Garret Dillahunt stars as a terrible, horrible person in "The Last House on the Left," which opened Friday, and he is the first title character of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." He recently appeared in "No Country for Old Men" and in "John From Cincinnati" and "Deadwood." He was at home in Burbank in Levi's and "house slippers."
--
You've developed a stuttering problem. What's going on with that?
I don't think it's a real problem. But I don't know why! Maybe my memory is starting to go and I have to search for words. It seems the more desperately I try to make a point, the more I stutter. At the moment it's merely amusing. It hasn't reach the alarming point.
--
Are you one of those people who has fundamental changes in yourself based on your work?
You mean like roles affecting you outside of the job? You know, I don't think I am! There wouldn't be much craft in it if you actually become those people. I like feeling like I have some skill.
--
I feel like you are going to have to defend "The Last House on the Left."
You mean to you? I'm real proud of it, which is an odd thing to be proud of. I'm proud of this rape-and-pillage movie. There are reasons that I consciously did the thing -- but there's something about that basic story that is speaking to people, and I think did to me when I read the script. And I think it's because the job situation is getting weird, people feel so powerless right now. People feel like they've been raped by -- fill in the blank, the economy, 9/11. Wes Craven last night called 9/11 the ultimate home invasion. Not meaning to be glib -- but that feeling of violation we all had. People are really responding to the film in a visceral way -- and I think it gives them some release. I kind of feel like it will defend itself. Wow, I got so deep there.
--
OK. I will see this movie.
It's an art-house horror film. I saw it with a couple friends and, man, it's so relentless and believable. I felt mugged. Sort of happily mugged? Is that possible?
--
I do hate reading a synopsis with the word "disembowel" in it.
I don't think we disembowel! Sara Paxton, who plays Mari Collingwood, the victim of the assault, I've worked with her before. I was happy about that at first. Then I thought maybe it's a bad thing -- you don't do this to friends! But she was so game and tired of playing mermaids and Snow White kind of characters. So she really went for it.
