Scariest films are those that could really happen

Video: Matt Damon’s ‘Contagion’ portrays medical nightmare

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2. Closed captioning of: Matt Damon’s ‘Contagion’ portrays medical nightmare

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   >>> winner matt damon , one of the stars of the new thrill ever "contagion." in the film his wife returns home from a business trip and is stricken with a lethal illness.

   >> honey? no, no, no. stay there, clark. no, just go -- go up to your room, honey. honey, honey.

   >> her eventual death sets the medical community racing to find a cure for a virus that quickly becomes a pandemic. matt damon , good morning.

   >> hey, man.

   >> we've known each other for a while, right?

   >> yeah, years now.

   >> so you know i'm a guy that uses purell six, seven times a day, right?

   >> yeah.

   >> why would you do this to me?

   >> this movie, you're not going to like this movie.

   >> i saw it yesterday. i haven't taken this off since. this is -- this is scary stuff.

   >> yeah, yeah, scary because, i mean, well, steven who directed it really wanted to make it a completely realistic pandemic movie. rather than doing an over the top thing, do the most accurate science we can and that will be the most terrifying.

   >> you're a little like me and your wife nicknamed you red alert because you're constantly saying what can go wrong. after you dive into this for six months do you walk away confident or panicked about what could happen?

   >> good question. i think confident.

   >> that we can handle it?

   >> i'm optimistic. one big take away for us is that all of these scientists who work at the cdc and who, amazing.

   >> like crime solvers.

   >> they're really competent, capable, just dedicated group of people. and so, you know, the doctor who was the neurologist who worked with us who consulted for us, he's the guy they will send samples to. so i feel like there's a great group of minds that really just are kind of constantly vigilant about protecting us. so that's the good part.

   >> the bad part is that how quickly something can spread.

   >> yeah.

   >> the movie makes a great deal of travel. we live in an age where people jump on a plane and go around the world in one day. and along that route they could spread something like this to countless people.

   >> sure, yeah, if it was the right kind of thing.

   >> the movie talks about that. and then it goes into the other area. not only the logistics of the spread of a virus but the ethics involved. how much information should people have. how much is too much. who should perhaps benefit from a situation like this. what's the message that you want people to take away?

   >> well, i think don't panic, is a good one. i mean, that's the quandary that a lot of these people that have this information, how do we disseminate this information in a way that creates the least amount of panic because the panic can be the most dangerous thing. when we think about anthrax that killed two people and shut down the entire airline industry. so if -- if we can't kind of take a deep breath and count to ten and kind of make a reasonable assessment of what we need to do. and the media is a big part of that.

   >> i was going to say that. there's a slight touch of that in the movie. we have covered in real life things like sars and bird flu .

   >> right.

   >> do you think, because i've often tried to analyze it's, that we make too much of these things and scare people too much or would we be criticized if we didn't prepare things.

   >> you have to strike a balance.

   >> like the hurricane that just came.

   >> right. but you're under pressure to get people to tune in, but in a real situation like that, i think the media would have to resist the temptation to sell the panic because that could be putting gas loon lien on a fire.

   >> no question, buzz on this. what's happening with the lib liberace movie?

   >> what is it about him that you work so well with?

   >> he's just -- he's -- i could talk your ear off act him. he's a a brilliant director. this movie, you know, he used just two lenses, used a 35 and 18 for master shots and then he used the cameras at eye level the entire time. it moves only when characters move. he's a established a bunch of rules for his. he's rigid about forum and he's just kind of doing it at a level that very few people can and ever have been able to do it. and so when i'm standing next to him he's directing, i just learn so much. and i'm always very proud of the movies that we make.

   >> you're also involved, shooting another movie right now. i would like to they thi your hairstyle is an homage to me but it more has something to do with the role you are playing.

   >> it is. but it is called the laure, you know that.

   >> me.

   >> what is that movie?

   >> it's going to be out at 2013 . the guy that directed "district 9." he's a fantastic director.

   >> big day tomorrow. girls head back to school .

   >> yes.

   >> one heads to school for the first time.

   >> right.

   >> and the others back to school ?

   >> yes.

   >> is red alert going to be there?

   >> red alert is going to be there. a lot of dropoffs tomorrow.

   >> do you like that part?

   >> i love it. i love the -- you know, here because it's walking to school , i used to walk to school when i was a kid. i just love that part of it. and just -- particularly the first day, you know, the jitters.

   >> do they have the jitters?

   >> the 3-year-old doesn't. she doesn't know where she's going.

   >> what time is snack time .

   >> she still doesn't know she's going to school . but we have a seventh grader starting a new school . and you know, my kine kindergarten is

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