Jonas (Marlowe) Seaman
We are very excited to bring you the next interview in our Children of the Corn series this week with Jonas (Marlowe) Seaman. As many of you remember, Jonas played Joseph who tried to escape Gatlin only to have an untimely (and very unpleasant) meeting with Malachai in the cornfield. We recently talked with him about Japanese horror, Americanvirus, and hiding under blankets.COTC - When did you get into acting and how did you hear about the production of Stephen King's Children of the Corn?
Jonas - I was always performing or making up stories in some way or another when I was little. I've always been in love with the movies. When the lights go down in a theater I always feel a little jump in my heart. I think, like a lot people my age, my love for the movies began with Star Wars, but even then, I loved all kinds of films. Because of my Dad, I was exposed early on to a lot of great movies. When I was a kid my Dad began amassing a gigantic video collection. This was before VHS. He had one of these monster 3/4 inch videotape machines that in those days you would only see in a TV Studio. My Dad is Jackie Curtiss (JC Curtiss). He was a bit of a celebrity in the 50's and 60's. He made a number of comedy appearances on the Ed Sullivan show, Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, and played clubs all over the country. For a couple of years (before his movie collection began growing) we had only two films on 3/4 inch tape, Gunga Din and The Wizard of OZ. I watched those two movies about a hundred times, over and over again.
I was about 8 years old when I got a cassette-tape recorder as a gift from my Dad. I started tape recording movies and TV shows as they appeared on television. I walked around his apartment all day listening to them with these huge 1970's head-phones on. That's probably when I really started getting into performing. Star Wars came on TV, and I taped the whole movie so I could listen to it during the day. I was a bit obsessed. I would then take another tape recorder and record scenes from the movie, playing the scenes on one recorder, while I inserted my voice into the story, as if I was an added character in the film. It was pretty horrible, but kind of funny. I then started making up these radio mystery programs. I would press record, and say something like, 'It was a dark and stormy night... suddenly I was hit on the head! Ouch!' Then, I'd bang on the table, like I just fell down. I'd stop the recorder, think of what should happen next in the story, press record, and proceed, line by line, until somehow the mystery resolved itself.
I moved to Seattle with my mother when I was around 9 or 10. I'm not sure exactly how old I was. She really wanted me to grow up in a healthier environment than Los Angeles. I had a hard time adjusting to the move. My mom eventually enrolled me into a Performing Arts School, The Northwest School of the Arts, but even then I missed my Dad and brother who were back in Los Angeles. My brother Curtiss did a TV movie directed by Paul Newman called The Shadow Box, and I thought I was missing out on something by being in Seattle instead of Hollywood. When I was about 12 or 13 I made the decision that I wanted to live with my Dad. It was a pretty hard thing to do. I felt bad for my Mom, who really only wanted what was best for me.
That summer I moved to Los Angeles. My stepmom Bobbi, who is a photographer, took some pictures of me in a photography studio she built in the garage. She also built a darkroom in one of the closets. She submitted the pictures to a couple of agents. Estelle Hertzberg from 20th Century Artists' Agency called me in for an interview. She liked what she saw, and within a week I was out on my first audition. It was that summer that I was called in to audition for Children Of The Corn.
COTC - What was it like auditioning for the character of Joseph, and were there any other roles you considered trying out for?
Jonas - Joseph was the only role that I was being considered for. I remember I used a yellow highlighter to highlight all my lines in the sides that they gave me. It was the scene in the barn before I run off and get killed by Malachai. There weren't a lot of lines to memorize, but I was only 13, so it seemed like a lot at the time. I then rehearsed the scene with Bobbi a couple times. I usually didn't want to work on scenes too much because I wanted them to be fresh, not like I had memorized something. When I went in to read, I took a moment to get into character and then I read the scene. Afterwards, they said that was great and I could go, but I felt I hadn't done my best, so I asked if I could read it again. They said that wasn't necessary, but then they said, 'Ok, read it again if you want.' I read the scene a second time. I don't know if it was any better than the first or not, but I was glad that they let me read twice. About a week later, the phone rang, and I'd got the part.
COTC - Prior to getting the part, were you familiar with Stephen King's works and were you a fan of the horror movie genre growing up?
Jonas - Sure. Stephen King was famous... and I liked scary movies. Then again, at that age, you're easily scared. When I was around 10 my Mom said I could watch The Exorcist with her when it came on TV. I'm thankful that I was never really shielded from adult material as a kid. I think in some ways being exposed to all kinds of media has been a help in my creative life. None the less, I made it through about 30 minutes of The Exorcist before I stopped watching. I knew that was way too much for me to see at that age. Now, I consider it one of the best scary movies ever made. An Werewolf in London came out when I was 11 and somehow I got to see it in a theater, even though I'm pretty sure it was rated 'R'. Even during that movie, which was essentially a comedy, I had to get up out of my seat and leave the theater a couple of times because it was getting too scary. Now, I just think it's a funny movie, but at 11, I was kind of a wuss. On the other hand, I eventually started getting totally into gore and special effects. I loved the scene in American Werewolf where David turns into the monster. After I saw that movie I bought a book about Rick Baker who did the makeup effects. He won an Oscar because of that scene. One of the best things about working on Children Of The Corn was being able to see how all the blood and guts were created. I loved being in the makeup trailer and getting all gored up.
So yeah, I loved all kinds of horror movies as a kid: Trilogy of Terror, Carrie, Cujo, Christine, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist, Friday The Thirteenth, Nightmare on Elm Street, Re-Animator, Scanners, Creepshow, The Fly, The Fog, and oh yeah, I loved John Carpenter's Halloween. I still think that's one of the great classic scary movies of my childhood.
Nowadays, I tend to lean more towards the creepy movies, and less the gory slasher films. I really liked The Others, Ju-on, and The Ring. The Japanese director Takashi Miike's Audition is an incredibly creepy film. I just saw a Vampire movie from Sweden the other night called Let The Right One In. That was a great creepy movie. I like movies that are more like those, movies that spend more time on creating a mood and a story, and less time setting up scenarios for hacking people to bits.
COTC - Were you given any of the backstory on the character of Joseph that helped you while doing the role?
Jonas - I wasn't. Fritz Kiersch was a very hands-off director from an acting standpoint. At least for me he was. Then again, I had a very small part in the movie. He was concerned with communicating to me that he didn't want to do another slasher film. He wanted the movie to be suspenseful, but he wanted the audience to use their imagination more than actually see the killings. In fact, if you count all the adults being knocked off at the beginning of the film, Children Of The Corn has a pretty high body count, but most of the deaths are not actually on screen. Like when I die, you never really see my throat slashed. You see my hand drop the suitcase and blood splatter on it, while you hear my throat gurgling. Kiersch was more concerned with how things were going to be shot. He would say how shooting a particular scene in a particular fashion would create tension. He talked to the kids like we were adults, and he was good at communicating his story-telling process. Instead of concerning himself with my backstory, or giving me any performance direction, he would tell me where to stand when I said my lines. The performance was up to me. But, he did talk about what it would look like shot-wise after it was all put together.
COTC - The movie was filmed in the small towns of Whiting, Hornick, and Salix in Iowa. What was it like filming there, did you meet many of the locals, and do you keep in touch?
Jonas - No. I really didn't meet many of the locals and I haven't kept in touch with anybody from Children Of The Corn. For awhile, after the movie, I'd run into Courtney Gains around town. He's a really great guy. Also, John Franklin was really nice. I had breakfast with Linda Hamilton because our call times were the same. She was a really wonderful person, and very friendly. We also hung out at night watching the dailies of the previous day's shoot. I remember watching the scene where I'm supposed to be run over, and they just pummeled a mannequin with the car. When it rolled under the tires, everybody laughed. The atmosphere on the set was just like that. A lot of laughter.
COTC - On screen, your character shares a friendship with Job and Sarah wonderfully played by Robby Kiger and AnneMarie McEvoy. How was it working with them and did you have fun on the set?
Jonas - They were great kids. Incredibly professional. They were both really cute and funny. We had a great time on the set. It was like playing 'pretend' and getting paid for it. Only, the game is, pretend someone might be trying to kill you.
COTC - Although we don't see his face, you have a scene in which you have an unfriendly meeting in the cornfield with Malachai, played by Courtney Gains. What was it like working with him and did you rehearse the scene prior to filming?
Jonas - Once again, I don't remember much rehearsal. It was more about remembering where we were supposed to stand. Courtney was fantastic. He actually hung out with the locals more than I did. He was old enough to stay out late with kids from the area. I was still too young for all that. I was always home to the hotel room early, practicing my lines or watching TV.
COTC - One of the most interesting scenes (and definitely one of our favorites) has us, as an audience, following Joseph as he tries to 'escape' the town of Gatlin through the cornfield. With inventive camera work, we are actually with him as he flees, first seeing the scene from above, from his point of view, and also as though we are following him through the corn. Do you remember the day of the shoot, was it difficult to film, and (ok, we'll ask it) did you get any cuts running through the cornfield?
Jonas - Yes, I remember it pretty well, and no, it wasn't difficult to film. I was having the time of my life. They'd yell 'Action!'...and I'd start thinking that someone was after me. Really believing it, getting psyched up, and then I'd book it through the cornfield all scared to death until they yelled 'Cut!' It was a blast. And yes, I was paper cut plenty all over the place. That corn is razor sharp. But I was really into it, so I really didn't care.
COTC - We've always wondered Jonas, when Vicky yells 'Burt, look out!!', was that really you we see standing in the middle of the road in the shot just before Burt slams on the brakes?
Jonas - If you mean the POV shot from the car as it's approaching me, yes, that's me. I'm standing in the street and the car is coming towards me while I'm holding my throat. They actually put the camera in the car and had a stunt driver speed towards me and then put on the brakes, stopping the car before hitting me. It was fun. Especially, trying not to flinch as the car was coming towards me. Of course, the shot of me actually being run over is a dummy.
COTC - There was a scene that involved you under a blanket, Linda Hamilton, and a scare in the middle of a road in Iowa. Tell us a little bit about the story and were you in on the joke?
Jonas - Oh that joke! You know, I completely forgot about that, but I vaguely remember something like that happening. Yes, I was in on it. We scared the crap out of her. They told her that because of the child labor laws they couldn't keep me under the blanket for so long, so they were just going to use the mannequin. As she's walking up to me in the shot that they used in the film, she has no idea that I'm actually under the blanket. They told her they would shoot the part where I jump up at her from under the blanket at another time. This would just be a shot of her walking up to my body. For the actual shot, they replaced the mannequin with me, and when she walked up to me, I jumped up at her from under the blanket. She really screamed and jumped away, and that's the shot they used in the film.
COTC - One scene that seems to have been cut from the movie depicts two of the boys attacking a policeman as the still photo appeared on the back sleeve of the original Embassy Home Entertainment Laserdisc version. Jonas, were their any other cut/deleted scenes that you know of or any bloopers that you can tell us about?
Jonas - Wow! I'm just impressed that you've seen a laser disc of Children Of The Corn. You are a fan. They didn't cut any of my part out, but as for bloopers, there's this horrible continuity error. After I'm run over, my dead body seems to flip flop. In one shot I'm on my stomach. In the next shot, I'm on my back. And then, I think I'm on my stomach again. I don't really remember the order the positions are, but when I saw it in the movie I cringed. Also, while filming, one of the crew members found out that there was a pig farm near by. They asked me if I would mind if, for added realism, they used pig-guts on me along with the makeup to create my split open throat. Keep in mind, I was definitely into my gory-makeup effects fascination faze, so I was like, 'Far Out, Man... Yeah, go ahead!'. So the make up artist, who was this wonderful lady that I had a mad crush on, put a pigs wind pipe sticking out of my neck. I thought it was awesome. You'll notice in the close up of me dead in the road, I really am attracting flies.
COTC - Although your character doesn't make it to the end of the movie, did you get the chance to stay throughout the filming in Iowa or was your part filmed out-of-sequence?
Jonas - No. I stayed for only one week. I think they did shoot the movie in sequence, but I don't remember. While I was there, they shot the motel scene, the barn scene, the driving scenes, the run through the cornfield scene, and then my getting run over. I wished I could stay. I was so curious about how movies were made, and I wanted to watch the whole thing, but after my week of filming, I had to go home. I remember I was really sad, because I made so many friends with the actors and crew.
COTC - As filming wrapped, were there any props you were allowed to keep or that you wanted? The red-stained suitcase for instance?
Jonas - Nope. But I did use what I learned about makeup effects in a lot of homemade monster movies. I also bought this really cheesy, totally touristy T-shirt that said 'I Heart Sioux City Iowa'. It was about two times too big for me, and I wore that shirt until it was filled with holes. I think my stepmother eventually had to throw it away.
COTC - Next year marks the 25th Anniversary of the horror classic. What would you like to see for the anniversary, what are your thoughts on it all these years later, and do you feel it is just as scary now as when it first appeared in theaters?
Jonas - 25 years. Wow! Well, I hear a remake is in production for the Sci-Fi Network. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's such a classic movie as it is. Then again, Children Of The Corn is a pretty twisted story, it might do well to be retold. You know, 'Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the cornfield....'
Overall, I think it's a pretty cheesy horror flick. I think the art direction is cool, and it has a creepy vibe at times. It has a fantastic soundtrack. Mainly, I think the movie is loved by a lot of people, because it's considered truly horrible. Although it was panned when it came out, and it's still thought of by many as a terrible film, it's one of those movies that for a lot of people is so bad, it's good. People love quoting the lines, 'He who walks behind the rows,', and 'He wants you too, Malachai!'
When I tell people I was in Children Of The Corn, they usually remember it as that movie with all those creepy kids, or they say, 'Wow, that movie really sucked'. Then again, I've met a number of people who actually thought the movie was terrifying, and had a hard time watching it. As for whether or not I think the movie is as scary now as it was then... to be honest, I didn't think it was a very scary movie back then, or now. Probably, because I was in it. When I see the movie, I get memories of making the movie, and I don't really pay attention to the story at all.
I think ultimately it's a monster film. After all (spoiler alert), there is a monster in the cornfield, but there's also this other level to it. There's this comment on religion, manipulation, and the shift of power between the adults and the children in the movie. In my opinion, religion can be a humbling, unifying force for humanity, but humanity sometimes has a way of twisting this gift into something grotesque and self serving... and then on top of that, children can be little monsters. That's probably what's frightening about Children Of The Corn for some people, to see the way religion is used as a justification for mass murder, and is manipulated to serve something truly demonic. I know it's just a b-horror movie, but there's a reason why it's a classic cult-film. Yes, it's a film people love to hate, but it also has a theme which you could say is pertinent to our times... at least, I think that's why
for some people, it is scary. Then again, maybe people just like it when all the funny looking red headed freckled kids go on a killing spree.
COTC - How do feel about all the remakes Hollywood is doing of the slasher/horror classics of the 70's and 80's and what is your take on the great Japanese horror movies that are being remade with American actors like Ringu / The Ring for instance?
Jonas - I haven't seen a lot of the remakes. I saw the Rob Zombie Halloween remake and I didn't like it very much, but I think it accomplished what Rob Zombie set out to do, which was to make a movie that's actually horrific. I'm not a huge fan of his movies. I think they look really interesting, but I'm always hyper aware in a Rob Zombie movie, that I'm actually watching a movie. I never get sucked in. I also never connect with his characters. For me to be scared, I usually have to have at least some kind of connection to the main character. I think he tried really hard to develop the Michael Myers character, to give us some insight into why he's a killer, but it just seemed so over the top to me that it became unbelievable. What I love about the original Halloween is that we really don't have any insight into why Michael is the way he is. That to me was so much scarier, the not knowing. I love all the slow burning build up in the original, which there's none of in the Rob Zombie version. Then again, like I said, I don't think Rob Zombie sets out to make suspenseful (or even scary) movies. I think he wants to horrify us. So if that's his intent, he accomplishes what he sets out to do. He delights in killing off his characters and grossing us out, and I think he tries to get the audience to delight in it as well. When I think about it, I love scary movies, but I'm not a fan of the horror genre in the strictest sense of the term: I go to scary movies to be frightened more than horrified.
Overall, I'm usually disappointed when they remake a classic horror movie.
As for the American remakes of Japanese horror flicks, I really liked the American version of Ringu. I also liked The Grudge, but the Japanese original in my opinion, is a more interesting ghost story. I also think Kairo was a really great slow moving creepy film, but when it was remade for America as Pulse with Kristen Bell... well, that was horrible. I never saw the American version of One Missed Call, but I heard it was awful. I thought the original Japanese version by Miike was actually pretty funny. Then again, I like almost every Takashi Miike movie I've ever seen.
COTC - From Joseph in 1984's 'Children of the Corn' to Kevin in the 1987 made-for-tv-movie 'The Legend of Firefly Marsh', you played on both the big screen and television. How would you describe your roles and was production different creating a movie for the small screen than for a theatrical release?
Jonas - Every project was completely different. In some projects, I hardly ever spoke to the director. They would just give me my mark, and as long as I hit it and said the lines, they were happy. Fritz Kiersch was very much about the shot, and how with editing, it would tell the story or create the mood he was looking for. He didn't talk to us about character or motivation, but he did talk about how the scene was going to look and feel. Gabe Torres, who directed The Legend Of Firefly Marsh on the other hand, had a tiny budget, and somehow with next to no capital pulled off a miracle of a short film. He basically made it himself with a handful of friends from film school. He actually drove me from Los Angeles to New York in his car to film that movie in his hometown. My memories of Legend of Firefly Marsh are really special to me. Just as special as Children Of The Corn, if not more, because I really saw how amazing and creative somebody could be while completely limited by their resources. Gabe's style of directing was very hands on. He had a specific story to tell, and he wanted the right performance. I did a TV miniseries called Evergreen where I played Leslie Ann Warren's and Armand Assante's son. That was a 'Slam-bam thank-you Mam' television production that we filmed in Canada. I have awesome memories of that. I got to come back to Seattle to film the TV movie The Rape of Richard Beck where I played Richard Crenna's son. That was also fun. I guess the real differences between projects are in their budgets, but all of them also had their own unique atmospheres. The best thing about the entertainment industry is everyone is very creative, and it's great when all these creative people come together to form this small family in order to tell a story. It's a really special experience. Every production is unique in it's own way, whether it's on the big screen or the little one. It's funny that you mention Legend of Firefly Marsh, because I think my two favorite experiences making movies were Children Of The Corn and Legend of Firefly Marsh.
COTC - We're sure the fans would like to know what you've been up to lately, especially life behind the lens...
Jonas - I decided when I was eighteen that I didn't want to become an actor. I moved back to Washington where I've been ever since. My acting career spans about 4 years between 1984 and 1987. I have nothing against it as a profession. I think people who can earn a living that way are amazing. One of my closest friends still has a career in Hollywood. For me, what I found in those four years, watching the adult actors around me, is that it's much easier to be a child actor than an adult one. As a child actor, you go on auditions and you go to school. If you get a part, that's great. If you don't, no big deal, you've got your life as a kid. When I turned eighteen, I realized I had a choice to make. I had to choose whether or not acting would be my profession. I saw so many adults around me striving to make ends meet, waiting tables, doing odd jobs, and hoping that their big break would come. I didn't want that life. People rib me sometimes, asking why I didn't I keep it up. I really don't regret my decision. Don't get me wrong. Acting is awesome. But, the lifestyle of an actor who is trying to be successful is all consuming. You eat, breath, and sleep, working towards getting that next big role, or little role for that matter in order to pay the bills. I've done so many things now in my life. I've made some great decisions and I've made some absolutely horrible ones. Looking back, my life has been enriched by so many experiences that I just never would have had if I stayed in Hollywood.
Life right now is still pretty fun. I have a wonderful girlfriend, an amazing family in both Seattle and in Los Angeles, and a very challenging job. I also have an awesome group of friends. I love creative people. I try to stay creative in some way every day. I also love the internet. I think there are so many cool things happening with technology and social media right now. I love the fact that somebody can have an interest in some niche subject, like a particular camera, or style of music, or Children Of The Corn for that matter, and they can just start a blog or website about it.
As for life behind the lens, I have become really interested in photography. I've started taking a lot of pictures and posting them to my personal blog (www.americanvirus.com). I pretty much post whatever I'm doing creatively. It's very self serving, but I love the fact that it's open for everyone to see. I love it when somebody stumbles across my blog to look at my personal pictures. I think it's amazing actually. I made some stop-motion/time-lapse movies with my camera recently and posted them. A woman in Australia came across them and posted a link on her blog. All of a sudden I had a bunch of hits to my site. I love it that people can be creative and share this way, without it being connected to trying to pay for their next meal. I was recently contacted by the curator for the Gasteig Cultural Center in Munich Germany. He had come across my posts, and now my little movies are going to be a part of a video art installation in Munich for 10 weeks. I think it's amazing. I mean, like I said, my blog is pretty self serving. It's just an excuse to try to be creative every day. I approach it with the same spirit of play that I had with acting, or even when I made those radio shows as a little kid. It is strictly a personal blog. I have no intended audience. Of the 12 people that actually probably visit my site daily, 11 are friends and family, and the other one is me, but I love that we can do these things in this day and age. I love that we can accomplish these kind of playful creative experiments.
COTC - As of this interview, a total of 8 Children of the Corn movies have been produced (9 if you include the 1983 short movie 'Disciples of the Crow' that was included on Stephen King's Nightshift Collection). The 1984 original, 6 sequels, and a Sci-Fi Channel remake of the original that just just finished shooting in September in and around the Quad-City area in Iowa and the town of Lost Nation. Although you were only in the first movie Jonas, have you seen any of the sequels and if you have, what are your feelings on the direction of the series?
Jonas - I really have no opinion on the direction of the series because I've never seen any of the sequels. I'm curious about the Sci Fi channels remake. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with it.
COTC - As Vicky, Burt, Job and Sarah walk off towards Hemingford at the end of the movie, they leave their car and everything behind. Did they forget about Joseph in the trunk? That was why they drove into Gatlin in the first place!
Jonas - Yes, those bastards... they forgot about me. You know that car must have ended up smelling horrible with my body decomposing back there. You'd think at some point in the movie, they'd notice the smell.
COTC - Jonas, thank you so much for giving your time for this interview and for taking us all on one more run through the cornfield!
Jonas - My pleasure.
It was our extreme pleasure to be able to bring you this interview and we want to extend our sincere 'Thanks' to Jonas for taking the time to talk with us. Don't forget to check out his website www.americanvirus.com. You can also check out americanvirus on Twitter, Flickr, Vimeo and Flickriver.