Exclusive: Odd Couple Doug Jones and Kane Hodder Discuss Love in the Time of Monsters
Two of the most beloved icons in the horror/sci-fi genres are Kane Hodder and Doug Jones. And with the insane number of movie credits under their belts, they’ve surprisingly never worked together before. The duo recently sat down with Dread Central to talk about their first collaboration, Love in the Time of Monsters.
Love in the Time of Monsters hits VOD and DVD on February 17. The film was directed by Matt Jackson and written by Michael Skvarla. The movie also features Mike McShane, former Miss Universe Shawn Weatherly, Gena Shaw, and Hugo Armstrong. Jones and Hodder gave us the skinny on this upcoming horror/comedy.
Hodder dished on his role. “I play a guy that is the head of all the actors that pretend to be Bigfoot,” Hodder said. “I train them and wrangle them. It’s actually a really fun part, and everybody let me have free rein with the character to make him more interesting. I had a great time. Unfortunately, I had to cut down on the amount of time that I was available because we had been scheduled to start Hatchet 3. I had to say I’m only available for x-number of days because Hatchet 3 was supposed to start. So they scheduled it, and right at the end of shooting, we found out Hatchet 3 was pushed out a bit. So I’m kinda disappointed that I didn’t have more time to work on Love in the Time of Monsters because I think it’s a really good movie. It’s really well done, it’s a different kind of story, and some of the performers in it are just amazing.”
Being the two veterans in the cast, Jones and Hodder raved about some of their young counterparts and how they performed in Love in the Time of Monsters. “It’s a great cast of young, pretty people and a couple older, seasoned folks like myself and Kane,” Jones said. “Former Miss Universe Shawn Weatherly appears, as does comedian Mike McShane.”
Jones also commented on a notable performance by actress Gena Shaw. “She is a total movie star,” Jones said. “She is a screen presence that we’re going to be dealing with for years to come. She reminds me of a young Jamie Gertz, who I recently worked with on ‘The Neighbors.'”
Hodder enjoyed working with the cast as well but found himself impressed by another performance. “To me, Doug was kind of a surprise,” Hodder said. “Just for me, because I haven’t seen him, just like some people say about me, ‘I didn’t realize you could actually act because we’re used to seeing you in make-up.’ And that’s the same thing with Doug from the things I’ve seen him in. And he was really very funny. Very, very good.”
In addition to working with Doug Jones for the first time, Hodder also got to enlist the help of one of his longtime partners. “What was fun was that I was able to get my buddy Rick McCallum on set as stunt coordinator,” Hodder said. “We’ve done many, many movies together and work really well together. We’ve been working together since Lone Wolf McQuade back in 1982. He and I were the ones who founded the Hollywood Ghost Hunters group. It was good that he was on it because of the limited number of days that I thought I was available. He ended up having to shoot stuff as me. So, when it’s the zombie type of guy, it’s actually him, made up to look like me. And he’s the only person I let ever play a character that I play. In the first Hatchet movie, I had to play Victor’s father in a flashback, but Victor is in the same scene, so that was Rick in the Victor makeup. He’s the only guy I would let double me in these instances because he can mimic my moves.”
Jones went on to discuss the differences in performing in make-up as opposed to fully exposed as he is in Love in the Time of Monsters. “I enjoy any character in any movie, whether it’s heavily made up or more Dougie, more natural human being showing,” Jones said. “What interests me about a character is where he fits into the story. Is there something juicy to chew on in the relationship between him and other characters? All that actor-schmactor stuff. But, of course, just the sheer comfort of being a human being on set, having my own hands and face exposed, being able to go to the craft services table to get a snack for myself if I want. I don’t need help walking to the set from my makeup trailer. When I’m in a full, heavy prosthetic makeup, I become something of a nursing home patient. I can’t see very well, can’t hear very well, can’t walk very well; and yet, I usually have to have superhuman strength with those characters.”
Jones continued, “What comes with a human character, when you’re used to wearing masks, it’s a little bit more exposing, it might be a little bit more vulnerable feeling… If I flop on this role, it’s my face doing so, so that’s a little scarier. But also, when you’re dealing with comedy, as this is, I get to explore the world of subtlety; whereas, in big creature makeup you usually have to push through a couple layers of foam latex rubber, and subtleties aren’t always read. But in something like this, where you get to play the quirks that live behind the eyes, that’s a fun plus for me.”
The Great Northwest provides a beautiful backdrop for Love in the Time of Monsters, and the glorious surroundings were not lost on Hodder. “It was great,” Hodder said. “The location was fantastic up in Oregon. It’s just an amazing place to be shooting and the first time I’ve ever done a movie up in that area, so it was very cool. And the people, all of the people, all of the production, all just a pleasure to work with, and I was very happy with the performances, too.”
Since he started his career as a stuntman before becoming a horror icon years ago, an unexpected wrinkle has recently arisen in Kane Hodder’s career, comedy. With comedic performances in Adam Green’s “Holliston” series and John Schneider’s Smothered, Hodder has seen new opportunities arise for him. “It’s basically the fact that people have seen me do something different and said, ‘Wow, that’s a side I didn’t expect,'” Hodder said. “Each time I do one of these things, especially the comedic things, it just adds to the different roles that people will think about me for. And it’s all because of Adam [Green] because he let me do my first fun, comedic role on “Holliston” and that started everything. Other directors like Mike Pfeiffer and Richard Freidman before that gave me dramatic roles, which expanded everything. Then Adam let me start doing some comedy, and now a lot of the things I’m offered are fun, comedic roles, and I love it. I would have to say that I didn’t really ever expect it, but I’m very happy to be in the position. And – and you can quote me on this – I’m a fucking funny motherfucker, and if you don’t think so, I’ll fucking kill you.”
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