Interview: HATCHET II's Kane Hodder

With the follow-up to his slasher hit HATCHET hitting theaters - unrated, no less! - this Friday, veteran man-behind-the-mask Kane Hodder talks Victor Crowley before the film's release. This stuntman and fan-favorite Jason Voorhees discusses his new character, working without the makeup, and getting banged up for the sake of his art.

But first, an apology: Due to technical difficulties (I didn't set my recorder properly, I'm an idiot) the first couple of minutes of the interview are lost. Still, I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this conversation with one of horror's biggest icons.

So, what drew you back into the world of Victor Crowley?

You know, it's a fun character in that he's like Jason in that he kills everyone he can reach. But he's faster, more unpredictable, which just works for this character. I never thought that would work for Jason, but we just approached it this way. And it's fun, because you never know what he's going to do. And I like playing characters like this because it's fun and I get to mess with the actors on-set.

If you ever watched "The Making of Victor Crowley" on the first DVD, you'll know what I'm talking about. I like to scare the actors for real, and I'm pretty successful at it in every movie I do in a character like that. So it's fun, I couldn't wait to continue the story, there's twice as many kills in this one, there's more Mr. Crowley in this one (the deformed killer's father) in flashback, when Victor was a kid. There's a lot more to that story as well. You see where Victor came from, you see who his mother is this time--which you never who she was--and I got to do some stuff that I never get to do.

Yeah, I had a chance to see some of that flashback footage in San Diego. Were you lobbying Adam actively to get more of that stuff into the script?

From the beginning, when I met him for the first movie, I kind of campaigned for a character where I could shore more emotion. And Adam had the faith in me to let me do that. And by the time the second one came out he had his own plans for what Mr. Crowley would do and he had the confidence that I could pull off these scenes. He added a lot more, and when he told me about it--I was in Montreal--he was telling me, "Well, you have a scene you haven't done before. And you do so and so," you know the scene I'm talking about? And I was shocked and I thought he was kidding that I would have those kind of scenes and he had to convince me that I would really do them.

I guess I had proven myself to be decent with that stuff in the beginning with the first one, and he challenged me even more. So what we have now is we're working on a top-secret film together and once again he has me doing a scene I've never done before. And I've been in this business 33 years, so there aren't too many things I haven't done on film. But he keeps coming up with things that I have not done and he loves to challenge me. And I love that he has the confidence to keep challenging me.

It sounds like he's giving you more opportunities to do more acting without a mask. Do you feel like this has opened up a new direction for your career?

Oh yeah, he has opened up so many doors that I can't even explain. Because first of all, when you're a stuntman and you go into the acting side of things that's going to hang over your head. "Oh, he's a stuntman, he can't act. He's just a stuntman!" Because, that is the case very often where the stuntman can't act well. Plus, they're going to say he's known for a silent character. So I'm always going against that problem too.

The fact that Adam is giving me these chances to show these other sides of my personality is just making my career change by leaps and bounds. I've said this before in other interviews but it's true: after 33 years in any business, no matter what it is, even in the stunt and acting business, you kind of become complacent. And I've always liked going to work. Always.

But Adam has made me love it again. And not just because of his personality but because he's so fucking talented. One of the most talented directors I've worked with, especially considering that he hasn't done all that much yet. He's an incredibly talented writer and director and a natural talent. So, it's just a lot of fun.

From the sounds of it, people seem to love working with Adam. Is it because of the opportunities and risks he takes with you? The enthusiasm?

Part of it's the enthusiasm, because a lot of directors just don't have that drive to make excitement when a scene comes out good. And they're too worried about their image to show their excitement to when a scene comes out well. But Adam doesn't care and will scream out "Yes!" And it makes you feel good as a performer to see that the director's pleased. And he's very much an actor's director, too, because he'll let you ad-lib, he'll let you try things. And you know, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but he's secure enough as a director to let you try. And some directors aren't secure enough in their talent and feel like they have to have their thumb on everyone's performance constantly. But he's not [like that] and will let you try things with a character even if he hasn't written the character like that. He's all for letting you try and seeing if it works.

And if it doesn't work, he's not like, "See, I told you that wouldn't work." He's not like that.

Did you have some things you were especially proud to be able to add into your performance?

You know, it's interesting, because with all of the Jason movies I did I always had to add something to the kill from my own imagination, trying to make the kill more interesting, more crazy. But with the Victor kills, they're almost always written as though I thought of them. So with the violence, I don't have to add too much, because that's what I would've done anyway.

With the character, it's something that he said he's envisioned since he was eight years old. So it's a combination of what he feels and what I feel and being reasonable enough to listen to the other person's interpretation and finding something to work with. And he'll tell me something he might like and I'll tell him so it's a combination of the two of us.

Nothing particular, just the general feel of the character.

Do you think that freedom helped with the intensity of the shoot?

Oh, certainly. It certainly makes it more fun to go to work. You're not afraid to try something because you're afraid he's not going to like it. And it's much more creative from the actor's standpoint.

There's was an injury during one of your fight scenes, right?

Yeah, I did a big fight with R.A. Mihailoff, who plays one of the hunters. He's a big guy and I'm so small myself. And the two of us were slamming around in Victor's house for quite a long time--it took about six, seven hours to shoot the fight scene--and about half an hour in, I ruptured my bicep. So, it was all... basically torn. It was this huge, swollen mess. But basically it was half an hour into six or seven hour fight and I couldn't just call it a day. We were under a tight shooting schedule and I had to just put up with it, which made the fight a little more difficult, but something that's what happens.

R.A. almost got knocked out once during the fight--it's very good fight, very believable, we beat the hell out of each other. We were both very sore the next day.

It sounds like you throw yourself into these roles. 33 years into the industry, what's making you put your body through that punishment everyday?

I'll always love the business. I knew this was what I was supposed to do when I first saw the stunt show at Universal. I knew it was something like that. I never thought I would go into acting and I certainly never thought I would be known widely for something. I mean, the last thing in the world I expected was to be signing autographs somewhere. I just wanted to be in the business, doing stunts and the crazy stuff.

I'm very thankful and very grateful for coming a long way and being known for something iconic. It's just a very humbling experience.

Do you feel like you're kind of turning a page now, where you're going to be known outside of the mask? Or is that something you're even seeking out?

It would be nice to get to that point, to get to be as well-known out of the makeup as in. But even if it doesn't happen this is a very great business, very rewarding and, you know, I'm hoping to continue with the dialog stuff and not hit the ground quite so much.

I mean, I love it, but my body doesn't.

Are there any types or projects that you seek out or even avoid as a veteran in the industry?

I would never avoid anything because I think that's a stupid move on an actor's part. I've seen it happen too many times where an actor will get successful and then decide they only want to do one kind of thing and then they find that they have a career that really slows down. So, I would never avoid anything in particular, but I would love to do a comedy. I've been talking about that for a while, and I would love to do something in that area of the business.

You know, something with Bruce Campbell. He's been talking for years about doing something together, and he's a very talented guy and I've known him for a long time and I've never worked with him.

I mean, I did an episode of his show BRISCOE COUNTY JUNIOR but we didn't even have a scene together.

You're a huge part of the continuity of horror and been around during the many different phases. Where do you think we are now?

In many ways it's very different how we're trying to scare ourselves and in many ways very similar. I don't like to stick myself in one area of horror as a fan. I enjoy any type of horror, including what I would term thrillers.

There's a new movie that I saw at a film festival in London called BURIED that's a very good film, a very effective film because of its setting. And Ryan Reynolds is tremendous in the movie. And I enjoy every kind of horror, thriller movie, even every little crappy little horror movie I find something to enjoy about it.

Is there anyone that you're excited to be working on in the future? Any projects you can talk about?

Uh, nothing I can talk about now--there are several things that we're negotiating. But I definitely want to do some kind of movie with Bruce Campbell--I want to fight him, I want to beat his ass.

I'm sure he'd love to hear that.

Because I like the guy. I love him, so I want to beat his head in!

I completely understand. Now, with the movie coming out unrated this week, have you been following that whole story? Adam was telling me it'll be about 60-odd theaters.

I think it's more than that. But I'm hoping that people will come out and see this and start changing things with movies being unrated in theaters and start a trend. And it'll be great to exhibit movies the way we shoot them instead of the way a group of people think they should be shown. I've always had a problem with other people dictating what kind of movies I can see.

Have you had problems with the MPAA in the past?

Every single horror movie I've ever done. That's not an exaggeration. It's always been cut down for a kind of arbitrary reason by a group of people.

So that's why it's so important for this movie to make a stand?

And you feel like Adam is the right person to be out front for this?

Oh most definitely. Because [everyone involved] is going to lose money because it's being released this way. You know, the potential of lost revenue is very real, and all these people have the balls to do this--it's incredible. And Adam is the perfect person to do it because he's always been so outspoken about censorship.

And it's not without a cost. They're taking a big risk, but they feel so strongly about the final product that they're willing to do it.

Any final thoughts for HATCHET fans or just plain Kane Hodder fans?

I've always appreciated the support I've gotten, even after being omitted from FREDDY VS. JASON, I know my success is because of you guys. And that's why I try to be accommodating, and when I see you at a convention I will choke you on camera.

Well, you know this means I'm just going to seek you out now at the next Con?

And I will choke you!