The sadistic members of a villainous family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new home owners and their guests in the 2010 thriller Mother’s Day, a re-make of the 1980 low-budget Troma film of the same name. Arriving on DVD
It’s tough stuff, to be sure, but adding a sparkle to the proceedings is the presence of actor Candyse McClure in the supporting role of Gina Jackson, a houseguest who does her damnedest to survive the nasty situation. Best known as TV’s Battlestar Galactica’s optimistic but troubled Officer Anastasia Dualla, the amiable Ms. McClure spoke with Disc Dish about her Terran-based experiences making Mother’s Day.
Disc Dish: Looking at your list of credits, I have to say that you’ve got the most exotic collection of character names I’ve ever seen. Anastasia Dualla in Battlestar Galactica, of course, but also Zara in an episode of Andromeda, Harmony in Smallville, Serafina in the indie drama Cole, Shontal in the series Arctic Air and lots of others.
Kandyse McClure: Oh yes, I’m the “exotic” one. (Laughs)
DD: Which brings us up to “Gina Jackson” in Mother’s Day. Now that’s a “no-b.s.” name.
KM: She’s definitely a “no b.s.” girl.
DD: How did you get involved with Mother’s Day?
KM: It was pretty standard, actually. [Director] Darren Bousman had seen me in Children of the Corn and was familiar with my work. I submitted a taped video audition–I was given the sides the day before—and I got the role. I was familiar with Darren’s work on the Saw movies, of course, though I have to admit I don’t watch a lot of heavy, violent horror movies. Mother’s Day was more of a psychological thriller. I liked the story right off the bat—the idea of a home invasion gone wrong with criminals on the loose.
DD: Psychological, yes, but it’s still pretty nasty.
KM: Ultimately, it’s always about the story. If violence serves the story, if somebody has to die, then there it is. In a way, that’s the beauty of these kind of movies; the audience can sit in the safe comfort of a dark room and experience these kinds of things. And people can get an adrenaline rush from the movie. What would I do in that situation? Would I be one of the passive people, a victim, or would I face the terror?
DD: You worked with a large ensemble of actors, with many often in the same scene. Did that loosen up the tension of the subject matter?
KM: My experience with the ensemble always depended on the individual scene. But I can definitely say that it was a cast of dedicated, creative actors. I was floored by the talent I got to work with, all of them. And [star] Rebecca De Mornay is a force to be reckoned with!
Kandyse McClure (l.) gets to work on the set of Mother's Day.
DD: Mother’s Day is a remake or re-imagining of a 1980 movie of the same name. You’ve appeared in a handful of remakes over the years.
KM: Carrie and Children of the Corn, yes. I like remakes—I think they’re an exciting part of today’s youth culture. Audiences may be familiar with the first version and then they come to know it again, but through a different lens and in a different context. It’s up to the director and filmmakers and cast team to re-engage that terror for a new audience and those looking to re-energize their experience.
DD: I see that you’re an active Twitter user, going so far as to quote Dr. Seuss in a recent post.
KM: I have to thank Darren Bousman for introducing me to Twitter. Coming onto the Mother’s Day set, Darren taught me all kinds of things about Twitter—hash tags, trending topics, all of it. I have a real preference for Twitter. I love the brevity, the immediate feedback from the people who follow me. It speaks to the immediacy of our culture. In the course of the Twitter feed, I can find things that are poignant, political, heartwarming, funny—it’s all there. I love the variety of it and I don’t have to click like crazy!
DD: Very interactive of you! Can you tell me about your latest project?
KM: I’m currently working on a feature film that’s shooting in Vancouver called The Seventh Son with Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges and Ben Barnes. It’s an epic fantasy based on a children’s book. My character is a witchy woman who hails from the “Dark Continent” and her name is Sarikin. So there’s another exotic name for you!
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Buy or Rent Mother’s Day
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Another great interview from DiscDish and Laurence. I really enjoy these brief, very personal “disc”ourses with those in and behind the entertainment industry. I was fascinated by her comments on remakes. The most classic example of a remake is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo which was remade by Hollywood within a year of the dubbed English version of the Scandinavian movie being released in Europe. A huge risk, since one could not say “Well, that is how they made movies then and this is how we do it now”. It is commendable that although I prefer the Scandinavian version, both Tattoos stand out well in the cold light of the projector and audience.