H13: Chris Cavoretto – Werewolves In Siberia
Written by Gaz E
Tuesday, 21 October 2014 03:33
The next victim of Uber Rock’s 13 Days of Halloween is Chris Cavoretto of Werewolves In Siberia, purveyor of ’70s and ’80s horror-inspired synth rock. Werewolves In Siberia went Beyond the City of the Dead with its sophomore album release earlier this year – read on to find out what happens when the synth hits the fan…..
1.) What are your most vivid childhood memories of Halloween?
Halloween is two days after my birthday so I remember always having a Halloween-themed birthday party. Me and a group of friends would get all dressed up in our costumes and play video games. When I was really young, I remember having bobbing for apples going on and the water would get gross right away because everybody had paint on their faces. Most everybody stayed over. The time change happened that weekend (which, somehow got changed to the weekend after Halloween somewhere along the way), that gave us an extra hour to stay up. It was always a blast.
2.) Why do you think that the worlds of horror and metal/punk have always been so closely linked?
I think that the link is the dark imagery. For most, I think you see a few horror movies as a kid that really grab your attention and as you get older and see the imagery in punk or metal along with the aggressive sounds, it draws the horror fan in you to it. I think that was the way it worked for me. It was horror first but as I got more into metal and punk stuff, the more the horror interest grew. It’s also part of the punk and metal scenes that you want to find the more obscure stuff. That translates to the horror movies, too. If it hits all the major theaters, I’m not usually too interested in seeing it. I want the stuff with heart, not the shit some big budget production company wants to cram down your throat. Same with punk and metal.
3.) Has there been a horror remake yet that has bettered the original movie?
Unlike today, in the ’70s and ’80s, remakes of the old ’50s monster movies were actually pretty good. I think The Blob and Invasion of the Body Snatchers were at least as good as the originals. John Carpenter’s The Thing stands out as one that’s really above and beyond the original though.
4.) What’s the greatest ever horror movie kill?
The greatest kill, for me, is definitely Leatherface killing Franklin. It’s not because of its inventiveness. I mean, the Friday the 13th series had some of the most inventive kills of all time. The reason for my picking this is because up to that point in the movie, Franklin has done nothing except make you hate him. When Leatherface jumps out of the darkness and gets him, you feel like cheering. It’s like a huge sense of relief.
5.) Who is the baddest ever horror movie villain…and why?
For me, it’s probably Leatherface and maybe that whole Sawyer clan in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There wasn’t really any rhyme or reason for anything. When you give explanation for why someone is a killer, it makes them a little less scary. It gives away their weakness. These guys were just weirdo psychos that wanted to kill people, eat them and wear their faces. The sense that this could really happen helps drive them home as some of the baddest killers, too. Anytime I drive through a small town, they’re on my mind. I’m always looking for weirdo locals who might want to kill me. They’re scarier than Ed Gein was, in actuality. Throwing all the pieces of him into the whole family was brilliant and really made Leatherface and company truly terrifying.
6.) Who is the greatest ever Scream Queen?
Jamie Lee Curtis. She was awesome in all her early roles. Her screaming is pretty iconic, as well. There have been songs where you hear a sample of a scream and you’re like, “oh, that’s Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween. I totally remember that scene.” She was a good enough actress to go on to mainstream success but also wasn’t afraid to go back to horror here and there. She wasn’t the girl that didn’t have the acting chops so he took off her clothes to be one of the girls in a horror movie. She’s a horror icon.
Marilyn Burns from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a close second. She took a beating just making the movie. I really don’t know what else she was even in but she wanted to get hit when she was supposed to get hit because she wanted it to feel real. And it worked. She was awesome in the role of Sally Hardesty… and tough.
7.) Name your Top 5 favourite horror movies of all time…and tell us why!!
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is my all time favorite. Basically for the same reasons I mentioned above while talking about the movie. The overall feeling and tone is perfect. It’s not funny. It’s just intense. From the first time I saw it, it was immediately my favorite movie. That whole thing that it seems like it’s something that can happen and there’s no reason to it other than these people want to kill people really makes it great to me.
The other movies that round out my top five aren’t in any particular order. I’ll actually include five here because I really can’t choose which are better than the others.
Halloween – One of the things I mentioned earlier was that not having any real reason to all the killing is something that makes a horror movie scarier. In part 2, we learned that Michael Myers is Laurie’s brother, but in the first one, he kills his older sister then comes back to his hometown to kill again. Specifically, in his old house, but he obviously doesn’t have a problem killing anyone who might stand in his way, no matter where they are. It’s great! That blank Shatner face mask terrified me as a kid. I’d go to the video store and they had a big poster with his face on it. I was completely enthralled by it. It scared me but it also really made me want to see the movie. When I did, it wasn’t disappointing at all. Plus, the score… John Carpenter’s score is iconic on this one!
The Fog – Another John Carpenter masterpiece. I’ve always really liked fog. Every year when it gets to that time that it’s just constantly foggy out, I get excited about it. I know it’s a hazard to drive in it since you can’t see 15 feet ahead of you but I love to get out there in it. This movie is that feeling on film. Of course, something has to come with the fog in a horror movie and pirate ghosts are the perfect accompaniment. The glow of the fog, itself, has always been a highlight to the story as well. It’s something that can easily come off as hokie, but it all works because John Carpenter is amazing. Once again, his score is also top notch. It’s not quite as well-known as the one from Halloween, but it’s my favorite.
Night of the Living Dead – This is what made zombies the iconic horror figured they are today. It was the first of its kind and really set the bar high for anyone to make something to come close to it. The small budget just made him get more creative with things. So many actors weren’t actors at all but they pulled off one hell of a movie. I remember my daughter thinking it wouldn’t be scary because it was black and white. So, I let her watch it. She made it about halfway through before she said it was too scary.
Dawn of the Dead – Romero amped up everything from “Night…” when he made “Dawn…”. The way it starts just kicks off the whole thing. There’s no waiting to develop characters, it’s just action and the zombie invasion is happening right now. It really doesn’t give you a chance to wonder how it got started. The characters grow as the movie goes on and we see who they are by how they react to this situation, very much like “Night…”. I have yet to see the European version but I understand they cut out anything that could be seen as funny. The funny parts help ease a little tension but I could get into a slightly shorter, less funny version just as easily.
Fulci’s Zombie – The zombies in Fulci’s masterpiece are probably the most frightening ones in any movie. They’re decayed and worm-infested. Aside from the effects, it’s just a great movie accentuated by Fabio Frizzi’s awesome score. The first little bit of the movie moves so slow that you almost feel like turning it off, but as soon as you get the shark vs zombie fight, the shit hits the fan and the movie takes off without ever looking back.
8.) What underrated horror movie would you recommend to our readers just in case they have never seen it?
Halloween III. People disregard it because Michael Myers isn’t in it and it’s a totally different story. It’s a fairly cheesy concept, story-wise, but I always got a kick out of it. More people should give it a chance. It beats the hell out of Halloween 4 & 5, for sure.
9.) What is your guilty pleasure, the trashy horror flick that you hold dear but everyone else runs away from?
Hard Rock Zombies! The movie isn’t very good at all. I’m sure they had no budget but there are some awesome twists in it. It’s a pretty dorky movie, but it’s fun. I haven’t come across it on DVD yet but if I do, I’m getting it. It’s one I saw back in high school when my friends and I would rent any and every horror movie at the video store. It was just so ridiculous that it was awesome.
10.) What is the greatest ever horror movie poster?
I really like all the old ’50s creature feature posters. I’d probably say the Creature From the Black Lagoon posters would be my favorite. The bright blues and greens and the creature carrying Kay all just really jump at me.
11.) Have you ever had a ghostly supernatural experience?
No. Weird things happen here and there throughout life but nothing that was so crazy, it couldn’t be explained somehow.
12.) What ‘star’ of the music world would you like to see slaughtered in gory horror movie style?
That Canadian kid. I won’t even say his name, but he’s a shithead and I wouldn’t have a problem with a horror movie style slaying of him. I hate people with that sense of entitlement.
13.) What are your plans for Halloween this year?
Still not totally sure. My kid is too old to trick or treat now so my wife and I will get the house all decked out and pass out candy. We want to either find a party or have our own, as well. We’ve got our costume ideas but waiting to see what other plans may be popping up before we decide exactly what to do to celebrate.
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