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This interview contains major spoilers aboutHalloween Kills.
Now she gets a classic horror-movie death at the hands of one of the genres spookiest stalwarts.
Unfortunately, Karen doesnt make it out of the house alive.
When did you find out about the ending ofHalloween Kills, and what was your reaction?
He told me, and I tried to quit.
No, Im kidding.
Someones gotta go, man!
Its not like it was a huge shock.
I knew it wasnt going to be Andi, so it was either me or Mom.
You cannot kill Jamie.
Me too, at first.
I was like,I always knew I would work with you.
I didnt think it would be on a horror movie, but Im down to party.
So then they sent me the script, and she was the star and she was kicking nonstop ass.
So back to me,of course.
I wasnt really shocked when he told me what the ending was, but of course I was super-bummed.
Storytelling-wise, I think its the right thing.
But I wanted to go and play with everyone because we have the most fun making these movies.
Most of the crew comes back for them, so its not just the cast and David.
We party, and its total fun.
Thats what Im going to miss out on.
The average Judy Greer character doesnt have to worry about getting slaughtered.
Is it fun to die onscreen in such a dramatic fashion?
It was exciting because they had a placeholder in the script.
Chris Nelson, our special-effects makeup god, and David come up with all the kills.
Then I went to a bar where I was told everyone would show up at some point.
They all did, and Chris showed up.
That was when he told me what hed come up with.
Its more of a dance or an opera than you watching Michael pull out my organs.
I just think that would have been a lot.
It also mythologizes him.
I knew intellectually what I was doing.
Then it happens full-on when Im up in that bedroom window.What is the evil in me?
Michael is kind of an Everymonster instead of an Everyman.
I want to go back to the placeholders you mentioned in the script.
Were certain kills grislier in the movie than they were on the page?
They read each others minds.
I know you know how enthusiastically audiences responded to your big climax at the end of the previousHalloween.
I mean, I lost my mind!
Is there a part of you thats worried theyll be disappointed by the way this one ends?
I actually want people to be bummed about it.
I want the audience to be upset, but I want them to love the movie.
They have to embrace it and also be like,Nooooo!
You are, at least according to IMDb, also credited inHalloween Ends.
Could that be a hint that Karen is actually alive?
Can I tell you a secret about that?
Yeah, hey do.
The first question anybody asked me about the movie was Youre not listed inHalloween Ends.
That is so smart of you.
Well, Im only doing it because you journalists and horror fans are so smart.
You do get a really fun moment when you stab Michael with a large garden fork.
You really dig into him with that thing.
Whats it like to film a scene like that?
That always makes it easier to perform because its scary no matter what.
Thats years of history right there in your hands.
I know, and Chris Nelson is so protective of that mask.
Theres only, like, two of them.
People in the past have asked me, Do you guys put them on and run around?
Between every setup, Chris is like, I need it back, I need it back.
Im like, Im not going to do anything to it!
And hes like, I just need it back.
I can be trusted with a mask.
You do spend most ofHalloween Killsin a state of distress.
Karen is not having much fun.
Does it take a toll on you to have to conjure these intense emotions?
It was an easy set to act on because everything is happening for real in front of me.
There really were what felt like a million background artists stampeding toward us in the hallway at the hospital.
I really was trying to protect Jamie Lee Curtis from being stepped on.
He was slower, and I didnt want all the background artists to get to him.
Im not a Method actor, but in scenes like this, it makes it really fucking easy.
You mentioned the Christmas sweater.
How many of those things have you cycled through over the course of these two movies?
Thats a question for Emily Gunshor, our amazing costume designer, but there were a ton of them.
They were kind of specific they had shit on the pockets.
Then one day she was at work and one of the background artists had them.
She couldnt find them anywhere anymore.
I wouldnt have even thought to ask about the jeans.
The sweater is Karens hallmark, especially in the second movie.
Its all we see her wearing.
I dont think you have any scenes with Kyle Richards, but did you interact with her at all?
And are you aReal Housewivesperson?
I am not a religious watcher, but I love the show and Im a big supporter of it.
But we had lunch together when she was working.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
