Episode 108- Scream Queen Suze Lanier-Bramlett

Shhhh! What’s that noise? Is it the sound of far-away children singing about Freddy? Maybe it’s someone calling on our landline to ask if we like scary movies, or else the scrambling of the people under our stairs. Whatever it is, let’s definitely stand here and talk about what it could be, rather than call for help or run out of the house. It’s getting closer and closer, and the lights just went out. Good thing we’ve got Captain here to protect us, and a fabulous guest to keep us company until we can figure out what’s rustling in the bushes outside, howling at the moon.

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Suze Lanier-Bramlett, actress, musician, and all-around horror film legend. She’s known for many projects, but most people would recognize her as a star of Wes Craven’s 1977 classic, The Hills Have Eyes. While we here at Why: The Podcast love all of our guests equally, let’s just say we could have chatted with Suze for hours. She shared great stories and really painted a picture of what being on set for that movie, among other creative endeavors, was like.

For starters, Suze got Luke to actually share some personal information about where he went to school, and for what. This may shock some long-time listeners as most assume he rose, fully formed, from the Delaware River, already filled with decades of pop culture knowledge. (That, of course, is ridiculous. His close friends know he actually chose to rise from the Schuylkill River because it’s more difficult for out-of-towners to pronounce.)

We learned about Suze’s acting inspiration and debut as a youngster in Texas, her early years in NYC, and how she got out to Los Angeles to start acting in television and movies. It’s best to hear the details from her firsthand in the episode — she’s a great storyteller. But let’s just say one of her stories connected the dots between Richard Chamberlain and John Travolta. Plus, she revealed how Morgan Fairchild’s mom encouraged her to act. How many people can say that?

Horror/thriller movie fans, don’t despair — Suze gave us the inside scoop on what it was like to film The Hills Have Eyes, including her agent’s reaction to her wanting to make a horror movie, how the cast bonded, and how she broke the ice before a particularly horrifying scene. And for the romantics among us Suze shared how she met the love of her life, her late husband Delaney Bramlett. Seriously, it’s a meet cute sweet enough to start as a Hallmark movie and sexy enough to end up on HBO.

Tune in to hear Suze’s perspective on fame and on life, including why it worked for her to leave Hollywood before it left her. She also shared some excellent advice from her father and reminded us that in days gone by you could (theoretically) have all sorts of adventures as long as penicillin was readily available. And with that, how could you not want to know more? After listening to this week’s episode, check out Suze on Twitter.

Things are pretty stressful around here, what with all the creaking, howling, and children singing just outside the door. We were thinking of taking a little road trip to California, just to get away for a bit. And maybe we could promote our Russellsance Festival across the country and sell our porcelain figurines of Kurt Russell as Tombstone’s Wyatt Earp. (Sorry, the Captain Rons are all sold out.) We’ve got a station wagon that can pull a travel trailer and it looks like there’s a good place to stop in Nevada for gas called Fred’s Oasis. The topography looks hilly, but it’s nothing we can’t handle…