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TSP Ep 131 Part 2: Discussion on Filming Micro-Budget Films With Writer and Director Steven Aripez Again!
20 Plays1 month ago
In this conclusion, Tom and Steve finishes their discussion with Steven A. They discuss Tarantino wisdom, reaching out to famous filmmakers that are still accessible, and, most importantly, Steven shares his wisdom with us.
You can find Steven and all that he is doing here: https://www.instagram.com/aripezfilms/
And you can find his feature, The Director's Cut here: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019561/the-director-s-cut
Recommended
Transcript
The Decline of Movie Theater Attendance
00:00:00
Speaker
like in a world where work might be concerned that like people aren't going to the movie theater anymore or that. And, but I also think that people aren't going the movies anymore anymore because movie, a lot of these big box boxers fucking suck. Oh, here's a segue. And you can't get into them. I watched Venom last dance.
00:00:17
Speaker
Oh man. Why would he that? Cause my brother, my older brother, he was like, you know, you should check it out. You know, I thought it was a lot more fun in the last one. And, and Venom, like, you know Venom's a cool character and and I haven't first one. And I was like i was at home. i was just it was just me and the kids because the girl the lady was out ah doing baking stuff.
00:00:40
Speaker
And I was like, okay. I was playing Hades. remember was so funny. So I started playing Hades and like immediately like five minutes after there sequel Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on my door. Nice. And I was like, is this a sign that I shouldn't be playing Hades? And it was just like, oh and you know, they're like, well, do you believe that in resurrection? i'm like, well, I just resurrected on my game. So I think so.
00:01:00
Speaker
bye god But then you know, I sat back and, you know, I got done playing the game. That's a long story on how I started watching Venom. And i was like, I want to put on something. I watched Saturday Night a little bit before that.
00:01:12
Speaker
Oh, I want to see that. It was good. Okay, nice. I saw five minutes of it when I was at the film festival. I like snuck in into the theater and I saw like five minutes and those five minutes are really like, I was like, oh man, I want to see this now.
00:01:27
Speaker
It's very Birdman-esque. Did you like Birdman? I do like Birdman. Which now apparently there's like a, I feel like a lot of people that I've talked to don't like Birdman as much as like maybe they used to like it.
Tarantino: Master of Style?
00:01:39
Speaker
Or just, I've seen a couple of things, you know, just kind of popping up and I'm like, wow, I really like Birdman. So I'm just like, Oh, I think Birdman is absolutely amazing. I don't know. You know how things come. It's, it's, it's an ebb and flow. You know, the pendulum swings one way and then it swings the other way later and then it comes right back, you know? So it's like, maybe it's just a trend to hate it. It's how I felt. I go through that a lot with Tarantino.
00:02:01
Speaker
broley i remember You can't talk to me about Tarantino because i he's to me, he's a 10 out of 10 perfect. or nine Well, that's why I brought it up. He has a 100% scoring record on my books. So it's like I could like i can't like see your point of view if you dislike his bitch. I distinctly remember when um and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood came out. And Steve steve and I went and saw it in theaters and we had a podcast immediately after seeing it.
00:02:25
Speaker
So nice. And we were both like, and he was like, yeah, it was good, but... It's so self-indulgent. It just felt a little too... The runtime was a little long. and it And it was like Tarantino making a movie for Tarantino. and yeah and and i was like And that's how I kind of felt about it. And then I watched it recently.
00:02:44
Speaker
And I was like, well, I was wrong.
00:02:47
Speaker
This might be... you know what There's a lot going on in this movie. And it it's so fucking good. Dude, Hollywood is a very like, i akin it to Jackie Brown. I think it's this the most like, I guess more laid back Tarantino.
00:03:07
Speaker
Like that that and Jackie Brown. They have a very, there's still a genre films in a way, you know, but like they're very like, mean, he made a buddy comedy film, basically, in my eyes. That's what he made about Hollywood, too, you know, and all that stuff. But like, it's a buddy comedy movie that I think is super funny. I think Brad Pitt and Leo are hilarious together. They have great chemistry.
00:03:28
Speaker
But it's also like it's it's it's there's very little genre stuff until that final sequence, you know, um Well, and and I think people I think it's it's a little jarring if you know his films and you're kind of expecting something, you know, you're always expecting like violence or something to pop off.
00:03:47
Speaker
And even though you get that, you it takes a long time to get there. So I could see why it's kind of like it does feel it could feel like. more self-indulgent than other his other films i would say but it's such a fucking laid-back hangout movie and i love hangout movie clearly i mean i made one you know um not as long as that and probably and definitely not as good as that but but i i i like movies where characters just kind of chilling and vibing and hanging out and shooting the shit um and there's no real plot you know what i mean confused yeah days is one of the best ones for sure jackie brown's one of the best ones too in my opinion oh i love jackie but there's like there's that plot of the con going on in the backdrop which is great as well but yeah days and confuses one of the one of the best clerks is another one uh that's that i love you know um but uh yeah i mean i i i
00:04:40
Speaker
the more I watch once upon a time in Hollywood, the more I just, you know, I adore it even more personally, but
AI and Entertainment: Threat or Opportunity?
00:04:46
Speaker
yeah. Now that I always talk about how Steven is trying to replace me,
00:04:53
Speaker
You did say that last time, bro. Come on, bro. No one can replace. No replaced. No one can replace you, No one can replace you, buddy. This is like the AI. Like, hey look, at we got this new thing. It can do what you do. Oh, really? But then this kind of gets me back in because now that you're back, I can talk about Venom.
00:05:11
Speaker
So I was like, well, I was like going through like. We're going back to Venet for waiting for me. I was going through this special. I was hoping that was done with. I was hoping we were a different topic. So I watched Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night. And I was like, OK, cool, cool, cool. Good movie. Nice, nice. Played some Hades.
00:05:28
Speaker
Played some Hades. Good game. And then I was like, well, you know, ah I got the kids some pizza. And I was like, i want to watch a movie with my pizza. watch a good pizza movie. like Just something that's dumb and I split my brain off. yeah So i was like, let me watch Venom Last Dance.
00:05:41
Speaker
And then 20 minutes later, I'm throwing up the pizza in toilet. That movie fucking sucked. It sucked so much dick. I hated it. I heard a lot of people didn't like it. Oh my God, it was so awful. Everything about it sucked. Everything.
00:05:53
Speaker
Nothing was good. Nothing. yeah i Tom Hardy's great. Tom Hardy isn't good. Really? He's not good. he's He jumps between accents and he's weird. And Venom is weird. Like...
00:06:04
Speaker
It's it's such a the movie. They have no idea what they're doing. The movie was the most AI written movie ever. The movie was DLA for me from the first one. Like it was just like the way they were doing it. Did Sam Raimi do the first one or something? I know. I don't know. He didn't do the first one. Maybe. They were trying to channel Sam Raimi or something. They like.
00:06:23
Speaker
The director sold his soul to get Riz Ahmed in the film. Oh, I love Riz Ahmed. It was the guy who did Gangster Squad. Ruben Fletcher. He did also Zombieland, I'm pretty sure. did the first one. And all those movies suck. I don't like Zombieland. Zombieland was a movie that I...
00:06:40
Speaker
zombie lamb was a movie that i Don't love as much as I did when I first... I don't like as much as I did. I wouldn't say love. I don't like it. No one's watched it after... No one's watched it this year. I haven't rewatched it in forever. It was a good, like, in the moment.
00:06:56
Speaker
And then it's just like... Yes. I've lost the interest... Like it's not a bad movie by any means, in my opinion, but it's just doesn't. It's a movie of its time. Yeah, it doesn't. I don't know why it doesn't like. But of its time is so bad. Like 2009 was a great time for movies. You got no there will be blood. no You got. Honestly, was. That's bad because because that was the same time, buddy. That's the same. No, it's like a couple of years apart. It's cool to see a movie of its time. So you can kind of slave.
00:07:26
Speaker
So you can understand. felt like a slave those 12 years. Like, wow. Why won't you win? Stop banging my wife let me be free. But it's nice to watch movies of their time because you get to get a glimpse.
00:07:41
Speaker
You know, like, you know, you mentioned Saturday Night and just watching older films. It's kind of cool to, like, I saw um Driver. Driver. with Ryan O'Neal. Oh, I love that movie. I'm a big, big Walter Hill fan, though. You know, and I was watching it with Karen, and she's like, oh, this is very, like, it's not so extravagant as movies are now. And it's like, yeah, you know, this was kind of movie of its time. Now, granted, that's more popular, but just to kind of older movies where it's like, this movie's kind of forgotten by time, but people of the time knew it really well.
00:08:17
Speaker
Like, American Pie will be someday. Yeah, I think it already is. But I like that movie a lot. No, but you know for us, it was like a movie of its time. but Definitely, definitely. For future generations, I don't think they're going to be like, oh, this is Animal House or anything like that.
00:08:33
Speaker
No, they're going to be like, you guys watch this? But it's really cool to just see that glimpse. They're going to like, that's offensive. Exactly. But it's cool to see like... a glimpse of so the zeitgeist in society in this moment of time.
00:08:49
Speaker
Well, Steve, when you're talking about, well, and to speak of American Pie, you have a raunchy sex comedy you've been talking about. Yeah, yeah. And it and I feel like that's a genre that is kind of starting to come back like because of like Sidney Sweeney and... Jennifer Lawrence.
00:09:04
Speaker
Jeff and, um, hard saying guy I would, I would, i would make it more like, I
Rom-Coms: A Genre for All?
00:09:09
Speaker
would say no, hard guy no hard feelings kind of the fucking Sidney Sweeney one is not, I don't think it falls in that category.
00:09:15
Speaker
per I heard that you liked that movie. Uh, the, in the, in your last podcast, I wonder why. White guy with blonde hair, blue eyes. well i like What's his name too? Glenn Powell. I like Glenn Powell. Tom's definitely very gay for Glenn Powell. Although I hated Twisters.
00:09:36
Speaker
I love Twisters. Glenn Powell has some sort of weird charisma because he's so kind of boring. But liked Hitman. I liked Hitman too. Oh, I loved Hitman. And then was like, I love Linklater. i love link ladder he's what link ladder has been he's one of the best for a reason but anyone anyone but you i had a that was a rough one for me i was not a fan of that it's a great plane movie i agree with what you're saying i agree it's very digestible oh man i hate so much better at this i hate it he's trying to replace me right that's what he's doing shut up and drink your whiskey bitch but i but i even would have taken that yeah but tell him something steven i'm just saying i just i couldn't stand the fucking side characters and that's a big ingredient for rom-coms in general is just the side characters and i just that's really interesting well let's do a quick that's really quick table greatest rom-com you can think of off top of your head i'm gonna start off and i'm gonna say when harry met sally well that was mine so you stole that from me because i told you about that film
00:10:36
Speaker
Yeah, you did. Four-Year-Old Virgin for me is the greatest rom-com. The other one I would say is um the one with Matthew Perry and Selma Hayek. do ah Do you guys also... i don't know if it's a rom-com, but Spanglish.
00:10:51
Speaker
Spanglish is good. Yeah, it's good one. I was thinking about sandwiches when about that movie because he makes the perfect egg sandwich. That's good movie, though. Matthew Perry and Selma Hayek. Oh, yeah.
00:11:01
Speaker
Fool's Russian. Yeah, Fool's Russian. That's a great. yeah Oh, also, um um you why the Vineyard with Keanu Reeves. haven't seen that The Vineyard? I haven't seen that one. vi That's how you say it. With Salma Hayek? No, no.
00:11:21
Speaker
What the fuck was that? I don't know that one. A big one that I like is, i like by the way, I love but you know harry When Harry Met Sally. I love it. That's one of the best ones. To me, that's ah that's ah the quintessential romantic comedy. But ah For Your Virgin is my personal favorite.
00:11:35
Speaker
ah Something about Mary's A Close Second. I fucking love that movie. Yeah. Yeah, i like the raunch. The raunch has to be very amped up, you know? And and and yeah man when Harry Met Sally is kind of like a very balanced rom-com with its raunch and romance. It's got it' got some amount of raunchy. It's got raunch for sure. There's that one part where it's like, okay, i got to turn this down. Yeah, kids yeah, yeah. Definitely. That's a great moment. I definitely lean more into like one of those, which is one of the greatest lies, right? Yeah. Yeah. What she's having. Yeah. yeah do that's Yeah. Or Billy Crystal. Like, I don't and like, what do you mean? I can't orgasm. I can't give you orgasm or something. But, ah you know, it's funny because I always tell Karen because Billy Crystal talked about that in a film. He's like, you know, the worst thing about you is you think you're,
00:12:24
Speaker
what what was it? A low... A low maintenance. low maintenance chick who's really high maintenance. Yeah, yeah. I'm like, you think you're low maintenance, but you're really high maintenance. Yeah, yeah. That's the worst kind of maintenance. Yeah.
00:12:35
Speaker
No, yeah, true. Where they're getting... They're telling you something, but that's not what you're experiencing. Yeah, it's like... no know By the way, i just all but I just saw When Harry Met Sally like in 2022 for the first time. so dude And I saw it in the theater.
00:12:49
Speaker
I took my wife and she'd never seen it. And it was fucking beautiful. It was a great. We both loved it. um and it was ah it was Harold and Maude. oh harry right great one yeah great romantic kind might like A great one is ah What's Up with Ryan and ah don't release don't oh yes also don't forget babe Babe is not romantic romantic to comedy.
00:13:13
Speaker
Well, the dogs had a romantic comedy. Babe. that's a such a shitty i'm not sure it's just like very well made family film i mean that's a family that's a kid's i like babe i like babe though don't get me wrong babe is good babe we know you made it you you forced it in the goddamn movie you're like i gotta get babe a reference to babe and dickhead babe needs more respect uh another great one i damn sure you guys like punch drunk love i consider that a romantic comedy is that a romantic comedy I would think so. You sure it's not just a straight drama? That's a PTA rom-com. That's a rom-com, but like obviously through the lens of Paul to emvan Thomas Anderson. Because it's all about him finding love. and
Exploring Timeless Classics
00:13:52
Speaker
Rom-coms either go two ways. Either you're kind of focusing on two characters finding love with each other, or you're kind of focusing on one character and the and the secondary and the other romance person is like a little bit secondary. yeah um yeah and And that happens. ah Also, ah the most one of probably the best rom-com that I've seen recently...
00:14:11
Speaker
and it's more through the woman's perspective, is The Worst Person in the World by Yoki and Trio. haven't seen that, but I've heard it's really good. That's the best one that I've seen in long time. I know Tom's favorite rom-com.
00:14:22
Speaker
What? Speed? The Apartment. That's a good one. that that's a roman If that's a rom-com, then that's the best one and nothing's ever touched It it has to It is a rom-com. I would consider it a rom-com. I just saw that one last year, too. It was really great. That's probably in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. I can watch that. I think that list is even lower for Tom. That's a good one. I like rom-coms that are also... that's like a Billy Wilder's He's a great director. One of the best directors ever. He's definitely top five director for me. Mine would probably be Casablanca, like when he leaves her at the end. Bye, bitch. I was like, yay. You know what I love about Casablanca? think that's just a straight up romance though, right? No, no, I don't. I just fucked it around. I just fucked it around.
00:15:02
Speaker
But there's some comedy in there. favorite rom-com is probably When Harry Met Sally. Yeah, that's a good one. Tom would probably say The Apartment, which is probably the finest example. was going to say The Apartment's an interesting rom-com because it's all about the buildup.
00:15:15
Speaker
Because they don't you never see them kiss or anything like that. But there's clearly chemistry of romance there. And it has lot of romantic. You gotta to learn to love yourself before you love the person. And yeah's like yeah, it's little just too ah hurtful man it just hurts like i always think man there's that scene where he talks about he was gonna kill himself because that woman that he loved left him at the end of the movie and then he was like it was like it was new year's eve and i was gonna kill myself but you know i just gotta go through with it or missed or something and then she hears the gunshot go off but it's actually him popping the cork by himself and then you're like and then she rushes into into the room twist huh and then she rushes into the room and she's like he's like hey you know what's
00:15:59
Speaker
what's the matter? What's the matter? oh, you know, yeah i didn't get to finish that game of gin rummy. And you're just like, God damn it. You know the greatest rom-com? It's that ah movie Harvey with and Jimmy Stewart. That's not a rom-com. He loved Harvey, bro. Have you ever seen that scene? I haven't seen that one, no.
00:16:18
Speaker
Oh, that's a good one. You got to watch it. That's actually, same year as ah The Apartment. No shit. 1960, yeah. Wow, the apartment looks so much more modern than little said Harvey. Wow. Wow, really?
00:16:31
Speaker
Dude, you should do a double of those two. Yeah. I mean, I've seen the apartment, but yeah. yeah But just see the difference. The difference of the same year. Yeah, Harvey's just so much the older Hollywood and the cinematography and all that. like Harvey's great. Honestly, one of my goals that... wow I mean, one of my one of my recent goals is just to like...
00:16:52
Speaker
ah dive in a little bit deeper to like, I'm probably 60s. I'm pretty good. Probably the farthest back of of filmmaking that I'm really like, of movies that I've seen, excuse me, is ah probably like, ah like mid 60s and on.
00:17:07
Speaker
Like Pat, once I get past before 65, like there, I've seen movies here and there sprinkled throughout each decade. But those are the ones that I kind of really want to di to do a deep dive on, on the like thirty s and 40s.
00:17:20
Speaker
um, in you know, in early 60s, in early 60s. We got some recommendations. Yeah. Yeah. Tom would. I, I'm not so much. Sunrise. Okay. Cool. Sunrise. Sunrise, a song of two humans. You'll watch the movie and be like, Oh my God. Cause I hate, but I, well, because that's on our criterion list. yeah And then also, Red Shoes, Red Shoes. That's been on my watch list forever. Yeah. shown Passion of Joan of Arc. yeahva o la But you know the interesting about Passion of Joan of Arc, there's like 15 different ah scores that can accompany that film.
00:17:55
Speaker
That's crazy. Tom saw like a modern one and I saw like a more classical music one. And I'll just say, man, the classical music one that I saw... That's one of the best films I've ever seen. You're talking about the silent version. Yeah, yeah, yeah. From like 29, I think. In my theater.
00:18:12
Speaker
I mean, I was just blown away, man. The local theater was playing Nosferatu with the Radiohead soundtrack on it. Oh, dude, did you see that? I didn't see it, unfortunately. I couldn't it. I was like, damn, what? That sounds dumb. have told me, man. I would have been like, hey, kids, we're coming to this. yeah Be as loud you want. Wait, Radiohead? It's Radiohead. Be as loud as you want.
00:18:33
Speaker
Yeah. I was like, dang, that sounds dumb. But i already I was too busy and I wasn't able to make it. It's like one night. walk in And it's like, ah what's karma please all my karma you know and it's like nosuachi like jerking off over bella's body or whatever her name is um but yeah man no no dude yeah there's definitely and like yeah definitely just shoot me a text uh i know or i don't have your number steven but i could get if uh maybe maybe tom can give me your number or whatever you can just tell me your number after the the Well, yeah, I don't want you to replace me, man. Yeah. half my disagree david This is the other. yeah You don't have Instagram. So, I mean, I know I don't. Yeah. So it's like Tom has Instagram. So I could. And then I got his number now, too. But but ah yeah, shoot me. Shoot me number.
00:19:23
Speaker
Just yeah share his contacts. So then you guys could both like we can maybe have like a little group text and you guys can send me movies and shit like that. Oh, dude, that'd be awesome. Yeah. and Because even with like, obviously, we want to get into contemporary movies. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:37
Speaker
But, ah dude, I've seen some contemporary films where... Because I was telling Tom... I was just at a point where I was watching so many contemporary films and I was like, man, this is such a fucking waste of time.
00:19:49
Speaker
e Like, usually... I'll watch something modern, I'll be like, okay, I can glean this and that and and get something from it. But man, I really haven't felt like I got anything. And then finally I watched Blood and Black Lace, which I know what you know what that is because you're a Giallo fan.
00:20:09
Speaker
And I was just like, Jesus Christ, this is fucking amazing. yeah yeah you know i And I fell asleep because i watch you know I was watching the kids and then I watched it late and it was past 12, so I fell asleep.
00:20:21
Speaker
But for the first 45 hour that I watched of that, i was like, man, this movie is great. Oh, yeah. That movie is great. And then I was sharing with Tom of the movies I liked this year.
00:20:34
Speaker
And yeah, man. I know guys said Civil War. And I like Civil War a lot. love Civil War. um i want to I mean, I wanted to save this for the end, but maybe we'll use this as a jumping point.
00:20:47
Speaker
My favorite film of this year...
Anticipating Future Film Highlights
00:20:50
Speaker
Because Tom named named a lot of very good films that I kind of forgot about. Because I think Dune 2 came out this year. Yeah. Which is amazing. I mean, I won't take away from Vela Nouve even if he doesn't explain anything that's happening on screen.
00:21:03
Speaker
ah But Dune 2 was amazing. But honestly, my favorite film of the year was Saturday Night. And I don't know if you're Saturday Night Live fan. I don't know if you know about a lot of the... you know comedians who came out of that first cast. but I'm definitely aware. and i I grew up with them because yeah my parents are from that era. yeah yeah you know they They knew of all of them. like Literally, there was not a single cast member that I i haven't been um informed of through some sort of other media through osmosis. like
00:21:36
Speaker
Even the black guy, who is he was the only black. Garrett Morris? Yeah. I mean, he was on another TV show. i Maybe it was Martin. I think it was Martin Lawrence's TV show. I think he might have been in that.
00:21:47
Speaker
And that's where I was exposed to him. And I didn't know who he was. And i was like, oh, shit, this guy's on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, yeah. You know, he was part of the starting cast. And, of course, you know, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Billy Crystal's in it. Like, dude, it just hit all my nostalgia. Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman, yeah. Yeah.
00:22:07
Speaker
I mean, I never saw Andy Kaufman, but, you know, I knew of him through Jim Carrey and stuff. The Man on the Moon movie, yeah. I'm a fan of Saturday Night overall as a whole. I mean, I don't watch it really anymore. I've seen episodes like that. Maybe they're like, oh, check this out. This might be funny. But probably once Will Ferrell left, that's kind of like my last – And that's fair. watch it and But I've seen like the older stuff and stuff like that. And I have I don't have no issues with it, really.
00:22:31
Speaker
um and I do want to see Saturday Night. I haven't seen it. I do want to see it I'll say me and my family, we were always anti Saturday Night Live. We're like, oh, this this is shit isn't funny at all. Because so we would watch In Living Color. That's what I watch.
00:22:45
Speaker
And then after that, we would watch Mad TV. You know, that's what we leaned into. Yeah. But Saturday Night Live has just always had this special place with me. And even still to this day, when I hear an episode's coming out, I feel a certain excitement ah about Saturday Night Live. There's just... always think of... You said Mad TV. I always think of that same joke.
00:23:05
Speaker
Where does Saddam Hussein keep his army? In his sleevies. What? I don't even get that. You don't watch it on TV? enough That's all I'll say. You ever Stewie? Yeah.
00:23:18
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, Stewie, yeah. That was his joke, he would always but he would say. you know so i would we were never like We were always Saturday Night Live adjacent. Gotcha. um I hate Saturday Night Live. Yeah, we never loved it. but so you know i so Even still, when I watch an episode, I just feel like this energy. It's iconic, whether you like or not. Saturday Night Live is iconic.
00:23:42
Speaker
Yeah, and ah it's literally had every great comedian who's made movies on there. I mean, literally Billy Crystal, who we were just talking about. yeah He was a part of a set a part of Saturday Night Live. Yeah, yeah no yeah. It's definitely ushered a bunch of like big like names that you like. you like you know so yeah Yeah, and so maybe it was pulling on those nostalgic heartstrings of mine and made it like stand out more. Because Civil War was really good.
00:24:08
Speaker
i love Civil War. It was really good. But for me, Saturday Night Live was the best film I've seen of 2025. Tom? The best film? 2024. We're not at 2025. Oh, 2024. We're not at 2025. Sorry. The best film of 2024? That you've seen this year. Other than Director's Cut? Yeah.
00:24:23
Speaker
sorry the best film at twenty twenty four yeah you've seen this year other than director's cut Hey, was that 2024? Yeah, yeah. This year is when it came out, yeah.
00:24:36
Speaker
I thought that was 2024. But you watched it at the beginning of the year, so was probably like, you probably forgot about it. I mean, I've had like 15 kids since then, man. I'm old as time, man.
00:24:46
Speaker
congrat like i Congrats, the way. Congrats having your new kid. I'm like, Inception. Remember when Leo saw, what's his name and in the dream? He's like, you're only 20 years old. He's like, I've been here for 25,000 years.
00:24:58
Speaker
five thousand years I'm Ken Watanabe in Inception. Let me out, bro. Let me out, Godzilla. um Yeah, so for me, number number one?
00:25:11
Speaker
The director's cut. Honestly, yours yours was one of the best films I've seen. And I went on a – because I'll go on like 2B hunts to find good films. And I always just come back to your film.
00:25:23
Speaker
I appreciate it. We brought him on because we like the movies. No, no. Seriously, dude. because I appreciate it. I appreciate I want to go down that 2B rabbit hole of like like no budget films. Yeah.
00:25:33
Speaker
but made by people who have vision and like creativity. It's like, yeah. it and And you don't find that they don't find that very easy. And we watch movies. Can you give me director's cut and then give me other suggestions like that film so like I can explore that, you know, like get into that world?
00:25:53
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. It don't exist. yeah like too I know i know we're going on a we're talking about the best movie, and i but like you know we talk about It's like, yeah, of course there are issues with director's cut that are easily addressed with that.
00:26:07
Speaker
yeah yeah Yeah, You made the movie for- Maybe he had more time, more budget. Yeah. It's just easy for And yeah, no, trust me. i Like, I don't expect anybody to be like, yeah, this the best movie. I don't, I know it's not the best movie. No, no, no. But dude, it really has a special place because it's like, dude, this is some real filmmaking. No, no, I appreciate it. I remember watching it thinking like, I want to see i want to see what this guy does.
00:26:31
Speaker
I want to keep seeing what this guy does. And that's the, that's but honestly, what you just said right now, it's like, that's like what I'm hoping the majority, like a good amount of people at least, or someone who can, but who, you know, who just like, oh, I want to, I'm curious what he can do if we give him something a little bit more money. If he has some actual money. Which is kind of like what, you know, the movie was kind of like the genesis of it being made. Cause like I said, I rushed that movie to get it made because I was just kind of like,
00:26:59
Speaker
uh, COVID's happening. i felt like I was stagnant. I was getting ah down on myself. I needed to make something and I hadn't made a feature. Like I said, I did make that one feature that I essentially like it's on, you know purgatory. Oh yeah. The one that you said you were going to send to us, but you never did. i know. It's struggle. I, I, I,
00:27:19
Speaker
Where is it at? We showed you Dickhead. Where is it at? Yeah, but you guys are planning to release Dickhead. We showed you our. We showed you our Dickhead. You guys are planning to release Dickhead. There's a difference. I just forgot, honestly, but I'll send it. I'm fucking with you most of all. Trust me, don't rush to watch it. The thing I love watching movies like that because it just reminds me yeah like This is kind of where a lot of us start.
00:27:49
Speaker
um And there's just like, and because I watch a lot of these movies and like that are like, it's like our friends make or like there's a movie called Kill Her or things like that where it's like a buddy of ours was a gaffer on that film. yeah and so we So I watched it and I was just like, oh yeah, you gaffed it, sure.
00:28:14
Speaker
You know what? What you're saying, i yeah I have something. I'll wait until Steven comes back to say it, but there's something that I want to – that kind of like I saw recently that kind of like – you know, it gives you like a it gives you like a motivation or just kind of puts you in a better head space. And I'll say it once he comes back, go ahead. What were you saying?
00:28:34
Speaker
Yeah. But there are some films where like I watch them and it's like, cause I remember I'd like, there probably no way I would have watched director's cut if Stephen had yeah yeah told me I needed, I needed to watch it.
00:28:45
Speaker
And he's like, you gotta watch this movie. And I watched it. i was like, this guy, I fucking see it. I see the the potential. I see the vision. And I'm like, this is and it was and I remember I just think remember thinking like he does things that I wouldn't have done, which is interesting to me.
00:28:58
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, Because so many times it's just like do it my way. I'm better. i know. i that a lot Yeah. And that and I agree. i yeah I think you get so caught up in what you would do.
00:29:09
Speaker
And I get this happens to me and then like but then you see something that's made a little bit different, but maybe works. You're like, oh, wow, that's kind of that was that was good. and But ah you're also glad that there's a difference because yeah You don't want people to make the movie you're making. You know what mean? you yeah won be Yeah, exactly. You know what mean? It's like, but I'm glad that it worked out and I'm enjoying something out of it and I'm getting something out of it. But I'm glad it's not exactly like how I want to do it because I want to do it that way.
00:29:34
Speaker
You know, so exactly. Yeah. but No, I appreciate that for sure. and and yeah but yeah and but then my I would say my my the favorite film that I watched this year was The Substance.
00:29:46
Speaker
Nice. oh yeah Only because... and I told you that was great. I was like, dude, just watch that ending, man. it like because you lose it, but that ending... but The thing that I like about it is it's like The Substance is a film that I feel like the filmmaker... and Also, Tom's a pervert.
00:30:03
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Well, but those, but that is, um that was almost a detriment. It's you don't almost, you almost don't want to be a pervert and watch this movie. I do. And I think about this a lot because I was thinking, and it's the same thing with, oh fuck, what was it? It was Emma Stone. She's Frankenstein doll. things. things. Poor things. Poor things. Where poor things is like, I remember thinking I was like, because sometimes I'm like. feel dirty for being a pervert. I know. I'm like, yay titties. And I'm like, oh. Oh.
00:30:33
Speaker
Oh. Well, I don't feel good about this now. Yeah. And the same thing, kind of I kind of felt the same thing in substance where I was like, maybe I'm wrong for objectifying women so much. Maybe I should really just like. Yeah, you might be. The fact that you're like, maybe it's wrong. Maybe it's wrong.
00:30:46
Speaker
like Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. And then I put on like hard ticket to Hawaii or something. And I'm like, yeah, titties, yay. You know, and I'm back. i'm but I'm back. but But the thing, the substance, what I loved is it felt like so many other films that like it it references so many films I already love.
00:31:06
Speaker
And then it just it just gave me like the biggest laugh. It probably is the best film of the year. But for me, was- The end, I could not stop. I was like, I couldn't even watch the movie. I was laughing so fucking hard. I was laughing too at the end. In a good way. And I was like- Dude, that ending was amazing. That ending just sold me. I was like, I- fully on board. I've talked to some people that are like, that that's when the movie lost me. I was like, what? that That's when the movie lost you? No, no, no. If that lost you don't mind when I heard that. person But also, I'm like, we're not friends anymore. Like, I would just not talk to that person. That was by far the part. I'm curious because I don't think, Steven, you've seen Society, right? You haven't seen it?
00:31:43
Speaker
What the fuck? Have you seen Society? Oh, my god that's on my watch list i want to see it really bad okay okay when did that come out this year 1990 so neither you have seen society we almost had brian yousna on the podcast right we were like yeah who's that this he produced reanimator reanimator yeah yeah no wonder he didn't call the podcast who is that no he was we were this close because remember jeff Yeah.
00:32:07
Speaker
So we we we were were friends with a guy that does like news articles and stuff in Hollywood for shit. And he was did a podcast that I was on talking about Godzilla because I'm like what a huge Godzilla fan.
00:32:20
Speaker
We talked about a bunch of stuff. He didn't bring me on. No, he only brought me on. There's a reason. hey yeah I don't know. I'm used to people not liking me. and I just suck more dick than Steven.
00:32:32
Speaker
but But society, I want to say society, if you, the thing is to appreciate, I think, the substance a little more, you need to watch society because the end is, the end is, because the society, ah substance feels like it's just, it's like a film that is of its own, but it's like built upon layers. Like it's such a Kubrick kind of film. Yeah.
00:32:54
Speaker
in a sense, like like every little thing is like Kubrick did, like you think of The Shining 2001. And one um and there's like so and both those are the two major references is The Shining in 2001.
00:33:07
Speaker
ah And then the end, like society at the the end. So society is like this movie where it's like this soap opera-y thing where this guy- I've seen clips of it for sure. So kind of know the vibe, yeah.
00:33:23
Speaker
I'm going to watch it. I think I just need to buckle down and put it on because it seems like a movie that I'm really going to enjoy. um and you talking about it, just reminded me that like I need to just check it out and just watch it. it's like a It reminds me a lot of like David Lynch in the sense that it's... So Steve and I talk about this a lot where like David Lynch, he writes dialogue like a soap opera.
00:33:46
Speaker
Yeah. like His dialogue is so kind of as a you need a unique like his actors do something strange in that movie like it's yeah we and we always couldn we always think of dickhead as like this like soap opera horror slasher yeah that's how we describe it and we're like pete maybe people will get it most people probably won't get it but I hope people will get it but that's kind of what society is It's like a soap opera with brian like directed by Brian Yusna. And if you know Brian Yusna, it's like things just keep going more and more absurd.
00:34:19
Speaker
and that's what the substance was to me. was it's like It was like this movie that it was like it was so close to being boring because I was like, okay. we like It just felt like it kept just droning in on like, ah don't objectify women. Don't don you get it? And I'm like, well, Demi Moore is hot the whole movie. Yeah.
00:34:35
Speaker
She's never not sexy. Like, are you fucking stupid? Like, why are you doing like, and then it's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. Women, you know, they see themselves in a way that you don't see them, of course. And it's like, you know, she's like, yeah she sees the wrinkles, she sees the flaws, she sees the things. And you're just like, I would give up my whole life to be with Demi Moore.
00:34:54
Speaker
The age she is right now. Like, are you kidding? Yeah, no, I mean, look, she's aged well for sure. I agree. i know. It's like that one night one night in G.I. i Jane would be my, you know, give it to me. But the movie also works.
00:35:05
Speaker
I mean, besides its its themes and what it's saying, it just works on a visceral level. Like it just works. The story is unique enough. it's And it's the visuals are so. yes confrontational it's it's i love i yeah I loved it was a great I saw it in the theater I was like fuck yeah this is awesome um and I love I'm so sick so many can and we can get into this because we were talking Stephen wants to talk about contemporary movies more and it's like it looked like a movie that from the past that I would like to watch nice and so many modern movies are like they're afraid to have color they're afraid to have style
00:35:45
Speaker
they like i was you know If I think about on some of the worst movies I watched this year would be like that. ah you know and There are a lot of those superhero movies that I set i sat through and I don't know why sat through them because they are so fucking bad and I hate them.
00:36:03
Speaker
With every being of my like every fiber of my being, I hate them. You're a sadomasochist, that's why. Oh, he definitely is. And I'm like, why am I watching this when I could be watching... Something else. you know mo like ah Any movie like that movie. I've been want meaning to watch that Cher movie.
00:36:22
Speaker
Cher? Moon... ah oh You've been telling me to watch it. God, what... Not Moondance. Is it something like that? No, yeah. God damn it. With what you did ma Nick Cage and Cher. Moonstruck.
00:36:38
Speaker
Moonstruck, yes. Thank you. Steven's like, you gotta watch it. I know you like. It's a good movie. know you like Tom loves Romkos. That's a good rom-com. He doesn't like to admit to it, but he loves a rom-com. If you want to see good rom-com, watch Moonstone. Well, I mean, look at the poster behind you. You have Wild at Heart, which is not a rom-com. Well, it kind of is.
00:36:56
Speaker
But I mean, Wild at Heart is a fucking fantastic movie. I mean, god damn. Speaking of Wizard of Oz, I mean, Wild at Heart is a pseudo Wizard Oz type story. Just David movies in general. Yeah. So, Saturday nights, wait.
00:37:11
Speaker
Steven, Saturday Night's your favorite movie of the year so far? Yeah, I think so. I mean, home the best movie of the year might be Dune 2. Civil War is definitely in there. haven't seen, the way. haven't seen Dune 2. I still need to watch Well, Denis Villeneuve.
00:37:24
Speaker
I mean, he's just capitalizing on what he did with the first one and then expanding upon it. And, you know, Dune's pretty fucking awesome. and then so And then Tom is saying The Substance. I like both of them.
00:37:36
Speaker
I want to see this Saturday Night, and i i to me it looks good, so i'm i'm going I'm planning to see it soon. Have you seen The Substance? I have seen The Substance, and I really like that movie. Okay, because The Substance was pretty fucking phenomenal. And Steven, what about you? Yeah, so, um yeah, great. I mean, yeah, I can't wait to see Saturday Night. I'll get back to you on that, what I think of it. am – i am kind of tied with my number ones right now but but i'll give the edge because i've seen it more times uh anora that's my number one movie of the year so far i haven't that just come out came out in october but now you can rent it on you can buy it on digital i think so i'm gonna try to watch it soon it's like the thing is is i can never get to that's by travis barker right sean sean baker sean baker
00:38:23
Speaker
Travis Barker, the Blink 182 made that one movie. But Sean Baker, yeah, he's talented. I love Sean Baker. He's definitely cool down. I mean, look, he's actually i could show you one day, but like He's like send me voice messages and stuff. I've talked to him like through voice messages on Instagram. Get on the show, dude. Just tell him what's your podcast. Oh God, this is how Steven replaces me. I know Travis Barker. It's like, God damn it.
00:38:51
Speaker
I don't know Travis Barker. So what happened was, what happened was yeah i I was trying to get to play Enora at the Temecula Valley Film Festival. He responded to a message, a cold message that I replied on want on his story. Because if you can reply, if they have message available on Instagram stories,
00:39:07
Speaker
they will more more than likely, it's a better chance of them seeing it. And he saw it, he responded, and basically gave him this thing, like, you know, it's our second year, we'd love to play Norah, it would be dope and have you come do a Q and A. He was very chill like yeah like that sounds cool to me. you just got to talk to Neon about it. So he gave me emails to contact. You got to talk to Neon like whoa bro. Because they handled Wow really? Because they handled the rollouts for festivals you know. Wow that's awesome. um it's it's a contract thing you know I'm
Navigating Film Industry Challenges
00:39:35
Speaker
sure of it. So he gave me the emails.
00:39:37
Speaker
They fucking took forever to finally respond. So by the time I couldn't have it in the festival because we had to set the schedule. And when they responded, it was like probably a week after we scheduled everything. Did they agree to They were like, oh, no, no. They were like, ah oh man, sorry, but right now we can't do it because we got it our things booked, you know?
00:39:55
Speaker
But maybe we can a screening at that theater. I'm like, oh, God, okay, whatever. um but i Don't worry about it. yeah it's all I was like, oh, thank you. It's all good. um but So then I messaged them in... November just to be like, ah my buddy Jeremy, who did was the DP of directors, was like, hey, you should hit him up and just ah you know say we're going to go watch Enora anyways. Oh, it was in October. We're going to go watch Enora at the Vista.
00:40:19
Speaker
See if we can you know offer to take him out to dinner lunch if you for being so down to earth and very like... ah community like communicating and being very like down to earth about like he could have easily ghosted me you know what mean yeah oh it's happened so i can tell you i tell your story and i'll tell a story about why there's one filmmaker i will never watch their movies because oh yeah and i wouldn't and i wouldn't even been like offended because i'm like i'm sure his inbox is filled with a bunch of shit well yeah like i don't he just won the just won the palm door and he's not
00:40:53
Speaker
Not even that, just his previous film. He's already been, you know, he's, yeah he's, i've real i I've reached out. I've reached out. I almost got, I've wanted to get him on the show for a long time. Yeah. Well, let's see. Okay. Sorry. So I'll wrap it I'll wrap it up. But basically, but basically, um, anyways, so I've sent him like, I'll send him a message, a text message on, on DM. And I was just like, Hey, thank you for being very like down to earth and, and just being, you know,
00:41:22
Speaker
very commutative and like responding to everything and trying to make it happen. Sucks that it couldn't happen. Maybe we can, you know, make something work another time. But, you know, me and and my buddy Jeremy who work, who run, who are part of the festival will love to take you out ah to dinner. You and your wife, Samantha Kwan, who's like his producing partner on his movies to dinner or lunch, whatever's available.
00:41:43
Speaker
Um, And that's it. And I was expecting to maybe get like a quick like, oh, thank you, but no thanks or something or maybe not even a response at all. he says yeah He sends me a voice message of his voice. And I'm like, what the fuck? And he's like, oh, dude, thanks.
00:41:58
Speaker
Honestly, like that sounds like maybe we can link up next year when I'm not doing. He's like he's like basically was saying he's swamped with press tours because of a Norris getting all these accolades. And he's going to he's just like got everything scheduled and he won't be able that night. He's doing like a Q&A later that day, but he's got so many press stuff to do.
00:42:15
Speaker
He's like, but maybe next year at some point we can we can link up and have dinner or something. So we'll see. I mean, even then it might not even happen. OK, but I'll hit him up once the Oscars are over. Can be your wife, Steven? Just be like, this is my wife. Yeah. And again, you know, it's really nice that he even responded back, but he seems like a genuine. And he's also a guy who comes from kind of where we're coming from in that very low budget. Oh, yeah. So he understands the struggle. Like he's, you know, it's been a long journey to get where he's at now. Yeah.
00:42:49
Speaker
But ah if he, you know, I'll hit him up eventually next year after the Oscars are done because I know he's going to be pressing up in it. And basically that's what he said. i got and ah And, you know, I sent him a voice message back. He sent one back again. And now was that was it. so but And then I told him I really liked Anora because I ended up watching it. And I genuinely did like Anora, which I kind of felt like I was going to because I'm a big fan of his films.
00:43:12
Speaker
um and I hated Red Rocket. You did. You see, I love Red Rocket. I know people that do hate it. i know people that hate it. couldn't get through the first act, man. I was just like, no. I would say it is like a harder character to kind of. No, but you love Florida Project. I love, i love well, I love Florida Project. I haven't seen Tangerine. Tangerine's great too. um But anyways. I've been wanting to watch that one. um Anyways, but yeah, so that's the little Sean Baker ah tangent that I went on. But aora That's cool, man. Nora is ah like a rom-com screwball comedy that I fucking thought was amazing. and Super well made.
00:43:50
Speaker
um Great soundtrack. Like it's, it feels like his movies, culmination of his movies to this movie. And it's is definitely his most accessible movie. Yeah.
00:44:02
Speaker
Oh, really? But not in like a sellout type of way at all. It's still like probably not accessible to a lot of people. They'll be like, the fuck is this? you know But it's so good. It's so well paced in my opinion.
00:44:13
Speaker
um I think it's got a good shot at actually like winning the a lot of categories at the Oscars, like the major awards. And ah ah to me, it's well deserved. What is he going against?
00:44:25
Speaker
Dog shit one and dog shit two. But the the one that's tied for number one, yeah The Brutalist, which I just saw, that movie is fucking amazing, dude. i'm not I wanted to go, but dude, I just flew in. No, you're good. You're good, bro. and i was like It was already sold out. I looked at the tickets. They were fucking sold out for the whole month. I know, but i was just like, dude, this is like a three and a half hour movie. like yeah i want to go see like It sounds so badass. But bro, dude, that movie...
00:44:53
Speaker
when you get a chance and if you can watch it in the theater, whenever you can, i recommend that movie is like, uh, the type of filmmaking that they don't make that most films aren't like done with now, you know?
00:45:06
Speaker
Yeah. There's so many i say it was good shots in that movie. And it's made for less, for less than 10 million, $10 million. dollars And you'll be like, how the fuck did they pull that off? I mean, yeah you kind of know because they, they didn't shoot it in America. So it's less expensive.
00:45:22
Speaker
Um, yeah. But it's a period piece. I thought go ahead but to to jump in on that. I think it was Godzilla Minus One came out the same year as Godzilla vs. Kong New Kingdom. Oh, yeah, yeah,
00:45:35
Speaker
And it's like one was made for like $8 million. dollars And one was made for like $80 million. It than the fucking big budget one, you know? Yeah, you're like, what the fuck? These were made like the same year? You fucking kidding?
00:45:49
Speaker
But yeah, buddy, I will say say I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't even... I'll talk about this a little bit, but I call a lot of people to try to get on the podcast.
00:46:01
Speaker
And i most of the time, there're like people will respond and be like, yeah, you know I don't have the time. I'm super busy. I don't want to do it. like Because we've had a couple like high like high-ish profile people on the show. like We've had Cargill, Rob...
00:46:16
Speaker
C. Robert Cargill. He wrote Spill.com? Yeah, a Sinister. And he wrote Sinister, yeah. But I know him from Spill.com before he wrote Yeah, we had him on the We had him on the show. I made him read a goofy-ass script. It was a good time.
00:46:34
Speaker
We've had Lucky McKee, who wrote who wrote and directed May. Oh, nice. and I still need to see that movie, but I know of it. I like i've like i'm met up with... like ah Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson. yeah like we I went out to drinks with them once. My buddy would flip that you did that. He's a huge fan of him.
00:46:53
Speaker
By the way, I'm sorry. i'll probably We'll probably have to wrap up once Steven gets back because my family just all showed up. ah no yeah so yeah we well If we wrap it up like quicker than than sooner, I guess.
00:47:06
Speaker
But don't want to rush you up. I don't want to rush you up. No worries. I thought they coming in at 1.30, not 1 o'clock. so No worries. We'll wrap it up. It's been our day. I want to hear this. So yeah, Justin Benson and Moorhead.
00:47:18
Speaker
So I remember I was talking with them and I was like, and they were, and they invited me down to hang out with them. And we watched Tigers Are Not Afraid with, oh I've heard of it. Yeah. haven't seen it though.
00:47:31
Speaker
directed by ah Issa Lopez. um She did the and she did the new True Detective. Oh, nice. nice And so we all hung out. We were all hanging out in L.A.
00:47:42
Speaker
And I was like, dude, this is like fucking cool. And they were like, yeah, we're you know, we'll come on. We'll hang out. I just remember like we bought drinks with them and it was ah it was like a really good time. And I was like, fuck, yeah, this is awesome. Like these guys are so cool. So down to earth.
00:47:55
Speaker
And then like, I think that was right when COVID happened. And then i was like, oh yeah. And then a bunch of stuff was like, and it and then it just was like, he now yeah. ah And then it was like, well, we don't really want to do it like remotely. It's like not as cool. Like, cause like when we, when we have them in the room, it's like, it's like, and when we, yeah yeah when you're here, it's a lot cooler.
00:48:13
Speaker
Definitely. But yeah, it just, it just, ah it just ended up happening. And, but they were super cool about it. And, you know, every now and then I'll send them a message it's like the night and day response. Cause like, I feel like to me, it's like, I want to talk to like the people like us.
00:48:27
Speaker
They don't have you know, they we're just trying, we're trying our best yeah yeah yeah with what we have to get, to get off the ground. And the the hardest part I feel like is like, it's kind of like what you were saying with director's cut is like, you just need to get people to see it.
00:48:40
Speaker
yeah to see the potential in you as a filmmaker like that's the biggest thing right like it's like sure there might be some you know there might be some issues here or there but it's like yeah i had i did this movie as quick as i as i could with the time money that had the money had yeah and that's the key as like hopefully like someone sees that and hopefully they it's not even them themselves then referring you to somebody where you being ah them were like yeah referring you to someone that hat that could help you get in or ah take you to the next ah level production-wise. You know what i mean? Or like to make this your job, you know your main job.
00:49:18
Speaker
So that's what you really want. always what we talk about. That's what you want. You want it be your job. yeah yeah I don't want to be working these 12-hour days. I'm sick and tired of that because I can't be creative.
00:49:29
Speaker
it lot more out it's taxing. It's taxing on, on you and you have kids and I have, you know, I understand it's, it's, it's a struggle, but you do it. You're going to do it regardless because you fucking are ambitious and that's what you love. You know, it's like, you love this, and this inanimate, inanimate thing called movies, you know, um, it's what it is, you know, um, it's the closest thing of being in love without it, like being a real person in my, know what mean? Like I,
00:49:58
Speaker
it's Obviously, I'm not going to love it more than my kids or my wife, you know but man, it's a close it's close second. you know it like it's i oh well It's like I always say, it's like... You know, I don't...
00:50:13
Speaker
It's not that I – it's like one, I love movies. Yeah. If I could just – and i don't know if you listen to so Rogan, ah Joe Rogan's podcast, but Quentin and Roger Averill. I did listen to that one. I don't listen to him normally because i he he's fucking kind of gone. He's annoying.
00:50:28
Speaker
um But I do listen. When he has some interesting guests, I will listen. Like usually film stuff. But that episode – that episode was like – That was episode. That episode like hurt me physically. Like I was listening to and I was just like, I was like, oh God, Roger is so right. like they're so right. Like I remember Quentin was talking about like, yeah you know, if he would just, so he would have been happy.
00:50:48
Speaker
he could have been happy doing video store, like being like the local critic, local critic, movies and being on films. And then Roger talks about how he met ah the guy that was directing cops. Yeah. Yeah. John Langley. Yeah. Yeah.
00:51:01
Speaker
John Langley. And he was like, you know, I could adjust. He i asked for his advice and he said, what do you want to be? I want to be a director. Well, he said, well, direct movies. Don't be a AD. Don't be a, don't go on set and be a PA like direct. You're a director. And and I've actually heard him say that.
00:51:18
Speaker
I think he said that in one of the video archives podcasts before. And yeah, in the um early episode yeah episodes, but without the John Langley thing. I don't remember him saying the John Langley part, but watching, I was like, yeah, no, like I, when I heard that originally in the video, the first season of video archives, i was like, dude, that's kind of like what I've already been thinking, but that just kind of like gave me that extra like concrete to make it more finite, you know, like yeah that's actually right, dude. I am a fucking director. Like, like I will, like, I'm not going to there like, Oh, I'm a PA. You know what mean? Like, no, I, I do these things that are more like,
00:51:52
Speaker
to directing you know what i mean um yeah because i always tell i always tell steven i'm like dude i'll help everybody i'll help anyone to try to and get there because it's the the thing that i like about filmmaking it's not this competitive business it's like if director's cut does better than dickhead it doesn't make dickhead worse or director cut better or worse or whatever it's like no i know steven and like do now when like we can like and bro talk to each other and yeah And I heard you guys, I like i listen i swear, I listened to the whole podcast, so the the one, and and i hear you guys I hear you talking about your you know what's soul crushing, what you're worried about, and like things that all all the shit I've experienced and kind of the rejection that I felt from festivals and shit like that. And you guys, like, you know...
00:52:35
Speaker
you yeah Like, it's all true. It's all, you know, you're coping, all that stuff. It's all like it's you want to see in front of an audience, which i you will get to do, man. it it is it is fucking you want to you want to like kind of die inside before the screening, honestly, and even during it. Because it's so ah it is the analogy of it being like a baby out there in the world is so true. you know what I mean?
00:53:00
Speaker
um yeah it is it it it is nauseous to to be in there and watch and watch ah and watch put it with people whether you know them or not and I've seen it in front of people that are I've seen in front of people that are strangers and don't have any like real relation to me and people that know me and and but haven't seen it you know which they're both valid in different ways the criticism and absolutely luckily luckily they've been you know, I've been able to, they've been overall, part they've been overall positive experiences, but still painful experiences at the same time, because you, you know, it's just hard to put yourself out there. Like you're really putting your out yourself out there when you're, when someone's watching your movie.
00:53:47
Speaker
um But it was cool watching it the theater and stuff like that. But like what you were saying, um like what you guys were saying in your podcast, like, dude, like at the end of the day, what's important about dickhead, whether it gets rejected by everything or it doesn't, I want you guys the best. I hope you guys fucking, it would get you guys like a fucking million dollar deal or anything like that, or it gets you whatever it gets accepted to everything, you know?
00:54:11
Speaker
um now whatever happens, as long as you guys decide that I know my next one is going to be better and I can do better. whether you guys actually, whether it's like you get a contractor an agent or something good like that, you've got to still cap that mentality.
00:54:28
Speaker
And whether you do or don't is like the next one's going to be better and I'm going to make a next one. You know what i mean? And I know you guys spent a lot of years on this movie, you know? Yeah. So it, so it you know It's always going to be soul crushing. You got to always remember there's a whole business side to it that that makes you – it's an uphill battle, even in festivals, submitting into festivals because of the reality they are a business.
00:54:54
Speaker
they become a business. They, they all start off from a genuine good place and then they get essentially court. They become corporate. You I mean? Even like South by Southwest, even there was a time where they would be more accepting to certain like movie, like movies that really like, no, no, nobody involved that has a name, but now they're so they've been in the game for so long. Now they,
00:55:16
Speaker
you know, they're gonna they're going to look at more of the movies that have a name or have that credits attached the movie. it's just It's just what it is. But it doesn't mean you still can't make it, but but it's it's still possible. But also like, you can't be like, you can't put it as like, man, that means I'm not good or anything like that, you know, because I didn't make it into Sundance or whatever the fuck.
00:55:39
Speaker
um You just got to remember it's like, whatever, like you got to keep, get it out there to as many people as you can. and get people to watch it. And like said, get it to the right hands, you know? And that's like thing. Cause i've There's people that like I've seen and they have like totally like negative reaction to director's cut.
00:55:56
Speaker
And there's people that I like have seen it and they fucking actually love it or they're like in the middle of it. you know It's been a whole spectrum. But all it matters is- That's us. I would say we loved it. And I appreciate it. But at the of the day, it's really who sees it and who fucking loves it and who likes it. You know mean? And if the right person likes it, all it takes is one fucking person to like it.
00:56:18
Speaker
and they can put you on the right path you know what i mean um that's all that matters you see did you see our our film i saw the rough cut of it and i'm really looking forward to seeing the the the final once the sound mix is done like i saw when it's not sound mix and all that stuff yeah and yeah and there's good stuff in there and there's good stuff in there He saw the cut before. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You gave us some suggestions that we actually. You gave us great notes. You gave us some notes that we actually did.
00:56:45
Speaker
You're like the only one that gave You haven't seen it since then. No, no, no. and So when I watch it again, it'll be pretty like fresh. Well, you'll you'll see some of your notes that you told us and you'll be like, oh, yeah, I told them not to do that. And it's like, yeah, we.
00:57:00
Speaker
There's another thing that I was going to say, because like I was telling i was just telling Tom before you you came back, Stephen, you know, I listened to the whole podcast, the last the newest one. And, you know, and I can relate with all the fears that you guys are talking about. You know, you're being a good therapist to Tom, Stephen, you know. Yeah. And he doesn't even pay me. He pays me in alcohol. So, you know, but tells you what kind of therapist I am.
00:57:23
Speaker
But you know, what but but I pay well, that's all I'll say. You have a problem now. Give me some more alcohol, goddammit. but it But it is good. And and and honestly, like he was, you know, we're just talking about like, just like, the you know, the Roger Avery, Quinn Tarantino podcast with Joe Rogan, how it was soul crushing.
00:57:38
Speaker
But at the end of the day, I think it's going to be soul crushing, but you can always, there's always silver linings, dude. And you got to always attach yourself to those positive silver linings, you know?
00:57:48
Speaker
um And I don't think like from seeing the rough cut, i don't think you guys are delusional that you guys have potential to do better and all that. I don't think you guys are delusional. I heard you guys talk about some other guys short ah that you didn't name. Like, Oh wow. That guy really thinks this is fucking good. You know what I mean? i And I run into, well,
00:58:05
Speaker
seen shorts where I'm We you some links. guess Yeah, yeah and and trust me, I've seen those shorts where you guys are like, wow, this guy really... hard This guy put that out there, you know? This guy put that out in the world, you know? So it's like, I understand where you're coming from.
00:58:18
Speaker
I was also going to, you know, say in Listen, don't be be up front. If it's a no, it's a no. No worries. If you guys once you guys sound mix it and are for sure final lock picture, um if you guys want obviously free of charge, I would love to do a ah color grade pass.
00:58:37
Speaker
If you guys if you guys if you guys want want to and and even if you guys do and you guys overall don't agree with it. I will not be offended. It's your fucking movie. You know what I mean? Well, Steven, you just sold yourself. yeah that right so That's what we're looking at. That's our last.
00:58:54
Speaker
Yeah, that's our last. And I know that I know money's tight with like, you know, you're trying to you wouldn't have to pay me. you Just send me the file as a whole. And I would i would do like a color pass on it. I'll be honest. um If you can do it.
00:59:07
Speaker
Because, well, Stephen, it'd be interesting that you said that because... we ain't gonna bullshit you, okay? No, one thing Here's the only caveat, though. Here's the only caveat. Okay, go ahead, go ahead. One second. Steven already went through and kind of gave me like samples of what he would have done. And it was like, so we already kind of have what we want done. We just need someone that can kind of go through and do it.
00:59:29
Speaker
Gotcha. He has like the samples and it's like, there's like a slight vignette. There's like a desaturation on the color. And then it's like, we just need someone that can like has the time to do it here's the only cave caveat though because i know you might be i know you guys probably have let me just do a pass and if you guys say nah that's not for us um it's totally fine let me just do a full 100 creative freedom pass and if you guys and there's tweaks that you want fine that's fine i'm not saying i won't take any notes but let me don't offer us a deal that's too sweet man going to take you up on that shit. Like if you guys have tweaks, obviously like I'll tweak the best I can to my abilities and all that stuff.
01:00:09
Speaker
But let me just do like a ah a free ah when when it's ready, sound mix and everything. Send me that that file version and send me the like the 4K version of it to download.
01:00:20
Speaker
And I will do a fucking ah color pass on it. let's steve and let me know you got it if you got like i said if you guys fucking don't like it at all i will not be offended we could still okay drink beer and hang out what happens what happens when it sucks and we're like well steven give us a hard drive back please yeah and i'll be like hey dude hey man sorry i couldn't fulfill your guys's needs but hey let's let me know when i can be on the podcast again you know No, absolutely, man. Honestly, if you want to offer that to us, we'll take you up on that offer. For reals, for reals. Give me, give me get like yeah, and it like I said, you don't free of charge, like i said, nobody loses anything and it's it's still going to be, you know, peachy keen, you know? um So yeah. Wow, man, thank you. So let me know. So that's up to you guys, obviously, but just let me know when the time comes.
01:01:08
Speaker
Right now, we're like finalizing the score. yeah and we're kind of hitting some good notes, pun intended. um But we're kind of getting there with the score, and it's like, okay.
01:01:21
Speaker
It's not what we expected, which is what we wanted.
Creating a Film: The Art and Science
01:01:25
Speaker
um And it's exciting. it's It's reinvigorating, because it's like, okay, this is this is something new.
01:01:31
Speaker
Yeah, I don't... know This is like, because... This is a, I know you said we need to wrap things up. Oh, we already got to wrap these up, huh? It's because my family just showed up. i thought they were showing them at 1.30. Yeah, no, I understand. and like Christmas, my brother's from Utah, they're all showing Oh, okay. We'll start wrapping things up, but I was saying like,
01:01:49
Speaker
yeah go ahead we'll start go we'll start wrapping things up but i was saying like So we were like, Steve and I were getting into this point where we were just starting to say like, part of the issue is like, we've been working on this goddamn temp, like for like almost a decade. Like it's been a long time and it's so hard to hear something different.
01:02:08
Speaker
yeah Like when we hear, like, I don't know. I think on the version I sent you, you probably has like the the Halloween music and the baby music. I remember hearing that. Yeah. And like, we've been listening to that music, play it on our tracks for years yeah Literally at least seven years, which is like way longer than anyone has any right to be in post-war. But, you know, we take our time. We're slow tortoises. um Tortoise and the hare.
01:02:35
Speaker
You know, hare might get there first, but we're hoping that... ah We'll win the race. We're hoping that we'll win the race. Whatever the race is, we're hoping that we'll win it. But, yeah, and we' and the thing is, is like once we start hearing music, we're like...
01:02:51
Speaker
No, this ain't it. This ain't it. And like it's luckily our composer yeah luckily our composers are like, okay, that's cool that you're not happy with what we have. Let's try this X, y or Z. And we've been very fortunate with our composers.
01:03:06
Speaker
Super. Yeah. And they've been saving us also in just the fact that we budgeted for... When we budget for them, they're doing above and beyond. so they're doing like our composers are doing also doing our sound mix and our Foley.
01:03:23
Speaker
Nice. Which was like... in in and don't and And honestly, that's how it should be. And even like with what I'm offering with the color grade, like at the end, like I said, you guys have notes and tweak. Unless like you want a completely new color grade, then no okay, then I'm not the guy, obviously.
01:03:37
Speaker
but but But if you just want tweaks and notes and stuff, like... At the end of the you're here to serve the director. That's the reality. nobody the end of the there you know I view it as like their God on this film, and everybody else he's just delegating. you know like you got to do what he's At the end of the day, he has final say. That's how it should be. I know that's not how it is in reality when it comes to the higher budgets and stuff like that, but in reality, the right way is the creator of the movie is going to have the final say. That's why I don't take it offense because at the end of the day, it's your vision, not my vision. I'm just throwing an idea or a perspective. And if you guys are cool with it and genuinely like it, great. If not, that's great too, because,
01:04:20
Speaker
it's you're the one that's going to be showing it and showing this movie to people. So at the end the day, you guys need to be as happy as possible with this final version of it. And I'm not going to be someone that I'm going to be like, Hey, fuck you. Like my work, my version is right. No, it's not right. Because I didn't, Hey man, you want to jump on the dickhead train, baby?
01:04:38
Speaker
Come on, dude. The station's always open. I'll just say the footage is rough. So it takes a lot of work. yeah there's a lot of work to be applied there. But we have a VFX artist right now cleaning up all the weird top salad. When it's fucking ready, when it's ready, when there's nothing else that needs to be done besides a color grade, send it over to me.
01:04:58
Speaker
that's what we're working towards right now. And I'll give you my, and I'll take my time and try to do as good as I can, what I'm thinking of. Thank you, man. And then, like I said. God, dude, we love you so much, dude. It just depends. Stop trying to replace me. Jesus Christ. Why aren't I always going to this? color graded now steven's replacing me and that's why you're slow if you guys don't want to no but also it's like again it's if you guys if you if you really want to do it steven i'm not offended if you if you don't want even so don't worry about it like i think literally on the podcast i told tom i don't want to work on this shit anymore
01:05:34
Speaker
I'm done. And that's fair. It's been 10 years. yeah youre like I'm done. You're ready for this to be out and people to just do whatever they want to do with it. it's like Whatever reception it gets. you know We need to get it out there because exactly honestly honestly it is what it is. and like seeing what' saying is like And I think this ah there was like a point where I was thinking where it's like, because we've been fucking around and saying like, well, we could take another you know five years, six years getting everything even better. But it's like...
01:06:02
Speaker
Are we just making it 2% better, You guys just get it out next year because you guys are um doing yourself a disservice of your talents for something else.
01:06:17
Speaker
Another movie is what I'm saying. you know I'm saying? Another short or an anthology movie? Has Tom sent you and have any of his scripts? He did. I haven't read it yet. i told the one the There's a cannibal one that he sent, and I'm going to read it. wait read Read that first and then and then come back to it. Oh, shit.
01:06:34
Speaker
No, I'm going to like to read i'm go to read it after not after talking after not after the Christmas break and all that stuff because I want to give it full attention and I like to i don't want to read it in like multiple cities. I love reading Tom's work. He...
01:06:48
Speaker
but i meet you entertainment But I'm just saying, you guys you guys have a a good perspective and you see you guys definitely have concepts and ideas of other movies and stuff like that. And I think you guys just need to get dickhead out there and just let it be what it is. whatever For better or worse, let it be what it is and just move on. Trust me. That's the hard part though, right? For better or let it be what it is. That's the hard part. It's just the thing that we're all going to deal with when our kids are fucking 18. Yeah, it's like a kid. It's like, let that kid.
01:07:20
Speaker
It's going to be the same issue. like yeah You're going to be but like, fuck, man. There's a point where i i't know if i'm ready yeah I can't monitor my kid anymore. It's over. You know what I mean? You've got let it out. well so Especially with people like us. It's like, man, there's people like us in the world. you know i don't know if I want my kid to be around that shit. Well, Steven, you know, dude, like, Steven I have been working on... Thank you, Steven. But Steven and I have been talking about this, and it's like,
01:07:45
Speaker
After Dickhead, our next big thing that we want to do is this anthology. Yeah, we really And we want, dude, we we talked about it. We want you in on the anthology, dude. Yeah, yeah. This is like a thing that we're thinking about. I'm not against it. Like a southbound, you know, like bunch of directors on it. southbound, exactly. We were thinking that's like a good interim for everyone else's project. Yeah, yeah.
01:08:07
Speaker
look at Basically, you film a short film and then it it it combines as a feature. Yeah, yeah. i am not against it at all and I'm definitely open. could be a good way to to keep momentum for all of us still kind kind of going. Because Steven has a film yeah That has been kind of like in the can for a while.
01:08:26
Speaker
Pretty much, yeah. A short film. And it's like, well, we're you know we're ready to like kind of like move on and have other things going on. But it's like, we got to finish first. yeah You got to get Dickhead. I mean, Dickhead's always been the priority for us. So yeah it has to take priority. And until it's done, nothing else can.
01:08:45
Speaker
yeah Yeah, you know, i definitebbly oh we can i move into it maybe we can utilize everything and and make something work out for all of us. We'll make a better southbound. We'll make southbound to southbounder. Well, you're in Temecula. That's kind of southbound for us in the high desert.
01:09:01
Speaker
No, definitely. Definitely. Let me let me ah know once once the time comes, you guys obviously, you know, focus on Dickhead and get that get that bad boy out um and get it get it out into the world as as next year at some point. You know what i mean? and And then we can we can talk about the next thing of the anthology.
Building a Creative Community
01:09:21
Speaker
Yeah.
01:09:23
Speaker
That's the thing is like we've been talking. It's like. The thing is, is we've been trying to like, through the podcast, we've been slowly building this like community of people that we want to keep working with.
01:09:35
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. Fuck, I'm drunk. Jesus. but But I want to say, is like dude, like I will say, and this is from the bottom of my heart, like man, when you were sending the the voice messages and the notes on the film, it's like you're like one of the first people that like wasn't truly involved the film that has seen it.
01:09:53
Speaker
ah Okay. And like you're and like what what you what you were saying was like, okay, yeah, you're right. like Fuck. We need to like kind of figure that kind of thing out. But also, it was it was so it's been so closely guarded for Steven and I for like nearly a decade. It's not technically a decade, but we've been kind of saying it's a decade.
01:10:13
Speaker
Cause it was round up. It was 2016. You guys are close. You guys are getting close to it. We're pretty fucking close. Might as well round up, but it was just like, Like what you said, will you listened to our podcast and it was just like, dude, are we fucking crazy? Like, did we just make Unshadowed? and Like, I know that you don't, that probably doesn't mean a lot to you because you haven't seen it. yeah but No, but I get what you're saying. Am I delusional? i Like everything you were saying in that episode, are you, are you delusional?
01:10:37
Speaker
ah i like Am I not that good? Am I a fraud? All that stuff. it's never I personally think it's never going to go away, honestly. um but ah It probably shouldn't.
01:10:48
Speaker
and It shouldn't because it should it keeps you grounded. It keeps you humble. You got to value that. The second it does, you start you become Tony Scott and you jump off a bridge. you know like That's what I was saying. Rest in peace. You become Ridley Scott and you make Gladiator 2. That's what I'm saying. Prometheus.
01:11:05
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's easy to get lost in your own shit. You know what I mean? Yeah. yeah and And it's just like, you got to remember, you're never going to be satisfied. And once you come to peace with that, then then I think it makes it easier to move on to the next film and be like, okay, like again, like I am proud of director scope, but I am not satisfied.
01:11:26
Speaker
You know what I mean? Like I am not satisfied. Oh yeah. And I and i am ready to fucking at least There are so many beautiful moments that I'm just like... Add satisfaction to my next movie that will like at least fill me up a little bit more.
01:11:39
Speaker
You're never going to be fully filled, but fills me up more to suppress the director's cut feeling that I have to like just like replace it with something else. And i and like I said...
01:11:51
Speaker
I will never be able to appreciate it maybe until like a decade from now. You know what i mean? Because it's... and and i just want to say, man, you got to appreciate Director's Cut because honestly, in the grand scheme of things...
01:12:06
Speaker
I think a lot of it, it shows who you can be as a writer. And then every little issue that you like Steven and I could have with that film, it's just like, it literally comes down to like, he didn't have the money or the time to, to like address these issues.
01:12:23
Speaker
I mean, it's like, you know, ah You know, when we, but you know, like if I was going to say like, yeah, some of the shots like aren't fantastic, but the characters are well-written. The writing is good. The directing is interesting.
01:12:36
Speaker
The way the story is told and like the happy accidents that you have, like with the, the fact that it is a water, Yeah, water plus, yeah. ah Water plus, plus a video rental.
01:12:48
Speaker
You were saying like that wasn't written in the script, but I'm like, fuck, dude, that's that's so really that is's brilliant. great. That's great, dude. And that adds so much to the film and you're like, and it's like, use that, capitalize on that. That's one of the best parts, honestly. Nice. And then the cement.
01:13:03
Speaker
Yeah, the rebar. Yeah, yeah. Which honestly, that's the only universal thing that I've found for sure everybody likes. You know, and it's like and it's like fine find these little find these little nuggets and then grow upon them. And it's like, dude, some of these lessons, I always tell Stephen, the best lessons are the ones you learn the hardest, man. And it's like when we were editing, like when we're editing,
01:13:25
Speaker
And it's like, fuck, God damn, I wish we had some continuity here or ah wish we had thought about this a little bit smoother or better. And they're like things that like just didn't work out well for us in our edit.
01:13:38
Speaker
And it's because we just didn't we didn't know better. And yeah, I mean, maybe now it's a crash course. It's a crash course. And one of the things that, I mean, look, again, like, look, man, I'm, I'm still in the same boat as you guys, you know, I'm still trying to like, know, I'm trying to, I feel like I'm close to the door, I'm still trying to like open the door and like get in. Yeah. You're getting the raft out. Yeah. We're just like, no, we're still rowing, buddy. We're still rowing. We're just talking about getting the raft out. Some days it feels like it's close, you know? And then some days it's like, you feel far away, you know, it's one of those fluctuating things.
01:14:14
Speaker
The day jobs just kill you. Yeah, the day jobs kill you for sure. And I know we we're hitting three hours right now. We can probably do another three. Easy, easy. We haven't talked about shit yet. We really haven't even got to what this episode is supposed to be. But it's about filmmaking, so it's all good, you know?
01:14:31
Speaker
But like yeah one thing that i did want to say, like one thing that i that I probably didn't start thinking about until like after, like while editing Director's Cut, and yeah maybe you guys, you know,
01:14:42
Speaker
And this is like, I guess, you know unfortunately it's a business, you know, filmmaking and stuff like that. And I think everyone kind of wants their own signature with their movies. So I think one thing, i don't know if you guys have been thinking about this, but when you guys watch Dickhead, try to think of like...
01:14:59
Speaker
say your signatures in the movie like that makes it Steven and Tom film you know and then when you that's where i rely on Tom when you go when you go when you go to your next film you know build upon the things that you liked that felt like oh I can do something more interesting on the next film that's something that I was like noted like watching I'm like okay I think ah but essentially trying to create a brand for yourself because that's really what you're trying to do. You're an auteur. You think I would have- So i would know understanding your strengths and building upon Exactly, and building upon it.
01:15:32
Speaker
Because I think you guys come from the same mentality of like, you want to be auteurs, you don't want to be directors for hire, you know? Dude, you're like us, man. We are like you, so don't even assume. Yeah, okay. But, you know, I always have to put it in that way because then, you know, sometimes I – You don't got to be that so careful with us. Some people are like – Actually, no, I want to just direct movies and people's other scripts and stuff like, oh, okay, my bad.
01:15:57
Speaker
and Well, this is that the beautiful thing it's like, this is that this is why the podcast has such power is that we can just kind of talk about this shit. Yeah. And like the nice thing is is, we'll tell you, yeah, director's cut, the things that we love. Yeah. like this is the things that we love. And they knew could kind of like take this and think about it. Mm-hmm. It's like you got good characters. The way you told your story, it just it delivered us into a way that we weren't thinking.
01:16:22
Speaker
And then you can kind of like build upon that and capitalize on that or however you want to think about. It's like you write good characters. You write. You have a distinct voice. Your voice is, you know, like I was saying when I was reading.
01:16:35
Speaker
switchblade holiday it's like these motherfuckers it's like i know stephen wrote this because i could hear it and like when i'm listening when i'm reading i can hear the characters talking and saying their dialogue like when i hear uh the characters talking it's like oh this motherfucker i know stephen wrote this like you know it's like the way that the characters are talking it's definitely i wrote it probably just so you You know, and it's like, and like I think about the same thing. And, it and, you know, it's like, you always like have this way of like keeping me guessing and I'm like wanting to like, it's like, and then you get to like this karaoke scene. I'm like, I was like writing to you. like, do this, Steven, please. I want this, you know? And you're just like, ah, Todd, just shut the fuck up. be stupid. Don't listen to me. You know? And it's just like, I'm just thinking like, you know, and it's like, I'm coming from my own perspective
01:17:24
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm like, it's, there's beautiful things. And I'm just like, it's like, this is what we have. Like we have each other right now where it's like, where it's like, dude, I'm thinking, all I do is think about film and how I can make it better or how I can write it better or how I can think about it in a more interesting way. And like, you know, yeah i i always say, cause I was like, check off gun, right? Like, you know, you have a gun on the scene, you got to have it go off.
01:17:49
Speaker
And like in a switchblade, you had that toilet that's broken. I'm like, I want that toilet to come back. Like, I want to see what's going on. Like, cause you're like, you know, it's, you know, the, the manager has that saying where it's like, if it's broke, you know, don't fix it. know And I'm just like, Oh, why isn't she drowned that bitch in the fucking broken toilet and their shit flowing all over the place. i like, Steven, give me the shit. I want the shit. yeah ah You know, that's the beauty it. You guys all, there's like, you know,
01:18:18
Speaker
there's ah You can't make the same film.
Embracing Unique Filmmaking Styles
01:18:20
Speaker
You know what mean? That's the beauty of it. Even with the same script. We all have the same script. Our our films will be distinctly different and done differently. That's the beauty of of of filmmaking and that's the beauty of anybody who gives a shit about movies.
01:18:32
Speaker
they will They're going to give you something very interesting and different for better or worse at the end of the day. but um But yeah, man, ah before we sign off, because I do got to go, but I want to say you just got to remember...
01:18:45
Speaker
Like, another cool thing, just to fucking glaze up Sean Baker, you know, the like, I saw a thing recently, and he was just saying, like, you know, i'm going to release my first film called Four Letter Words now. i I've suppressed that film, and because he's not, like, you know, he's kind of embarrassed of it, but he's like, you know what, now I just, I think...
01:19:01
Speaker
I shouldn't do that because it really is my first feature film and he's going to fucking put it out there. and and wow just look at And just look at him. like He's a guy who's literally us. okay yeah But he's just on an older version of us.
01:19:16
Speaker
He's us, the glory story. Exactly. And it is possible. Like I said, it's as cliche as this is, the only way you don't make is if you quit. It's that simple.
01:19:26
Speaker
um That's the only guarantee way that you're not going to make is if you quit. Obviously, if you die, that's another way. But but I'm saying like, you mess a while youre alive we got to get. We got to get Sean Baker on the show. You have to be on the episode, Steven.
01:19:40
Speaker
And then all of us are are just going to be like, we'll see. why We'll see. He may never want to talk to me again after those things. So the project was great. What happened? was Let's not get, let's not get into You know, like, uh, we'll, we'll see, you know, but of course, like if, if I actually create it, if I'm able to create a relationship, I would totally be down to fucking plug you guys in and be like, Hey, let's, ah would you be down to like, this is a podcast of like,
01:20:02
Speaker
yeah somewhere you know like teacher yeah yeah just teach like about give us what can we do and and from what i can tell and just always seeing interviews of him and just having that little quick conversation through voice messages he's very down-to-earth guy you know so that's awesome man um uh we'll see you know now that he's gonna be probably an oscar winner we'll see how it affects him but oh you know yeah i i think he'll be fine i think he'll be fine but you never know but um we'll see like at the end of the day Not everyone is ah Jim Cummings. Fuck you, Jim Cummings. you Oh, that's who Tom is. Yeah, he told you he told me the story about You Were a God. I was like, man. was like, hey, do like his films, too, the ones that I've seen. But yeah, that was kind of what he- Last Stop at Yuma, did you see that? He just acts in that one, though, right?
01:20:46
Speaker
don't think he directed but I haven't seen it. That's a really good one. You should watch it. My brother recommended it to me, and he said it was good. I won' watch yeah and i won't watch it. My family loves that. you know My family loves that, and they're such haters. And you know what? you guys like and And Tom, you know what that story you told me, all you can do, honestly...
01:21:06
Speaker
you You don't have to watch his films. That's fine. But what you what you should do is you you just use that as fucking motivation. You know, just use that as motivation. That's all you can do. Other than that, it's it's useless to you. i know I just want to be salty and I want to fight that fuck. oh i pay for that and I get it. and What he said was kind of out of pocket and unnecessary. What you've told me, what you told me. And i don't agree with that. and I think like, why is that even? I got the screenshots. Yeah. Yeah. why Like that motherfucker. Why is that necessary for him to, to, to say it? Like, i don't know. Like that makes, I don't, I don't understand.
01:21:43
Speaker
Unless you're not telling me the truth, because you know that you came out of pot and got crazy with him. Because this is Chris Shadows podcast, I'd be like, nah, bro, I ain't coming out of I made a movie. yeah Well, that the ah the thing was... it's ah it's such it's it's not It's more about how you say it. You know what mean? and yeah the way you're telling you're very good Steven, you're very good at wording things. I'll admit, man. Let's wrap this up, Let's see on his way. So,
01:22:11
Speaker
I'm going to say thank you, buddy, for coming on the show. always pleasure. got to get you out here in person. I would love to. I would love to. So you can't escape. I would love to. It'd just be good to hang out, watch movies all day, and fucking then do a podcast at night. Maybe we can go down there, too, because our situation is mobile. Yeah.
01:22:30
Speaker
It'd probably be easier for me to go over there you guys where you guys are set up and stuff, honestly. But yeah, definitely in person at some point, we got to just hang out. Even if we didn't want to do a podcast, we should just hang out. I'll tell you, it's going to be a different experience. Once we're in person, shit just gets... When we have Jared and Clark Have another drink, Steve. come on man tell us the truth so I'm crashing on the couch is what you're telling me got it okay exactly yeah dude we'll get you a room you can sleep at Stevens whatever but thanks for coming on the show it's always a fucking pleasure talking to you it just reinvigorates my love for filmmaking and it makes me want to do better and just keep making stuff and that's the best thing that you can ask for as a filmmaker so thank you so much I appreciate you guys like
01:23:16
Speaker
giving a shit and, now you know, wanting to talk to me, caring about my opinion in any way. And again, also even, you know, championing director's cut at all in any form is i outll I'll take it. We didn't even fucking talk about, we didn't even talk about the Temecula Film Festival. didn't talk about half the shit. Is there like a, is there a spring festival? Is that what I saw? No, we just do it in the fall, in the fall, but we could talk about it another time. You know, next episode, we could maybe touch on it or something. Next time I, on that person saw yeah i thought you were doing i saw a post where i thought maybe you were doing a second one that's a local like collective where we do show i might show like the switchblade holiday short in there you know but like it's like a smaller thing it's not a festival it's just like a kind of like a hangout like meet and greet and show some films type thing yeah well fucking invite yeah you guys of course the guys of course invited it's in january i don't know or i don't know when the date was actually gotta double check but um
01:24:11
Speaker
I don't remember what the date was, but I'm also drunk. I'll remind you guys, if you can make it, cool. If you can't, I understand, dude. Life is fucking busy. We'll try. I know it sucks that we're always so busy. I feel like a piece of shit for not making it to the festival. Nah, dude. Because I was like, fuck, dude, you guys have a legit lineup.
01:24:30
Speaker
know and i would do We probably have do another whole other podcast about how that that went. Well, let's just focus on that that we are next year. Maybe you guys can come down next year to to check it out. You know what I mean? i mean just you know We can just hang out and watch some good movies. you know We plan on finishing Dickhead and you... you know like if ah We're going to try to premiere it at some festivals, but you know you have it. It's yours. okay if ah you guys want it for If you want it for your festival, Dickhead's yours. ah No one will like it.
01:25:00
Speaker
Premiere status. hey you guys if you guys are going to bring people and they're going to show hey, we're fucking playing. No, we're not going to bring people. We're going to bring us. Nobody wants to see this movie. We're going to bring us.
01:25:11
Speaker
ah That's two people, dude. What are you talking about? Bring people. Well, your family and friends. Come on. I got it. I got, I got my dog. is That's like two extra seats. Well, like, like again, I yeah definitely like, if yeah, I'll definitely just, just get it done guys and do what you guys got to do to get it as best as you can. But man, yeah, just again like I said, in the other offer stands whenever that time comes send it over um but yeah we'll keep in contact uh tom send me a steven's uh number so i can also have his we can do a group text and you guys can send me movie recommendations and vice versa so and just talk about it i always you know i i'm so bad like i'm so bad at picking movies i'll just like what i'll just like scroll through to be for an hour and i'm like
01:25:56
Speaker
I can't pick one.
Inspiration from Rewatching and Feedback
01:25:58
Speaker
I rewatch movies a lot because I'll tend to scroll more. I rewatch a lot of movies. I rewatch a lot movies. I'm like, well, Ricky O number 10. Story of Ricky again. I love Story of Ricky O. That's probably like i felt one of my new favorite movies. what yeah Let's wrap it up. even Do you have anything you want to tell ah pete that six or so listeners?
01:26:21
Speaker
Ten ah dozens? There's at least ten. We'll go with ten. I think we had like 60-something listeners, at least on our last episode. Maybe a hundred. Yeah, but share share some of your wisdom with us, Stephen, so far.
01:26:34
Speaker
Oh, me? I thought you were talking to you. Yeah, yeah. You know you, Steven. don't know shit. With the V. Sorry. I mean, look, honestly, just like I said, honest ah just all you got to do is just keep keep trying to make movies, man. Keep working on your thing. I have no real wisdom. Just that, like, I'm trying to get my shit off the ground and I'm down to support and and build people up.
01:26:55
Speaker
Use us. Especially people who... Trust me. Just don't put me on set. I'll start directing. That's the only problem. Put me on set. I'll take it over. And again, like I said, I'm definitely down to collaborate. It's just you know making it – when you have family and stuff, you got to schedule it. That's really the main thing. you know yeah um Oh, yeah. And ah like I said, I can't wait to see the final the final cut of Dickhead.
01:27:18
Speaker
um And i like I said, all I do is wish you guys the best success on whatever you guys want to do with the movie. you know and And like I said, it's not the – all it's not the end it's the beginning of your guys's careers with once it's out you know don't don't don't feel it like oh because it for whatever happens if you don't get the reaction you want just you got just turn into motivation you know be depressed for a little bit and grief about it hear that because we're not getting any motivation yeah No, just saying like, you know, grieve about it, whatever, all whatever happens. If you have to grieve, grieve. I've been there. I'm grieving. I still agree. I still grieve at times about like, I'm not, it didn't win Sunday. I didn't get into Sundance. I didn't get into South by Southern. So i can understand that the thing.
01:28:04
Speaker
But I hope, I wish you guys not to go through that. You know, I hope, like I said, it gets into everything. So, um, and like I said, whatever happens, don't fucking worry about it. Just keep, keep making movies and keep writing shit and, and keep keeping you guys. It's good to have ah a partner in crime. You guys clearly know each other for a long time.
01:28:25
Speaker
I have, I have some of those people in my, in my, in my circle, you know? So, so definitely like, you know, build each other up and, and, and, and that's it, man. Just help each other to, to make something else. Great.
01:28:37
Speaker
Um, and yeah, that's all. That's, that's all it is, man. Just, uh, it's not a, college it's not a, it's not a, it's not a competition. It's a friendly competition. So yeah. Yeah. i I said, like, if I may, if we make it, we're bringing you along. That's what always tell people.
01:28:52
Speaker
Give me money. I'm going to just hire my friends. You know, like that's it. That's it. Give me an opportunity. I want to see more Stephen movies. I want to see more Stephen movies. Like, yeah, sure. Steven's got some fucking dumb scripts. I'm fucking kidding.
01:29:07
Speaker
I'm fucking with you, dude. Laughing man is great. ah You know, I give me. You son of a bitch. Why you got to call me out like that? You son of a bitch. I didn't say shit.
01:29:18
Speaker
I like all I'm saying, motherfuckers. Look, well my whiteness makes us to the top. My whiteness. I'll bring the brows with me. Goddamn. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. He turned me out of nowhere. I'm fucking kidding. I love you guys.
01:29:34
Speaker
ah You know what? That's the only thing i was what I'm saying is like, the thing is, if I make it, I want to make everyone make it with me. Like, just come on. Yes, that's it. We can make it with you. You know, that's what saying, man. Like, you know, you know, like what I want to say is like, read the script, Stephen. I will read it. I will do another show. And then we can you can be like, look, dude, Tom, you should quit. You know, you guys were cool for a while. i'll I'll read it and I'll definitely send you like some voice messages or something.
01:30:05
Speaker
I have a hard time texting notes. It's easier for me to say it. There's no worries. So I'm saying it works for you, man. Yeah. Let's do more shows. It's always a good time. had fun. You're not replacing me, Steven. No, no. You guys, you guys just going to keep doing also more episodes. You guys, like said, guys have a good banter, good chemistry. So, you know, when you guys can, I know it's, you guys are, you know, life's busy. Oh, we do it as often as we can. We like have 30 episodes in the can right now.
01:30:30
Speaker
Yeah, we do have a lot because of. Thank you, man. Thank you. Well, Steven, thank you for being on the show. This has been t Twin Shadows Podcast. The episode was Steven Arpiz, episode two, part two.
01:30:42
Speaker
The end. Cut.