Kyle Gallner is known for his recent horror roles in “The Haunting in Connecticut”, “Jennifer’s Body” and most recently “A Nightmare on Elm Street” reboot. Kyle is currently shooting “Red State” which is Kevin Smith next film. He also has a bunch of indie films hitting the festival through the coming months. Kyle found time during filming “Red State” to talk with us to discuss his various roles, his love for horror and what he has coming up.
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Mike Gencarelli: Tell me what was it like working on “A Nightmare on Elm Street”?
Kyle Gallner: It was just really cool to work on it because it was a reboot of such an iconic series. It great to see Freddy come back to life and watch people reactions to seeing it was probably the best part about it.
MG: Are you a fan of the original “Nightmare”?
KG: I have never seen the original until we were already filming the movie. But you grow up knowing who Freddy is his, whether you are a fan of the series or not.
MG: Besides acting in it, Are you a fan of the horror genre?
KG: I am actually. I really like horror movies a lot. I like foreign horror movies a little bit more. I think American horror films sometimes glorify death and killing and sometime put too much humor in. In foreign horror movies they seem to take it a little more
seriously. I think things are a little more real and brutal.
MG: Any favorite foreign horror films in particular?
KG: I really like “Matryrs”. “The Descent”. “High Tension”. I just saw one that was great called “Thirst”.
MG: Tell us a little about working on “The Haunting in Connecticut”?
KG: That was really cool. It was my first lead role. It was scary for me in the beginning but Virginia (Madsen) was really cool. She took me under her wing and took care of me and made me feel really comfortable and safe.
MG: Your performance in “The Haunting in Connecticut” was pretty intense, how did you prepare for the role of Matt Campbell?
KG: I watched the Discovery Channel documentary a bu
nch. I read up on it a lot. I read the script a lot and just prepped the best I could.
MG: What can you tell us about working on Kevin Smith’s new film “Red State”?
KG: I probably can’t say too much more than what Kevin (Smith) has already said. It kind of loosely based on Fred Phelps from Westboro Baptist Church and what happened in Topeka, Kansas with their debates about Iraq. It kind of touches on how people can be brutal to other people. Kevin choose to prove this point with a religious aspect. We have been shooting for three weeks already and it has been really great.
MG: Are you excited to get to work with Kevin Smith, especially on his first horror film?
KG: Yeah, I grew up loving “Mallrats” and his other films. It is cool to be able to work with Kevin when he is going in such a new direction. He is shaking things up a bit, which is really exciting. He is a really great director…A REALLY GREAT DIRECTOR.
MG: What other upcoming projects do you have in the works?
KG: I got a movie called “Cherry” which is hitting up some festivals. I just got off this music movie called “Losers Take All”, which is about me and some guys in a punk band in the 80’s. I got another one called “Little Birds”. I got a bunch of indies in the can now. I am sure they will all be hitting the festivals real soon.
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