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Hello, my name is Jess Franco.
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00:00:42,918 --> 00:00:47,881
I am a director of Spanish
origin, as people say in France.
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00:00:49,633 --> 00:00:53,095
I have done most of my
films outside of Spain.
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00:00:54,096 --> 00:00:59,059
I have been making
movies for a long time
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00:00:59,685 --> 00:01:05,524
which means that I have made movies
throughout General Franco's regime.
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00:01:09,111 --> 00:01:12,489
As a director, I have made
movies just about everywhere
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00:01:13,490 --> 00:01:21,039
in England, France, Germany,
Italy, the United States
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00:01:21,582 --> 00:01:26,712
sometimes under various aliases.
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00:01:29,256 --> 00:01:31,633
Hello, my name is Lina Romay.
12
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,011
I am an actress, originally from Spain.
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00:01:36,013 --> 00:01:42,227
I have been in quite a few movies, not
especially in Spain and maybe this is
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00:01:42,477 --> 00:01:46,690
the reason why you
haven't heard much about me.
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00:01:46,940 --> 00:01:49,610
I too have worked
under different aliases.
16
00:01:50,819 --> 00:01:55,407
I am very happy to
be watching this film.
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00:02:00,412 --> 00:02:04,041
So then, what can I tell you?
18
00:02:04,249 --> 00:02:08,629
You are seeing the first
images, here under the credits.
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00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:21,058
I made this movie about twelve,
fourteen years ago, right?
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00:02:21,350 --> 00:02:22,601
Yes, approximately.
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00:02:23,060 --> 00:02:26,480
We shot the film in Paris.
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00:02:27,606 --> 00:02:30,984
It's a French film.
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00:02:31,276 --> 00:02:35,572
It is not a Spanish co-production.
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00:02:38,450 --> 00:02:48,335
The producer was Mr. Rene
Chéateau who wrote the script.
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00:02:49,044 --> 00:02:54,841
He was credited as Fred
Castle, scriptwriter
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00:02:54,966 --> 00:02:58,261
but he is the same
person, Mr. Rene Chéateau.
27
00:03:02,057 --> 00:03:13,527
We shot the film in Paris in six
weeks, also in the suburbs of Paris.
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00:03:15,904 --> 00:03:19,449
And in the middle of the winter.
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00:03:20,867 --> 00:03:23,328
As you can see it's Christmas in Paris.
30
00:03:23,704 --> 00:03:36,174
That's because it was really
Christmas when we shot the film.
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00:03:37,926 --> 00:03:42,264
I had a great cast for this film.
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00:03:44,766 --> 00:03:47,644
As you can see, the
actors are well known,
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00:03:48,186 --> 00:03:51,398
really great people,
34
00:03:55,819 --> 00:04:00,574
We also had a large crew,
something that I don't usually have.
35
00:04:00,949 --> 00:04:02,951
There were even some
technicians whom I did not know.
36
00:04:04,661 --> 00:04:13,086
And I would see people on the
set, that I didn't even know.
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00:04:14,963 --> 00:04:20,594
Because René Chateau didn't
want to have a big production
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00:04:21,595 --> 00:04:24,431
because he was
used to it at the time
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00:04:24,431 --> 00:04:26,933
when he was in partnership
with Jean-Paul Belmondo
40
00:04:27,184 --> 00:04:31,563
and he made huge
budget films with him
41
00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:38,028
he made big movies with Henri Verneuil
or directors of that caliber.
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00:04:38,028 --> 00:04:44,326
His films were commercial
films, but they were well made.
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00:04:45,035 --> 00:04:49,039
And so I decided to make this
a smaller production because
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00:04:49,039 --> 00:04:52,417
it put me more at ease.
45
00:04:52,417 --> 00:04:57,130
I like it when I know everyone is
the film, and what everyone does.
46
00:04:57,130 --> 00:04:59,633
But that was not the case here.
47
00:05:00,717 --> 00:05:06,515
What is more, René was very
nervous during the shoot.
48
00:05:06,515 --> 00:05:09,059
It was his first time
as a solo producer.
49
00:05:11,478 --> 00:05:14,147
And so he was full of
doubts, he could not sleep.
50
00:05:14,272 --> 00:05:17,192
He would call in the middle
of the night to tell me
51
00:05:17,567 --> 00:05:25,992
let's fire this guy, let's change
that, etc. He was really hysterical.
52
00:05:26,618 --> 00:05:35,043
But in spite of all this, the
film turned out quite well.
53
00:05:37,170 --> 00:05:43,134
For example, the director of
photography did a superb job.
54
00:05:45,303 --> 00:05:48,056
Maurice Fellous is a great
director of photography
55
00:05:48,139 --> 00:05:51,685
he was also very nervous
56
00:05:51,685 --> 00:05:55,146
yet he was very
logical and very good.
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00:05:56,606 --> 00:05:59,776
The crew was all very, very good.
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00:06:01,444 --> 00:06:07,284
The only problem was that,
with René being anxious
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00:06:08,952 --> 00:06:13,582
we changed technicians,
almost every week,
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00:06:14,833 --> 00:06:19,880
but other than that, most
of the team did not change.
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00:06:21,006 --> 00:06:24,467
The composer was Mr. Romano Musumarra
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00:06:26,386 --> 00:06:30,599
an Italian composer who
has written pop themes
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00:06:30,849 --> 00:06:36,396
who was going to write
the rest of the soundtrack.
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00:06:37,105 --> 00:06:43,612
However, when he saw a
first edit of the film
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00:06:43,987 --> 00:06:53,371
he was afraid because he thought
it was a horrible film, dreadful
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00:06:53,413 --> 00:06:56,499
he could not even look at the screen.
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00:06:57,083 --> 00:07:00,170
And so he decided, finally,
together we decided
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00:07:01,630 --> 00:07:05,133
that we would keep his
songs, his pop music
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00:07:07,469 --> 00:07:10,138
but for the rest of the soundtrack
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00:07:11,306 --> 00:07:16,394
Daniel White and I
would write our own music
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00:07:16,561 --> 00:07:24,319
mostly for the dramatic
and horror scenes.
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00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:33,203
Nevertheless, I am not 100% happy
at how the film turned out
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00:07:34,955 --> 00:07:41,628
I think we spent too much for
some things and not enough for others.
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00:07:42,963 --> 00:07:46,967
At the beginning, the
special effects were fine
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00:07:47,801 --> 00:07:50,553
but Rene Chéateau wanted to
prepare them as we were shooting.
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00:07:51,179 --> 00:07:53,890
I was used to the American way
of doing things
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00:07:54,474 --> 00:07:58,770
which is to shoot the
movie first, and then
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00:07:59,062 --> 00:08:06,861
to create all the
effects in a studio after.
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00:08:09,614 --> 00:08:14,786
But he was afraid that the special
effects would not match the sequences.
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00:08:15,537 --> 00:08:19,207
And so we lost a lot of time
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00:08:20,041 --> 00:08:22,877
and even the quality suffered
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00:08:23,003 --> 00:08:28,591
because if they go out, if the special
effects men work in their studio
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00:08:28,967 --> 00:08:32,262
they have all the elements all the
things that they need to do a good job.
84
00:08:32,971 --> 00:08:39,019
But if they have to work on location,
where the film is being shot
85
00:08:39,019 --> 00:08:41,354
and most of the time we were
in real settings, real places
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00:08:42,856 --> 00:08:44,357
it's not the same for them.
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00:08:44,649 --> 00:08:47,902
But it was fine as far
as I was concerned.
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00:08:50,113 --> 00:08:53,408
I did not mind going along with
what René Chateau wanted to do.
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00:08:54,409 --> 00:08:57,787
[LINA] But if there's a tiny
problem, even something small
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00:08:58,079 --> 00:08:59,998
you have to stop
shooting and that's it!
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00:09:00,331 --> 00:09:07,672
They do not have all the equipment
they need to do it, to make corrections.
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00:09:09,674 --> 00:09:13,720
[JESS] As far as I am concerned,
after all these years
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00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,722
I like this film a bit more.
94
00:09:15,722 --> 00:09:17,932
I detested it when I
finished making it
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00:09:19,309 --> 00:09:22,896
because of all these
irritations, these problems.
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00:09:23,772 --> 00:09:27,442
I didn't do the editing.
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00:09:28,735 --> 00:09:31,654
I was there because
I wanted to be there
98
00:09:32,030 --> 00:09:34,783
and René Chéateau did
not want me to be there
99
00:09:35,408 --> 00:09:40,121
maybe he wanted to
direct the editing himself.
100
00:09:42,332 --> 00:09:50,632
I believe the end result is quite
good; it lacks originality
101
00:09:50,715 --> 00:09:54,177
it's not particularly classy, but
102
00:09:54,344 --> 00:10:00,350
it is professionally well-made, sturdy.
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00:10:01,351 --> 00:10:03,061
That's really all I can tell you.
104
00:10:04,062 --> 00:10:08,983
[INT] Could you tell me a little
about the actors in this movie
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00:10:09,234 --> 00:10:14,572
the stars such as Helmut
Berger, Brigitte Lahaie and others?
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00:10:22,038 --> 00:10:27,085
[JESS] Well, René and I
made the decisions;
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00:10:28,294 --> 00:10:30,463
First we discussed them
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00:10:30,755 --> 00:10:35,009
because he wanted some actors
that maybe I did not want, etc.
109
00:10:35,552 --> 00:10:41,349
But in principle, we agreed very easily
about the leading actors because
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00:10:41,349 --> 00:10:42,559
for example
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00:10:42,725 --> 00:10:45,687
if someone proposes Stéphane
Audran for a role in the movie
112
00:10:45,979 --> 00:10:47,981
you say yes right away
113
00:10:48,273 --> 00:10:52,402
because it's a privilege
to have an actress like her
114
00:10:52,735 --> 00:10:54,904
for what is practically
a secondary role, your know?
115
00:10:57,157 --> 00:11:03,955
Helmut was for us- for me and
for René- ideal for the part.
116
00:11:05,290 --> 00:11:11,004
His agent was difficult however
and we had a problem, Rene and
117
00:11:11,129 --> 00:11:16,843
with Helmut's agent, but in
the end we were able to get him
118
00:11:16,926 --> 00:11:18,094
and that was good.
119
00:11:18,595 --> 00:11:22,473
At the time, Helmut
had the reputation
120
00:11:22,515 --> 00:11:24,267
of being a very difficult
actor to work with
121
00:11:24,309 --> 00:11:27,270
he was very difficult
because he would disappear
122
00:11:27,604 --> 00:11:29,981
he would leave in the middle
of shooting, things like that.
123
00:11:30,773 --> 00:11:33,651
But as far as I
was concerned
124
00:11:34,194 --> 00:11:40,283
he went out only one night
during the shooting of the film.
125
00:11:40,408 --> 00:11:43,494
The following morning he wasn't there
126
00:11:43,703 --> 00:11:47,415
no one knew where
he was,
127
00:11:48,583 --> 00:11:52,462
but by 2 PM, he got there.
128
00:11:53,046 --> 00:11:57,592
He hadn't shaved but
that was all, you know?
129
00:11:58,051 --> 00:12:00,470
He was really adorable.
130
00:12:01,638 --> 00:12:05,058
Now, about Brigitte Lahaie.
131
00:12:05,850 --> 00:12:09,312
Brigitte Lahaie is someone
I already knew well,
132
00:12:09,437 --> 00:12:12,649
I had made
three films with her.
133
00:12:13,524 --> 00:12:19,072
One was Dark Mission
134
00:12:19,322 --> 00:12:21,241
with Chris Mitch um,
135
00:12:22,575 --> 00:12:28,581
where she had an important
part and played it quite well.
136
00:12:29,832 --> 00:12:37,131
I knew her from the time she
was in erotic or porno movies
137
00:12:37,423 --> 00:12:39,425
or whatever you want to call them.
138
00:12:39,801 --> 00:12:44,097
Personally, I don't like
to use the word "porno”
139
00:12:44,305 --> 00:12:47,225
not because I am afraid of it
140
00:12:47,308 --> 00:12:53,022
because people don't really
know what the word means.
141
00:12:53,731 --> 00:12:58,111
So, if you say something
is porno, it's like a label
142
00:12:58,236 --> 00:13:01,572
you are classified "X"
143
00:13:02,407 --> 00:13:05,159
and, of course, I
hate being classified.
144
00:13:06,119 --> 00:13:13,418
Brigitte is a true
actress very charming
145
00:13:13,501 --> 00:13:15,503
pleasant and cooperative.
146
00:13:16,004 --> 00:13:18,339
All I can tell you is that,
as we were shooting the film
147
00:13:18,423 --> 00:13:21,050
it was very easy to work with her.
148
00:13:21,592 --> 00:13:28,516
Additionally, as an actress she
played her part to perfection.
149
00:13:29,225 --> 00:13:35,732
Even Helmut, who is generally used
to working with great actors
150
00:13:36,941 --> 00:13:39,819
loved her very much,
found her a fine person.
151
00:13:41,321 --> 00:13:44,282
There were other roles
152
00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:47,243
played by Chris Mitch um
and Telly Savalas.
153
00:13:48,911 --> 00:13:56,878
These are well-known highly quoted
actors who had important roles
154
00:13:56,878 --> 00:13:58,546
although not leading ones.
155
00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,468
We formed a group all
together, more or less.
156
00:14:03,801 --> 00:14:06,929
Anton Diff ring, same situation.
157
00:14:07,805 --> 00:14:14,896
Caroline Munro, I had wanted to
work with her for a long time
158
00:14:15,688 --> 00:14:19,984
and I was lucky when I thought
she could play this part
159
00:14:20,610 --> 00:14:23,071
I don't remember if it was Rene
160
00:14:23,154 --> 00:14:28,659
who said the name Caroline
Munro first or if it was me
161
00:14:29,077 --> 00:14:31,954
but it does not matter.
We both agreed to have her
162
00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:33,539
since the beginning.
163
00:14:34,123 --> 00:14:36,626
She was a wonderful girl,
and I think she was superb
164
00:14:36,793 --> 00:14:39,045
in the way she played her character.
165
00:14:39,295 --> 00:14:43,508
As far as production was concerned
166
00:14:45,676 --> 00:14:50,556
I have no criticism.
I found it very, very good.
167
00:14:51,891 --> 00:14:58,481
The only comment I would
like to make is literary.
168
00:14:58,940 --> 00:15:03,528
What I mean is that FACELESS,
at the beginning
169
00:15:03,820 --> 00:15:07,740
Is Gritos en la noche also [1962]
- a.ka. L'Horrible Docteur Orlof
170
00:15:07,740 --> 00:15:09,575
It's the same plot.
171
00:15:11,828 --> 00:15:14,580
You may say it is also
like Les Yeux sans visage
172
00:15:14,789 --> 00:15:18,835
perhaps it was heavily
influenced by Les Yeux Sans Visage,
173
00:15:19,419 --> 00:15:23,423
But I can tell you is that
I made Gritos en la noche
174
00:15:23,881 --> 00:15:29,262
exactly around the same time
175
00:15:29,429 --> 00:15:31,848
Franju [Georges Franju - 1912-1987]
was making Les Yeux sans visage.
176
00:15:32,932 --> 00:15:34,475
I was shooting the film in Madrid
177
00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,896
he was in Paris, but we
didn't have any connection.
178
00:15:39,021 --> 00:15:44,193
We both didn't know
about the other film
179
00:15:44,235 --> 00:15:46,654
and I am sure that
Franju didn't either.
180
00:15:49,907 --> 00:15:53,077
You know, ideas are born in the belly.
181
00:15:53,744 --> 00:15:57,457
Since our ideas came
from the same source
182
00:15:58,666 --> 00:16:02,128
it's Edgar Wallace
183
00:16:02,170 --> 00:16:05,423
who created the story.
184
00:16:08,551 --> 00:16:14,265
I always loved Edgar Wallace's work
although it isn't well considered.
185
00:16:16,267 --> 00:16:23,441
He's a writer with crazy good ideas.
186
00:16:23,774 --> 00:16:32,116
One of his best
was the body snatcher novel
187
00:16:33,284 --> 00:16:39,207
which is the same
departure point of Faceless.
188
00:16:42,335 --> 00:16:46,589
My name isn't on the script.
189
00:16:46,589 --> 00:16:49,759
Or in the credits,
but I worked on it.
190
00:16:50,009 --> 00:16:52,637
I didn't work as much
as the co-writers
191
00:16:52,887 --> 00:16:56,516
but like John Ford and Howard Hughes.
192
00:16:58,643 --> 00:17:04,440
They all worked on the
scripts they filmed
193
00:17:07,235 --> 00:17:09,737
but they didn't sign the script.
194
00:17:10,530 --> 00:17:13,616
Since I was not very
proud of the script,
195
00:17:13,741 --> 00:17:19,163
I didn't ask to have
my name in the credits.
196
00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:26,087
Of course, I helped develop the script.
197
00:17:26,295 --> 00:17:30,007
In the end, about thirty people did!
198
00:17:30,132 --> 00:17:32,885
I don't really know how many because,
199
00:17:33,052 --> 00:17:38,891
every week, Rene would call a
new author and ask him to help,
200
00:17:38,975 --> 00:17:42,311
to add, or to take out things.
201
00:17:44,522 --> 00:17:48,150
But, when all is said and done, I
think the end result is clear enough,
202
00:17:48,317 --> 00:17:51,737
the story Is clearly written, it's O.K.
203
00:17:53,281 --> 00:17:57,034
[INT] Were you satisfied
with Telly Savalas
204
00:17:57,201 --> 00:18:03,791
and Chris Mitchum's performances?
205
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,962
Were they very professional or not?
206
00:18:08,379 --> 00:18:11,757
[JESS] Perfect, perfect. I have
absolutely no criticism.
207
00:18:12,550 --> 00:18:14,677
You know, the more
important the actor is
208
00:18:15,553 --> 00:18:17,638
the less problems he gives you.
209
00:18:18,389 --> 00:18:24,562
There are exceptions, of
course, but generally speaking
210
00:18:24,645 --> 00:18:27,440
Telly Savalas, for example,
211
00:18:27,690 --> 00:18:34,196
he inspected his costumes, his
make-up, and was very professional.
212
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,992
He arrived on time, and he knew
everything that he had to know.
213
00:18:38,367 --> 00:18:40,828
He was always near
the set, always nearby.
214
00:18:40,995 --> 00:18:45,249
Now this is normal for Americans
but in Europe it's more difficult.
215
00:18:45,333 --> 00:18:50,630
The actors finish a scene
and then want to have a drink,
216
00:18:50,755 --> 00:18:53,090
or they take a stroll and
you don't know where they are.
217
00:18:53,424 --> 00:18:57,720
On the other hand, American
actors, at least my experience with
218
00:18:58,512 --> 00:19:04,685
classy actors such as Jack
Palance or George Kennedy.
219
00:19:05,019 --> 00:19:09,273
George Kennedy would ask my
permission to go to the bathroom!
220
00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:13,986
And Telly Savalas belonged
to the same generation,
221
00:19:14,070 --> 00:19:16,530
by which I mean to say that
they were super professional.
222
00:19:16,906 --> 00:19:20,159
As far as Mitch um is
concerned, he's a buddy,
223
00:19:20,701 --> 00:19:23,454
we have known each other for a
long time and we are close friends.
224
00:19:24,288 --> 00:19:26,082
He is a wonderful guy.
225
00:19:26,457 --> 00:19:33,339
[INT] Telly Savalas made films
in Europe, in Italy and in Spain.
226
00:19:33,673 --> 00:19:36,967
He is not part of the
American "studio system" only
227
00:19:37,718 --> 00:19:41,806
he also has a European method
228
00:19:42,223 --> 00:19:46,852
[JESS]
Yes, of course, because in any case,
229
00:19:46,936 --> 00:19:50,523
this film was not very
European in that sense,
230
00:19:50,648 --> 00:19:56,570
because Rene Chateau is a great
admirer of classic Hollywood,
231
00:19:57,655 --> 00:20:04,995
and so he followed the
American way of doing things.
232
00:20:05,871 --> 00:20:09,667
I am also happy because as
far as production is concerned
233
00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:11,419
I have no criticism,
234
00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:14,130
American films are among
the best films in the world.
235
00:20:14,380 --> 00:20:18,092
Americans have a great
sense of organization.
236
00:20:19,260 --> 00:20:27,017
No, there was no problem in that
area, or maybe very small problems
237
00:20:27,476 --> 00:20:30,187
between Rene and myself,
238
00:20:30,312 --> 00:20:36,819
but they were never about
actors or about the shooting.
239
00:20:37,236 --> 00:20:42,116
The problem is that at times he
would become a bit hysterical,
240
00:20:42,742 --> 00:20:48,456
because he was afraid we
might go over the budget
241
00:20:48,748 --> 00:20:50,249
but that was not the case.
242
00:20:50,416 --> 00:20:54,211
I have almost 200 movies under my belt
243
00:20:54,545 --> 00:20:58,507
and I don't think I ever
went over the budget once.
244
00:21:00,926 --> 00:21:03,804
I would say no, that I
cannot shoot the film,
245
00:21:04,221 --> 00:21:09,560
but I think we directors ought to
remain on budget,
246
00:21:09,894 --> 00:21:14,648
and he felt te same,
but at the same time,
247
00:21:15,065 --> 00:21:21,739
it was his very first production,
and he had personal issues.
248
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:36,670
[INT] Tell me, all the locations
of this film,
249
00:21:36,670 --> 00:21:44,428
were they shot in
Paris or in a studio?
250
00:21:44,678 --> 00:21:50,226
[JESS] No, we shot only a few scenes in
the studio,
251
00:21:50,351 --> 00:21:52,144
only for some things.
252
00:21:53,979 --> 00:21:56,982
But in general we shot
in natural settings.
253
00:21:57,983 --> 00:22:07,201
Of course, we scouted the outdoor
locations for about two months,
254
00:22:08,369 --> 00:22:13,040
and then we shot the entire film
in Paris;
255
00:22:13,249 --> 00:22:17,920
either in the city or the
suburbs, but not farther than that.
256
00:22:19,213 --> 00:22:21,924
And we shot everything we
needed and it was perfect,
257
00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:25,719
because Paris is one of the most
beautiful cities in the world.
258
00:22:25,970 --> 00:22:30,307
Being able to make a film on location
in Paris is really a special gift.
259
00:22:30,391 --> 00:22:35,563
[INT] In all the indoor scenes,
there is a natural atmosphere,
260
00:22:35,771 --> 00:22:38,732
as if it the scenes were
not shot in a studio
261
00:22:39,275 --> 00:22:44,363
Yes, that's right, because we shot
very few scenes in the studio.
262
00:22:44,446 --> 00:22:45,948
Very few.
263
00:22:47,783 --> 00:22:52,246
For example, you see here the
clinic, it was no longer in use
264
00:22:53,038 --> 00:22:54,456
but a clinic nevertheless.
265
00:22:54,832 --> 00:23:00,963
So, it was very practical, we
worked with the art director,
266
00:23:01,755 --> 00:23:07,428
and we changed what we found
convenient to the shooting
267
00:23:08,137 --> 00:23:12,016
but as a matter of fact, it
was a real clinic.
268
00:23:13,392 --> 00:23:16,604
The nightclub, it's
a real nightclub.
269
00:23:17,396 --> 00:23:21,775
Everything is more or less
what is represented in the film.
270
00:23:25,029 --> 00:23:32,494
And it was difficult, for example, for
Maurice Fellous to light up the clinic,
271
00:23:32,912 --> 00:23:36,665
because the hallways were narrow
272
00:23:37,249 --> 00:23:40,461
there was not sufficient
space for the machinery.
273
00:23:41,045 --> 00:23:44,089
But it worked fine nevertheless.
274
00:23:45,174 --> 00:23:52,806
[INT] So, was it difficult to
shoot in a real clinic?
275
00:23:52,973 --> 00:23:58,687
[JESS] No, no, I am used
to shooting most of my films
276
00:23:58,896 --> 00:24:01,523
in natural settings.
277
00:24:04,443 --> 00:24:09,239
I know this, and when I
go scouting for locations
278
00:24:09,531 --> 00:24:14,662
I always take this
factor into consideration.
279
00:24:14,870 --> 00:24:18,958
For example, what you see in
that scene is the doctor's house
280
00:24:19,124 --> 00:24:20,834
the interior.
281
00:24:24,338 --> 00:24:26,423
It's a real apartment.
282
00:24:27,633 --> 00:24:34,014
We found it in a marvelous,
fantastic corner of Paris.
283
00:24:34,723 --> 00:24:39,645
At the time I had no problems
because Rene Chateau knew that
284
00:24:39,812 --> 00:24:45,985
for example, we had to spend good
money to have beautiful settings
285
00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:47,277
to rent them.
286
00:24:47,778 --> 00:24:48,862
That's how it was.
287
00:24:50,364 --> 00:24:55,703
[INT] Could you talk a little about the
special effects on Christiane Jean's face
288
00:24:58,789 --> 00:25:01,083
was it difficult to make?
289
00:25:01,250 --> 00:25:02,960
[JESS] It took a long time.
290
00:25:03,252 --> 00:25:04,920
It was terrible.
291
00:25:05,170 --> 00:25:13,012
At the minimum, it took from two
to three hours of makeup each time.
292
00:25:13,345 --> 00:25:15,931
[INT] Was she pleasant
293
00:25:15,931 --> 00:25:18,100
even with that horrible
makeup on her face?
294
00:25:18,559 --> 00:25:22,146
[JESS] Well, she was not happy
because she is a very pretty girl.
295
00:25:24,231 --> 00:25:28,402
That's my experience about
women with good faces
296
00:25:28,485 --> 00:25:33,073
who must play the role of
ugly women even if they are not.
297
00:25:35,075 --> 00:25:42,124
I do not know of a single
actress who likes to be sabotaged.
298
00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:43,584
Not one.
299
00:25:44,126 --> 00:25:47,796
[LINA] But it was you also,
sometime her makeup was already--
300
00:25:48,380 --> 00:25:52,009
[JESS] There's Lina, can you tell?
301
00:25:52,217 --> 00:25:54,094
It's Lina Romay.
302
00:25:54,845 --> 00:25:58,432
She plays the role of
the sweet Mrs. Orloff.
303
00:25:59,433 --> 00:26:01,477
[LINA] I am supposed to be eighty.
304
00:26:03,771 --> 00:26:06,732
[INT] That's serious.
[LINA] Yes.
305
00:26:08,650 --> 00:26:10,527
But having had very good surgery...
306
00:26:11,153 --> 00:26:14,198
[JESS] Yes, because she was
operated on by her husband.
307
00:26:17,201 --> 00:26:24,124
And Howard Vernon, who plays
Dr. Orloff, is superb as usual,
308
00:26:24,917 --> 00:26:28,670
but it was not the great role
that he has always deserved.
309
00:26:28,962 --> 00:26:34,593
He deserved to have a more
important career than the one he had
310
00:26:34,676 --> 00:26:38,847
because after The silent sea
[1947]
311
00:26:39,139 --> 00:26:41,391
with Jean-Pierre Melville
312
00:26:41,475 --> 00:26:45,687
where he was wonderful and
received many prizes for it,
313
00:26:46,271 --> 00:26:53,904
he could have had a sensational
career but he refused to.
314
00:26:54,279 --> 00:26:57,741
He preferred to be independent
and to lead his own life
315
00:26:57,783 --> 00:27:00,119
to have a life, that's what he wanted
316
00:27:00,577 --> 00:27:04,498
and so he accepted the
roles that commercial actors
317
00:27:04,873 --> 00:27:06,333
or agencies prefer.
318
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,296
Finally, I think he was right.
319
00:27:12,548 --> 00:27:18,137
[INT] He was one of your most
unusual and favorite actors, right?
320
00:27:18,262 --> 00:27:22,474
[JESS] Yes, of course, after
making the first film with him
321
00:27:25,102 --> 00:27:27,855
THE AWFUL
Docteur Orlof [1962],
322
00:27:28,272 --> 00:27:32,651
I picked him for a lot of films
because I thought he was superb.
323
00:27:32,860 --> 00:27:38,365
And I want to say right away that
I met Howard thanks to a producer
324
00:27:38,448 --> 00:27:45,914
with whom I made many films that
sometimes I was not too happy about.
325
00:27:46,623 --> 00:27:52,629
In any case, he introduced
Howard to me as a possible choice
326
00:27:53,797 --> 00:27:56,800
for the first Docteur Orlof.
327
00:28:00,012 --> 00:28:06,518
I was really happy because I had
already heard of Howard Vernon
328
00:28:06,768 --> 00:28:09,730
from the other French films he made
329
00:28:09,730 --> 00:28:12,566
starting with Le silence de la mer.
330
00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:16,195
But after that he made other
films where he was superb
331
00:28:16,403 --> 00:28:22,075
he worked with Bernard Borderie
for the Eddie Constantine vehicles.
332
00:28:23,035 --> 00:28:27,539
He was superb, for example
in Godard's Alphaville [1965].
333
00:28:27,706 --> 00:28:31,210
[INT] That photograph, was
that you, Lina?
334
00:28:31,293 --> 00:28:34,129
[LINA] Yes.
[JESS] It's Lina, yes, yes.
335
00:28:36,340 --> 00:28:41,845
[LINA] It's me, yes. I had
to go one day for the photos.
336
00:28:43,639 --> 00:28:48,185
What I wanted to say is that Howard
was not only a wonderful actor
337
00:28:48,268 --> 00:28:51,980
but also an extraordinary human being.
338
00:28:53,607 --> 00:28:56,860
He was very pleasant and had
a brilliant sense of humor.
339
00:28:57,819 --> 00:29:03,825
And he was very kind, spoke
several languages,
340
00:29:05,077 --> 00:29:10,290
and for me it was a pleasure to
work with him, as I did, many times.
341
00:29:13,502 --> 00:29:15,754
[JESS] True, Howard
was really a great guy.
342
00:29:16,046 --> 00:29:18,090
Also very intelligent.
343
00:29:18,298 --> 00:29:19,967
I don't know whether
you are aware of it
344
00:29:20,092 --> 00:29:22,177
but he was Fritz Lang's assistant.
345
00:29:22,886 --> 00:29:24,012
[INT] Really?
[JESS] Yes.
346
00:29:24,429 --> 00:29:28,725
Yes, and also the assistant
to Jean-Pierre Melville.
347
00:29:29,393 --> 00:29:32,271
So I know that he's a guy
who knows his trade perfectly.
348
00:29:32,604 --> 00:29:35,565
He also wrote very well,
both in English and in French.
349
00:29:36,024 --> 00:29:39,778
What's more, he was an
exceptional photographer.
350
00:29:39,820 --> 00:29:44,616
He published some books of
photographs taken in Switzerland
351
00:29:44,658 --> 00:29:45,951
and in France.
352
00:29:46,618 --> 00:29:51,123
And so he was a real man,
you know, a really swell guy.
353
00:29:52,332 --> 00:29:55,836
Extraordinarily classy and
full of human qualities.
354
00:30:00,299 --> 00:30:05,387
[INT] He had very small,
tiny roles in films,
355
00:30:05,470 --> 00:30:14,062
such as this one and the films
of Walerian Borowczyk, etc.?
356
00:30:15,522 --> 00:30:18,066
[JESS] Yes, he was
in a lot of movies.
357
00:30:19,109 --> 00:30:24,156
The truth is that he
chose his own freedom
358
00:30:24,906 --> 00:30:27,367
and one cannot blame him for that.
359
00:30:27,659 --> 00:30:29,369
I myself have chosen my own freedom
360
00:30:29,536 --> 00:30:33,206
and while I never worked
for MGM, I am happy.
361
00:30:39,755 --> 00:30:42,007
[INT] Is this the same clinic?
362
00:30:43,216 --> 00:30:44,885
[JESS] Yes, yes,
it's the same clinic.
363
00:30:46,803 --> 00:30:51,558
We shot all the scenes that take
place in the clinic right there.
364
00:30:52,309 --> 00:30:57,939
As for the other scenes, we
used Helmut's private apartment
365
00:30:58,190 --> 00:31:00,317
which was not too far.
366
00:31:04,738 --> 00:31:08,533
[INT] These scenes, do they
take place in the clinic?
367
00:31:09,159 --> 00:31:11,453
[JESS] Yes, yes,
it's in the clinic.
368
00:31:17,751 --> 00:31:26,385
Of course, our art department did
some work adding things, tricks, etc.
369
00:31:30,430 --> 00:31:34,851
Usually, at the end of each
day after we finished shooting
370
00:31:35,018 --> 00:31:39,272
I would go with my assistant
and my director of photography,
371
00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:45,195
the boys from the art
and decoration department,
372
00:31:45,529 --> 00:31:50,575
to see the setting for the following
day and put all the details in place.
373
00:31:51,368 --> 00:31:54,955
Sometimes we added things,
374
00:31:55,038 --> 00:31:57,541
but generally speaking, the
film was an easy one to make
375
00:31:57,666 --> 00:32:00,127
as far as sets were concerned.
376
00:32:00,502 --> 00:32:01,837
Very easy.
377
00:32:02,254 --> 00:32:06,967
[INT] Was Zalcberg your
assistant in this movie?
378
00:32:08,218 --> 00:32:13,265
Was he your assistant on this film?
379
00:32:13,682 --> 00:32:14,641
[JESS] Who's that?
380
00:32:14,766 --> 00:32:17,018
[INT]The actor,
Zalcberg was he?
381
00:32:17,310 --> 00:32:18,895
[JESS] No, no.
382
00:32:22,023 --> 00:32:26,736
No, no, in this film, I had
three or four assistants.
383
00:32:27,112 --> 00:32:29,448
[LINA] Yes, a new one
almost every week.
384
00:32:29,739 --> 00:32:35,078
[JESS] My assistants always had
problems with the production
385
00:32:35,495 --> 00:32:37,998
with René Chéteau,
of course.
386
00:32:38,832 --> 00:32:45,005
He would come on the set and say:
"I have just changed your assistant.”
387
00:32:45,130 --> 00:32:46,089
Why?
388
00:32:46,923 --> 00:32:53,221
It's because, in principle,
they were not super-assistants
389
00:32:54,473 --> 00:32:57,767
in the sense of French
traditional cinema.
390
00:32:58,143 --> 00:33:00,645
They were somewhat improvised as
assistants, and less expensive.
391
00:33:02,689 --> 00:33:08,153
Personally, in France I had exceptional
assistants such as Pierre Lary
392
00:33:08,987 --> 00:33:11,281
who later became a director.
393
00:33:11,364 --> 00:33:14,534
For example, he was also
the assistant to Bunuel.
394
00:33:15,702 --> 00:33:19,789
Pierre Lary was a great professional
395
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,168
but his problem was that when
we actually made the movie
396
00:33:23,627 --> 00:33:26,213
the two or three people
that I knew were exceptional
397
00:33:26,755 --> 00:33:29,716
already had jobs, they
couldn't work for us.
398
00:33:30,967 --> 00:33:35,347
[INT] Here there's an
air of fetishism
399
00:33:35,430 --> 00:33:41,394
like in your other films from the
previous years, the 70's, for example?
400
00:33:42,062 --> 00:33:46,525
[JESS] This film was a collaboration
between René and myself.
401
00:33:46,942 --> 00:33:49,361
I must say that
something was very clear
402
00:33:49,486 --> 00:33:54,533
Rene Chateau wasn't sure
he wanted me to be the director
403
00:33:54,950 --> 00:34:05,043
because he already had many
contacts in the area of shooting,
404
00:34:05,502 --> 00:34:11,383
the look of the actors,
the atmosphere, all of this.
405
00:34:12,133 --> 00:34:18,765
He is still a
little more of a snob than I am.
406
00:34:19,015 --> 00:34:21,184
I am not very snobbish.
407
00:34:21,393 --> 00:34:26,314
But he is, in the sense that he follows
the latest fashion, he is ala mode.
408
00:34:26,982 --> 00:34:36,116
And so, at the time, the new master
of fantasy films
409
00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:39,411
was Stuart Gordon.
410
00:34:39,953 --> 00:34:49,170
And so he wanted, he wanted
to pay homage to Stuart Gordon
411
00:34:50,005 --> 00:34:55,927
which we also used as Zalcberg's
character name in the film
412
00:34:56,636 --> 00:35:01,766
and FACELESS contains many
quotes from today's horror films
413
00:35:03,893 --> 00:35:07,480
which we intended.
414
00:35:15,196 --> 00:35:21,578
[INT] Here is Stéphane Audran,
Chabrol's wife.
415
00:35:21,953 --> 00:35:26,458
[JESS] Stéphane Audran,
Chabrol's ex-wife
416
00:35:27,292 --> 00:35:30,503
Stéphane Audran is a
great actress, you know?
417
00:35:31,296 --> 00:35:34,841
It was a pleasure shooting
the film with such a face.
418
00:35:35,675 --> 00:35:36,968
She knew her job.
419
00:35:37,093 --> 00:35:42,766
But it was very funny because,
during the filming, we shot scenes
420
00:35:42,849 --> 00:35:44,809
we worked, we had discussions
421
00:35:45,518 --> 00:35:50,982
but we never paid
each other compliments.
422
00:35:51,566 --> 00:36:01,368
[INT] Here, this is a special effect, it's one
of the best effects of the film.
423
00:36:01,576 --> 00:36:03,745
[JESS] Ah yes, yes.
424
00:36:03,828 --> 00:36:05,330
Yes, this Is spectacular.
425
00:36:07,290 --> 00:36:11,127
We did It right there, as we
were shooting the sequence
426
00:36:11,878 --> 00:36:15,465
with Stéphane, not after,
not another day in a studio.
427
00:36:15,507 --> 00:36:17,634
She was right there on the set.
428
00:36:18,718 --> 00:36:23,723
[LINA] Stéphane was very happy
to have the syringe in the eye.
429
00:36:23,807 --> 00:36:26,184
Yes, the syringe looks great.
430
00:36:26,851 --> 00:36:28,603
[JESS] Yes, very pretty.
431
00:36:29,396 --> 00:36:33,650
Because, also, Stéphane
was very good
432
00:36:33,733 --> 00:36:37,862
she is also a fan of Horror
films, so it was
433
00:36:37,987 --> 00:36:40,448
a pleasure to work with her.
434
00:36:40,865 --> 00:36:45,370
As I said, we never
exchanged compliments
435
00:36:45,578 --> 00:36:48,873
but right at the end, when she
finished shooting her scenes, she said,
436
00:36:48,957 --> 00:36:52,669
“You are a damn good director
437
00:36:52,752 --> 00:36:58,049
because you got everything you
wanted out of me, and easily too.”
438
00:36:58,925 --> 00:37:05,014
I did, and it wasn't difficult,
because she was great.
439
00:37:07,851 --> 00:37:11,771
Brigitte is very nice, I find
that she played her character well.
440
00:37:12,439 --> 00:37:15,775
It was difficult for her, you know
441
00:37:15,859 --> 00:37:21,740
because everywhere in the
world people despise actors
442
00:37:21,906 --> 00:37:25,577
who have worked in
sexy or porno movies.
443
00:37:26,578 --> 00:37:29,372
And I want to make sure
I say this,
444
00:37:29,581 --> 00:37:32,333
apart from Helmut and Stéphane Audran
445
00:37:33,042 --> 00:37:39,132
the secondary actors were
shocked when they saw
446
00:37:39,299 --> 00:37:43,678
the queen of French
porno play a normal part
447
00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:45,430
and an important one, too.
448
00:37:46,055 --> 00:37:48,391
They were all jealous.
449
00:37:49,392 --> 00:37:51,686
[LINA] But that's because
most people are idiots.
450
00:37:52,437 --> 00:37:53,480
[JESS] Ah yes, indeed.
451
00:37:54,981 --> 00:37:58,568
[INT] This scene,
is it in a real club?
452
00:37:58,651 --> 00:38:01,905
[JESS] Yes, yes, it's
a nightclub, a disco.
453
00:38:02,864 --> 00:38:06,993
It's been a disco for a
long time, a nightclub.
454
00:38:07,702 --> 00:38:11,414
There, that's near the Champs Elysées.
455
00:38:11,706 --> 00:38:15,210
[INT] The scene takes place during
the day, not at night, right?
456
00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:19,547
[JESS] They take place when
the club shuts down
457
00:38:20,548 --> 00:38:24,093
because usually they would
close at three in the morning
458
00:38:24,219 --> 00:38:26,554
That's when we
would start shooting.
459
00:38:27,096 --> 00:38:28,973
This is the follow-up.
460
00:38:32,769 --> 00:38:34,896
And that's the apartment of
461
00:38:39,526 --> 00:38:41,694
[INT] Who is that photographer?
462
00:38:43,029 --> 00:38:44,447
[JESS] The director of photography?
463
00:38:44,739 --> 00:38:47,700
[INT] The photographer
in this scene.
464
00:38:48,952 --> 00:38:50,411
The actor there.
465
00:38:50,787 --> 00:38:52,622
[JESS] You mean the actor who plays
the part of the photographer?
466
00:38:52,914 --> 00:38:57,252
I have forgotten his name,
I don't remember it any more
467
00:38:57,836 --> 00:39:00,672
but he was funny, he was great.
468
00:39:01,172 --> 00:39:05,260
There you see Chateau, he had
introduced us, that's how I met him.
469
00:39:08,721 --> 00:39:14,269
And Chris was great, Chris Mitch um.
470
00:39:14,394 --> 00:39:21,693
He also resembles his father
more and more, it's incredible.
471
00:39:22,110 --> 00:39:25,655
He also has some scenes with Mitch um.
472
00:39:26,155 --> 00:39:29,576
Usually, I would operate
the camera myself
473
00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:35,415
so I can see what happens
exactly in front of the camera
474
00:39:36,332 --> 00:39:38,960
how the actors interact, for example.
475
00:39:39,127 --> 00:39:41,212
I prefer to be the one who judges
476
00:39:41,588 --> 00:39:48,928
not the camera operator, maybe
he knows the technical aspects
477
00:39:49,429 --> 00:39:52,140
more than I do, but he doesn't really
know what I want from the actors.
478
00:39:53,892 --> 00:39:56,477
And so I can tell you that
sometimes I would shoot
479
00:39:57,437 --> 00:40:00,315
and Chris would enter into
the part, and it was wonderful
480
00:40:00,356 --> 00:40:02,984
he was really like his father.
481
00:40:06,905 --> 00:40:13,953
[INT] Chris also made some films
in Europe, not only in America.
482
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:18,333
[JESS] Of course he made
films all over the world.
483
00:40:19,459 --> 00:40:21,920
He made films in the Philippines also.
484
00:40:23,212 --> 00:40:27,926
I don't know what he did in the
Philippines but he worked a lot there.
485
00:40:28,092 --> 00:40:33,306
He had been hired to be the hero
in some action films with sequels.
486
00:40:33,473 --> 00:40:35,683
I don't know which production
company, one that put out
487
00:40:35,683 --> 00:40:39,187
three hundred films
per year, or thereabouts.
488
00:40:40,188 --> 00:40:45,234
These films are for the
Asian market, the Far East
489
00:40:45,401 --> 00:40:49,781
they almost never show them in
Europe or in the United States.
490
00:40:56,496 --> 00:41:02,210
[INT] This scene adds some
humor to this horror film.
491
00:41:03,002 --> 00:41:08,883
[JESS] It's intentional,
if you want to know,
492
00:41:09,676 --> 00:41:17,850
because my training has been
very much a la Hitchcock.
493
00:41:18,810 --> 00:41:24,816
I find that Alfred Hitchcock, who
is the genius of the horror genre
494
00:41:24,983 --> 00:41:28,528
and of fantasy and police
stories, it doesn't matter,
495
00:41:31,823 --> 00:41:38,079
he knew how to break the tension
with short, amusing moments.
496
00:41:38,913 --> 00:41:45,712
Further more, you will obtain a
better reaction from the audience
497
00:41:46,004 --> 00:41:49,966
when you are in the middle of
telling a very tragic or violent story
498
00:41:50,216 --> 00:41:56,264
and you create a break
to introduce a sequence
499
00:41:56,681 --> 00:41:58,057
with some humor or a trick.
500
00:41:58,808 --> 00:42:03,563
The audience, who is under
tension thinks jumps of joy
501
00:42:03,855 --> 00:42:07,025
it's the easiest trick in the
world, to scare then make laugh.
502
00:42:07,734 --> 00:42:13,573
And so I chose this method since
my very first film in this genre,
503
00:42:13,781 --> 00:42:18,995
The Awful Dr Orlof also
contains some funny stories
504
00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:20,496
some funny moments.
505
00:42:21,205 --> 00:42:24,917
In the Hitchcock movies, even
the most frightening ones
506
00:42:25,001 --> 00:42:27,587
there are always
break-up points like this,
507
00:42:27,670 --> 00:42:30,214
and I find it all very
good, because in life,
508
00:42:30,798 --> 00:42:33,134
not everything is frightening.
509
00:42:34,177 --> 00:42:39,682
Even in the worst situations
there can be a funny moment.
510
00:42:46,105 --> 00:42:50,902
And I think that in this genre of
movies you need that sort of details
511
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:55,323
if those small details are well-calibrated,
quite well-balanced in the film.
512
00:43:02,580 --> 00:43:09,504
[INT] This scene was rather taboo
for the 1980s.
513
00:43:09,754 --> 00:43:15,968
The 1970s were a lot more
comfortable with this, but
514
00:43:16,135 --> 00:43:22,350
did you have any issues
with censorship with this scene?
515
00:43:26,145 --> 00:43:27,480
[JESS] No.
516
00:43:27,897 --> 00:43:31,442
I had no problems with censorship.
517
00:43:32,276 --> 00:43:35,655
It's taboo in the sense
that there's a trio
518
00:43:37,698 --> 00:43:41,369
because they are ready to make
love, because they don't really do it.
519
00:43:42,662 --> 00:43:46,999
But no, in France, censorship is funny
520
00:43:47,291 --> 00:43:55,633
France is one of the most intellectual
and evolved countries in the world.
521
00:43:56,425 --> 00:44:01,639
They do not worry too
much about erotic scenes
522
00:44:01,848 --> 00:44:04,684
or scenes with nudity.
523
00:44:04,976 --> 00:44:11,274
What I mean to say is that we
never had a problem with it.
524
00:44:11,607 --> 00:44:15,862
As a matter of fact, you don't
see anything in this film
525
00:44:15,987 --> 00:44:24,495
just a naked breast, there are
no scenes of sexual violence.
526
00:44:27,790 --> 00:44:32,378
Because given the censorship criteria
that we have all over the world
527
00:44:33,087 --> 00:44:40,261
you can do very risqué erotic scenes
528
00:44:40,887 --> 00:44:44,015
but they cannot be
violent at the same time.
529
00:44:44,140 --> 00:44:46,976
That's a no-no.
530
00:44:50,271 --> 00:44:53,274
Today, a scene like that
would be in a film for kids.
531
00:44:54,901 --> 00:44:58,863
You could even show
it on prime time television.
532
00:45:00,615 --> 00:45:02,491
Nobody would get offended.
533
00:45:03,868 --> 00:45:09,665
What you see there, Telly Savalas'
scenes, we shot them at La Défense.
534
00:45:10,499 --> 00:45:16,047
You know, it's a section of
Paris that's completely new
535
00:45:16,797 --> 00:45:18,674
it's very American.
536
00:45:19,008 --> 00:45:27,683
It could pass for any
large American city.
537
00:45:30,478 --> 00:45:36,484
Even Telly was surprised, because
he did not know this side of Paris
538
00:45:37,526 --> 00:45:38,903
and so
539
00:45:39,237 --> 00:45:41,364
[INT] Where was
Chris Mitchum's apartment?
540
00:45:41,447 --> 00:45:42,990
I could see the
Eiffel Tower.
541
00:45:45,618 --> 00:45:48,246
Was it a hotel room?
542
00:45:48,412 --> 00:45:49,914
[JESS] yes, yes,
it's a hotel room
543
00:45:49,997 --> 00:45:52,208
right near the Eiffel Tower.
544
00:45:52,792 --> 00:45:57,880
It's not a fake, not a trick,
it's really the Eiffel Tower.
545
00:45:57,964 --> 00:46:03,803
[INT] This scene with Anton
here in the old Paris.
546
00:46:03,970 --> 00:46:06,931
It's a stark contrast to
the 'American' Paris.
547
00:46:07,014 --> 00:46:08,641
[Jess] American,
there you have it!
548
00:46:08,891 --> 00:46:10,601
It's the contrast between the two.
549
00:46:11,269 --> 00:46:13,062
Yes, you are right. Anton Diff ring.
550
00:46:13,604 --> 00:46:16,315
[INT] It's the old and new Paris.
551
00:46:16,482 --> 00:46:18,651
[JESS] Yes, it's.
552
00:46:22,446 --> 00:46:25,866
Anton Diff ring, who
was an excellent actor.
553
00:46:33,624 --> 00:46:40,464
[INT] So,what are your
memories of working with him?
554
00:46:40,923 --> 00:46:42,508
[JESS] My best memories
555
00:46:42,508 --> 00:46:46,804
are seeing him in
his British films period.
556
00:46:46,971 --> 00:46:51,017
He did a full series of films there.
557
00:46:54,103 --> 00:46:59,191
He had a very menacing presence.
558
00:46:59,900 --> 00:47:03,738
He looked dangerous from the
instant he would appear on screen.
559
00:47:05,448 --> 00:47:07,241
He was really an excellent actor.
560
00:47:08,075 --> 00:47:11,078
I think he was Austrian, but
he had an English passport
561
00:47:11,078 --> 00:47:16,167
when he started working
for those British films.
562
00:47:17,710 --> 00:47:21,172
It was a real pleasure to work with him.
563
00:47:22,006 --> 00:47:25,843
At the time we started
shooting, he was already Ill.
564
00:47:26,344 --> 00:47:27,762
He had a heart disease.
565
00:47:30,181 --> 00:47:36,103
He died from it not very long
after we completed shooting.
566
00:47:37,313 --> 00:47:40,316
I think he died a year later.
567
00:47:43,652 --> 00:47:48,949
But it wasn't showing, since
his character in the film
568
00:47:49,367 --> 00:47:54,663
didn't need to show any physical
strength, like stunt or fights.
569
00:47:54,914 --> 00:48:01,796
Yet he had to walk upstairs
and downstairs several times,
570
00:48:02,129 --> 00:48:05,966
and he did it without even
mentioning me he was sick.
571
00:48:06,759 --> 00:48:09,845
He was a really great professional.
572
00:48:09,929 --> 00:48:13,516
From the point of view,
it was very easy,
573
00:48:16,060 --> 00:48:17,353
because...
574
00:48:18,062 --> 00:48:21,399
You know, if there's
something I learned
575
00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:24,652
working with the Americans,
576
00:48:25,778 --> 00:48:30,366
it's that actors are not subordinate.
577
00:48:30,950 --> 00:48:35,287
An actor is a collaborator as much as,
578
00:48:35,454 --> 00:48:37,790
and even more than the technicians.
579
00:48:38,791 --> 00:48:44,713
I learned that you
have to seduce them,
580
00:48:44,797 --> 00:48:46,590
and they are easily seduced.
581
00:48:47,049 --> 00:48:52,430
As soon as he feels loved, an
actor will cooperate with you.
582
00:48:53,222 --> 00:49:02,398
With Anton, from the first
day we were striving for this.
583
00:49:04,066 --> 00:49:07,027
We had an
exceptional time together.
584
00:49:07,111 --> 00:49:09,280
This sequence that you are watching
585
00:49:09,530 --> 00:49:15,578
we had to shoot it quite a few
times because there were many angles.
586
00:49:16,996 --> 00:49:18,747
It was perfect, perfect.
587
00:49:18,956 --> 00:49:25,546
And also, when it came to knowing
his lines, knowing what to do
588
00:49:26,839 --> 00:49:28,424
he was sensational.
589
00:49:29,049 --> 00:49:32,470
Finally, I like to put
everything in a list.
590
00:49:32,928 --> 00:49:39,393
The actors in which I am interested
the most, English first of all,
591
00:49:40,811 --> 00:49:44,315
then Germans, then Americans.
592
00:49:45,608 --> 00:49:51,489
Most of the actors
in the American film industry
593
00:49:52,072 --> 00:49:59,747
have Irish or English or
Canadian or German roots.
594
00:49:59,830 --> 00:50:07,755
But basically, they are one
hundred percent American actors.
595
00:50:09,298 --> 00:50:17,097
[INT] Do you have a preference for
English, American or European actors
596
00:50:17,181 --> 00:50:20,643
because they come
from different schools?
597
00:50:20,976 --> 00:50:21,977
[JESS] Yes.
598
00:50:22,144 --> 00:50:26,482
I don't care for Mediterranean
actors, in principle.
599
00:50:27,399 --> 00:50:28,817
But there are exceptions of course.
600
00:50:29,068 --> 00:50:35,032
I don't know — for example,
I like Marcello Mastroianni.
601
00:50:35,658 --> 00:50:39,912
Of course, there are
great actors everywhere.
602
00:50:40,329 --> 00:50:45,459
But when it comes to
schools, in my opinion
603
00:50:46,252 --> 00:50:50,631
the English school is the best,
and the German is second best.
604
00:50:51,382 --> 00:50:55,135
By this I mean that their
actors are true professionals
605
00:50:55,511 --> 00:50:59,348
who study and work
long years before acting.
606
00:51:00,307 --> 00:51:05,729
And even if these schools are
different, still they come together
607
00:51:05,854 --> 00:51:07,273
as you can see.
608
00:51:08,857 --> 00:51:13,279
It's not difficult to think that
Helmut Berger could be an English actor.
609
00:51:13,612 --> 00:51:15,698
The schools produce
almost identical results.
610
00:51:19,326 --> 00:51:23,998
[INT] I think Helmut Berger
trainined as an actor
611
00:51:24,123 --> 00:51:26,292
in London in the sixties.
612
00:51:26,375 --> 00:51:28,586
[JESS] Yes, of course.
613
00:51:29,962 --> 00:51:32,715
And he came, and he was received.
614
00:51:34,300 --> 00:51:41,307
I was talking with him
about the Austrian school
615
00:51:41,932 --> 00:51:43,892
which is really a fantastic school.
616
00:51:45,352 --> 00:51:49,273
[INT] Before his experiences
with Visconti in Italy
617
00:51:49,481 --> 00:51:59,742
Of course, but Visconti was a
bit heavy, which was good for him
618
00:51:59,825 --> 00:52:03,078
because he helped Helmut a lot
and introduced him to people.
619
00:52:04,663 --> 00:52:07,499
And I believe that I was
having some serious conversations
620
00:52:08,334 --> 00:52:13,255
with Helmut, because I
am not an old-fashioned guy
621
00:52:13,881 --> 00:52:15,257
and so we talked about Visconti.
622
00:52:15,257 --> 00:52:17,843
He told me that Visconti
was the love of his life
623
00:52:17,885 --> 00:52:19,845
and he cried when he said that.
624
00:52:20,304 --> 00:52:21,847
He was really sincere.
625
00:52:22,222 --> 00:52:29,521
And so Helmut did not have the
kind of luck that he deserved
626
00:52:29,605 --> 00:52:34,777
because he was too much in
pain because he missed Visconti.
627
00:52:36,737 --> 00:52:39,073
However, he is an excellent actor.
628
00:52:41,659 --> 00:52:49,333
And finally, all of them: Klaus
Kinsky, him, Karl Maria Brandauer
629
00:52:50,793 --> 00:52:55,381
all these actors who are most or
less, let's say, Germanic like Helmut
630
00:52:57,299 --> 00:52:59,510
learned at the school of Fritz Kortner
631
00:53:01,637 --> 00:53:04,598
the Das Spielhaus of Fritz Kortner.
632
00:53:04,973 --> 00:53:09,770
And I am surprised, because,
according to what everyone said,
633
00:53:10,270 --> 00:53:16,944
he was areal bastard, difficult
to get along with, terrible.
634
00:53:17,403 --> 00:53:20,864
But a genius nevertheless
when it came to training actors.
635
00:53:25,619 --> 00:53:29,331
[LINA] I love the
plastic surgery scene.
636
00:53:31,709 --> 00:53:32,543
It's next, right?
637
00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:34,211
[JESS] We are almost there.
638
00:53:43,721 --> 00:53:49,685
[INT] This scene, is it a
commentary on plastic surgery
639
00:53:49,768 --> 00:53:54,982
or is it a commentary
on this particular milieu
640
00:53:55,983 --> 00:54:00,112
or is it only for the film's story?
641
00:54:00,863 --> 00:54:03,115
[JESS] No, no,
it's just for the story.
642
00:54:06,285 --> 00:54:07,995
[INT] There is no message?
643
00:54:08,370 --> 00:54:10,122
[JESS] No, there is no message.
644
00:54:10,122 --> 00:54:11,790
I hate messages.
645
00:54:14,501 --> 00:54:18,088
It's not that I hate messages,
646
00:54:18,797 --> 00:54:22,384
I only hate explicit messages.
647
00:54:23,135 --> 00:54:24,428
[INT] How about implicit?
648
00:54:24,887 --> 00:54:26,638
[JESS] I prefer implicit.
649
00:54:27,431 --> 00:54:30,851
Let's say it's like following,
650
00:54:31,059 --> 00:54:35,105
let's say that the school I prefer
651
00:54:35,314 --> 00:54:39,568
is the literary school of
classic American writers.
652
00:54:39,985 --> 00:54:46,909
Which means that when you read
Hemmingway, Faulkner, even Caldwell
653
00:54:47,910 --> 00:54:50,454
they are telling you stories.
654
00:54:51,538 --> 00:54:55,292
It's only after, when you close
the book, that you say to yourself:
655
00:54:55,417 --> 00:54:56,502
Ah, let's see now.
656
00:54:56,794 --> 00:55:01,882
So the situation of the blacks
in the South was terrible.
657
00:55:02,341 --> 00:55:07,387
But it's up to you to reflect,
to arrive at this conclusion
658
00:55:07,471 --> 00:55:12,267
because what they have told
you is a story, nothing more.
659
00:55:15,479 --> 00:55:19,691
Here, I think this sequence is terrible.
660
00:55:20,442 --> 00:55:23,737
This is where Musumarra
stopped watching the film
661
00:55:24,112 --> 00:55:28,450
and said that he did not want
to write the music
662
00:55:28,534 --> 00:55:30,244
because it meant that
he would have to see
663
00:55:30,327 --> 00:55:32,621
this particular
sequence several times.
664
00:55:33,205 --> 00:55:36,708
[INT] This particular scene,
are there any special effects
665
00:55:38,126 --> 00:55:41,129
and who created effects for the film?
666
00:55:41,964 --> 00:55:48,637
[JESS] A young Frenchman
made the special effects
667
00:55:49,137 --> 00:55:56,979
he was make-up assistant
to Stuart Freeborn.
668
00:55:57,980 --> 00:56:02,025
For me, Stuart is a master.
669
00:56:02,943 --> 00:56:08,615
He is Irish, and has
won two or three Oscars.
670
00:56:09,783 --> 00:56:10,617
He is brilliant.
671
00:56:10,742 --> 00:56:17,958
I had the pleasure of working with
him on my Fu Manchu's and my Dracula.
672
00:56:18,417 --> 00:56:21,503
He was in charge of
the make-up effects.
673
00:56:21,587 --> 00:56:23,297
He is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
674
00:56:24,298 --> 00:56:28,093
[INT] This scene is grotesque.
675
00:56:28,969 --> 00:56:30,053
[JESS] Yes.
676
00:56:37,686 --> 00:56:47,029
[LINA] Here's some sound effects.
Ah, no!
677
00:56:56,955 --> 00:57:00,834
This is Hamlet, right?
"To be or not to be."
678
00:57:01,418 --> 00:57:03,629
[JESS] No, it's Yorick.
679
00:57:10,928 --> 00:57:16,600
I thought of Yorick when he
picks up the head just so.
680
00:57:28,403 --> 00:57:32,658
[INT] He needs another little
darling to make love to.
681
00:57:38,246 --> 00:57:42,125
[JESS] Of course. He hasn't
practiced in a long time
682
00:57:43,919 --> 00:57:46,463
[LINA] It's like playing the piano.
683
00:57:46,546 --> 00:57:52,344
[JESS] There's two or three scenes
that we wanted to take out
684
00:57:53,345 --> 00:57:57,099
because they are too explicit, they
reminded me of Dachau.
685
00:57:58,100 --> 00:58:00,102
But we did not bother.
686
00:58:00,936 --> 00:58:04,398
I guess everyone understands
the reference, right?
687
00:58:05,524 --> 00:58:07,609
[INT] I think that
either Florence Guérin
688
00:58:07,734 --> 00:58:12,322
or another actress had
a porno career in Italy.
689
00:58:12,614 --> 00:58:14,324
[JESS] Not porno.
690
00:58:15,117 --> 00:58:16,868
[INT] Soft core?
691
00:58:17,536 --> 00:58:25,419
[JESS] Soft core, yes. But I don't
think she ever made a porno movie.
692
00:58:26,962 --> 00:58:35,470
Her films were popular in
Italy as well. She had a name.
693
00:58:40,434 --> 00:58:48,984
She was a little silly,
but cute. You can see that.
694
00:58:51,403 --> 00:58:55,782
[INT] Was she popular
in France at the time?
695
00:58:55,907 --> 00:58:57,909
[JESS] No, she has never
been well-known in France.
696
00:58:58,243 --> 00:59:02,205
[INT] People don't say, “look,
that's Florence Guérin”?
697
00:59:02,330 --> 00:59:05,959
[JESS] They did, but that's
because of the publicity.
698
00:59:07,085 --> 00:59:14,926
However, I don't think that Florence
was ever loved as highly as Brigitte.
699
00:59:16,970 --> 00:59:19,598
She was nice, sure.
700
00:59:26,646 --> 00:59:29,149
In any case, she filled the
character's shoes perfectly.
701
00:59:47,209 --> 00:59:49,753
[INT] There are plenty of scenes
in discos in this film.
702
00:59:50,629 --> 00:59:53,840
[JESS] Yes. I love them.
703
00:59:53,965 --> 00:59:56,510
[INT] In the nightclubs,
I think that...
704
00:59:56,593 --> 01:00:02,265
[JESS] All my films have
similar settings.
705
01:00:02,808 --> 01:00:08,021
Do you know what my first
job was?
706
01:00:08,230 --> 01:00:12,734
I was a Jazz musician, a
pop music musician, etc.
707
01:00:13,443 --> 01:00:20,158
I worked a lot in nightclubs,
discothéques, in jazz clubs.
708
01:00:20,909 --> 01:00:23,495
It's a world
that I know pretty well.
709
01:00:24,996 --> 01:00:29,084
[INT] In many of your
films there are scenes
710
01:00:29,167 --> 01:00:32,129
in discos and also at the theater.
711
01:00:32,462 --> 01:00:33,755
[JESS] Yes, yes.
712
01:00:34,172 --> 01:00:35,841
[INT] Everything is a spectacle
713
01:00:36,216 --> 01:00:38,593
[JESS] The spectacle,
yes it's there.
714
01:00:43,014 --> 01:00:45,100
He's good here.
715
01:00:48,645 --> 01:00:51,189
[INT] He's thinking,
“I want a massage”
716
01:01:12,794 --> 01:01:16,965
What about the cast, were the actors
all your first choice for this film
717
01:01:17,215 --> 01:01:20,802
or did you have other ideas for them?
718
01:01:23,054 --> 01:01:26,516
[JESS] Whi shooting, or before,
when we were getting the film ready?
719
01:01:28,059 --> 01:01:33,148
At first, I always do something that
I also learned from the Americans.
720
01:01:34,024 --> 01:01:40,780
I list three names, the names
of three actors for each part.
721
01:01:41,615 --> 01:01:44,451
As a matter of fact, in this case
722
01:01:46,328 --> 01:01:47,370
I think that all of them
723
01:01:47,370 --> 01:01:50,999
100% were one of the three
names I had listed for each one.
724
01:01:51,082 --> 01:01:52,250
So you see.
725
01:01:53,376 --> 01:02:02,219
It's also because René and I had
practically the same viewpoint.
726
01:02:07,349 --> 01:02:15,315
[INT] In this film there is a sort of
“porno chic” in some of the sequences
727
01:02:15,482 --> 01:02:18,443
for example, the scene with Guérin.
728
01:02:19,152 --> 01:02:23,073
[JESS] Ah yes. But no,
it's not porno.
729
01:02:23,156 --> 01:02:24,991
[INT] No, “Porno chic.”
730
01:02:25,200 --> 01:02:34,417
[JESS] For me, porno chic is,
for example, Andrew Blake's films.
731
01:02:36,711 --> 01:02:42,717
It's still porno, very
elegant, with laces, right?
732
01:02:44,636 --> 01:02:54,813
Here there is a classic
detail moment of erotic cinema
733
01:02:56,273 --> 01:02:58,858
but we had fun doing it, you know?
734
01:03:04,990 --> 01:03:09,577
[INT] What was your experience
with this Polish actor
735
01:03:09,703 --> 01:03:15,458
was there a language gap?
Did he speak English?
736
01:03:17,544 --> 01:03:19,045
[JESS] He spoke English.
737
01:03:19,129 --> 01:03:23,049
He spoke a very poor English, but
he learned his lines in English
738
01:03:24,009 --> 01:03:27,762
poor guy, and he had a terrible
accent, but we did not dub him.
739
01:03:28,221 --> 01:03:35,061
It's better this way, because
the lip movements are in English
740
01:03:35,145 --> 01:03:37,230
not In French. As you know
741
01:03:37,314 --> 01:03:40,358
there are problems when we
use the Romance languages
742
01:03:40,525 --> 01:03:43,987
people use more face
expressions.
743
01:03:44,988 --> 01:03:47,615
But when the same
actor speaks English
744
01:03:50,368 --> 01:03:53,163
they play it cool and are
745
01:03:53,621 --> 01:03:55,665
less expressive.
746
01:04:17,062 --> 01:04:24,527
[INT] I think it's rather strange
that the soundtrack
747
01:04:24,652 --> 01:04:28,615
has a pop theme more than a jazz theme.
748
01:04:29,616 --> 01:04:37,123
In your other films you
have jazz sountracks, right?
749
01:04:38,500 --> 01:04:40,251
Is it more modern?
750
01:04:40,543 --> 01:04:41,795
[JESS] Is what more modern?
This one here?
751
01:04:41,836 --> 01:04:42,462
[INT] Yes.
752
01:04:42,670 --> 01:04:47,217
[JESS] Modern in the sense that
it's contemporary pop music?
753
01:04:47,634 --> 01:04:51,012
I try to do it often.
754
01:04:51,763 --> 01:04:58,436
The proof is there if you see
my films from the last ten years
755
01:04:59,229 --> 01:05:03,441
the musical themes are
as modern as possible.
756
01:05:04,859 --> 01:05:09,572
I am now preparing a new version
of the Awful docteur Orlof
757
01:05:10,281 --> 01:05:13,993
and I already have Iron
Maiden's music for it.
758
01:05:15,995 --> 01:05:18,957
There is nothing more modern than that.
759
01:05:19,916 --> 01:05:22,627
And I love it because I am
a musician myself,
760
01:05:23,086 --> 01:05:25,255
so I follow evolutions
761
01:05:25,880 --> 01:05:29,634
What I detest is stupid music,
and there is plenty around
762
01:05:31,010 --> 01:05:33,012
but quality music...
763
01:05:34,931 --> 01:05:40,520
[INT] I don't know if it was your
idea, but in the film,
764
01:05:40,645 --> 01:05:51,239
the Angel of Death, Lahaie, is
blonde, while the victims are all--
765
01:05:51,531 --> 01:05:52,740
[JESS] Brunettes?
766
01:05:52,866 --> 01:05:53,825
[INT] Yes.
767
01:05:55,910 --> 01:05:57,704
[JESS] It's a coincidence.
768
01:06:00,039 --> 01:06:03,710
I's something that René
and I never discussed.
769
01:06:04,169 --> 01:06:12,844
But the idea came from a film
with Florence Guérin we saw on T.V.
770
01:06:13,052 --> 01:06:15,638
[INT] Her hair is darker.
771
01:06:18,766 --> 01:06:23,688
[JESS] She is the only blonde.
772
01:06:24,647 --> 01:06:29,611
But the victims, let me think back.
773
01:06:30,028 --> 01:06:32,947
Evidently she's brunette.
774
01:06:33,740 --> 01:06:36,034
[LINA] Stéphane Audran,
she is not a blonde.
775
01:06:36,242 --> 01:06:37,702
She is a redhead.
776
01:06:37,785 --> 01:06:38,870
[JESS] Yes. Redhead?
777
01:06:39,078 --> 01:06:41,831
She is not actually a redhead
but she is not a brunette either.
778
01:06:42,790 --> 01:06:46,753
No, I think it's a sort of coincidence.
779
01:06:47,295 --> 01:06:51,007
Because we did not intend all
the victims to be brunettes.
780
01:06:51,299 --> 01:06:54,219
[INT] For all the victims, did
you have to rebuild the face
781
01:06:55,261 --> 01:07:00,058
of Helmut Berger's
sister who's a brunette?
782
01:07:00,558 --> 01:07:04,771
[LINA] Maybe it's because we
brunettes are smarter than blondes.
783
01:07:07,649 --> 01:07:09,484
[JESS] Is that so?
[LINA] Yes.
784
01:07:15,949 --> 01:07:18,910
[LINA] I had not noticed it.
785
01:07:18,993 --> 01:07:20,119
[JESS] Neither did.
786
01:07:25,625 --> 01:07:28,962
But these are remarks from people.
787
01:07:29,420 --> 01:07:34,551
Sometimes I ask myself questions,
788
01:07:36,427 --> 01:07:39,347
“if you turned the
camera this way it must have been
789
01:07:39,931 --> 01:07:44,477
because you were thinking,”
But I was not thinking!
790
01:07:44,727 --> 01:07:46,646
I did it that way
because that's how I felt.
791
01:07:46,729 --> 01:07:47,647
That's all.
792
01:07:48,815 --> 01:07:57,198
[INT] Was this the only film that
you made with René Chateau?
793
01:07:59,242 --> 01:08:00,618
[JESS] Which one, this?
794
01:08:00,952 --> 01:08:01,452
[INT] Yes.
795
01:08:01,619 --> 01:08:06,833
This film, is it your only
cooperative venture with--
796
01:08:06,958 --> 01:08:09,586
[JESS] Yes, the only one.
[INT] Why?
797
01:08:09,794 --> 01:08:13,089
[JESS] It was the last film
he ever produced.
798
01:08:13,715 --> 01:08:15,592
That's an important reason.
799
01:08:15,675 --> 01:08:20,471
Also, because I don't know that
we could have come to an agreement
800
01:08:20,722 --> 01:08:23,558
René is a one-film man.
801
01:08:23,975 --> 01:08:28,813
He is not a man to make many
films or work without interruption.
802
01:08:29,397 --> 01:08:31,399
He is not American in that sense.
803
01:08:31,858 --> 01:08:37,739
He produces one film, he puts all of
himself into it, gets sick from it
804
01:08:38,072 --> 01:08:40,825
scream and weeps.
805
01:08:41,492 --> 01:08:46,748
He only did one film, and
this one worked out very well.
806
01:08:46,789 --> 01:08:49,626
After the film, I went my own way.
807
01:08:49,751 --> 01:08:54,130
I know that he wanted
to produce more films.
808
01:08:54,255 --> 01:08:59,469
He talked to me about it, and
he told me, and he was very kind,
809
01:08:59,510 --> 01:09:03,514
that he was very satisfied with
the film, that he liked it very much.
810
01:09:06,476 --> 01:09:12,690
He told me, “I know that you
hate this film but I love it.
811
01:09:13,941 --> 01:09:17,570
If you have a project that
you want me to consider
812
01:09:17,820 --> 01:09:23,284
I will try to be very open,
I will try to follow you.”
813
01:09:24,160 --> 01:09:26,454
But, as a matter of
fact, there is something
814
01:09:26,663 --> 01:09:28,831
that we should not
forget about René Chéteau
815
01:09:28,998 --> 01:09:35,630
it's the fact that he is primarily
an excellent distributor, of videos
816
01:09:35,880 --> 01:09:39,884
DVD's now, but especially videos.
817
01:09:41,094 --> 01:09:44,430
The Rene Chateau company
logo with the panther
818
01:09:44,430 --> 01:09:46,391
comes from the video.
819
01:09:47,183 --> 01:09:53,606
At the time, he had purchased,
a monumental expense,
820
01:09:54,023 --> 01:10:00,488
he had purchased a lot of French
films from thirties and forties
821
01:10:00,738 --> 01:10:07,704
most films by Jean
Cocteau and Marcel Carné.
822
01:10:08,371 --> 01:10:18,172
He had done an enormous distribution
effort and launched the films
823
01:10:19,173 --> 01:10:25,304
with lovely photographs,
new cases, things like that.
824
01:10:26,806 --> 01:10:29,851
He produced no more films.
825
01:10:31,561 --> 01:10:36,733
He was not unhappy about this
one, because it has fared well
826
01:10:36,858 --> 01:10:41,320
it was successful, it fared well.
827
01:10:46,325 --> 01:10:47,410
I'm proud of this effect.
828
01:10:49,912 --> 01:10:56,377
If there's too much blood
I find it's not very effective.
829
01:11:10,099 --> 01:11:11,392
[INT] Where are we now?
830
01:11:12,143 --> 01:11:14,979
[JESS] Place Pigalle,
this is Place Pigalle.
831
01:11:15,897 --> 01:11:16,814
[INT] The Moulin Rouge?
832
01:11:16,939 --> 01:11:20,234
Here is everything. All the cliches.
833
01:11:22,653 --> 01:11:24,989
[INT] Yes, it is a Paris cliché.
834
01:11:25,281 --> 01:11:27,867
[JESS] Yes, it is a Paris cliché.
835
01:11:28,701 --> 01:11:33,539
This is Megatown, it's the
club where we shot some scenes.
836
01:11:34,499 --> 01:11:37,335
It was incredibly crowded.
837
01:11:37,418 --> 01:11:40,004
It was impossible to shoot.
838
01:11:41,255 --> 01:11:44,717
We had to get authorization to
set up the cameras and the lights
839
01:11:44,842 --> 01:11:46,761
while the patrons were dancing
- these are real live scenes.
840
01:11:47,428 --> 01:11:50,932
We added some props, the light
triangle, but as for everything else
841
01:11:52,099 --> 01:11:54,227
it's the real floor.
842
01:11:54,644 --> 01:11:59,357
It was the week-end of
course, a Friday night.
843
01:12:02,819 --> 01:12:04,862
[INT] So Megatown is real?
844
01:12:07,448 --> 01:12:12,370
[JESS] It was a very popular
discotheque in Paris at the time.
845
01:12:16,707 --> 01:12:21,295
[INT] Was this an advertisement
for the nightclub?
846
01:12:27,218 --> 01:12:28,511
[JESS] I don't know.
847
01:12:29,053 --> 01:12:33,266
Rene was a friend of
one of the club's owners
848
01:12:33,349 --> 01:12:35,977
the one who gave him
permission for this.
849
01:12:36,143 --> 01:12:41,941
I am sure he must have paid
something, but not a fortune.
850
01:12:44,151 --> 01:12:46,904
Rene was a very popular guy in Paris.
851
01:12:48,239 --> 01:12:52,493
Less now, because he lives most
of the year on the Cote d'Azur.
852
01:12:54,287 --> 01:12:56,497
He is rarely in Paris.
853
01:12:57,832 --> 01:13:02,545
It makes sense; he has a
lovely house near St. Tropez
854
01:13:05,214 --> 01:13:07,508
in that lovely Mediterranean climate.
855
01:13:08,801 --> 01:13:10,386
[JESS] Is he still involved
in films or not?
856
01:13:11,095 --> 01:13:15,600
[JESS] No, but he was
never really involved in film.
857
01:13:15,683 --> 01:13:17,518
The only film he ever
made is this one, with me.
858
01:13:17,685 --> 01:13:22,273
It's because he was a
partner of Jean-Paul Belmondo
859
01:13:22,648 --> 01:13:25,318
of Jean-Paul Belmondo's
brother for the production.
860
01:13:25,735 --> 01:13:29,864
He was a partner, but it was
Belmondo who handled the business
861
01:13:29,947 --> 01:13:31,115
not him,
862
01:13:36,871 --> 01:13:39,373
René began as a set photographer.
863
01:13:41,959 --> 01:13:44,629
He was a great still photographer.
864
01:13:59,268 --> 01:14:00,770
Telly. Telly.
865
01:14:04,941 --> 01:14:09,028
[LINA] It was funny, he used
to pronounce St. Clowd.
866
01:14:09,904 --> 01:14:15,159
Instead of “St. Cloud”,
All Americans do it. St. Clowd.
867
01:14:31,509 --> 01:14:32,718
[JESS] Have you been to St. Cloud?
868
01:14:34,679 --> 01:14:48,526
It's a very pretty, let's say
elegant, residential district in Paris.
869
01:14:54,490 --> 01:14:58,911
For us, for those of
us who know Paris well
870
01:14:59,829 --> 01:15:03,874
it's strange to think that in St.
Cloud there is a place like this clinic
871
01:15:04,458 --> 01:15:09,755
with these crimes, because in
general it's an elegant neighborhood.
872
01:15:12,174 --> 01:15:14,552
[LINA] Maybe because of this.
873
01:15:14,677 --> 01:15:17,013
You never know.
[JESS] You never know.
874
01:15:35,656 --> 01:15:37,742
When we were shooting,
875
01:15:37,825 --> 01:15:41,328
René thought that
Maurice Fellous was too slow.
876
01:15:42,621 --> 01:15:44,123
The director of photography.
877
01:15:45,708 --> 01:15:48,502
But it's not true, he was not very slow.
878
01:15:48,586 --> 01:15:57,178
He was not the fastest, but he
was working at an average pace
879
01:15:57,386 --> 01:16:01,682
that would have allowed us to
finish the film within schedule
880
01:16:02,558 --> 01:16:04,560
but René was afraid.
881
01:16:05,144 --> 01:16:12,068
So he hired another
team, a second unit.
882
01:16:14,737 --> 01:16:17,406
In this predicament, I
remembered my classics.
883
01:16:17,531 --> 01:16:20,910
So I did exactly
what Ken Annakin had done
884
01:16:21,452 --> 01:16:23,788
in The Battle of the Bulge [1965]
885
01:16:24,497 --> 01:16:29,168
In that film, the Americans imposed
a director for the second unit.
886
01:16:29,919 --> 01:16:33,547
And so he said, “Fine. It's O.K...
887
01:16:34,048 --> 01:16:39,386
Now what did he do? He had
the second unit shoot wide shots
888
01:16:39,553 --> 01:16:43,099
any sort of stupid
shots that he did not use.
889
01:16:43,849 --> 01:16:48,187
He himself shot all the important
scenes, the action sequences.
890
01:16:48,771 --> 01:16:50,064
And so I did the same.
891
01:16:50,397 --> 01:16:56,612
I used the second unit for two
days, I had them shoot some scenes.
892
01:16:56,862 --> 01:17:04,912
The rest I did myself because I
can't work in that kind of situation.
893
01:17:05,704 --> 01:17:09,708
I want to direct all the film's shots
894
01:17:09,875 --> 01:17:15,297
not the shots that production
wants from me, right?
895
01:17:16,215 --> 01:17:21,554
[INT] Is the woman on the bed...
896
01:17:22,388 --> 01:17:24,932
[JESS] Attached, tied, yes.
897
01:17:41,073 --> 01:17:48,581
People often say this film
is not a very Jess Franco film.
898
01:17:49,415 --> 01:17:51,417
I think they are wrong.
899
01:17:51,834 --> 01:17:53,752
I's very much a Jess Franco film.
900
01:17:55,337 --> 01:17:59,550
Well, the story is almost
mine.
901
01:18:01,844 --> 01:18:03,596
The development of events
902
01:18:03,679 --> 01:18:06,348
follows very closely my own cinema,;
903
01:18:06,640 --> 01:18:11,395
the same can be said for the
relationship between the characters.
904
01:18:13,272 --> 01:18:16,442
René was aware of this
before we started the film
905
01:18:16,483 --> 01:18:18,152
and that's what he wanted.
906
01:18:22,323 --> 01:18:26,577
[INT] Was there a good rapport
among the cast?
907
01:18:27,995 --> 01:18:33,417
[JESS] Very good. Very good,
maybe even very, extra good.
908
01:18:34,335 --> 01:18:38,964
Some even flirted,
had affairs.
909
01:18:40,090 --> 01:18:43,135
Some of the actors did,
during the shooting.
910
01:18:49,475 --> 01:18:52,519
I was always the last one to know
911
01:18:52,603 --> 01:18:55,606
as if I had been the
husband of all these women.
912
01:18:56,523 --> 01:19:09,078
But I had a suspicion that
Caroline and Mitch um became an item
913
01:19:11,288 --> 01:19:15,584
[INT] Is there tension here?
Caroline is at the door
914
01:19:15,960 --> 01:19:17,544
[JESS] Yes.
915
01:19:25,219 --> 01:19:26,762
She really slaps him in this scene.
916
01:19:28,222 --> 01:19:37,439
At first, she was afraid
She could not bear to.
917
01:19:38,274 --> 01:19:40,276
Ah, does this bother you?
918
01:19:40,943 --> 01:19:42,653
No, it doesn't bother me at all.
919
01:19:43,070 --> 01:19:46,407
Finally, he wasn't very happy
about it and neither was I.
920
01:19:47,992 --> 01:19:50,828
She really slapped him.
921
01:19:50,869 --> 01:19:52,538
We did three takes of this scene.
922
01:19:55,332 --> 01:19:59,712
In the first one, she
did not go all the way.
923
01:20:00,379 --> 01:20:03,048
She slapped him but not hard enough.
924
01:20:03,173 --> 01:20:04,341
But afterward
925
01:20:08,554 --> 01:20:13,851
This guy is an excellent
actor, Gordon, Gerard Zalcberg.
926
01:20:14,893 --> 01:20:17,313
He is a great stage actor.
927
01:20:17,980 --> 01:20:21,275
He had done a lot of theater,
for example, with Robert Hossein.
928
01:20:21,650 --> 01:20:22,818
He was very good.
929
01:20:24,236 --> 01:20:26,488
He is brilliant, don't you think?
930
01:20:30,326 --> 01:20:33,454
If you think that in general
931
01:20:33,954 --> 01:20:40,210
he always played the parts of a
gallant gentleman, things like that.
932
01:20:40,461 --> 01:20:43,047
But here he is rough,
and he is good at it.
933
01:21:08,655 --> 01:21:10,908
[LINA] Don't go there!
Don't go!
934
01:21:13,827 --> 01:21:15,871
[JESS] At the Brussels Festival
it's very comical
935
01:21:16,330 --> 01:21:20,751
because at the Fantastic Film
Festival that's held in Brussels
936
01:21:20,876 --> 01:21:24,755
there is always a group
of young people who yell
937
01:21:24,797 --> 01:21:27,424
and generally have a good time.
938
01:21:27,549 --> 01:21:32,971
It's amusing, but they
also talk to the screen.
939
01:21:33,972 --> 01:21:38,644
They say: “Don't go there, don't go,
he's going to kill you, the bastard!”
940
01:21:50,197 --> 01:21:53,367
[INT] Is this the first
nude scene in the film?
941
01:21:53,867 --> 01:21:55,327
[INT] The second.
942
01:21:55,828 --> 01:22:02,835
[INT] That's right. The threesome.
943
01:22:03,210 --> 01:22:09,716
[JESS] There is
another scene in the cell
944
01:22:10,634 --> 01:22:14,179
with another naked girl
but you see very little
945
01:22:24,106 --> 01:22:26,108
[INT] She sees the corpse.
946
01:22:44,918 --> 01:22:51,717
[JESS] The horror scenes in
the film have an English flavor,
947
01:22:51,925 --> 01:23:01,518
but I don't mean modern English cinema.
948
01:23:01,643 --> 01:23:05,397
I am referring to the
old English cinema.
949
01:23:08,358 --> 01:23:14,406
There is an English cinema
known by a few which I love.
950
01:23:15,616 --> 01:23:22,080
They are the films of Walter
Forde or Leslie Arliss.
951
01:23:23,123 --> 01:23:28,337
Maybe you don't know this
director. Do you like him? No?
952
01:23:33,425 --> 01:23:36,678
[INT] I don't know, maybe, I don't know.
953
01:23:38,680 --> 01:23:41,558
[JESS] You don't know what?
Oh, I am sorry.
954
01:23:44,394 --> 01:23:48,982
I don't think he understands me.
955
01:23:51,235 --> 01:23:53,820
The films of Walter Forde.
956
01:23:54,821 --> 01:23:57,115
Do you know Forde? He's a director.
957
01:23:57,658 --> 01:24:00,035
Do you like his films or not?
958
01:24:00,244 --> 01:24:01,662
[INT] Yes.
[JESS] Great.
959
01:24:02,663 --> 01:24:06,333
Because he's not very
well known in England.
960
01:24:06,500 --> 01:24:12,381
I asked a lot of times and they
say, “Who? Walter Forde, what's that?”
961
01:24:13,382 --> 01:24:17,636
[INT] I don't think England is
a country of movie lovers.
962
01:24:18,262 --> 01:24:24,434
[JESS] Leslie Arliss, do
you remember Leslie Arliss?
963
01:24:27,229 --> 01:24:28,981
He was also a very good director.
964
01:24:33,068 --> 01:24:35,696
He did, for example,
965
01:24:44,121 --> 01:24:48,584
The Door with Seven Locks
[1940]. Do you remember?
966
01:24:49,209 --> 01:24:50,335
[INT] Yes.
967
01:24:51,670 --> 01:24:53,297
[JESS] With very good actors,
968
01:24:53,630 --> 01:24:55,090
[INT] I remember the film.
969
01:24:55,632 --> 01:25:04,182
[JESS] Marius Goring. Do you remember?
Leslie Banks. Fantastic actors!
970
01:25:10,897 --> 01:25:13,108
[LINA] Don't go in there,
don't go!
971
01:25:13,191 --> 01:25:15,485
[JES] And he goes right
there like an idiot.
972
01:25:26,997 --> 01:25:28,832
[INT] The scene with the face.
973
01:25:43,055 --> 01:25:45,390
[JESS] It's a very sadistic idea.
974
01:25:46,183 --> 01:25:49,770
[INT] The skin is perfect.
Perfect.
975
01:26:04,368 --> 01:26:07,871
No, not the pencil, not the pencil
976
01:26:30,644 --> 01:26:32,938
Is this still the same clinic?
977
01:26:33,146 --> 01:26:35,774
[JESS] Yes, it's always
the same clinic.
978
01:26:40,404 --> 01:26:43,240
It was perfect because we
could shoot the entire day
979
01:26:43,323 --> 01:26:46,368
since the clinic
had shut down.
980
01:26:46,451 --> 01:26:53,792
There were no patients, no
doctors, no one. It was like a set.
981
01:27:07,514 --> 01:27:08,890
Do you know Paris well?
982
01:27:09,766 --> 01:27:12,269
[INT] Me? Yes, a little bit, yes.
983
01:27:13,145 --> 01:27:14,229
Where's this clinic?
984
01:27:14,771 --> 01:27:17,149
[JESS] The 15th arrondissement.
985
01:27:21,528 --> 01:27:24,781
[INT] It was shot in a 15th
century building?
986
01:27:25,323 --> 01:27:29,870
[JESS] No, I mean the 15th
“arrondissement,” the 15th district.
987
01:27:32,748 --> 01:27:37,544
That's both popular and residential.
988
01:27:38,128 --> 01:27:42,090
In general, it's a rather
elegant neighborhood.
989
01:27:44,342 --> 01:27:45,594
The clinic was there.
990
01:27:46,720 --> 01:27:48,472
It was not successful
991
01:27:48,513 --> 01:27:50,098
so it closed.
992
01:28:08,700 --> 01:28:10,410
[LINA] That is pure Jess Franco.
993
01:28:13,789 --> 01:28:14,915
Jumping scenes.
994
01:28:19,503 --> 01:28:23,215
[INT] Was it difficult to create
these special effects?
995
01:28:23,423 --> 01:28:29,679
[JESS] Yes, very difficult. It took us
an entire day to prepare this.
996
01:28:31,807 --> 01:28:35,268
Of course, it's an important
sequence in the film.
997
01:29:02,671 --> 01:29:04,256
[INT] Look at that!
998
01:29:04,756 --> 01:29:07,801
[JESS] I love these moments, don't you?
999
01:29:10,136 --> 01:29:11,179
[LINA] Ah, yes.
1000
01:29:13,390 --> 01:29:19,396
[JESS] This was when Musumarra,
the Italian composer, fainted.
1001
01:29:19,479 --> 01:29:21,022
He was gone.
1002
01:29:40,500 --> 01:29:41,877
I love this image very much.
1003
01:29:47,340 --> 01:29:49,301
[INT] It's a very strong image.
1004
01:30:06,109 --> 01:30:12,699
But it's not possible. The
victim's lips wouldn't survive.
1005
01:31:20,892 --> 01:31:26,272
With all the gore scenes,
isn't this rather timid?
1006
01:31:32,862 --> 01:31:38,493
[JESS] I don't like gore. I made,
more or less, two gore films.
1007
01:31:41,079 --> 01:31:44,040
And I tried to have as little
gore as possible in them
1008
01:31:44,958 --> 01:31:49,045
because what good are very long scenes?
1009
01:31:51,756 --> 01:31:58,930
I think three minutes of gore in a
Hitchcock movie, such as Psycho,
1010
01:32:00,223 --> 01:32:04,686
are much stronger than
a twenty-minute gore scene.
1011
01:32:17,574 --> 01:32:21,036
As a matter of fact, I think
people make gore films because
1012
01:32:21,286 --> 01:32:27,333
there is a young audience
that likes to make fun of them.
1013
01:32:27,667 --> 01:32:32,422
They laugh as they watch the
guts and all those tricks.
1014
01:32:32,672 --> 01:32:38,845
I think it's total hogwash, it's
fake, but they like it, they laugh
1015
01:32:38,928 --> 01:32:42,891
they applaud, and all of that.
1016
01:32:44,225 --> 01:32:47,187
But I don't think this is cinema.
1017
01:32:47,854 --> 01:32:49,856
I think it's butchery.
1018
01:33:26,559 --> 01:33:30,438
[INT] For Brigitte, it was
also a showcase
1019
01:33:30,897 --> 01:33:39,447
because she is wearing
different clothes in each scene.
1020
01:33:39,739 --> 01:33:40,532
[JESS] Yes.
1021
01:33:40,949 --> 01:33:46,538
[INT] Either a skirt or something else,
she is a very glamorous nurse.
1022
01:33:47,122 --> 01:33:47,997
[JESS] Yes.
1023
01:34:09,144 --> 01:34:11,396
An homage to Edgar Allan Poe.
1024
01:34:26,327 --> 01:34:28,705
[INT] Yes, the black cat, right?
1025
01:34:28,705 --> 01:34:32,500
[JESS] This is where René and
I had the biggest discussion
1026
01:34:33,501 --> 01:34:38,173
because he wanted a happy ending
1027
01:34:38,965 --> 01:34:40,884
rescuing the girl.
1028
01:34:41,593 --> 01:34:44,470
And I refused. I said no.
1029
01:34:44,637 --> 01:34:49,434
Leave it open so it's not clear
whether he reaches her in time.
1030
01:34:52,187 --> 01:34:57,275
Because, I find it is more
of today's aesthetics
1031
01:34:57,901 --> 01:35:00,862
not knowing if she is
going to live or die.
1032
01:35:05,617 --> 01:35:08,036
[INT] You didn't want a happy ending?
1033
01:35:08,244 --> 01:35:14,042
So was the ending of this
film, the finale, your choice?
1034
01:35:14,250 --> 01:35:17,712
[JESS] Yes, yes. Totally.
1035
01:35:19,255 --> 01:35:22,091
René would have
preferred a happy ending.
1036
01:35:22,675 --> 01:35:25,220
[INT] What was the
happy ending?
1037
01:35:25,511 --> 01:35:26,554
[JESS] The happy end?
1038
01:35:26,679 --> 01:35:30,516
[INT] What is the original
ending of this film?
1039
01:35:30,725 --> 01:35:32,727
[JESS] The film has
a happy ending.
1040
01:35:32,936 --> 01:35:36,814
[INT] In the René Chateau-Fred
Castle story,
1041
01:35:36,814 --> 01:35:39,108
the original treatment.
1042
01:35:39,234 --> 01:35:41,694
What Is the original happy ending
that has been removed from the film?
1043
01:35:44,530 --> 01:35:49,619
[JESS Telly Savalas arrives in
time to save the couple,
1044
01:35:49,619 --> 01:35:51,412
and the girl is freed.
1045
01:35:52,789 --> 01:35:55,750
But I much preferred not to know.
1046
01:35:57,377 --> 01:35:59,379
[INT] Yes.
t's more ambiguous.
1047
01:36:00,004 --> 01:36:05,009
[JESS] Ambiguous, yes. Yes.
It's much closer to real life.
1048
01:36:06,135 --> 01:36:08,054
Those guys are super happy
1049
01:36:09,472 --> 01:36:12,934
and the others are
croaking in the basement.
1050
01:36:13,101 --> 01:36:16,646
And we see Telly Savalas
board the plane and
1051
01:36:17,272 --> 01:36:20,358
he'll try to save them.
1052
01:36:22,235 --> 01:36:26,614
If he'll make it or
not in the next film.
1053
01:36:43,381 --> 01:36:47,051
Telly is the kind of actor I
love because he does nothing.
1054
01:36:48,219 --> 01:36:53,391
I find that having it all
inside of you, is everything.
1055
01:36:53,725 --> 01:36:55,018
He is magnificent.
1056
01:36:58,438 --> 01:37:01,566
The bastard looks great.
1057
01:37:12,618 --> 01:37:18,458
He has great manners, Telly
Savalas, a great actor.
1058
01:37:19,584 --> 01:37:22,420
I was very glad of having
made this film with him.
1059
01:37:22,628 --> 01:37:24,130
He was very tall.
He's dead now.
1060
01:37:24,589 --> 01:37:27,633
Now that I think of it, there's
quite a few people who have passed on
1061
01:37:27,675 --> 01:37:28,968
since we made the film.
1062
01:37:29,677 --> 01:37:32,722
There was Telly Savalas,
and Anton Diff ring.
1063
01:37:35,016 --> 01:37:39,771
[INT] Thank you very much,
Jess. Thank you very much, Lina
1064
01:37:40,104 --> 01:37:42,648
for your assistance and your commentary.
1065
01:37:42,940 --> 01:37:44,442
[JESS] You are welcome.
1066
01:37:44,525 --> 01:37:48,071
It was a pleasure to talk
about the film with you.
1067
01:37:50,573 --> 01:38:00,583
In general, when we have these
sorts of meetings to see a film
1068
01:38:02,001 --> 01:38:06,714
and discuss it, most people
ask only dumb questions.
1069
01:38:08,549 --> 01:38:16,808
For example, “were you excited
while you were shooting?”
1070
01:38:17,475 --> 01:38:23,981
What do you mean, was I excited?
85473
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