Interview: Walter Hill on his Long Career and ‘Dead For a Dollar’

Not a lot of filmmakers have had as long a career as Walter Hill. The director and writer behind many a genre classic, he’s responsible for such varied works as 48 Hours., Brewster’s Millions, and The Warriors. He’s also been a producing force behind the Alien/Aliens franchise, for another feather in his cap. With his latest film, the western Dead for a Dollar, having hit theaters over the weekend and coming to home video today, a few days ago I was able to arrange a chat with Hill. Not only is he a talented artist, with many a compelling movie under his belt, I’m one of the bigger Brewster’s Millions fans out there. So, the director of that flick being on Zoom with me was a real treat, indeed.

Below, you can see my conversation with Hill. We did in fact talk Brewster’s Millions and Richard Pryor, because of course, but the focus did turn to Dead for a Dollar. Mostly, I was just fascinated to talk to a legend like Hill, happy to hear whatever he had to say. It actually turned into a fairly extended chat, running longer than expected. Other topics we hit included Willem Dafoe, Bruce Dern, and much more. It’s a really interesting discussion, tied into an interesting little movie. So, be sure to check it out…

This is some of what I had to say in my Dead for a Dollar review (found here) from last week:

Filmmaker Walter Hill clearly knows his Westerns. His direction is simple and often just focused on the faces of his cast. Dead for a Dollar is a real throwback, opting for the slower pace and sometimes even lower stakes of the classic Western. The results are a little messy, but they’re never boring, making for an interesting little watch.

Here now is my interview with Dead for a Dollar filmmaker Walter Hill. Enjoy:

Dead for a Dollar is in theaters and available today on Blu-ray and DVD!