Interviewed by: Julie Chen
After five seasons of the hit TV series Charmed, you might expect Rose McGowan would want to take a break, but instead she is now doing double duty, in the new and very unusual two part movie ‘Grindhouse’. Rose McGowan good morning.

Good morning.

So what is a Grindhouse film?

Well Grindhouse was kind of these sexploitation or just crazy car chase all these kind of films that were in the 70’s made by these outlaw outsider film makers, and the movie that we have done is basically kind of doing a recreation of that but it isn’t that, it’s basically a excuse to do crazy things and be unfettered by Hollywood’s rules.

It’s very campy. I mean it’s very gory but it’s done in a camp way, so that it’s not like your typical horror flick right.

No and I have a really big problem with horror movies in general. I was going through the classics Halloween, Friday the thirteenth and I’ve never seen any of these movies. I don’t like them but this is, you just try to get in the mind set of both these film makers, Tarantino and Rodriguez and its a very erm, comic book approach it’s like thirteen year old boys, ew splatter gross-out but the thing in these movies is that your laughing so much, I had some body say that they had never laughed and dry heaved in the exact same moment before.

[Laughs] Well I think we have a clip that accurately, kind of makes you figure out what a Grindhouse film is, let me just set it up.

Ok

You play, it’s a double feature and in the first movie you play Cherry who is kind of down on her luck and all of a sudden these flesh eating zombies have taken over. They have taken one of your legs.

Rude.

So rude.

So rude.

Here’s what happens with a scene with your boyfriend in the film.

*Clip shows of Grindhouse Planet terror of Cherry telling her boyfriend that she has broken her wooden leg and he presents her with a machine gun specially designed to fit in its place.*

Ok, how did you shoot that?

That was a really heavy grey cast that was locking my leg out straight and I rested my heal on a little ball bearing so that my toes pointed down and on the other side was a four inch high boot. So my posture was horrid and I did everything as fast as everyone else it was kind of a bizarre version of ‘The Ginger Rogers’ I did everything Fred Astaire did but backwards and with a gun leg.

It must have really worked your core muscles and your balance.

It did those are the two things, and balance is not my fortay but I knew I had it made when someone on the set said I looked like a ballet superhero, because I go over this wall at one point and I guess I was doing first position arms hoped no one would notice but I guess it looked good.

There’s also one scene in the movie, where the second movie, where Quentin Tarantino, no it’s the first feature, when he tells you you look like Ava Gardner do you hear that a lot in real life?

Its funny that she’s one of my idols just purely looks stunning and a lot better actress than she was given credit for, but you know the day I could really be told I look like her would be a fantastic day. I should take the comment and shut up basically.

[Laughs]

Yes I get told all the time, but no I don’t [laughs].

Well you work with two star directors in the double feature one is Quentin Tarantino is one of them, Robert Rodriguez is the other one. Now he said he based a lot of the character on who you are this is a quote he said:
I love a really strong female character but far and away, one of the strongest females I’ve ever met is Rose. Where does your strength come from?

Well I think like most people I get sets of adversity and things like that but I also refuse to be jaded by bad things in like refused from an early age and I just think things are funny, I think its much easier. Maybe it’s just the Irish way to make fun of everything that’s bad, or sad, or tragic, so everything’s just ha ha ha hiding the pain on the inside I don’t know.

It makes you stronger.

Yeah I don’t know I’m not a beige personality, but that’s ok enjoy myself.

And we enjoy your work Rose McGowan thanks so much, we have a parting gift for you. I read you like Laffy Taffy now I know your character is called Cherry but we couldn’t find cherry flavour, I think it’s just a mix so enjoy.

Oh no you don’t even call them flavours there’s purple and there’s pink and there’s green and that’s exactly what there like in my stomach my dentist loves me.

[Laughs] Thanks Rose.

Thank you I’m so excited.



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