Dee Wallace Howling Away At Monster Fest

We’ve all heard the term Scream Queen when it comes to actresses who frequently appear in horror movies. Actress Dee Wallace is been in the movie business for many years, starring in horror hits such as The Howling, Cujo, Critters, the 2007 version of Halloween. Despite this, she is still best known for her role as the mum in the classic sci-fi family film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Wallace is still rocking it, as she’s working on a new horror flick called Red Christmas that’s being filmed in Sydney, and soon coming to Melbourne for Monster Fest. There she will be having a retrospective on her career, a screening of The Howling, a breakfast screening of E.T. and an acting masterclass. Milk Bar Mag got to have a brief chat with her while the crew were preparing for her next scene.

You starred in the megahit E.T. What was Steven Spielberg like to work with?
That’s like saying what it’s like to work with a genius! He’s brilliant, amazing, knows what he wants. He thought I was perfect for the part and I was lucky to be a part of such a big film

And what was Rob Zombie like to work with on the remake of Halloween?
I absolutely love Rob Zombie. He is one of the nicest, smartest kindest directors I’ve veer worked with. He’s not like his stage persona. Him and his wife Sheri are really nice people.

What has drawn you to the horror genre so much? Was it a conscious decision?
It wasn’t conscious, they found me. But I love to play movies that have big hearts for my characteers. I love drama, I love emotion. Horror films tend to allow me to go through all those emotions.

Out of your horror movies, which one scares you the most?
I don’t really get scared when I see one of my horror movies, but Cujo is my favourite

Tell me about the retrospective on your career that will be happening at Monster Fest.
We’re having a lot of big events. I’ll be going to a sci-fi convention and meet my fans here in Australia. We’re going to screen The Howling. There will be a big Q&A on my films, and a master acting class open to directors and writers who want to come in and learn more about acting in the film and TV genre.

Monster Fest
Saturday November 28 – Sunday November 29
monsterfest.com.au/guest/dee-wallace