Interview with Devon and Ali Larter

With New Line Cinema's horror-thriller FINAL DESTINATION crashing into theaters on the 17th, HorrorOnline sat down to speak with cast members Devon Sawa and Ali Larter in regards to the film, as well as their past experiences as they pertain to the horror genre. Sawa, whose wit proved engaging and laced with sarcasm arrived in a casual leather coat and jeans, the effects of two months in the tropics evident upon his features, while Larter, who has previously appeared (sans clothing) in VARSITY BLUES and (more appropriately attired) in HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL appeared in a fetching blouse, her blond tresses placed in a measured state of dishevelment (looking like you are 'slumming' in L.A. is an art-form). Both proved particularly enthusiastic when it came to DESTINATION, offering up engaging remembrances in regards to the harrowing shooting schedule, as well as commenting on several other issues, ranging from their feelings concerning the horror genre, their director James Wong, the ill-fated IDLE HANDS and the alternate ending to FINAL DESTINATION, among others.

"I read so much fluff, and to read a script about a seventeen year-old character who has a tragedy in her life, where she falls and eventually finds her voice, interested me." Said twenty-one year old Sawa in regards to the James Wong directed film, which centers around members of a high school class who abandon their flight after one has a vision of the aircraft's fiery demise; "I read the script on a plane, and found myself staring out the window and looking at the motor every five minutes. It was kind of weird to read a script about a plane going down while flying."

Sawa, who has previously appeared in Universal Studio's CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST and the under-appreciated IDLE HANDS, came across as one quite unaffected by his celebrity status, and expounded upon his first big break in Hollywood. "At the age of fifteen I sent a tape down for the role of Casper not knowing anything about it. I guess because at the time my head was so big and my face was so white Universal decided to fly me down! The mansion in CASPER was the biggest set on the Universal lot, and I met Stephen Spielberg. My grandmother who was with me didn't care though because she was too busy looking at the set!"

Following CASPER and a handful of other roles, Sawa took the lead in 1999's IDLE HANDS, a black-comedy which centered around a teenaged boy whose hand becomes possessed by a demon. Unfortunately for the film, which chronicles Sawa's possessed and homicidal digits, IDLE HANDS was released shortly after the Columbine massacre, and due to its content tanked at the box office. Said Sawa in regards to its fate, "It was an unfortunate situation. It was hard to have a movie about a kid running around at school killing his friends be funny two days after what transpired in Colorado." Apparently his relationship with co-star Seth (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) Green was a bit more successful however, as the actor stated, "Working with Seth was awesome. Everyone laughed so much. You could be in the worse mood; sick, hung-over, you name it, and Seth would make you laugh anyway."

Given the recent spate of fatal air crashes and FINAL DESTINATION's subject matter, does Devon worry that such will affect the forthcoming film, just as real-life incidences crippled IDLE HANDS? "Planes go down all the time. Hopefully no more will," commented the actor.

Having seen the film I would have to agree, as FINAL DESTINATION's most riveting sequence is that of the lead's premonition (Alex Browning, portrayed by Sawa) of the explosion of the France-bound aircraft he has boarded. "It took us a week and a half to shoot the scene," elaborated Sawa. "They had a mock 747 set built on a hydraulic gimbal, and it was controlled with a joystick. It was quite the ride, like Magic Mountain! We had the nose to the ground and were just hanging there by our seat-belts. The realism, with everyone getting sucked out of the side of the plane, the masks falling down, the turbulence… was just scary. It was draining emotionally and physically. I think it is the most realistic plane crash ever put on film… I don't think it will ever be shown as an in-flight movie!"

Although the actor apparently enjoyed himself during the aforementioned Vancouver-based filming, twenty-three year old co-star Ali Larter (who portrays Sawa's love-interest Clear) seemed less than overjoyed. "The crash scene was hard to shoot," stated the actress. "It made me sick. They were putting the fuselage at ninety degree angles, and one time it got stuck. We were looking down, and it was so shocking, and they were feeding me Dramamine because I was getting nauseous. FINAL DESTINATION was a long shoot. It was three and a half months with two weeks of rehearsals, so for me it was a long. It was fun to see it on the screen though, with the special effects and music and editing."

Larter, who is becomingly increasingly familiar to horror fans for her stint as the 'requisite survivor' in both last year's Dark Castle production HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL and the forthcoming FINAL DESTINATION, stated emphatically however that she is, "not in the horror genre," and expounded that FINAL DESTINATION, "is not a horror film. It's a thriller, and the first draft was a love story." Such would appear to be the case, as the current ending of the film is not what was originally scripted or shot. Said the New Jersey native, "In the first ending, I have a baby, and Devon's character dies and I move in with his family. We didn't find out that they were going to use the ending that is now part of the film until two months ago." So why was the ending changed, especially given that the tone of FINAL DESTINATION, regardless of its more horrific elements, offers up a more thoughtful brew than most recent fare? Stated the actress, "Most people who are going to see this film are kids in high-school, and they want a ride. I think the original ending was much more appropriate." Sawa too expounded upon this change, stating, "It (the original ending) tested high, but I guess the audience didn't want my character to die, which I did."

The finale audiences will now see (at least until the DVD version is released) mirrors the cast's statements, as it is without a doubt more visceral and action-packed, if not less than thought-provoking than what was originally lensed. Stated Larter in regards to the decision to re-shoot the final sequence, "we had to shoot that scene four different times, on four different dates. There was a camera problem, one time there was a wrong eye-line, one time the film got scratched. It's no use complaining or not wanting to do it or fighting it though, because you have to do it anyway. There's nothing you can do. It's out of my hands. I loved my time on set, but when it is over, I am done."

With Sawa initially attracted to the script by what he described as the "rainbow of emotions" his character of Alex demonstrates, what was it that elicited Larter's interest, considering her apparent lack of zeal when it comes to the genre? "I read the script while shooting HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, and I was really attracted to it," stated the actress. "I read so much fluff, and to read a script about a seventeen year-old character who has a tragedy in her life, where she falls and eventually finds her voice, interested me." Larter too apparently enjoyed working with both Glen Morgan and James Wong, expounding that, "Both are really intelligent guys. They were both very technical. I didn't really know their work (SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND, THE X-FILES) prior to FINAL DESTINATION (though)."

Unlike Larter, Sawa apparently has always held an appreciation for the horror genre, stating that, "When I was younger me and my friends used to go to the video store and rent the horror films with the cheesiest covers; films with girls with chainsaws on the covers and stuff. I was a big Freddy Krueger fan. Now I find myself on the shelves in films with cheesy covers… with the 'hand!'" Commenting on the similarities IDLE HANDS has with a particular Sam Raimi film, Sawa additionally stated, "EVIL DEAD and ARMY OF DARKNESS are classics! In IDLE HANDS I really wanted to chase 'my hand' around with a gun, but they wouldn't go for it!"

Closing, the young actor expounded upon FINAL DESTINATION director James Wong, stating that, "He's going to be a huge. He knew exactly what he wanted. It's rare to walk into a scene and to trust everything the director has to say; and it was nice. Or maybe the cast was just so damn good, we didn't need direction! Really though, everything he did was just so brilliant."

Back 12.31.2007.