Truth: being a lowly entertainment reporter, I never expect “the talent” to remember me when I have the opportunity to interview them for a second or a third or even a fourth time, particularly given the large number of journalists they’re forced to meet in the course of doing their jobs. So it’s always nice, then, when they actually do acknowledge having met me before, as “Evil Dead” star Shiloh Fernandez did during our recent sit-down about the forthcoming horror remake.
“I was actually on the set in New Zealand last summer…” I began in the lead-up to a question.
“That’s why I said ‘hey,'” interrupted Fernandez good-naturedly. “And you said ‘good to meet you.’ And I was like…”
Oh Shiloh, you do flatter me so.
Also joining us for the 3-on-1 chat were co-stars Jessica Lucas and Lou Taylor Pucci, who explained what was required in order to play their “Deadite” selves in the Fede Alvarez-directed update.
“We had a movement coach,” explained Lucas. “A dance teacher come in and help us with that a lot, so that was really great. And they wanted us all to have elements that were similar but…also have something that was very unique to our character.”
“It was like how we died or something, you know what I mean?” chimed in Pucci. “Like mine was just a bloated, blue monster because he had died in the gook water that I actually did put my face into. And it was terrible.”
So what surprised them most about the film when they screened it for the first time at last month’s SXSW Film Festival? (Read Drew’s review from the fest here.)
“The pace,” said Fernandez for his part. “It’s weird…you do certain scenes and you wanna see them live and breathe, but then really, ultimately, Fede made the best choice for the movie, which is like cutting it, and cutting it, you know, just going and going and going…that was really cool to see.”
“I was very nervous at the premiere,” admitted Lucas. “So I would like to watch it again and actually maybe enjoy it this time.”
“How could you not be nervous at the premiere?” said Pucci. “It’s like the first time we saw it…we were all scared shitless.”
“I wasn’t nervous,” Fernandez offered, saying he always had “faith” that Alvarez would make a good film. Of course, knocking a few drinks back prior to the show probably didn’t hurt either. “I was just like, ‘you know what? [raises an imaginary glass] Cheers, cheers, cheers, let’s go enjoy it.”
To check out the rest of my interview with Fernandez, Lucas and Pucci about the (very effective) “Evil Dead” remake, click on the video above.
“Evil Dead” hits theaters this Friday.