From the big screen to the small screen, Dale Midkiff has had a career that has spanded many decades. While some fans may remember him from the series, Time Trax , others will likely recognize him as the grief-stricken father, Louis Creed, in the iconic horror classic, PET SEMATARY . Currently, Midkiff can seen in the horror comedy, HELL’S KITTY , as enigmatic Rosemary Carrie. In our interview, we discuss how he got involved in the film as well as the nods that KITTY gives to 1989’s PET SEMETARY . Check out the interview below….
BT: I’ll start first by asking how you got involved with HELL’S KITTY ?
DM: Actually, it was offered to me.
BT: Gotcha.
DM: (Continuing) …and it sounded like a bit of fun to be honest with you. I haven’t dressed up like a woman since I was 13 years old for Halloween.
BT: (Laughing)
DM: (Laughing) ….and that was fun until we [my friend and I] got caught soaping this guy’s car window – he was in the back seat of his car waiting for us.
BT: Oh no! (Laughing)
DM: (Continuing) …he rushed out his car, chased me down the street, and eventually tackled me to the ground – causing me to not pop to the two balloons that I had as breasts, but also caused me to bloody both my knees. Afterwards, he dragged back to his car and made me wipe off all the soap off his windows. As a result, I would say that probably the reason I’ve never worn one since… (Giggling) Unless I had to do it for a job!
BT: (Laughing) Well, there you go! There you go! Now, that’s actually a great transition. There are a quite a few zany, off the wall moments that happen in this project, so I love to know if there were any moments for you – in the reading – that struck you as particularly outrageous?
DM: No, not really. As someone who has been an actor for over 30 years, I’ve read a lot of crazy stuff [in scripts]! (Laughing)
BT: (Laughing)
DM: (Continuing) So, no, the various things that occurred in this project didn’t bother me at all. As a matter of fact, much of project seemed pretty playful and harmless. It’s a horror that has a lot of fun.
BT: Sure, sure. Now, in watching the film, it’s clear that director & star, Nicholas Tana, is a fan of classic horror films as there are many homages to various iconic horror films sprinkled throughout the film. One great example of such of a scene occurs with the titular cat hiding under a bed and attacking an unsuspecting victim, similar to the way the character of Gage attacks a victim in PET SEMATARY .
So, with that said, were there any moments in between takes that Nicholas geeked out with you about that film?
DM: (Giggling) Actually, no. I don’t recall him mentioning PET SEMATARY to me.
BT: Ok, ok.
DM: However, I will say that he was very kind though. For example, you recall the song and dance scene that I did [in the film]?
BT: Sure.
DM: So the guy who did the dance scene with me was a professional dresser of women.
BT: Ok.
DM: (Continuing) …in doing that scene, I suspect that Nicholas [Tana] could see that I was a bit uncomfortable getting my makeup on, so he came over to me and calmed me down; afterwards, we went to the roof, where I found out that I needed to do all these complex dance steps, to which I told Nicholas, ‘I’m not a dancer. Let’s have my scene partner do the dance steps and I’ll just vamp…I’ll be The Tramp Who Vamps!’ (Laughing)
BT: (Laughing) Cool, cool. So, aside from this film, are you able comment on any projects that coming next? Will these projects also be in the horror genre or will they reside in other genres?
DM: Well, the last movie I did was a baseball movie called 21 OUTS . It’s a true story about the coach of a small Texas baseball team who has 26 winning seasons and took this same team to the state championship and won in his 27th season. Aside from that, besides PET SEMATARY and now HELL’S KITTY , I haven’t really ventured in the horror genre all that much. At the end of the day, if it’s a good part and good fun, I say, ‘Why not?’
BT: Awesome! Lastly, before I let you go, in just speaking about PET SEMATARY , I’m not sure if you’re privy to this, but there have been talks about remaking the film for modern audiences. What are your feeling on this and would you be open to being apart of it (even if just in a cameo role) if asked?
DM: Well, I’ve heard that they’re doing a remake, but to answer your question, no one has contacted me about being involved with it. However, in conversations that I’ve had – with hardcore fans of the original as well as people that have interviewed me – there seems to be no interest in seeing the film remade.
BT: Terrific! Dale, thank you so much for time!
DM: Thank you so much! I appreciate your time too sir!
Interview conducted by Brandon Troy
HELL’S KITTY releases on VOD on March 13.
k;hb
Reporter / Film Critic
I have always loved stories. Whether it’s in books or movies, I’m a sucker for a compelling story. Compared to watching television, seeing movies in a theater has always been a visceral experience. There’s just something about having the full IMAX experience or sharing an unspoken moment of anguish, joy and laughter with complete strangers. Movies have always had a special place in my heart and that’s what brings me back to the theater. As the amount of prequels, sequels and spinoffs increase, I’ve increased my efforts to see more different, and compelling stories. I hope the reviews that follow reflect my efforts to take my moviegoing off the beaten path.
When I’m not in your local theater, I’m probably at a baseball game or wrestling event. Do drop me a line on the Twitter Machine @GiantKrabb