INTERVIEW - Project Runway's Chris March Delivers the Best of the Worst
I normally don't feel anything for people when they are sent home from reality TV shows, because I'm dead inside. But I was furious when Project Runway sent Chris March home this season, seemingly squeamish over his garments made of human hair (which is apparently beautiful when it's glued to your scalp, but disgusting when it fringes your jacket?). I tried to suss out how bitter he was by asking what he'd like to dress Heidi Klum as for Halloween-- and his answer shocked me with its total absence of malice. Humbled, I am.
Chris gave me his top ten horror movies, but asked if he could send me a second list of his top ten bad horror movies-- the best of the worst, as it were. I'm happy to be able to include that awesomeness right here, Don Knotts and all. Thanks, Chris!
TB: First, can you catch us up a little on what you're doing now?
CM: I am working on the pilot for a new fashion makeover show I will be hosting. I am also working on some Broadway projects, a coffee table book of my costume designs, designing red carpet dresses, plus a few new projects with Bravo--whew! So, I guess you could say I'm a little busy.
TB: You endured a really long run on Project Runway. Was there any sort of hangover for you when it was all done?
CM: As soon as filming was finished, I literally slept for two months. Then I had to get to work on my Bryant Park collection, and go right back into filming the finale week. So I'm still a little bit exhausted, believe it or not.
TB: Horror and fashion intersect all over the place; if you had an opportunity to costume the remake of any movie, what would it be?
CM: I suppose I'd go with a classic and say Dracula, but I'd love to get my hands on that Bride of Frankenstein hairdo!
TB: Earlier you mentioned a deep appreciation for "the best of the worst." Can you explain what draws you to those movies?
CM: The sheer audacity of making something with such a high schlock factor is fascinating to me. Did they know it was bad? Was it bad on purpose? I find the humor (intended or not) to be a great compliment to the horror.
TB: You seem like a person who's pretty hard to shock. What's the last movie you saw that really scared you?
CM: One of the only movies that has truly scared me (even though I left it off my list) was Candyman. I got caught up in the idea that those childhood games could really make something terrible happen.
TB: When you presented your final garments to the Project Runway judges, there was a flap about the fact that you'd used real human hair in your designs. Considering the crazy shit that goes down runways all the time, I felt the judges' queasy reactions were quite unfair. Care to comment on this?
CM: You know, its funny. People seem to be clearly divided about this--either they think its disgusting and they hated it, or they love it and think it was completely inspired and creative. Other designers have used the exact same hair at Fashion Week, and been thought of as cutting edge. Its reality television, and they couldn't resist taking aim at the obvious. But people are still talking about it...
TB: Heidi Klum and Seal celebrate Halloween very conspicuously. If you were in charge of her costume this year, what would it be?
CM: I would love to see Heidi as an incredibly beautiful and artistic version of the Teutonic goddess Brunhilde (!) or the inimitable Marie Antoinette. (I have already been asked by Nina Garcia to make her Halloween costume!)
TB: In general, why do you love horror, or think it's important?
CM: It gives me a great fun scary feeling, like Halloween, Saturday morning monster movies, and being afraid of the dark all mixed together. I think safely experiencing fear by watching a horror movie makes real life a little less frightening.
10. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
9. Theater of Blood
8. Gruesome Twosome
7. Strait Jacket
6. The Tingler
5. Lesbos Vampyros
4. Parents
3. Motel Hell
2. Leprechaun 4: In Space
1. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
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