In Sam (Spider-man, the Evil Dead trilogy) Raimi’s terrifying and socio-economically topical Drag Me To Hell, opening today, Justin Long plays professor Clay Dalton, the supportive but skeptical boyfriend of Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), an ambitious bank loan officer. Brown and Dalton’s idyllic life together goes to Hell when Christine gets cursed by infernal visions, after denying a desperate old lady an extension on her home loan.
In a funny and frank conversation, Long (the star of Apple’s popular “I’m a Mac” commercials — and Drew Barrymore’s former fiancé) discusses the scatological lengths to which he was willing to go to play the male lead in Raimi’s return to horror.
Drag Me To Hell is already getting a great buzz throughout cyberspace…
“Cool. I loved it. I hate sounding arrogant because I’m in it, but I’m not in it a lot, so I can say that. It’s thrilling to be a part of a movie like this. Sometimes you talk about your movies — and I’m proud of everything I’ve done, just to have worked, just to be working I’m proud of — but some movies you’re more excited for than others and some you’re… I’ve done movies where, were I not in them, I wouldn’t have seen them. [Laughs] And this is exciting to talk about a movie that I, as a fan, am excited for. That I would like, be front row center whether or not I’m in the movie.”
A couple of months ago, you told me that you wanted to do Drag Me To Hellbecause you just wanted to work with (director) Sam Raimi? True?
“Oh, yeah. To work with him and to work with him on a horror movie is great. I grew up watching those movies. I mean, I loved Army of Darknessand all his other movies. I loved his vision. And it was Ellen Page at the time, and I was so into her, and I thought she was great, and was equally excited, truthfully, when I heard it was going to be Alison (Lohman) — when Alison replaced her. It was just sort of a no-brainer — a horror movie with Sam Raimi and Ellen? It was easy. I don’t think that much about what I do. There’s not that deep of a thought process that goes into it. But this one, not even a moment’s hesitation. I was just honoured, really honoured.”
Okay, women really dig your character, Clay Dalton, in the film.
“Oh, good.”
Clay’s a man that is…
“Very passive. But, he does kind of stand up to his mother, a little bit.”
Clay is very caring.
“Alison’s character is much stronger than I am, though, I will say that. I kind of thought it was cool that there is a movie where the protagonist, you know, this strong center of the movie is a female. And my part is normally played by women in these movies … I like to say to my friends — because they are all really excited like that I’m in a movie that they can finally say, ‘We have to go see all your movies and like some are better than others and like, we’re glad that you’re in a really cool one. Because we’re obligated to see them.’ — they asked me about what I play. And I said, ‘Here’s what I play.’ I say, ‘Baby, everything is going to be okay, it’s gonna be fine. I’m gonna be in the other room if you need me, but don’t worry.’ I go in the other room and all the hot stuff happens to Alison, like all the fun horror movies. And I run back and I go ‘Baby, are you okay? I’m here. What happened?’ End scene and fade out. And you know what? I’m fine with that. I was so happy. I said to Sam when I met him, ‘I will do anything in your movie.’ And I meant that. I told him, ‘I would walk across the screen, shit my pants and keep walking if it means being in your movie — like absolutely.’ So, I’m just happy to be part of it, truly, truly.”
In real life, do you believe in curses or the paranormal?
“I believe a lot of it. I believe in some form of the afterlife, which people may call superstitious. I believe in ghosts.”
What about curses?
“I hesitate to say that I don’t believe in curses, because then I’m gonna get curse. I do believe in karma, so maybe that is related, right, to curses and in some very Eastern way.”
Since you got to do Drag Me To Hellwith a A-list director like Sam Raimi, how have things changed in your career? Are you able to pick and choose, now that the movie-going public is starting to recognize you?
“Oh yeah. … In the past, like the first couple of years I was doing this, people would say like, ‘What made you choose the role in Jeepers Creepers or what made you choose to do Herbie, The Love Bug?’ And, I would say, ‘Well, the fact that I got cast. The fact that they chose me, that really made me want to do it.’ The fact that somebody said yes to me was really enticing.” [Laughs]
I hope you get offended by this question…
“Please.”
Wasn’t it a positive thing to be in the tabloids for months when you and Drew (Barrymore) were an item? Didn’t it help your exposure in the industry, because now you can pick and choose?
“I don’t know? I truthfully think that… I really think all that is not helpful. I think that’s a myth that stuff like that, that kind of exposure, helps you … I remember Billy Crudup said something really interesting in an interview. He acknowledged that it was super critical, because it was in an interview and he was talking about why he doesn’t like doing interviews. It’s not an egotistical/pretentious actor thing, but he really articulated it well. He said, ‘The more people know about me and the more I expose myself to people, the harder it is for them to believe that I’m somebody else.’ In the long run, I think it makes it harder to have a career that is sustained through character work and various roles. I don’t want to just, you know, go out there and play myself every time … Not only that, but it’s obnoxious as hell, that of loss of privacy and security, which I cherish. I don’t want to complain because I love my life, and I’m so blessed to be able to do what I do — and I don’t want to complain about any relationships. It was wonderful, it was beautiful. I was, you know, I made certain choices in my life, and I made them happily and completely willingly, and I would never fault somebody else for bringing that into my life, you know?”
Did you expect all the tabloid stories?
“Well, with that being said, it’s fraught with a lot of kind of negativity that you can’t really imagine until it happened to you. I mean, it’s one thing to theorize about, I’d always been like weirdly indifferent about those gossip magazines. I wouldn’t read them. I didn’t really give a shit. But I also didn’t care in a negative way. I didn’t dislike them in any way. I was just like, ‘Well, they’re doing their job.’ But when you see its effect, and you know, she [Drew] gets it on a level that I can’t stand. I care about her, and other people in my life who I care about, I see the way it affects their lives, and it’s bred this real animosity in me toward those gossip magazines — those reporters. And the people who indulge in it. It’s kinda sick, what it does to people’s lives. And I’ve said that you try to rationalize with them sometimes — and I don’t wanna be a dick. I know they’re doing their job. I know times are tough – but I said, ‘Listen man, you don’t know what it’s doing to these people I care about. You don’t know what it does.’ He says, ‘Well, what are you talking about? They’re movie stars. They have great lives.’ Like that’s the counter argument that I think they justify it with. So to say that that has helped in any way, I think is dangerous, and I don’t think it’s accurate.”
Would you do the sequel to Drag Me To Hell if there is one?
“I hope so, ‘Sam [Raimi], please!’”
It could happen, because Sam has done trilogies before.
“With my luck, I’m gonna get recast. [Laughs] They’ll pull a Terrence Howard in Iron Man kinda thing.”
I think fans will demand that you’re in a sequel.
“Who is Jake Gyllenhaal’s agent?”
You weren’t killed in Drag Me To Hell, so you’re fine, you can be in the next film.
“I can be in the next one, that’s my big fear is that if I’m not, like how sad is that gonna be?”
You can be cursed in the next one, too.
“I’d love to be. I was jealous that I didn’t get to be cursed. ‘Curse me!’ I’m begging to be cursed. I would love it.”
What was the movie you did with Liam Neeson?
“After Lifewith Christina Ricci, too. Needless to say, I just can’t stop thinking about him recently and not… I don’t know? That [Natasha Richardson’s fatal skiing accident] shouldn’t happen to anyone. He is just such a good person and such a good guy. He was so respectful to the whole crew and just a decent great guy. And its just so tragic. I can’t stop — it’s just so tragic and sad… Sorry, I don’t know how to switch gears now.”
How about, which film is your favorite horror movie?
“The scariest movie to me is Invasion of the Body Snatchers — the Donald Sutherland version. It’s always the one that really got me. I really love it, I think the scariest movies for me are the ones that are more disturbing. The Grudge movies are like that, like 28 Days Later — movies that are also somewhat realistic. The idea of that happening. That’s what I loved about that movie, that is it somewhat slightly plausible. I love a good old-fashioned Strangers or like a slasher guy in the woods. I like the straight up. I’m a sucker for those as well. The ones where you don’t have to think too much.”
You mean the type where a killer like Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers is chasing someone?
“Chasing, yeah. Just how is he gonna get them? But in fact, I’m better affected by those movies. I still go. In ghost stories, like I said, I believe in ghosts so it’s really like a Sixth Sense or The Others — a solid ghost story. I really love the genre. I love horror movies — period.”
