H13 : Johnny Riott – The Erotics
Written by Gaz E
Friday, 21 October 2011 04:00
Uber Rock loves The Erotics and, when I discovered that drummer Johnny Riott was a full-on horror nerd like myself, I knew that I had to get the skin basher to contribute to UR’s 13 Days Of Halloween….
…..and what great timing too as, this week, The Erotics have released a new song – taken from their forthcoming EP – on iTunes, the terrorifically-themed ‘Your Bloody Frankenstein’.
Read on as Johnny answers the notorious 13 questions, throwing out classic horror movie after classic horror movie – even his guilty pleasures are great…..
What are your most vivid childhood memories of Halloween?
Well, I can’t say I have any wicked or supernatural memories of Ouija boards flying across a room or raising the dead, really just the normal American suburban experiences of trick or treating and terrorizing younger kids with flour socks, eggs, and shaving cream. Although there was that one time my buddy and I tried to chase down a couple two egg throwing jackholes. They had a pretty good lead on us going downhill, so I launched a can of shaving cream and in a perfect arc clipped one of them right in the head, opening up a big gash on his skull. Naturally we broke off and disappeared. He had to get stitched up and his friends and parents came looking for us, but they never found us.
Why do you think that the worlds of horror and metal/punk have always been so closely linked?
I think it’s probably because their imagery and aesthetics are very similar. Both subcultures draw from the same sources for inspiration and reflect a primal interest in the darker side of life or the ‘anti-norm’, so it makes sense that people that are drawn to one would naturally be drawn to the other.
Last year I asked if remakes and rehashes were killing horror, now it seems to be the in-your-face turkey that is 3D – what are your thoughts on this money-grabbing gimmick that is souring cinemas and the state of current horror in general?
I really don’t like it. It’s not that it’s a gimmick to sell more tickets or charge extra money. Whatever, if you don’t want to pay more, then go to the 2D showing and pay a regular admission. The problem I have with it is the filmmakers themselves are more interested in shooting the movies to get the maximum number of extreme 3D scenes. So rather than shoot a scene that it is as effective as possible, they instead focus on pointing a harpoon or stick into everyone’s face. Yeah, ok, we get it, stuff pops off the screen. I’d rather they just shot the movie in a way that increases the overall visual experience, in a way that caters to the story. Do that, and then if you want to add the 3D for some extra depth, go ahead. A movie like Evil Dead 2 is a visual masterpiece. There’s no way it would have been the same movie if Raimi was more concerned with putting the chainsaw in everyone’s face, rather than creating a unique and influential visual experience.
Has there been a horror remake yet that has bettered the original movie?
I know I’m going to ruffle a few feathers with this one, but I thought Rob Zombie’s Halloween was FAR superior to John Carpenter’s. The original Halloween was one of the first slashers sure, but other than being a first I don’t think it was all that much better than any of the many others that came after it. I myself preferred the first two Friday the 13ths for the genre, they were much scarier, especially the end of the first one. To me, Rob’s movie was much more than just a remake; it was a more detailed retelling of the same story. It added more dimension, yet also maintained all the crucial elements that made the original important. It had all the classic benchmark kill scenes of the original, but the added back-story and twisted psychological aspects made it a much more interesting and eerie movie. It was great seeing the genesis of Michael Myers (the scene in the park where he kills the bully with the log: awesome). And, you know, that was one screwed up family, yet not so different then that one family in every town… I also preferred Malcolm MacDowell’s Dr Loomis a bit more then Donald Pleasance’s. I don’t
mean any disrespect to John Carpenter either, I love his movies as well and I think he is on the other side of the debate when it comes to his remake of The Thing. That is another instance of a remake far exceeding the original in scope and impact and it is, in fact, a classic of untouchable proportion.
What’s the greatest ever horror movie kill?
Oh man, how do you pick that? It’s like picking the greatest slice of pizza! Right now I’m on a bit of a ‘toykyo shock’ jag (films like Tokyo Gore Police and Machine Girl) and really dig the creative, completely over the top kill scenes. If I absolutely had to narrow it down to one, then I’d go with Captain Rhodes in the original Day Of The Dead (the remake is shit, btw). The character is such an unbelievable son of a bitch that his death is very satisfying and the grizzly aspect of being slowly pulled apart, along with the graphic details of tearing skin and muscle and spilling entrails make it a great kill. I even liked how he almost redeems himself as a human being with his ballsy “CHOKE ON IT!” screams as the zombies rip his flesh. Well, almost but not quite. It was still good to see him go.
Who is the baddest ever horror movie villain…and why?
Ok, another question with no clear-cut winner, there’s so many motherfuckers out there! I’m going to go with a new guy though. I think Dr Heiter from The Human Centipede is about as bad-assed as they come. His complete ambivalence and indifference for not only his victims, but humanity in general, just makes him absolutely chilling. His unflinching pursuit along with his icy malevolence put him on par with any non-human villain, but in a very real manifestation. He could easily move in next door to anyone, without raising a single suspicion, and start fucking shit up.
Who is the greatest ever Scream Queen?
Linnea Quigley is the first one that comes to mind and definitely one of the most prolific scream queens. She’s been in so many movies, including a personal fave Night Of The Demons. She’s been making horror movies forever and is still going strong, so I’d have to say her.
Name your Top 5 favourite horror movies of all time…and tell us why!!
Breaking the best down to just five is a near impossible task and I could just as easily swap one or two out, but here’s my list in no particular order:
Dawn Of The Dead (original) – A near perfect horror experience with lumbering panic, caustic social commentary, and gruesome, blood spurting kills! It is the unchallenged, definitive authority by which all other zombie movies should be measured against.
Evil Dead 2 – A classic through and through. Blood, mayhem, carnage: all delivered at an unrelenting breakneck pace. Bruce ‘Ash’ Campbell’s unwilling hero has you rooting for him all the way and Sam Raimi’s inventive and creative camera work makes this one a fun ride. Raimi created a style that has since been copied and used in countless other movies. Groovy.
Hostel – It just raised the bar for brutality. I can watch just about anything and nothing bothers me. This one actually made me wince, once. It set a new standard of gore, leading by example for other movies like the The Hills Have Eyes remake and Turistas that followed soon after.
Jaws – My all time favorite, regardless of genre. This movie has it all: great story, acting, characters, mood, and true terror. It taps directly into the base fear all animals have: being eaten alive. There is also no denying the movie’s impact on the industry itself, being the first major blockbuster, and on society in general, changing the way people everywhere view the ocean. I still look over my shoulder when at the beach, a direct result of this movie.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (original) – To this day I have never seen a movie that is as horrific and grim as this one. Its use of implied violence is so completely effective and its harrowing and sinister atmosphere just hangs on you. You can’t watch this one without feeling dirty and violated – and lucky it wasn’t you.
What underrated horror movie would you recommend to our readers just in case they have never seen it?
I’m not sure if it is underrated as much as unknown, but there is a movie called Feast from 2005 that I recently discovered. I wasn’t expecting much, figuring just another low-budget ‘Sci-Fi’ channel creature flick with bad CGI. Instead it was surprisingly good! It’s like a mix of From Dusk Till Dawn, Alien and Evil Dead 2, all rolled into one. The pacing is good and fast, the characters are entertaining, the monsters are nasty, the plot is unpredictable (in a good way), and the effects are well done. They do most of it the old fashion way with “real” fake blood and props, not over done CGI. As a bonus, Henry Rollins is part of the cast. I’d definitely recommend looking for it if you haven’t seen it.
What is your guilty pleasure, the trashy horror flick that you hold dear but everyone else runs away from?
I’ve got two: Terrorvision – Sure, it’s a bit goofy, has a ridiculous plot, and is over-acted to epic proportions, but it’s also a perfect B-movie! It’s got a ridiculous plot, over dramatic characters, is goofy as hell and also has aliens, monsters, swingers, cantankerous war vet grandfathers, pill popping metalheads, zany teenage girls, busty TV vixens, overzealous, gun toting, pre-teens that no-one listens to, and of course puddles of blood and ooze spewing from victim’s heads. Plus, the enemy is NOT neutralized in the end! Perfect!
Then there’s Prophecy – the one with the mutant bear, not Christopher Walken. When it came out it was panned big time, bombed at the box office, and is often classified as a turkey of a movie, but I think it’s been unjustly criticized. I thought it was scary as hell! I saw it when I was about 12 and it definitely scarred me, bad. I couldn’t go near the woods in the dark for years afterward. Plus, those baby monsters are some of the creepiest things ever!
What is the greatest ever horror movie poster?
I gotta go with Jaws. It does a great job of conveying the horror experienced in the movie and is a compelling advertisement to see the film, let alone an iconic image.
What ‘star’ of the music world would you like to see slaughtered in gory horror movie style? How and why?
Man, I’d love to see the notorious Rob Lane get a nice, vicious zombie bite taken right from the side of his neck. You know: the kind that just explodes in a bloody spray while they drop in a heap. Why Rob? Because A) he deserves to pay for his highly suspect musical taste (he knows what I mean…) and B) Rob would probably relish the chance to ride the whip and come back as a member of the undead. Naturally I mean just in film, Rob is great.
What are your plans for Halloween this year?
I’ll probably play it low key, maybe kick back and watch a bunch of films back to back that night. Although a couple days before I am doing double duty with both my bands, The Erotics and Ov Dust, for a big Halloween show, so that should be really cool.
[Photo kudos to Dino Petrocelli Photography]