Sid Haig as Capt. Spaulding in THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (2005).
© Lions Gate Films

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Where Have All The Faces Gone?

Yeah, I know I sound like Norma Desmond whining in the film Sunset Blvd. pining for the glory days of silent pictures. But seriously where have all the great faces gone? I'll tell ya where they've all gone. They've all gone to Goddamn Dr. 90210 or the friggin' unemployment line.

There is a new sickness going around (well, actually it's been going around for sometime now, but it's getting worse than ever) that no one should ever get old in Tinseltown. Well, of course no one wants to get old, because no one wants to die, but that's not what I mean. What I mean is our brand new nation of youth obsessed maniacs who are turning everybody into "plastic surgery disasters." I don't want to rant about society at large -- that's a whole different problem -- I want to talk about this sickness as it relates to movies, and, of course, movies have a huge impact on society as a whole. So it's all interrelated, really.

Basically, my beef is that Hollywood has decided that anyone over the age of 25 is over the hill and should be stuck in a rest home. Last year, while shooting The Devil's Rejects, I heard many of the actors involved complaining that they can't get work anymore because they are too old. Too old! I say once a great actor, always a great actor. This youth propaganda really pisses me off, and here's why.

This age-ism thing is killing the movies and killing some of our greatest actors. Think back on some of the silver screens most famous characters and the roles they've become famous playing. Bela Lugosi was 50 when he first burst onto screen as Dracula... 50! These days, any casting agent would laugh in poor Bela's face if he walked into that audition. Okay, how about Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry? Well, he was 41. Or one of my personal favorites of all-time Robert Shaw as Captain Quint in Jaws. He was 48. Jesus, Peter Cushing was 64 when he did Star Wars, and he was still cool.

These days I'll bet every one of those choice roles would most likely be filled by some hairless, talentless, pretty boy yanked off some WB television show and paraded across TRL for us all to love and admire. Boring!

The problem is that Hollywood has unfortunately convinced themselves that young people only want to see young people. I know for a fact that this is not true. When I was a kid, I didn't look up to other runny nosed kids. I wasn't thrilled to see other kids do anything. I wanted to watch larger than life adults, not a bunch of young punks like me. I wanted to see Steve McQueen, John Wayne, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood and... well you get the point. These guys are the stuff legends are made of.

The thing is studio people forget it takes time to become good at something. I'm not saying that young actors are bad, I'm just saying they can't do everything and that they don't have the grit older actors do. A more mature actor has developed a style, a swagger, a vibe that a younger, more inexperienced actor can only fake.

Whenever I screen The Devil's Rejects for someone, they always comment on the amazing faces that are in the film. The truth lies in a person's face. A person's life experience is etched across their face, sometimes painfully plastered across it. Think of Sid Haig (age 66) and you think of that face. Think of Danny Trejo (60) and you think of that face. The same goes for Bill Moseley (53), Ken Foree (63) and William Forsythe (50). Now I ask you, do any of these gentlemen seem too old to kick serious ass? I think not.

In fact, they seem like they would rip the heads off the cast of the O.C. and eat them for breakfast with a side of bacon. But the conventional Hollywood wisdom would say that they are far too old for most viewers. They can't possibly hope to play the lead anymore, maybe they can play the nothing role of the kindly grandfather, the homeless bum or the uptight butler. This is total bullshit.

Thank God there are still a hand full of actors out there secure enough not to fall prey to this age-ism crap. This sick new trend of male actors running out and getting a frigging face-lift because they see a wrinkle is insane! It makes me sick! Where would we be if Charles Bronson or old, squinty-eyed Clint Eastwood was afraid of a few laugh lines?

And as far as woman go, don't even get me started. That's a whole other subject that I don't have the space to get into. I don't know about you, but I don't find 19-year-old skeletons with overstuffed Mick Jagger lips and lopsided plastic hooters attractive. All I see is a girl who hates herself. Basically, by today's standards, I guess Marilyn Monroe was a big, fat disgusting pig. We must stop this insanity.

In closing, I would just like to say two words: Christopher Lee. This cat is 83 years old, and every time he walks on camera in any movie, he steals the scene...owns it. That is the mark of an experienced professional.