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TSP Ep 141: Interview with Steven Aripez Part 1
17 Plays6 days ago
In this episode, Tom, Stephen, and Steven discuss Spike Lee, Chuckie, and 90's cinema. Then they discuss the trauma of the first movie and if they have the drive to make a second.
So come along with us as we learn a thing or two!
If you'd like to find out more about Steven, you can find him here:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6917198/
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Transcript
Gifting Stanley Kubrick's Keyboard
00:00:00
Speaker
but I got him the keyboard that Stanley Kubrick used. Yep. To write their shining. Right under there. yeah you know He never writes. That's not good. yeah I'm fucking with that. All right. Well, let's get i really's getp this thing on. I'm ready to get him replaced. Let's. Shit.
00:00:15
Speaker
yeah He's right here. He's in the room. When we get to the horror trivia, we'll see who's the best. This is the first step, huh? Steve takes the cake.
00:00:26
Speaker
All right, everyone.
Introduction to Twin Shadows Podcast
00:00:27
Speaker
Welcome to ah Twin Shadows Podcast. Podcast about film, filmmaking, and filmmakers. Today we have a... She needs a bottle? Talk about...
Guest Steven Arpez: Directorial Insights
00:00:36
Speaker
getting cooked you got cut off right there yeah but today everyone we have for the first time live in the studio our good friend the director of director's cut switchblade holiday and many other cool short films steven arpez welcome to the show welcome to uh victorville have you been here before never have honestly i've heard of it it's you know
00:00:59
Speaker
have not been here. You've heard of it. Yeah. It's very desert-y, you know, which reminds me, used live in Arizona for like, to like third grade the middle of second grade. And it kind of has that vibe of like that desert feel, you know? So.
00:01:13
Speaker
Yeah. Seems familiar, even though I've never been here. What part of Arizona? Small town called Parker, Arizona. It's like 45 minutes from Lake Havasu City. Okay. Yeah, but it's like ah the biggest thing there is the casino, which is like 15 minutes outside of the town or something like that. Nice. and Like a Native American casino or is it like an actual? It is, yeah.
00:01:34
Speaker
Okay, like a pachanga or morongo. Yeah, I never went, you know, i was too young then. Yeah, so we have Steven here, and then, of course, ah you have we have Steven here as well.
00:01:48
Speaker
um I don't know if you heard the inflection of the V or the P. Isn't it Stefan? Oh, here's shots fired already, man. Shit, this is like North and South Korea. don't understand the silent letter. I'll say...
00:02:02
Speaker
Cheers. Yeah, yeah. Cheers. To seeing you guys in person, in Technicolor. To finally having you with us, Steven. Because, you know, I was listening, well, because I edit the podcast, so I was listening to the last one.
00:02:16
Speaker
And, dude, there were so many interesting topics that we were going to get into. And then we just went on complete tangents and never actually touched on because you had like this whole thing written out.
00:02:28
Speaker
And then we just went on like random tangents that never really discussed anything we wanted to talk about. That was important. That's a podcast, right? it's yeah You go with the flow of the current, you know?
00:02:44
Speaker
Yeah, so i I wanted to start this this podcast off by... ah there's a couple There was a news article I read. um and i should have wrote the link. um But essentially, studios are starting to re-release um older films in theaters. And this has been a great success.
00:03:01
Speaker
ah It's been... ah pretty much ah kind of like revitalizing um people going back to theaters to go and see these like special events, these fat like Fathom events, things like that of watching older films. I
Re-releasing Old Films: Success and Audience
00:03:17
Speaker
want to know how you guys feel about ah re-releasing films, older films in theaters and a film you would like to see, an older film you'd like to see in theaters.
00:03:25
Speaker
I mean, see, you just went and saw the whole bloody affair the, was that the Vista or was that the new Beth? The Vista. You want me to go first? You can go first. He started with you, man. He segued into that. All right. um How do I feel? but I mean, i I find that I'm always down for seeing older films in theaters because I grew up, there's a lot of older films that I wish I got to see and experience it in the theater.
00:03:49
Speaker
um So I'm all for it. ah Yeah, I think that's great. And it it makes sense why it would do good because I feel like a lot of movies, lot of great movies, people see the new generation and they're like, oh, that's cool. would have been cool to see it, you know, on the big screen and yeah have that experience. Or even they get to see it for the first time on the big screen, which is even...
00:04:08
Speaker
better, like a way better experience. Like I was thinking when I went to go see Kill Bill, the whole bloody affair at the Vista, like there's people in here. The majority of people have seen Kill Bill, but there's definitely multiple people in there that have never seen Kill Bill and they're seeing it as one movie, how was meant to be the whole bloody affair. I'm like, that is fucking awesome. And I'm jealous of them, of them being able to witness that for the first time. And it's the whole movie as one. I think that's fucking beautiful.
00:04:36
Speaker
um So yeah, I'm all for it. um the only thing they need to do is now just bring back 35mm film projection and it will be perfect. Yeah, but that'll never happen, right? well i'm badly Sadly, it probably won't. but It's not profitable. But
The Magic of 35mm vs Digital Projection
00:04:51
Speaker
what what's the Vista exactly?
00:04:52
Speaker
It's 35 or 70mm. The theater? The theater, yeah. yeah That's Tarantino's other theater, right? His other theater. oh yeah It's a bigger theater than the Vista, so it's like... Then the new Bev. The new Bev's smaller, you know, i'm a little bit more intimate.
00:05:06
Speaker
The, this is like, it has like a palace quality to it, you know? It's very nice and they renovated it. It's got, the seats are great. It's not recliners, but they got good like motion to it. And there's good leg room, which is a big plus. Is it stadium or...
00:05:20
Speaker
It's a little bit. There's an incline there. Yeah, there's a little bit of incline, but it's not like how normal the most of the like major ah corporate theaters are. yeah it's it's it's got an incline, but it's still it's more what you were used to when you were growing up before it got like the stadium seating came in, you know, um that's in L.A.
00:05:38
Speaker
That's in LA. Okay. Yeah, at the Vista. um i it's To me, I mean, I like the new Bev a lot. It's really nice. um But the seating is so much better at the Vista that like if it's playing at the Vista, i like would rather I would probably more likely go than it was at the new Bev.
00:05:54
Speaker
um I would still go. like I know the new Bev is showing Boogie Nights, and I'm like, so I haven't decided if I'm going, but it's on the 19th of September. But i'm like, that's a movie that I want to see the...
00:06:06
Speaker
at the at in in the theater but specifically on 35 millimeter you know but also want to throw out there too that uh the experience of watching these older films kind of like how you mentioned where uh if you've never had seen kill bill in this like your first time this is like ah the way to experience it it's the the atmosphere of seeing it with an audience that kind of really really kind of changes the experience uh i remember when we talked to uh cargill c robert cargill um the writer of sinister when he was on the show he talked about how essentially going to the movies is like going to church for him i think it's it's ah you know it's you know very real for me because i always never i never go so well after watching the after watching the gorge he hasn't been going for a while either oh the course yeah that but that's a that is so true i i mean i believe it but to me there's there's only one religion in it's cinema and it's at the movie theater that's the church you know yeah that's where you go and and you uh you know what you call preach or you you know re revere the the religion you know uh lynch always had that fa i don't know the quote but that um
00:07:18
Speaker
Instance when he was saying, like, fuck people watching movies on their cell phones. You know, like, that's not a way to watch it. So then do you feel that way as well? Or, like, does do you have to see the movie in the theater?
00:07:31
Speaker
No, I mean, look... I'm not a um You're not a purist in that sense? No, I'm not someone who's... So you're a Lutheran. I live in reality, okay? You watch however you can watch movies. Everybody's coming from a different economic background.
00:07:45
Speaker
You do what you gotta do. So i don't I don't ever feel like... Oh, you watch it on the, you know, you you watch it however means, whatever means you can watch it in. um So, but yeah, if they have the capability to watch it in a movie theater, I'd be like, get your ass up and go watch it in the movie theater instead of watching it um in your house, you know, or in wherever you're living at.
00:08:07
Speaker
Also, that's why I also bring up the 35 millimeter film projection thing, because i And I believe this. Other people have said this, but I believe this. Digital projection is just a big screen TV in a movie theater at the end of the day.
00:08:22
Speaker
i don't It's what you're watching at home, but just... on on enormous enormous. That's all it is. in But 35mm is something that you don't have at home. The majority, pretty much almost most people do not have 35mm projection at home.
00:08:38
Speaker
And also, it's not the same thing. The quality... thirty five millimeter has this... ah characteristic has the magic, the flicker effect, all that stuff that really transports you and hypnotizes you when you're watching a movie, in my opinion. And I mean, I think it's proven that it that flicker effect, because you're watching those still images and then they're being, you know, sped up in 24 frames.
00:09:01
Speaker
It's having, it engrosses you more into the movie than a digital replication. it it's just It's just fact. And to me, if they were a if they were somehow... then Maybe they can get one film projection for one theater. like Just get something. maybe I know it's maybe it's not smart in the sense of economically to replace all the all the theaters. but I think it would. honest I think it would if they really wanted to.
00:09:27
Speaker
ah like let's just have film projection. we don't You can shoot all your movies on digital. The digital film will look better through 35mm projection. Guaranteed. i i know it will look better. And I feel like That would be like worth it, you know, and you can still shoot your movie cheap, but yeah at least the theaters have, you know, but I'll take for at least one of the movie theaters to be projecting something on 35 millimeter. That'd be beautiful.
00:09:52
Speaker
yeah So not to go on a tangent too much, um but does that thought process bleed into when you're shooting a film? Like, would you rather shoot on film? If I had the option, if I had the means to, of course I would. Like 100% of the time? Does digital ever have a possibility for you? I love digital, and i but I love it in the sense of it's the easiest
Analog vs Digital Filmmaking: Costs and Aesthetics
00:10:18
Speaker
entry point.
00:10:19
Speaker
okay I always say digital and technology allows us to play with the big leagues. Yeah. And and and I love it. I'll never bash. never heard you say that once, but yeah, you're right. He was saying it. He just wasn't saying it out loud. He's always thought that.
00:10:36
Speaker
Like I will never talk shit on digital. Like, yeah I mean, I'll talk shit on like bad digital looking films, you know, but like, ah like digital, I respect virtuosity. Yeah.
00:10:46
Speaker
oh No, I was shot on film, dude. Don't worry. Digital didn't exist. Yeah, I was like, I think I know that movie. Of course, everyone knows that movie. It's a great movie.
00:10:59
Speaker
I was he to say... ah Oh, yeah. You respect digital. I respect digital. I would never talk shit on it because, like I said, it gives so gives opportunity to a lot of people film like to have some skin in the game.
00:11:12
Speaker
But... You know, me me, when I decided to be a filmmaker, digital was still not like the quality it was. yeah That was like around 2004, 2005. So I was like, oh man. But film is what I grew up watching. It's what I knew it as. And to be able to shoot something on film and also just get it projected on film.
00:11:34
Speaker
That would be like a dream come true to me. Like, that's like, that's what like, that's like, oh, wow, I made it in a way. it To me, it'd be like a really big bucket list thing. Be like, holy shit, shooting it on film, um specifically a feature film, and then obviously projecting it on 35 millimeter, whatever, 16, preferably 35 millimeter, because that's what I grew up going to, that was what the movie theaters were projecting um growing up. So that would be like,
00:12:00
Speaker
you know i I could jerk off to that for the rest of my life, pretty much. All right. Pee Wee Herman over here. Got to mention for the audience, since this is audio only, that Steven is wearing a 35-millimeter hat.
00:12:11
Speaker
And is jerking off. And is jerking off. And I want to say... He's taking dominance in room. But have sweater over. He's establishing dominance as speak. I'm going to make a statement, and then I have a question for both of you. Right on.
00:12:25
Speaker
So one of the things I like about film and the reason why going to like the new Bev or the Vista is something is really interesting and cool is there's like this character and quality to the film. Like you were mentioning the flicker, but more, more than that, there is the imperfection that film brings that everyone is so desperately trying to recreate using digital.
00:12:45
Speaker
I wanted to know, would you guys go to down... Because you keep saying 35, but more realistically, more at our level, would be shooting on, like say, 16mm or something like that was that. Is that something that you've thought about? Have you ever messed with I mean, I love 16mm. I honestly...
00:13:00
Speaker
um i mean i love sixty millimeter i honestly I have a print of Child's Play on 16mm. That's sick. That's sick. That Steven got for me. Oh, that's dope. No projector. I don't know to use it if I had it. No projector, but we got the... That's all my dream is because I have big screen in my backyard.
00:13:23
Speaker
like a 220 inch screen. ah My dream is I would love to to screen that child's play. You got to look into it, bro. eBay. I'm sure somebody has something. Well, that's where I got it was eBay. And I think I did look at the projectors that are too expensive. there I'm sure. But what I did look, what I was going to get you originally, but I got outbid, was a Superman.
00:13:44
Speaker
Oh, yeah, the Richard Donner Superman. Yeah, they had Superman on there. So i was like, oh, shit, I'll get that for Tom. That's cool. But ah you know my it just soared and no one wanted Child's Play. So I was like, okay, buy that one.
00:13:55
Speaker
That's pretty cool, though. Child's Play is pretty sweet. That's one of my favorites. I mean, I love Child's Play. I grew up to that. That's why I'm so weird now. People are so afraid of that movie, which is like... If you saw it when you were a kid, because that's when I saw it. I did see that shit when I was a kid. Freddy is what fucked me up as a kid. Yeah, but you know, your mom's blowing smoke in your eyes. You can't see shit. was like, oh no, I just want a dream. I want a dream of a clear world. Get her, Chucky, get her. Damn.
00:14:20
Speaker
I mean, Child's Play to me is for any like kid growing up is a and nightmare because everybody plays with toys. Whether it's dolls you know for girls or just any type of live action toy for boys, it's it's an ingenious movie idea. I was terrified. but and And the concept, that the the design of Chucky was perfect, I feel like.
00:14:44
Speaker
Like... his him from going from innocent to like looking menacing is so creepy. He looks so fucking creepy as when he's mad. it yeah But then as it's older, but it's great about it because when you get older, it's fucking hilarious. Yeah, it's just fun. But also, dude, back then, like they don't have this shit now for kids. But back then, like everyone had those old creepy dolls, you know, they know like the porcelain dolls or whatever i hate those dolls dude they're so cute like it was and that was the thing having those lifelike scary looking ass dolls yeah that every grandparent had and people would buy the kids that like it's a gift those dolls also yeah they just have a smell too right like they have age yeah skin cells you can smell the skin cells like smell death on these things i used to stay all right grandma said that
00:15:30
Speaker
I stayed the night at my, when I lived in Arizona, actually, I stayed the night at my cousins and in her room, it was like me and like four my other cousins in one room, but she had like a row on her on her shelf, like of those porcelain. I'm just like,
00:15:44
Speaker
And I hadn't even seen Chucky, but I've seen Chucky, like the cover. Yeah. Like, so I know of Chucky at the time. And and I was just like, I remember having so the hardest time falling asleep because I just, those things, lay they look like they're looking at you all the time. my it's just creepy as hell. My sister had them. Yeah.
00:16:01
Speaker
And she was asleep with her door open and she had them, oops, Bitch, motherfucker, is it shitting on me right now? And she had him on the top shelf. Fucking people's elbows. And when I would have to go pee at night, you know, all the lights would be off. And I would just see the moonlight coming through her window. then those porcelain dolls with their black eyes just staring at me. I'd be like, eh.
00:16:22
Speaker
You know, running across the hallway to get to the bathroom. Did you ever get like a bloody nose after looking at him or something? ah Wow, that's that was at a different time. can i Can I backtrack to the... Always. Yeah. So we're talking about the you were talking about the theaters bringing classic films.
00:16:37
Speaker
It'd be nice, okay, I know we it's unreal probably unrealistic to have replaced digital projection with 35mm, but we need more of those Vistas, New Beverly's, and more cities and more places.
00:16:51
Speaker
Like those, um what do they call them? There's a term and I'm just blanking right now on it. Yeah.
00:16:57
Speaker
There's a term for it, but like movie theaters that show older films and- Revival houses. Revival houses. There you go. That was the term. Never heard of that. you need more revival houses. I feel like in more cities, like God, like somewhere, I'd be great that I don't have to drive an hour and 30 minutes plus.
00:17:13
Speaker
I
Advocacy for Revival Houses and Classic Films
00:17:14
Speaker
was going to say, even then you were spoiled. Just even just being able to drive an hour and a half. I mean, if exactly exactly you live in Wyoming, like the only revival house you're going to is a tent with someone's talk to snakes. You don't want to walk over that revival house. Yeah. It's going to be out of state if you're going to try to watch a real one. Yeah, because I remember like, I think when when Marvel was like just really fucking crazy, ah theaters like outside of of California would only show more, like Avengers.
00:17:41
Speaker
Yeah. it would be like 95. That's all they showed here. Right? And then like down here, it's the same for thing for here. It would be like 95 showings of Avengers and then maybe you could watch like whatever the Blumhouse movie was that week or whatever the fuck was playing and then But you but like for us, we could just drive an hour and a half, two hours, and you could watch. Just.
00:18:01
Speaker
I mean, for me, that's like every day. But yeah I mean, I watched Popcorn, which is one of my favorite movies. Oh, nice. That's good one. I watched that, and the the lead actress did a Q&A afterwards.
00:18:11
Speaker
And it's like, dude, we have that happen. When did that happen? ah When we went, I think it was for our anniversary last year. Katie and I went um in March last year. Nick Cage did the Egyptian, I think, or something like that um for Mandy.
00:18:28
Speaker
and then we did that And I wanted to do the Q&A. We did Parasite in black and white at the Egyptian. And it's like... you know i actually saw I think I saw that Q&A. Not live. Nicholas Cage. When I saw Mandy at the at the theater in Temecula.
00:18:45
Speaker
um they they're like, oh, stay, like a thing came up, like stay after the movie for the Q&A. So it was like a broadcast Q&A. I think maybe of that one. But I saw, we stayed after, after watching. It was like me and my two other buddies and nobody else was there. just watched this extra 20 minutes, 30 minutes. were there It was a full theater, but they didn't have any Q&A. That would have been awesome to see. It was so random. They don't normally, that theater doesn't normally do stuff like that. So it was like kind of like a weird thing.
00:19:10
Speaker
Mandy was like a transformative experience in the theater. I love that So. It was packed and I just remember like the audience was vibing so hard with it and I was like, fuck yes. And we were fucked up. We were high. yeah, was fucking. We were high on that one, dude. Oh, yeah.
00:19:26
Speaker
Tom started just cackling and was just like started to get all paranoid. my God. let's kill. a I wish I would have had, dude, I want some of that acid, dude. Dude, yeah. I want that shit. Honestly, as years go by, i'm like, that's, that's maybe, it's creeping up to top three, but it's definitely top five Nick Cage's, like, performances of all time for me.
00:19:48
Speaker
That's how, that's how, that's how good I look. That's how good he is in that movie. No, on air? No. I love Air, but... It's a great movie, but Nicolas Cage has done But the lines that he has in Mandy are fucking hilarious, dude. That movie's so crazy. All of a sudden, it's just like Cheddar Goblin. Yeah. And you're like, what the fuck?
00:20:04
Speaker
but nick Why are we watching a commercial for a Cheddar Goblin mac and cheese? And it's just like, somehow, but it still fits? Yeah. Dude, I mean, you guys may disagree, but I fucking... Nicolas Cage, every time I watch him, like...
00:20:19
Speaker
Yeah, dude, he was he he was he was channeling he watched channeling everything that he's known for, but doing something else as well. Did you watch The Surfer? No, and I want to really bad. it was That was a pretty trippy movie. I was was a little too high when I was watching it. And I was just like, what the fuck?
00:20:34
Speaker
Because at first it's like it seems like your typical... It's surreal, right? It's not what you think it's going to be. It's surrealistic. Oh, beyond surrealistic. No, i I've been meaning to rent it. I wish I saw it in the theater. I fucking hate myself for not seeing it in the theater. But I know it's available to rent. I need to watch it.
00:20:51
Speaker
Yeah. Wasn't that guy who... He passed away. You're right. The villain guy. he was the original He was the original Doctor Doom in the second ah adaptation of the Fantastic Four. Well, I saw him in Nip Tuck.
00:21:03
Speaker
That's what he's known for. Because that was a good show. Adrian... so No, wasn't it Kyle something? No, I'm fucking wrong, dude. Kyle McLaughlin? No, not Kyle McLaughlin. They got him, bro. No, his name's Adrian something. He was on Charmed. I love that.
00:21:16
Speaker
ah Oh, yeah. he wast That was like his breakout role. He's a good actor, and he plays a good villain. And he looked good in The Surfer. I don't know. what Yeah, that's what I was thinking about, too. was thinking about that literally. Too good. Too good. I'll say about it like this past week or yeah or the week before that was like damn he died of cancer like yeah you know what's weird like he looks so good in that film it fucking those like him like i wasn't like I'm not like a super you know like fan of him like i like I've I when people bring him up I'm like oh yeah he I i have an affinity for him naturally. like I just like his presence.
00:21:49
Speaker
I think he's a good actor because I've seen episodes of Nip Tuck. I liked him in the Fantastic Four movie ah as Doctor Doom. yeah And I've seen him in other stuff here and there, but i wasn't I wouldn't say I'm like, I'm a fan of of him. you know I can't even remember his fucking name. No one knows his name. but i agree in something and I feel like if you say I'd be like, oh yeah, duh. I guess I should look it up. But I'm also like...
00:22:09
Speaker
um it kind of it really kind of like bums me out big time and I'm like it kind of affects my day and I'm just like damn I guess I would not Adrian Julian Julian McMahon McMahon there we go um that's like Adrian for Jays what did say about hitting the table god damn it like what the you like King Kong it's called atmosphere you It just kind of it's just kind of you know it feels like a little piece of like my childhood or my upbringing. yeah It's just a little piece. and and This whole year has been like that, dude. We lost fucking Tony Todd. ah yeah Well, mine was James Earl Jones, man.
00:22:47
Speaker
Yeah, James Earl Jones. That was like one for me. Michael Madsen, of course. Oh, yeah. Michael Madsen, dude. Well, I mean, it was like he's two feet in the grave already, man. It's any day for that No, Michael Madsen was one I was always like, that was a um we might be able to get him.
00:23:01
Speaker
like We might be able to get Michael Madsen in a movie. I want to get some of his books. And yeah it was like, ah what's his name ah that worked with Tom um from True Lies?
00:23:13
Speaker
Tom Arnold? Tom Arnold? Yeah. and Not Tom Arnold. He ain't dead. Tom Sizemore. Tom Sizemore. Yeah. that's Sorry, not Tom Arnold. Tom Sizemore. And then we had a guy that was on the podcast that was in a movie with him.
00:23:25
Speaker
And I was always thinking like, you know, these are the people like, I don't want Eric Roberts. But if I had to get Eric Roberts, I would. But it's like, these are the people we could probably reach out to. It's like, hey, here's 250 bucks. Hey, Tom Sizemore is a good actor. Yeah. Hey, i I'm a big Tom Sizemore fan. i mean how can he he It broke my heart when I found out like he's just this addict. and yeah i mean he had He lost so much. He had a rough life. This is brand new bottle.
00:23:51
Speaker
I wonder why I'm seeing Cross-Eyed. That's always a bummer when you hear like he's just kind of self-sabotaged his life, you know, unfortunately. We need those actors. That's how we can hire. But he was on the rise too for like a bit, you know. Dude, in the 90s and early 2000s, like that was his year. He had some great roles. Because Saving Private Ryan was like, oh shit. He's my favorite character in Saving Private Ryan.
00:24:12
Speaker
I loved him in Heat. Yeah, he's great. That's what thinking Well, he was just always a great actor. He was just that if he's in a film, it's going to be solid and he's going to have a certain amount of charisma where you're going to like him. you know he's He's a guy that I call a shoo-in. I know he's going to give me a ah good performance and i don't have to worry about him. like He's a guy that i like I wouldn't have to worry about like giving him notes.
00:24:35
Speaker
yeah they I casted Tom Sizemore. know what he's going to give me. Maybe even better than what I'm expecting. but yeah he he's he's but Maybe maybe in his old, like before he passed away, it might have been a little different. yeah I knew some people that knew him and worked with him on ah movies.
00:24:50
Speaker
and He was like he's you know kind of doing stuff a lot for paychecks and stuff like that. so He's not like committed how he used to be. um but um dude he's he's he's He's my favorite thing in Saving Private Ryan.
00:25:02
Speaker
Personally. Mine was Giovanni Ribisi. I was going to tell you, I love that scene. Mama? is that? Okay. do you okay is that scene? Dude, what about... No, fuck both of you. Matt, not Matt Barry. ah Matt Damon?
00:25:17
Speaker
Barry Pepper? I love Barry Pepper. Barry Pepper, come on. How can you not love Barry Pepper? When I first saw the movie, he was my favorite. my favorite person in the whole movie. Um, but as I got older, Tom Sizemore's character, he liked the old Tommy and his, and his performance really grew on me.
00:25:33
Speaker
Um, but wait, wait, wait, who are we talking about? Do you want to, about bc like a cinematographer now? Yes. And, A good one. A very good one. What did he do this year that was really good?
00:25:45
Speaker
I don't know if he did any. He probably did, but I know. Did do the monkey? No, he didn't do the monkey. Spoiler alert. There was that one movie with the girl who's a serial killer. Strange Darling. Strange Darling. that's That's what he really got. Spoiler alert. Whoops.
00:25:59
Speaker
I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it's super good. and i It is good. i very It's very solid. My family don't like it, but it's solid. um That's not really a family movie. I going to say, that's not necessarily a bad sign. That's what we watched with family. Not necessarily a bad sign because I think… What was it that you He's like, your family doesn't like it? I'm going to I like, what was it that you said? Your mom liked it. I was like, wow. She liked The Ghost Story, which I was surprised with.
00:26:23
Speaker
She loved it. That's interesting.
Impactful Movie-going Experiences
00:26:25
Speaker
was like, really? but I would never dare to show that to my parents. She was like, yeah. She was like, make all that… I mean, when not because when I first got into watching more cinephile films, was with my mom because I made her watch ah Before Sunrise.
00:26:39
Speaker
ah Great movie. Probably Before Sun – no, that might not have come out yet. Before Sunrise. It's so good I hate it. That's how good it And we were just watching all the – I watched Army of Darkness with her because like, I heard about this scary movie. I think I've seen it, but everyone says cool.
00:26:55
Speaker
yeah So you know I'd rent it, these other films, and i was like, oh, this is amazing. My mom's like, hi, Micha. But we would watch you know these movies together. Nice. I like that what you said. Yeah. well Well, let me just backtrack something real quick about the Giovanni Revisi. Oh, yeah. Same tangents, man. This is it why we never got to the actual topic. is it Well, you know, we're still sober enough, so it's perfect. I don't know that Edible City. That shit's kidding me. We're 32 minutes in somehow.
00:27:25
Speaker
So I love scenes that work emotionally when they're supposed to be serious, but also you can see the comedy in it. And that scene where he's dying, he's saying like, Mama, but like it's I've always found it very like impactful, especially the first time you see it. But then like as you rewatch it, me my buddies, just so is kind of like you you repeat that line and you make each other laugh. I don't know why. there's like it It has like a comedy element to it once you rewatch it. Initially, it's serious, but when you rewatch it again,
00:27:56
Speaker
you can kind of find humor in him saying mama like that is that fucked up you know no that's interesting matrix has one like that too with like not like this with switch getting pulled up i me my buddy always fucking lose it long legs when they long legs oh my god dude when fucking nick cage was revealed on screen i was laughing so hard i had like i had to step out of the the theater because i was just like dude that was oh my god that was the most nick cage thing i'd ever seen in my life it's so over the when he got when he comes down and you see yeah yeah that's funny it's like oh what does he say like oh you must have been your birthday yeah you're just like what the fuck am I yeah yeah when he's singing that song the birthdays that shit fucking kills me too yeah but like you know the master of that is Kubrick
00:28:41
Speaker
Because I think a lot of people don't give Kubrick the credit for how fucking funny some of the shit is. It's like... Well, Doctor Strange loved me. Doctor Strange that is intentionally a comedy. But even The Shining, right? like It's just like, there's so many weird, yeah funny scenes in that movie. Well, here's Johnny, right? i mean yeah But that's pretty funny for him to do that.
00:29:01
Speaker
and Yeah. Kubrick... I love the scene where he's just going up the stairs. Wendy... like you know He's like, I love that scene. and It's fucking hilarious. It's creepy, but it's also hilarious. Darling, love of my life. yeah I want to bash pretty little brains in.
00:29:17
Speaker
Bash him right the fuck in. I love fucking love that scene. oh like I love The Shining. Actually, I realized I think Jack and Nicholson might be my favorite actor. um I was watching ah The Last Detail.
00:29:28
Speaker
i haven't seen it. It's a film by Hal Ashby that did Harold and Maude. And Fucking hell, dude. He's a good writer. need watch it. Oh, Hal Ashby is amazing.
00:29:41
Speaker
The dude can't miss. we We watched... So we did this thing where ah to just to like kind of like get us back into writing and doing some stuff. we were doing some film reviews and we watched Shampoo yeah ah by Hal Ashby. It's been on my list forever.
00:29:55
Speaker
And it was just like, this guy, he just has a way of directing and... Just the way ah Harold and Maude, Last Detail. um Eight Million Ways to Die. Have you seen that one? Eight Million Ways to Die is pretty good. That's the one with Jeff Bridges. And Andy Garcia. And Andy Garcia. i love that one.
00:30:13
Speaker
And the who's the chick in that movie? um Oh. i need to need to I need to watch more of his films. I've seen Harold and Maude. love that film. That's one of my favorites. ah But i'm trying um the one I'm trying to get to is the one with... ah It's ah Being There.
00:30:29
Speaker
haven't seen it. With Peter Sellers, right? Yeah. I need watch that too. Oh my God, dude. being It's like he is like the Peter Sellers is this very slow, almost... R-worded, I guess. Y'all don't want to say but right and but ever But everyone misinterprets it as genius.
00:30:48
Speaker
Yeah. so And he starts getting in with the president. And then like the president starts like, and it's like he's just this good-hearted, simple person. And everyone's like, oh, he's a genius. He's so smart. And it's like, it just like he like says he like saves the United States.
00:31:04
Speaker
That sounds like a good movie. It's so good. ah And the president's wife falls in love with him, but not like sexually just like, oh, like you're just so wholesome and good. And it's like, fuck, we don't have people like that anymore. That ain't this this America anymore. They're all posting on Twitter now. They're like, I'm simple. You should love me. It's like, you're simple. That's right.
00:31:24
Speaker
Dang. Sorry. yeah, I know. I need to catch... I i need to watch more of Hal Ashby's filmography, honestly. You need to see Last Detail. That movie will blow your fucking mind. That's one that's been on my list. Like, just... It's crazy. I've seen so many movies and then, like, when I think about them, like, there's so many movies I haven't seen. It's fucking... Disgusting. That's how I felt when we watched... ah We watched High and Low.
00:31:45
Speaker
Have you ever seen High and Low? cur cur No, that's another one that's been I saw I saw the Spike Lee one highest to lowest. How is that? And I personally enjoyed the hell out of it. But I'm like, i but I'm sure I'll love High and Low. i really enjoyed the Spike Lee one.
00:31:57
Speaker
Yeah, I've been seeing the Spike Lee one, but it's like everyone knows the Kurosawa movies, right? is a Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Rashomon. It's like, you know those. But and then it's like, oh, he's got like seven more master Ikaru, right? Everyone knows these movies. Isiochim?
00:32:12
Speaker
Yojimbo. I've only seen Rashomon and Seven Samurai. I need to also brush it up in his filmography. Rashomon is so good. That's understandable. It takes like five weeks to get through one of Kurosawa's films.
00:32:25
Speaker
And like what's another one? Another one that people love, Ozu? I haven't seen any of his films. Oh yeah, Tokyo Story. Tokyo Story. Ozu's master. My mind was blown when it was like he taught Kurosawa. It's like Well, the Japanese won.
00:32:37
Speaker
They won. Oh, yeah. yeah and the Everyone has their era, right? ah And then it's... There's good films, of course, every year, but there's just certain certain eras where filmmakers... That country just like was like, fuck on fire. yeah um You got like...
00:32:56
Speaker
Because just and in the 60s would go to daus France, right? france yeah That's the new wave. That's where you got your Breathless and your Jackati. What about the 70s? Would that go to Italy or the US? The 70s goes to America with the Brats.
00:33:09
Speaker
I mean, you're going with Godfather. think the 90s goes America too. but but I want to say the 90s probably goes to America, but there's other good ones. I don't know. There's Chinese cinema, which I've been watching recently. There's other ones, but I feel like America is Because I think Police Story was in...
00:33:25
Speaker
yeah Oh, yeah. Asian cinema was was great in the 90s. Oh, shit. In the ninety He kicked it, too. You need to get on him for it. You got on me. That was a... caught myself. It was 90s, man. Chunking his breast. Like, that is the film. In the Move for Love, it's like 97? Italian cinema was good, too, in the 70s, as well. Which one?
00:33:44
Speaker
Italian cinema. That's thinking. Like, right? You have, like, a lot of strong giallos, and then you're coming off of Fellini.
Strength of 1970s Italian Cinema
00:33:50
Speaker
I mean, he was still working in the 70s. Eight and a half, think. Probably 60s? I think it was late 60s, yeah. Yeah, but late 60s. I want to say 67, but I don't know for sure.
00:34:00
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, those, I haven't seen 8.5, but... i mean, it's got to go to America, right? i mean For the 90s? For the 70s, for sure. It's got to... Yeah, it definitely does. I mean, what year what like what goes to the Canadians, huh? They didn't got nothing.
00:34:14
Speaker
They got nothing. They had Cronenberg coming out of the 70s. That's true, so 70s and 80s. Well, they got Vancouver, which is the entire planet, so... Yeah. Sorry, I was joking. there's a couple of There's a good Canadian cinema for sure.
00:34:28
Speaker
No, there's not. Who? David Cronenberg. Okay, that's one. There's more. Ryan Reynolds. but Oh, God. I'm sorry. Look, Ryan Reynolds did Van Wilder in that scotish. Strange Brews? No?
00:34:41
Speaker
Strange Brews? No, there's a lot of movies shot in Canada. No, that's what saying. so Vancouver's the world. I'm just joking. They they suck asses. fucking Canucks I have no issues with Canada I love Canada suck your poutine up your butthole fuckers they got some good a you go that's good actors they got some good filmmakers oh yeah I saw a good Canadian movie I'm pretty sure it's Canadian but it was called ah I Like Movies indie film you know um is that the one about the guy that works in the video store yeah he's like ah I think he's like ass autistic in some form
00:35:12
Speaker
Well, he's on the spectrum. Everyone is nowadays. He's Peter Sellers. That was the sequel. He's definitely on the spectrum. Being there, but in a movie theater. That one was good. That was good was good?
00:35:22
Speaker
Yeah. I meant to watch it, but I was just like... It's probably just me. No, but you know what? I'd rather watch Alien again. yeah and You know what? that's I think if you're like...
00:35:34
Speaker
The best way to watch a movie is when you're feeling you're ready to watch it. If you're not ready to watch it, don't even put it on. If it's like a movie that you've been wanting to watch forever, I try not to because then I'm like forcing it too hard. And then um feel like I'm giving it a handicap if I don't watch it in the right mindset. I'll say that. Exactly. you you don't want to procrastinate too much, but you also don't want to just rush it in and be like, I need to watch this now because sometimes it might be.
00:35:58
Speaker
I'll say that I feel the exact same way. um So I never watch any like older classic movies. But lately I've been doing that. And it's like, man, i don't want to fucking want to read. All right. I'll just put on eight and a half.
00:36:11
Speaker
Yeah. And that's what I did because, you know, it's on the hbo HBO streaming. And, you know was like, oh, fuck, I got to read. I'm like tired and shit. If I'm going to watch a foreign film, it's usually in the daytime. But what I was going to say is like, but then like 20 minutes, it's like, okay, that's pretty good too. like And then before I know it, I'm just like, Jesus Christ, I'm just watching the one of the greatest films ever made, like High and Low.
00:36:36
Speaker
I just put that on in the morning, just kind I'm fucking tired. And then, It doesn't take longer than 30 minutes or 20 minutes. I mean, it's literally so ah the first shot, usually. Like, Kurosawa, it's always the first shot. Oh, yeah.
00:36:49
Speaker
Like, you just immediately fall in love, and it's like, yeah why the fuck was I procrastinating? You're procrastinating because you don't want to read. That's a... Yeah, that's Part of my problem, too. No, no. and I don't think it's it. I think it's – I don't want to think. No, it's not even – Well, that's what it is. I just want turn my brain Reading subtitles is an extra – you're going to use your brain a little bit more. but it's not even only that. It's like you're like deconstructing the framing. you're yeah you're like you you like ah try It's The edits are like you're like, oh my
00:37:21
Speaker
God, motherfucker, it's so crisp. I need to watch it. Every goddamn match shot is so goddamn, it's like so tight. And it's like, fuck, how come more movies aren't like this? It's like everything's like more like modern or not even modern, but like just like contemporary temporary film, contemporary cinema is so floaty. It's so like loose with its editing. And like, I hate, I fucking hate it.
00:37:45
Speaker
Yeah. And then you go back and you watch you watch High and Low. You watch, um I'm thinking of like a La Aventura. You go and you watch- hated La Aventura. I love that movie, you talking about?
00:37:57
Speaker
Fucking liar. No, I hated Balthazar. He's trying to show off in front of you. I thought i hated Balthazar. You love the cinemaography or the setting and the cinematography of Aventura. Yes. But we didn't understand anything about that film. No.
00:38:10
Speaker
yeah but Same thing with Morenabad. Last year, Morenabad. you guys Do you guys share or agree with... I know, john I think... Again, I'm doing quotations. with that i don't know. I've never seen it. know where it was quoted from. but they base John Waters apparently was quoted. If you come out of a movie saying that movie had a great cinematography, you probably watched the bad movie.
00:38:33
Speaker
Do you guys agree with that? No. Yes. but in the slide I agree to a certain extent. Because I love Terrence Malick. And tell me what the stories are in any of those goddamn films. I'm like 60-40 on that. 60% I agree and 40% I disagree I agree because i just saying I like the cinematography is is a good is like the polite way of saying i didn't like that movie.
00:38:58
Speaker
And it's... Because for the most part, you can always find something to like. It's like saying, oh, wow, that soundtrack was fantastic. Yeah, yeah, And it's like, well, that movie is dog shit. But it had good music. But also there's some movies where you can't ignore the visuals. and like i'm so like Everything else was good, but like I'm sorry. The first thing that pops in my head is the visuals. They're fucking ah amazing. you know so mean That's why I'm like 64. I do agree, though. There's some where you're like,
00:39:24
Speaker
I'll say this. It's a polite. Does he have a single shot where you're like, God damn, how'd he get that angle? Does he have one shot? He might have some stories where you're like, I love this movie. I think i think i think he does.
00:39:38
Speaker
i You know, I think John Waters is underrated. I just watched ah Cry Baby. Oh, I love Cry Baby. I love Cry Baby. Katie had never seen it and I was like, you've never seen Cry Baby? It's the better Grease. That's how I always say it. I don't like all that part. Grease is amazing. I fucking hate Grease. I don't hate Grease. Katie was like, no, I've never seen it. was like, oh, dude, you like Grease? Like, fuck that movie. Let's watch Cry Baby. She never saw Cry Baby?
00:40:03
Speaker
No. And then we watched it and I was just like, John Waters, to me, he's the gay David Lynch. ah Yeah, probably. I can agree with that. Yeah, probably. Because to he the way he captures like America, that his dialogue, it's so Lynchian in a way.
00:40:20
Speaker
and They came up around the same time, probably have like zero influence on each other, I would say. But it's their ability to capture... the authenticity and the heightened... Wow, I don't know if Lynch catch... I don't know if I would extend that. I would say Lynch captures the authenticity of what it... Like, of small-town America, of just what it means to kind of, like, be a person that isn't part of, like, the the city, the well landscape. yeah And his character's dialogue reflects that. In a very abstract way.
00:40:53
Speaker
And I was watching Cry a Baby, and I'm like, this is like a... ah This is like Donald Trump's wet dream of America, right? There is like two black people and they're in prison. like Everyone is like – It's like – All I know is Tracy Lourdes is in that film too, isn't Yeah. She's in like almost – Well, a lot of his films. I think that was the first one she was in.
00:41:14
Speaker
Oh, really? She's in lot of John Lourdes films? Because I've only seen – She replaced a Vine. As far as I know, I've only – Whoa, whoa, whoa. First of all, nobody can replace Divine. I've only seen Crybaby. And then what's the one with Divine?
00:41:27
Speaker
Pink Flamingos. Pink Flamingos. There's a woman in trouble. Polyester is fantastic. That's the one asked. That one looks great. That was his first 35mm film. But Plink Flamingos, that's like the John Waters film. That's like the one he that put him on like the map of like propelled him. Because I watched most of it and then I fell asleep. But...
00:41:45
Speaker
The 45 minutes I watched, I was like, dude, this is amazing. His films are kind of ugly. They're very... But they're also pretty. They're Cassavetes. In a way. They're ugly, but they're pretty. They're very Cassavetes in that sense. Where ugly, it's pretty? where No, it's just like... It's dirty. I wouldn't say ugly. It's just like there's a griminess to them, but they're still like...
00:42:02
Speaker
I'm enjoying watching it. i don't know. That's part of that rawness, right? That realness. I will say it's like – it's very – his cinematography is very practical. Yeah, that's true. So maybe Ugly was you know incorrect of me. I'm sorry, John. I know you're a big fan of the show. no I didn't mean to call you the gay lynch I mean I would love to be the gay lynch maybe lynch is straight waters well I know they're definitely fan of fans of each other I respect each other um i mean i i' I love John Waters a serial mom is a great movie that's my favorite John Waters movie oh shit I've seen that one that one's beautiful Pecker. I love Pecker. Pecker's good. Sessomiel Demented. I haven't seen that one. i haven't sat so That's with, what's his face? Steven Dorff.
00:42:48
Speaker
I love Steven Dorff. He never had drugs, man. but get He had a little bounce back, but yeah, he didn't he did I feel like he didn't reach the high team. thought after Blade, I was like, this kid's going far. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's good in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. I like him in that movie a lot. don't think I've ever seen that.
00:43:05
Speaker
No, don't. I've only seen Sofia Coppola movies. Who I think is... Overrated? No, she's amazing. Oh, okay. I didn't know. couldn't decipher. got a Lost Translation script right there. I couldn't decipher by the... No, I mean, sometimes I think because the Coppola's right, but then it's like I'll watch Lost in Translation or I'll watch The Virgin Suicides. Yeah, Virgin Suicides. I'm just like, fuck, man.
00:43:29
Speaker
i watch I can't wait to show my girls The Virgin Suicides. The first time. do that, but you know, it's a good movie. It's a good one. It's a really good one. It's ah it's kind of like meeting the abbots a little bit. um Inventing the abbots.
00:43:41
Speaker
Inventing the Abbots. No, it's way better. You think? Inventing the Abbots is good. I love it. because i love I know you do. You love Billy Cudor. I haven't seen that one. Billy Curdup? Who doesn't? Oh my gosh. I am Joaquin.
00:43:55
Speaker
Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Curdup. No, it was the oldest sister. oh I fell in love with her. um But they're in the same vein of a story. Virgin Suicide is way better. You think?
00:44:07
Speaker
Yeah. immensely it's like It doesn't have even anyone clothes Jennifer Connelly's titties. They show her boobs? Yeah. I don't remember that part. All I remember is Billy Curtis' butt.
00:44:22
Speaker
I always felt like they were kind of similar. They're at least in the same genre. They're very similar. Whiteamericasfamilytragedy.com Girls that everyone wants to get at.
00:44:32
Speaker
They're very similar. And they kill themselves when they don't get what they want. um same movie But no, Virgin Suicide is way better. It's a good one. it's one. Dude, Lost in Translation is just so fucking good. It's one of those movies where you're like, eh, shut up.
00:44:45
Speaker
Like a Woody Allen film. Like, eh, get out of here. And then you see it. just reminded me. But you said like a movie that makes you like it's so good that it makes you hate like feel ill. Like you're like, ah, that movie's so good. It's disgusting. What's a movie like that for you guys?
00:44:59
Speaker
Where you're like, you watch, you're like... i'll I'll never reach the heights of that. You feel like that in that moment, you know? um Alien. Alien, okay. I think every single frame of that film is perfect. Yeah.
00:45:10
Speaker
I don't know how they did it. It's like a miracle that that film is as good as that as as it is. it is ah It is a very nice, tight, constructed film. I would say, sorry for the clicking. yeah I would say ah The Thing.
00:45:23
Speaker
Oh, yeah. like That's definitely one. Everyone has tried to make a thing, like kind of body horror movie. It was such a thing. It's kind of coming back. I mean, just look at um the movie that came out, of the Corley for Dolly, The Substance.
00:45:38
Speaker
It's like, dude, that movie is just like a bunch of callbacks to better movies. And it's like, he wasn't the biggest fan of The Substance. that's right. That's right. I liked it, but yeah. I didn't hate it. It's just, it it felt... I mean, it's not better than The Thing or anything like that. I think he didn't like how much, how Kubrick-esque it was. It felt like the movie was...
00:45:56
Speaker
It was too much. it It's the same reason I didn't like Alien Romulus. it's like it play it it it It's crutched too heavily on its references. And I think a lot of people will like that movie. Alien Romulus, though, way worse. To me, it tells me. Oh, yes. It's way worse.
00:46:13
Speaker
but It's like Inventing the Abbotts versus the Virgin Citizen. It's like copycat and virtuosity. Copycat. Copycat's great. I love Copycat. Catch it on Copycat. Hey, no one say Virtuosity. No, no, no, no. Wait, who's in Virtuosity again? Denzel. Let me tell you. That's right, Denzel. Two best actors. I've never seen I wanted see it. Oscar winning. Kurt Russell and. Kurt Russell. Not Kurt Russell. Russell Crowe.
00:46:41
Speaker
Russell Crowe and Kurt Russell, but he got replaced by Russell Crowe. And Denzel Washington. That's right. I know the movie. I've just never seen it. By the way, speaking of Denzel, he's amazing in Highest to Lowest.
00:46:52
Speaker
Fucking kills it. Is he the dad the detective? He's the dad. He's the dad, yeah. He plays the ming he's the main character in the movie. he you think Denzel's going to be a supporting character? Guy's fucking ego's too good for that. High and low, like the second half of the movie like almost has nothing to do with the family.
00:47:08
Speaker
ah Did you watch the movie? Yeah, it's they're like, well, the whole middle section is like a police ah procedural. With the family. but In Spike Lee's the police the police, they're there throughout, but it's a backseat to Denzel. no like Yeah, it falls off Tom.
00:47:24
Speaker
He got high when he was. He was high and low. No, no, no. No, I know it comes back to the family, but like the middle that. Are you talking about part? Yeah, because right the middle of that movie about, it's like following the killer and the police chasing him.
00:47:36
Speaker
That was like the third act. The tail end is then like the Kamumpets where he goes to visit him. He's like, he will only talk to you, Ken Hunchiro, whatever his name is. I really want to. Okay, because I'm assuming there's obviously similarities because high and low.
00:47:50
Speaker
Yeah. There's a moment where the main character that's, I'm assuming, Denzel's playing... Spoilers. Confronts... Spoilers. get ah Confronts the kidnapper, right? The scene in Spike Lee's Highest to Lowest, that scene alone where he confronts the guy who kidnapped is worth the price of admission. See, that's where I would say Spike Lee fucked Only for one thing is that when Kurosawa did that in his film, it wasn't about confrontation.
00:48:17
Speaker
It was just about... but it's so good in highest to lows. Because Denzel and A$AP Rocky, they essentially have like a rap battle because it deals with the music industry. yeah It is so fucking good.
00:48:28
Speaker
Oh, really? That sounds horrible. i mean I mean... I'm a big... I like hip-hop. Well, no, no. I'm just saying because high and low, that scene is so fucking amazing. And that's what I'm saying. I can't speak to what the original... Yeah, that's what I want to say. Because on one hand, if Spike Lee was trying to capture what Kurosawa did or touch on that, it's like, you know, accomplish that.
00:48:48
Speaker
But if it's like, well, you're remaking this, or you're just kind of going... I mean, at some point, if you're doing a remake... You got to take it in your own direction, from what I heard, he adapted the book, King's Ransom.
00:49:00
Speaker
He didn't really adapt Kurosawa's high and low. Well, that's what high and low is based on. Yeah, I know. It's high and low because I think it's... It's off the same book? It's off the same book.
00:49:11
Speaker
But I think he kind of went more off the King's Ransom, but just did the contemporary... for the marketing, it sounds better to be... Kind of like the 1990s Shining, which was dog shit. Well, I mean, you got to get... well Or like Oldboy. It's mini-series on TV.
00:49:27
Speaker
Oh, Spike Lee's the Oldboy. I think Spike Lee just did that for the money. saw For Do The Right Thing. He wasn't passionate about that one. Again, i saw Do For The Right Thing on HBO streaming in the morning. and i was like Until they showed the boobs. And i was like, oh, kids, ah pause. ah Let's put on Blue's Clues.
00:49:46
Speaker
Dude, I fucking love that movie. That movie's great. was like, oh, this is why Spike always. Because, you know, I never saw that. I mean, I think I was a little probably too young at the time. But you always heard about Spike. as like spike like Spike Lee, Spike Lee.
00:49:58
Speaker
And then I was like, why is everyone like Spike Lee? I saw some of his other movies. This movie kind of sucks. Which one? Huh? Which one? Inside Man? Oh, okay. No, like Inside Man. love it. No, no, no. 25th Hour? That's a great one, too.
00:50:13
Speaker
No, it was earlier than that. The thing with Spike Lee, though, he has a he's you can't he has great compositions, great visual style. I think that's like, and he has some of the greatest greatest shots, in my opinion. yeah i love i think I think people more have issues with like the story and the coton what the movie's about, essentially. i was going to say, for me, i you know I never really knew him as a filmmaker.
00:50:36
Speaker
um I mean, I had eventually seen, i don't know what my first Spike Lee movie was. But eventually I saw Malcolm X, 25th Hour was in theaters, Inside Man I did see. But I mean, he's done a lot. So I've seen some of his before.
00:50:53
Speaker
But then I was like, well, you know, I always sort of do the right thing. Yeah, that's the one that really like propelled him. Because I loved Malcolm X. I mean, was like, how did Denzel not get the best actor for that? Or how did this not get best picture? This is bullshit. Anyways, that movie was amazing. Well, that movie came the and the 90s were tough. But I didn't see it in theaters. saw a later. Malcolm X was 93?
00:51:15
Speaker
It's like 90s. Yeah. Early 90s. Yeah. That early? Maybe even 91, honestly. Okay. Because man, the 90s, like, well, like you guys were saying, but I always heard of the 90s is the 70s part too. But I always heard of do the right thing. And then I finally saw it. I was like, Jesus Christ. This is why he gets so much. It's so inventive too. This is why everyone in respects Spike, you know, and he's, it was like, dude, this, this is where it started. 1992. 92. Okay. You're close.
00:51:40
Speaker
Yeah. yeah my favorite spike lee though is uh don't if you guys have seen it but he got game is my fucking he got games really good i don't remember you should it love that fucking movie um yeah that one's dude he got game it's like a childhood like yeah yeah dude and denzel that's my favorite denzel film too he's just so good in that movie you know what it lost to Which one? Oh, for the best picture? Yeah.
00:52:07
Speaker
Science of the Lambs. Oh, that's fair. that's fair That's fair. That's one of the best movies ever made. don't give a fuck what you say. That's fair. Well, I would say that for like Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. Do the Right Thing didn't even get nominated.
00:52:20
Speaker
I think there's a famous click clip of, I don't know who the actor is, but when they go to announce the best picture nominees, she says like, ah Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing should be in here or something like that. Someone says that, yeah, in the Oscars. was like, that's pretty cool.
00:52:34
Speaker
that that I mean, I saw that film. as such yeah That movie just pops. Spike Lee was like so good. he was He's an interesting character because ah he's. But then I saw the Black Klansman.
00:52:46
Speaker
You didn't like Black Klansman? Fuck no. and i feel like I like it overall, but I feel like it the first hour is stronger than the second half. Let me teach you guys something and then I'll tell you something. So Spike Lee is an interesting kind of person because he's on that tail end of the Bratz.
00:53:00
Speaker
Because I think his first. What do you mean Bratz? The movie Bratz. I think he kind of started coming up in the late 70s. Somebody like Scorsese, De Palma, those guys. Coppola?
00:53:11
Speaker
Coppola. Yeah. So he's stillburg he's like, luca he's like kind of like in this hanging out of the Brads kind of thing. Like he's like the baby. So he kind of didn't really get to launch, but he was also then too early for that huge indie explosion of the Mm-hmm.
00:53:29
Speaker
Well, he was a progenitor of that, I think. He definitely was a precursor, for sure. he's kind of like up there with Jim Jarmusch. Well, Steven Soderbergh was really a big ah point because with the Sex Lies and videotapes.
00:53:44
Speaker
That was huge. They're like kind of like the progenitors of that. and then get And then it's reshaped by Tarantino and Kevin Smith and those guys. And ah Lake Ladder in the ninety s But like he was in ah in that weird 80s period where indie wasn't what it should have been.
00:54:04
Speaker
Well, the 80s was... A lot of people consider it like one of the worst decades of of movies because it was like super corporate, super suppressed. See? A lot of sequels. That when the sequels were on the rise and all that stuff. and Yeah.
00:54:19
Speaker
I mean, I... There's a lot of good films in the 80s. Don't get me wrong. I love a lot of films in the 80s. I mean, the caliber of the films... I always say that. I always say the 90s is like no one ever says anything good about the 90s but it's like I've been re-watching lot of 90s movies and I'm like it is a golden era. It's the part too in my opinion American. When you fucking recommend to watch Lone Star I was like what the fuck dude? Then I watched Red River Lone Star yeah.
00:54:49
Speaker
Dude I saw that I was like what the fuck is this shit? This is where all that step brother porn came from huh? But then I watched, ah was it Red Rock Ridge or Red Rock?
00:55:01
Speaker
Red Rock West with Nicolas Cage. Love that movie. I'm like, God damn, the 90s. John Dawes, he directed that. He's an underrated filmmaker. He did Last Seduction, which is amazing. I like Last Seduction. I just saw another one that he did. I love horny movies. I love all the erotic thriller noirs. I wish they need more of them. Have seen Body Heat?
00:55:21
Speaker
Body Heat's great. Oh my God, dude. You can't watch that movie like alone. I mean, you can't watch it alone. I had a huge, ah huge crush on Kathleen Turner. thought she was like, why?
00:55:32
Speaker
yeah Yeah. She's thought what he's still hotter. and She's hotter than Serial Mom, in my opinion. That's the decline, though. No, she that's perfect. Dude, she is such a babe.
00:55:43
Speaker
I got a MILF. I got a MILF. Romancing the stone. I got a MILF thing, so. Right, romancing the stone. Oh, yeah, she's good in that too. But to me, Serial Mom's like perfect Kathleen Turner for me. She's hot, don't get me wrong. Body heat Kathleen Turner, though, is...
00:55:58
Speaker
She's good. I'm not going to go play it, but I'm saying... Have you ever seen that one? No. You've got to watch Body Heat. It's honor it's kind of like... William Hurt's in it, right? Yeah, Body Heat is like... It's the... It's the guy who did Big Chill.
00:56:13
Speaker
Yeah, I know, but it's like the better version of it Basic Instinct a little bit. Well, I don't know about that, but... I will fight love Basic Instinct. I am a big Paul Verhoeven fan, so I don't know about... but No, Paul Verhoeven is one... Dude, i That guy's fucking great. I've seen his finished films. I love that guy.
00:56:29
Speaker
um But, I mean, I don't know. Basic Instinct's pretty good. Well, you know, those it seems like those films might be kind of making a little bit of a comeback, too. They definitely come on the back, yeah.
00:56:40
Speaker
We need more. Well, because Nicole Kimmon just came out with that one, right? I don't know if it was graphic. No, that sucked. haven't seen it. haven't seen it either. I want to, though. they did it they were They were trying to do erotic thrillers. What was that? Watcher? But the new generation, they don't like having sex.
00:56:57
Speaker
That's what I heard. Kids don't have sex anymore. That's not true. That's what I heard. mean, have you seen their clothes? I don't know. I hang around a lot of the... Kids don't have sex anymore. We arrested P. Diddy. We arrested Eddie. It is fucking good.
00:57:13
Speaker
Weinstein, we got them all, dude. As soon as you said that, he was like, I'm dropping this one now. That's you set me up. That's how dropped. That's shit. Setting me We ain't doing too bad. No one's out there fucking the kids anymore, man. Michael Jackson died, you know. It's a sad time for kids.
00:57:33
Speaker
Oh, man. ah But can we talk about movies again? Yeah. Okay, so we do have... ah That was a huge tangent. I don't even know what were talking about. That was an hour of a tangent. You're feeling our high.
Light-hearted Banter and Sobriety Jokes
00:57:46
Speaker
All right, Steven. Yeah. Are you guys ready to get into this a little bit? Yeah. Sure. Do you have a water bottle that I can just refill my... Yeah, actually, i put ah I put a water bottle aside for that. Oh, sweet.
00:57:59
Speaker
All so actually, let's just pause real quick. Okay. If that makes sense. All right. Excuse the the long break. It's almost going to be like restarting the podcast a little It's okay. The beauty of editing. Don't we have, we have, I'm here. As long as you guys want to keep me, I'm here, dude. We want to keep you. You can stay.
00:58:16
Speaker
So there you go. so we You can move in, Steven. got you kids. Before before the we were talking about What were we talking we talking about? That's a good question. i of the Before the pause, that's a good question. Well, I guess we already forgot. Steven said he had a pee, and then that turned into whole break.
00:58:39
Speaker
The whole break. I
Creativity Boost from Whiskey: Myth or Reality?
00:58:40
Speaker
will say, hold on, it for the audience out there, the first hour, it was like, um not everyone was on, like like we were on like level two, maybe three on our our sobriety. Yeah.
00:58:50
Speaker
And now we're like 45.
00:58:53
Speaker
It's been a little bit of time. Yeah. it's It's currently 420 right now. so ah You don't have to raise your hand. i so want to no one I'm not going to be able to finish this. Maybe like ah this much, but this shit is strong, bro. Drink much as you want. Do i want to do one i one one you know like did i porttake don't drop sorry do see and don't drink it maybe well do you want I'll do the beer. That's how you know when you're an alcoholic.
00:59:21
Speaker
but Fuck, I'm sorry. No, I think you're just more of a drinker than I am, that's all. Yeah, no, I am. wouldn't go far with that you're an alcoholic. I'm a very sad inside. But yeah.
00:59:33
Speaker
That's why I like making movies. I'm just going to move over here so it's not a age. Did you drink any of it? I did, i did. No, it was up here. yeah Well, then I'll finish it. Go ahead. It's way better. it was literally at the top. Although i want I want to try one of those beers too, so say me one.
00:59:47
Speaker
They're yeahre good. Thank you. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy it. Enjoy alcohol? No, the light beer. It's a good one. I've been really i've been really liking drinking lately. um i wonder why. i don't i'm not normally like a week i don't drink during the week, but I've been like having like a like a whiskey or two.
01:00:08
Speaker
it's like, man, really kind makes me like feel ah a little more creative. It gives me a little bit of that drive back. like It's a little bit like a defibrillator on your soul. It's like a little bit of of a defibrillator on your soul, right? Because it's like sometimes you just feel so dead. What have you
Film Collaboration and Credit Debates
01:00:22
Speaker
been doing art-wise? Because you haven't been working on the film. Shots fired.
01:00:29
Speaker
I did my turn. Bitch, your turn. Bitch, my turn never ends. What are you talking about? i I feel like we work together. like, I wrote it. i wrote it. We wrote it. We both wrote it. we did everything together. There you go.
01:00:44
Speaker
The only thing Steven did on his own was all the scheduling and casting. Cinematography. didn't have to take up that role. He ds decided to do it. No, no, no. Let's bring it back. Let's bring him back. Steven. Steven.
01:01:00
Speaker
We have our guest, the wonderful and very amusing Steven Arapes. um You recently ran a marketing and funding for Romancing the Herp.
01:01:14
Speaker
It's a raunchy kind of buddy comedy, sex comedy, kind of American Pie a la, um ah what's it called? 40-year-old virgin. 40-year-old virgin.
01:01:29
Speaker
And that was called Romance and the Great title, by the way. Absolutely fantastic title. i one You know what? you You're saying romancing the Herb, which is not a bad title, but it's romancing with Herb.
01:01:41
Speaker
With Herb. Okay, sorry. Honestly, maybe I'll consider changing it to the Herb. No, romancing the Herb is way better. I actually might consider changing it to Romancing the Herb. I'm not joking. I think it's a way better title. Not just because I came up with it. but ah that's i i'm not I'm strongly considering it I'm not going to make a decision on the podcast, but i they once i leave, I'll make a decision. It's like Uncle Rico, dude. We always get our way. We always get our way.
01:02:06
Speaker
um but Just like with Mabry, David, at our ah Jared, and Clark were trying to change the title of the film. We were like, if you change that title the film we will never speak to you again. And
Steven Arpez: Marketing and Funding Challenges
01:02:16
Speaker
we never spoke to them again, even though they kept it.
01:02:19
Speaker
Oh, my God. Well, we watched the movie. Jared, I know you listen to the show. I'm kidding, dude. I love you, man. I love i love you, and I love ah your film, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
01:02:32
Speaker
They don't listen to this shit, dude. Yeah, know. I just love, like you say, I love your film. Looks at Steven. I love it, right? Big smile on his face. Yeah, you love it. No, I do i do like it. I liked it. going, keep going. enjoyed watching it.
01:02:46
Speaker
um But, yeah, I want you to walk us through One, I thought it I was fascinated by kind of like the marketing campaign and everything that was going on with that. Like you had in influencers kind of casted into the film and kind of wanted to talk to you about that. co So take it away. Okay.
01:03:03
Speaker
Yeah, that was... Romancing with her, at its you know, may it might be romancing the herp later, but ah yeah, the campaign, you know, I'll say this. I heard your guys you you're in your last.
01:03:15
Speaker
I made it almost 5000, not 2000. Not that much better. But let's get it accurate. And it's Kickstarter, not Indiegogo. Okay. Well, but that's the difference, right?
01:03:29
Speaker
You don't get your money back, whatever you make. So it would have been nice to keep that $5,000. I could move it towards something else. that's what what I was saying. like I should have done
Influencers in Film Marketing: Expectation vs Reality
01:03:36
Speaker
Indiegogo. That's ah all I was thinking. So Indiegogo is the one where you can keep it? money indiegogo gofundme those things you'll keep the money but like kickstarter you have to reach a certain percentage i think you have to fund it completely to get the money yeah um but it's the most popular out of the crowd yeah yeah it's it's because everyone gets their money back yeah so so then you heard my comment about kicking you extra cash yeah that's fine i'm not i'm not
01:04:04
Speaker
Why would I take offense to that? why you look I'm getting the more... No, you know what? on it But you're right, though. It wasn't it was a total ah failure, but the GoFundMe. In a way, in a way. um I think there's a silver lining in any failure. failure But um yeah, I think I misjudged.
01:04:23
Speaker
Three months wasn't enough pre-hype. I think I needed to do maybe closer to a year. Maybe a year. um Because I misjudged the... their fan base, the the three influencers.
01:04:36
Speaker
I thought they were going to be more gung-ho or more like into like, oh, this guy that I follow is going to be in a movie. And that's not what that's not what happened.
01:04:49
Speaker
It definitely went the other way. I was like, damn, they'd rather just have the finished product than help you create the product. Then help you create the film. That's what it felt like. And
High Budget Films and Crowdfunding Realities
01:05:00
Speaker
also, maybe i was like maybe they're also not into romancing with Herb, the idea.
01:05:06
Speaker
so they should have been the Herb, 200,000. 200 more, huh? I would have gotten the... so So they didn't have push the marketing for it They did. Okay, so so I had four. I had Steve Bridges, Nick Hibbitts, Tober Williams, and Nicky Howard.
01:05:21
Speaker
Nicky Howard was playing the lead in the movie, one of the leads. ah The other guys were like major supporting roles or had like major roles in it, but they're supporting... But anyways, I thought like they combined together. They're like a total like 7 million followers total. You know, some of them have like a million followers on TikTok.
01:05:40
Speaker
Yeah. So was like, that's a reach, you know? You just need 2% to donate $1. Dude, we literally at the end, I was literally like, tell them. And and I'll say this, two of them, Seabridges and Tober Williams, they were they were game all through the way of the campaign.
01:05:54
Speaker
I fucking, those guys are awesome. They're all awesome. They're all awesome. But like they were legitimate. They were. And then Nick Hibbett's, he kind of got like, yeah, personal stuff going on. So he was like not as consistent, which is fine. He he was honest, ah upfront about it, you know.
01:06:09
Speaker
And then Nikki Howard was upfront about it. Like, I'm only going to do one post. And then because she was promoting also her web series at the time and doesn't want to conflate. I'm like, that's fine. And she'll do she'll reshare stuff on her story and stuff like that.
01:06:21
Speaker
and though And she'll do an initial, like, hey, post, like, to go support this. so But she was upfront about that. So I can't – it's either I accept or I don't. yeah But other than that, so – but Steve and Tober were – they were promoting. They were they were doing great ah with it.
01:06:36
Speaker
And they have a lot of followers combined too, you know? So I was just – I was like either they were not into the romancing with Herp idea or they just or they're just like, I'd rather just take your free content that you're doing now and not see you in a movie. It gets so many factors, not enough pre-hype. I don't it's not one thing. It's multiple things that just didn't synchronize and make it happen.
01:07:00
Speaker
But I don't know if maybe the Nick Hibbitts was able to promote more. or maybe There's all these what-ifs. But I think at the end of the also, it's $200,000. It's not a small amount. no um And I was swinging big.
01:07:12
Speaker
yeah um
Learning from First Feature Film
01:07:13
Speaker
i feel like That's what you mentioned last time. You're like, I'm swinging for the fences for your guys. At end of the day, I i was like, you know it is what it is. i will but For this, i wanted to make this movie right. I needed at least 200K.
01:07:27
Speaker
I couldn't. This movie was not made for like, like the next one. Now the one that I'm working on is made for like 10 to 25K within that range. There's a movie in there with 10K.
01:07:38
Speaker
There's a, you know, 11K, 12K and so on to 25K movie that is feasible. i feel like that I can make and ah make it feel like a million dollar plus movie.
01:07:51
Speaker
That's my idea. Now that I made on one micro but budget film, I feel like I can make another one and make it feel like I said, a million dollar plus film. Yeah. I, I truly feel that. And I, I think we were talking about this before we hit, you know, record. We're like, God, I just want to get another fucking redo.
01:08:08
Speaker
You know what mean? love me. I love direct the director's cut. I, I, I love that movie. It was a great experience, but it's, I'm, I'm almost sick in me. I get sick in, in a way thinking about that. That's the only thing people really will know me from if they really look because it's a feature and that's,
01:08:25
Speaker
And I'm like, hate it. The concrete joke alone, man. The concrete. I think there's good things Rebar, sorry. Rebar. I think there's good there's good moments in it. But as a whole, it to me, it's it's it's there's there's an unsatisfactory factor component to it that it it bugs me.
01:08:43
Speaker
I'm like, I don't want that feeling. for my next film, I know it's never going to be 100% like what I want, but I don't want that feeling. I
Creating Films Against Classics: Quality and Storytelling
01:08:52
Speaker
want that feeling to be lessened of that unsatisfactory feeling.
01:08:55
Speaker
That needs to be like really lessened because I think you're always going to have that feeling, but it's like the level of a amount the amount you wanted to want to feel that. And I want it to be super low where I'm like... Because even like the great directors like Kubrick, he's probably like, this is not exactly what I wanted, but I'm sure he feels a lot less of a low about it than I do with my movie. You know what I mean? Yeah. That's how I feel. And I want to get to that where I just, with the next film, the next feature, anything I do next, short film too, because I plan to still do short films. so
01:09:26
Speaker
Yeah. i don't want it I want that low to be like so that that feeling of like unsatisfactory to be super low every time I make something. So that's always a goal. um And I don't even know what else was the point of this. I was fucking blitz, in regard in ahs That's fine. In regards to that, I want to bring up, and I brought this up a couple of times on the podcast, motherfucker. Don't be saying this the first time. didn't even say nothing.
01:09:51
Speaker
But... With filmmaking, not like we're really, you're never really competing with each other. But the thing is is, your work is being held up against... If you make a feature film, your work
Filmmakers' Drive to Improve Beyond First Film
01:10:03
Speaker
is being held up against every other feature film that's ever been made. exactly It doesn't matter that you only spent $10 on it or you made it in eight hours or ah you spent 10 years on it.
01:10:13
Speaker
and yeah That film, it will be presented. it will be compared to everything that it ever resembled and you are going to be held to that level of quality.
01:10:24
Speaker
And so how the fuck can you... like right It's like... okay, like I have to make a movie that is at least something that would be Halloween.
01:10:36
Speaker
Yeah. That would be Rosemary's Baby. That would be, ah what's that movie you fucking love? Yeah. um Scream. Attraction. Fatal Attraction. Rules of Attraction. Rules of Attraction. yeah. You love Rules of Attraction. It's like, right? And it's like, dude, you could make a Rules of Attraction.
01:10:57
Speaker
I think you could pull it. You could make that kind of movie. Can I? And fuck yes. and But what I was going to say about, it's just, director's cut is just not satisfying enough.
01:11:09
Speaker
for me to be like, you know, like I could never retire on that movie unless like I got taken off this earth. ah Like there's no way like finish that. I'm alive. That is not going to be my fucking last movie. I fucking swear on everything.
01:11:25
Speaker
There's no way I'm letting
Micro-budget Productions with Big Ambitions
01:11:26
Speaker
that be my last feature film specifically. So um and I but I love it. I love it. on I don't want to change the experience. It's like I think it's made me a better filmmaker mentally and everything.
01:11:36
Speaker
But But yeah, like i was I can't wait to get that redo or get that second opportunity. and and And I think I'm going to get it. It's not going to be Romancing with Herb.
01:11:47
Speaker
It's this other movie. other micro have the Another micro feature film. A true and independent film. and But it's not one location. It's multiple locations. But I can make it I was telling i could make it feel like a million bucks plus, you know, and I can't. And that's the one that I'm focused on focusing on right now to make next for myself.
01:12:10
Speaker
Well, i don so
Current Project Status: Post-production Focus
01:12:11
Speaker
I did, but you made me forget my question. Oh, I'm sorry. It's cool. You got anything? I got stuff. I just wanted to see if you had anything. You've been a little quiet. I'm listening. He's still processing everything. listening to everything. He's probably got like a little bit of a delay. like Because he's you know we're all a little bit delayed right now. well How about in the end in relation to what Seaman was just saying?
01:12:36
Speaker
Do you want that? Shit, he's still pressing me. Do you want do you want that essentially do you want that second shot at the title Do you want to make sure be the only feature film do?
01:12:53
Speaker
I don't think we've gotten there yet. We're still so much in the post-process of this. Dickhead
Dedication and Emotional Attachment in Filmmaking
01:12:59
Speaker
yeah that were Yeah. We're still so so much in the building of what this is before I can even... ah You haven't even really seen it. The the newest feel of it. It's a giallo now. Me?
01:13:11
Speaker
Yeah, I haven't. I'm sure it's a lot different from what saw when you sent It's a straight giallo now. the that I like that. The soundtrack, the way the color is going. Fuck yeah. We are literally making an American giallo.
01:13:23
Speaker
And it was like, we didn't really realize that that's what we were doing. But in a way, it's been like this like spiritual guide in a sense. like Well, you know what? At the end of the day, it's going to be what it is in the editing room. you're always That's where you find the movie. well Even when you think you have a strong vision, at the end of the day, it's going to be the movie you find in the editing room. Well, I'll say this. you know We found that a while ago, and we're still heavily involved trying to get to the end of that because...
01:13:47
Speaker
The edit's good. you know The audio's not there, so you can't exactly hear what's going on. But you said the audio's almost done, right? Yeah, it's almost done. But you know we can, because we can just turn up the volume.
01:13:59
Speaker
we know We know what we're listening for. um So yeah, you know it's in a good spot. We're going with it. I can't say about a second project, because I'm still to get this one done i'm still so invested in the first project. you know it's It's never left...
01:14:18
Speaker
my scope of importance, it's become foundational. So it's going to feel weird when it's finally done. Yeah. It's going to feel good
Pride and Challenges in Film Work
01:14:27
Speaker
too. I don't know, man. I think it will. I don't know. Cause I think there's going to be a point where I miss it. Cause like I caught up at work here today and I was like, okay, I met all my goals of what I wanted to achieve like through this week. Yeah.
01:14:39
Speaker
And then there was a number of nights where I just passed out in this chair I'm sitting in. Because I was like getting high. i was like, well, what am I going to do? I don't got anything. What am I supposed I mean, there's stuff I have to do. yeah But it's like, well, I met the priorities. Like, well what do I do? i think that's a good answer to what do you do. That's when you think about another movie. Because once...
01:15:00
Speaker
Because there's no shortage of things that we have that we want to work on. but But we know the goal. I just i guess what I want to dial it back to is just that individual movie. like I'm proud of what this movie is.
01:15:11
Speaker
There's no sense of me that's not proud of it. You're not embarrassed by it. that's You know I mean? That's good. Yeah. I mean, I'm proud. of i I am proud of it. i think I think we accomplished...
01:15:25
Speaker
something worth people's time. And I think we
Financial Needs and Quality Commitment
01:15:28
Speaker
accomplished something better than what we could have achieved at any individual point in time. You know, it's been a collection of all these years put together and all these awesome people who graced us with their
01:15:42
Speaker
I don't know, nativity? I know, but I was asking you to dig a little deeper, though, buddy. like I am digging deep. Tell me, right? like Because we know dickhead's going to be done someday.
01:15:55
Speaker
Hopefully Sunday. not like No, what but what I want you to say is, you want to keep this path, right? No, what I'm saying is, like if this is it, this is it. This is my swing, bro.
01:16:07
Speaker
I ain't going for a second swing. Would you go in the capacity of like helping Tom with his next future? Yeah, sure. I'll help to some extent. I mean, shit I got a whole other life that's now developing around me that I got to be present for. That's fair. Like my family.
01:16:23
Speaker
So, it's like,
01:16:27
Speaker
If this fails or if this succeeds to the extent where I could get another project going that I can achieve. Because I don't, like you, I'm not going to do this for cheap.
01:16:38
Speaker
I don't want to do this for nothing. There's got to be some money involved so I can get what I want. Exactly. That's the goal. To a certain
Exploring Storytelling Beyond Filmmaking
01:16:45
Speaker
extent. Like I can compromise that a lot. I mean, I'm not going to get ah Benedict Cumberbatch. Yeah.
01:16:51
Speaker
to show up and be my lead. You might get Michael Biehn. I probably wouldn't even want that. So I just want to be able to- What about Michael Biehn? but No, I wouldn't want him. He sucks. He's a terrible actor. Really?
01:17:05
Speaker
I wouldn't agree with that, but i don't think- He ain't a good actor. I think he's good. He's getting spicy coming out. Look at look at Rock. He's coming out. But I respect it. I respect your name. Michael Biehn has endless charisma.
01:17:17
Speaker
And that's where he rests. That's fair. he's he's like i know him He's like Brad Pitt Light. Where it's like they can't act with shit, but they got a certain charisma, so they pop on the screen.
01:17:29
Speaker
But anyways, who gives a shit that? Can I say something? Yeah. No matter what, one stick heads over. i Please, don't if you don't want to do another fucking feature, that's fair.
01:17:42
Speaker
I get it. That's just fucking hard. Okay? And obviously you guys are still working on it. It's fucking hard. We got a hint. Post-production. We got a hint. Getting it made is hard as fuck. And then
Storytelling Over Technical Perfection
01:17:53
Speaker
like putting the thing together is another mammoth of a thing.
01:17:57
Speaker
But keep making short films. if you're going to stop If you're going to stop with features for a little bit, you should keep making short films. Make them as short as you can. But something compelling, compelling in which I'm sure you can.
01:18:09
Speaker
Well, see, this is a thing for me. I don't care about film in that respect. I don't do this to tell – all I do this is just to want to tell a story.
01:18:20
Speaker
And if that story is best on film, then I want to tell that story on film. If that story is best as like a little short story or a novel, that's how I want to tell it. Well, that's good. Either one. Either one. I think no matter what, long as you keep a creative outlet is the important thing. Well, because it's all about story. And I think ultimately that's where film has always failed throughout.
01:18:44
Speaker
Anytime there's a bad movie, it's because a story wasn't there. Yeah.
Setting Realistic Filmmaking Goals and Aspirations
01:18:48
Speaker
And the director didn't capture the story that they were trying to achieve. yeah right like That's why we saw something in you, Stephen.
01:18:54
Speaker
you could see Because you can see the story in directors. Yeah, you could you could see the movie, you can see the idea, and and it couldn't get captured. But it' so it always film always rests on the story. It always yeah goes back to story. That's just the most important thing. It don't matter about anything else.
01:19:10
Speaker
That is that is the the the core of what a movie is. You've got to capture the story, and so many people do not. Because they want to put themselves first before their art.
01:19:24
Speaker
I just want to tell a fucking story. And I have stories that can be a film, that have to be a film, and stories that don't.
01:19:34
Speaker
And Dickhead has to be a film. It is a film. We did good. If it doesn't hit that benchmark that we want it to hit, then I can't fund the next one.
01:19:45
Speaker
Yeah. I don't have enough money on my own. Yeah. So I can't put anyone through that. That's fair. End of story. Like, unless someone's willing to invest in it, it can't get made because I'm not going to do it for anything less than what I want to achieve.
01:19:58
Speaker
And like,
Future Filmmaking Plans and Resource Management
01:19:59
Speaker
one of the things I want to achieve is shooting on film. but So if I can't even afford the film costs, you know, of shooting it or purchasing it, developing it, I can't afford that through whatever means, even if I have to learn how to do it. But if I can't afford it, then all I'm saying is if you get a good, if you get a great idea, that's great to you.
01:20:20
Speaker
and you feel like it needs to be a movie, whether it's a short or a feature, i think you should go for it regardless, especially if it's a short. What I plan to do, i don't necessarily want to do shorts until they come up.
01:20:32
Speaker
So I come up with the idea per se, you know? um So I have this feature that I wrote out and if we don't get any money to film it, I'm at least going to finish the script and then it can rest.
01:20:46
Speaker
And it's like, I'm not going to move on to any other ideas I have because i can't achieve those ideas. I don't have enough experience and know-how to achieve that. This has to be my next script because I can achieve this.
01:20:58
Speaker
Nice. And whatever that shows, okay, we're going to go with that. But any other idea, it's like, no, that's just too beyond me for a production. Yeah. You know, the reality.
01:21:09
Speaker
So I'm not even going to try for those. They'll just stay stories in my head. have you ever Would you write something that you couldn't make right now? No. Because if I can't make it right now, I also can't write it. That's kind of how my mentality is too. if i If I feel like it's right now or there's no avenue to make it, potentially, I won't even waste waste my time. Like I'll say me and Tom like to shit on Tarantino just because we like to be cool, you know?
01:21:34
Speaker
But like Tarantino, whatever money he's getting to write that script, He makes you feel every cent of that dollar when you're watching it. Right? I mean, look. That's my favorite filmmaker, so I can't fucking anything Once Upon a Time in Hollywood wasn't like this epic necessarily, even though maybe you could argue it is.
01:21:53
Speaker
But it it wasn't like ah Gone with the Wind, per se. like it's actually To me, Once Upon a Time Hollywood is an epic buddy comedy. But what I was say, but then once you read that writing, like I think he really showcased it in, like you said, he saw Kill Bill, Kill Bill Volume 2.
01:22:08
Speaker
I think he kind of hit a new level with his writing. And, you know, when you watch his films, it's like, damn, I'm in for something. You know, you're you're excited. There's...
01:22:20
Speaker
It's an event. Yes, exactly. It's an event. And that that's what I think we're all striving to be is an event for when people movies come out that's by us. They want to see it. Yeah, he can hit that expectation.
01:22:31
Speaker
He hits a yeah. so i don't want So none of my other stories can exist until I've moved on and grown to hit that expectation. Yeah. So if the second movie can't get funded, then it's like, well, then I'm done. Yeah, you don't you don't want to shortchange it and make it Yeah, I mean, maybe something else will come along and then I can turn that into something. But otherwise, it'll be like, no, it's not going to be me.
01:22:55
Speaker
that's I'll be assisting because it's fun. Yeah. um That's my issue with the director's cut is that I i know I did handicap it in a way.
01:23:06
Speaker
Like... trying to make it you know what i mean like because i was just thinking like i was just like i'm just i'm gonna make i'm gonna get this and i'm making whatever i get ah amount this is what i'm you know i'm making it for reminds me of a bit what jared and clark said when we they were on uh they were gonna make the movie no matter what if they had to make the movie in their apartment i was morphing the story to the budget do you know what i mean Oh, okay. And initially the story was a little bit more – it wasn't a chamber piece necessarily. But I kind of morphed it to that. So then you knew the story, but then budget is starting to dictate everything too? think budget. And also I feel like I rushed the whole – I rushed it too much. I think I could have –
01:23:50
Speaker
I shot it in the summer of 2021. i probably should have shot it in the summer. at least ah Not in the summer, but I probably should have so shot it beginning of December or early November. When did pre-production begin? At the end of 2020.
01:24:03
Speaker
so so why like Actually, it really began in twenty the January 2021, probably the end of January. so how much what How long of a timeline is that? when I shot it in in July and August.
01:24:17
Speaker
the Of the same year? Yeah, ju end of July. i mean, I can say yes. For eight days total. I would say yes. But then also we did a similar thing where we wrote Dickhead in like six months and then pre-production took only a couple more months.
01:24:33
Speaker
um And then we were shooting. So I'll say like in in our respect, I felt like we had to have this strict timeline and really get it going or else it would never get going.
01:24:44
Speaker
Like – Looking back on it, because for for me, looking back on it, it'd be like, what versus what it became? Yes, we should have taken more time.
01:24:55
Speaker
But in the present moment, it was like, no, it has to take this amount of time because if it's not done now, it's never going to get it done. So for you, looking back now on it, did it have to be within that short time frame or could you have expanded upon it? Should you have expanded upon it?
01:25:13
Speaker
Yeah, I think, I mean, I would do it different. There would be things that I would do definitely different if I got a redo at Director's Cut, but the problem was the mentality was coming out of desperation.
01:25:24
Speaker
but That's what made Director's Cut, is a desperation mentality. That's important. It's a positive, but there's a negative element to it. Don't don for shortcut...
01:25:36
Speaker
that essentially that need, that drive to get it done, you might think that director's cut, don't know if you see it as a failure or whatever. I mean, I know you enjoy the movie, but I'm sure you had higher aspirations the story. I mean, I think objectively it's a failure in the sense that I'm not making money it.
01:25:51
Speaker
you know yeah Well, yeah. So then how do you see it as a negative? Is it just because you didn't make money? That's the only negative I really see, like the major negative, because I'm trying to make a living out of this.
01:26:04
Speaker
yeah So in a way, it's going to be a negative until I make money, like profitable money off the movie. if i i don't have to make a if i The movie would have made a profit I would have been like, okay, I'm more satisfied because at least like... Let me say... I want to say things, I made something back. Go ahead and finish. But there's other creative elements that also I have issues with the movie.
01:26:26
Speaker
and But I think a lot of it comes from the... A little bit rushing and coming from the desperation mentality because 2020 was such a shit year for me and obviously many people, but it was a shit year for me.
01:26:39
Speaker
And I was just like, I got to fucking make something. I'm about to be... um I'm like, in my early 30s, I'm like, I need to fucking make something, okay?
01:26:49
Speaker
That's what I said. was a dickhead when I was in my early The first attempt at a movie was me at like 26 and um And it it was a complete fla failure where in the sense like, I'm not showing this to anybody. Oh yeah, that's the one we asked you to up said, no.
01:27:08
Speaker
This is in purgatory forever unless I want to really, like you know, unless I'm like more like, okay, one day maybe. But right now it's like, no one's going to know me for this fucking movie, okay? um There was good things in it too, but as a whole it was way like severely lacking, way lacking content.
01:27:26
Speaker
Then like directors cut by like a lot, you know what i mean? So, um and that was me thinking I was Robert Rodriguez and going to do everything by myself. Okay. So I was kind of shooting myself in the foot in a way.
01:27:38
Speaker
I didn't have to do that because I could have asked people and they would have helped me. But I was ah stubborn in and that mentality of like, I just remember without a cause. And I guess it had a negative effect on me because i was like, yeah. Like, I'm like, but really...
01:27:53
Speaker
i must go i could have asked my buddy Jeremy yeah ah my this buddy this buddy to come through and like they probably would have been down at that time I was just kind of Shortcutting them in a way, you know, like not like I should have fucking asked for help. I think that movie I should have asked for help and it could have been maybe something that i would have been my first feature film.
01:28:15
Speaker
But well, they part of i'm glad it's not that's part of the learning lesson too, right? And I want to say two things. That's one of the beauties of art is ah the humility it will bring when you pour yourself into it.
01:28:29
Speaker
you know there was a It will humble you. a couple of things that there was Absolutely. And that's a beautiful thing. A couple things I wanted to bring up. I wrote down ignorance and drive equal your your first film.
01:28:41
Speaker
which just Hesitance but confidence equals your second. yeah And what I wanted to bring up as well is without knowing... kind of how every ah all those little aspects works in your Rebel Without of Cause like kind of feature film where you're doing every little thing.
01:29:01
Speaker
There's a an aspect where as directors of these budgets where we are self-funded, maybe we have a little bit of an investment. We need to know how things work.
01:29:13
Speaker
need to work economically. And I think from editing Dickhead, We have this just this better general understanding of films and scenes and importance. We had scenes that we thought you couldn't cut because of how important they are. But it's like the movie just works better without that.
01:29:37
Speaker
Yeah, like you, Steven. I mean, there was a scene you told us to cut that was very painful. And we discussed it heavily. But also at the same time, it very clear. Like cut out completely or just cut it shorter?
01:29:50
Speaker
Cut it out completely. Okay, okay. It was your recommendation. Okay. And we did it and it was like, well, yeah, he's fucking right. yeah and And it's a good scene. It's one of the best scenes. It would literally be one of the best scenes in the film.
01:30:03
Speaker
But without it. I can't wait to see it. I just can't wait to see the new version, honestly. Yeah, the entirety of it is just so much... tighter it's just as a whole it works so much better it would have been like yeah you got this one scene but everything else sucks yeah now it's like okay you got you didn't you don't have that scene and everything else well it's good it's good Here's another thing with director's cut. I feel like another feeling that I don't want to feel, I feel like I can cut the movie again. Like cut it even shorter.
01:30:33
Speaker
And that's fucking killing me. But I'm like, I need to move on from this fucking movie. like yeah but You're not wrong. by the and that And I think it's very important that you know need to know when to stop. But I mean, even Steve and I were were talking. I was like, I know you have a better cut in here.
01:30:47
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. When we were talking, i think when we over reviewed the movie on the podcast, i don't know if you listened to that episode. I don't think did. we had talked about it a lot. Don't worry. Before we had it on. I'll listen it. Before we had you on. don't remember what. It's got to be before we had you on. had to be because I didn't know you guys had talked about it. All we talk about is shit. mean it's like every single episode. Honestly I didn't know you guys had talked about it before you guys reached out to me.
01:31:10
Speaker
Because he was telling me that I got to watch it. Oh, for Steven's film? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I didn't know that. Especially in private, though. Because Steven was like, you were yeah, maybe it wasn't even on the podcast, but I know we were we were talking and it was like, fuck, he has this, like, we know you have, like, a better cut in here.
01:31:29
Speaker
Yeah, and I was just like, Tom, you got to see the film. It's like, there's like a kindred spirit in here. There's something in there. It's like, this motherfucker can relate. Yeah, and that was kind of like, we've been trying to even maybe thinking about like changing the direction of the show.
01:31:46
Speaker
ah to more highlight and showcase those films. but that Films like director's cut. That people should be watching. like ah The films that just like kind of live, they just go and die on Tubi. I mean, andm as unfortunate as it's to say.
01:32:02
Speaker
But, dude, There is value in watching your film. It's fucking- appreciate it. I'm glad you found any value. fucking appreciate it. And entertainment. And honestly, Tooby's fucking awesome because you can find all these cool- I'll show Tom- There's so many great- They have the most spectrum. I will say- Yeah, show Tom a bunch of films you've never heard of, no one will ever see. And I'm like, dude, check this one out. There were a couple that we've brought up.
01:32:24
Speaker
Yeah. We just had- ah ah Do you remember his name for real life? Julian. Julian. Yes. Julian. We had this guy on that. He did this film. He like pretty much couldn't figure out how, what kind of mil movie he wanted to make. So he made a documentary on his own life oh as being a filmmaker. And it, it was an, it it was an interesting film. I think Steven appreciated it a lot more than I did. i didn't love it.
01:32:49
Speaker
um I thought it was kind of messy. you like Director's Cut more or did you like that movie? Oh, Director's Cut is way better. Well, I'll say I told Tom to watch it. That's right. So I had seen it first. No, I told you to watch No, you didn't, dude.
01:33:01
Speaker
I found the Reddit post. I found the Reddit post. Okay, sure. Okay, from what I understand, that you recommended. Yeah, that's how I remember it. That's when the first time we talked. I'll say regardless. It doesn't matter really. The point I wanted to make was, I wanted to, I think that we can use this podcast as a platform to show these films, have these filmmakers on to talk about it.
01:33:25
Speaker
Because I think people are making some really interesting things that people don't see just because... Right. Director's Cut is such a kick-ass... It's all outside Hollywood. Director's Cut has this really cool kick-ass story, and when you watch it, you just know you didn't have the resources you needed. Mm-hmm. And and you just know and and you see you see that it's your first movie.
01:33:47
Speaker
Yeah. Well, it's not your first, first movie, but you see that it's like... My first feature film. It's your first... It's your feet eat your feet your big swing feature. Yeah, yeah. And... It's crazy because it feels like, oh man, I'm making the fucking most epic movie. And then in hindsight, once I'm done with I'm like, it's not epic enough at all. But the thing about it was... But want to say it's like, it's kind of like, I want to find these clerks. The clerks films.
01:34:16
Speaker
these They don't really make... you could I should have been born 1994. You should have. No, dude, seriously. I might have made it quicker. No, you should have been born 1994. No, no, mean, be making this movie. I made the release the movie in 1994. Could you imagine?
01:34:32
Speaker
and so like that The landscape is so different. Clerks could never happen again. No, it can, but it be so it's super hard. It's like so rare. I believe in, I'm in the theory that anything could fucking happen.
01:34:44
Speaker
Okay. The percentage is super low. There are only so many Skidmerinks. That's all I'll say. Yeah, exactly. That's what saying. The percentage is fucking low. How many fucking films were released the same year as Skidmerink that just did nothing? Yeah, yeah, no, a lot.
01:34:59
Speaker
That movie, I don't know too much about. Do you know a lot about the behind the scenes of that I don't know the behind the scenes, but I know what made it successful is the marketing. all it Here's what it is. With any movie, you just need the right person to see it because they have the pull, they have the connections, or they are the that the thing that can make it happen.
01:35:18
Speaker
You just need the right person to see it and dig it They would fucking make they made cinema ring because like I can pump the the money in this movie to marketing.
01:35:29
Speaker
The movie movie succeeded because of marketing. Did you see it? I have not seen it, but I know it's a bunch of fucking static shocks. No, I watched it. I watched it and i I'm not against it.
01:35:40
Speaker
I will watch it eventually, but I'm just like i haven't watched it I'll just say, you know, you know don't ah watch some Ozu or some Cursar first. You don't to watch Skin of Marie. Can i can i ask you this question?
01:35:52
Speaker
Is it a movie that is all atmosphere? And there's no real payoff at the end. Which one? Skinner Marink? That's the one where the kids are trapped in the house. Oh, dude. I fell asleep like 30 minutes in. Wait, but am I right about that? Yeah, man. Is it movie that's all atmosphere but doesn't deliver on the climax? Correct. Oh, didn't make that far. That's what I thought it was.
01:36:10
Speaker
So that's why I don't have the urge to watch it. I may like it still. Steven, Steven, Steven. But I have no urge. I'll say it's a brilliant idea. is... is the best 25-minute film made into a feature. Like it should have been a short.
01:36:24
Speaker
If it was 25 minutes, it would have blown my fucking mind. It's like, have you ever watched a really, really good short film? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like, have you seen a really good short film? I've seen The Red Balloon.
01:36:34
Speaker
That's not a short film. That's a short film. i I think it's like 59 minutes. It's like just barely. It's 45. Okay. It's a long short film. Okay. Okay. Fuck you and your red balloon.
01:36:45
Speaker
ah Can you give... You've seen a short film that's pretty good. Yeah, the Lights Out one. Sure. Lights Out by ah our buddy Sam Burr. Pony Smasher. Pony Smasher. I've seen some good ones. Fucking nuts. But I want to say it's like, ah you know, when you ever if you ever watch like a really good short film, you're just like, fuck. It's a different medium.
01:37:05
Speaker
Feature films and short films have a different language because of the, just the... the the i was just going to say, I feel like I finally, sort like...
01:37:16
Speaker
know how to make this short make a short film after I made Switchblade Holiday. So the next short film I make will be my best short film, guaranteed. but i i will say, I really enjoy Switchblade Holiday, and and maybe I have some inside baseball here because I... yeah I've read the feature for Switchblade Holiday, and i I really like the i really like the the script.
01:37:38
Speaker
I read it, drunk out of my mind, in a Texas hotel room. That's a perfect way. Reading it while Hateful Eight was playing in the background. And I remember hearing that Morricone score while reading Switchblade Holiday, and just thinking...
01:37:55
Speaker
okay, Stephen, I see what you got here. And like, it was pretty nice. Pretty nice. You, okay. Okay. I mean, have some. like anything, man. like Honestly, that's the only script that I've written that I'm like, I feel confident like to send to anybody. I mean, I definitely would change some things in the end, but I'm a better writer, so it's okay. There we go. There's Tom. I love it. No, that's how you should think.
01:38:18
Speaker
No, I'm not. I mean, we all think we're the best lesbianists, all right? That is, you got to think that way, in my opinion. I wanted to get to the point where it's just like, there's like this, I don't know, this camaraderie, but not only that, it's...
01:38:40
Speaker
There was a time when when our movies would have come out that like we would have really made a splash. even you know We're talking like Hair Trigger. I'm talking... I know you probably haven't seen Hair Trigger. It's a movie... It's a film... Directors that we have interviewed on the show that have made movies.
01:38:55
Speaker
And it's like... I feel the cat like it's so much harder for us these days because we are going up against... Not only are we going to get up against like studios that make films, but people have so much easier access to making films. that To stand out in the crowd today is like you have to be so exceptional with so little.
01:39:23
Speaker
go ahead. I'll finish. I'll say it after. like The only way to really get like picked up, there's like it's either you you know somebody and you got some like hardcore nepotism on your back. Yeah, yeah.
01:39:35
Speaker
Or you're like fucking like Mozart. You're a fucking Mozart, right? like How else do you get seen? like like All the Beethovens are like, well, there's Mozart over over there He's Mozart. He's seven and he made an opera better than anything I've written. I'm deaf. Yeah.
01:39:52
Speaker
Because I heard some Mozart that was so good that I jabbed the pencil in my ear because I never wanted to hear anything ever again because that soured the thought of how good Mozart was. It's like, dude, like I can't compete against Mozart. Yeah.
01:40:06
Speaker
I can write. I think I can write okay. I think I have. There's something in me that lets me tell stories okay. I mean, maybe it's the pain and suffering. You can write. I've read your stuff. You can write. And it's like, maybe I got something there. And it's like, we got something. the thing is, our powers combined, like Captain Planet.
01:40:24
Speaker
That's what I think there's some strength. It's like, we got to make an anthology movie. That's right. it did you he's This has been mentioned many times prior. Can I say this also? Another problem that I have with director's cut and we'll get back to the anthology. Please, let's talk about director's cut. I fucking love that movie. what what A problem that I have with it is... some of the cinematography sucks.
01:40:45
Speaker
God damn it, Steven. The lighting. You needed to lean into the water. The water rental stuff. Dude, I have thought of about that. I lost my shit. I lost my shit. That image of the fucking kid with the fucking water splash.
01:41:00
Speaker
And I just love that there's this like ultra romantic thing about a video store that has to be a water rental place because that's the only way it can survive. And like you have like these fake...
01:41:13
Speaker
I'm sure there's like some Armenians coming in to get like tons of water for like, they're like, they're like a fucking like a shaving meat store. Yeah.
01:41:24
Speaker
But dude, like you had it. I was like, fuck, it was right there. I was like, come on, Steven. You had more water. you need more water. You didn't need more water, but it was like more water. Dude, this was like, it was like your clerk's moment, right? It was like, oh my God.
01:41:40
Speaker
And you, and when you told us, it was like a complete happy accident. I just remember thinking like, Oh my God, dude. your God gifted you. God wants you to be filmmaker. I do like that element of the movie that it is a water source. Yeah, no, that was a great thing. What I was going to say is one another problem that I have with what directors. Sorry, please.
01:42:00
Speaker
It doesn't do enough to stand out, and that's my biggest problem with it. And it's just like, i give me that... I can't wait with the next one because I'm going to fucking... I'm going to fucking show everybody. Mostly myself is really what it is. But I can't i need to get that fucking so like that second title shot, like you said.
01:42:18
Speaker
Come on, Rock. You got to take me out from this earth or I'm i i'm fucking going for it. Come on, dude. you can all You can do a great Burgess Meredith. Give it to me. I was going to say, also, not just visually, but also story-wise. I'm like, this one, My Bad, that I wrote,
01:42:38
Speaker
I think it has enough to like... Hey, I'm waiting. remember I will send it to you soon. But I feel like it has enough things that are memorable within the story. I'll tell you how good it is romancing the Hurt. Wait, so then... Well, this other one is not romancing the Hurt. So then with there was a director's what director's cut, what do you think...
01:42:57
Speaker
you Where do you think you fell short then? By the way, there's an cut the movie the there's two cuts of the movie. There's one on the Tubi cut, which is the hour and 22. And then there's the one on YouTube, which is the hour and 19, which I personally prefer.
01:43:11
Speaker
Like I told you, I could keep cutting this fucking movie if I wanted to, but I'm not going to. because i I think an hour and 19 is good. I think you probably could do 72 minutes. i get pregnant no i can I know I can cut shorter or cut something shorter.
01:43:25
Speaker
But I'm just like, no, I'm moving on. 100%. can get you to 72 minutes on that film. I think there's a good, what are we, 119? I could probably get it to like 113.
01:43:36
Speaker
one thirteen And I think that'd be like a good runtime right there. Because I think, and I always told this to Steven, you can't, you got to get out of your bad spots fast. Yeah.
01:43:47
Speaker
The thing, i think this is what a lot of ah filmmakers of our pedigree fall into is that they linger on their their terrible shit like way too long. Like... Dude, I mean, one thing about Director's Scott, I also fucking undershot it in some scenes, which fucking kill me when I watch I'm like, i I want to cut to this angle. but But I ran out of time because I was doing it like yeah I was doing.
01:44:13
Speaker
yeah I'm like, so so then I was trying to follow the schedule. I was being professional and I was like, maybe I should have done some reshots. But I was that was the stubbornness in me. Like, I'm not fucking doing reshots. This is what the movie is. Why were you so stubborn? That's just, you know, mentality. You know, people do dumb shit. he's more like me than I know.
01:44:32
Speaker
that's that that's a That's a dumb moment for me. and I should have re-shot and gotten some extra shots. so let let's Listen, listen, listen. No, no, no, no. listen don I don't know. Steven, let me explain. I'm not like that anymore. Let Tom tell you what you felt. I'm not like that anymore. no but i But at the time, I had that mentality of like, you shoot what you shoot, and that's what it is.
01:44:53
Speaker
Let me explain. You're more like me than Steven. And what I mean by that is... Steven has, he has a pedigree. And in that, what by that I mean... Dog food. When I say that, he's not thinking, okay, this shot's good enough.
01:45:10
Speaker
He's thinking, is this as good as Ozu? Is this as good as Kubrick? Is this this is that as good as this can be? And then we are like, hey, ah if we push our actors any harder, we might just not have anybody and we're done. And you're like, no, we got to make the best thing that we can fucking make, period.
01:45:30
Speaker
We're going to reshoot it. We're going to do every every little step we can do to make it as best as possible, no matter what. Even if we don't end up using any of it, we're going to do it. It doesn't matter if the actors hate us. It doesn't matter if this... We're going to make the best fucking movie. And that will prove to them that it was all worth it.
01:45:49
Speaker
And to me, I'm just like... But they already hate us. We can't do it. I'm so afraid of them hating us. I can't push them harder than that I'm being pushed. Go ahead, go ahead. Steven's like, you know what, motherfucker?
01:46:02
Speaker
We're making dickhead. Push it, Brock. Push it. But what I mean is like... We have this like, I don't know about you, Steven. Maybe this I'm internalizing, of course, because all I know is myself and I'm the greatest.
01:46:15
Speaker
yeah And I want to say, you know, what's really fucking hard and difficult to understand is that people will be there for you to help. So much of making a film, you're just like, wow, they showed up today.
01:46:30
Speaker
And that's not enough. It's not enough that they just showed up. yeah It's like they needed to be prepared, passionate, and like ready to go that extra mile because we are the Beethovens trying to be Mozarts. know some people would probably say Beethoven's better than Mozart, but they would be wrong. They have no idea what they're talking about.
01:46:53
Speaker
And they have no understanding of classical music. Fair. Mozart wrote an opera when he was six years old. No, Mozart's the greatest. He's a Michelangelo of art.
01:47:06
Speaker
it you Right? It's like when you watch. Have you guys ever seen. ah I know. yeah i don't think you've seen it. But have you you've seen Barry Lyndon? No. That's the one. i think that's the only Kubrick film that I haven't seen.
01:47:19
Speaker
That might be. No, I don't think that. And i want I do want to watch it. I do. i It's been on my watch list forever. So Barry Lyndon is this film that's essentially perfect. Mm-hmm. And when you watch it, ah you know how you said like it's like a film that makes you feel bad? it's like Because before and after Sunrise or Sunset. Before Sunrise?
01:47:39
Speaker
Before Sunrise? Before sun Sunset? I like Before Sunset more, but yeah, go ahead. I'm more knowledge trying to remember not i'm trying to remember then just the names. That was really good. Yeah, they're both good. They're both great. They're both good.
01:47:51
Speaker
It's like they're so good that it hurts how good they are. It's like... It's like, man, you can never hope to recreate. That's anyone talks shit on Linklater, I'm like, yeah he made those movies. yeah like Oh, no. they guy my The point hell always point I'm trying to, this long-winded rant is the point that I'm trying to make is.
01:48:10
Speaker
Get to it, man.
01:48:13
Speaker
You're always going to be the one standing in your own way. And that's why Damn, we must be like fucking hippopotamuses in our own way. Oh, Dude, we're big monsters.
01:48:29
Speaker
Gigantrist African beasts. Can I ask you guys a question? Is dickhead going to be done this year? well i hope so. that's what he well Give me a percentage. What do you guys think? I'll honestly say that's not up to us.
01:48:41
Speaker
Because it's still in the sound mix? No, it's in other people's hands because we're also doing coloring. so So you're waiting to get it back. Yeah. So we're in a sweet spot. We're in the sweetest spot where we can say it's not up to us.
01:48:55
Speaker
You're waiting on someone else, yeah. To be fair, the biggest, the worst problem is that we have four or five shots that need VFX that need to be done. yeah And our previous VFX artists just kind of like abandoned us in a sense. yeah We paid him.
01:49:13
Speaker
Because Tom had a go at those Mexicans, man. He's like, God damn it. I chose a Mexican. He's like, no, trust me. His name's Jorge. He said, oh do it all. way No, there was a couple of things. We had this.
01:49:27
Speaker
We have this issue with our film, this little green Bermuda rectangle bullshit. It's an artifact on the camera. you need to be erased. Yes. Yeah. He erased like 79 of them out of 150. Oh, God. Where's he He said he could do it. And it was like, dude, are you sure, Jorge? And he was like, I got it, man. I got it. And it was like, are you sure? Because it's pretty bad. And we were like, dude, what's the cost? And he was like, $1,000, $1,000, whatever.
01:49:56
Speaker
So I paid him half and then he did a lot of it. And then he was like, I want the rest. And I was like, not until I get all the files. Yeah. So I send him like another 300 and then he just like disappeared. Damn.
01:50:09
Speaker
yeah Yeah. And it sucks because he did a good job ah with 79 frames. But I need the fucking rest. He did good job. And i was like, dude, you're so close. That's crazy. I wonder what. I mean, it's whatever. is Well, Tom, he just trusts anybody.
01:50:26
Speaker
That's fucked up. Why would you just go, I'm just going to do 79% of it. Tom is such an innocent sweet child. They're like, I'll do what you want. Yes, daddy. Oh, please. Oh, I'm the great i'm the classic simp.
01:50:38
Speaker
Yeah, I know. and they If you speak his language, it's over. He's done. That's funny. but That's why I love you, Steven. Both of you. No homo, of course.
01:50:51
Speaker
Well, maybe. Who knows? The night is young and I haven't finished this bottle yet. We're still getting started. ah yeah We're barely into it, ladies and gentlemen. Yeah, I need to make a second feature. But no, no, you'd know you need to. um After reading, Stephen, after reading your writing, I've only read, well, I've only read Switchblade Holiday from you, and I want to read more.
01:51:16
Speaker
I think you have a very unique voice, which I find very interesting and fascinating. Yeah, and you have something special, dude. You have, so you have. You read it? no no but i No, but I saw Director's Cut. Okay, sweet. i mean, that was... I petitioned for you to come on to this podcast.
01:51:32
Speaker
Regardless of what Tom wants to acknowledge, like he saw first... No, no, no. Fucking white people. Real life. Real life. talking about real life. Fucking white people, dude. Oh, yeah. You knew. No. We saw the article at the same time.
01:51:45
Speaker
Sure. But but definitely i'll I'll send you the script of my bad. It's only 93 pages. No, but see for reals. You do have something special about you.
01:51:57
Speaker
Look, I know. I need the majority of people to see it. That's all of us. That's all of us. Part of me, like Stephen was saying, is like, look, I understand that there's a very reasonable chance that dickhead is the only feature I ever make.
01:52:14
Speaker
I don't want it to be the case, but look, i't I ain't going lie. I hear the screaming. in the other room. Look, I'll probably try to make some short films. i' either There's things I want to do but I'm not i'm not ah ah dumb enough to not recognize how fucking difficult it was just to make ah film a feature film to begin with.
01:52:38
Speaker
Not only to want to then make another one and know that I need a certain amount of skill and talent and preparation and understanding and money to make the film that I want to make.
01:52:52
Speaker
Like I, like, like I wrote ignorance and drive and passion is really how you make your first film. And then yeah the ignorance goes away and you're like, wait a minute. Oh, so when I pay a DP and i have good lighting, I don't spend 45 years in post trying to fix the green rectangle or, uh, we edited the shit out of, of this film and we took years.
01:53:18
Speaker
seven years to edit Dickhead? Maybe five. No, probably six. We had other people trying to edit it, and it just never worked. And then eventually, then actually it was like the greatest weekend of my life maybe when we got a cabin and we went and just worked on it. had a lot of gay sex. And then that's when you got it going. We just edited Dickhead. I remember I just couldn't sleep. I woke up and just was cutting the film.
01:53:46
Speaker
We started from scratch. Yeah. Because we were like at a point where we were like, hey, We have nothing. We had paid thousands of dollars to this guy to edit the movie, and he'd strong us along for 18 months, maybe even longer. No, two years. Two years.
01:54:02
Speaker
and We paid him thousands of dollars. Tom had done... um Like a quick cut of the film. like Like an assembly cut. Yeah, an assembly cut. Not even that, just like a quick cut. He didn't put that much effort. Assembly to assembly.
01:54:18
Speaker
but And then we went to this guy. i was like, hey, Tom, this guy's really cool. He he understands us. Let's go with him. And he strung us along for two years.
01:54:30
Speaker
And then he showed us his cut. And it was Tom's exact cut. Bro. And on top of that. That's brutal. He was missing scenes from Tom's cut. He gave you the same cut, but with missing scenes? Yeah, it wasn't even as good as Tom's cut. Oh, my God. not Not only did he give us the same cut, but he gave us a less cut than what we gave him.
01:54:55
Speaker
He was like smoking and he's like, fuck, let me take out some shit. So it looks like I not only that, I was like, I was like, let me take out some shit. So, you know, I did something. This guy sold he sold us the world. And then he was like, fucking brutal. And then I was paying for his groceries. I was doing all kinds of shit. Oh, man, that's brutal. And I was like, Tom, what the fuck you doing? He's like, he's hungry. He said he can't eat it if he's hungry. I was like, no, bro.
01:55:21
Speaker
Top stop it. pu it Oh, my God. And then we went down and got our drive back. We gave it to a friend of ours. it was It was a bad time because when we were going down there, I did a ton of mushrooms. I don't know why. That's probably the worst drug of choice to do when you're going to confront someone. And Tom was getting fucked up because, you know, we're not confrontational. We're nerds. We just want everyone to say, like, cool, man. Well, the thing is, too, is, like, we just give everything to everything we do.
01:55:51
Speaker
If someone, like, if you were like, hey, dude, come help me make, is it called My Turn? My bad. My bad. And I, you know what? i do i I do plan on hitting you guys up when the time comes, like for sure. Or the thing I do for sure.
01:56:06
Speaker
Like it'd be cool to fucking work on something. Shut up. Let me talk. I wanted to say, it's like we give, like I, Steven and I give everything. I've seen the shit this guy works on and I'm like, why are you there, Steven?
01:56:19
Speaker
Wait, what? What are you doing? Like, holy shit. You're like, you're giving your a fucking time and effort to this. um But like, dude, like, you know, whatever you want me to do, I'm going to give you everything. Everything, man. i want I'm definitely like, I don't see your success as my not success. Yeah.
01:56:41
Speaker
I love you. I know you. I want to make stories. I want to know people that make stories. That's what matters to me. Dude, I just look at the whole thing with like other filmmakers like as a friendly competition, never as a negative thing. like I think it's good to be motivated by other people or you know the competitive nature of it is good.
01:57:00
Speaker
Just don't let it turn you know rotten. You got to be friendly about it. that's if It's not fun if you're like trying to compare successes. You're just like, no, let's make something. If you make it, that's a W for me. You know what I mean?
01:57:14
Speaker
This thing is not it's a race. Exactly. It's not a race. It's community. It's a community. Exactly. I know you. I know other filmmakers. You want to get everybody...
01:57:25
Speaker
Up to your point where, you know, and everybody get to a certain yeah point where it's like, damn, we're all making a living doing this. This is a fucking great. This is where we want to be because guess what? You might know someone or us talking.
01:57:39
Speaker
It makes us better filmmakers. And not only that, it's like, dude, like, This isn't a competition. I mean, in a sense, it's a competition. but I'm not only so many friendly competitions. Like you want to see each other grow and and succeed. You don't want to see each other like fail, you know, unless the guy's a complete fucking prick. It's so much. I mean, just this.
01:58:01
Speaker
other moreph I don't know how other art communities are. I don't know like about painting or yeah whatever. But like so much with film, it's it's who you know and how like how friendly you are and how you can be with others.
01:58:16
Speaker
Because you know like we've had guests on the show where... I want to say nothing crazy, but the biggest names... That we've had on the show would be Lucky McKee and car and and and Robert Cargill.
01:58:34
Speaker
Wait, hold on. I got a piss too. Oh, I got break i gotta to break the seal, bro. I was like, bro. I'm like trying to find the perfect spot. Once you grab that beer, I was like, i can't find it. It's worse.