David Hess

'Krug Stillo'. To a fan of the exploitation film, this name should be pretty synanymous with a visceral experience known as 'Last House on the Left'.

On an even more international level, if you're familiar with the films of Rugero Deodato(Italian Sleaze-meister), you'll also recognize the simple, but effective name of 'Alex'--The bugged out psycho all decked out in retro-mechanics in 'House on the Edge of the Park'.

To a horror fan, David Hess will always be rememberd as 'Krug' and 'Alex', but there's alot more to the man than that. Not only is he a great actor, but he has also tried his hand at directing, and has had a marvelous music career over the years. While his greatest appreciation lies in Europe, the dude will always have admirers here in the States. From writing songs for Elvis Presley, to writing and singing the music featured in 'Last House..', the name of David Hess will not be forgotten anytime soon. Recently, David was nice enough to answer some of my questions, and proved that he's no 'Krug' in real life.

Living-Dead.com: I never knew that all the times I've hummed 'All Shook Up' by Elvis Presley, that I was humming a tune to a song you wrote.

David Hess: Let's get one thing straight. I didn't write the song, it was my IDEA, then Otis Blackwell wrote the song.

Living-Dead.com: What was it like having a number of your songs being performed by the King?

David Hess: He was my contemporary, and I idolized him for his originality. My one regret was that we were never able to meet.

Living-Dead.com: I just watched 'Last House...' again for the first time in ages. How many 'Krugs' did you 'put on' before finally sticking with the one we see on screen?

David Hess: My approach to acting has always been organic and visceral. So, I didn't have to reach for the character, the character came to me.

Living-Dead.com: I understand that your career in Europe has been a good one. When it comes to filmmaking, do the Europeans do things any differently, or is it all the same?

David Hess: They're totally different. The only comparison is that they're making films. I prefer working with Europeans personally, I'm usually allowed more freedom.

Living-Dead.com: During the release of 'Last House on the Left', I understand that it was a weird experience for you. People thought you were this crazed maniac in real life. Did this take some getting used to, or did you get your kicks from it?

David Hess: Both. I've always been able to laugh at myself, and to see little old ladies avoid me in the street because of the posters was a bit of a kick. The down side was that I had to move to Europe to continue working.