Street recently met up with actor Paul Walker and director Wayne Kramer to interview them roundtable style about their new movie, Running Scared.
Street: The film, Running Scared, is quite violent. What made you choose that path, especially with the juxtaposition of the Grimm fairy tale kind of aspect?
Wayne Kramer: I think violence should be depicted as ugly and gruesome, not this sort of watered down PG-13 stuff you see in most theaters today. Too often it's fake when someone shoots someone and there's no blood, no one screams, no body gets hurt. I'd rather people see how gruesome it is. Also, when you start to see that in a film, you see that you're in the hands of a maniac film maker and it could go anywhere. It's a dark world, a dark tale. Grimm's fairy tales are very violent and horrific. Also the subtext of some of these films imply child molestation and just freaky stuff, etc.
Street: Paul, you usually play the typical, golden boy razzle-dazzle role so it was nice to see you display your acting skills and talent. How was it for you? Was this role something you were looking for?
Paul Walker: It was definitely something I was looking for. This character is more me, I mean the other stuff that I've done was just because of the way I look. I mean I've lived my whole life living with a chip on my shoulder because people always called me a "pretty boy" so I feel like I got something to prove. I'm tan and blonde -- it is what it is. I mean I'm glad for it because it is what got my foot in the door but I'm especially glad to get other opportunities. I'm dark [laughs]. I like to think that I'm a good person, but I definitely have a dark side that I try hard to suppress.
Street: What were your challenges for this movie?
PW: I think the real challenge of this was not going home in character. My girlfriend came out intending to stay two weeks there. She stayed four days. I was coming home as Joey Gazelle Walker's character in Running Scared. [Turns to Wayne Kramer] What was the most challenging thing for you?
WK: Physically to make the movie. We shot most of the movie in Prague so dealing with the language barrier was difficult. I remember describing in the script one of the gunfights with the door exploding into toothpicks. And then for the "Show and Tell" for the props in Prague they literally brought toothpicks.
Street: I was going to ask you about the dialogue of the script. Do you think people in the east really talk like that? You know, "Fuck this, fuck that, etc."
PW: I mean it depends what circles you're running with.
WK: When you see a TV one-hour drama about the military, and there's no profanity -- it's just not realistic. When you bang your thumb, or kick your toe the first thing that comes out of your mouth is probably, "Fuck!" Not like, "Darn."
Street: What was it like working on such an intense and violent film when you have two kids on the cast?
PW: We tried to keep things on the set loose, threw a football around.
WK: You try to pick very mature kids who have a grasp on what the material is. First you start walking on eggshells with the content. Also I think it was a thrilling thing for Cameron [Bright, who plays Oleg Yugorsky] to work with the Fast and the Furious guy.
Street: Are you expecting any controversy with this film?
WK: I am, but I'm sure it's going to come down to the product. You know, it's just a movie. Get over it.
Running Scared is opening in Philadelphia tomorrow.
