Bill Moseley & Lin Shaye are Scared to Death; Slanted Cast talk Body Horror & Satire

In this episode of  Pop Culture Weekly, we’re diving into two very different  but equally fascinating  corners of pop culture: sharp social body horror satire and good old-fashioned horror mayhem as Kyle McMahon is joined by Scared to Death horror legends Lin Shaye and Bill Moseley and Slanted's writer / director Amy Wang and stars Shirley Chen, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan & Amelie Zilber. 

First up, Kyle sits down with the stars and creators of the bold new film Slanted. Joining him are Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever), Amelie Zilber, Shirley Chen, and writer/director Amy Wang. They talk about how the film uses biting satire to explore identity, race, and the kinds of uncomfortable conversations that the best art refuses to avoid.

Then we head straight into horror territory with two absolute legends. Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses) and the incomparable Lin Shaye (Insidious, Kingpin) join  to talk about their new horror-comedy Scared to Death. They get into their incredible careers, why audiences can’t get enough of monsters and the emotional truth that makes a great horror movie stick with you long after the credits roll.

It’s thoughtful, funny, a little creepy and  there are definitely a few fanboy moments along the way.



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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this episode of Pop Culture Weekly, I talk with
the stars of Slanted, end legendary horror icons, Bill Moseley
and Lynn Shay.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Let's go.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from iHeartRadio
your pop culture news, views, reviews and celebrity interviews on
all the movies, TV music and pop culture UKRABE Weekly.
Here's Kyle McMahon.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Na no no NT.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Hello, and welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon.
I of course am Kyle McMahon, and this is the
show where we celebrate pop culture, question our life choices,
and occasionally realize that the people who terrify us on
screen could actually be some of the nicest humans alive
off screen. Today's episode is a fun one. We're talking

(00:51):
about the new film Slanted, which blends sharp storytelling, identity satire,
and characters who are see enough to.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Feel very real.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
And we also talk with two legendary horror icons that
star in the new horror film Scared to Death And honestly,
it's a pretty honest warning label. So yeah, a little
thoughtful storytelling, a little horror, and a lot of great conversations.
Let's jump right into it. Our first guest today star

(01:26):
in the new film Slanted. Joining me are my Tray,
Rama Krishnan, who many of you know from Never Have
I Ever, and Emuali Zilber.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
And if you've seen my Tray's.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Work before, you already know she has this incredible ability
to balance humor and emotional honesty in a way that
feels very real. In Slanted, she and amily help bring
to life a story that's funny, sharp, horrifying and uncomfortable
in the best way, and it's very much about figureguring
out who you are in a world that constantly tries

(02:03):
to label you. First, the film follows a high school
senior navigating identity, belonging, and social pressures in a sharp, satirical,
horror ish story about race and beauty standards and the
complicated ways we try to reinvent ourselves, which, let's be honest,

(02:24):
is basically the human condition. So let's jump right into it.
Here they are my Trey E, Rama Krishtnin, and Amalie Zilder.
So congrats on Slanted. It really is such a great film,
so smart, and I wonder if once, when you both

(02:45):
read the script, is that something that kind of struck
you at it, you know, is that something that you
were like, Wow, this is bold and fresh or was
there something else.

Speaker 5 (02:55):
Definitely bold bold script?

Speaker 6 (03:00):
Yeah, I was nervous. I was nervous reading this. I
was like, I don't know if this is for me.
This is pretty controversial, but shout out Amy. She is
a true filmmaker because she doesn't shy away from controversial
and she reminded me as an actor that that's the
whole point. That's why you make movies. Controversial movies start conversation.

(03:21):
So yeah, but it's definitely bold from top first place
to last.

Speaker 7 (03:25):
And how about for.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
You, Emily?

Speaker 8 (03:27):
I mean same. When I read the script, I was
hesitant at first. It's scary and pretty daunting to agree
to play a white nationalist essentially, but ultimately my greatest
asset in this film is being able to be so

(03:49):
forward in my cruelty and that being a driver for
all of the choices that Joan makes, which ultimately is
the conversation and that this film starts. So my personal
feelings aside, I was like, this is a true piece
of art, and Amy is, like my Terrey said, a
true filmmaker. And it doesn't matter how I feel about

(04:12):
this character. If anything, the fact that I'm having such
a strong emotional reaction means that this film needs to
be made and it would be my privilege to be
a part of it.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
I love that.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
I was just talking with Amy and I said the
same thing, like, great art is going to make some
people uncomfortable, and that's okay because that means it's doing something.
And I think what this film does is kind of
opens many of our eyes, you know, to things I
know that I wouldn't have experienced otherwise, you know what
I mean totally.

Speaker 6 (04:42):
Yeah, It's supposed to make you feel uncomfortable, because art
should make you feel, you know, it doesn't always have
to be positive, you know. And also uncomfortability challenges growth.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
So I love that. Do you think, and this is
to both of you, do you think that, you know,
in a social media world where everyone kind of curates
their this particular life, do you think we've made it
harder to just kind of exist as we are today?

Speaker 8 (05:13):
Yeah? Big time. I mean, I think social media has
lent itself to all of us being very intentional about
how we represent ourselves online. We know that in a way,
I think like our social media presence becomes like some
sort of dystopian like relate has a dystopian relationship to

(05:40):
our identities and how we present ourselves, and whether it
be as small as like wearing a certain outfit to
a real life dinner so you can get a photo
in it for your Instagram, or like curating how you
talk to like if you're an influencer, how you talk
to people, how you interact with people so that people
say good things about you, like whether not that's true

(06:01):
to who you are. So I do think that there's
a there's a there's a really difficult ability to be
fully authentic in a world where you are constantly trying
to manipulate how others perceive you.

Speaker 7 (06:14):
How about for you, Madre.

Speaker 6 (06:16):
I think I totally echo everything ominly said, because it
is true. There's just so much like living your life
in service to your gram, you know, to your any
insert social media platform here. But I also think I
was having like a bunch of conversations with my pals
recently about how social media also makes you just crazily accessible,

(06:39):
you know, whether you're an influencer, a celebrity, or you
just have it even for your personal reasons. Just we've
never been more accessible as a society because of our
smartphones and the Internet, and because of that, we're always
constantly checking in on who needs us, who's trying to
contact us at all times that we don't have any time.

(07:00):
I'm for ourselves and downtime to just sit chill and
be intentional with who we're trying to hang out with,
having that intentional hangout with that friend that you want
to build that meaningful relationship with beyond just oh I
send them memes every so often and now we're besties.
It's like, that's a crazy definition of friendship. And yeah,

(07:21):
just realizing that because we don't have that time anymore,
we're not critically thinking nearly as much as we should,
especially nowadays because being told what to think via the Internet,
via this overwhelming, excessive like access access to ourselves and
to others at all times around the clock.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
You know, yes, I completely agree. I could talk to
both of you about this topic and all all of
the themes in the film all day. But I appreciate
both of you. I can't wait for everybody to see Slanted.
Thank you, Thank you, have a great day. Hi Rama
Krishnan and Amalie zilber My thanks to them, they are

(08:05):
both fantastic and Slanted, and the film really does manage
to be funny and thoughtful and scary and really uncomfortable
enough to make you think, but in a good way.
And you know that's usually a sign it's doing something right.
And of course every great film also has a creative
brain behind it. So joining me now are the people

(08:28):
who helped bring Slanted to life. Any Wang is the
film's writer and director, and I also along with her
have Shirley Chen, who delivers one of the film's standout performances.
We talk about where the idea for the film came from,
the themes behind the story, and what they hope that
audiences take away from it, because, as you know, satire

(08:51):
can be very tricky, I would say, and you want
people laughing but also thinking harder about why they're laughing. Right,
So let's jump right into it. Here they are, Amy
Wang and Shirley Check. Congrats on the film. It really

(09:12):
is so smart and kind of eye opening in many ways.
This question is for both of you as you're you know,
as you're reading the script once it's finished, which of
course you wrote it, you know, was there a moment
where you were like, Wow, this is uncomfortable but necessary.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
You know what I mean. This is going to make
some people feel.

Speaker 1 (09:37):
A little uncomfortable and that's all right. Was there a
moment reading the script and was there a moment after
you wrote the script?

Speaker 9 (09:44):
Yes, I mean I feel like that moment came probably
even before I started writing the script, just a concept itself.

Speaker 5 (09:51):
I knew it was going to be.

Speaker 9 (09:52):
Challenging and you know, provocative, and that's one of my
favorite things. Like I love, you know, people like Nathan
Field of who just pushed boundaries and really you know,
confront people because I feel like that's how people change, right, And.

Speaker 5 (10:07):
It was a conversation, So that was definitely always in
the back of my mind.

Speaker 9 (10:11):
But I you know, I've done, as Shirley knows, I've
done a couple of I want to say, like controversial
short films, but I like to tackle difficult topics because
I like to make people feel uncomfortable.

Speaker 5 (10:23):
And so this just felt like, Okay, this feels right.

Speaker 9 (10:26):
This is and then at the core of it's so
rooted in my personal experience, so it just you know,
I was protected by that because it was so authentic.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
I think, to my life, Wow, and how about for
you surely once you read it.

Speaker 10 (10:43):
Yeah, I mean, I feel like part of what's a
huge part of what makes us fun is that the
movie pokes fun at being uncomfortable, whether that's making the
audience uncomfortable watching something or the fact that John is
so uncomfortable in her skin. Right, And there's so many
moments it feel quite honest, Like I would say maybe
the nail salon scene. I remember reading that and being like,

(11:04):
oh my gosh, like that just gives me the hebgbs
of like being in the scenario. And then you know,
then you get this wonderful experience of watching it come out.
And I think one of my favorite moments is like
the trailer opening on like have you ever suffered the
injustices of being a person of color?

Speaker 5 (11:18):
And then it cuts to me, It just hard cuts to.

Speaker 10 (11:21):
My face, and like it's just awesome. Right, There's so
much that's like just fun about it. It gets to
poke fun at these very real and serious topics, and
it's like, at the end of the day, we can
also just laugh at how ridiculous it all is.

Speaker 11 (11:35):
You know.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, yeah, And I think, you know, great art does that,
in my opinion, you know, kind of as you said, Amy,
you know, great art for me anyway, kind of opens
me up to worlds that I may not have known,
or thinking that I may have known, or thinking that
I have that I shouldn't be thinking, and something changes
my mind about it, you know. To me, that's what

(11:57):
great art does.

Speaker 7 (11:58):
So I wonder for both of you.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
You know, the story tackles identity in a way that
is smart and is very calculated. And I don't mean
that in a negative way at all. I mean it's
very thought out and how it's done. Were you ever nervous,
you know, to kind of show up in that way, surely?

Speaker 10 (12:21):
I mean I think it's nerve wracking to admit to
a bunch of people like, hey, maybe I don't like
myself or I don't like parts of myself or parts
of my culture.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Right.

Speaker 10 (12:28):
In a large way, this is a movie that speaks
to the Asian American community, and like, I think it's
terrifying to think, oh my gosh, am I telling people
that look like me that it's not okay to look
like me? Right, that's like a fear, right, But ultimately
that's not the message of this movie. It's saying, like
you learn who you are. By learning who you're not,
you get to and sometimes you kind of like have

(12:50):
to learn the hard way, right. We hope that we
don't have to, But there's something really cathartic and empowering
about being honest about sometimes you don't always like yourself.
And it doesn't explicitly have to be story limited to race.
It could be about sexuality or anything that makes you
feel different or othered.

Speaker 1 (13:07):
Right, So.

Speaker 10 (13:09):
I think it's it's necessary, a.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Necessary conversation absolutely, and Amy finally, you know, writing it,
did you feel nervous kind of being so authentic him
putting so much of yourself, your own identity, your own
experiences into something that's going to be going out to
the world, or was it freeing?

Speaker 5 (13:29):
I would say it's.

Speaker 9 (13:30):
A bit of both, you know, like it was definitely scary,
and even now, like we have a you know, big
screening coming up tonight at.

Speaker 5 (13:36):
Vidiots, and.

Speaker 9 (13:38):
You know, there's always the fear of rejection, the fear
of you know, people not enjoying the film as much
as you know I want them to. But at the
end of the day, you know, I remind myself this
is I mean, even The Godfather, you know, people hate
the Godfather.

Speaker 5 (13:56):
People hate the Matrix, you know, not saying.

Speaker 9 (14:00):
This movies and any you know those those movies are incredible,
but I think everyone is going to take what they
want from it. What has been really incredible is every
time we have had screenings, you know, overseas and America,
the response afterwards has been so incredible. And like I've

(14:21):
had groups of like teenage girls come up to me
afterwards and they went to you know, see it together,
like a group of twenty of them, and they'll come
and say, like, oh my god, you know, that's exactly
what happened to us, you know, last.

Speaker 5 (14:32):
Week, and just still feeling.

Speaker 9 (14:36):
I don't know, just that connection, you know, with with
all sorts of people. It's been really special. But it's
I mean it's yeah, it's hard putting so much of
yourself onto the screen, but but definitely also cathartic for sure,
and that's something I don't think I'll ever stop doing.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well. I think it plays a beautif.

Speaker 1 (15:00):
I can't wait for everybody to see it. Thank you
both for being so authentic, and thank you for speaking
with me today.

Speaker 5 (15:06):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (15:09):
Amy Wang and Shirley Chin.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
Go see Slanted.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
It really is smart, funny, thoughtful, scary, and we'll have.

Speaker 2 (15:21):
You thinking long after you've left the theater. I'll tell
you that much.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
All right, we're gonna take a quick break to pay
the bills, but in sixty seconds when we come back,
we're heading further into horror territory as I sit down
with Bill Mosley, man who was spent decades terrifying audiences
in some of the most beloved horror films ever made,
and now he's back with a new movie called Scared
to Death.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Stay with us and.

Speaker 1 (15:47):
I'll see you in sixty all right, welcome back to
Pop Culture Weekly. I'm Kyle McMahon, and if you're a
horror fan, which you are, the next part of the
show is going to make you even happier. So my
next guest is someone whose name is basically synonymous with horror.

(16:10):
Bill Moseley has delivered some of the most memorable performances
in genre history, from Texas Chainsaw Massacre two to the
House of a Thousand Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. He's
one of those actors who just walks on screen and
us horror fans like immediately know that we're in for
something good. And now he's back in a new film
called Scared to Death. Scared to Death revolves around a

(16:33):
production assistant who's eager to advance as a director in
Hollywood and then proposes to his boss played by Lynn Shay,
that the crew and actors of that horror film should
experience a real life seance. And then they go to
this seventy year old abandoned children's shelter for research, and
you can imagine what happens. It's really really great. So

(16:56):
we talk about obviously Scared to Death, we talk about
his incredible career, the joys of working in horror, and
what audiences can expect here. He is Bill Mosley.

Speaker 7 (17:09):
I see him. Man, you look like you're a bundled
out for winter.

Speaker 4 (17:13):
I am.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
It's we got a blizzard here over overnight, so I'm
not happy.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
I'm not a blizzard type of guy.

Speaker 7 (17:21):
Where are you.

Speaker 4 (17:22):
I'm in Delaware, all right, Yeah?

Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah, so like.

Speaker 4 (17:26):
Philly, d C. Baltimore kind of in the middle of
all that.

Speaker 7 (17:29):
So, uh, thanks coming to Pittsburgh on Thursday?

Speaker 2 (17:33):
Oh are you?

Speaker 7 (17:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (17:35):
Oh? Okay for a con?

Speaker 7 (17:37):
Yeah yeah, horror realm con.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh cool, Okay.

Speaker 4 (17:41):
I went to my first con last month called monster.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
Mania, and uh, yeah it was, yes, yeah, it was
really great, awesome.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
So let me ask you.

Speaker 1 (17:53):
I obviously want to talk about Scared to Death, which
I love, but I want to go back for a
moment if we can. You have played some of the
most memorable characters in horror, somebody from like chop Top
to Otis, Driftwood to Felix.

Speaker 4 (18:11):
I love.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
What as Have these been conscious choices for you or
have you kind of just you know, read this gone
script by script or is there a certain type of
role you look for.

Speaker 11 (18:26):
It's actually the roles look for me, and I'm very appreciated,
appreciative of that, you know, with with Texas Chainsaw, with
chop Top, I had made I was so freaked out
by the original Texas Chainsaw massacre that I made a
short film back in like nineteen eighty four, I guess

(18:47):
called the Texas Chainsaw Manicure and I five minutes shot
in Staten Island and a beauty parlor, and I played
the hitchhiker in that. And a friend of mine showed
that five minutes short to Toby Hooper, who directed, you know,
the original Chainsaw, and he liked my performance so much

(19:08):
as the Hitchhiker.

Speaker 7 (19:08):
He hired me as chop Top and.

Speaker 11 (19:12):
That's how I got into the business. And the special
effects makeup guy in Chainsaw Too is Tom Savini and
Tom Savini And then got the job of directing the
remake of Night of the Living Dead and brought me
along as Johnny you know. So it's just so funny
how that all works. And then meeting Rob Zombie years later,

(19:34):
I think it was ninety October of ninety nine, I
am ced a little horror award show here in La
at the Universal Studios and I was made up as
chop Top and with a tuxedo, and I handed a
horror award to Rob Zombie, who freaked out because he

(19:56):
was a big chop Top fan. And a month later
he called me up and offered me the part of
Otis Thriftwood and House of a Thousand Courses.

Speaker 7 (20:04):
Wow, it's just so funny how it kind of works.

Speaker 11 (20:07):
I mean, I didn't audition for any of those, you know,
It's just funny how they just kind of reach out
and and pull you when when the time's right.

Speaker 4 (20:16):
I love that.

Speaker 7 (20:17):
All you got to do is say yes.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
I love that too.

Speaker 4 (20:20):
All you got to do is say yes.

Speaker 1 (20:22):
Is there a role that you've done that you feel
like people have misunderstood?

Speaker 7 (20:30):
No, not really, Okay.

Speaker 4 (20:32):
You you you know, I think with horror.

Speaker 11 (20:35):
Understood like they didn't get where I was coming from,
or misunderstood like it should have been they should have
you know, clapped louder.

Speaker 4 (20:43):
Yes, you know, bo, Yes to both.

Speaker 1 (20:47):
I feel like a lot of times horror doesn't really
get it to due as a true art form, and
oftentimes I found some things that may not have landed
upon their release. Twenty years later, you have people like me,
you know, meticulously rewatching them and like, oh my god,
you know, and then it's a buzz online and all

(21:08):
that kind of thing. I didn't know if there was
anything like that in your career.

Speaker 7 (21:12):
Yeah, there's a lot of them.

Speaker 11 (21:13):
I've done a lot of work, and a lot of
it probably falls into that category.

Speaker 7 (21:19):
You know.

Speaker 11 (21:19):
Just last night I was watching for some reason, I
was watching an old movie I did which I never
really watched all the way through, called Exit Humanity civil
war zombie movie, and I play an evil Confederate general. Also,
I did a movie a couple of years right before
the start of COVID. I did a movie called Prisoners

(21:43):
of the ghost.

Speaker 4 (21:43):
Land, Yes, with Nicholas Cage, right.

Speaker 11 (21:46):
Nicholas Cage and played the governor, and that movie got
it started off getting love because it was a Sun
Dance selection, but unfortunately it was the year of COVID,
so all of that was done remotely, so that was
kind of sad, but you know, it never really took off.

Speaker 7 (22:05):
Good old.

Speaker 11 (22:06):
The director is a Japanese director named Sion Sono, and
he did some amazing He has done some amazing movies.
I think especially Cold Fish is my favorite.

Speaker 7 (22:19):
There's a movie called Tag. There's just a bunch.

Speaker 11 (22:23):
Of his stuff, which is which are really really cool movies.
So Prisoners of the ghost Land, Exit Humanity. Yeah, there's
there's been a bunch. But I'm just really glad that,
you know, for the rob Zombie trilogy, Glad for a
chop top, glad for you know, Repo the Genetic Opera

(22:44):
where we me and Ogre sing and dance our way
through a lot of mischief and mayhem.

Speaker 7 (22:49):
That's a great one with Paris Hilton.

Speaker 4 (22:51):
With Paris Hilton.

Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, after decades.

Speaker 1 (22:54):
Of doing this, you know, being in the horror world
specially has there what was the moment for you that
was like, you know, you've become one of those people
that have have become an icon, and especially in this genre.
Was there a moment that that hit you?

Speaker 11 (23:17):
Not really, No, okay, I mean in other words, I
don't think of myself that objectively.

Speaker 7 (23:24):
I'm just glad to get the work.

Speaker 11 (23:26):
And I'm glad because there's you know, no two parts
are the same, No two movies are the same, No
two experiences are and so it's always you know, it's
a challenge. You know, every job is a challenge. You know,
can I memorize those lines? You know, I'm i gonna
you know, hitting my marks and doing that kind of
stuff is pretty old hat.

Speaker 7 (23:46):
So I'm comfortable with doing that.

Speaker 11 (23:48):
I'm comfortable on a set like all the different people
with their wires and their lights and their cameras and
makeup and you know, touching me with little powder puffs
all that stuff. If I get I can stay in character.
But it's always a different experience, and I think that's
really the most fun of it. Oh, it's not Tedium

(24:09):
by any stretch, because it's not the same thing.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
Ever, Why do you think that audiences, you know, embrace monsters.

Speaker 11 (24:22):
Well, life is scary. I think that's really what it
comes down to. And I think you know horror movies,
you know, or you know Stephen King books, I mean
horror movies. Basically that's what is it an hour and
a half, so it's like ninety to one hundred minutes.
There's usually traditionally the screenplay is, you know, three acts

(24:45):
beginning middle in an end. You know, you start getting
scared originally, and then you go through the story and
that at the very end there's some kind of a climax,
there's a resolution, and you know that's ninety minutes. Got
a box of popcorn, you know, if you're in a
movie theater, which you know most people aren't anymore, but

(25:06):
you know, it's basically it's very tidy, and you usually,
you know, for the most part, there's a resolution or like,
you know, something that keeps you thinking, but it's uh,
you know, it makes life a little more manageable instead
of just you know, the the terror of uncertainty. You know,
it could be a wonderful day. You're out with your

(25:26):
best friend and all of a sudden, you know, a
piano falls out of a plane and you know, crushes
you both. Who knows or you know that that you
know that you know, visit to the doctor, you get
a bad report or you know, whatever it is. And
with a horror movie, at least you know you get
you know, it's a stylized version of it and something

(25:47):
that you can control a little bit more.

Speaker 4 (25:50):
Say it's safe.

Speaker 7 (25:52):
Yeah, so.

Speaker 4 (25:54):
Scared to death this. I love this film. It's so fun.
You know, I'm a hugebviously huge horror fan.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
And and it walks a very you know, fun line
between kind of comedy and horror.

Speaker 4 (26:08):
Reminds me a lot of Sam Raimie's work.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
And what drew what drew it to you? What drew
you to it?

Speaker 11 (26:17):
Well, I mean I was available, So that's always wortant.

Speaker 7 (26:22):
It's it was.

Speaker 11 (26:23):
It was sag and fully funded. That's always important. And
first and foremost I got to say was the fact
that Lynn Shay was a part of it. And I've
worked with Lynn on a couple of movies. I've worked
rather on two thousand and one Maniac's Field of Screams
and also a movie we did in New Orleans directed

(26:45):
by Ashley Hamilton called Gothic Harvest. And I've known Lynn
either through the conventions or just you know, socially for
many years, and so to have her attached to Scared
to Death was it.

Speaker 7 (27:00):
Was a big plus was I'm sorry?

Speaker 11 (27:04):
Oh, in addition to you know, really a really good
script and Paul Boyd, who's a fantastic director, So all
of that just and the fact that it was being
shot about, you know, twenty miles.

Speaker 7 (27:18):
From where I live. That helped too.

Speaker 11 (27:21):
So it's going to be it was like a day job,
you know, as opposed to you know, a location.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
Did you You know, as you're reading the script, do
you start kind of putting your own you know, how
does that process work for you as an actor when
you're reading this and you're deciding how to play him?

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Do you?

Speaker 4 (27:41):
Is it a like a visional visional?

Speaker 2 (27:44):
Is it a vision thing for you?

Speaker 1 (27:47):
Is it a you write down, you sit down with
a notebook and start you know, how does.

Speaker 2 (27:51):
That process come to you?

Speaker 4 (27:53):
So you end up seeing what we see on screen?

Speaker 11 (27:57):
Well, I mean I do read the script. I sit
in that chair you can see back there it's missing
a cushion, but that is my that's you know, that's
my chair where I meditate, and you know, you just
sit there and read it. You can close your eyes
or keep them open. You just kind of just you know,
follow the story, get into it. And that's really what

(28:20):
I do. I you know, I try to read the
script three or four times and just you know, just
see who the people are, see what the situation is,
you know, see what the action is, the backstory. You know,
just use your imagination and if you keep you know,
if you if you use your imagination, it's like a muscle.

(28:41):
And you know, I try to use mine a lot.
It's like a workout. And you know, you just sit
there and read that, you know, read it from you know,
page one to page you know one hundred and Yeah,
it starts to come you know, a little by little,
sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but eventually kind of just get

(29:02):
the general idea. And you know, it depends if you
like the story. You know, if it's a good story,
that's really what it comes down to. It doesn't have
to be Marvel, you know. With you know, one hundred
billion dollars worth of you know, green screen computer graphics,
you know, you can do it for you know, as
they say, you can do it for one hundred and

(29:22):
fifty bucks and h in one of these you know
what is that that's an iPhone with chop top on them.

Speaker 7 (29:28):
That little chop dot dekl.

Speaker 11 (29:30):
So somebody wants to say, hey, wait a minute, that's my phone.

Speaker 7 (29:33):
I go, oh yeah, well Nick late, you.

Speaker 1 (29:36):
Dogged it as you're as you're filming, as you're wrapping. Really,
you know, do you look back and do you let
it go until the premiere or you know, are you
the type of actor that's kind of still thinking on
it or are you are you ready to go to

(29:57):
the next project.

Speaker 11 (29:59):
Well, you you know, there are certain obligations, professional obligations,
like doing press for it, you know, staying in touch
with other castmates, sometimes being supportive. There's always you know,
the production part of it is just the middle, you know,
talk about the three acts, and the most important act
is post production, where you can really just you know,

(30:22):
depending on what scene or what take of a scene
and how you shoot it and how you cut it,
you know, you can really change the movie around, you know, radically.
So there's always that there's a d R so you
have to you know, maybe you know the sound guy
you know, you know, screwed up some some take and
you have.

Speaker 7 (30:42):
To go there and you know, revoice.

Speaker 11 (30:44):
Yeah, so there's a whole lot of stuff that goes
on after you've done shooting to support the movie. And
then of course, you know, press is really important and
social media, you know, it becomes this, you know, it
becomes a big deal for me. Yeah, you know, I'm
moving on. I just did something a couple of weeks

(31:06):
ago called The Gulf of America, and I just add,
you know, as a scene, it was pretty much a
monologue that was just so well written and so cool.
The story was so cool that, you know, man, I
showed up and mercifully that was fifteen miles from you,
so that was also helpful. But you know, I just

(31:28):
like to work. I like to use my imagination. I
like to play these different characters. And you know, it's
a challenge.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
Fought finally for you, after everything you've done, You've done,
you know, I think there's one hundred and fifty plus
credits to your name and it's beautifully insane.

Speaker 2 (31:51):
What keeps you saying yes to horror?

Speaker 1 (31:55):
You know, you're at a point in your career where
you can decide to not or to do a project act.

Speaker 2 (32:01):
What keeps Bill saying yes?

Speaker 11 (32:05):
Well, my wife lifes expensive shoes. I guess an little
run for Roman life. Actually, you know, well, else am
I gotta do?

Speaker 7 (32:17):
Well?

Speaker 11 (32:17):
I got to sit around and you know clip roses.
I don't think so, you know, it's what I like
to do and it's what fires me up. I got
to say, just like that Gulf of America. You know,
they say, well here's this. It's not very much you know,
money or whatever it is, and not necessarily in that case,
but you know, you you got to have a challenge.

(32:39):
That's that's who I am. It's what I do. It's
you know, I still take singing lessons. You know, I've
done that for you know, singing lessons for like since
nineteen ninety one. Wow, when I started taking singing lessons.
I still have the same teacher. And so what is
that nine and twenty six is thirty five fucking years?

(33:02):
You know, every Tuesday I go and sing I want
to know what love is? Or Hotel California. You know,
so you just kind of keep in shape, keep going.
I also go to writing class and online writing class.
You know, you've got to keep keep the brain moving,
keep the challenges going. And you know, the nice thing

(33:23):
about the genre is the horror genre is the older
and uglier you are.

Speaker 7 (33:27):
The more work you're offered, so I'm in my prime. Man.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
I love it. Bill. I could talk to you all day.

Speaker 4 (33:36):
You're amazing. I love the film Scared to Death. I
can't wait for everybody to see it.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
And I'm going to be shouting from the rooftops for
people to go see it at a theater because because
that's to me where every film should be seen first. Yeah,
if you can. And I appreciate you so much. Bill,
Thank you very much for speaking with me.

Speaker 7 (33:56):
My pleasure.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
Kyle, thank you, man, Thank you, and I hope to
see you at it.

Speaker 4 (33:59):
Steve Warm, thank you, and I hope to see you
at a convention.

Speaker 7 (34:03):
Sounds good.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
Thanks Bill Moseley, my huge thanks to him. It's always
fun talking with someone who's spent decades scaring audiences and
somehow still comes across as incredibly nice and charming. And
of course we're not done with horror yet. We're gonna
take a quick break and when we come back, another

(34:24):
horror legend joins the show. The one and only Lynn
Sha stops by to talk about her incredible career and
her and her role in Scared to Death. See you
in sixty.

Speaker 4 (34:41):
Welcome back to Pop Culture Weekly.

Speaker 1 (34:43):
My next guest is someone whose career spans decades and
dozens and dozens of films, like quite literally, and if
you're a horror fan, you know her. Lynn Shay has
appeared in everything from cult classics to major horror franchises,
including her unforgettable performances in the Insidious series. She's one
of those actors who can walk into a scene and

(35:04):
instantly make that scene better or scarier. And now she's
starring in Scared to Death along with Bill Moseley. So
she is joining me to talk about her career, the film,
and why horror continues to be one of the most
exciting genres out there. Here she is, Lynn Shay.

Speaker 12 (35:26):
Thank you for having me. You know it's fun to
discuss everything and hear your perspective so.

Speaker 1 (35:33):
Well, thank you. I absolutely love Scared to Death and
I want to get into that. But if we could
go back for a moment, if that's okay. You have
had an amazing career so far. I think your first film,
and please, Lynn Shay, forgive me for saying this, but
I think it was nineteen seventy five Hester Street, and

(35:53):
I believe your role was horror.

Speaker 12 (35:56):
Yeah, horror, Okay, horror. I was horror, and I had
I think one line and Joan micklenn Silver, who was
a very an innovator. She was there were no women
making movies at that time, and she came up with
this one of Carol Caine and Stephen Keats. It's still
a true classic. And yeah, it was my first, my

(36:18):
first film role, and my mother. I've told this story.
You probably heard it. I was so excited to have
to be in a movie. I mean I was still
a I was still a young actress trying to get
my you know, get my first role here and there.
I was doing mostly theater and I got cast as
this is this prostitute. And so we were in the

(36:39):
theater and I went with my mom and at the
when the credits rolled, it said Lynn Shay horror. And
my mother got up and threw up.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
Oh no, he.

Speaker 12 (36:50):
Started walking out of the theater and actually just threw
up right the ladies. It was very embarrassing. But that
was my like, my anointing into the film industry.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
It's a great story, though, And when you look back
at that that first role to today, did that girl
ever imagine all of this?

Speaker 12 (37:15):
No? No, I never imagine movies, even because I was
a theater actress and I'd always done plays and kind
of worked my way up in New York. I went
to Columbia. It was in their theater department. I got
a master's degree from Columbia and theater and it was

(37:35):
a wonderful place to be because this was the seventies,
and it was the American Place Theater and Lincoln Center
and Playwrights Horizons and everywhere you could think of Manhattan
Theater Club. All these theaters which then became very big
theaters were all off off Broadway theaters. And I never

(37:56):
I was always working. I was doing a reading, I
was doing another play, I was going to do this,
I was into a scene. I was never stopping. But
I had no idea about being in movies at all.
I didn't really know very much about it and had
some very early good experiences. Walter Hill cast me and
Long Riders, which was one of my I also had
one line. I was very big on having one line.

(38:19):
But I'm grateful. I mean, you know, everything leads to
other things, and you always just to say, always do
the best you can. Ask questions when you don't know
the answers, and say thank you. Those are all very
important things to get your film career going.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
I love that.

Speaker 1 (38:36):
And you know, you in a lot of ways, you
got your bigger break later on in your life. What
did that teach you or what does that say about
timing for you?

Speaker 12 (38:48):
You know, I don't even think about that part of
it so much. I just I always wanted to get
the job. That was just I didn't think about this
job would lead to another job, and if I do
that job, then that job is good. I never even thought.
I was always moment to moment, you know. I mean,
I was so excited to get cast in anything, and
and really love I loved, I love I still love.

(39:11):
I love acting. It's really an incredibly interesting journey into
other people's hearts and minds, you know, and and yet
it's created by your own heart and mind. I mean,
it's a really fantastic experience. And so I didn't have
any idea, you know, really, I when I was a

(39:32):
little girl, I that's how I entertained myself because we
didn't have a lot of kids in the neighborhood. So
my mom would give me a big box with ribbons
and crans in it, and then I would take all
my clothes out of my closet, and with my stuffed
animals and my dolls, I would make up plays in
front of the mirror and I would write stories and
with my crams, and I would show them to the

(39:53):
bear on the couch and then to the you know,
to the stuff dog that I slept with, and it
was like I was I was nurtured. My creativity was nurtured.
Every kid. All I can say is, anybody who's got
kids out there, take their take this away from them, please,
because you're short circuiting their own imagination. And I am

(40:15):
so grateful that my I would mind was nurtured. And
look what happened. It like worked, Yeah, yeah, did I
actually get paid to do what I do?

Speaker 1 (40:24):
Right?

Speaker 2 (40:25):
That much?

Speaker 12 (40:25):
But oh, Ben, you know, but nevertheless.

Speaker 1 (40:31):
You have found a you know, you've become a horror legend.
You know you are a v I would say, scream
queen in so many ways. Do you feel you kind
of sought out that at a certain point or did
horror kind of find you?

Speaker 12 (40:49):
I think horror kind of found me in a way
because I never really differentiated, you know, a character's character.
If you're in a terrible situation and try to kill
some buddy. That's just part of as part of your character.
And you know, if you're sitting at a dining room
table and talking about you know, your cup Scout meeting
you just were at with your kid or whatever. So

(41:11):
it's really I don't really make the differentiation so much.
It's always the story comes first. What is the story?
And even your character doesn't come first, because your character
has to support the tale you're telling and the story
and then make it even heighten it. But you've got
to start with the material, that's all. That's always very important,

(41:33):
and you have to be able to justify who your
character is within that material. And I mean that's the
only way. The way I kind of discovered working was
the most important way, because if you just bring in
random stuff that doesn't fit anywhere, even if it's wonderful,
you know, then you're sort of solo, and that is
not usually your your role in a film. You want

(41:55):
to be support the story and other characters. So I
just I kind of just like it all. I mean,
I you know, I love being able to create ideas
and have them support other people's ideas.

Speaker 1 (42:11):
And clearly it's worked, and you know, I think one
of the things that so many people I know, I do,
I love that you do in your work is you
kind of elevate it. So in other words, you know,
I feel like unfairly horror tends to get kind of
the short end of the stick in regards to maybe

(42:32):
critics or or that sort of thing where people, you know,
a certain section of people feel it's very throwaway.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
And I think you prove that.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
You know, you can bring incredible acting to to any project.

Speaker 12 (42:46):
You know, Oh, I agree hundred percent. You know, you
still got to do. The important thing is to do
the work. They're really that rule is there's really no
small parts. There's only small actors. I mean, it's really true.
I mean there's other many other examples of that, but
I mean part of the fun for me is it's
not about the size of the role. It's really about

(43:09):
what can you contribute. You know, when I think about
Kingpin in particular, which was one of my all time
favorite and I success stories in a way, may I say,
because they didn't want to see me for that and
I had to fight for it and fight for it
and it was a very short little scene with you know,
I was grateful to work with Woody Harrelson, who's still
to this day is yes, yes, yes, he's He's just

(43:30):
he was the best, the best ever, one of my
favorite seeing partners ever. But that it's it doesn't matter,
it doesn't matter. It's like what you bring is what
people are going to remember. And I've been really grateful
that that's how I feel and think because I had

(43:51):
one line in some TV thing I can't even Marshall
Hirshkabez was the producer. He was a big producer in
the sixties or so and these it is the seventies
I think, and it was a big show on TV.
And I had one line. And I remember him calling
me and saying, you have no idea how much you
contributed to that scene? And I just thought, I don't

(44:14):
what are you talking about. You know, I had one line.
He said, That's what I'm saying. He said, you have
no idea how much that changed the way other people
performed that day. Wow, And I was so like wow,
it was really an incredible, wonderful experience to be singled
out by the executive I think he was the executive

(44:36):
producer or producer and did always find find the juice
in any any in one line, there's something you can contribute,
and I love that as an artist, you know, that's
why we're part of the reason we're doing what we do.

Speaker 4 (44:52):
So that's great.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Now scared to death it is.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
It reminds me of like Sam sam Raimi film Out
kind of you know, flirts with comedy and horror and
kind of goes back and forth. And it's just fun
as for me, as if you were what drew you
to you know what drew you to that what made
Lynde Shay say this is something that I want to do.

Speaker 12 (45:21):
I just loved the character She's that she's nasty and attractive.
Those are which I don't think I never played nasty
attractive for and and that she has a reason that
she's like she is, that we got to discover that
there's she's not just a one no badass. I mean
that she had her history also created this character that

(45:44):
was nasty to other people. And I love that it's
you see it and you know, kind of settled nice
ways throughout the film as well, that she she changes
and you see what what she dealt with as a kid.
So it has you know, a real kind of heart
to it and me. I love Paul and I love Eric.
I mean, they're just two really wonderful people to work

(46:05):
with for me, and I have great respect for So
it was a no. It was a win win situation,
you know, in every way. And I'm very happy that
people really are enjoying the film and you know, and
having an experience of their own with it, which is great.

Speaker 1 (46:22):
What you've said before in interviews that you know, horror
is really about the emotional truth. What is the emotional
truth for you? And scared to death?

Speaker 12 (46:32):
Oh, the people can hurt you and change you, and
it's your responsibility to emerge from that triumphant that you
don't have to become who they've made you be, but

(46:55):
you can still become. You still have to remember there's
a world out there that you have to articulate and
what does it make you feel? And you don't have
to be the way they told you you're supposed to feel. That.
You have to take it in yourself and think, maybe
this is not maybe this is good. Maybe Jasper is
a really good guy. What if he has something to

(47:15):
teach me. You've got to stay open. It's hard. I mean,
I'm the first one to say I'm not doing it.
You know, you can get out of my die. I'm
not doing it. We're not doing it. And then I
have to settle down and think, Okay, take a deep breath,
and you know which is my real name, and know
how I talk to myself, you know, and to really

(47:36):
take a deep breath and look out, because we so
we get so caught inside ourselves, and I think that's
how we destroy ourselves. You know, you're not allowing There's
all kinds of stuff around that will pull you away
from the negative. You know, look outside one day and
watch the bird that's landed on the thing. I hate
to sound corny, but it's not corny. I mean, I'm

(47:58):
so happy in the way I live because I have
a lot of nature around me. All I have to
do is walk out my door if I'm not feeling
great about something, It's all i have to do. And
all of a sudden, it's like.

Speaker 1 (48:09):
Oh my god.

Speaker 12 (48:10):
You know, suddenly you could feel everything open. And that's
how you stay healthy. Also, constriction is what makes people sick.
Remember that it's about when they say breathe, they really
need breath. And we all have that capacity, and we
all have to remember we have it because that will
help us stay well and move forward.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
That is beautiful.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
So you know, for scared to death, you've done you know,
smaller in the films, you've done big budget, you know,
giant studio films. Where how do you find as an actor,
if any, the difference in that system for you as

(48:56):
an actor approaching that, I think it's the same.

Speaker 12 (49:01):
I mean, I think you you know, whether it's a
lot of money or a small budget, it's still about cooperation,
being a good listener, being a contributor. Don't be a complainer.
You know, if you have something that's not working, you
can still express it, but don't name men, and don't
I get there, you cam, I'm not gonna do. You

(49:23):
have to, like you know, go to the person that
can maybe help change it. And always be polite. I mean,
being courteous goes a long way in our in our
business because there are a lot of people, they're so
they're so short circuited by all the it's a tough
business and to stay centered and everybody wants something. Every
single second is solving a problem. Every second is solving

(49:46):
another problem. And so I think you can contribute by
taking a deep breath and again being being a good
listener to what's around you, kind of opening yourself up,
and you know, sometimes you've got to be a little
quiet on set. I don't care if you're the star,
you're not the star, or you're a gopher or whatever.

(50:08):
Sometimes you just have to settle and be a listener
to see what the next positive move is to make.
So I forgot what you asked.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
Me, you answered, You answered it wonderfully. Do you You
know you've done one hundred and fifty some plus projects.
Do you Is there something that you haven't yet done
that you're like that? You know, I'm going to do
that one of my next five projects. I'm going to
do that.

Speaker 12 (50:37):
I don't think.

Speaker 1 (50:37):
So.

Speaker 12 (50:37):
The only thing I thought of is I don't ever
want to do Shakespeare because I could never learn that.
And I was watching Sir, Oh my god, oh late
and Stephen Colbert, Sir, the most wonderful English actor on
the planet, who is Oh my gosh, I'm I've been

(51:00):
talking so much today, I can't think. But he did.
He did a Shakespeare's soliloquy that I was bawling. It
was so beautiful, and I thought I could never do that,
And I really don't think I could.

Speaker 2 (51:14):
I don't.

Speaker 12 (51:14):
I have too much fear in me about about on
some level that would not allow me to learn that,
to be able to learn it and to perform it.
Not so much that I don't understand it even because
oh gosh, I was gonna kill me because he's one
of the most famous English actors. Can you think who

(51:37):
it is?

Speaker 2 (51:38):
I know, I'm like my brain is racking up.

Speaker 12 (51:41):
Hey, look up Stephen Colbert and Shakespeare and see what
do you see? What shows up? But it's material that
I think goes goes beyond me, and I hate to
admit that, but that's how I feel. I don't really
under it would take me so long to really understand
what I was saying and to be able to take
that into my system and then to be able to

(52:02):
deliver it to someone else. I find that magic, and
I feel like I'm aware of my own limitations and
so I respect those and I'm old enough to go.
I don't have to kill myself over you know. I
mean that I'm clear about the things I'm good at
and what I love doing, and hopefully I can do

(52:22):
that for very many long more years, you know. So
did you find it did you.

Speaker 4 (52:27):
Find That's what I'm looking up right now.

Speaker 12 (52:30):
It's going to make me crazy.

Speaker 2 (52:31):
It's Shakespear. It was just sir, Yes, Sir Ian McKellen.
He is incredible.

Speaker 12 (52:40):
Oh my god. I just he had us. I means
it was thrilling because I understood every word he said,
and when I look at it on a page, I go,
I don't really know what that means, and I don't believe.
I mean, I have a fear factor that I could
do without, but I'm still there. But when I I
literally I said on my couch, just weeping, it was

(53:01):
so beautiful. So I have to know my limitations of
what I'm really good at, and I don't have to
get mad at myself for the things I don't want
to tackle because I'm still have fear and try and
use all that stuff to filter down into the work
I do do and will do and present back to you.
It's the human condition.

Speaker 4 (53:22):
I love that.

Speaker 1 (53:23):
And finally, you know you've done such incredible work over
you know so many titles. What do you want people
to remember about your work? You know, one hundred years
from now, three hundred years.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
Fer while, or you.

Speaker 12 (53:41):
I just hope they remember.

Speaker 2 (53:44):
Something I don't.

Speaker 12 (53:47):
I guess truth maybe exposing a part of of self
that we all have that people don't often visit to
surprise people a little bit with things about themselves that
they haven't thought to really consider. But that's a great question.

(54:09):
I'm going to think about that one for a while.
I'm just so grateful to have this life I have.
I mean, it's just having I'm having a wonderful, wonderful time,
and I really want to give back everything I can
to uh support. I love telling young actors, giving them hope,

(54:32):
and it's so easy, you know, because they want to
hear it. And so I love giving as much as
much as I can give to someone else to make
them believe in themselves. That would be a gift for
me to be able to give.

Speaker 1 (54:45):
Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you so much, Lenne. You are
a legend and icon and such a sweet person. I
really appreciate your time.

Speaker 12 (54:55):
Well, this was a great and you also made me
feel good about myself with how with my ani answers
to your wonderful questions and that was that. Thank you
for that as well.

Speaker 4 (55:04):
So thank you, and I hope to talk to you
for your next project.

Speaker 12 (55:07):
Yep, there's gonna be.

Speaker 4 (55:08):
We're gonna be.

Speaker 2 (55:11):
Have a great day.

Speaker 12 (55:12):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (55:13):
Thank you, Lynn Shay.

Speaker 1 (55:18):
Always great talking with someone who has helped literally shape
modern horror the way she has. And again, if you're
ready for something spooky, you can check out Scared to Death,
which is out right.

Speaker 2 (55:29):
Now and I highly recommend it.

Speaker 1 (55:31):
All right, that's today's episode of pop Culture Weekly. We
talked about slanted and dove headfirst into Scared to Death,
which means today's episode had satire, identity and people who
have spent their careers terrifying audiences in the best possible
way and to our delight, and honestly, that's a pretty
good pop culture mix. If you enjoyed the show, make

(55:54):
sure you're subscribed wherever you listen so you never miss
an episode. And for video interviews, pop culture deep dives,
and more fanboy moments than I should probably admit to publicly,
check out the pop Culture Weekly YouTube channel. Until next time,
keep watching great movies, avoid haunted houses when possible, and
I'll see you next time.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
I love you, see you next week.

Speaker 3 (56:18):
We thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. Here
all the latest at popcultureweekly dot com.

Speaker 1 (56:29):
Lynn Freakin' shay and Bill freaking mostly Lynn freakin shame
and Bill freaking mostly