Sid: Hello?

Dawn: Hey Sid!! Its Dawn!

Sid: How you doing?

Dawn: I'm doing good! How are you?

Sid: Excellent! Thank you.

Dawn: Thank you so much for the interview!

Sid: Yeahh, no problem!

Dawn: It's really cool talking to you! ..Okay, so you ready?

Sid: Yes.. *laughs*

Dawn: *laughs* Alright! Your prolific & extensive acting career already spanning over 40 years has spawned many memorable characters and devout fans - can you share with us some of your favourite characters to date?

Sid: Well, okay, let's start with the obvious, of Captain Spaulding in both House of 1000 Corpses and Devils Rejects, there's no way that I could ever deny that was just something memorable for me..

Dawn: Yeah.. I love that character..

Sid: Yeah.. at the same time, Spider Baby,

Dawn: I love that one too!

*laughs*

Sid: Because it was just an incredible experience, working with Lon Chaney, Jr., who I used to watch as a kid, The Wolf Man films and all that stuff, so that was extremely special. Also, my stint on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.. again playing *laughs* an illiterate redneck..

Dawn: I haven't seen that!

Sid: Ohh! Well, it was a series, it was a Norman Lear series, as a matter of fact.

Dawn: I wonder if you can find it on DVD?

Sid: You know, Ive been looking for it, and its just not there..

Dawn: Hard to find, yeah.

Sid: Yeah.. and Jason of Star Command, was special in that the way we worked was kind of unique, they decided to do the film during hiatus, which, no other productions were going on anywhere, so they got us dirt cheap, ok? Which is ok, but, we shot all 15 episodes in five weeks, and the way they were able to do that was that they had all 15 scripts already written, and it was like one huge script, so everything that we did in the control room and all 15 episodes were shot all at the same time, everything was done in the gangway, we shot it all at the same time, so it was crazy trying to keep up with what episode you were in and what was going on in that episode.

Dawn: So it was all broken up, like they would film a scene from one episode and then like another, or?

Sid: Yeah, yeah we would do scenes from all 15 episodes that took place on the one set, so that was cool.. I mean you're shooting out of sequence in a film or television all the time anyway, but then to have that sequence broken up into 15 episodes was totally crazy. But it was great, it was a great run!

Dawn: Cool! I’ve been a big fan since I saw you as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and The Devils Rejects. You were widely famous before that role, in fact my Dad is also a fan. So it would seem your fan base spans generations and genres. Do you feel that your role in these films has catapulted you to even greater fame?

Sid: Um, YAH! I would be stupid to say no.. what the House of 1000 Corpses and Devils Rejects did for my career, which I'd given up at that point, I mean I just told Hollywood to stuff it, but what it did for my career is undeniable.

Dawn: How did you end up working with Rob?

Sid: That was a deal where my agent called me and said, go to this office building and sign a letter of non-disclosure, and take the script home, and read it, and if you like the part, its yours.

Dawn: How did you feel when you first read it?

Sid: I loved it..

Dawn: *laughs* It's a great character!

Sid: Yeah! I thought I could have a lot of fun with it.. I had no idea in the world that it was gonna take off and be something that was..

Dawn: Have like a whole cult following..

Sid: Yeah! Its amazing, I'm so grateful.

Dawn: While on the topic of Captain Spaulding, what was it like working with Rob? How much artistic license did he give you on bringing your own take to the character?

Sid: Rob is a great guy to work with, because he's very easy going, he knows what it is that he wants, he knows how to relate it to you, so the working process is not like work at all. In terms of giving me latitude, he gave me a lot of latitude in House of 1000 Corpses, but when I read The Devils Rejects, there was very little of it that I wanted to mess around with, you know? I just thought it was right on, right from the beginning and I didn't want to fool with it.

Dawn: Well, do you think that since you had the artistic license to develop the character in the first film, probably when he made the second film, he maybe based the character more around how you played the character?

Sid: Yeah, yeah.. in the humorous aspects of it, like the scene with Ginger Lynn, and the lady that I woke up to..

*laughs*

Sid: Yeah, it was pretty much based on that, but then I liked the realism of the character that he created..

Dawn: Yeah! You know, I really loved the first film, and I couldn't even picture that the second one would be even better than the first one, you know, I was hoping it would be as good, and I was really excited about it.. but it blew the first one away and I LOVE the first one, but the second one was just like .. it was - totally amazing.. I loved it!

Sid: Yep, yeah I did too..

Dawn: So like, this isn't planned.. *laughs* but Rob's been making mention of maybe doing a third film?

Sid: There was something in a blog on his myspace that said.. that asked people if they wanted a third film.. well gee! that's kind of a no-brainer, because we're all the time being asked that..

*laughs*

Dawn: I know, its like please! please! *laughs*

Sid: And, we took our cue from Rob, and we're telling people, that you know, that's over, we're dead.. and, if there is a third one it might be a prequel, and people are not ready for that, because if there is a prequel it more than likely will not include Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon, and me.

Dawn: Which yeah, I'm like, you know, a prequel or a sequel is fine, but I want the same characters!! You know? I want the same people playing the characters, because everyone is so attached to them! Like, I posted on that [blog], I'm like you know, I keep watching the last scene in that movie trying to figure out, is there anyway they could have lived through that? *laughs* I'm like please, let there be a way they could have lived through that!! Trying to figure out did any of the gunshots go into any vital organs or whatever.. *laughs*

Sid: Well I took two shots to the head so..

Dawn: Oh gee! *laughs* So unless its like a dream sequence.. which everyone is hoping for!

*laughs*

Sid: Yeah! Right!

Dawn: I’m really excited about seeing Night of the Living Dead 3D, I've never seen a 3D movie in theaters before, so this will be the first one I’ve seen - what was it like acting in a 3D film?

Sid: No different than anything else, you know.. the change all takes place inside the camera, with two lenses and stuff like that.. but in terms of making the film, we just made a film.. its just like anything else. The thing that I think is cool, is that as much as the zombie theme has been played out, ok, good zombie films.. bad zombie films..

Dawn: Mmhmm, and a lot of bad ones!! And Im a huge zombie fan, you know, I rent like everything that comes out, I go see everything that comes out with zombies, and so much of it is not very good, but I always have hope they'll make a good one! *laughs*

Sid: Yeah, so this is interesting in that it explains a lot of.. let's put it this way, it gives conjectures as to how the zombie phenomenon takes place.. which really hasn't been explained that much in any of the zombie films, here they are, you know, we've gotta deal with them now. So it's really interesting in that aspect.

Dawn: Zombies in 3D that's SO cool!

Sid: Yeah! And the thing is they don't overuse the 3D technology, it just enhances the look of the film, because what you have now, now the film becomes three dimensional, but very few times do things leap out at you or anything like that, so when it does happen it really does spook you..

*laughs*

Dawn: Right! Too cool!! So what is your opinion of the zombie movie genre as a whole? Do you consider yourself a zombie fan?

Sid: I don't really consider myself a fan of anything, I just like good films. If they're good horror films, then great, if they're good dramas, I'll even watch a good chick flick..

*laughs*

Dawn: Yeah!

Sid: I just like good work, and I mean, everybody has gotta give props to Romero, because he devised the whole thing.. you know, Im sure there are times when he said, god I wish I hadn't done that, of all of the, you know really crappy ones..

*laughs*

Dawn: Right!

Sid: But, yeah zombie films are cool, and then people start playing with the thing with fast zombies, and slow zombies..

Dawn: Yeah, what do you think about that? Like running zombies and stuff?

Sid: I like to remain true to the original.. you know?

Dawn: Yeah, I'm like that too!

Sid: Now, if they were able to explain why there were some fast zombies and some slow zombies..

Dawn: It would make more sense, yeah..

Sid: It would make much more sense, you know, if you're going to fool with it then have an explanation of what's happening, because an audience will really buy anything as long as you make it logical, you know, but I don't buy the fast zombies.

Dawn: So do you have a personal favourite zombie flick?

Sid: I like the original, because it was low-tech, it was grind-house, it was just cool.

Dawn: The first one? Yeah, me too.. I like grind-house! You know, I think that in the first one, where its so simple, that its almost creepier. Because it just looks real, you know, yeah its pretty cool.

Sid: Yeah, and a lot of stuff happens during the day, do you know why?

Dawn: No, why??

*laughs*

Sid: Because they didn't have the technology to shoot black and white at night, effectively. So, a lot of the stuff took place during the day, now if you relate that, you know, move that forward to The Devils Rejects, most of the really scary stuff happened during the day.

Dawn: Oh that's kind of cool, I didn't really think of that before..

Sid: Yeah! Because stuff like that is scarier when it's, you know, totally, completely visible.. you know what I mean? So I appreciate that.

Dawn: Yeahh.. that's cool! So what do you feel distinguishes NOTLD3D or sets it apart from the vision of the original?

Sid: The fact that the phenomenon is explained, it aids in the suspension of disbelief..

Dawn: mmhm, which makes it more real and then more creepy!

Sid: Yeah, you say oh geez, yeah I see how that could happen.. yeah. So, I think that is something that distinguishes it.

Dawn: So your character in the movie, Gerald Tovar, Jr., wasn’t in the original - what do you feel this character brings to the storyline?

Sid: He brings the explanation of how and why the whole thing happened, because, (I don't think I'm letting any cats out of the bag) .. because his character is responsible for the creation of the zombies..

Dawn: Yeah, right! You get that idea when you watch the preview and stuff!

Sid: Yeah, so now we get to see how it, you know..

Dawn: Yeah, instead of just like all these questions of how could it happen with the news broadcasts and stuff! Yeah, I'm already intrigued by your character, because its already really well-developed in the preview where we are introduced to him as the mortician responsible for the initial zombie epidemic - do you feel that the character would house guilt over his part in the zombie outbreak, and if so, how do you, as an actor, express that emotion, and work it into your acting process?

Sid: Wellll! There's a scene where he cops to it, ok.. and shows his remorse for not being able to do anything to prevent it from happening, so that was interesting for me to do, and then there's a twist that I'm not gonna tell you..

*laughs*

Dawn: Ohhh! *laughs* At the part in the preview where he's like.. I forget exactly how you say it, but something about how they just started getting up.. and stuff, that's cool! I'm like ohh that's creepy!

*laughs*

Sid: Yeah! .. "About two weeks ago, they all started moving, real slow at first, but then they kept coming.."

Dawn: Right, yeah! That part!! *laughs* I love that! I keep playing that part over, I'm like, that's so cool!! So I've read on the site, that your character is a “pyrophobic mortician”. I'm assuming this is prefaced for a reason - what can you tell us about the affect this has on the storyline?

Sid: Hmm..

Dawn: Because they kind of make that really clear, but not, you know.. they mention it like that.

Sid: I think its really clear on purpose, and I don't know if I should make it clear..

Dawn: *laughs* I've been trying to take guesses, you know trying to imagine what affect this has.. *laughs*

Sid: A big affect, um, that's all I'll say!

*laughs*

Dawn: In House of the Dead 2, which I only watched because you were in it by the way!! Because, you know, house of the dead 1.. *laughs*.. but House of the Dead 2 was much better! There was a scene where you had been turned into a zombie, and it was really cool! I wish it had been longer - can we look forward to seeing you as a zombie in NOTLD3D?

Sid: No.. and you can't look forward to seeing me as a zombie in House of the Dead 3..

Dawn: Oh yeah?

Sid: You cannot..

Dawn: Oh you can't! Oh bummer!

Sid: No, because that was a cheesy attempt at trying to get me to come back, you know that scene right after all the credits play, you get that close up of me looking around for fresh meat or whatever, uh uh

*laughs*

Dawn: Setting up part three, huh? Or an attempt anyway.. *laughs*

Sid: Yeah, that wasn't in the script..

Dawn: That was such a cool scene though, it was like Sid as a zombie!! Yeah!

Sid: Yeah that was cool, because it was the first time that I had ever had make-up applied with airbrush, and all of the veins and everything they airbrushed in, yeah it was cool.

Dawn: Oh wow! That's cool! So what do you think would be the driving force behind zombies? What core urges do you think would motivate their reanimation?

Sid: The thing that's been keeping them going for all these years, fresh meat, you know? In Land of the Dead, you got the idea that they remembered a part of their past, and they had glimpses of intelligence, and stuff like that. I don't know if that's gonna play past Land of the Dead.. it could, if Romero decides to, you know, put a logical explanation behind it.

Dawn: Right, back to the logical explanation that makes it all real.. So Sid, if you were turned into a zombie, do you think you would have a preference for eating more males or females?

Sid: Oh, you know I love the ladies!

*laughs*

Dawn: Yeah, I had to throw that one in there! *laughs*

Sid: Guys are too tough, too grisly..

Dawn: Yeah, more tender meat, right?

Sid: Oh yeah!

*laughs*

Dawn: Most people are acquainted with George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Based upon your feelings about the original, how did this affect your response upon receiving the script?

Sid: I don't think it had any response.. I take projects for what they are, and when I saw the.. here's the word again, the logic, behind the storyline, and the way it all came about I decided that was something I wanted to do..

Dawn: Yeah.. you're like yeah this is a tight story! Cool! So did your feelings evolve after reading it?

Sid: Yeah, I just kind of resonated to where the whole storyline was going, you know.. and plus the fact there are sections of the film that are very funny, and I think that is the best way to create good horror, good drama, is to make people laugh and then all of a sudden you hit them with whatever you were going to hit them with..

Dawn: Yeah, cuz it puts you at ease, then you're like WHAM! Cool! So I know you're working on a few other projects currently. Could you share with us what we have to look forward to next from THE inimitable Sid Haig?

Sid: Well, I have five projects in post right now, Night of the Living Dead 3D, which will probably come out in September..

Dawn: Wow! September, I'm SO there!

Sid: Let's see, what have I done.. The Little Big Top, a film called Razor..

Dawn: What's that about?

Sid: Razor is about this group of people called "The Puritans", who use wild dogs to ferret out the evil in people, and the dogs basically kill them and prepare them for forgiveness from God.

Dawn: Oh wow! Neat!

Sid: Yeah! Little weird, little scary, and the dog in question is actually not a dog at all, but its a hyena, and shooting with the hyena the trainer almost got bit, the producers almost got bit, the director almost got bit.. it was like really scary working with that animal! Thank god I didn't have to work with him! Yeah! So there's those three, and a film called The Calling, which the name is going to be changed, they don't know what its going to be changed to..

Dawn: What's that about?

Sid: Its a supernatural kind of thing, with a ghost element to it, and a whacked out killer, and..

Dawn: I like ghost stories!!

Sid: Yeah, they're very cool, and in that I play a straight up Norman Rockwell dad, trying to save my family from evil stuff.. and I guess in another couple of weeks I'm supposed to be doing a film down in Mexico, and then when that's done I start preparing the film that I'm going to direct which is Bubba the Redneck Werewolf..

Dawn: Coolll!! That's the one I really wanna hear about!!

Sid: Yeah, that's gonna be great! I can't wait to get started on that.

Dawn: So how do you feel about making your feature film directorial debut?

Sid: I feel really good about it! I'm very confident about it, the production company of which I am a part is very supportive, they're pretty much giving me free rein on what it is that I want to do with it, and so when you dont have a lot of restrictions placed on you, you get a chance to free up and just be as creative as you can, so Im really, really looking forward to getting started on it! And the publicity on it has already gone totally whack, there was a website that was taking votes on the most anticipated werewolf films, and we were in third place, and we haven't even started pre-production yet.

Dawn: Yeah! I can't wait to see it! That's like another kind of genre where there's not really all that much, and some of its good, some of its not, its kind of like the whole zombie thing.

Sid: Right, right. Oh! and then there's the Brotherhood of Blood, in which I play a vampire..

Dawn: Vampire!! Yeah I've seen some stuff about that lately! I love vampires too! I saw the picture that Suzie put up of you as a vamp, that was so cool!

Sid: So yeah, that's exciting, and Bubba the Redneck Werewolf has got not only Bubba, but has a vampire in it as well..

Dawn: Oh cool!! So you play the lead character in that too? So what was it like directing AND playing the lead character?

Sid: Yep! Well, I haven't even started yet..

Dawn: Oh yeah, well duh!! *laughs* I'm jumping ahead.. I'm so excited about it!

*laughs*

Sid: Yeah! Me too..

Dawn: I always enjoy talking with both you and your press agent and fiance Suzie.. she's so sweet!! She's like so cool.

Sid: Yes she is..

Dawn: Yeah! And I'm always impressed with the way you treat your fans, the active role you take in interacting with them one on one, even offering advice to other actors starting out. It’s great to see two creative people together, supporting each others interests. How did you guys meet?

Sid: Well, we met over the internet actually..

Dawn: Really? Too cool!

Sid: She posted something that I felt she was being a little too hard on herself, so I wrote back to her and told her so, and she wrote back to me, and we started back and forth.. and then on January 10th, about two and a half years ago, as of like two days ago, we met for the first time.. and when she walked into the room at the Chiller Theater Convention, I knew that was it!

Dawn: Oh wow!! Cool! So the rest is history..

Sid: Yep!

*laughs*

Dawn: Yeah, she's really, really sweet.. I'm like the two of you together are just like SO amazing.

Sid: Well, you know, we just.. the thing about interacting with fans and stuff, I get that without them, I really don't have anything. Ok.. because, the fans are the ones that plop down the nine or ten bucks, whatever it costs to get into the movie theater, they buy the popcorn, they buy the coke, they buy the t-shirts, the posters, the pictures, etc.. everything comes from them, and so for me to not spend time with people is really kind of stupid, because they extend themselves to me and so I just feel obligated to extend myself back.

Zombie and Zombiefans.com would like to thank the Diamond Diva Princess for getting this interview and most of all we would like to thank Sid Haig for being the amazing actor that he is, and for taking the time from his busy schedule to grant us this interview. Join Zombie in his forum and let us know what you think!