Olga Karlatos interview

During these strange pandemic times, I've decided I'm going to try and find the time to upload some past interviews to this blog for you all to enjoy. The first is with Olga Karlatos, who I interviewed for the Arrow Video release of Lucio Fulci's all-time classic Zombie Flesh-Eaters (1979) back in 2012. This is the first and last time that the legendary actress has spoken about her career - she know resides in one of the few remaining British colonies, Bermuda, in North America and I have recently been in touch with her about, when this pandemic ends, going out there to film an interview with her. Sadly, she has told me she is not interested in doing another interview about the past. I think this is an enormous loss for fans and for me, of course, as an film academic and researcher - we really do have such a vital job to do in chronicling motion picture history and, as pretentious as this might sound, I take that responsibility very seriously. Whilst I hope that the great Olga Karlatos does change her mind one day, here - for now - is the only chat ever conducted with her. Enjoy!

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Olga Karlatos lost her sight (and her guts) for Lucio Fulci but years later she has few regrets...

By Calum Waddell

Just who is that stunning actress with the rusty blonde hair that highlights one of the most iconic moments in horror history when her right eyeball meets a huge shard of wood almost 45 minutes into the living dead action of Zombie Flesh Eaters? The answer, as any Italian terror-junkie will surely know, is Olga Karlatos - a woman whose past career as a certified Scream Queen icon is in deep contrast to her present-day status as a lawyer-extraordinaire, located in the sunny climate of Bermuda (in 2010 she made the island's local news for sitting the Bermuda Bar at the tender age of 65). However, long before she swapped her acting accomplishments for courtroom dramatics, the Greek-born Karlatos was whipping up a storm in the likes of the classic spaghetti western Keoma (1976), the brutal police action-thriller Convoy Busters (1978) and, of course, Zombie Flesh Eaters. Following her role as the ill-fated Mrs. Menard in Fulci's meat-munching masterpiece, Karlatos took on the leading lady part in the Italian sex comedy Skin Deep (1979 - and not to be confused with the Blake Edwards movie of the same name), appeared in the ensemble of the hit television drama The Scarlet and the Black (1983) and tested her thespian metal against the likes of Anthony Perkins in The Sins of Dorian Grey (1983). A return to fright-flicks came with Fulci's underrated, New York-set giallo Murder Rock (1984) and our lady can also be seen in the same year's Prince vehicle Purple Rain. Yet, Karlatos has remained tight-lipped about her much-celebrated time in the splatter spotlight. At least, that is, until now...

Consequently, for this very special Blu Ray edition of Zombie Flesh Eaters, the great lady took the time to sit down with us and discuss her memories of the macabre...

First of all, can you talk about how you got your start as an actress?

Now this is a very long story [laughs]… I was not a "born" actress and I followed that path, not so much as a choice for myself, but as an act of defiance against others. The "others" in question were my parents, both of whom were orphans and were forced to remain uneducated. As a result, they transferred their frustrated dreams onto their children. I resented their overbearing demands for academic excellence and high performance so I ended up doing the opposite of what I was expected to do. By the age of 18, I had piled up many "laurels" as a student, including scholarships, so my announcement that I would go to drama school - as opposed to university - came as a terrible shock to everyone. However, although my "rebellious" move may have had the desired effect, I now had to live up to my choice. My only justification would be to completely embrace it and do this as best as I could. This probably explains why, in my retirement, I decided to go back to where I left off - which was to higher education…

Prior to working with Lucio Fulci, you were cast in all number of fondly remembered classics from the glory days of Italian genre cinema, such as Keoma and Convoy Busters. Can you give us an idea of how busy this chapter of your life was?

Well I had many different chapters in my life [laughs]. Lucio, for example, was part of the third chapter – what we can call the Italian one. Let me explain... The first chapter was in Greece, where I was born. I left my country at about 22, married the French-adopted director of my first movie and moved with him to Paris where I lived for about 10 years. Italy came after that. This was a very important "second" chapter for me because Italy is where I "grew up". I had been divorced by that point and I was on my own: having to support myself and my son, and also financially assisting my parents and my former husband. Thankfully, I built up a good reputation for myself and I was lucky to make some successful movies - as well as some very bad ones [laughs]. So the height of my acting career would probably be the "third" chapter and, yes, I was indeed kept busy - and I needed it. In fact, I can’t possibly put a number to the roles I was offered. Eventually, I was given the chance to work in the U.S. and I moved there permanently. This was the fourth chapter. This is also where I met my current husband who is a talented film producer. He was - or rather is - a Bermudian and this is how I discovered Bermuda, and eventually decided to quit show business. Bermuda is my fifth chapter. Who knows what’s next –if any [laughs].

Quite a life! So let's cut to the chase: how did you become cast in Zombie Flesh Eaters?

This is a question that only the late Lucio Fulci could possibly answer! I guess he just thought that I was right for the part… I also had a reputation as being reliable – I was always on the set when I was expected to be, always prepared, I never wasted production time... that sort of thing.

Can you describe Lucio Fulci as both a director and as a person?

I can only say that my encounters with Lucio were limited to the professional level. However, his human traits were obvious on the set, as evidenced by the way he treated his actors and his team in general. He was always firm but respectful, both demanding and kind, and, maybe surprisingly, he always faced everything, even complex situations, with a light touch of humour. This was actually one of his best qualities on the set given that many of the scenes in Zombie Flesh Eaters were meant to be really gory. I should also say that although I understand the focus of your attention is on Lucio as a person and as a director - and I can confirm that I remember him fondly in both of these capacities – I mainly knew him as the man behind the camera who was calling the shots. You see, I did not know Lucio outside of the set so I cannot contribute anything substantial to queries about him on a more personal level.

That said, those whom I have met, who worked with Lucio as an actor, state that he had great respect for intelligent women. Obviously - being extremely smart yourself - did you also encounter this level of esteem?

Well that is very kind of you to say - thanks. However, I couldn’t speak for Lucio and I have no way of knowing what he thought of me, much less about whether or not he deemed me to be intelligent [laughs]. We did get along extremely well though - and the fact that he cast me again in Murder Rock should confirm this.

Where were your scenes in Zombie Flesh Eaters shot? Did you get to travel to the Caribbean?

I don't think I did... So far as I can remember, my scenes were just shot in Italy but with all of my travels, I may be wrong.

Do you have any fond memories of your Zombie Flesh Eaters co-star Richard Johnson?

Apart from working together on the set and getting along fine - and I do recall he was very professional, a seasoned actor and a congenial person - unfortunately I have no specific memories that I could share…

What were your thoughts of the Zombie Flesh Eaters script? Did you ever expect the film to be considered a classic of the horror genre?

No [laughs]. It is never the case, while a movie is being made, that one can know anything about its future impact or success. One can like the idea, and hope that there will be an audience for the finished product, but little else. But, of course, every movie involves a lot of work and a serious investment and why would anyone bother unless they seriously believe in the project? Having said that, the routine answer is "nobody knows anything" in show business [laughs].

If I was to approach the film in a more scholarly manner - it could be surmised that the living dead in Zombie Flesh Eaters, and the third world setting, present an allegory of the exploited nations 'rising up' to consume the West. What do you think of this sort of retrospective academia?

You know, I enjoy this sort of "interpretation" – it is a process of thought that I find very creative, regardless of whether or not it corresponds to any intention on the part of the author. Everyone is free to read something into a subject. Sometimes the intention is there, sometimes it comes as a surprise, sometimes a reading can be frustrating if the intention was quite the opposite or none at all. Again, I cannot speak for Lucio, and his conceptualisation of his work, but I happen to like your suggested interpretation. It can’t be definitive, of course, because it is all subjective...

How did you feel about the splinter-in-the-eye scene? Some critics have read this as being especially misogynistic...

Again, this is another "interpretation" - albeit one which I happen to like less but which I also respect, nevertheless, as a free exercise of criticism. My own limited view is that this was just meant to be a horror movie and, personally speaking, I was happy that the victim was a woman because it meant that I got the part [laughs]. It could have been anyone though – a man, a child, a person of any age, gender, or appearance, depending on the overall story line…

Did you see the special effect for the splinter gag being produced on the set? How was the experience for you?

I remember vividly the excruciating experience of having a cast taken from my face – with the plaster poured all over me to create the mould for the head that served for the splinter gag. Even more uncomfortable was the post-splinter days when I had to live with an eye patch and undergo hours of make-up and wait for my scenes to be shot! Funnily enough, as much as I had trouble adjusting to being one-eyed, the day the patch finally came off, it took me even more time to re-adjust to binocular/ stereoscopic vision [laughs].

What about the sequence where your torso is torn apart by the living dead? Can you share some memories of this?

Ah yes, the scene where you see me being eaten, and boasting a cut-off leg no less, was not a lot of fun either [laughs]. I remember I had to lie down on the floor with one leg through a hole drilled into the floor, and hours of make-up for the "cut" leg without being able to move for the whole day. The cramps were killing me – and there was no break because the make-up application was so lengthy… I won't get into details but you can take it from me: it was tough! But, this is the life of an actor. And I have done things even more difficult and painful than that, if you can believe it…

You certainly suffered for your art - but did you know that, at the time, Zombie Flesh Eaters was taking a considerable bite out of the box office in the UK, the USA and all over the world?

No, to date I had no idea about any of the above [laughs]. I am actually surprised at hearing this news, after such a long time…

And were you pleased to be reunited with Fulci for Murder Rock?

Of course I was…. I got the job! And I knew that it was going to be another good, professional experience and that there would be a decent final product. What more can an actor hope for? Other than that I do not remember much about Murder Rock - even my character!

 Do you recall if there was any evidence of Fulci's growing health problems on the set of Murder Rock?

I never knew he had any health problems at the time. No one else did either - at least that I know of. It could be that they developed later, after I moved to the US and broke away from the film industry. I honestly don’t know.

Inevitable question - you gave up on acting: why?

As to the "why" - it is another long story. I guess I had enough by the time I found serenity in Bermuda. I was ready to do something else like… grow tomatoes [laughs]. Years later, I again decided to do something different and embarked into academic pursuits. Now, I have just started a new career as a lawyer. I am still pondering what to do when I grow up [laughs]…

And are you pleased to be remembered and have some of your past work recognised, reappraised and even rediscovered by new generations?

I am stunned every time someone remembers me - and my past. It is so long ago. I would lie if I said I am not pleased, but, if my work is "re-discovered" as you suggest, it will be because of some movie as a whole. Actors are only one of the elements, the authors and directors come first. An actor is as good as the final product is. It really is a team work. It so happens that it is in the nature of the job for actors to be exposed to the public eye. Still, it is first and foremost a job that requires hard work and commitment. Today, as a lawyer, I still do the best I can. Nothing has changed, except the nature of the job. Lawyers do not expect to be "re-discovered" or remembered. But you know what? This is fine with me [laughs].