George A Romero's Land of the Dead Interview Asia Argento (Slack) 2 Previous INTERVIEWER How was it filming Land of the Dead mainly at night during the dead of winter? ASIA ARGENTO It was rough. Working through the night was crazy, and it was freezing. It's hard to motivate yourself when it's cold - especially when you're wearing four fleeces underneath your costume, and you can't really move because you feel like the Michelin Man! That's why we did a lot of training and homework beforehand, so that we could come to grips with our characters and actions - we didn't want to waste any time. It helped me a lot to find and lock onto my character before I became too tired. It was difficult to adjust to the time and to go to sleep every morning at 8 a.m. INTERVIEWER How was it working with your fellow cast members: Dennis Hopper (Kaufman), Simon Baker (Riley) and John Leguizamo (Cholo)? ASIA ARGENTO Well, I've worked with Dennis before. We starred together in the thriller The Keeper (2003). He's one of my favorite actors and directors. I studied the movies he's directed, especially Out of the Blue (1980) and The Last Movie (1971). He's been a huge inspiration and influence on my own directing career, and I'll admit I've even stolen a couple of his shots. I would love to talk to him more about his directing career. I adored working with Simon who is one of the funniest people I've ever come across. George made a great choice in casting Simon as the hero. He's such a good guy in person, and he has the humanity that shines through in his performance.  I barely have any scenes with John - one brief little one, probably lasting one second. I loved observing the way he acted because he's such an amazing performer and someone whom I admire very much. INTERVIEWER What was it like working with George Romero? ASIA ARGENTO Working with George was a bit like working with Dario because I felt just as protected. Neither of them wanted to see me make any mistakes. George definitely likes working with actors more, and he's very patient. I never saw him get mad at anyone. He genuinely likes my work, and the feeling is mutual. He's a rock `n' roll director. I found him to be so alive with such a great sense of humor. The whole film experience was laid back because he's a very nice man, and he listens to actors.  He doesn't even watch the monitor; he's really there, and it creates a good atmosphere. I'm so grateful that George thought of me for the role. INTERVIEWER You once said you would never appear in a horror movie that wasn't one of your fathers? ASIA ARGENTO I know, I know, but it's still in the Dawn of the Dead family, right? So, I feel like it's okay. I never expected George to ask me to work with him, so that's why I said what I said. Land of the Dead is a very action-orientated film. It's not a traditional horror picture in any common way, even by George's incredible standards. I think it's going to work really well because it's still a political metaphor for the decade. That's why I like the four Dead movies so much because if you watch them from top to bottom you see a clear interconnection of social patterns and important issues. INTERVIEWER Do you think you'll ever direct a horror movie?   ASIA ARGENTO No, I can't compete with my father, or with George. But I do like appearing in them because they talk about the monsters inside, and they deal with the horror of everyday life. I love good horror movies, but I don't love just any splatter horror; it has to mean something. I'm also interested in horror that is realistic, not fantasy. INTERVIEWER Do you find the director in you wanting to make suggestions when you act now? ASIA ARGENTO I have enough to work on myself, so I really don't have time to pay attention to everything a director is doing. Being on a film set is nothing like being at film school because I'm always too busy acting to really observe what's going on. A couple of times, and this is going to feed my ego, I have given George some ideas for shots just to simplify things. One thing's for certain though, I'm never going to act in a film that I direct again. I've learned my lesson. I have to concentrate on one thing or the other, not both. I still don't know what I'm going to do as the follow-up to The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. That was very hard, so it will take me a while to get ready for my next project. I don't read other people's scripts to direct. I only write my own. I'd be very happy to find a script that I could relate to, but it's never happened. Usually they offer me scripts to direct that don't affect me. Making movies is such a war that it has to be something I believe in. INTERVIEWER George Romero has said he's left himself with opportunities to carry on with some of the same characters - both zombies and humans - in Land of the Dead for future sequels. Would you like to see Slack featured in one of those? ASIA ARGENTO Sure, I'd love to see where my character goes. Whatever I do, if it's a life-enhancing experience and strips away some of society's pretensions, then it's fine by me. That was definitely how I felt about Land of the Dead, so why wouldn't I want to return?		Home Interviews Antoine Fuqua Interview King Arthur Interview Arv Grewal Interview Asia Argento Interview Behind the Scenes of "War of the Worlds" Bernie Goldmann Interview Clive Owen Interview Dakota Fanning Interview Dennis Hopper Interview George A Romero Interview Greg Nicotero Interview The Hulk Press Conference Ang Lee Press Conference Ioan Gruffudd Interview John Leguizamo Interview Kathleen Kennedy Interview Keira Knightley Interview