Tom Atkins is the studly, manly, rugged, old-school-kick-your-ass-with-a-mustache classic horror hero that women can only dream about seeing on screen these days. Luckily, we were able to catch Tom Atkins in his recent appearance in the My Bloody Valentine 3-D remake, but it's his performance in films like Halloween III and The Fog that make him a horror legend. Charming, but always a man's man, this guy's the real deal. His warm deep voice and strong hands and amazing demeanor recall the long-gone days of real men like Charlton Heston, Victor Mature, and John Wayne. "Horror fans are not the complete wackos you would think they would be", says Tom of us. "They're a pretty solid group." Tom has also been in George Romero's Bruiser, the classic Maniac Cop, the horror/sci-fi/comedy Night of the Creeps, and John Carpenter's classic Escape from New York. Tom is our Scary Stud of the Month for February 2009, and he's one hell of a stud, if you don't mind us saying so;
Tom Atkins, Kerr Smith, and Jaime King all worried about being pickaxed to death in 'My Bloody Valentine' 3-D
Tell us a romantic story!
This isn't probably your idea of romantic, but it's a cute story.
One time I was at a hotel, at a table by myself having dinner. And there were maybe ten women at this table and they were obviously old friends, and they were of an age. They were all older than me and this was 20 years ago. More than 20! I couldn't help, because we were the only tables in this room, and I heard them talking, I couldn't help but overhear their conversation. And then the waiter came over and said, 'are you ladies gonna have an after dinner drink?' And they all demurred and, being the sweet old southern ladies they were, they all said no, then I said, I offered to buy them a drink!
They invited me to come over and sit at their table. When we were all leaving, one woman said it was sweet of me to do that. I said, 'May I offer you my arm?' and she said, 'Young man, you may offer me your arm, and a leg, and whatever else you want to offer me!' She was so cute!
Tom Atkins in 'Creepshow'
You usually get cast as a detective or police officer, like you were in My Bloody Valentine, Bruiser, Striking Distance, The Heist, A Stranger Waits... Why do you think that is?
Because of my mug. The face I was born with. I just have one of those faces that looks like a cop. I look like a detective. I look good in uniform. I really do. I kinda got that face of authority. Somebody in L.A. on a talk show once referred to me in this way: 'Here's Tom Atkins, a guy with a face like a fist.'
Tom Atkins as a detective in 'Bruiser'
Tom Atkins as a detective in 'Maniac Cop'
Tom Atkins as a detective in 'Night of the Creeps'
You've gone on record saying that the best time you've ever had making a horror film was when you did Night of the Creeps in 1986. What did you love about being in that film?
I think Night of the Creeps has always been the favorite movie I have ever made. Certainly not the best movie ever made, Casablanca I liked better. But for me being in it, Night of the Creeps has always been my favorite I think mainly because I had the best time doing it. It's kind of an homage to old scary movies and horror movies, but it's a little bit of sci-fi and a little bit of horror, its two young kids as the heroes and the biggest weapon they have is a flame thrower. We just had the best time making that movie we were laughing all the time. And I had such wonderful lines in it! Every time I answered the phone I said 'Thrill me'. I have had a woman come up to me and say, 'Oh god! You were in Night of the Creeps! Say 'Thrill me'! And she showed me some pencils she had made with 'Thrill Me' written on them for her company. And 'Good news/Bad news', and 'It's Miller Time'. I thought Fred Dekker was a genius for writing and directing it and I don't think the movie ever got the fair shake that it deserved.
More Tom Atkins in 'Night of the Creeps'
Take the following phrase, which is in 'detective/police language', and translate it into regular-people talk:
The female corpse near Groverton was assaulted and ceased breathing as a result of compression to the neck, but no suspects are currently being held for questioning.
Sure; Somebody strangled the tomato on Groverton. I don't know who. But we're on the case and we're looking for 'em. Or her.
More Tom Atkins in 'Bruiser'
More Tom Atkins in 'Maniac Cop'
Would you consider yourself more 'ruggedly handsome', or 'a good-looking man's man'?
Ruggedly handsome.
Tom Atkins seducing a ladddddy in 'Halloween III'
More Tom Atkins in 'Halloween III'. Ouch!
Okay, I have always wondered: In Halloween III, when all those bugs and snakes come out of the masks when the person wearing the mask watches the Silver Shamrock commercial, are all those snakes and bugs inside the mask already and just come out when the mask starts melting, or are they conjured up through magic, spontaneously, when the commercial plays?
Magic supernatural spontaneous creation of bugs and snakes. They're not already there. Remember the woman in the motel who gets eaten by a mask? There's a big flash of light and she just gets devoured.
Actor Christopher Stone, who starred in 'he Howling' and 'Cujo', looked a lot like our Tom
Tom in a made-for-tv horror film 'Tarantulas', with some guy.
Horror actress Dee Wallace was married to a man named Christopher Stone. Back in the 80's he starred in a few horror films like The Howling and Cujo. Has anyone ever told you that you look So Much Like him?
Yes! Dee mistook me for Chris once! She said, 'you look so much like Christopher'. She and I worked together on a movie. We were a conniving couple. We were married, not to each other, and we were having each other in this movie, and she tried to blow me up in a car. And I see her at horror conventions now.
I don't go to them that often, but I do enjoy them when I do go. And they're a lot of fun. They're always in different parts of the country and meet the fans. The fans are all surprisingly well grounded! Horror fans are not the complete wackos you would think they would be. They're a pretty solid group.
Tom Atkins looking hardcore in 'Escape from New York' with some guy
Tom in John Carpenter's original 'The Fog'.
Why should women see the My Bloody Valentine remake?
Cause I'm in it! That's reason enough. Go see it for me. Now if girls, little girls wanna go see it, they should see it for Jensen Ackles and Kerr Smith. But women, they should see it because I'm in it. And I have a good time, the same as I always do. Though I certainly am more Kilimanjaro on top of my head than I used to be.
Sexy, seductive Tom in 'The Fog' with scream queen Jaime Lee Curtis.
What films do you have coming out soon we can see you in?
Shannon's Rainbow, about a girl and a horse, a feel-good family, and one called Trapped, in which I play a detective. A murder mystery thing.
By far the most worthy scary stud ever.