Interviews
INTERVIEW: Marley Shelton - GRINDHOUSE
By Dave Dreher

Apr 5, 2007, 20:00

A conference call was held the other day with a bunch of the stars of GRINDHOUSE. A bunch of journalists were all gathered on the phone and one by one got to talk to the assorted stars of the film. Today we have the interview with Marley Shelton who kicks some major ass in the film.

Buckle up and enjoy:

Q: You’re actually in both segments of Grindhouse, correct?

Marley Shelton: Yes.

Q: And you worked with Robert Rodriguez before in the opening scene from Sin City and I know Rodriguez loves the new, the digital way and Quentin is very old school.

And did you notice a big difference in how they work or did you have a preference?

Marley Shelton: Oh yeah, they definitely have a very different way of working.

But what’s so great is they’re so egoless with each other and it’s also kind of this fantastic collaboration and cross pollination.

But they – yeah, Robert is much more of a visualist and he is obviously extremely cutting edge in terms of his technology. He prefer – he likes to create at the speed of thought which is actually something he said to us before.

And, you know, the minute we would shoot a scene we would run back to the monitor and he’d already be cutting it together and laying in music and he had a color timing mechanism so that we could see how it would look once they made the movie look like a bad print from the 1970s.

And so it was very, you know, cutting edge and I guess as an actor it was just it was more, you know, he would literally show us what we had just done and direct us and adjust us by literally pointing out what we were doing on the monitor and saying, okay here I want you to change that and do this.

So we, you know, as an actor you sort of have to get over ourselves in any sort of self consciousness pretty quickly which I really enjoyed.

And then Quentin is very old school and, you know, he prefers to shoot on film. He doesn’t even have a monitor. He stands next to the camera and watches the scenes with his naked eye and even much more verbal person. You know, Robert is a man of few words and prefers to just show you things and Quentin likes to talk about it.

But I love both. You know, that was the beauty of this project was just to have such two totally different styles coming together and working together.

Q:   I was wondering what its like to have your own action figure.

Marley Shelton: It’s a - you know what it’s very flattering and it’s also kind of a nerving I’ve got to say.

But you know to have an action figure in a Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino movie it just doesn’t really get much better.

So I guess that answers your question.

Q: As far as I can tell and you haven’t really done much horror before. You’ve done a lot of romantic comedies, drama kind of things.

So how was the switch to this kind of I mean really gritty over the top horror movie?

Marley Shelton: Well I was actually like a kid in the candy shop because it’s true I haven’t done much horror. I did do a movie called Valentine.

But personally as an actor I’m sort of obsessed with suspense and what creates suspense.

And I’ve studied it and I love the old Hitchcock films for that reason.

And so I was really delighted to be able to be in the hands of such a – two such masters at their craft, Robert and Quentin, and to play with those ideas of suspense. And I sort of modeled my character in Robert’s sort of off of the old Hitchcock ice cream blondes like the Tippi Hendrens of those old movies.

And so I think the movie in itself is such a departure that for all of us actors it was a departure no matter what we’ve done in the past.

Q: I was wondering how it actually was it to be working with guns and in the first correct me if I’m wrong but in the first scene of Sin City you’re shot and then you’re in both segments of Grindhouse and you have a lot of weapons flying around and I’m wondering is it every humbling, does it strike you and feel, you know, that you’re ever in danger with, you know, a gun in your face quite a few times.

Marley Shelton: You know it’s a little bit unnerving. They’re really good about, you know, there’s definitely a protocol to using any sort of firearms when you’re – you know, shooting a movie and (unintelligible).

But Robert and Quentin are just so experienced and so good at what they do and their crews are so topnotch that we were never really that worried. I mean I was more worried about the giant explosions going off quite frankly than the firearms.

But you know we were also in Texas so the people that were in charge of the guns knew what they were doing.

Q: I know that Rodriguez wrote the role for you specifically I mean how does that make you feel and why do you think he wrote this role for you?

Marley Shelton: You know I’m so indebted to Robert because he has just identified the potential in me and entrusted me with his vision of, you know, both in Sin City and now in Planet Terror.

I – it’s really, really beyond. I’m just deeply grateful quite frankly because it’s – he’s allowed me to do things that I’ve never been able to do before on screen.

And I don’t know why he saw that potential in me but I’m very grateful for it.

Q: Because I know I saw you in the (last cast) you played (Arianna).

Marley Shelton: Yeah, uh-huh.

Q: And it’s like it seems like I don’t – I haven’t seen the movie personally yet but it seems like these roles are so completely different.

And like what made him think of you when he wrote this role? I mean did he say anything or?

Marley Shelton: Well he never told me. I’ve heard that, you know, well as we’ve been doing (press) I’ve heard that. I don’t know that if he really had me in mind with the inception of the character.

But, you know, I think it was just based on our working relationship in Sin City. You know, we got along so well and it worked out so well that I think, you know, he, you know, I auditioned for him for Planet Terror, you know, like everybody else. And I guess he just, you know, based on my audition and our past work together saw that I could do it.

Q:  Just wanted to check-in with you and see sort of in the same line with the action figure, kind of see what your initial reaction to it was once you first saw it.

Marley Shelton: I was utterly blown away.

Q: (Are there things you’d change) about it or do you like the way it looks?

Marley Shelton: No. It’s so cool. I had butterflies of course like all the other cast members going into the screening because they – it was the first time we had seen our work.

But, you know, you quickly kind of forget even that you’re in it because the movies are so good and the crowd, the audience seem to be responding so well that it was just one of those situations where, you know, you just abandon yourself and completely escape into the crazy world.

Q: And was it the same kind of reaction looking at the – seeing yourself on the poster?

Marley Shelton: Yeah, just because you know these filmmakers are so topnotch, I mean really Robert and Quentin are just such original thinkers and you know whatever they’re going to do is going to be cool.

So you can really sort of rest assured and trust them.

Q: I was just wondering I mean in some of the previous talks we’ve had today with some of your costars. It’s always coming up, you know, how we’re in such a horror film craze.

And I was just wondering what is it about Grindhouse and I guess specifically Planet Terror that sets it apart from, you know, all the other horror movies we’re seeing come out, you know, two at a time, you know, every week?

Marley Shelton: Well I think a lot of things set it apart. Off of the top of my head I think that, you know, especially Planet Terror is more fantastical and it’s sort of operatic in it’s violence so that it doesn’t really – it kind of it distances the audience from, you know, like that Zombies couldn’t probably take over a small town in Texas therefore its, you know, you can actually really let go in the movie and it doesn’t affect you as intimately as like real violence, you know, and some other of these horror movies where it’s just like disgusting in a different way.

I think this is just much more fun and it’s grossed out comedy but I just think it’s lighter fare and I think that both movies are much more stylized and obviously they’re referencing the exploitation movies of the 70s so there’s this (Omaj) that they’re paying to bear past and they’re nostalgic movies.

I think that also you have two filmmakers who are on the top of their game. I mean, you know, coming off of Sin City and Kill Bill 1 and 2, these guys really are the top of their craft, and so just the filmmaking itself is just really exquisite.

Q: I was wondering you’re in both films. How do they do the films work – is there any – do the films work together in any way like does the order of the film like one comes before the other, does that matter at all or?

Marley Shelton: You know there are definitely some very loose tenants, some strings that connect both movies that is actually as an audience its really fun to kind of look for.

They’ve done some very specific things and played with structure. Chronologically Quentin’s comes before Robert’s but when you see the movie just for the heck of it they put Robert’s first.

So they’ve done stuff like that because even playing with just chronological time that make it really fun.

But yeah, both movies take place in the same time in Texas allegedly. And there’s a lot of crossover actors that either are playing the same character in each film or playing different characters in each film.

So look for all the little – and then there’s some really subtle things that connect the movies too that I didn’t even pick up until my second – the second or third time I saw the movie.

Q:   I’m just wondering since you’ve had such a fairly extensive career so far what for you are the best and worse aspects of the industry in general?

Marley Shelton: Well right now I’m experiencing the best aspects of the industry because to be able to be a part of a movie like this where you’re in the hands of extremely talented and experienced filmmakers and they’re just doing stuff that’s totally cutting edge and because of, you know, their past success and imagination they’re able to cast people. They’re basically able to cast whoever they want.

And I just – it was just really cool that Robert gave me this opportunity and saw the potential in me to pull off this role because it’s very different than anything I have been able to play before.

You know, I think it’s like anything else. I think what drives me nuts sometimes about the industry is the feast and famine that, you know, it’s very erratic.

And but the – but when you are making a movie the high is so high that it’s worth everything else you have to put up with.

Q: You spoke earlier about the violence in Grindhouse.

And it seems like in spite of the fact that Quentin Tarantino and also Robert Rodriguez in Sin City they make their violence very stylized.

Marley Shelton: Yes.

Q: It seems like there’s still always a little bit of controversy or negative response to that.

And I was wondering if that’s something you worry about at all with Grindhouse like the same kind of reaction.

Marley Shelton: You know I really don’t. I – it always strikes me as really interesting that there’s this controversy over their films because for me I can’t – normal – it was interesting even at the premier a lot of my friends came who, you know, told me even in advance their disclaimer.

They’re like listen this is not the kind of movie that I like because they heard, you know, that it was going to be really violent and scary and they’re like we’re just warning you, you know, we’re not – this is not my cup of tea.

And then they walked out of the movie like shocked at how much they loved it. They were like this is amazing.

And so I really think that audiences are going to be happily surprised. It’s the type of violence that doesn’t – it doesn’t cut you to the core. It’s more just – it’s more grossed out violence and it’s silly and ridiculous and stylized as you said and it just – it’s cathartic. It’s – you’re able to like squirm in your seat and laugh and cover your eyes.

But it’s not in a way that is deeply disturbing.

Q: I was wondering because of this – both of these movies kind of don’t place an emphasis on the quality of the acting this kind of the anti-acting movies.

How do you know when you go too far when you hit the right tone for a scene when all the rules are off for you as an actor?

Marley Shelton: That’s a great question.

Well basically when we were researching these, you know, exploitation movies of the 70s we realized that the actors themselves were very earnest and their performances were very earnest, you know, they were acting their hearts out.

And sometimes they were the victim of, you know, plots that didn’t totally work or were lack of budget and whatnot.

But they themselves were really, you know, putting their shoulder behind the work.

So we decided very early on that we had to play it as straight and earnestly as possible.

And it’s the circumstances in our movies that are so absurd that give it that kind of, you know, campy feeling at times but or melodramatic feeling.

But we really I mean I played it as straight as I could because if I didn’t, if I was winking at the camera and going for a campier style it would have been like chocolate on chocolate.

Q: I was wondering if you or yourself are a fan of these Grindhouse type horror films and how you think this movie compares to the ones that you’ve seen or enjoyed.

Marley Shelton: I am definitely a fan now. It’s hard to – once you’re introduced to the wild and wacky world of Quentin and Robert and their love and passion for these exploitation in Grindhouse movies it’s so infectious.

And the first thing we did when we started the rehearsal process was we went over to Quentin’s house and he screened a bunch of – he owns all these original prints of exploitation movies because he collects them.

And so we had a mini film festival. And the way, you know, it was just it couldn’t help to rub off on us as actors their passion.

And so we joke that we have sort of been brainwashed like, you know, it’s this strange call to now we love the exploitation movies too.

Q: I was just wondering there’s really an eclectic mix of veteran actors and actresses and newcomers in the two films.

And I was wondering what kind of dynamic that created.

Marley Shelton: You know it was exciting. It was exciting because for, you know, all of us actors are lesser known. We were thrilled to work with actors that had, you know, such amazing experience.

And at the same time I think what was exciting about, you know, leave it to Robert and Quentin to like cast really fresh faces and interesting people and, you know, they don’t have to abide by any rules and, you know, that’s what’s so great about them. They’re really renegade filmmakers and they do things the way they want to do them.

And so I love the mix. I mean I think the casting is really cool in both movies, such interesting people. It’s just like I don’t know it was refreshing for me to see so many like new faces and new talent.

So and I don’t know how it works but it all works. Like (Mary) (unintelligible) the casting director is pretty talented because there’s a nice blend, you know, between all the different actors.

Q: So like Grindhouse (unintelligible) it’s like a Zombie type deal. Is there like any influence there from like George Romero’s, like Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead?

Marley Shelton: Yeah, he’s influenced by those movies. The other influences are Zombie, you know, the Italian Lucio Fuci. And another movie called City of the Walking Dead in which they’re not actually Zombies but they’re infected people.

So I know those were - and Escape from New York is another influence for – in Robert’s movie.

And The Thing, and that’s another influence that he talked about a lot.

He also believe it or not was referencing he’s a big fan of the screwball comedies from the 1940s like the Howard Hawks’ comedies.

And he told me once that he wanted to do a screwball comedy and also a Zombie movie so he decided to marry the two and he came up with gore-ball comedy and that’s what he was attempting in Planet Terror.

Q: Are there any actors or directors you haven’t worked with that you’d like to?

Marley Shelton: Oh my gosh, yeah I have a laundry list.

Who I’m really into in terms of actors I’m very amazed by Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling and Chris Nolan is a director that I would love to work with. Michelle Gondry is another director that I would love to work with.

Who else? (Won Carui), oh, let’s – does that – that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Q: Hi, you said that they were trying to mix horror with screwball comedies and you said is – what scene from either one of the segments you think kind of shows the best of the two worlds of the cheesy horror movies and the comedies?

Marley Shelton: The gore-ball?

Q: Yeah gore-ball, yeah, there you go.

Marley Shelton: The gore-ball, okay. Well if you look at some of like the – especially the scene between (Ray) and (Cherry) played by Rose McGowan and Freddy Rodriguez you’ll notice like a lot of sort of rapid fire dialogue and like witty banter and kind of plays on words and that was sort of like classic of the Howard Hawks’ comedies like the Rosalind Russell like sort of way like snappy dialogue.

And so Robert’s done his own version of that. And then at the same time, you know, obviously the Zombie – there’s Zombies all over the place in the movie.

So he just married these two worlds.

Q: But were there any scenes that you were in that were like that or?

Marley Shelton: Oh, you know, I don’t think that my stuff was as much, well you know a little bit in terms of just I don’t know if it was as much screwball comedy but like I definitely have some comedic moments I think involving my hands. They get shot at by the anesthetic and trying to escape from Zombies without the use of my hands.

Q: Yeah.

Marley Shelton: Made for a lot of physical comedy.

Q: Yes.

Marley Shelton: And at one point Robert said to me, he’s like you have to play this as if it were a silent movie. That was his note to me like you had to sell it as it I was making a silent movie.

Q: I was just wondering if you had any particular favorite Hitchcock film.

Marley Shelton: Psycho.

Q: Really?

Marley Shelton: Yeah. And it’s funny because when we shot the scene in the hospital where my evil has been played by Josh Brolin is stabbing my wrist with my own anesthetic needles.

When Robert played back the scene for us on the monitor he put in the soundtrack to Psycho over the scene just to like give us a quick idea of how the scene would play with music.

Q: That’s cool. Personally I’m a Shadow of a Doubt man but…

Marley Shelton: Nice.

Marley Shelton: I just watched Dial M for Murder. I haven’t seen it in

Q:   How physically demanding was the role and did you get to do any of your own stunts or anything?

Marley Shelton: It was relatively physically demanding. I think like the biggest stunt I did was running in high heels night after night which some of it made it into the movie but it felt like I did a lot more running than actually made it up on screen.

But yeah, I think, you know, just like my character is in like a constant state of trauma and duress.

So, you know, that’s – when you’re fooling your body it’s – your body gets sort of (unintelligible) and there’s like – you get these adrenaline rushes and you go home from work feeling so spent physically sort of crashing from that adrenaline and all those tears and whatnot.

But I didn’t’ do any other stunts besides that. (Tracy Dashanal) is incredible stunt woman and she did the whole thing of me jumping out of the window so I have to give her props for that one.

Q: All right. I was also wondering if you can recall at all while you were on set what kind of music you were listening to from any kind of personal player in your trailer, whatever, what have you.

Marley Shelton: Oh yeah, you know, Freddy Rodriguez actually is really into like making mix CDs. It’s kind of his way of decompressing when he’s working.

So I was so lucky because he would make me all of these Freddy master mixes.

And so I have – I got to listen to those throughout. I mean he’s really into Hip Hop so a lot of it was Hip Hop and Rap.

But that kept me going through all the long nights.

Q: Well you worked with Robert Rodriguez before for Sin City so how would you just differentiate the Grindhouse experience with that?

Marley Shelton: Well Robert’s always doing something – he’s always up to something very unique and different. You know, each of his movies are just so different from the next.

But his bedside manner and approach is always the same. And he’s very consistent. He’s just so – there’s an ease about him. He’s a man of few words. He makes you feel like anything and everything is possible because he’s a guy who, you know, he himself writes, directs, DPs, scored, edits and mixes his own movies.

So when you’re around him you just feel like the sky is the limit. It’s very inspiring. It’s like if he can do it then I can do it, you know. And if he doesn’t know how to do something he learns how to do something.

And so it’s nice to be around that energy.

Q: Uh-huh. And how would you describe the atmosphere on the set? Was it professional or relaxed?

Marley Shelton: It was professional and relaxed. That’s what’s great about the tone that Robert sets and Quentin for that matter. They both are very hospitable. They create an environment that’s really conducive to creativity and yet very relaxed. You know, it’s not a tense atmosphere by any means.

Q:  I was wondering you’ve done comedy. You’ve done drama. You’ve done a mix of things, television and so forth. What direction do you want to go now?

Do you want to stay in the horror or are you pretty much open to whatever comes up for you?

Marley Shelton: You know I really I genuinely mean this. I love all of genre of film as long as it’s good. I mean that’s the prerequisite for me just good material and good filmmakers and a good cast.

And then I’m pretty much up for anything.

Q: Pretty much up for anything so what is your definition of good? Are you looking for character driven pieces or are you looking for story line pieces?

Marley Shelton: It’s just – the story telling has to be really, you know, that’s subjective thing but for me I just have to respond to it. It has to be interesting and intriguing to me.

I think, you know, I think my number one aim is to work with directors who I think are extremely talented because at the end of the day with movies, you know, it’s really the director’s vision that you’re seeing on screen.

So you have to really trust the director and like his vision. So that more than anything above all else it’s the director that appeals to me.

Q:  I was just wondering, you know, like Rodriguez and Tarantino the women in his films they always seem to look, you know, so like (fanned up) and, you know, diva and sexy and stuff.

And I was just wondering, you know, is it fun for all you girls getting to wear those kinds of, you know, really sexy costumes and outfits and everything.

Marley Shelton: Oh sure, you know, Robert is really very much – very specific about his costumes and very involved in the costumes in his movies and actually so is Quentin. They both are.

And I love that. I love how they pay attention to detail. You know, we came up with this outfit for (Dakota) which is like she starts out in this very prim sort of thing, you know, before like (icy) Hitchcock blonde doctor whose very put together and sort of precise.

And then as the night unfurrows she unfurrowed and so the costume was constructed to extenuate that, you know, it’s like her – you know, she gets stripped down to her tank top and her – the slit in her skirt, you know, creeps up and her hair comes down and we had to find high heels that I could run in.

And, you know, my breast seem to grow a size or two by the end of the night. It’s just like that classic sort of Grindhouse exploitation look.

And we were also referencing the 70s, you know, you should probably notice like the shirt – the blouse I was wearing had a 70s lapel just little things like that even though the movie doesn’t take place in the 70s we were – that was our (Omaj). That was our nod to the exploitation movies at that time.

Q: Cool yeah, it just looked so much fun.

Marley Shelton: Yeah it was really fun.

Q: I mean you guys must have had a ball doing that.

Marley Shelton: Oh yeah, it was great.

Q: We’re doing a kind of a Grindhouse Week on VH1.com next week and I have to ask you a video game question.

So you can vamp it up, you can do anything you want. But do you have any anecdotes of games growing up or do you play them now? Do you have any boyfriends that play games?

Marley Shelton: Well yeah. I was – I’m really into Mrs. Pacman. That was sort of my game for a long time.

There’s actually a documentary coming out soon called King of Kong that is so cool like you have to (unintelligible) year to see this thing. It’s like all about the gaming world of like the early 80s and these people that are obsessed with arcade games.

Marley Shelton: So I guess I’m more classic but we definitely have Xbox, Playstation, Playstation 3, you know, we’ve got it all at our house.

So there’s a lot of video games happening. I’m not quite as into it but my husband’s really into it.

Q: I was just wondering about how much interaction between the two sets of the two different movies were there really because I realize they’re separate productions.

But I mean Quentin and Robert are like best friends. So I assume there must have been some kind of, you know, interchange there.

Marley Shelton: Oh yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, they shot – well we shot Planet Terror first and then we shot Death Proof and it was largely the same crew on both movies.

And we shot everything at Troublemaker Studios in Austin which is where Robert has a permanent set up. He’s got – he converted the old Austin Airport into his own permanent sound stages. And so everything was shot there.

And when we shot Planet Terror Quentin was on set the entire time and really, you know, he had definitely had a lot to say and, you know, really helped a lot like in co-directing the movie.

And then Robert was really involved in Death Proof and helped DP it and there was just a ton of cross pollination.

Q:  Were there any crazy things that happened on the set that you can tell us about?

Marley Shelton: The craziest thing that happened on the set that I was a part of was when we shot the scene in which the character of (Joe)’s arm is amputated. He’s like the first guy to come into the hospital as a Zombie victim.

He – we were shooting the scene and accidentally we had of course prop needles that were retractable needles but they got swapped with real needles.

And so we were shooting the scene and I was literally like puncturing his skin with these real needles and it like – there was like a 30 second delay before we realized what was actually happening because (Joe) and I were, you know, in the middle of like this dialogue and then we looked down and he was bleeding from his arm and it was so horrific and it was one of those strange surreal moments when art imitates life.

Q:   Yeah, from all – I know most of the film was done in Austin.

But with all different places we saw that pilots in Austin and California (unintelligible) like did you guys spend a lot of time checking out the city or did you actually get time to spend in the locations you were at?

Marley Shelton: Oh yeah. Yeah, I mean I just fell in love with Austin, Texas. It’s such a great town. It’s like, you know, from the restaurants to the music scene to just the vibe of the people and the esthetic and spent a lot of time on South Congress. You know, I love Tex-Mex food so I was just in heaven. It’s a great place.

Q: Tarantino and Rodriguez both have an impressive list of work so did you feel any pressure to work differently than you have in the past?

Marley Shelton: Well I knew Robert because I’ve worked on Sin City so, you know, I knew sort of the lay of the land with him and we had a relationship so that was cool.

And with Tarantino like Quentin is so down to earth and, you know, basically what you see is what you get. He’s just this very affable enthusiastic positive person, and so both of them in their own way are really good at putting actors at ease.

Q: Hey, I was just wondering if you can tell us anything about upcoming projects that you’re involved in.

Marley Shelton: I have a movie coming out called the Fifth Patient that is an independent film so I don’t know what’s planned for it. I know it’s going to be at CineVegas. That I just recently heard but that’s all I know so far.