The Interview
KR: Hey Gunnar, in your own words please
explain the plot for MURDER SET PIECES.
The central character is a photographer who is spiraling down into madness.
He meets women, pretends to photograph them and eventually kills them
in inventive and brutal ways.
KR: Nice! So how did you get involved with
the project?
Well I’ve known Nick Palumbo (the director) for a while. He was
working on putting together a project called SINISTER that I was going
to be involved with, and ended up traveling to New York to shoot the trailer.
While down there MURDER SET PIECES came up and he decided to go with that
one.
KR: Just out of curiosity. Where did you
first meet Nick?
You know honestly I’m not sure. It could have been a convention.
I can remember meeting him at one and he gave me a copy of NUTBAG, but
I’m not exactly sure if that was the first time.
KR: During my research for this interview
I noticed that you are credited as “Nazi Mechanic” in MURDER
SET PIECES. What exactly does that mean?
(laughing)
It’s funny. When I first saw that reference I was thinking “why
is my character a Nazi?” and I had forgotten that there was a big
Nazi flag in my living room. Well, in my characters living room. But yeah,
he’s actually selling a gun to the photographer. He’s looks
like a mechanic because he’s all covered in grease and he’s
working on his car when the killer showing up looking to buy the gun.
KR: So do you actually kill anyone in the
film?
Nope.
KR: So you’re taking a breaking from
the massacring?
You know I’ve been thinking about that and lately the films I
have been working in I wasn’t doing a lot of killing.
KR: No you’re right actually, because
I saw CHAINSAW SALLY and you’re the one actually being killed right?
Yep. In fact there’s another film coming out soon called APOCALYPSE
AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN where I’m actually one of the good guys.
KR: That must be refreshing.
Yeah, it’s nice not being asked to pull out a chainsaw.
KR: You know I was going to ask you this
later, but it fits in better here. How sick of you with answering questions
about TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE?
Oh no. I understand that people are interested in me, having me work
in their movies and talking with me because of CHAINSAW MASSACRE and I
certainly appreciate that. Usually by the end of October I’m pretty
tired of talking about the film, because most of the month I’m busy
making appearance and haunted houses and such. So yeah, the month of November
is reserved for no CHAINSAW talk.
KR: Well good it’s December.
Yep. Good thing.
KR: I haven’t seen MURDER SET PIECES
yet, but I remember reading in one of the trade magazines that it was
a brutal experience film and I was wondering what your thoughts were on
that. It seems lately that the trend is the bloodier the better.
Well I certainly think that’s where horror movies are going. When
I saw an earlier cut, which I’m sure is going to be more brutal
then what the final cut will look like, it didn’t bother me. I’m
old fashioned in the sense of what I want in a horror movie. I prefer
films where their main job is to creep you out and frighten you, over
movies like SAW for instance. So I tend to watch more old style horror,
but watching MURDER SET PIECES didn’t bother me in the least. I
know I spoke with Nick after and he asked me if I was grossed out and
I said, no not at all.
KR: Have you seen a final cut of the film?
No I haven’t. I’ve seen a cut Nick put together a few months
ago and I’m assuming it’s not the same cut, but I don’t
know, cause I have not seen the Lions Gate release.
KR: So MURDER SET PIECES aside. What do
you do when you’re not acting Gunnar?
Mostly I work as a writer. I work in film when interesting films come
up, and I go to an occasional convention, maybe three or four a year.
Then I do other appearances. It seems like in the past few years I’ve
been getting more films, but most of my time is spend in front of the
computer writing.
KR: So what kind of stuff do you write?
My most recent project was a documentary film that I wrote and produced
about the relationship of the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe to the watershed
in which they live, and that was funded be the EPA. And I’m also
working on a novel, which is what I spend most of my time on. But as far
as hobbies, I think photography is mostly what I do these days, as far
as for myself.
KR: A little off topic, but I wanted to
ask you about SOUTH TEXAS BLUES, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre documentary.
Are you involved with that project?
No I’m not. He (Christopher P. Garetano) did ask me to be involved
with that but I turned it down. I just felt that there were already a
good number of films done about Chainsaw. Plus I was recently involved
with FLESH WOUNDS, which I think is really good, and I didn’t want
to do anymore.
KR: So what else is in the works? You mentioned
APOCALYPSE AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN was coming out soon right?
Yeah, APOCALYPSE AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN, which was shot in St. Louis and
like MURDER SET PIECES, was shot on 35mm.
KR: Yeah, I was surprised to see the 35mm.
Yep. It’s a beautiful looking film (meaning APOCALYPSE AND THE
BEAUTY QUEEN). It’s interesting; it’s not a horror film, but
more of a post apocalyptic drama. It’s as if the government collapsed
a year ago and people are living hand to mouth, most of them in abandoned
houses, or maybe abandoned cars. And the story is about this woman who
has taken over one area, basically declared herself the queen, and my
character is an ex-con drunk who is trying to protect Sylvie, who’s
the female lead character. Because she’s pretty disgusted with what’s
going on, trying to overthrow the queen, and I’m trying to keep
her from getting killed.
KR: And that’s due out in early 2007?
Yes. January 23rd, I believe.
KR: I’ve got two more questions for
you. What do you think audiences will like most about MURDER SET PIECES?
I think it’s going to be the intensity. I mean this is a movie
that you’re going to come out of saying “Wow!”
KR: Yeah I bet. And what was the last really
good horror movie you saw?
See that’s tough because I have such different tastes.
KR: Well what was the last horror movie
that you told someone else about?
Oh, well that would be JACOB’S LADDER. That tells you how long
ago it was. I saw it on video actually, about four or five years after
it came out.
KR: Any final comments Gunnar?
Just a thanks to all the fans!
Thanks to Gunnar Hansen for this interview!
Interview is property of KillerReviews.com - Copyright 2008
Thank you for reading!
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