Interview: Heather Drain

CAINE: As a film reviewer, you doubtless write about all kinds of movies. But what is your favorite type of film to review, and why?

DRAIN: My favorite kind of film to review is one that I get really excited about--if it's film with an intriguing idea, unique visual style, or even something as simple as homegrown enthusiasm. I think if someone creates a work of art with a lot of love and excitment, that is going to bleed through to the audience.

CAINE: You've reviewed a lot of horror films. What draws you to this genre?

DRAIN: I've always had a natural bent towards horror. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always drawn to movies, literature, art, and music that were in a darker vein.

As far as what in particular draws me to it with film, I think it is the emphasis on atmosphere, visuals, imagination, and even sound that wins me over again and again. Granted, your milage may vary on these qualities, since it is such an old and prolific genre. But generally speaking, I found this to be quite true.

CAINE:Who are your favorite film directors?

DRAIN: Definitely Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, John Waters, Werner Herzog, F.W. Murnau, Jim Sharman, David Schmoeller, George Romero, Paul Morrissey and many, many more that I'm shamefully forgetting.

CAINE:In your own personal movie library, which genre dominates your collection?

It's not a genre per se, but I would say 95% of my collection is Psychotronic. There's a lot of horror, weird musicals, B movies, art house fare, semi-obscure comedies, and flat out trash (and I use the word "trash" here with a lot of love and affection.)

CAINE:Name some actors who you feel are seriously underrated.

DRAIN: There are so many, but for me the ultimate is Klaus Kinski. He's infamous now for his off-set antics and extremely passionate, albeit volatile, personality. But the man was a seriously brilliant and extremely skilled actor. There are a handful of actors who can command the audience member's attention by sheer presence and he was one of them. He could take the flimsiest of roles and infuse so much life into them. Whether he's acting in legitmately great cinema like "Woyzeck" or D-movie schlock like "Creature," he was always a force to be reckoned with.

Another criminally underrated actor is Clu Gulager. It's a big injustice seeing true artists like this man get ignored by so called respectable entities like the Academy Awards while a lot of big name hacks get the money and fame. That said, he has done some great work and has always stuck to his guns. For a really good article on the man, check this out.

Some other great, underrated actors are Oliver Reed, Susan Tyrell, Brad Dourif, Gary Busey, Lance Henriksen, Joe Spinell, Linnea Quigley, Charles Rocket, Zoe Lund, Cliff DeYoung, Richard O'Brien, David Warner, and way too many more.

CAINE: What do you think is Hollywood's biggest downfall?

DRAIN: The two deadly sins of greed and sloth. Which has always been the case. It's important to realize that even the golden era was filled with a lot of corruption and sleaze, since I think a lot of folks are way too prone to nostalgia. That said, this current era of unnecessary remakes and bloated CGI affairs needs to end.

CAINE: Name some films with unique and interesting soundtracks.

DRAIN: "Suspiria," "The Beyond," "Tenebrae," "Dawn of the Dead" (1974), "Godzilla's Revenge," "Return of the Living Dead," "Danger Diabolik," "I Drink Your Blood," "Urgh! A Music War," "Nosferatu" (1979), "Martin", (a soundtrack I would kill to have a copy of), anything with an Ennio Morricone or Bruno Nicolai score, "Liquid Sky," "Cannibal Holocaust," and "Downtown 81."

CAINE: If you had a chance to select the lineup for a midnight movie double feature this weekend, what two films would we be watching?

DRAIN: Oooh, that's a tough one. Probably "The Beyond" with "Urgh! A Music War." Or "Tapeheads" with "Ladies & Gentlemen the Fabulous Stains." (Just so I can finally see all of the latter!)

CAINE: What do you think about underground film? Does it provide hope for the future, or is it merely exalting poor cinematic technique?

DRAIN: I think hope has and will always be seeded in the underground and independent film movement. Like any art movement, it is the young upstarts who rise up to start a new scene whenever things get really stagnant. Especially in the United States. With the indie scene becoming more and more assimilated into the mainstream by festivals like Sundance, the real underground is needed more than ever to keep things fresh and alive.

As for poor cinematic techniques, that can be seen in everything from the $5 bargain basement handicam flick to the $200 million Hollywood epic. In other words, you can't really polish a turd.

CAINE:What do other film reviewers do that drives you crazy?

DRAIN: Be pretentious. I absolutely loathe pretension and feel that it has zero place in the arts. Self congratulation is another. I actually read one review in a mainstream genre mag where the reviewer spent more time making bad jokes and patting himself on the back for them then actually talking about the movie itself. What's the point? Wanking is for the bedroom, not the printed page.

Anyone who's doing it who does not truly love film also drives me up the wall. If your heart is not into it, then why do it? I've often suspected that a lot of film critics secretly hate film and enjoy finding things to tear down. Which is the wrong approach for anything in life. If something is legitimately bad, then of course, mention it. But to look for cracks that aren't there is pretty silly, not to mention juvenile.

CAINE: Name three films that you love. Then name three films that you despise.

DRAIN: Love: 1) "Martin" 2) "The Forbidden Zone" 3) "Crawlspace"

Despise: 1) "Eyes Wide Shut" 2) "Amityville Horror" (remake) 3) "Dracula 2000".

CAINE: If you could be a movie monster, which monster would you be, and why?

DRAIN: That's a tie: First, Mothra, but only if I can replace the two Japanese princesses with Barnes & Barnes. Why Mothra? She is the most lovely and diplomatic of the Kaiju monsters. Plus giant moths = awesome.

Secondly, I'd be Dracula's Daughter just so I can have a theme song by Screaming Lord Sutch.

By the way, thank you so much for giving me the chance to do this great interview. It's been a sheer pleasure!!

CAINE: Thank you. See you at the grindhouse.