Interview with Wrong Turn 3’s Declan O’Brien and Janet Montgomery

I had the opportunity to talk to the director and one of the actresses of the then upcoming movie, Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead. Declan O’Brien directed this straight to DVD flick, and Janet Montgomery plays the lead actress who, reportedly, kicks a lot of butt. The two of them discuss the movie’s plot and the type and amount of action that the movie will give us. Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead came out on DVD this past Tuesday. If you want to see more cannibal hillbillies get their asses kicked, you can pick up your copy today! I, myself, was really excited about this one after hearing Declan’s description of the movie below. Following shortly will be my review of Wrong Turn 3.

AFC: First of all, how did you guys get into the business?

Janet: I trained as a dancer. When I left I was supported by a big agent. See, I did a play which had nothing to do with dance. I was just lucky to get the lead actress in it. I was sponsored by a really big agent like a year and a half ago. He took me on and literally, movies came straight afterwards. So, I’m pretty new to the business.

Declan: I’ve been at it awhile. I started out as an executive, believe it or not for Disney. I moved from that to becoming a writer and producer. Then from there I became a director.

AFC: So what can you tell me about Wrong Turn 3?

Declan: Well, Wrong Turn 3 is a sequel to Wrong Turn 1 and 2, which are (about) cannibal hillbillies in the woods who hunt down beautiful people, kill them, and eat them. When Fox came to me and asked me, “What do you want to do for Wrong Turn 3,” I was like, “Beautiful people being hunted down and killed in the woods, where’s the story in that?” So we decided to do Con Air meets Wrong Turn, which is a prison bus filled with the world’s worst prisoners and murderers that has run off the road in the middle of the woods, and, you know, are being hunted down by cannibal hillbillies. It becomes a battle royal where they fight each other. Janet’s character, Alex, was in the wrong place at the wrong time white water rafting.

Janet: She took a wrong turn!

Declan: She runs into prisoners and cannibal hillbillies and she kicks all of their asses.

AFC: Awesome! Now is it just you [Janet] kicking all the asses or are there others involved?

Janet: No, there are some tough guys in it, I think she is just smarter. I think that is what makes her so interesting. She is tough, and she can hold her own. She says things when things piss her off, and that is kind of refreshing.

AFC: I’m glad it’s a female kicking all the ass.

Delcan: She is a very empowered character, there are very strong women in my life

AFC: Is there lots of action in it?

Declan: Tons of action! I roll a city bus, like The Fugitive. Set people on fire. Janet gets in various fights. We have some really good other actors. The guy from Eastern Promises, Tamer Hassan, he was in a knife fight with Viggo Mortensen. He’s in this, and there is a big, long drawn out knife fight between him and one of the cannibal hillbillies. So there is a ton of action in this.

AFC: Is it true that you [Janet] were filming The Hills Run Red while you were filming this?

Janet: No, I filmed The Hills Run Red before I filmed this, but they were pretty close together, though. They were back to back.

AFC: Oh, so you didn’t get much of a break then!

Janet: No! I didn’t. It was definitely a hard 3-4 months. I was so tired.

Declan: Yeah, it was her work in The Hills Run Red that the producer showed me some of the footage. They were very complimentary about Janet. I saw the work and I was like, “Absolutely, I want her in my movie.”

AFC: Did you have to prepare physically for this movie?

Janet: I was going to the gym a lot more for this movie than the other just thinking about how she [Alex] is walking around in little shorts all the time. There is so much walking and running through the woods. I was constantly on my feet, so I had to stay fit.

AFC: What kind of movies do you guys like to watch?

Declan: Musicals!

AFC: Really?

Declan: I’m joking.

AFC: Oh! I was a little surprised. I don’t get that answer a lot!

He laughs his ass off while Janet says: I actually do like to watch musicals.

Declan: No, I like horror movies, obviously. I like action movies. I am a big action movie fan. I like it all really.

Janet: I love movies in general. I have such a wide spectrum. Horror movies scare me, so I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to horror movies. Although, since I’ve worked in them, I can start to take them more because I know how it works. I know it’s not real.

AFC: So your last few movies have been horror. Is there another genre you want to get into?

Janet: I am so open to do anything. I would love to do a comedy or like a straight drama; but, I’m pretty open to doing anything. I just want to experience everything, like how I love all different types of movies, I kind of want to give everything a chance and experience everything.

AFC: Get a little variety in there. I love it that you are a female who kicks butt. Are there any male roles that you would like to see as female roles?

Janet: I think a female James Bond. Yeah, I think it would really work because it is so chauvinistic. I love watching James Bond, but the whole “every woman goes to bed with him” is like “no!” Wouldn’t it be great for the 21^st century to have a woman character like that and not have her get judged for it? I think it would be awesome.

AFC: Liberating for women, too.

Declan: That’s too good of an answer.

AFC: I know! That’s hard to follow.

Janet: Well, I was thinking about it. I want to be the next James Bond.

Declan: That is hard to beat. Good answer!

AFC: Were there any obstacles you ran into while filming Wrong Turn 3?

Declan: Oh my God! Where do we begin?

Janet: There were a couple, probably more for Declan. I’m an actor, I just wait until I’m on set and say, “Okay, I’m on.” I don’t really have do deal with a lot of it.

Declan: Well, the bus broke down on the first day of shooting. And that’s the first day of shooting. It’s like an accident. Production is like watching a car crash in slow motion, and you’re just trying to get people out of the way so you can make the film. There’s always something going on.

AFC: Is there anything else you want to say about the movie?

Declan: I think this movie probably has twice or three times the amount of action than the first one and the second one. So for your fans particularly, there is a lot of female, hero action going on. We would love people to tune in, buy the DVD, and watch it. I really wanted to fill this one with some cool stunts, and that was a lot of fun to do.

AFC: Is it going to be just as gory as well?

Declan: Oh yeah! Lots of gore. You know, I roll a city bus. I set people on fire, and the gore on top of it all.

AFC: Sounds great! One last question: What is the worst superpower? (I’ve previously posed this question to a variety of celebrities including Kane Hodder, Carrot Top, Adam West, and Stan Lee.)

Janet: I would say to live eternally, to never be able to die, I think that would be the worst superpower.

Declan: Creating a storm with dandruff. That would be bad.

Janet: Yours is much funnier than mine. Mine was like a serious answer.

They both had a good laugh. Thank you, Janet and Declan, for your time! Check out the trailer.

This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!

Also directed by Declan O’Brien: Learn the Game: The Big Football Game, Rock Monster, Monster Ark, Cyclops

Also featuring Janet Montgomery: Skins, Dis/Connected, Flushed, The Hills Run Red, The Rapture, Accused at Seventeen, Dead Cert

Related reviews:
Wrong Turn (2003)
Wrong Turn 3 (2009) – with Wrong Turn 4 Bonus Plot