Make Hollywood Horny Again
A week-long celebration of erotic thrillers.
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As a genre effort,Swimfanticks a number of erotic-thriller boxes.
Theres an underwater sex scene, a love triangle, a deliciously heightened tone.
Its been 20 years.
I wanted to see what else I could get cast doing.
I got a couple little opportunities of like,Yes, thank you, like let me try something.
And then when they came to me with the sweet character again, I was like,Nooo.
And then they were like, Okay.
To oversimplify, I was like,Shes so crazy.
But like most crazy people, she doesnt know that shes crazy.
I was like,She thinks shes right at every stage of this story.
But she is actually really smart!
She makes some choices that Im amazed by even now.
I never would have come up with planting her underwear in Bens car.
Good job!Way to play the game!
Did you know Jesse or Shiri?
All of you were relatively famous at the same time.
Had your paths ever crossed?I dont think so.
Youre right, we all just came up right then, but I didnt know them yet.
I watchedBring It Onfor sure.
Filming forSwimfanwas in New Jersey and New York.
But I feel like that might have been near the top of the shoot.The pool stuff.
A pain he had never imagined!
And the previous scenes had been such a different vibe.
I remember being to Jesse like, kindly help me understand if this is going well.
I thought it was going to be hilarious, but it didnt really play loudly enough.
It was like … [Listens for music.]
Lets get on with it, fine.
How many takes did the sex scene take?It must have taken the better part of a day.
There were definitely setups that didnt make the final cut.
Can you just make it about whats happening, and not so much about what Im experiencing?
He was completely on board he was really nice about it.
That scene really is intimate when she says, Tell me you love me.
So I was like,Play it cool, play it cool, play it cool.
Some of your other line deliveries are cheekier.
That was her:Youre making this easy for me.
She was delighted in the game of it.
Thats what carries through the whole time.
Right up until the end, shes like,I got this.
Madisons outfits in this movie are interesting.
Shes living in this noir version of high school.
It speaks to her supreme confidence.
Did you have to learn to play the cello for this role?Definitely tried to play.
Definitely took some classes.
Its extremely difficult to play cello.
But I worked on it.
The first time Madison meets Ben, hes opening her locker with a music-note hairpin.
When you think of it like that, and imagine,Would you ever do such a thing?
Would I ever do such a thing?Its actually so cheeky and playful.
If you dont have a violent, obsessive side, that would be such a great story.
Your sister would be telling that story at your wedding.
If thats what she even wants.
But then youre a felon.
She thought she was justified that time.
She doesnt see it going that way again, but she has that streak.
And she really considers herself hurt, and sheis.
We, at that time, were referring to Madison as a bunny boiler.
But no one really makes erotic thrillers anymore, let alone teen versions.
Its not particularly grounded.
Not necessarily wholesome, but super baring-your-soul genuine.
And then it was super fucking ironic, and nothing was taken seriously.
I dont know how we find our way back.
TheresEuphorianow, which is definitely through a different lens.
I dont know what the fresh take is now that would fit what we have.
When I rewatched the movie, I saw that the logline describes your character as slinky but psychotic.
It was campy then, and I feel like now, it would be a full satire version.
Make her more cartoonishly villainy, even.
Lets talk about theSwimfanending.
Madison has taken Amy hostage at the high-school swimming pool.
Theres a lot of physicality and organized chaos.
I do remember a lot of screaming.
As is the blessing of making a film, its so compartmentalized.
Shes losing her mind … Was there ever a version of the ending where Madison lives?Yeah!
How was that communicated?
I want to be on board with whatever.
There is space for her to be roaming the East Coast in search of a new victim.Yes!
And having great hope for their next love affair every time.
[Slams hand on table.]
Like,Dammit, I was wrong again!
Why do you make me do this?
And I was like, Okay, yeah … thank you?
It wasnt what teen movies were doing at the time.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
