Mark Tonderai, “House At The End Of The Street” director has recently talked to Collider.com and Fangoria.com about his upcoming film. During a phone interview, he mention how he came to direct this film, Jennifer’s audition and what horror means to him, among other things. Here is what he said on Jennifer:
Did Jennifer Lawrence audition for this role, or had you been familiar with her previous work?
I?d seen Winter?s Bone, and then I looked up everything else that she did. No, she came in and she auditioned. It?s probably the last audition she?s ever going to do! She auditioned for me, and I remember it so clearly ?cause I?ve got quite a funny story about it. I always kneel down when actors come in because you?re there with all these masses of producers and it?s really intimidating and I try to make it as easy as possible. I remember just kneeling in front of her, and she?s got this look that just looks right into you. I think that?s what stardom is. They make you feel like the most important person in the world, just by looking at you. She just read off the page. I realized that she was coming from another meeting and she probably hadn?t even read the sides, so she was reading cold. Yeah, Jen, if you?re reading this, I know that you did that. And remember thinking, ?If this girl can do that cold, that?s pretty amazing!? I was like, ?Okay, she?s great!,? but I really wanted her to be great.
Anyway, I was desperate for the toilet and I basically left the room and had to run to this guy?s house, around the corner. I had to run out of reception and go down the street, and who was getting in her car but Jennifer Lawrence. I thought, ?Well, I don?t want to say anything because that?s a bit uncool.? On my way back, I thought, ?Okay, I?m going to say something to her.? I did this thing where I literally jumped in the air and tapped my heels together, and I said, ?I wanted you to be great, and you were!,? and she looked at me and said, ?And so were you!? And, that was it. I remember thinking, ?Oh, my god, did I just do that? Did I just literally jump in the air and click my heels?? I felt like Dick Van Dyke. So, I was out there and she didn?t leave me to hang, and I knew then that we?d be able to get on. She?s a great girl!
Read the full interview with Collider.com
Now I?m talking about something that?s a real bee in my bonnet. It?s better for people to take this film in the way that?s been made, and the way that?s been presented and the actual the final product is, and not go in there with all these misconceptions that we?re exploiting her, because that?s absolute bullshit. This is a film that?s got two female leads in it, and they?re very, very strong, and it revolves around them. It?s a scary film, and it?s a real thrill ride of a film but at its core is this relationship. Jennifer Lawrence and Elisabeth Shue, both have been nominated for Academy Awards, they?re in the top five percent of acting talent on the planet. They?re not stupid. They?re not going to go and do something they think is beneath them. It?s strange to me, the general conception about this sort of genre. In some ways, it?s way more advanced than what people say. It?s a real frustration for me. I?m hoping people give it the shot that it deserves. I?m glad that we?ve got Jen and she?s a star and people will go to it because of her and say , ‘Fuck, this is a really good film.’ I really want the audience to enjoy it.
Read the full interview with Fangoria.com
