Interviews and Commentary
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Interviews and Commentary Ron Perlman on"GOOD DAY NEW YORK," March 22, 1994 Interview by Cheryl Washington Transcribed by Pat Paone Washington: Ron Perlman is perhaps best known as the Beast with a heart in the TV series "Beaty and the Beast." Well, now he's done several films since then, and stage productions too. His latest film is called "Cronos," and he joins us now to tell us all about that production. Washington: (Turning to Ron) Thank you so much for coming to "Good Day New York." It's really good to see you. I know you just got off the plane. Perlman: That's right. Washington: So you're feeling a little tired, yes? Perlman: Yeah. Washington: Just a tad. Perlman: The old joke - I just flew in and my arms are very tired. Washington: So I guess you didn't get a chance to see the Oscars last night since you were in flight. Perlman: Ah, well because I started off in LA and because they are on at six p.m., I got a chance to see a good portion of them, and the limo had a TV in it on my way to the airport, so I got to see a little bit more of it. Then I had a ticket agent at American Airlines - - can I say that on the air? I guess so. Washington: You just did. It's all right. Perlman: That filled me in on best picture, so I pretty much was up to speed. I was able to sleep on the plane, you know, knowing that the western world was safe. Washington: Absolutely! Now your new film, "Cronos" is pretty much up to speed, I must say. I saw it over the weekend. Very enjoyable. Why don't you tell us a little bit about the film and its message. Perlman: Okay. "Cronos" is the first work of a Mexican director named Guillermo del Toro. I don't really know how I got involved in the film other than the fact that del Toro was a premiere, special effects makeup artist in Mexico, before becoming a director, and since special effects makeup is a club to which I am a charter member, he knew more about me than I knew about him. He sent me a copy of the script. It was incredibly interesting in terms of most scripts that you read are driven by story or character. This was heavy on story, but more heavy on imagery than anything that I'd ever read in the recent past, and that always makes for more interesting films than it does for interesting reading. I subsequently met del Toro. We had a one hour dinner where he talked about his visual sort of - vision of the way this film would be realised and I just knew, after spending some time with him, that he was capable of real cutting-edge film making. Washington: Capable indeed! I mean, my heavens, it's already won the 1993 International Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and it's picked up nine Ariels, which is the Mexican equivalent to the Oscars. Why don't we take a look at you in action in the film "Cronos." [turns to camera] Ron Perlman. [A clip from "Cronos" is shown] Washington: Ron, interestingly enough, you're the only American in this Spanish-orientated film. Perlman: Right. Washington: Why do you think that they selected you? Perlman: I don't really know. Washington: Besides the fact that you're so good for it. Perlman: Well, thank you. Thank you. Well, I don't know. I think that - - the film takes place in 1996 and del Toro had a sort of shrewd - sort of vision three or four years ago when he was writing this thing, that NAFTA was going to become a reality. So he, sort of subtitles this the first Post-NAFTA Mexican Film and chose to have a lot of foreign influences as part of the fabric of the society at this particular time and place. So, to have an American, sort of, you know, peripherally involved in this action, in a sort of unsavoury way was, you know… I won't interpret that, but … [Smiles] Washington: You are going to star in another foreign film, as we begin to wrap, "The City of Lost Children", which is going to be filmed in Paris. Perlman: Right. Washington: And you're also doing "Fluke" for MGM. Perlman: Right. Washington: You've got a full plate. Perlman: Got to keep it that way. Baby needs a new pair of shoes. [Laughs] Washington: [Also laughing] Well, in that case, keep on working. We want to thank you so much, Ron, for coming on the show. Perlman: Pleasure. Washington: Good to see you again. [They shake hands] Perlman: Good seeing you. Washington: The name of the movie is, once again, "Cronos" and it opens March 30 right here in New York. Thanks Ron Perlman for coming to "Good Day New York." Perlman: Thanks for having me. CRONOS (1993) Compiled by Pat Paone In an interview with Caroline Vie for Fangor, #132, Guillermo del Toro explains that he began directing when he was eight years old, using a Super- 8 camera to create his own monster movies. "My first film was made with some Planet of the Apes action figures and a lot of ketchup," he recalls. "For something that was made by an eight year old kid, I guess it was an OK movie. Unfortunately, I burned the print by showing it too many times." Del Toro went on to direct several 16mm shorts before applying for Dick Smith's Advanced Makeup Course so that he could learn more about the special FX he loved so much. He formed his own company called Necropia which quickly became very popular in Mexico. Del Toro then branched out into writing and directing episodes of a TV horror anthology called Hora Marcada which was considered to be the Mexican Twilight Zone. By 1985 del Toro was anxious to do a horror feature film and the first ideas for Cronos were born. It took him two years to write the script and then came the problems of financing the movie which was eventually done with the help of producer Bertha Navarro. "After going through a lot of degradation and suffering, I finally put the money together," del Toro says. "My family were very supportive, and my wife and father-in-law worked on the effects! Bertha was also very influential; she did a wonderful job getting the movie made and helping promote it when it was finished." Necropia was in charge of the special FX although del Toro himself didn't work in this area. "I knew I couldn't get involved in the effects," he points out. "I had to put all my energies into directing the movie. The shoot lasted eight weeks and a lot of that time was devoted to effects. The Necropia guys were really wonderful and did an enormous amount of work. Most of the time we only used one camera. We didn't have a lot of money, but we did have fun." Caroline Vie goes on to explain that the only technical aspect del Toro took charge of was the device itself; though he didn't design it, he did a great deal of sculpting work on its interior. Because of the lack of money and time, the crew wasn't able to do silicon impressions of the gears and were forced to make them from real metal. The resulting creation, though small on screen, was as big as a small car in real life - and just as heavy. Cronos is also a rather unique vampire movie in that it doesn't focus on sex. "I thought it would be interesting to have a vampire who's motivated purely by hunger," del Toro says. "I don't like the erotic approach to vampirism. As a horror fan I have this theory that all vampires are sexually dead, and I don't like the Casanova type of bloodsucker. The monster is the hero for me, and in that sense, he shouldn't be moved by a perversion but by a real physical need for blood. In fact I wanted a vampire that would be pitiful, in the same way that Terence Fisher's monsters were." Finding the right actors was also an important task for the young director. Fortunately Ron Perlman and veteran actor Federico Luppi were enthusiastic about the script and signed on quickly. "I fall in love with my actors, and that's why they like me, " del Toro says. "They appreciate that I take time for them. Ron Perlman loved the script, and I was so happy to work with him. He's the only actor who could play such a brutal character and infuse him with a soul." A joint interview with Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro at the Carnegie Deli by Gersh Kuntzman of the New York Post, March 30 1994, describes Perlman as del Toro's artistic doppelganger, adding that this is metaphorically speaking, as Perlman is lanky where del Toro is plump, and reserved where del Toro is impetuous. Kuntzman reports that in Cronos, Perlman plays Angel, a brawny underachiever who just wants a nose job. "The character is a tribute to what Ron plays best - the fragile monster," del Toro says. "He is great at playing enormous men who appear beastly, but are more human than the human characters.