UnNews:Interview — Rob Zombie discusses "Halloween II"

Interview — Rob Zombie discusses "Halloween II"

left

---

We distort, you deride

✪

UnNews

✪

Thursday, November 21, 2024, 13:39:59 (UTC)

---

12 August 2009

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the individuals providing them and do not reflect the views or opinions of UnNews, Uncyclopedia, or its affiliates.

Rob Zombie answers our questions.

HOLLYWOOD, California — UnNews has just snagged an exclusive interview with Rob Zombie, who is super-busy promoting Halloween II, his mildly anticipated sequel to his masterpiece Halloween remake from 2007. Here, he talks about the direction he's taking this time around and what fans should expect to see.

UnNews: Let's cut to the chase here — what exactly is this film about?
Rob Zombie: Things like that become a blur - shot at some soundstage, somewhere - that's as much as I can remember.

UN: So you have no idea what this film is about?
RZ: No one is even looking at the screen anyways. They figure they don't have to pay attention to the story anyways.

So it's like Seinfeld? It's a movie about nothing?
Sort of. I have a story that I concocted in my head, but I never really attempted to put it into the movie because I figured there's only so much time. You just have to think, “Okay, [Michael Myers is] the avenging brother. Good enough.” I think everyone can relate to that. I didn't really want to get into too much back story because I just thought it might bog the movie down. A lot of times, I see movies and I think, “Yeah, we get it. You don't have to keep explaining it to us. We get it.” Everyone's like, “Well, what's their motivation for being serial killers?” I'm like, “What is anyone's motivation? They're insane, obviously.” Sometimes, people are just insane.

But I liked the backstory in your first Halloween. A lot of people loved it. Some even thought it was better than the remake portion.
Well, my biggest thing [With Halloween 2007] was trying to make it different, because the Carpenter one is so stylistically John Carpenter. It's very specific the way it's done, so the first thing I wanted to do was to vary from that and take a different approach, not an approach that has anything to do with B-movies. I didn't care anything about that, but just something that seemed more real or more real human drama where Carpenter's was very stylized.

So you're saying Carpenter's film is a piece of shit?
Oh, yeah, yeah…

But that's blasphemy!
It just seems horrible.

Um, are we even talking about the same Halloween? When did you ever see it, on AMC with all the good parts cut out?
No, I saw it at the drive-in when it first came out.

I thought you and John were close friends?
No. A lot of that stuff was done out of desperation.

Why do you hate the original Halloween so much?
Well, Donald Pleasence always seemed crazier than Michael Myers in those movies.

Why did you decide to do a remake if you hated the original? And why did you come back for a sequel, having no clue what the story would be this time around?
I'd just be obsessed with a movie. I'd need more. So we'd make Super-8's at home. It's funny I should remake Halloween. Because one of the movies I made as a kid in high school was a sequel to John Carpenter's Escape from New York.

What was the hardest part about making Halloween II?
The hardest part was convincing people that I was serious. The people [at Dimension] were like "You want to do this again?"

Daeg Faerch in Halloween II, before being dismissed.

I thought the hardest part was dealing with Daeg Faerch's physical maturity and ultimately deciding to recast the Young Michael Myers role with some Zac Hanson lookalike.
Once you see the film you will understand why I made this choice. It was not an easy choice and was not made lightly.

What the hell were you smoking when you decided to replace Daeg Faerch?
Chase [Wright Vanek, Faerch's replacement] has been kicking ass on set and we are sure you will love him as much as we do.

I'm not planning on it. He might be a good actor and all (or not), but he IS NOT Young Michael Myers. Daeg Faerch is Young Michael Myers!!!
But the scenes just didn't work anymore. Daeg is no longer a little boy, he is a teenager with a deep voice.

So?!!
It didn't make sense with what was in the script.

Then change the fucking script, genius!!!
Replacing Daeg was a bummer.

Then why'd you do it, asshole?
It wasn't something I wanted to do, but he wasn't a little kid any more. He showed up and he was like he was 17. He was tall and big and his voice had changed. It didn't make any sense with the script because it was supposed to be [Michael] as a kid. I didn't have any choice, but that was a hard decision. I tried making it work, but it just didn't work.

Um, Rob, maybe I should inform you that McG went the whole nine yards to put a CGI Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator: Salvation!
Oh my God, it's a little kid!

Actually, McG is not a kid. In fact, he just turned 41 a couple days ago (August 9).
But you don't know anything about him.

I know he directed Charlie's Angels and T4, and that's about all I know. Moving on, the test screenings performed poorly in both New York and LA, yet you refuse to do any additional reshoots, unlike the case with you first Halloween — in which the screenings were mostly successful and you did a few reshoots such as replacing the rape scene with a different escape scene, and hiring Sid Haig to play the gravekeeper Chester Chesterfield. Aren't you afraid that Halloween II will fall prey to bad word of mouth and commercial failure?
I think you were just imagining it.

There are very detailed reviews on IMDb and the Official Halloween Message Board (OHMB) that tear the film to shreds. They are accusing you of plagiarizing a number of movies. What movies did you borrow from to make this film?
We tried to do a Benjamin Button number.

Benjamin Button? You mean that movie where Brad Pitt is born as this ugly old baby and ages backwards as he gets "older"... or "younger" rather?
No, not really! [laughs]

Did you steal any scenes from Slumdog Millionaire or The Dark Knight? I think it would be funny to see Michael Myers doing the interrogation scene! Hell, let's have Michael do that Indian dance from Slumdog!
If there’s anything that’s similar, it’s just complete coincidence.

I heard there was a certain major film that was heavily stolen from this time around?
If you do Halloween in the style of 21 Grams or The Constant Gardener, it immediately becomes a whole different movie.

No. there's another big, big movie you reportedly stole from. Where did the Deborah Myers ghost thing come from?
Jaws.

No.
Close Encounters.

Nope.
The Godfather.

Not even close.
Taxi Driver.

Try Friday the 13th Part 2. I'm not accusing you of anything, but lots of hardcore horror buffs are charging you with ripping off the Jason's mom thing from the Friday the 13th movies.
I just took that experience for granted.

Let's talk about the music. Reportedly, the Halloween Theme is not used this time around... The first time this has ever happened. I think even the Myerless Halloween III: Season of the Witch had the theme in it, in a scene in which a Halloween TV spot was shown. What music will be used instead?
The big Britney Spears albums.

Britney Spears doing a Halloween soundtrack? You don't sound too thrilled about that. What kind of music did you want to use?
The indie bands that don't have two cents to their name.

What happened there?
They're not meant to be good movies; they're just meant to cash in on the franchise.

So it's just a ploy for money?
It's never been about the money.

You famously said you'd never come back for a sequel. What changed your mind?
Everyone I know will go see a sequel, knowing it's a piece of crap.

Well... That's all the questions I was given on this page. I certainly do thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. Whatever happens with the film, I wish you good luck. What will your next project be?
Forget it. I give up.

So, no Halloween III?
No. I could not see that in any shape, way or form. Never.

Take care, Rob, and drive safely. And please bring Daeg back.
Oh, yeah, yeah…

Halloween II opens August 28th.

Sources

This article features first-hand journalism by an UnNews correspondent.