I would say that the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ remake was maybe too aesthetic, too kind of a Levi’s commercial. I mean, the truth is the original ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is a masterpiece and it was very, very hard to remake.
I think that’s the difference. There are some that can be improved or updated, and there are some others remakes of just amazing movies. I mean, if someday someone tries to make a remake of ‘Deliverance,’ I will kill him because it’s a perfect movie. I think there’s a difference because these kinds of films. When they did ‘The Hills Have Eyes,’ they did it for $300,000 and they were happy with the movie at the center but they were like, ‘You know, maybe we can improve it. Maybe we can go even further into the fear. We can go further into violence.’ That’s why we are here today to try to do that.”
An Even More Violent “The Hills Have Eyes” and Getting Wes Craven’s Approval: “Yes, it will be more violent. We’re working together and he’s really helping out. It’s great to make this movie with him.”
American Audiences Love of Horror Movies: “That’s a big mystery for me. I can’t understand that because I’m like that. I’m living with horror movies, I grew up watching horror movies, and I was breastfed by horror movies and I love this kind of film. I can’t understand it. I don’t understand why there is so big a difference between France and the U.S. In the U.S there are so many people who love this kind of film. In France, it is so very hard. We are only maybe only just a few. It’s a big difference and I’m very happy about that because right now I’m able to make movies, the movies that I want.
It was very hard to make ‘High Tension’ in France. It was a very hard process. You know, years ago I was saying that maybe it was going to change and the audience is going to be more reactive and more like supportive of this kind of film. But that’s not the case. Even a movie like the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ remake, which was a big success in the US, was not a big success in France. It’s working a lot in video but not in theatres.”
Alexandre Aja on Casting Cecile de France: “I mean, Cecile de France who plays Marie, she brings everything. She was so great. She is the best French actress right now. Writing this character was exciting because when you are dealing with a female character, you can play with everything. You can play with the cliché. You can play with the cliché of the shy and then you can play with the opposite when the character revealed this strength and became like kind of a warrior, like Sigourney Weaver in ‘Alien.’ It’s very, very interesting and what I like is playing with contrast and playing with the character of Marie. And to have Cecile de France to play her was exactly the best contrast because Cecile can do everything. She can play everything. She’s so great.”
