סאם אירוין - ראיון

What is your favorite film?
"THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN" directed by James Whale in 1935. Brilliant on every level. I only wish we could someday see the director's cut which I know had to be even better. I also love Hitchcock. My three favorites of his are "PSYCHO," "NORTH BY NORTHWEST," and "REAR WINDOW." Orson Welles' "CITIZEN KANE" is a masterpiece. I love Roman Polanski, especially "THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS," "THE TENANT," and "ROSEMARY'S BABY." I love Hammer Films, especially "HORROR OF DRACULA," "FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED," and "THE VAMPIRE LOVERS." I also love many Vincent Price movies including "PIT AND THE PENDULUM," "HOUSE OF USHER," "THEATER OF BLOOD" and especially the two "DR. PHIBES" movies. In a completely different genre, I think Diana Ross was brilliant in "LADY SINGS THE BLUES." I think the best Francis Ford Coppola movie ever was "THE CONVERSATION." I used to work for Brian DePalma and I love several of his early films, "CARRIE," "SISTERS," and "PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE." I loved Mel Brooks' "YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN." I also loved Sam Raimi's "EVIL DEAD 2." I think Tim Burton's "EDWARD SCISSORHANDS" is probably his best to date. Spielberg is a great filmmaker, especially "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS," "JAWS," "E.T." and "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK." I even cry whenever I see the reunion scene at the end of "THE COLOR PURPLE," so you know I'm a hopeless sentimentalist. "SCHINDLER'S LIST" is astonishingly moving and stunningly photographed. Lucas' "STAR WARS" is great, but the sequels have progressively lost the magic, especially the last one. I like John Schlesinger's "THE DAY OF THE LOCUST" and "MARATHON MAN." Ridley Scott's "ALIEN" is his best film ever, with apologies to the Academy Awards this year. James Cameron's best film ever was "ALIENS." Both of those movies rocked! ("ALIEN 3" sucked). I love Powell's "PEEPING TOM" and the one about the nuns in the monastery starring Deborah Kerr. Scorsese's "TAXI DRIVER" is his best film ever. I also think the "THIN MAN" movies starring William Powell & Myrna Loy are just the absolutely perfect combination of comedy and mystery. Delightful!
Is it something you have directed?
I love all the movies I directed, but if I had to choose, I guess I'd say "ELVIRA'S HAUNTED HILLS" because it is the newest and it is a spoof of some of the Vincent Price movies I love so much. It was great fun to make! Sorry for the shameless plug, but you can see the trailer by going to www.elvira.com. I am very happy with how it has turned out.
Certainly the greatest film I ever produced was "GODS & MONSTERS" which is absolutely wonderful, if I do say so myself. We are very, very proud of that one.
In Gods and Monsters there is a scene that shows Mr. Whale attacking Clayton, did you have a problem with showing James Whale that way?
No problem. It was dramatically necessary. I interpreted it as Whale begging for Clayton to kill him, to put him out of his misery. His health was failing. He did not want to live as an invalid. I felt he hoped his "monster" would turn on him and do the deed for him. Alas, he ended up having to do it himself in the pool.
On the subject of dramatic license, I believe we captured the essence of Whale even if the specifics were fictionalized. I've spoken to many people who knew Whale and they all agree we got him just right. I directed the documentary on the making of "GODS & MONSTERS" which is available on the DVD as extra material. In that, we interviewed Gloria Stuart, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in "TITANIC." She starred in two of Whale's films "THE INVISIBLE MAN" and "THE OLD DARK HOUSE." She knew him very well. We also interview director Curtis Harrington who was a close friend.


You seem to be very busy with Horror and Science Fiction movies Are these your favorite genres ? .If so, please tell us why If not, is it because it's simply what the audience seems to like?
I love horror, sci-fi, fantasy, suspense. I grew up with these types of movies that interest me the most. When I was still in high school, I edited a fanzine called BIZARRE which was a movie review and interview magazine on horror/sci-fi movies. But, I also like comedy, especially dark comedy. All of
my films tend to have a strong sense of humor as well

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I've seen your credits in IMDB.com, and have seen that you're a producer, a director, an actor, and a screenwriter. I wanted to know - which one of these jobs do you like to do most?
Directing is what I was born to do. I am completely alive on a film set or in an editing room. I absolutely must have it, like a drug addiction.
I like writing second best, but it can be tedious because you are alone all of the time. I am also not very disciplined with my time when I am alone in front of a computer at my house. I like having a schedule like on a film shoot. I see everything in my head, so the act of writing it all down in words is drudgery. My hands cannot type as fast as I think, so I tend to get frus