Ep07 - Andrew Garfield / "Hacksaw Ridge"

same thing, that is my champion. I sound like Donald Trump. It was not um. You know, the New York Film Festival just wrapped up. Did you go out there at all? I actually happened to be out there for the Hampton's Film Festival and in New York, but kind of the last thing I want to do on my day off was go to and honestly, they weren't screened anything I hadn't already seen. So yeah, well, the big story out of there, and neither of us can really speak to

it because we haven't seen the film. But Billy Lynn's long halftime walk really hit the skids with critics. A lot of criticism aimed at the twenty frames per second, which you know, I mean, I I can't. I haven't seen the movie. I love Angle. I still am going to see the movie. I have to say, I do not like the multi frame rate. When I saw the Hobbit, I mean had some problems, but really hated the way

it looked. And just reading what people were saying, and they meant it as praise when they were saying how crisp the picture was, and you can see the pores on their nose, I was like, that's how it's awful. That sounds. I feel like offers actors think that sounds awful. Part of the idea here is to hide between those those the flicker of the frames, you know, and you can't hide makeup, you can't hide production design, you can't hide background. I don't know that are just doing busy

work back there. Well for him, I I as I understand it. It was, you know, it's just for the war scenes, and it's too kind of carry across this idea of the hyper real memory you had have of a of a battle sequence and stuff like that. And I get it. I mean, he's an artist, and I'm sure he had a very artistic reason to use it, right? Who am I to questioning? At the same time, I find it takes me out of a movie. Yeah, well

we'll see when we see it. That's the other thing is they couldn't even they couldn't have a projector over here to to show it in that framework, right, don't

they have to show this movie properly? When it's released commercially, there will only be two theaters in the country showing it at frames per second, Which brings up my next point, which is of the people that see this movie, you're not going to see it this way, so you know, if a tree falls in the woods, yeah, like what's or if a movie bombs in New York in New York.

And that's the other thing. I think going to the New York Film Festival might not have been the best way to yeah this movie because take Life of Pie there sentimental. I guess maybe he's been there with like his Western what was that film called The Devil? I feel like maybe that person who actually likes to the Devil, I'm such a hardcore angle and the Criterion version. That's because I own like every Western, But yeah, I think you know, and he's they took the walk there last year,

Sony did. They've been taking movies there Captain Phillips the last couple of years, so uh, it made sense for them to go there, I guess. But this movie is a particular movie, and it just seems like it didn't work out for them. We'll see it in two weeks when the projector finally gets over here. I don't know, were in Los Angeles storeroom. They don't even know where it's going to release commercially over here. I don't know if they know in New York either, But what the budget?

Do you know? I don't I mean, this couldn't have been a cheap movie. Yeah, I don't know. I I so admire Angley, like, you know, taking chances and doing new things, and when it pays off, it's amazing, you know, Life of Pie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Um, But I just don't know. I was. I was really disappointed to read. I liked what he tried to do with Hulk oh. I actually like it. Tried to bring a comic book alive. It's kind of got the split screen stuff, and it

tried to put you there. I mean that's an example of it. You liked it, apparently, but there's an example of it, but I'm not really working. I'm a fan of that one I see. I actually think it's funny and you know, entertaining, and maybe I just love the Hulk. Maybe maybe there's some lou for Rigno crushed from my childhood that keeps to Comic CON's selling autographs for forty bucks pop every year forty I think so. I used,

he's moving on up. But that was that was the kind of the big premiere in New York, along with Duvernet, Uh, which we kind of talked about years ago. You've seen it since, God, so stunning and upsetting and beauty. You agree with me that should be the best picture considered. Yeah, I just said it. I said, that's that's my one for this around. You know, she's she's serious. Yeah, it's easily one of the best movies of the year. Yeah. And yeah, and and and I think, uh, twenty Century

Women also screamed out there. I guess that would have been the Was that the premiere I think it was because it didn't premiere Toronto. Yeah, that was that was the world premiere center. It was the centerpiece film in New York. Yeah, said screened in l a screen just ahead of that, and that's when I saw it, and you saw it. I'm a fan. I like Mike Mills, I like I like his voice. Yeah, he just really does a good job of getting his voice into his work.

And I like Beginners better. I think it's a tighter movie. Beginners is kind of perfect. Yeah, and and and I think Twentieth Century Women starts to just wander a bit in the middle of the movie. It loses its focus a little, but I still love the tone. I loved kind of luxuriating in the world he created. And I thought that Bending was great. The actors are great. I thought Greta Girlwig was It's the best, right. Yeah, I'm

glad someone else has said that, because l Fanning was fantastic. Yes, she's good, but Gretta man, Yeah, I mean she's there's so much going on with that character, and she's got this history to kind of work through, and I think it's her best performance. And I do think she has a shot in the supporting category. Did you hear I think someone told me that Mike Mills made Beginners for his father and made Twenty Century Women for his mother, and it is interesting how they are sort of the

movie Cousins, you know. Yeah, there's certain things he uses in Beginners, you know, when he would show the pictures and be like, this is what love looks like. He does something similar in Twenty Century Women, but doesn't lay it on too thick, So they are two very different movies. Yeah, he's talked about that he likes to play with time in his editorial, like, because you know, you don't really experience time chronologically. You experienced it through memories and things

like that. So he tries to play with that and the way he dits movies, and it definitely does that in this one. And yeah, absolutely Beginners is like a love letter to his father, and this is a love letter to his mother, and and that Benning. You know, I think there was a period where it was they were keeping options open about supporting her lead she could. I mean a lot of times when you see like Alicia Vickender in Danish Girl and she goes supporting it's

like obvious category fraud. I have to say, this movie is really kind of the main Boys story. Like I actually think of a net Bennie went supporting it, would I would get it. I feel the same way. I mean the problem is he of all of the characters, he's the one you don't really learn a lot of it. He's very learned about everybody else, So everybody else kind of stands out. And the Net having this big performance, it feels like a lead in it. It's arguably a lead,

arguably supporting because she's a Net Benning. Like, I don't know if anyone else think that's what the boils down to. As far as an Oscar campaign is concerned, too, it's like, no, not going. I mean, she's getting nominated in either category. I think I feel the same way about Violet Davis without even so even though we haven't seen it, we're like, like, she's the front runner all around wherever she could go.

In the best director category we put it in. And I know, a couple of weeks ago, I said that lead is I mean that supporting is not happening. Uh. I still feel pretty strong, but it is still a question. And I think everyone's looking at that campaign, what is

she going to do? A lot of people would like her to get out of that category because it frees up space for you know, a Ruthnega or Taragi p Henson perhaps or you know, assuming that the category is laid out the way we assume it is, which is like, you know Meryl, you think Meryl is a lock. I think she's strong. She's Meryl. I think she's strong. But I think in a year where you have people on the bubble that could get in, like you know Amy Adams,

who's fantastic in two different movies. Um, I think Emma Stones a lock. I mean, and that Benning so and Natalie Portman, Oh yeah, obviously Natalie Portman. And then we've got I feel this kind of fifth spot. It is like assumably Viola if she's going lead, and I think that she's probably strong enough to win in either category wherever she is. Yeah, I mean, she wonted Tony and she's Viola Davis. And you've seen the trailer. There's a lot of snot going on. It worked in down, it

worked in doubt. You know, it's going to be a big, powerful performance, you know. So it is in the play a supporting role, and I've heard that they've beat it up for the movie, but I mean, I am curious. It's it's strange that usually if someone is lesser known, like an Alicia Vickender, they put her in supporting even when it's clearly a lead role. But if you're as establishes Viola Davis, it works the opposite way. Sometimes you get in the lead category when it's really a supporting role.

But with Viola, it may be a supporting role, but is it a supporting performance? And I know that's a weird thing to say, but like that's kind of what we're talking about with the net. It's it's sort of a leading performance but a supporting role. Well, I mean, you know, the great example is Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs had something like, yeah, but you know everybody wants from that movie, you know, talking about Hannibal Lector, which is a weird comparison to make when I definitely

or at betting for that man. We'll see how different role. But yeah, suffice it to say, everyone's keeping an eye on that campaign. Yeah, I mean, you know, I really want Amy I'm to be nominated for Arrival. Um. I love that movie. I love that performance. Uh, she's kind of on the bubble, you know. I'd like her to have more secure slot. I think she's more secure than

merriw really. Yeah, I definitely disagree with you. Well, well, we have to wait and see how the movie does actually does, and they're gonna bring They're gonna be bringing Florence back around too. It's not good like they're going to be. They're gonna do their tastemakers and have their things. And I know you and I are big fans of Florence Foster Jenkins, and I love Hugh Grant's performance. And is he a sure thing? Sure thing but pretty secure? I think he's I think he's a good bet right now.

I mean, look, I have it for picture actress, supporting actor, a couple of below the lines. Like, I think it's a strong player across the board. Good Golden Globes are going to be fit up to whenever it comes to that. So I like your column today where you said, like the Golden Globes Comedy Musical category is a race to see who will lose to Lala basically, right. I mean, it's just four more slots to fill there, and it's a pretty thin race. I think beyond Florence Foster Jenkins

in La La Land, it's pretty wide open. You're right. Literally got an email from Fox. What about Deadpool? You know that's it's funny you would say that, because I've heard a lot of people say that, Like Globes voters really love Deadpool and they love Ryan Reynolds and he's a big star. So that hp A there there are fans of Deadpool and hfp A. Now, I don't know how much of that is actual love for the movie

or actual love for Ryan Reynolds. But let's be honest, how great would it be if they nominated a true comedy It would be pretty Deadpool, yeah, absolutely, or the nice guys, great guys. I would love to see Russell Crowe nominated for performance. Ryan's already getting nominated, but like, like, Russell Crowe was hilarious in that movie. Did you go to the American Cinema Tech Award? I did not. He kind of gave a good case for why he should

host the Oscars. Russell Crowe, Russell Crowell. I saw him on Saturday Night Live. I was at the dress rehearsal where there's like ten times more sketches that they cut, and the guy is he's a chameleon and a comedic genius. I mean, like some of the sketches they cut, I wish I hope they put them online. Somewhere because he is he is hilarious. Maybe they should uh tap him to host the Oscars. You know, maybe they should announce a producer. Maybe they should figure out what's going to

happen with this show, Like, isn't that weird? Like it's October or whatever it is now and no producer announced. We'll have winners before we have a producer. Yeah, it's crazy. I know that there was three years where you know, Zaden and Maren were a three year contract, so a lot of their decisions were able to happen early in August or September or whatever. You'd hear what the host is.

And now they're kind of starting fresh. I've heard that, Uh, you know, nobody wants that gig after last year, but he wants to produce the Oscars after last year. Talk to the academy you hear something completely different. No, we've got a lot of people. We're just trying to decide who it's going to be. Anything about the host. Cluck is ticking. No, I mean you need a producer first, because that's that's gonna be where that decision comes from.

I assume we'll know both before the Governor's Awards in mid November. But that's like three weeks away. Yeah, not very far, so hopefully soon. I didn't expect to go down that road, but I am like, what's going on over there? Hey, maybe it's time to go back to Brett Ratner just saying maybe wanted Eddie Murphy to h that was all about that. Yeah, let's do it. What else were we going to cover here? Opening this week? Oh?

By the way, the one movie opening this week that that we need to talk about is Boo a Media Halloween. Wait what, I have never seen a Tyler Perry movie, and I'm this weekend to see Boo a Media Halloween. I don't think it will struggle for box office. I think everyone should go see Moonlight, which doesn't open wide until later anyway, but it's opening limited this week. Such a beautiful movie. And we've talked about that. Yeah, I think we've talked a lot about it. How much we

love that cast. Yeah, and I actually did attend a Q and A this weekend with Herschela Ali and Naomi Harris and Andre Holland and you know, just audience. Actually, I'm not sure to be honest, Um, well received, everyone stuck around. Very well received. And just listening to those

three talks like a masterclass in acting. I look forward to talking to Barry Jenkins at some point this year because said him, yeah, and everyone said they were fans of his first movie Moonlight for Melancholi Melancholic flight Medicine. For me, I'm sorry, I just made the best mash up Moonlight from Melancol Medicine Man Melancholic Melancholy from Moonlight. But they were all big fans of his even before

they worked with him. In the way that they talk about this director like they're so rhapsodic what he's able to pull off with these three actors playing this one character and you know, getting that performance out of Naomi over the course of the weekend. You know, it's pretty good stuff. So you should go see that film as

opposed to Boom Medea Halloween. You know, one of my co workers did say he admires that Tyler Perry as he continues to get, you know, more famous in his movies are bigger and bigger, he still refuses to learn that they sick tenants of filmmaking, and in a way that that stubbornness is admirable. Well, he doesn't appear to need to yet he clearly is doing something right. This guy is a behemoth in the industry, so good for him. Yes, and look he's a good actor. He was great and

gone girl. Yeah, I even saw the movie where he played Alex Cross, and it's like, yeah, he's what was the movie called? Was it called Alex? It was called Alex Cross? Yes, well, go see both of those movies. Screw it. You should should have or go see Moonlight twice. That would be seen moon Like twice. I'm talking to Andrew Garfield after this. Talked about hacks All Ridge a few weeks ago. Loved it. More and more people are seeing it and coming and telling me how much they

love it. It's a lovely conversation. I think everybody will enjoy that, so stick around for that. I was dreamed about being a doctor, but I didn't get my school. I can't stay here all them go fight for me. When you figured this war is just going to fit in with your ideas. While everybody else has taken life, I'm gonna be saving it. That's gonna be my way to serve. This is a personal gift from the United States government because I do bring death to the end

of it. Well, I'm sorry. Sorry, I can't touch a gun. Shen't killed. You know, quite a bit of killing does occur in war. Private Dots does not believe in violence. You'll not look to him to save you on the battlefield. I don't think this is a question of religion. I think this is callous because you weren't like anyone else. You're saying you could go to prison. But I don't know how I'm gonna live with myself if I don't

stay truny to what I believe. With the world so set on tearing itself apart, don't seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together. Welcome back, everyone. I'm here with Andrew Garfield, the star of Mel Gibson's hacks all Ridge j opens November four. Thank you for coming by today, man, I appreciate it. Thank you for having me. Uh. It's been ten years since Mel Gibson gave us a movie. Apocalypto was the last one, and I just want to

talk quickly about that. Are you as big a fan of that movie is as I think I am. Yeah, I am a huge fan of that movie. I think that's maybe my favorite movie of his that he directed. It's it's such a bold movie to make. And I

remember when the trailer hit for that movie. I don't know if people remember this, but there was a moment in the trailer, like a couple of frames where he just inserted a shot where he was hanging out with like the guys that were playing the natives, and he's like just cheesing with I think he had like a cigaretto in his mouth or something. Really, it's just yeah, it's just a really brief moment where he's just like smiling in the middle of this big press trail line.

I don't remember that after this, but I'm just curious if that speaks to how he is on the set. Yes, that that's so funny and and interesting. He kind of makes his own rules in that way as a filmmaker, I think, and he's not precious at all about the process or even about the moment. There's this kind of very intuitive instinctive, a physical, visceral presence that he has and that his movies have. I think is you know,

with Apocalypto is a great example of that. It's so muscular and full of you know, blood and flesh, and you know, you feel like you're there. And I think Haxtell raises no exception to that. Um and yeah, and I think it does come out of his um, his his his presence on set, his kind of almost animal instinctive way of making a film telling a story. Uh, he is a figure. I think that looms pretty large

in this industry. So maybe you had expectations going in, But even still, did he surprise you as a filmmaker in any way that sticks out? Now? Yeah, I had no idea what to expect, because of course you hear, you hear so much, and you kind of go in with any filmmaker really and of course you know Mail, there's no exception to that. You go in with a bunch of expectations and a bunch of ideas that that you hope you can see past in order to just be able to see the person clearly. And yeah, I was.

I was so so surprised he and by his um. Well, to be honest, you know the main thing that I was so um ah happy about and surprised maybe I I don't know, I did. I didn't have any expectation either way. It was just this ability that you had to make everyone feel as important as each other in a very sincere way, without any you know, there was no strategy behind it. It was just we're all in

this together. And that feeling of a good dad on set, that feeling of a good parent where you feel like your work is um as important as his and in fact he makes you feel totally vital to the process. Um and he totally means it. It's the best idea wins kind of scenario. And um, there's this very loving energy that he creates on set, and very safe and very playful and light and and as I say, kind of loving in that in that really good way that a good parent will set you up to have a

really fun play session with a friend. They'll create the framework and then you just go and run riot and you paint on the canvas however the hell you want, and there's no right, there's no wrong, it just is. And so that was really kind of a wonderful surprise. I guess. Now this story is about desmondask conscientious subjector who went to war without a gun and saved some seventy people. An amazing story that I didn't know about. Were you aware of it before you read the script?

Not at all. He's a He was a man that didn't want his story told for a long time, or just wasn't interested in having his story or his actions glorified in any way. Um. A big part of who he is is that he's a man of God. He's a Christian man, more specifically a Seventh day Adventist. But I do believe that his actions transcend any specific religion. Is always he kind of as a human being, transcended the dogma that he was raised in. Um. And it's

it's expressed in his actions. And he didn't he saved. He saved more than seventy That was just one night. You know. Throughout the war he saved countless, but this particular night, and you know, he he actually said no, it was less than that. I think it was probably

about twenty five or third. But then they counted, and you know, and he was just for forever, sincerely, humble man UM that didn't want a movie made until at the kind of encouragement of his church eventually they said, look this, this is a bit selfish of you, actually, because because your story is so inspiring and it goes beyond you, much like your actions went beyond you. This

story goes beyond you. And it's possible that if this story, if this story is seen by more people than it can create some very positive ripples in the world and inspire other people to trust themselves more, to be in tune with their true selves more, to say no to oppression, to say no to people or an institution or a culture that is telling them to be something that they are not. And that's what he that's the path that

he walked. He walked that very hard line where his own army was telling him to be different, was telling him to fall in line and to say no to to to the to the guys in charge. Is such an act of rebellion. Really, it's kind of a revolutionary act to be that devoted to walking your own path. I'm always curious of actors whenever they play real life people in your research looking into this man, was there a certain quality about him that struck you that you

particularly wanted to carry across in your performance. Um, you know, uh ah, there was so many things. That's one of the things about the one of the joys and the tricky things about playing someone who's who, who's lived, who's who existed, and who exists in people's imaginations still, Um, is that there's so much to honor. There are so

many qualities and aspects to bring to life. I would say the foundation for me, the thing that really excited me one of the things, one of the many things that excited me about Desmond was um this in being in tune with nature, being in tune with his own nature, and being in tune with the world and being insuned with what the world was asking of him. Um, I say the world, but you can say God, you can say Spirit, you can say mystery, the divine, the soul,

the deep self. You know, you know again he transcends his religion in that way for me. So that was the thing being being empty enough to listen and being quiet enough to hear the messages coming from that very still small voice that we all have within us, and being in tune with nature. This was something that was really exciting to me to explore and to kind of luxuriate in. Remember that I think it was a Disney

as it was a Disney cartoon. Ferdinand the Bull, you know, his his this this bull that is supposed to be kind of seeing red and and and wanting to kill human beings, but instead he just wants to smell the flowers in the middle of the auditorium um, or in the middle of the coliseum, or wherever bulls fight. Um Uh.

That is fascinating in the middle of a war situation, to have this soul, this gentle um loving soul picking up flowers, you know that that was that that was such a beautiful thing to try and try and live out, I imagine, particularly so in a society that's louder and louder, you know. I mean there's so much noise and to be able to, as you say, luxuriate in that must have been an experience. Um. You know we've talked about the the religious and spiritual aspects here is it's something

that strikes me about Mel Gibson's work. I think he tends to make movies about faith in in interesting ways. A lot of times it's about the difficulty of maintaining one's faith, in fact, in the faith in the face of any any number of adversities. Um. And that is a quality that's in this film, and I think it's from what I hear. I have not seen silence yet, but a quality that's in Mr Scorsese's Silence as well. And Martin Scorsais he also makes films very much informed

by his religious upbringing. So given that that's an interesting kind of parallel here, I'm curious if there was anything about these two filmmakers that struck you as similar as well? Oh gosh, I think if if there, if there was a similarity, well, I think, well, first of all, I think they're both masters in their own way, in in very different ways. But I also feel in terms of the faith question, they are all too aware of their

own humanity. They're all too aware of their own fallibility, you know, in a beautiful way, like they're in touch with all of that human all of that messy human nous. And yet they are also in touch with their own um longing for the divine, I would say, longing for their best selves, longing. You know, Marty's first um instinct was to join the priesthood where as a kid, and

that was his first calling. He probably were were aware of that um and you know, thank god he didn't, so to speak, because otherwise we wouldn't have had the high priest of film that he now has become. Obviously, that was I feel I think we were. We'd all agree that that was his destiny, and thank god he followed it um and he's found a way to explore Oh yeah, you know, religion in his own way sense and his own messy humanity, with with with the with

the polar opposite. But I think that was interesting about that that film is it is a it is a man at odds with himself. And you know, I was I would read a lot of Thomas Merton m while I was getting ready and filming that that movie in particular, and what I love about Murt was Mertin, the Trappist monk Thomas Mertin, is that he he was so in touch with this humanity and he would write about it with such rawness and this idea that a life of

faith is not a life of certainty. A life of faith is also equally a life of doubt, and anyone who's living a life of certainty is not to be trusted. He said, you know this, this this thing of you know what we see with politicians all the times, and and and and and strangely a lot of the time with politicians who who claim Christianity is there as their

as that chosen faith. You know, you talked to George w Bush about do you have any regrets about, you know, invading Iraq and the destruction is I know it was all it was, It was it was the perfect decision. No regrets at all, No, there was, there was no other choice, totally certain. That's this really scary stance. So I think both of these films are investigating what it

is to live a true life of faith. And I think the character and in Father Rodriguez in Silence begins with this certainty, a bit of a scary certainty, and of course experience changes him. Experience transforms him in this alchemical way where he realizes that faith and being incarnate in this world is a very complicated situation to be And it's that and there's not there's not a set of rules that applied to every situation. Sometimes there's there's

sometimes sometimes life. Sometimes life makes you have to break the rules in order to live a life of humanity and faith. This is a fascinating realm to be in and and same for it for Desmond, you know, and I think both melon and and Mardy, like any other human being, struggles with these questions. I understand you had a chance to see so once recently. What do you think. Um, I don't want to say anything. I um, I don't want to. I don't all right, I'll take you off. Well, no, no,

what I mean? Like, I can say, I we made the movie that that and I really love it. I love it. I can I will say it's unlike anything I've ever seen. Silence accepted. What's your favorite Martin Scorsese film? Oh gosh, how do you even? That's trick? It's impossible. I'll start and I'll actually just tell you when I think is hugely underrated bringing Out the Dead, Oh god, da amazing. I love how that movie just owns the

Van Morrison song too. Can not listen to TV sheets again and not think about an ambulance driving down the street. I couldn't, you know what? I hadn't seen coundon when I was getting ready for Silence, and I have to say I found it so deeply beautiful and and moving

and layered and rich. Um. I rewatched Taxi Driver twice recently, just for fun, just for fun, and it is but it is fun weirdly, and that scene that Mark Marty's scene in it is kind of crazy, like kind of incredible, like something like like that's that's that's like some best actor exactly, but incredible act, like proper acting where you go, wait, who's the actor in this? Like really and DeNiro is letting him, letting him go. It's beautiful, It is so

so beautiful. Um, he's given us far too much too. Two, I don't know, he's given us far too much and continues too. It's like this not slowing down, which no, he's really not, he can't. It's thank god, do you know he's so Yeah, he's given the world himself really through through the stories and the movies and the characters

that he's given us. And speaking of Undoon, I I interviewed Thelma Schoonmaker a few years back for Wolf of Wall Street and she mentioned at the time that Silence was kind of part of their little internal spiritual trilogy with Kundoon and Lascitation of Christ, which just made me more excited about as you have right now. So I look forward to sing good good and yeah, Thelma, I mean Thelma is you know, the other the other half of of of of Mardi, you know, I they are

so one person in the edit room. Yeah, I can understand now I've seen and she how she's like her brilliance and her grace and her I don't know she's she's a magician, I think with how she cuts absolutely, I just want to venture out a little bit from these two movies. Were you sad at all to hang up to Spider Man tights? Specifically hanging up the tights wasn't a sad moment? But yes, of course, you know

like that. But when any I think, when any chapter ends, it's like the end of a relationship, and there's a if I wasn't sad, i'd be a little bit cut off from myself. I think. I think there's something wonderful about about grieving something and saying goodbye to something. It means it meant a great deal, and it means you know it was, and it means it's over, which is a blessing. And and also um, you know, full of

full of grief. I'm not very good at goodbyes anyway, with with with I'm not very good at things dying, not very good at relationships ending. So but it was actually a beautiful thing to to to feel the you know, watching it sail off into the sunset and me seeing the other way. Um, and yet it wasn't like I was holding onto it. Um. There was there was a really nice feeling of Okay, that's done, like I'm I'm

good actually you know what I mean? Yeah, did you come out of that episode in your career pointed in a certain direction? Like did? Did? Did? Because you know today that's such a big part of the business, the franchises and everything, And I don't know what it does to when you were a part of something, so it's such a central part of something like that, what it does to what you want to do? Like coming out of it, did you have any kind of goal? Did it lit you can speak to like what well? Um?

It having been in that environment for five years, which is a very specific environment. UM, I was craving smaller. I was craving um tighter. I was craving a bit more pressure in a weird way. UM. And the first film I shot after that wasn't the film called ninety nine Homes, which was you know, my truck was my trailer and you know it was it was mostly non actors apart from me and Laura and Mike Shannon and a few other people. Um. And there was a longing

to simplify, I think, and to strip away excesses. UM, because obviously we we we we know that those those movies are very very big in all ways and the pressures of them are different. Um. And I wanted to be able to fully focus on the simple job of

of being the storyteller as as the actor. Um. That and that's kind of where I want to be anyway, I think forever, you know, in as as long as I'm doing movies and plays, I just want to anything that takes away from the story is um is to be sidestepped really and and you know, just trim trimm the fat off and get to the thing that matters. And I think there's a lot of agitation around those movies. There's lots of excessive kind of weirdness around around those

kinds of films. I have nothing against them. I love watching them, and I and there were elements of participating that felt really really good and there are elements that didn't. But um, but also I I was longing to be on a set where um, you know it was it was story first and theme first and um you know where the where where that where? That was the list of priorities. Yeah, I hear you. One of my favorite films of last year. Thanks such such an amazing movie.

Cheers man, I thank you. That actually means a lot. That means a great deal to hear that. Thank you and another filmmaker you worked with that. I'm curious about your experience with I hope he can make some more movies Mark Rominett like I love Mark, and I love him as a as a friend as well. He's um,

he's so himself. You know, he's so precise, and I think this is why he doesn't make a movie very often, is because he's so precise and he's so uncompromising in what he wants to put on the screen and this kind of story he wants to tell in the way he wants to tell it. I know he's gotten close to making a bunch of stuff recently, but it hasn't worked out because of that very um specific vision that he has. UM. I absolutely love him, and I think

he's visual and emotional sensibility is so fascinating. And I share your feelings. I want him to make I want him to keep making films as often as possible. The film there has never let me go. UM and Uh, the Johnny Cash Hurt video just phenomenal. Speaking of Mark, you have some films coming up. I just wanted to touch on. We were talking right beforehand about David Robert Mitchell, director of It Follows. You're you're about to make this kind of l a noir film with him. What's the

name of that? It's called Under the Silver under the Silver Lake, that takes place in Silver Lake. Uh. It Follows was an amazing movie last year. Just such a singular kind of vision this guy has. How are you finding kind of gearing up with him for this? It's great? It's um again. He's so clear in his vision and and yet collaborative simultaneously. UM. And I just love the tone of his films and the atmosphere that he creates. And this script is one of the best scripts I've

ever read. And it's so multilayered and so wild and out there and um again, kind of unlike anything I've ever I've ever I've ever read in script for UM and it's I can name things that it's inspired by, but yeah, it's totally its own thing. UM And it's it's um. It's so weird and and and and funny and sexy and terrifying and intriguing and mysterious. And um, it's about so many things and yet about nothing. It's so weird. And he's um and you know, he just

he is a he's a total cinophile. So he's just sending me so many movies to look at his reference points. And is that helpful or is that it's really helpful? Yeah, because some people might feel like that gets in the way, so I might serious how people. I love it, you know, I I personally love it, um, I because I don't have my time to watch many movies and unless the homework really yeah, um and uh so yeah, so I find it really really really useful. Well again, everyone, the

movie's hacks All Ridge. It opens November four, and Silence will be later in December. Decembery limited, so look forward for that. And thank you again man for coming by. I appreciate it, Thank you for having me. Thanks again for listening. Everyone. Remember to subscribe and check back next week when I'll be talking to the director of hacks All Ridge, Mel Gibson.