Int: Asia Argento

Last Updated on July 28, 2021

JoBlo.com/AITH interviews Asia
Argento

If you know the site, then you’re
aware that we’re really Pro Asia Argento over here for various
reasons. I have interviewed the dame 3 times now
(read my previous interviews


here and

here),
and was real glad to see her again.
I was even more elated to know that she has a lead role in
“Land of the Dead”. Romero + Argento = my red-wet dream come true.
Asia took some time off the set to talk to a bunch of us journalists
about the film and here’s what came out…bitter, sweet…ALL Asia Argento!

Did your father have a role in you getting the part?

My father’s role? As a producer and
a writer? No. I certainly met George years ago through my father
when they were shooting a movie called Two Evil Eyes in Pittsburg, I
was 12 I think and I met Tom Savini too. And then I met George,
while I was shooting a movie in Hungary, we met in a restaurant about 6 years
ago. So its not like my father and George talk everyday, although they love and
respect each other. George has wanted to cast me for his past three movies and
we got in contact when I was shooting my movie in Tennessee; that’s when we
started talking about Land of the Dead.

So what is your role about?

She’s a girl that was trained to
work in the military but they thought that they would make more
money from her by making her a hooker. We see her for the first time
in an arena with Zombies and people are betting on who’s going to
eat her first. But then she’s saved by the hero and she becomes part
of the team. Her name is Slack.

Is the role physically demanding in
terms of action sequences and all?

Yes, pretty much, I did all of my
stunts in the scenes where I fight the Zombies. I usually do most of
my own stuff.

Do you use doubles at all?

No.

Were you training?

I was trained for 10 years in
boxing, I use to compete when I was young and I studied Martial
Arts, grappling…

You work with any weapons?

I’ve worked with weapons in movies
but I despise weapons.

Do you work with weapons in this
film?

Yes I do but it’s very easy, you
just pull the trigger.

What’s you character’s relationship
with the hero Riley?

There’s definitely some chemistry
but we don’t have time to think about getting laid when the world is
falling apart.

You seem to flourish well within the
horror genre!

Well I’ve worked with my father whom
I admire very much and now George who is part of the genre
directors’ that my father respects. I always said that I was not
going to do a horror movie if my father wasn’t directing but this is
different; it’s another great director. 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, sometimes that is not fantasy but
that is realistic.

What are your passions?

Acting is the least of my passion,
directing for sure is what I want to do and photography, music…

You think you’ll ever direct a
horror movie?

No I can’t compete with my father.

It’s not about competing!

In a way I do think I do horror
movies; they talk about the monsters inside, the horror of every day
life.

Will you get a “DEAD” tattoo to
commemorate the experience?

I never get tattoos to commemorate
movies; I think it would be silly.

I think it would be great!

What to get a Zombie tattooed
somewhere? I’ll get a skull maybe.

Have you seen both DAWN OF THE DEAD
versions, George’s cut and your father’s cut?

Yes I have?

What is your opinion on the two?

I only watched my father’s version
throughout my life, because that was the available version. And I
liked it a lot; I would watch it sometimes 5 times a day. It was one
of the forbidden movies and of course it was one of my favorites.
And then later on I finally saw George’s version with a all of the
humor that my father had cut out. I liked George’s version too; I
might like it more since it develops in a different way; less
rushed.

Are you learning anything from
George when watching him work?

It’s not like going to film school
where I’m too busy acting to really observe what’s going on. But a
couple of times, and this is going to feed my ego, I gave George
some ideas for shots, just to simplify things.

How important was it for you that
your character to be a strong character? If she had been the damsel
in distress would you have taken the role?

Why not, maybe I would’ve done that
too; I like playing things that are different from me. For some
reason, strong women is all I’m offered, I don’t inspire weak
females.

Would you like to play one?

I played it when I was younger but I
don’t know if it was credible.

How much did growing up in Italy
with a horror director as a father shape your personal affinities
today?

I have certain esthetics, I don’t
know if they come from my father and my mother because my sisters
didn’t turn out like me. But I was always hungry for information. I
wouldn’t’ say I was ever a Goth, maybe in the 80’s, when I was 9
years old, I liked The Cure and I would dress in black but I never
belonged to any group.

How hard has the shoot been thus
far?

We’re all so tired; we’ve been
shooting always nights, so that was difficult to change the time
around and sleep everyday at 8AM. It’s also been incredibly cold
shooting outside. The rest was all fun to do!

What are your thoughts on the actors
you’re working with, specially Simon?

With John (Leguizamo) I only had one
brief scene but he’s somebody I admire and like very much. Same
thing for Simon, he’s a really good guy, I like the choice they made
for the hero, I believe him, where he’s very human and you can see
that he’s a good person in life and it shines through,. There are no
egos on this set. And Dennis (Hopper) we shot a movie just me and
him the whole time and I wish I had scenes with him where he’s one
of my favorite directors; he’s amazing. I studied movies like “Out
of the Blue”; they were a huge inspiration for me. I would love to
talk to him more about that.

What would you like to direct next?

I directed two features already; I’m
not ready to do my third one. I’ve definitely learned my lesson
though; I’m never going to act again in a film that I direct.

Are
you reading scripts?

No I don’t read scripts, I write my
own. I’d be very happy if I could find a script that I relate too
but that’s never happened. And usually they offer me scripts as a
director that don’t touch me. Making movies is such a war so it’s
got to be something you believe in.

What attracted you to this script as
an actress besides Romero?

I think the script is solid and fun.
It really worked.

What’s the distributions status of
your last film in America?

The film is coming out all over
Europe in January and the rest hasn’t been bought. It was well
received in Toronto and at the AFM in LA but when I went to Cannes,
there were two people, one from Variety and the other from The
Hollywood Reporter and those two mindless, corporate, zombies hated
the movie. We only had two bad reviews but because it was those two
corporate mutants…it hasn’t found North American distribution. When
I think about it though; if they would have understood my movie and
there are the same people who like “Shakespeare in Love”, that would
mean I’m fucked.

As the set been a serious or jockey
set?

It’s been laid back because George is a very
nice man, he listen to actors, he doesn’t even watch the monitor,
he’s really there and it creates a good atmosphere. I never saw him
get mad once at anyone so it’s pretty friendly.

I’d
like to thank Asia for her time and candor. Looking forward to
seeing ya whoop Zombie skulls into ashes for our viewing pleasure.
ASIA ROCKS! f

 

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OF MY LAND OF THE DEAD SET VISIT