Larry Cohen Interview Part 3
We were lucky enough to speak with Larry Cohen recently for Low Budget Legends. Larry is not just a low budget legend. He is just a legend — period. He is the director is such moveis as Bone, Black Caesar, The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover, Full Moon High, and A Return To Salem’s Lot.
Enjoy!
13BIT:
Yeah, definitely yeah– Who are some of you favorite low-budget filmmakers– from the past or the present? Do you have any inspirations?
LARRY C.:
Oh, I– I mean, I like Don Siegel and– who made a lot of low-budget pictures early in his career and– and Sam Fuller– who made–
13BIT:
13Bit loves Sam Fuller.
LARRY C.:
Yeah. He made a lot of low-budget films. He was a very good friend of mine, and I actually directed him in an acting part in my movie, Return to Salem’s Lot. So we spent a lot of time together. And– and he was a delightful fella. And I like those kind of pictures when I was a kid growing up. And– so I– you know, I gravitated towards making those kind of pictures, which is– genre films, they call ’em.
13BIT:
Do you have any favorites among your movies, favorite children?
LARRY C.:
Oh, that’s like asking me, “What’s your favorite child is,” you know, (LAUGHTER) you– it’s something about every picture that you like, whether it was– whether it’s the picture or whether it’s the experience you had making the film. Sometimes the worst pictures were the ones you had the most fun making or that you made– relationships with people– on. And– you know, it might have been– the picture may not have worked out to be the best one but has a place in your heart because of the people that were involved.
And– so, you know, it’s– I can’t pick– that– of all of them I suppose The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover would be my favorite because everybody said, “Oh, you can’t make a movie about the FBI. You’ll get into terrible trouble and– you’ll get blacklisted or something. And– you can’t do it.” So as soon as I heard, “You can’t do it,” then I wanted to do it of course.
13BIT:
Yeah. That– that– that’s alwaysthe biggest– impetus to making something– people saying, “You can’t do it.” Oh—one more question, how much do you think it should cost to make a film?
LARRY C.:
Oh– that’s– that’s a very odd question. It has– depends on what kind of picture you’re making. I mean, if you’re making a picture with costumes and horses and battle scenes and stuff, you know, of course it’s a whole different story than if you’re making– a film about– a robbery or you’re making a film about a romance, or you’re making a film about family. I mean, there’s– there’s no comparison– of– in– in what’s required. So–
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