Ep01 - Seth Rogen / "Sausage Party”

I got your title right, didn't Yes, I'm sorry. It's a very it's a long, one convoluted title. Yeah, well, but it sounds very important. I can arrest people. You know, I'm a deput your deputy. You've been deputized by Variety and uh you know, yeah, weekly podcast here. This is our pilot. Things might be a little rusty. We're gonna

give it a shot. But this being uh the kind of cusp of awards season that makes that makes the it makes all the sense in the world to start there, right, So let's look at some deserving contenders from the first eight months of the year. We're in August now, already if you can believe it. And as you say, the season is here already. It seems like every year that

offseason gets smaller, but here we are. And as we wrote in a column recently, there's you know a number of films every year that tend to just get forgotten because the studios back backload the year and before you know it. You know, every once in a while there's a Grand Budapest Hotel that can stick out, but there's just great stuff from earlier in the year that deserves

a shout out. So I heard that now some people want to follow the Grand Budapest model and actually come out early year in the year so that they can you know, be in the awards race later in the year, which I don't know that that really works unless you're Grand Budapest Hotel. It's hard. It's like it's alchemy, right,

Like you can never tell how it works out. I don't think anyone thought that Grant Budapest was going to do what it did when it released, even when it was a huge, critically acclaimed movie in March of that year. And so I think it would be wiser to push stuff off because a it keeps you from just having that bottleneck at the end of the year and be it gives you an opportunity to have your film breathe

in its own space. Yeah. Absolutely, just in general, like if a movie can pop, Like you know, Hail Caesar had its fans in February of this year. Was one of them, and you were one of them. We were just talking about. Okay, now his his name old we know is his first name, Reich is the gentleman's name playing Han solo? And you found out what his uh, his his DJ name was. No, that's an See, there we go. I'm confused. That's why you were confused. That's why I was like, had was Oh no, Ansel El Courts.

I hope I'm pronouncing Ansel's name right. Apparently his DJ name is on solo. That's interesting. So that that's what Now you know why I was confusing it because who will be? He sounds so old Ansel El Gordon Hell Caesar Alden erin right, gentleman, those kids those kids today off. But speaking of Alden, he's awesome, but a fantastic breakthrough performance. Yeah. I spent the whole movie just going who is this guy? And then you know, look at me, I'm up. I

guess he'd done like some episodic TV. And you know, obviously I was not alone because after that he booked the Han solo role. He has the Warren Baby movie coming out, um, and I think he has like three other things. He's everywhere. He's on the rise. He's one of these like like seven or eight guys that were up for Han solo and it's like who was going to pop out of all of them? I'm a big Emery Cohen fan. Oh sure, I was kind of kind of holding out for him. But this guy has the

face and he has the disposition. And then Hale Caesar, he just holds his own against Ray finds tearing down the scenery with you know. That's That's the other thing Ray finds is like found like a new He's a comedy god like between this and I think he's amazing and Bigger Splash, which is was someone that I was going to mention in this conversation as well. And uh, he's in then Grant Budapest, speaking of earlier, He's just

got this timing that's like impeccable. Who knew the Nazi from Schindler's list would be so amazing in the comedy room. Although this is a little embarrassing. I met him during press for the movie he directed, Um, the one where he played Charles Dickens. Was it not Oh yes, no, no, you're right. Uh the Unknown Woman Woman, Yeah, look, I really am it played te d speaking of festivals, and uh.

I had to tell him, as silly as it sounds, I was like, you know what you were really great in was Maide in Manhattan And it sounds like a joke, and he like, but he understood what I was saying, which was that it is hard to do that light comedy, especially and you know how the movie is going to end and make it work. And he is very light and funny and charming. Invisible Woman, Invisible Woman. Oh, I'm so embarrassed. Great Felicity Jones. Between Alden and Ansel and

Invisible and Unknown. I mean, we we can be forgiven, I think. But yeah, he's just found this new calling as a comedian. I hope he keeps going. I remember interviewing interviewing him this year about that, and he he certainly doesn't come at it with a comedian comedians approach. He just he's still very serious and just plays what's on the page, and he just finds the right kind

of spots to nail it. And uh, if you watch our Actors on Actors episode with him and Christoph Waltz, it is two people talking about comedy in the most deadly serious terms and almost unintentionally being hilarious because they'll they'll go off on these like long philosophical discussions and then end by saying and that's why it's funny. It almost makes you wonder for deep down they know exactly

what they're doing exactly. They're smart guys. Well, I think we're both fans of ten Cloverfield Lane, and I wanted to talk about that because her a movie and genre movies are not really taking that seriously when it comes to, you know, major awards, and I think that both Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman her friend so great. She should have been nominated for Smashed. Yeah, yeah, that was that was a shame. Um. And she just consistently does

great work. And I think for a long time I sort of dismissed her as you know, just a you know, a generic starlet, and she's proven to be so much more than that, and as good as John Goodman is in ten Cloverfield Lane, and no one's going to argue that he's fantastic. Men's never been nominated. Yeah, it is, um you know, she's there holding her own with him well.

On top of which, I don't think he would be as like have the impact that he has in the performance if she wasn't doing what she's doing, because you know, this is a very claustrophobic movie and she has to play a lot of internal just strife, kind of just just trying to understand the situation she's in, what kind of danger she might really be in, or maybe she's not in as much dangerous she thought she was in. It's a consistent discovery that she's going through the whole movie,

and it's fascinating to watch her play it. John Yellow Jr. Is also very good. I feel bad there's three people in this movie and everyone keeps praising the other two. It's like when Brooke Back Mountain came out and everyone but Anne Hathaway got nominated, although she, you know, probably had the last laugh there. So indeed, uh, you know a recent movie that is actually I'm gonna I'm gonna plug it because later on I'll be talking to Seth Rogan is a sausage party. Have you had a chance

to see that yet? Oh, you don't know my feelings about sausage. I don't know your feelings. I'm you know what, I Am going to see it. I'm sure it's hilarious. I will probably really like it. I have a problem with thinking about my food having us all, or for that matter, my food having sex. Well, the soul part is interesting because the entire movie is kind of it ends up going in theological directions, and the idea is, you know, if food doesn't think that it gets eaten,

what does food think happens to it? Well? And also if food is made of other things like hot dogs are made out of well, you know, we don't know what they're made it out of. But like, so do all those things have a soul? And I'm sure these are way deeper than the movie bothers to get. But it becomes a just like Preacher and just like this is the end, it becomes a way for him to explore like ideas of religion, and I like those pology. It's it's very it's a very interesting movie, a very

standout movie in animated race. Not not a chance in hell of getting the nomination from the animators. What about screenplay? Nah, you know, I mean, it's just you're dealing with pushing a rock uphill at that point. But I'm gonna be sitting here banging the gong. Really I love the movie. It's really I feel like I haven't the choice but to put it on my top ten list at the end of the year. But I was a huge This is the End fan too, and I put that on

my top ten. But I just again, I think that in the realm of comedy, he's he's playing with interesting ideas that no one else is so in any case, Also coming out this month is Florence Foster Jenkins poor opposite of Sausage Party. But but and yet we both love it, don't we. It's undeniably charming. It's I think it's the first real um. We can talk about Captain Fantastic later, but that's a dark horse, whereas I think Florence Foster Jenkins has the opportunity to go all the

way in all the major categories. It really does. I mean, I was a little surprised. It opened in the UK in April, so it's been around and I just thought oh, this will be a golden Globe thing. It'll maybe maybe it'll be a play for Meryl, which it obviously will

be that, but it can go further than that. I mean you could get screenplay, it could get Best Picture for Paramount, who has tons of movies this year director Stephen fa I mean, it's better than stuff like uh, you know Phil Amina, I think, oh, how dare you? I'm sorry? I mean in terms of just softer plays for for lack of a better term, that that have managed to make it through in the past. It's better than for years, did uh miss Henderson Presents, which was

a nomination for Judy Denser. He did. Then he also did the m Lance Armstrong movie that nobody saw from last year, which I even remember the title of either Isn't that terrible? We really do know our stuff were, Yeah, we're on top of it here. But in addition to Meryl, I mean, how what a revelation is Simon Helberg And of course you know that I for years have found Hugh Grant one of the most underrated actors on the planet, and I would love to see him get nominated for this.

He is so charming and he does that light thing. He also does some heavy things. He's just fantastic across the board. He's really the heart of the movie. He I mean, just the love he has for her, you know, the relationship they have together, how much he protects her. It's like it kind of can choke you up at times just to really understand what the character is going through with her. And did you cry? No, I but I'm I'm a little heartless, so don't use me as

a gauge. But I was thoroughly I thoroughly enjoyed them. It was so charmed. I just walked away smiling. I was really I thought it would be good, but I was surprised by just how good. And once again, I'll be talking about this more in a column, probably later this week. I don't know when this comes out, but um yeah, Hugh Grant is is really the secret ingredient. And I was thinking about Meryl Streep's leading men and how a lot of times they just don't register. It's

like Stanley Tucci in Julie and Julia. That's the last time I really remember thinking about her amazing chemistry and Hugh Grant is up there. Why do you think that is? She just dominates maybe, or it's also the stories she tends to pick I think are very central on a woman. And and this is a good thing. I guess, like a relationship is secondary if they're at all. So it's really kind of fun to see her in like a loving relationship or playing a romance. Yeah, well, she's probably

all set for her twentieth nomination. Let's see a few more here. You know something. Have you seen Hell or High Water yet? You know, I haven't. I heard. It's fun, It's really fun. It's you know, it's Taylor Sheridan wrote it, the writer of Cicario, and it's it's it's kind of this playground for the actors like Jeff Bridges, especially Ben Foster, specially great actor who was Lance Armstrong in The Steven There you go synergy that that's these guys just chew

on everything in this movie. It's just they really dig into the characters. And I really liked it for that um particularly Bridges. I feel like Jeff Bridges hasn't wanted to be to be the oldest man in the world for so long he was born so well, he just just wallows inside this character with this like stilted gruff like Texas accent, and he plays a sheriff that's after these two bank robbers played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, and it's it's just a really good genre movie for August,

I do want to see it. I'm hearing really good things and I and Ben Foster is an amazing actors. A lot of mustaches in that movie. I notice there's a lot. And Foster put on some weight too, because he's he's chunking, so I didn't even know it was him at first because so check that out. You know. Again, not sure if a movie like that can can stick around, but you know, you never know how actors take to performances. SAG as you know, is its own beast when it

comes to awards. So I think SAG is gonna love Florence Foster Jenkins. Oh god, yeah there again. I think ensemble nomination is absolutely possible, just just with the handful of people that spark in the movie. You know, it would be enough for the actors and it's about performing and just and they love that. Have you seen Indignation? I have not, but I am really like James Samis. Well, let's skip it and go to UH one. Of your favorites recently, Captain fantastic. Oh now have you seen this yet?

You finally saw it? What did you think? Uh? I struggled with the the characters, not that they weren't well wrought, but just that they annoyed the hell out of me. Um, sure, I can see that. But did you think Vego was great? I mean, no one else could have played that role? That role, It was like it was written for hid, which it wasn't. But um, you know, more or less should have been Matt Ross, the writer director. Uh told

me that, you know, he's sent Viege. Morton sent a bunch of books on philosophy and nature to prayer for the character, and Vigo already owned almost all of them. Not surprising. He is another It sounds crazy to say underrated when he, you know, started the Lord of the Rings movies. But you know, he's a guy who I don't think really has any interest in stardom. I think that's pretty obvious. And you start him as an opportunity to do movies like this in the Road and Eastern Promises,

and he makes this movie. He plays a father who is raising his six children off the grid in the Pacific Northwest and they're sort of forced to go back into society for um, their mother's funeral. And it's but it is funny, though, isn't it. I Mean, like I laughed a lot, and it's weird and offbeat and everyone is so good in it. Um, Frank Angela, you know,

plays his father in law. Like it's just it's a movie made with like so much love and heart and yeah, I was really taken by it, and um, I really hope that people remember it at the end of the year, especially for Vigo. Yeah, for me, as much as the characters, just as people annoyed me, the the interpersonal relationships are really well crafted on the page, you know, it's a

great script for that. And did that start at Sundance or south by Southwest Sundance and then what I think was the only other Sundance movie to go to can Okay? Well really? Yeah, We're won an award for Matt Ross, one of our ten directors to Watch this year, best known as Gavin Belson on Silicon Valley. There he goes, probably my favorite show on TV. It's the best show on TV, and he is like one of my favorite actors. I didn't know his name until recently, but he was

one of my favorite actors just by his face. Yeah, it's it's you know, that's the kind of thing that could find a pocket of support, get a screenplay nomination maybe, or people love it certainly when it comes to independent uh you know, like the Indie Spirits or the Gotham Awards, you know, those become terrain where films like that can can stand out and maybe get a second win later in the year. So yeah, and again v go for Vigo. The word that always comes to mind with him when

I think about him is just commitment. I mean, he commits to everything. And to this day he's the only guy that I interviewed him at a junket for History of violence eleven years ago. Now, God and we were Katrina stuff was on the news as we were talking, and we started talking about politics or whatever, and then I don't remember the nuance of the discussion, but it was, you know, not about the movie, talking about politics discussion.

And we talked for a while and then it was over and I left and I'm getting on the elevator and he like ran me down because he wanted to make another point, like he had more he wanted to talk more, not talking soundbites. No, no, yeah, he is a very smart, soft spoken intelligence, very thoughtful. Yeah, which doesn't lend itself well to say talk shows, right, but he was just on something where oh it is Bill Maher.

Really he just kept he just kept kind of going on and on and you could tell Bill Maher wanted to just move on to the next bit. But yeah, you're right, he just he has he's very thoughtful and uh does not talk in sound bites. I appreciate that personally. Do the characters bother you because they're hippies or yeah, it's literally just a philosophical thing. I'm just like, shut up, Like, but what else have we had this year? I was gonna talk about Indignation. It's it's a recent release as well.

Um James Shamus, uh, Logan Lerman fantastic actor. It's Philip Roth, a Philip Roth adaptation. Philip Roth is not often given to cinematic you know, I've seen terrible Philip Roth adaptations like The Human Stain. Yeah, yeah, it just it rarely works out. This one kind of works out. I mean, especially because there's there's a great tete a tete between Lerman, and Tracy Letts in the movie. Oh my god, Tracy

lets is in it. I forgot that. Yeah, Tracy Letts plays like the the you know whatever, the head of the college, and they have this sparring in their office, just a sparring of words. That's just delicious. And I think partly because of just Tracy Letts knows how to make that kind of thing. Land and that kind of stuff is really good in the movie, and it's one of the better Roth adaptations. There's two Roth movies this year.

There's also American Pastoral coming up, which is you know, we'll see how Ellan McGregor does with that, but oh his directorial debut feature. Sure. Yeah. For me, the best films I've seen, uh so far this year are still to Sundance films, The Birth of a Nation in Manchester by the Sea. They're both going to be coming back around in the fall festivals. I think they're both going to be dominant players. I mean the amount of money the Amazon spent on Manchester by the Sea, I mean,

I imagine they will keep spending money. Because Aleck is a great actor. You can kind of forget that he's the polar opposite of his brother, you know, which is fine because Ben Affleck works in populist kind of vain you know. He he makes Argo, Casey makes uh, you know, Assassination of Jesse James with the coward rubber Ford, which

is one of the best movies ever made. So you know, they just have come copletely different sensibilities and that seeks out into how they how they how they are as actors as well, and in Manchester by the scenes working with Kenneth Lahnergan, such a great filmmaker who is so humanist and you know his his movies really do play out like novels. The standout for me and not really the standout because Casey is amazing. But I think that Michelle Williams, despite having like five minutes of time to

do stuff, she's so good. You never would have guessed watching Dustin's Creek all those years ago that she was going to be like Jen was going to be the amazing breakout actress of her generation. Totally she and she was gonna play this year too. That was very well received. Yes, Jerry d she I believe she was nominated. Yeah, I didn't see the play. Unfortunately, I didn't make it out to New York this year, but I wanted to in this again. She has very limited screen time, but it's

like Bittra Straighten Network. When she gets her moment, it's like whoa, Yeah, I mean it stops you dead in your tracks. And I do think she could be a supporting actress nominating. I absolutely think so, and I hope so. Uh. Similar to the Birth of a Nation A, Naomi King has a supporting role as um Net Turner's wife, and it is also like, you know, she doesn't get as many big moments as Nate Parker, who plays Nat Turner and also wrote and directed the movie. But in the

scene she has, she's just she's so strong. Yeah, that whole cast. I mean, Armie Hammer is great in that movie. He is That movie sensational to me, I I was. I went into it expecting like I had lowered my expectations. Yeah, because people were saying, oh, it's not as good as everyone said at Sundance. It's traditional to a fault. I heard that a number of times. What does that mean. I don't know, because in fact, I don't even think this is quote traditional, because this I would consider twelve

years of slave traditional. I would consider the Birth of a Nation something else, and it's I hate to be reductive and compare the two movies, but that's going to happen. They're from the same studio and with Fox Search like picking up Birth of a Nation and Sunday, and I just felt like Birth of a Nation came right out of uh Nate Parker's heart. And he is so good as a writer director, and he's always been a good actor, but his performance in this movie is like nothing I've

seen him do. The question is will Academy types feel like they're pressured to vote for a movie like that because of the diversity dust up, because of all because if anything has ever been proven, it's that the Academy doesn't like to be strong armed into stuff like that. You know. In fact, I thought that was going to work against twelve years of Slave that year and it didn't. I'm hoping that if they see it, they'll just recognize how great it is. Well, that's always the hope, and yeah,

reward it from a sincere place. Is that naive? Not really, because I do think that sometimes movies are undeniable, and I actually feel that way about this one. I feel like, you can't see this movie and uh not think that it's something extraordinary, and then you know, onward into the season, big filmmakers on the horizon like Ben Affleck and Angley and Martin Scorsese. And we'll be here talking about it every week. So are you ready to do this week

after week? I'm so ready. Everyone listening, I'm I'm enjoying hearing Chris and his professional voice on the radio because I never sound like this in the person. It's always just fart jokes, weird noises. All right, Well, thanks everybody for listening, and stick around. I'll be talking to Seth Rogan right after this. What you're saying, it's true. I gotta tell everyone very normal, little sausage but also very pointless. No one will believe you. I have to try. Everyone

will die otherwise. Oh yeah, that's a good point me right, Wait, do you guys have any proof of this? Go get the dark guile. Oh you'll see. But I warned you. What do you see that ship? It'll fuck you up for life? Good luck, have fun. Welcome back. We're here with Seth Rogan, the writer and producer of Sausage Party. Thank you for being my first guest man. Thank you for thank you for having me your first guest. You're

like my Billy Crystal exactly. I was Bill Murray. I think I was Conan O'Brien's first guest, were you Yeah, and beat us to it on one show. Well, let's talk about sausage party. Let's talk about You've been talking about plenty of the last couple of weeks. I'm sure

I have. But honestly, like when when I like the movie and when it's a fun when I when I'm genuinely proud of the movie, and when I really like it, it's it's it's not uh that much of a you know, promotion on the grand scale of things I get to do with my day or is not the most fun thing. But when I really love the movie, it's much easier and much more fun. Well, since you brought it up, what's the ratio of stuff that you're not proud of? Almost? But honestly, if I'm even like one percent off, it

makes it way less fun to promote. And I'm very hard on the stuff we do. And often you know, you know, i'd say it's like I'd say, it's like split Honestly, let's say, and you could probably get it's like in general, you know, it's not shocking which ones are which, sure, yeah, I think, well, this one's awesome. Comicon was a great place to screen it. Obviously a great crowd. Uh you know, it's look, it's raunchy, it's vile, all the reasons you probably want to go see the movie.

It's going to deliver on those. But I wanted to talk about this. It's interesting because it's more than that. I mean, with this and this is the end and Preacher, you're interested in theology, man, I mean, it's it's prevalent in your work lately, and I just let's start there. What's up with that? I mean, it's it's one of the most relevant things you could be discussing. It's kind of argue doably the source of most of the conflict

most people have in their day to day lives. And you know, because of that, it's just something we're fascinated by. Me and Evans specifically, we talked about it a ton, And we were raised Jewish, so like you know, we and so that you know, we were raised under a specific theology that we don't really subscribe to that much anymore.

And so I think because of that, it was always a part of our lives, and as we got older, we really became fascinated with analyzing it and seeing if you know, I think it's just basically you want to make comedy or movies whatever it is about what you're

thinking about. But what shocking though to me is how few other people seem to make movies about it, Like there isn't that many other movies about it that are made, Like I guess so, But it's weird that even I recognize how weird it is that me and of Ben, you know, between those things you just said, have probably tackled it more times than most people, yes, like ten years, which is strange. Totally smarter people should be doing this now.

Is a plead of more intelligent filmmakers. Chris Knowledge should be making theological movies. He's wasting his time with time travel and ship totally. Well, no, I think you guys are really smart with it. I mean, one of the things I thought was really brilliant about This is the End is how it interrogated kind of the minutia of dog mind, the parsing of dogma. I mean, these guys are confronted with this Judeo Christian apocalypse and it's like,

what are we supposed to do? What's the manual thing? Yeah, exactly, and and that that just hilarity and sus as they say. Preacher obviously is about this based on this comic where God no longer or he's missing, and uh, that's the spoiler, I guess, and how you guys structured it. You revealed

that in the final episode of the season. But in this Preacher that's just headed up to here with the hypocrisies of religious people actually in that town, and he feels like God, he feels like God is is missing and then finds out he is basically. And now with this, I mean you get into it's it's kind of a

deep dive into tolerance in many ways. Sausage party, Yeah, I think it's a deep dive about how I think I think overall some of the things that you know, there's a lot of ideas in it, obviously, but I think, you know, religion I think was probably started from like a very good place, you know, and at the time it was started, it was probably very helpful for you know, helping people act in certain ways and believe certain things,

and who knows if it's real or not. But this is just like my interpretation of it, you know what I mean. And and like a lot of good ideas, they get, you know, bastardized over the years and warped and distorted, and people appropriate them for themselves and you know, reapply them to their own interests basically. Um. And I think that's kind of what the idea of the movie that we ultimately after years realized was the ultimate message.

But because because we got smarter as we were making a movie over the years, honestly, and I think that was what we realize is like the message needs to be like faith isn't bad, and hope isn't bad, and believing in things that aren't tangible isn't bad. Letting those things divide you and and prevent you from doing things that you know are not destructive to society and would make you happier as a person. Um, that's where we

start to have conflict with it, you know. And that's and that starts to be the idea that we like to explore, you know. Um. And that's what Sasage Party specifically gets into more than any of our other movies. I think, in what better way to explore that than

in the aisles of a supermarket exactly. I mean it is a very uh harmless you know, uh we I honestly remember with forty year old virgin, like Judge saying specifically like I want to make this movie seem stupid and then people will go see it and realize it's actually a really smart movie. And like that was very because I remember when with the title even I was like, why are we calling ario version? It's such a stupid title and it's such a like I thought it was.

It's such a smart movie, I thought, And he was like, that's the point, Like people will go to it, you know. He's like, if it's good, hopefully it'll get good reviews. And if you're one of those people who actually cares about that, then you will be aware of it. If you're not, if you're just one of those people who's like, oh, if already a virgin that looks funny, then you will get so much more than you hope you're gonna get, Like you'll get an actual intelligent movie hopefully, you know.

And it was a really big lesson honestly, and ever since then, in a lot of ways, it's it's been a cue we've taken which is the best comedy seemed to function on both those levels. They seem you know, at the you know, the funniest things at times are just really stupid and that's what makes them funny. But in order to bolster those things, you need deeper layers ideally, you know. And so um, that's I think a lesson that we really tried to take over the years, Like

this is the end. I remember, were just like, this movie has like the biggest margin of difficulty probably have any movie we'd never made, because if it turns out bad, it's like not only bad, it's like the most self indulgent piece of ship you could ever hope for, and

and and then. But that to us is kind of the fun of it is, how do you take an idea that people are like, there's no way they could stretch this out into an actual good movie, and then doing it, you know, and actually delivering on that And and sometimes we do frequently. I mean, you're putting your fingerprints on the stuff. It's not just broad you know, humor, it's that they're there's thought behind it, there's something there,

and for sure, yeah, I mean we really try. We work all these things for so long that ultimately if they're not, if they if they don't have more to them than just the initial idea, then we would lose interest, you know, like it's mostly just to keep our interest, Like how you know that's why they ultimately get all these deeper ideas and sauces. Party really evolved a lot over the years. You know, there's a moment in the movie where Frank, it's a way to talk about it's

a serious movie. There's when where Frank my hot dog is talking to the store and he kind of has to learn the lesson that you can't just shoot all over people who do you think are stupid for being religious basically because it's a not productive and be who the funk knows, Maybe you're wrong, maybe they're right, Like you don't know, you know. And that was actually a lesson that like us as filmmakers learned throughout the process of making the movie, and and and the movie didn't

always have that lesson learned. That was a lesson that we learned, and then we were like, oh, we need to put this in the movie because it needs to be one level smarter than it was. Basically, you worked on it for ten years, right, it really did I want to switch gears here and talk about Sony. Actually

you've been there working there for a number of years. Uh, I'm not privy to these kind of things, but I'm just curious what your deal there is, Like, is it like under a certain budget you have a certain amount of freedom. We don't have a deal, you know, but but just as far as like the relationship, I mean, basically, we try to leave as little in the hands of

the studio as possible. And I say that with as much love for my friends at the studio, says, you know, as as as possible, Like we try to package everything actors, producers, director, cast and then just kind of and then we try to give it a budget that is incredibly reasonable and not just the highest budget we can get. We try to do it for a budget basically that will let that'll that'll make it so they leave us alone and

let us do what we want. UM. We do have a deal with Good Universe, who we make a lot of our movies with UM, and that has also like deeper layers of protection, Like you know, I think there's final cut in that and stuff like that. It's never really come to that, you know, if because again because we're not the most expensive movies. What we learned while we were making The Green Hornet was just like, never

be their biggest problem. Like while we're making that, it's like, oh, we're their biggest problem, and like because of us, other people are getting to make cool movies because they're distracted by this, and we were like, oh we need we

like we would rather be those guys. That's who we were in the past, and that's now what we've been ever since then is the people who like, the studio isn't thinking about that much honestly because they're focused on their bigger, more expensive movies, and because of that, we get to do whatever we want house things after the interview, do you ever get like the side eye from people on the lut had their emailed down for however long because the north has decided. I mean we never left,

like we were always there. We just always were on the lot. We were there the whole time, Like I don't I don't know, there probably with some people who are sure msity in resentment towards us, but uh, you know, it wasn't our fault. I was happy to watch that movie on Christmas Day at home. Yes, that was that was tumultuous. Tumultuous to say the least. Well, speaking of Sony, what do you think about the Ghostbusters bruhaha, And and just kind of the misogyny that was flying around. Is

is fandom out of control or it? Does the Internet just amplify all of that? I think if you pay attention to it. I do think some movies unfairly get just kind of targeted. I wouldn't don't know if like fandom is out of troll because I don't know if there's like I can't definitively tell you there's like a tangible effect to it, you know what I mean? There seems sometimes to be movies that all these fans are up in arms about and hate and then they do really, really,

really well. And then there's other movies that it seems like people are really going to champion and that core group really like and they fucking eat ship and so I doubt it's tangibility. Always when people are talking about uproar and controversy and things like that, I that's where my head goes, is like, well, this actually affects how much money this movie makes or anything like that, Like you know that, and I don't know if it does, and my instinct is it doesn't, honestly, and so I

don't know if Ghostbusters. I haven't seen it. I should first say, Um, I want to see it. It's not only just because I've been selling my own wears. I've been too busy serving my own interests yet. But I'm excited to see it. Um. But but yeah, there's it's not shocking. I mean, is misogyny shocking? Is it surprising that there's tons of misogynists out there? No? To me,

that wasn't surprising. Um, you know, misogyny is par for the course when you even but there's so much misogyny that when you suggest that there's misogyny, misogynists get angry for the mere suggestion that misogyny exists. That's how much misogyny there is. They won't even acknowledge it exists. I think you're right, by the way about the tangibility factor. I mean, I always think, you know, does my mom know about all this stuff? And she doesn't. Well, it's

so funny. That's actually probably one of the best things to come of the interview. It was a real lesson in tangibility. Like, you know, there's a lot of people who say they're they're wrapped up in controversy or that there's something happening with their movie, and there's uproar and and the interview was the only time when I actually saw it cross into tangible ability, and that was like

as extreme a situation as you could ever have. And I really think almost anything short of that is not real. You know, it's words on a phone somewhere, which I don't know how much. I honestly think that most of the people who take the time to complain about something

so much, we'll still go and see it. Like I finds there's an early draft of a Sausage Party script that is floating around on some redd it or some ship like and it's really all and it's not very good, and it has a lot of stuff that like I would say, was in our experimental phase of really pushing some things too far and it didn't quite add up. And it was an early it was really just a

very early draft of the script. And um, what's funny is like so many there there's been a lot of comments and like, oh man, people are saying this Sausage Party script online is terrible, and all I think is like, if you're taking the time to read the fucking Early Sausage Party script, you're probably gonna go see a movie. And I think that has to do with a lot of these people also, is like speak into its lack

of tangibility. Is like, I think a lot of them still go see the movie so they can complain about it more. Absolutely, just to add more credence to their complaining. They need to see it. Um And so, Yeah, I don't know how much it actually affects reality now here. You let's talk about California's Proposition sixty four. How do you think that's going to go in the fall with the recreational marijuana use. I hope it goes in favor

of it. Yeah great, Did Seohn Parker call you up and say, hey, I need you on the front lines for this every kid? You could have been like the John Lewis of the Arian Salted? Yeah, it could be a big advert recreation. What's happened? I'm losing my edge? Have you seen that everyone's kind of losing their minds about Malia Obama being seen smoking supposedly smoking a joint at Lallapaloosers. Really, just like I'm more shocked that Wallapaloosa

still exists, right, it's in Chicago. Now, that's shocking. Is that ever? Annoying? By the way, I was actually curious about that. When people ask you a weed question, just I guess Seth is the guy for the weed questions. I'm it is. I It's something that like, I guess I get it. It's funny because Jimmy Kimmel I've talked to me about it, and he's just like, he's like, you have to get it. He's just like, it's so

rare that people are willing to talk about it. Like he's just like as a as a person who interviews people for a living, he's like, it's it's it's too irresistible not to mention at times, just because it's such a rarity to have someone who's willing to be honest about it. And so did that end. I get it. But I mean, just like any question that one would

get asked, you know, repetitively. It's the only thing My parents like are generally incredibly proud of me, and like are very proud of my work, and even you know, even you know, sausage party, which people's instinct would be like what are your parents gonna think of that like they love it, like they genuinely appreciated and laugh very hard at it. And the only thing Dad's ever said to be along those lines, it is like you have to talk about marijuana so much when you're on television

in these interviews. Do you have to mention marijuana so much? You don't know, my dad, that's a very good impression. I apologize to you, but it is a news angle because we do have the proposition on the bill and get that we could use them. We could use the money exactly. Um. And then last thing here, you know, last last time we talked I think was tell you Ride almost a year ago. Yeah, and you were there with Steve Jobs, which I thought was one of the

best movies of the year. Uh. Is that something that you're interested in doing more drama roles? Is? Are you careerist in that way? Do you think in those terms or is it just as they come? Um? I mean I really enjoyed it. I don't think in like a career is sense that I would I just for I just as an experience. I would like to do more

of them because he really enjoyed it. But mostly what I enjoyed about it was work was like the people I got to work with, like working with Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin and Windsled Michael Fastbender and like like that was really amazing. And um and the fact that I ultimately like did not ruin the movie among those

players was was ultimately a very validating experience. And so, um, you know, I always I always heard I think it was Woody Allen or something who said, like, you know, you want to make the type of movies that you grew up loving. And I grew up loving all kinds of movies. I grew up loving action movies and serious dramatic movies and I FI movies and you know, um, and comedies. But that was if you asked me what my favorite movies are, probably less of them are comedies

than any other genre, you know. Um. And so I think to that end, it's very attempting to make other stuff. And that's why actually Preacher was so much fun because and continues to be, and we're getting ready to do a second season and we're you know, um, it's it's as a director, it allows us to do so much more because it's not just rooted in comedy at all

the time. So you know, I feel like stylistically it's given us a chance to like really grow and try new things, because again, you're not just serving this one thing all the time, which is comedy. Yeah, and that pilot for a Preacher was just sensational. You guys killed it. Thank you so much. It was alive in so many awesome ways and really great new series. Hopefully everybody's watching it, but for now, Sausage Parties opening August twelve, that is tomorrow.

As for witness errors, and be sure to take your kids exactly and again, thank thank you for being my first guest man. That was a great night, a good time, fill up with the movie. I like your little room here. Thanks so much for listening. Everyone. Be sure to subscribe because we'll be back starting September eight with a new show every week. Once again, I'm Chris Tapley and this has been playback at the Right a Food Fair.