Video:Red Riding Hood Interviews - Max Irons and Michael Shanks
with Rebecca MurrayMax Irons plays a rich kid who Amanda Seyfried's parents want her to marry in the fantasy film 'Red Riding Hood' directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Irons joined his fellow cast members, including Michael Shanks, to talk about the film at the premiere.
Transcript:Red Riding Hood Interviews - Max Irons and Michael Shanks
Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the LA Premiere of Warner Bros Pictures' Red Riding Hood.
Max Irons - 'Henry' in Red Riding Hood
Tell me why we're still fascinated with this tale?
Max Irons: "Because I think it's timeless. I think the themes, you know Red Riding Hood is not about a little girl scampering through the woods in a red cape. It's a warning to young girls. It's essentially saying, 'Don't stray off the path or metaphorically you're going to meet the wolf.' You know, we live in a time where we have sex education classes. In those days, they didn't. But I think psychologically this darkness goes in. And I think what Catherine [Hardwicke] has done has built upon those themes, those dark themes inherently, and she's built a movie around it."
How were you able to get such onscreen chemistry with Amanda Seyfried?
Max Irons: "I don't know. Just, all you can really do as an actor is just try to honestly connect with a person in front of you, and find the truth in what you're doing."
What's she like off camera?
Max Irons: "Crazy. She's got an obscene sense of humor - don't tell here I said that - filthy. But she's kind and she's got time for you. And the fact she's been doing it so much longer and more successfully than I have, the fact that she kind of humors me with, 'Who are those guys? What do they do?,' it's nice."
What elements of the Red Riding Hood story does this film really explore?
Max Irons: "I think the paranoia, you know, the metaphor of the lesson behind Red Riding Hood should put in a kid's head. I think it's built upon. And this, you see this tightly woven, closely knit society and then you see the affects of somebody coming in and just throwing a little bit of fear into society, and watching how easily manipulated they are, and how it will tear itself apart. I think that applies to the world we live in."
Michael Shanks - 'Adrien' in Red Riding Hood
Michael Shanks: "I think we're fascinated with all the fairy tales. I'm personally fascinated with how the hell we tell these tales to our children in the first place years ago. These are some of the darkest, most disturbing tales you can come up with and we start our kids off when they're 4 or 5 going, 'Yeah, read this! Breadcrumbs, witches, sticking kids in ovens, it's awesome, right?!' You know, but don't watch The Wiggles, that's annoying. Yeah, I don't know. I think with anything, I think you can argue right now that obviously they are doing a lot to mine the classics and they're looking for material in every realm. I think this is certainly a vein that hasn't been tapped to this degree recently. That's why everybody's going there full bore. And as opposed to remaking something old, why not make remake one of the most classic stories of all time? And that's what we're doing here."
And this one takes it a little darker?
Michael Shanks: "I think studios are obviously in the business to make money, and your teenage audience is a huge demographic. To take this and include the elements that we include - a little murder, a little mayhem, a little schmecking in the woods with boy meets girl meets other boy - you know, it has all the elements that are going to sell it to a contemporary moviegoer. A little violence, a little sex, a lot of entertainment."
What is Catherine Hardwicke like on the set?
Michael Shanks: "She's kooky. She's nutty. She's wacky. She's full of energy. She's wonderful. She's Catherine Hardwicke. She is what you'd expect. You get what you get with Catherine, and I wasn't disappointed. We had a lot of fun working with her."
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