“The Exorcist” and “The Omen” scare me to this day! – Chris Rock
*What do you get when you mix a satirist and a slaughter flick?
“Spiral: From the Book of Saw,“ the ninth edition of the “Saw” horror series – and one of the highest-grossing film franchises to date. The Lionsgate feature pairs Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock for the first time on the big screen.
EUR correspondent Fahnia Thomas joked with the comedian about Black comedy, Jules Winnfield and script rewrites.
FT: Darren Lynn Bousman (“Spiral” director) said you riffed the Forrest Gump scene – what was that process like?
CR: When I saw the “Saw” movies I thought, these are really good but I could sprinkle some humor in it without disrupting the gore. It was an experiment…I would try to be a little funny and if it went too far, we would cut back because horror was king. They let me go and do my thing. I joked when it was time to joke and when it was serious I would blow your head off.
FT: How did working alongside Samuel L. Jackson sharpen you as an actor?
CR: I wish I could film the first day over because I was in such AWE of Sam. I’ve met him before but I’ve never acted with him before. When you hear his voice it’s like, WOW the guy from “Pulp Fiction” is yelling at me!
FT: How do you think comedy will shift to everyone’s current awareness and sensitive’s?
CR: I don’t think we’ve ever been cool with non-Blacks telling Black jokes – it’s not exactly new. I don’t really get caught up in it…When you’re a comedian and you go to the club – the young guys are always like, ‘how’s the audience?’ – I never asked how the audience is because I’m never going to use the audience as an excuse to not be funny. If people are more sensitive then I have to adjust.
“Spiral” rolls into theaters May 14th.
For more details follow @saw | #spiral | spiral.movie
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