into that rating to appeal to the widest audience possible. If it's R the kids will find a way to sneak in, you can be sure of that. Jackass, 8 Mile and countless others prove that. But the only way for this to happen is for the fans to go out en masse and support R rated horror when it comes out, otherwise we're screwed.
What's the Stephen King book you'd most like to adapt into a film and why? Which King adaptation blew it on the most atrocious scale?
I'm fortunate enough to be adapting a King short story into a feature, and it's my dream project. The story is 1408 from his book Everything's Eventual and it scared the fuck out of me so badly when I first read it, I had to sleep with the lights on. That hasn't happened to me since I was a kid, and it's a wonderful feeling.
I think as far as King books blowing it on a big scale, I'd have to say Graveyard Shift. I just hated that movie, and remember being really upset that I went to see a Stephen King film and it wasn't scary. He had a great streak going there for a while.
Mega-Studio X offers you the chance to remake any horror film made before 1990. What do you pick, why, and who do you cast?
I would remake The Fly 2. That film sucked ass and it killed the franchise. I don't know if it's considered more sci-fi than horror, but it should never have been made the way it was. Another film that should be remade is Alien 3. I don't think I've ever been more angry after a film than Alien 3 simply because for years I had dreamed of the third film being the one where the aliens come to Earth. It just sucked - and it made no sense. Roc Dutton sacrificing himself for no reason other than a stupid promise? What the fuck was that all about? I heard Fincher went through hell on that film, and he's such a talented director, I can't completely fault him for that one. But Fox killed one of the all time great franchises right there, and it will take a James Cameron or a Ridley Scott to get it back on track.
Another dream movie to remake is Caddyshack 2 without Dan Aykroyd. I think it would be the perfect way for Chevy Chase to redeem himself and to give us more Carl Spackler.
Other films I would remake are Friday the 13th Part 3 and perhaps CHUD which was recently sent to me as a possible remake. I'm thinking of re-doing it set around the Bolshevik revolution, and just shoot a very serious straight period drama. And while the revolution's happening and society's crumbling, there's also this CHUD problem that keeps popping up from the sewers. But really make the CHUD part a minor sub-plot. The idea is to make a very, very, very pretentious and self-important film that's called CHUD.
Say you become the next John Carpenter (early-career Carpenter of course). Which genre would you tackle if the horror vibe needed a vacation?
Definitely the early 80s sex comedy. Not this John Hughes bullshit. I'm talking Boaz Davidson's Last American Virgin style, which uses my favorite winning formula for a great movie: Fat Guy + Cool Guy + Nerd. You see, after studying hundreds of these movies, such as Joysticks and Screwballs, I have learned one thing: Cool Guy + Nerd = Romantic Comedy. Fat Guy + Cool Guy + Nerd = Zany comedy. Because when it's just a nerd they're both competing for the pretty girl, and the nerd wins. But throw a fat guy in there and all bets are off - the whole movie's a team effort to get laid. I would want to make a film like the Israeli Lemon Popsicles movies, which are my favorite.
Divulge in gory detail Lion's Gate's reaction to the film, the MPAA response, and your family's reaction when you told them you were opening on 2,000 screens.
Lion's Gate was drooling for the film before we screened it, because we had two great sales agents that had hyped them properly. I was very careful to not show anyone the finished movie on videotape - they all had to see it on the big screen or they couldn't see it at all. This pissed a lot of people off, but it made them crazy and it forced them to see it in a theatre, with other buyers right there enjoying it as well. I had cut 4 trailers for the movie before Toronto, just to show how the film could be marketed.
People said "How can you market a film about a flesh-eating virus?" and with these trailers it not only alleviated all their marketing fears, it got them psyched up to see the movie and showed them how they could sell it to the public. We met with the Lion's Gate guys at a hotel room in Toronto and played the trailers for them so they were properly prepped before the screening. By the time the first press and industry screening was over, we had seven studio offers, including Lion's Gate's. A bidding war broke out, they were the most aggressive, and they won. I also liked the idea that Lion's Gate only does four wide releases a year, so we knew that we'd be a big deal to them. I did not want to get lost in the shuffle, as many great movies undeservedly do.
My parents were flying up to the Toronto Film Festival from Boston, and arrived just as the bidding war was wrapping up. They were so happy to see all their son's wildest dreams come true in one fell swoop. They have been supporting my directing dream since I was 8 years old, so for them to arrive in Toronto and see me on the front page of the National Newspaper and on television was quite a thrill for them. It was my mother's birthday, so it was a nice present for her. It was also a nice present for my dad, who had invested a lot more money in Cabin Fever than any of us planned, due to the union shutting us down and extorting all our money during shooting. And in 24 hours he doubled his investment, just off the sale alone.
The MPAA were great - we had no problems from them whatsoever. They screened the movie on Halloween and gave us an R on the first pass. I don't know why everyone complains - I love those guys! (At least until they slap my next film with an NC-17...)
You get to hand-pick a test audience for Cabin Fever. Where do you go to find 'em and what sort are you looking for?
I go to the horror conventions and find the dirtiest, creepiest, weirdest looking freaks who are covered in tattoos of their favorite horror movies. Then I go to strip clubs, but not really to recruit, just to look at girls and stuff.
Without spoiling anything (ha! spoil! Cabin Fever in-joke!), what's the sequence in the film you're most proud of?
I'm very proud of the leg shaving sequence. It's one of those things I had in my mind for so many years, and it just all came together. The camerawork, the production design, the acting, the special effects, the music, everything. It's not quite exactly what I had in my head, it's something far more beautiful. I'm proud of other sequences, but don't want to give them away.
I'll name a movie (some recent, mostly not) and you give your thoughts. (I know you may need to be kind, seeing as you're an actual filmmaker and it's generally bad form to trash fellow filmmakers, but I trust you to be honest.) Go.
-The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Fucking masterpiece. I can watch that movie over and over and over. When I was a kid it bothered me that there wasn't more saw-on-flesh, but the more I watch it the more I realize the gorelessness is what I love about it. Tobe Hooper so successfully manipulates you into thinking you've seen more than you actually have, and the film is unrelenting and brutal. It's one of the few films I will never get numb to, it's disturbing every time I watch it. The camerawork, the sound design, the score - it's the standard for what a brutal horror film should be. Nobody's ever been able to match it.
-The Evil Dead and its equally wonderful sequel
This movie scared the fuck out of me when I first saw it, and when I was 15 I made my parents take me to go see Evil Dead 2 on my birthday. My father had to lie to the theater manager and tell him I was 18, even though I had no photo I.D. Those films were a huge inspiration to me, especially since Raimi made them at such a young age. I used to try to keep pace with my favorite directors, but now I've calmed down and realize that everyone works at their own pace, and I'm probably much better off having directed my first film at 29 instead of 22.
Humanoids from the Deep
I love Roger Corman in any and all form. This film I remember because I believe there were tits in it, which in 1980 was very important to me. And in 2003, it is still just as important.
Alien
I begged my parents for weeks to take me to see Alien, and became so obsessed with it I read the Alan Dean Foster novelization, which was a big deal for an eight year old.
Halloween vs. Friday the 13th
I love Black Christmas as well as Bay of Blood. so I of course love these two films. I think Halloween is a better crafted film, but there's something so cheesy and campy about Friday the 13th that it comes in a very close second. And that scare at the end always gets me. Halloween has subtle mood and creepy music whereas Friday the 13th is all about those beautiful Savini kills.
May
I love May. I've seen it twice now and I think I'll love it even more the next time I watch it. It's not really a horror film for the first hour and 10 minutes, it's more of a black comedy. But that ending is just so fucking dark and beautiful, I get chills thinking about it. Lucky McKee is an incredible talent.
Dog Soldiers
Lots of fun. There's definitely a "man in suit" aspect to the werewolves, but that's what I like about it. I was lucky enough to see this film on the big screen and it's a much more intense and exciting experience. It's too bad it didn't get a U.S. theatrical release but I'm glad there's gonna be a sequel.
Hannibal
I fucking hated that film. That movie made me angry simply because it had absolutely no point. Lecter's in Italy and he's wearing white gloves wiping off every little fork he touches, concealing all identity and covering his tracks, and then he goes back to Baltimore and goes hat shopping in the town center? What the fuck was that? Plus they took Julianne Moore and stuck her in a basement for two hours. The brain eating was great, but the rest of the movie was so fucking boring and pretentious, and with the unbelievable talent they had working on that film it's just inexcusable. But what do I know, the film only made $168 million dollars.
Showgirls
Masterpiece. I am a huge Verhoeven fan, especially his Dutch films, like "he 4th Man, Turkish Delights and Soldier of Orange. Any movie where girls talk about eating dog food is just fine by me.
Van Sant's remake of Psycho
Refuse to see it on principal. One of the dumbest ideas ever, and I can't believe they indulged that bullshit. If you're gonna remake it, which you never should, at least try to re-invent it or do something original. The only person who really knows how to rip off Hitchcock well is DePalma and his best film of all time is Hi Mom, which isn't really Hitchcockian at all.
De Bont's remake of The Haunting
Refuse to see it on principal. I love the Robert Wise film too much.
The Lord of the Rings
Loved it. But at the end of the day I'll always watch Meet the Feebles or Dead Alive before I'll watch Lord of the Rings on DVD. Is that wrong?
Dan O'Bannon's Return of the Living Dead
One of the great horror comedies of the 80's that, like American Werewolf in London, was both genuinely funny and genuinely scary. One never detracted from the other. It was one of the first horror films that really injected punk rock into itself, and as a huge fan of 80's punk I greatly appreciated that. It was a film about teenagers in trouble, but the fact that they took the kids and made them like the kids in Repo Man was a great innovation. I love Dan O'Bannon's work, from Dark Star to Dead and Buried. He's one of the most underappreciated talents in Hollywood. I saw Return of the Living Dead with my family on Mother's Day or something, and it was a wonderful Roth family bonding experience. I still quote that film all the time.
Is it required that a horror film be directed by a horror freak? What happens if a filmmaker doesn't even dig the genre he's working in?
Not at all. A horror film, like any film, needs to be directed by someone who understands the story and is in tune with the material. Some of the best horror films of all time are directed by people who you don't think of as horror freaks: Kubrick's The Shining, Friedkin's The Exorcist, Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Polanski's The Tenant, Richard Donner's The Omen, Rob Reiner's Misery, Robert Wise's The Haunting and even DePalma's Carrie. Only a few of the so-called "horror freaks" are still making good horror movies anyway. I definitely think it helps to be a fan of the genre, but if you understand storytelling and are in tune with how to translate terror to an audience, you'll be a great horror director. Gore Verbinski did a great job with the Ring remake, and this was the guy who made Mouse Hunt.
If a filmmaker doesn't like the genre he's working in, he should find a way to make the movie interesting to him. Because then if the film appeals to him, and he doesn't even like the genre, then it should appeal to others who don't like that genre, in addition to those who do. I'm not the biggest fan of romantic comedies, but I know if I made one I'd make sure I fucking loved it, because if I love it and I don't even love the genre, then it would appeal to most people.
Do you think the horror genre gets short shrift in the awards 'n' accolades department? Sure, Silence of the Lambs swept the Oscars - yet Event Horizon got shut out. (Ha.) Why will many critics often praise a horror flick while rarely calling it 'an excellent film'? What gives?
Horror has always been the bastard stepchild of Hollywood. Despite the fact that studios like Universal were built on horror, and everyone loves to be scared, horror has the same stigma that porn did a few years back. Ever notice how when a horror film makes $100 million dollars it becomes a "thriller?" That's no accident - that's the marketing people at the studio hoping to get Oscars. Silence of the Lambs and Misery caused all of this. The studios discovered that if they called the films "thrillers" there was a Hitchcockian element of class to them, and Oscar voters felt more comfortable voting for them.
Hell, I've heard studio executives describe Jaws as an "action" movie, even a "suspense" film. People tell me The Sixth Sense is a "supernatural thriller". What the fuck does that mean? So does that make The Exorcist a "theological thriller"? The Sixth Sense scared the shit out of me, and it's about a ghost and his relationship with a kid who sees nasty, brutal, fucked up dead people. In the 80's that would have been called a horror film, but now it's a "thriller." Same thing with The Ring. Once it popped $100 million, people started calling it a "thriller." It makes me sick.
So sadly, no, I don't think the critics will change their tune in the near future, because the marketing people at the studio won't let them. It took a while for the Oscars to start considering comedies as real movies, and hopefully horror will soon follow suit. Only there's one catch: most of the horror films of late have been so fucking unwatchable that they don't deserve any critical praise or respect. So it's up to the filmmakers to step it up and make better films, otherwise we're never going to get any respect.
Would it bother you to be 'pigeonholed' as a horror director? Do you think a label like that has unfairly damaged a career or four?
I have no worries at all about being pigeonholed, because it's something you can't avoid. Before Cabin Fever I was making stop motion animation shorts, and I was "2 minute stop motion guy." Before that I was making drawn pen & ink animation shorts, and I was "animation guy." And before that I was a guy who had made a student film. People in Hollywood are scared to see you for more than what you are, because it reminds them that they're not doing enough with their lives. So as soon as you write a script, you're a writer, and as soon as you're in act on a TV show, you're a TV actor, etc, etc. I have always built my own engine, meaning I write a project, raise the money for it, and shoot it. I am not depending on anyone but myself for a job, so if I make a few horror films and get labeled a "horror" guy, I know if I want to make a comedy or a drama I'll just write it, produce, and direct it, the same way I did with Cabin Fever.
I definitely think it has hurt the careers of a number of directors to be labeled "horror" guys. Every now and then they get the chance to do a drama or something different, and if it doesn't work out, you're screwed. All the horror directors I've met have told me to make a non-horror film as my second movie. I just want to tell stories I care about that I think would be a fun ride for an audience, so whether they're horror or comedy, it doesn't matter, it's whatever best serves the story you're telling.
When's the last time you went on a roller coaster?
The Cyclone at Coney Island, a few years ago. It was fucking scary, I felt like the thing was gonna collapse any minute.
How many times during the production of Cabin Fever did you think "Game over man, game over! We're fucked. Movie's in the toilet. I suck. Back to the video store for me."? What made you keep your head up? Besides alcohol and groupies I mean.
I went through the entire shoot never knowing if we were going to shoot the next day, since we never had the money to make it. We started with $250,000, and just began shooting, and had to raise money every day in order to keep going. I'd ask my producer Lauren at lunch "Are we shooting tomorrow?" and she'd reply "I'll let you know at wrap." Then at wrap she'd say "We got money to get through two more days," and I knew we would be two days closer to finishing.
The Union drove down 11 hours from NYC to North Carolina to shut us down and extort us, which is totally illegal, but they don't give a fuck. They just bullied and threatened the crew, and we became a union movie. All our money was taken, and we were shut down on day 12 of 24. But I had a great team behind me, and we pulled together and got through it. We just called everyone we knew, and my father came through with a huge check to get us back up and running. It was a terrifying time, and each day was truly a victory.
Then we came back to L.A. with no money, and we owed the crew $100,000, and needed $600,000 more to finish the film. We edited on a borrowed editing system and deferred people's pay, while we raised the money to finish it. I still have not gotten paid, but it's all worth it because everything worked out.
What kept me going was that I knew I had started something and I had to finish it. When you are the head of a creative project you have to have total conviction that what you're doing will work, otherwise no one else will believe in you. That is what I had all through the production, and seeing how beautiful the dailies looked I knew we'd be fine.
What's your view on the 'Online Film Critic'? Do we actually make a difference, or are we just bored, opinionated movie-buff schmucks with an internet connection and no sex life?
Online critics absolutely make a difference. Every studio reads these reviews, and people at their computers are bored and are always looking for a distraction. These reviews help people plan their weekends and get them excited about movies that they might not otherwise know about. The best example of this is, of course, The Blair Witch Project. The internet built that film's publicity campaign, and it was the online critics in combination with their website that did it. The internet levels the playing field. Reviews online can make or break a film.
"Anything for a laugh!": Agree or disagree?
I think that you need to look at the film as a whole and decide tonally if the joke fits into the context of the film. But I'm not above wiggling tits next to a bowl of jello. Yeah, I agree with that statement. I love Jackass too much to disagree.
Name some horror movies so bad that you'd express physical anger were they offered to you as a weekend rental.
Alien 3. Wrong Turn. Valentine. I Know What You Did Last Summer. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. An American Werewolf in Paris. Jason X. Any horror film that is R rated and doesn't show tits.
Top Five Things You'd Love to Overhear Moviegoers Saying On Their Way Out of Cabin Fever:
- That was fucking sick.
- That little Cabin had more dead bodies than the House of 1000 Corpses.
- Move, I'm gonna barf.
- I'll never finger a chick again.
- That was the most fucking disgusting thing I've ever seen - and my God did I love it.
Final Thoughts?
I just hope people enjoy the film and come out to support it. Cabin Fever took people by surprise because it was made for no money, completely independently, with no stars, and will have a wide theatrical release. If it does well in the theaters it will help other films like it get made. If you're tired of the same old PG-13 Hollywood shit and want to see a change in what gets made, then voice your opinion by supporting us. I think if you're expecting a really disgusting, fucked up, but fun ride that pays homage to the ultra-violent horror films of the 70's and early 80's, you'll definitely get your money's worth.
 del.icio.us 
link directly to this feature at http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=729
originally posted: 04/24/03 19:54:43
last updated: 12/31/03 07:54:19
![[printer]](/images/icon/printer.gif) printer-friendly format
|
Articles 
subscribe to this feed
