Grindhouse - Planet Terror (2007)
Interview with Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez attended the 60th Edition of the Locarno Filmfestival with their new movie Planet Terror. Their movie was programmed for the Piazza Grande and the two stars were two of the most famous people in the southern part of Switzerland during that time. OutNow.CH got the chance to interview them together with two other movie-websites from the French-speaking part of Switzerland in a round table interview in the garden of a five-star villa.
» Das Interview in deutscher Sprache
OutNow.CH (ON): You play in both of the Grindhouse Movies, so which one do you prefer?
Rose McGowan (RM): Well, I'm pretty sure, if you say that, there's Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino, that you would not work with again. So you really can't answer that, but nice try!
ON: What was your contribution to Cherry's personality (the character in Planet Terror)?
"You're hot, honey!"
RM: I think I can say it now, because Robert was pretty open about it on the DVD Commentary. When Cherry speaks about the "useless talent number 32", it is something which I myself always said, because there are things I am good at but who will never make me earn money or will help me in the life. He put a lot of my personality into her. You're kind of playing somebody other's idea of your personality. That's strange.
ON: What are the main differences in the way of directing from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino?
RM: Robert's set are very quiet. Quentin's are loud - I'm sure you've all seen how Quentin speaks. On the other hand they are both very specific and don't really let you change anything in the dialogue. It's pretty much word for word. In that sense they are very similar.
ON: But on the set it's very clear, whose movie it is.
RM: Yes. Well, that should be the case on anybody's movie. Robert and Quentin used the same crew and with Robert nobody speaks, but with Quentin there is a constant drivel. You can see the difference right there.
ON: How did you manage to match your character (Cherry) in that crazy world of Planet Terror, which is quiet insane and scary?
The couple of Locarno
RM: Well, I was born in a crazy world too. (laughs) In Italy, nonetheless. I don't even think of it that way, because if there is some chick, like Cherry, and she is in a little town and her life sucks and all crazy stuff happens to her, then it is really happening. It's not with a wink to the audience saying "Isn't this crazy?". Everything is real to the characters. If you don't play it, then it is kind of a joke, it doesn't really fly as well, because then you don't believe any of the weird stuff's happening, which is already hard enough to believe. Does that make any sense? I have jetlag. I'm not going to lie. (laughs) "I took an ambient (sleeping pill) and it is still stuck in my head." That's my favorite song. Okay, I know I sound crazy, go ahead. (laughs)
ON: You played in Scream and now in this movie, do you have a particularly bound to horror movies?
RM: Well, I don't like horror movies at all; that's the biggest irony. I don't like them, I don't watch them. Actually I like watching autopsy shows and things like that, but not any fake stuff. That freaks me out. It took me about seven years to make my way through The Omen, about five minutes at a time. I'm still horrified by the nanny saying "It's all for you Damian!" That is horrible, horrible. Wes (Craven), Quentin or Robert cannot watch any true operations or real blood, whereas their fake stuff makes me sick.
ON: What do you think about, that the Grindhouse Movie in Europe had been split up in two movies?
RM: It's not a normal thing in Europe to put two movies together, it's a very American thing, because everything is very car-based there. You'd have a drive-in movie theatre - which now you can't have, because you probably would be attacked. (laughs) But in a way, you're actually much better off, because the movies have full length, and in the US, they had to cut some scenes out. Here in Europe, you do not have to await the DVD to see it entirely.
ON: Did you have some liberty when you were playing?
RM: It depends on the person, but not with Quentin, he's very specific. He is very centered on his dialogues. He's not one of the directors who say, "Just improvise". But usually, you just have to follow a guideline and then you can adapt and improvise.
ON: Did you know about your role, your machine gun leg?
RM: Yeah, I knew about that before getting into it. I got a call from Robert one day saying "Cherry's going to have a machine gun leg." I started laughing and said "Sounds good!" I thought it was great, considering I hate horror films, I think that's fun.
ON: You are also a singer, what are your musical influences?
"Like that?"
RM: I grew up by listening to Patsy Cline (a country singer). I couldn't sleep without listening to her. I listened to many old country music in the Fifties. I also enormously like love songs like those of Dinah Washington. Without forgetting the black singers of Memphis of the Twenties. I like AC/DC. (laughs) And Justin Timberlake. All over.
ON: Will you see the movie on the Piazza Grande?
RM: Yes.
ON: Witch reactions from the audience do you expect?
RM: Most people have seen it with covering their faces. It was like screaming and laughing at the same time. That's the best kind of reaction. It's a very interactive movie. You really don't sit there and just stare at it passively. You are going along for the ride.
ON: How do you imagine the survival of Cherry and her group in the world, which became kind of horrible?
RM: She saves the world and becomes a leader. I think she is like a fair god. She would be like a great Caesar, but with a machine-gun.
ON: Do you prefer to play in series or movies?
RM: Movies, because if you play in a series, you have to work much more. When I was playing in a series, I was sick all the time because I could not sleep. I'm looking to producing some stuff on TV right now, but not to be in it. But I love TV. I love The Closer (L.A. Priority investigations), it's probably my favorite show at the moment. And of course there are all my autopsy and medical shows.
ON: Now the Pop-Up-Questions, we give you a word and you give us your first thought.
RM: (chuckles)
ON: Brutality
RM: Depends
ON: Best movie ever made
RM: (thinking carefully) M
ON: Rockstars
RM: Overrated
ON: Charmed
RM: Underrated
ON: Locarno
RM: Stunning
ON: Dream part I've missed
RM: Scarlett O'Hara
ON: OutNow.CH
RM: What?
ON: Our website
RM: Oh! Okay. What?- That's my answer. (Laughing hardly) No, Fantastic!
ON: Thank you!
RM: Sure.
