Dead for a Dollar: Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, & More Interviews!

Walter Hill’s Dead for a Dollar is the kind of movie they don’t make anymore. A rough and tumble Neo-western, despite a modest budget Hill’s assembled a strong Western programmer (read my review). He’s helped along by a top-shelf cast, including Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Benjamin Bratt, and Warren Burke. I recently spoke to all five guys in one interview block as part of the junket for the movie.

Christoph Waltz, who plays the bounty hunter hero Max Borlund is, as always, an eccentric interview, with a comment about his unique cowboy hat leading to a bit of a rant about hat makers and the chemicals they used to make them. Interesting.

As Joe Cribbens, Borlund’s lifelong enemy, Willem Dafoe discusses his first time making a western, while Walter Hill explains the movie’s dedication to his mentor, Western director Budd Boetticher. Meanwhile, the awesome Benjamin Bratt discusses his smooth baddie, Tiberio Vargas. At the same time, newcomer Warren Burke gives me the best answer when talking about his show-stopping whip-fight, which takes place about halfway through the film. 

All in all, it’s an interesting set of interviews, with Waltz as intimidating as one might imagine. Hill, of course, is a legend, and if you’re a fan of his work (which included 48 HRS, Streets of Fire, The Warriors, The Long Riders, and many more), you should check this out in theatres or on-demand now!