MARILYN BURNS         For more info on BURNS: IMDb

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MARILYN BURNS     For more info on BURNS : IMDb

    LEATHERFACE'S FIRST LOVE, An Interview with Marilyn Burns

    Hey Splatter fans, I had a chance to have a lovely chat with one of the original scream queens, Marilyn Burns. She of course played
    Sally in the seminal horror masterpiece THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. She was also one of the few to escape Leatherface's
    onslaught, so I was very honored that Ms. Burns, Leatherface's sweetheart, could spare StrictlySplatter.com some time.

    JOSE: Did being in TCM make you a bigger horror fan?

    MARILYN: I've always been a horror fan. When I was a little kid I always used to go to the Saturday morning matinee where they would
    show all the horror movies, double features, and I loved it and I never missed a Saturday. I loved that! Now, the other day, my brother
    put on Saw...something, and he said "Marilyn, watch this! The guy does this!" and I said "I'm not watching it." Bill thought I was kidding,
    but I just can't watch that. I will not. So I like a certain type of horror movie, but the two seconds I saw of that movie...I just don't want to
    see that. But I don't want to say anything bad about those Saw movies. Even though I know it's a prop ankle, I know it's a prop this, and I
    know that it's prop whatever, I just don't want to watch that. There were times back in the old days when I'd be alone in my apartment
    and A Nightmare on Elm Street (with Bobby Englund, who is my friend) would come on and I'd decide to watch. Then I'd have to turn it
    off because I'd realize that I'd be up all night imagining things under the bed or in the closet. So there are certain movies that I like, but I
    have to be in a different frame of mind. So I love horror movies and will always watch them, but only certain ones. Like The Shinning. I
    love Stephen King movies. So being in Chainsaw didn't make me a horror fan, I already was one.

    JOSE: Do you have a favorite horror movie?

    MARILYN: The Exorcist. If you're a Catholic girl from a parochial school and you're not even sure if you're allowed to see it, it's even
    more frightening. I was all those things, so that made the experience real weird. I had to see it 7 times before I could hear Linda Blair
    talk as the Devil and say those terrible things she says because my mind said so much more than what was really on screen. So on the
    7th time I finally looked up and I said "Oh damn, I could have looked at that!" But listening to Mercedes McCambridge's voice and that
    growl, in my mind it was the Devil and I couldn't do it.

    JOSE: Do you have a favorite horror novel?

    MARILYN: My first book in 3rd grade was an adult book. It was haunted stories and there was this story in it that would chill you to the
    bone if I told it, but I'm not going to recount it now. They were short stories. I also love Stephen King. I love every single thing he's done.
    I've read every single book of his. I've met the man. We did a weekend film fest together where they showed only Stephen King movies
    and mine. It was one hell of a weekend. Job Bob Briggs did it. Needful Things is my favorite King book. I like all his books, but that one I
    loved so much. I had the book on tape and I cleaned my apartment, 24/7, with Stephen King in my ear. When the book was finally over,
    I had no dust bunnies under my bed, literally. I was so involved in the book that I didn't realize I was cleaning and I'd really done
    everything.

    JOSE: Now you're a frequent guest at horror conventions. What has been your most memorable fan interaction?

    MARILYN: Fans are wonderful and it's a pleasure to meet them. I just didn't particularly like the first time a guy wanted me to sign on his
    back. I asked him why and he said he was going to get it tattooed, and I said "no!" I went to Carolyn Williams (The Texas Chainsaw
    Massacre 2) and said "Carolyn, please tell this guy he doesn't need to do that." And she says, "Oh, Marilyn yes he does!" I didn't think
    that was very helpful. So I went to my manager, Chris Roe, and told him to tell the gentleman that he doesn't need to do that. He says
    "Marilyn, that's crazy, of course you want to do that!" So I did it, and then he did it. But you know, if that's what they want to do, that's
    what they want to do. I do think there should be better things on anybody's body than my name. I don't mind my name being used, but I
    just think you could do better. You know what I mean? Other than that, they've all been great.

    JOSE: And it's been great chatting with you, Marilyn. How can fans get a hold of you between conventions?

    MARILYN: I'm trying to get on Facebook. Someone signed me up, and then I screwed up my password, and now we're starting all over.
    We're trying to figure something out. So, maybe Facebook in the future...maybe. If I can get on it again. I'll also be at various
    conventions all through the year. You can always go on Tim Harden's Texas Chainsaw Massacre site and try me there, http://www.
    texaschainsawmassacre.net/. Fans write to him and he forwards to us.

    JOSE: Thank you so much, Marilyn, it's been a pleasure.

    MARILYN: Well thank you too, Jose. You have a real good night.
Interview conducted by:
-Jose Prendes

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