Hi, I'm filmmaker and Movie Crypt host, Joe Lynch. And I'm Becca Howard, a writer, editor, and person. And thank God it's... Tuesday? No, I mean technically I know it's Tuesday, but this is for a couple of old fashions. Oh, so you want me to lie and pretend it's Friday? Well... Cinema is lies at 24 frames per second. Going for Goddard quotes already. Really going to be lining them up for that one. There's no need to. Thank God it's. Run! As it were.
Hi! Well, no matter what day you're listening to this, we're here to talk to you about a couple of old-fashioned... a new limited series subsidiary of the Movie Crit Podcast. As you may or may not know, at our first date, Joe and mine, We each brought a surprise movie that neither of us had prior warning of. I brought My Man Godfrey, a 1936 screwball classic. And I brought Lucio Fulci's...
The New York Ripper. And true love was born. And now, a few years later, we're married. And more importantly, we're co-hosting this new series together. Every Friday at midnight, a new episode featuring yours truly. will drop via the Movie Crypt Patreon account. Each episode has a unique theme for that week's movie marathon. We both bring a surprise title that neither of us know about, and we watch them together. Off screen.
Yeah, no one wants to just watch us watch movies for hours on end. I mean, that's what Slumber Party Massacre is. Anyway... We then discuss the movies together with a couple of old-fashioned cocktails. Having a couple of old-fashioned conversations with our old-fashioned dog, Rocco. What we liked or didn't like about each other's pics. Whether they worked together or didn't work together.
The movies, right? Not us? Yes. This isn't a litmus test that just never ends. Anyway, we would love to invite you guys all to join us on our double-feature date night. at the movies. And let us know what you think of our picks and what you guys would have brought to the marathon. Our first episode's theme is One night only. Which may also be how long the whole show lasts.
And that one is already up on our podcast and available to listen to or watch. Or both at the same time. For free. If you like what you see and hear, going forward, the episodes will drop every Friday at midnight and will be only three bucks an episode to add.
Three bucks? Geez, I can get three Taco Tuesday tacos for that amount. Well, that's the lowest amount you can set a price at on Patreon. Surely you have to be worth at least three bucks. Nah, I'm a ten cents a dance kind of girl. Not anymore, right? Okay, well we hope to see you here every Friday for a couple of old-fashioned movies, a couple of old-fashioned conversations, a couple of old-fashioned cocktails, and a couple of old-fashioned people. Now back to Taco Tuesday.
No, remember, it's Friday. Oh, yeah. Lying. I mean, cinema is lies at 24 frames. Thank God it's Friday. As it were. So be sure to tune into... A Couple of Old Fashions with Becca and Joe, right here on the Movie Crypt Network. And now on to the show. It's the Movie Crypt! And welcome to another edition... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's my line. Oh, shit, okay. And welcome to another edition of the Movie Crypt. I'm Adam Green. I'm so happy that you're back.
Yes, I'm back. The conversation you're going to be hearing with Mark Anthony Green was recorded on March 15th, but we're actually recording this intro on Saturday, April 5th. Because yes, I am back from my adventures in Malta. And when I first got offered this movie and they said Malta, I swear to God, my response was, oh.
What part of the country is that in? And they're like, it's in the Mediterranean. It's a small island in between Africa, Libya, and Italy. I'm like, oh, of course. But apparently there is a place called Malta in the United States. I didn't know that at the time, but still. I hear they have great tax breaks as well. Yeah, yeah. But I'm back, and I've had a couple days now. I flew back on the 31st, which was my... On your birthday. By the way, happy...
30th? Yeah. Happy birthday. I'm fucking 50. Oh, do you know what I got in the mail? Oh, no. You'll be getting it next year. What, AARP? Oh, God. Like, it's... I've always heard people make a big deal about 50. That's the last big birthday I'm probably going to have. Like, unless I live to 100, which, let's be honest, I'll be lucky if I make it to 70. 60 is the new 40? I don't know. I just, I don't have much time left. Oh, my God. So I need to make the most of it.
But yeah, flew back on my birthday. Still haven't really done anything for my birthday. Did anybody on the plane or anything? Like, did anyone go like, hey, it's your birthday. I mean, you're getting your... ID checked all the time did even do like fucking customs say like hey happy birthday no not nobody but The day before, I was telling one of the actors in the film, because I'll get into the story in a second, but...
The cast in this film for the most part was very young. And I've always, I'm sure you're the same way. You always felt like. The young person. I felt like the PA. Yeah. And for the first time in my life, I felt. so old because they it's a completely different generation they don't know music they don't know movies and i'm not even just saying they don't know the stuff we like Arwen's back too, if you can tell. They just don't know it. Or all the stuff that we would say was formidable in our...
burgeoning careers or whatever, they weren't born. Or there were babies. No, one of them was two years old when 9-11 happened. Just to put it into perspective. So... Somehow it came up. Oh, she had looked me up online. This is something you can relate to. And she's like, well, the internet says you're only, I think she said 43 or 45.
And I was like, that's the other Adam Green. And she's like, what? I'm like, from the Moldy Peaches. And she literally said, you're making that name up. That's not the real name of a band. That's where that started? Because they thought when I was saying names to them, like. dangerous toys. They're laughing. Enough's enough. They're like, that's not real. Arwen!
Anyway, when I got on the plane, the flight attendant looks at my boarding pass and she goes, are you the singer? Oh my God. And Pentagraph was standing behind me and he goes, different singer, much shittier one. Always count on Bobby P to have that weird, like low, low Brian Posehn-esque singer. Yes. But it was just funny that it was less than 24 hours after me trying to convince.
this actress that, uh, the moldy peaches is a real band. And then somebody mistook me anyway. Um, how are you feeling? Much better now. I've had a few days. I'm still not over the jet lag. When you're directing a movie, you have to be the stoic one and the leader on set. Well, at least when you're our level because
Very, very big, big movies that everyone knows. Jurassic World or whatever. I wasn't going to throw anybody under the bus. So what? Not necessarily that one, but another really, really big one that shot there with a very big director. Oh, really, Scott? Yeah, just screams. I'll say it. I don't give a shit. Screams and yells and treated everyone horribly. And then for anything that was going wrong, we both are sort of similar in this. I just make jokes and I try to keep everybody laughing.
Yeah. Kill them with kindness, as they say. But then you get back to your hotel room and you're alone and that's when it comes out when you're trying to figure out the next day's shot list and all that you couldn't do.
So first of all, the most important thing to say is that it was an incredible experience. I loved Malta. I loved everybody I met there. The crew was fantastic. I only got to bring like... six people including myself from my usual group which is usually the way considering that like I mean and all of them were like quote unquote no not above the line right I mean No, but they were department heads. But that's usually the extent of it where everyone else, because to...
I guess, take advantage of the tax break. You have to hire as local as possible, right? Yeah, but they also do something there where as long as you're working there, it still counts towards the tax break. So I had, of course, Will Barrett, my cinematic partner in crime for... 29 years now. That's crazy. As the DP and Craig Borden, my usual first AD, and then Robert Pentagraft on makeup effects, and our good friend Dave Parker is editing. That's awesome.
And so he, he was there as well. But yeah, the crew was fantastic. It was so hard to leave and say goodbye to every, I mean, you just, you get so close with people going through something. Especially when you're in a vacuum like that. Yeah. But the one variable that we didn't see coming was weather. So this movie, which by now it's all been announced or at least.
Sort of announced, because there was a... some sort of I don't know who got hold of it or what but there was like an announcement two days before the announcement that described the movie as something it's not. That was the deadline kerfuffle, right? Yes. It was some sort of international sales thing where... Because there might be a shark in the movie momentarily, they positioned it like it's a shark attack movie, which it is not.
So immediately the horror sites and stuff grabbed onto it and Adam Green's doing a shark attack movie. It's not a shark attack movie. So, uh, 48 hours later, the producers issued a proper press release, which. Were they ever planning to do that if the other announcement didn't come out? No, because they understood. I know how you prefer. shoot the movie and then make the announcement. Yeah.
Believe me, I totally see the pros and cons. And I know most people, especially on social media, they always want everyone to know that they're doing something. I don't care. Like, think I'm retired. Think I'm not doing it. Like, it doesn't bother me. I would rather just have no expectation.
And then all of a sudden, here's the trailer and this is the release date. And because the year of other stuff, it doesn't mean that today's audience, they're not going to remember in like three weeks. So hopefully people forget that they read anything saying it's a shark attack movie. So, yeah. So the announcement went out and the movie is called Ascent. So there's no the in it, right? No. Okay. There's no the anymore. That got the the.
went by the wayside many months ago. But I think because it was set up with the Malta Film Commission as The Ascent, it needed to say that on the slate and on... But it could be called Arwen's Fancy Dinner 2 by the time it comes out. I'd watch that. I don't know. But right now, it's still called Ascent. And it's about a group of friends at a destination wedding. They go to hot air balloon ride and things go south. And so.
My thing. Don't you mean things go north? Oh, hey, they go up, but south. And lots of ups and downs. When I read the script, which was written by a guy named George Mahaffey Jr. Um, I originally within like just reading the log line, I was like too much like frozen. I don't want to do this. But then I'm like, Well, let me just see. And I'm reading it and...
The concept was really exciting. But then about halfway through it, I'm like, how do you even do this? Like Frozen, they were 50 feet in the air for the whole movie. That was the challenge, but it was still feet on the ground doable with a 50 foot techno crane in the right location. But when you're talking like two, three more thousand feet in the air and I'm like, well, I guess.
Let me start looking at other hot air balloon movies. But by the time I reach the end, I'm like, this is so hard. I have to. And there was certain things about the script I didn't respond to or whatever. But thankfully, George was was so great. I did like two rounds of giving him no.
But then once the cast was set, like most directors, I did my own polish, which was very extensive. Never once did he... get butthurt like he was such a good collaborator through all of it did you come out at all yeah he was there for a week cool and which and it was like a good week for him to be there too just because of what we were shooting that week but um yeah i think i ended up doing five
I think by the end, I have to look at the title page. But does that even count when you're doing minutiae stuff? It wasn't minutiae. It was like... Characters. Surgery stuff? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But... And again, nothing against the original script. It's just once you know who your cast is and you've sat with them, you wanna start adjusting. for them but one of my one of the things I didn't respond to first time I read it was just the characters felt like bodies going through this yeah and so
Anyway, I'm just so grateful between George and the producers. They let me inject my voice very much into this. So like, it will definitely feel like. An Adam Green. But that was something that you had talked about from the first initial, at least when we were talking about it, where it was like. It seemed like they knew that if they were going to hire you, they're hiring Adam Green, who is known for a very particular voice.
Yes. But you never know once you start doing it, if you're going to get pushed back or, but there was like no ego involved on any side. It was just, how do we make this the best thing we can? So that was. Because again, this was like other than spiral. This was the first time I've ever directed something I didn't write. So I've watched you go through it a million times now, but I was nervous. Like I'm used to being able to be like, no, they're going to say this or I want this or like, and.
None of that. Like it was all just fantastic. And then, um, Well, you know, I just realized something is probably fantastic because I'm not taking a writing credit on it. I'm sure. If this had been set up WGA, I'd have to at this point because of the percentage of the script I wrote. But maybe that's why there was no pushback because it's like, hey, man, do whatever you want.
But no, George is fucking great. And anyway, I just want to get to how we did it, which I got to kind of wait till it comes out. Of course. You don't want to get too much. But my thing was originally. Start watching every movie with a hot air balloon in it. How did they do it? And every time it's a soundstage. And it's like, well, now there's volume stages, which is like what they use in Marvel stuff. Mandalorian.
So, cause I just don't think the soundstage stuff looks real. Now, one thing about green screen. Yeah. But one thing about hot air balloons, when you're actually in one, your hair doesn't really move. You are the one. And that's one of the things that makes them look so fake. So you're in like a bubble in a way? Basically, yeah.
Sometimes it'll move like a little, but obviously we had to go in one and all that stuff. It's like the fallacy of everyone thinking that when you're in the cold that you'll always see your breath and then you don't. Yes. That's crazy. So, but I was like, I just want the audience to be able to believe what they're watching. But as an audience member, that's something where, because.
Like the average person who sees this movie is not a hot air balloon expert. And you would expect, well, they're out there way up in the wind, shouldn't they? So anyway, long story short. Uh, very quickly I was like, and Will was on board. I'm like, we need to try to shoot this practically as much as possible. And of course at first it was, well, that.
come on that's crazy what are you gonna do like really go up there and like you can't this and that but I will wait till the movie's out and hopefully there's gonna be Extra stuff on the eventual physical media like at this point. I you know, I've no idea. Yeah, I know a lot of stuff was shot
But I'm excited for people to see how we did it. If I culled together all of the WhatsApp videos that you sent over, I'm sure you'd have at least a good 10 minute behind the scenes with all that shit. Yeah. And there was... a GoPro going the whole time on us. And then there was an actual EPK guy there. And so we'll see what, what is, but I think especially to, sorry, I still don't have a voice. Um, the,
Fellow filmmakers out there in the audience. They'll be interested to see how we pulled this off So So there was a day that we were shooting, it was scenes in a car. So they're driving, so we're on a process trail. Again, even that, they're like, it'd be a covered set if we shoot on a green screen. Like, they do a lot of driving shots. And I'm like, no, I want a process trail. It does look like shit. I want them really out there.
And we're in like one of the most beautiful places on earth. Why would you do that? Yeah. So we have him in a process trailer. It was one of the most fun days of shooting. And so for those who don't know the process trailer, you take the wheels off the picture vehicle, the car there.
quote, driving, and it goes on a flatbed, and then there's a truck in front of it that's got the crew and everything. The cameras are all set up on it. It's a whole thing, but it's how movies have been made forever, and it's just... I just think it looks better than green screen. So we're shooting and this will go to show how much of a Adam Green movie it now is.
There's a character in it who just, one of his flaws is that he's almost like 33 and he can't hold a job down. He just has all these ideas. They never pan out. Some of the ideas I actually think are genius. But some of them were terrible. And he explains something and his... The other person in the car, I'm trying not to like give everything away, says that's almost as good an idea as that social media app for hair metal fans. And he says, hey, glitter would have been a billion dollar idea.
if that investor hadn't screwed it up oh boy and then there's a callback to it a few minutes later where they're driving past what looks like it could be a venue and he goes okay that place right there Warrant could be playing there tonight and we wouldn't know because there's no glitter. And she says, who's Warren? And like, that's how it ends.
So because of his British accent, you couldn't really understand warrant. Warrant? Yeah, warrant. Oh, God. And so I'm like, oh, fuck, I have to change this. So you're going through different names? So I'm going, and like. When you hear the one I landed on, again, anybody who's a fan of my work will be like, of course. But...
going through this list of names, and they hadn't heard of a single one of these bands. And even Warren, he's like, is that a band? I'm like, yeah. Have you ever been in a strip club? Oh God. I'm like, they play cherry pie. You can't tell that to 20 year olds now. Every 30 minutes. But they know what a strip club is. And then I'm like singing the song. They probably think Sabrina Carpenter is like being played or fucking Taylor Swift. Not metal bands. So I'm getting like.
I'm like, okay, all right. Like for the first time in my life, I just feel so outdated. And look, I'm the first one to admit my taste in music.
kind of peaked in like the 80s early 90s I still listen to modern stuff as well but that's my that's those are my bands and I'm going through the names of bands and I'm like just say Twisted Sister see that place right there sister sister could be i'm like what did you just twisted sister what is it now remember they're in one vehicle i'm in the other one so i'm talking them through a walkie okay and i'm like
Stop the car. And I get out and I walk over and I'm like, you don't know who Twisted Sister is and the two people in the car at the time. are just staring at me blankly like, no. And I'm like, yes, you do. What is a twisted sister? So I walk over. What is wrong with her? There's two young women in the hair and makeup team. There was like five people. There's some older people. like probably older than even us, if you can imagine that anymore, and two younger ones. And I walk over and I'm like,
You know who Twisted Sister is, right? And the younger ones are like, no. And then the older ones are like, no. I'm like, yes. So I take out my phone, I start playing We're Not Gonna Take It. Soon as the drum beat with the cowbell kicks in, and everybody on the set starts singing.
And I'm like, that's Twisted Sister. And the cast is like, oh, of course I know that song. But we Spotify. I don't know the names of bands. I'm like, it says the name of the band when you Spotify it. They're like, we don't look at that. So I get back into the trailer and I'm like, fucking God damn it. All right. Say white lion. Now there's other characters in the.
And they said, what do they say? White lions. I'm like, no, white lion. That's not exactly what it is. Jesus Christ. And then he says white lion. And then one of the actors in the backseat goes, no, no, no, Lion. The band represented a single Lion, not a whole Pride of Lions. I'm like, Pride was the name of their 87 album. It was their biggest album. They're like, oh, it's real? Oh, my God. Oh, my God. So that just... Welcome to 50. I know. I just was like, holy shit.
I can't believe I'm the old guy on the set now. And it was humbling. And you never thought back in, like when you were on the set for the first time for Hatchet or Spiral or any of those, and you'd see those older dudes and you'd be like... That's not me. You know, I'm young and vivacious and full of piss and vinegar and everything. And I'll never get to that point. And then, yeah. No, I'm old as shit. And last little story, because I don't want to get to this interview.
The kicker was by shooting this entire movie outside, except there's one scene in a hotel room. Everything else was outside. That must have been a delight. Yeah, I always thought Frozen would be the hardest thing. We shot, but Frozen was so easy compared to this. Wow. Because, yes, Frozen. You've been dining out on those stories for fucking years. Right? Holy shit. Well, still to this day, I think Hatchet 3 was the worst.
Shoot, we've ever been on just the bugs and being in a swamp. Chiggers. Chiggers. But the... At least with Frozen, it was pretty much the same weather every night. It was just freezing cold. Sometimes it would snow, which we wanted. So this... It's the whole movie after about maybe the 10 minute mark, 12 minute mark. It's not edited yet. So I can't say for sure. And there's no time cuts after that point, like not even like a slight.
Again, it's not edited yet. We'll see. But so the weather kind of had to match. And because of the dangerous environment that we were in. there was a health and safety person on set with this fucking wind meter. And if the wind went over 24 miles per hour, we were shut down.
We just kept getting fucking shut down like and everyone had said oh Malta in March in February. It's beautiful It's not too hot yet. The weather will be great. It really rains here Rain fucking like the worst wind there was a scene we shot Where there had to be a bunch of extras outside the wind was blowing over the the dining tables that they were supposed to be sitting at glass broke and hit an extra in the, in the eye. Um, like that's how bad the wind.
And so we got shut down a lot. And then the very last shot of the movie that we filmed was a very, I'll save it for Cult of Arwen because I just don't want to spoil things here, but it was a very big deal to pull off and took. Almost three hours to set up this one shot. And then right when we were ready to roll and the sun's going down, we have... And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it just started pouring rain. And we're losing light. Like, it was just...
The perfect way for this production to end because the weather had just been up our ass the entire time. And then at the last second, the rain suddenly stopped. This huge rainbow comes out. And we were able to get it. So...
I don't know if you'll see the rainbow in the shot. I hope not because there's not supposed to be a rainbow. Just put it in post. But even if you did, everyone would think it was fake. It's fake, of course. And again, with movies like this, I've said this before, I think, but with the survival thriller genre audiences... come at them a very different way if it's a horror movie whether it's a ghost story a slasher movie a torture movie whatever it
you'll let things pass that don't necessarily make sense. But when it's a survival thriller, because it scares you in a different way, because it's, they're usually on the premise of what would you do if this. possible situation was to happen to you and so There's this defense mechanism that comes up. Well, that wouldn't happen. That's ridiculous. It never happened. No, no. We want to inherently poke holes into logic.
Yeah, because it's scary. And so your mind makes you say, but that would never happen. That's no, no, I would totally climb down with that, you know, from that, that high space from. tying my clothes together. Of course, duh. They all, yeah. So I've already been through this rodeo once before, but at the end of the day, you're trying to make an entertaining movie. Like you're trying, it's not a documentary you're trying to make.
the most entertaining 90 minutes that you can and thrill people, hopefully make them maybe smile sometimes, maybe laugh, maybe cry, whatever it might be. But you can't just get hung up in minutia of, well, technically, though, that rope would be tied to this or that. Like, you just you can't. You can't do that. And we stayed. as true to reality as we could. But once we met with actual hot air balloon operators, which there's a whole world of this shit, which I didn't know anything about.
Until going into this now, I feel like I know some. Yeah. But a lot of times in movies you watch, there's one called the Aeronauts on Amazon. Yeah. With Eddie Raymond in it. And it. That was a period piece. So those were helium balloons, which used sandbags for weight and stuff like that's not what they do now. And for anybody out there who's been on a hot air balloon ride, now they even partition them on the inside. So you're just in your box for weight distribution.
So there obviously are people who make their own, which is... an angle we kind of took with this a little bit, but we couldn't have everyone partitioned in a box. They can't move. Like already there's very little blocking in this film. I mean, you have four people in a box. So anyway, it's. I'm still recovering. It's still a little bit like, what did we just do? And I'm excited. Again, it's Saturday on the day we're recording this intro.
Probably Monday, Tuesday, I'll be back there for the next, what, nine months or whatever. Because, yeah, there's a lot of stuff for this. But now, technically, you're DGA, correct? Yeah, that was also a thing. I think most of this audience know I had put that off as long as I could because I'm already WGA and I'm SAG. But you are protected though, right? So technically you do have like, what, 10 weeks?
without anyone fucking with you a little bit? Knock on wood, these are probably the best producers I've ever worked. It was such a good experience. They have been just... I'll get emotional. There was a day in prep where they called me into their office, which is weird. Which usually means you're cutting a day. You're getting fired. We lost an actor. Can we change it to race cars instead of a balloon? Yeah. So I'm like, oh, here we go. And I jokingly said to everybody and.
my office, I was like, oh, they're going to fire me. And I walk in and they literally just wanted to say, you're doing such a great job. Thank you. who the fuck are these people yeah and I'm like and I was like shell shocked because all the years of doing this no one's ever said that unless You got the producer, Steven Tyler. Congratulations. Basically, yeah. But it was just a great experience, and hopefully there'll be more projects together.
Um, that'll probably be it for a while on this. Cause again, I just would rather let it speak for itself. Obviously the Patreon members who are in Movie Crypt Live and Cult of Arwen and stuff will be hearing. more about it more frequently and more in depth. But for our general audience, I just don't want to spoil things and I don't want to build it up or, you know.
Let's just wait and see. But it'll still be a bit because Post is going to be... posts so it always is though like and you have dave you know it's not like um you know you know he's gonna Step up in a way. Well, I'm excited because I've never edited with another director. And so he's going to have... like very strong opinions as well, which is something I've always loved about every editor I've worked with.
is when I'm like, well, it's supposed to be this. I shot it like this. This is how it cuts together. And when they say, right, but wait, look at it this way. And I also think Dave will be good at preventing me from relentlessly cutting stuff. Again, this audience knows I like short movies. So I am hoping this will be 86 minutes. That's my...
Don't box yourself into that fucking running Well that's my goal Obviously it's going to be the running time it needs to be Whether that be longer or shorter I'm a little terrified of when you Go, go back there. And, you know, Dave turns around and turns it on and goes, OK, so the assembly are like, you know, my first pass is three and a half hours.
I can easily cut 90 minutes. It's harder when you're watching somebody else's stuff to make suggestions to cut. When it's my own stuff, I can... Because you're so close to it and you're... Well, see, that's a gift because a lot of times... Many directors, myself included, really. But it took me 12 hours to get that shot. The audience doesn't care. No one cares. And especially people who keep something in because it was a cool shot. Mm hmm.
The only part of the audience That really cares about cool shots Are other filmmakers Because they're noticing that stuff Sometimes cool shots can take the average audience member out because now they're focused on that like well wait why is it Why are we looking down at everybody now for some reason? Why isn't it... So, um, who knows? Uh, now watch this movie's going to end up being over two hours long.
Yeah, but at the end of the day, if it's compelling and the story is good and the characters are there, sometimes you have to just relinquish that and... Trust that the audience is going to go along. I also agree that a short movie, immediately now people just go, oh. 90 minutes, 85 minutes, 72 minutes, I'm in. That's why Host is my favorite movie ever made. What was it, like 64 minutes? Something like that, yeah. Greatest movie of all time as far as I'm concerned. So...
Anyway, it's great to be back. I'm sorry I missed the last few weeks. Although I got to say, we did a really well with all those episodes we banked. I think I've only been missing from what four at this point. Yeah. And next week's episode.
I will not be on because that was recorded. That was the last one. Yeah. With the last video store guys, which man, I wish I could have been there for that one. You have to see the movie too. It's fucking great. Yeah. I haven't seen anything in over three months at this point. Was there not a movie theater there? There was, but it was just showing Sonic 3 most of the time. Oh, here's a great story to end with.
Every time I make a movie, I always like to get the cast together and bring them to the movies right before we start shooting. It doesn't matter what movie we see. It's just to sit in a theater together. and eat popcorn and watch a movie and get excited. We're getting the chance to make a movie. You know, let's make the most of it. So I'm trying to remember, I think before Frozen, we went to see Coraline. I think that's.
What was out at the time? Um, I think one of the hatchet movies, it was don't breathe. So that was probably Victor Crowley. I would imagine. Um, it's out. That's what it was called, right? What the blind guy and the. was it don't breathe don't move yeah don't breathe don't breathe yeah um like i can barely even remember the movies with slang yes yeah so with this one
I kept looking at, there were two theaters there and they just had nothing. And because it was Valentine's day, one of them was showing like pretty woman and fit like. which again, it doesn't matter what it doesn't. The movie we see doesn't need to have anything to do with what it's just, it's a bonding moment.
But the company doing our visual effects, when I was there doing previs, I was like, God, this theater is so fucking beautiful. It's like a full theater. The screen is incredible. The sound's amazing. I'm like... is anybody like doing anything with this theater on Friday night or could I have it and show whatever I want? And they're like, yeah, go ahead.
So it had a private theater. And so they cast had no idea what movie we were going to see. And like, I'm not going to remember the exact intro I did, but I start with the how many Academy Award nominations. who the cast is, who the DP is, who the editor was, who the writer was. And they didn't know any of this already. And I say, who the director is. They still have no idea. And I'm like, it's E.T. And they all are staring at me.
And I'm like, is there anyone in here who's never seen it? Only one of them had seen it when they were really little. The other three main actors had not seen it. But then there was one other actor who was in there with us who at 72 years old has never seen. No. Bill Moseley had never seen... Oh yeah, Bill Moseley's in the movie. Surprise, Hanukkah. And he's fucking great. He is amazing. But he is in the movie and...
He didn't tell me till it was over. He's like, I'd never seen that. And he's, of course, laughing, crying. Because he's like trying to uphold his cool, badass reputation. He's like, I'd seen clips. How do you not see E.T.? Bill's such a unique guy. Like it almost makes sense. That's crazy. But it was, anyway, it was so cool to, because one of the reasons I love going to see ET in the theater, whenever they replay it around here,
is there's always kids there who haven't seen it before. And there's a feeling you get watching that movie, especially in the final like 25 minutes. where, you know, he dies, spoiler, and then comes back to life, but then he has to go home, which is even worse. But watching them experience it was just incredible. And it was the 1982 version, so it hadn't been fucked with or anything. Who had a copy? I do. You brought it with you? I always travel with it. It's a security blanket.
There was something, I guess because my copy is American, it wasn't playing right. And one of them was like, oh, no, I know where to get it. I don't know where they got it, but it was out of sync by four frames. Oh my God. So it was driving me fucking crazy. Cause any, that's how you watched it. Yes. I couldn't do that. Within it off and find something else. Within two minutes, nobody knows.
They didn't even care, but it was killing me. Anyway, I guess I'm sure I'd noticed this before. There's like no dialogue in that movie, especially the first like 10 minutes. Like none. Yeah. And it's such a dialogue light film where every line counts so much. But even stuff just like Henry Thomas yelling.
It was nothing like that penis breath. The laugh from like that movie still delivers, still holds up. Doesn't matter that effects have obviously gotten better in the last 40 years. It's just absolutely timeless. But the fact that they responded to it the way they did and loved it that much, I can forgive them for not knowing bands like Warrant or White Lion. All right, I'm gonna shut up, but it's great to be back. Thank you guys for
keeping everything going while I was gone. I know you and Becca were holding down a summer party massacre. Yeah. You guys did your show, a couple of old fashions, a season of that. And so, yeah, we're back. And Movie Crypt Live is, what, April 13th? Yeah.
So we're not doing it because I think we had mentioned it at one point that it was going to be on the 20th, but now we've moved it back to a much better time because now we don't have to worry about people going like, sorry, kids, I got to stop picking eggs up.
Actually, there's not going to be any eggs. People are painting fucking potatoes now for Easter. It was so nice to be out of the country. And eat all the eggs. I'm so sick of eggs. Don't want eggs anymore. Oh, fuck you. But yeah, seeing what. Is happening here through the lens of people from another country. Did you enjoy it? Is really something. Really something. But we won't get into all that because we have this conversation with Mark Anthony Green, whose new movie. Opus. Opus. Yeah.
You know what here? It's already out now. It's already out. It's probably out on VOD at this point. But you know what? I'm going to let me talk about it right now. Take it away, Joe. OK, so our next guest is someone I have been really excited to talk to, mainly because, well. Once you see a trailer for a movie that you cannot unsee, it's one of those movies that you put on your list immediately. And then once I got to see the screening at the American Cinematheque last month.
As the movie's unfolding, I'm going, I have so many questions, but not just, you know, for the movie itself, but for the filmmaker. And that is. mark anthony green this is where i cut in a bunch of little kids going screaming and yelling and stuff like that so um Dude, welcome to the Movie Crypt. And I am so happy to talk to you. And as I mentioned in the preamble before,
If I sound a little fucked up, it's because I got a root canal an hour ago. So, you know, if I sound like half of my face is melted, it's because it is. You look well, brother. You know, you look well. Considering that this is. your opening weekend and you know with this is the It's kind of like, you know, the winner's circle, because no matter what, whether it's, you know, critical reviews or box office or anything.
knowing how fucking hard it is to make a movie. It be like, this is where you really need to take. You got to take stock in the fact that the journey that started where you sat down. and started writing this script to the point where now this movie is out of your hands. I mean, you know, when you finish your cut.
And it goes off to post. And then when the film is delivered to the studio and to the distribution, and then, you know, then you kind of relinquish your fingerprints all over it. And now... It is out to the world, you know, and you have no control over it whatsoever. And you could be so fucking proud of this movie and the audience could reject it or vice versa. Like, and I've had this happen before where you're like, oh man.
I don't know if I, you know, I don't know if that was my best foot forward. And then the audience embraces it. So like, it's, it's such an interesting moment in time for you because. you know, you, as I've gathered through my copious amounts of research and just seeing you on stage and how much you love cinema. Like, this is one of those moments that we all dream of, that we've been, and, you know, coming from the journalistic side that you have.
you know, being able to see how other people vicariously go through this process and now to be in those shoes yourself, good, bad, or otherwise. And aside from the fact that I know that you're a little under the weather, how are you feeling right now? Yeah, I feel every emotion.
I think that that's everything, right? It's like, God, I'm trying to remember what movie that was where they, was it limitless or something where like all of a sudden when he takes the pill, it's like every single emotion just comes flooding into you and you don't know quite how to process it. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know that. you know, like I'll say this, it doesn't matter what we did in the, we do this weekend in the box office.
the number that I had in my head would have been bigger, right? It doesn't matter how many good reviews we get, the reviews that I had in my head would be better. And I just think that's kind of the nature of
a dream. You know what I mean? It just shows that you care. There are people out there who make movies who just, you know, they... show up, they make their days or not, they get the edit in, they take whatever notes that people have and they just implement them and then they just walk away from it.
but when you and there's so much about opus that feels so personal that no matter what you are walking into this situation like you know i i hate to use this you know this the image, but it's like almost like an open wound. where like anything, like if you are now in the middle of open heart surgery.
And now millions of people around the world are like looking in and going like, oh, man, that is a formidable cavity right there. Holy shit. A little plaque right there. But, you know, it's it's it's a very revealing and it's a very emotional time. If I'm being honest, I don't know that I see it like that. Okay. Like, I feel like... If I'm being super, super honest, the artist in me...
had his day when he made this movie. The artist in me had the best day and the worst day during this process in making it. the best days on set, the toughest days on set, when he showed it to artists that he respects, when the actor saw it. That part of it, this is more like the other half of me.
part of it and i think it's okay to be like man we tried to do this and that really worked and we tried to do that and i wanted it to do 200 million dollars at the box office and everyone to see it and that didn't happen and i don't know but i think that the rawness I just want to get back on set. Yeah. Oh, I know. Dude, isn't it like a fucking drug?
Every time. And I know you felt the same way, too, because like I think all of us filmmakers, we attain a thousand yard stare at one point where you just become so myopic about getting everything in the can. And, you know, being happy with that stuff. But at the same time, we still do have a responsibility to the financiers to like the days of like.
Like in the seventies and eighties, when you would hear directors being like, Oh, we're not going to make our day. And then the producers be like, Oh, okay. I guess we're just going to come back tomorrow and keep going. Oh, how, how many days over are you? About three weeks. Yeah. Those days don't happen anymore. You know, so we're under the gun and seeing like, all right. We have to attain our vision.
and service the script and respect the actors and make sure that they feel like they're, you know, being respected and being able to attain the type of performance that they want to service the script. But at the end of the day, like, you know, we have to make sure that we are being responsible or you don't get hired again, you know, because word goes around when someone's like, oh, yeah, you know, they can never make their days or they can never, you know, like they're not a team player.
It affects you in the ripples section. But once you leave set that final day. And, you know, the first AD calls, that's a wrap. And everyone starts, you know, back slapping and, you know, hugging and everything. Or people are just like, I need to get the fuck off this set immediately. Every time I walk away going. Holy shit, you feel like you got knocked the fuck out.
And then within 24 hours, I'm like, I miss it. It's like, and not to use such an extreme example, but like that moment in Schindler's List. where he's like, I could have, I could have done this. I could have done that. Like immediately you want to. save that experience and, and go through it all over again, you know? Yeah. I just think that that's how, you know, you're doing what you should be doing. Yeah. You know, like I think if it's about the work, then.
you know, all the other shit kind of doesn't matter. And, and being on set, making our films like that's the word. So I'm like deeply honored that. You know, I got to make this film, make it the way that I wanted to make it. And I feel like part of the reason that. you know, dying to get back on set is because of how great the experience was on the first.
There takes a little bit of masochism too when it comes to directing because when you are on the set and coming from a very similar route that you did in terms of... you know, breaking into media in any form, you know, there is a by any means necessary form of wanting to be close to artists or be part of the, you know, part of the process, even if it's, you know, whether it's
magazine journalism or if it's print journalism or like for myself I was doing you know I did a lot of magazine shows and I was a producer on a lot of media stuff. And it always felt like it was, you know, we were a few steps removed from where the dream was. And you get so excited that you're just involved in one form or another. And the thing that I gleaned on when I saw you go up there on stage and even just watching Opus.
This movie felt like whether it was in the, you know, the corporate boardrooms in the beginning of the film or in the, you know, the kind of cult temple by the end of the film. This movie felt like you were so at ease with what you wanted. that like you've like the audience and i'm sure you feel this way with certain filmmakers too when you feel like you're in good hands when you feel like you're in the hands of someone who is not just
okay, everybody, listen, we got an hour to get this. I'm going to get a master over, over, and that's it. And then they just kind of move on. Whereas there were certain shots, like there was a shot in the beginning of the film when Murray, who plays the editor. walks in and the way that you framed it was a very deliberate wide shot where there's copious amounts of headroom. You can see everything in the background. It felt like I was in and I've been in that corporate structure before.
Half of like most of the movie that I did a couple of years ago called Mayhem with Steven Yeun. That was. from that point of view where you're in a cubicle and you almost feel like you're just peering over to eavesdrop in on what the editor is telling one of the writers and you're like well either I'm really jealous of that person or thank god that's not me
But it felt like that was a particular vantage point that you knew very well. And then by the end of the film, when there's this beautiful 360 shot.
of john malkovich as he's debuting one of his songs and that shot to me felt like a shot that you knew when you were writing it that that shot had to be in there yeah there is a confidence to that that a lot of first-time filmmakers don't like don't have you know because either they're intimidated you know overwhelmed if you will you know um so i i want to dive in really quick to to say First off, congratulations on the movie because it really is like you should be 100% proud of this film.
And, you know, from the level of cast to the production, to the amount of support that you had from A24 to put this movie out, to have the Sundance experience, to have like this release weekend. You know, this is that one of those journeys that men very few. you know, are allowed to have or can achieve, but so many people dream about. So I want to go all the way back. So you grew up in Kansas city, correct? Yeah.
Yeah. What was, what was one of those movies that you remember back in the day? And it could be something recent, but like, I always like to go back to like. my youth and go like before you even knew what making a day was before, you know, that you knew like the hardships of what it was like making movies. What was one of those movies that you saw back in the day that made you go, I want to do that.
Yeah, man. The first movie that ever made me want to do that, that made me ever say that, was The Fifth Hour. and i was oh fuck yes yeah oh my god okay i i my respect for you went up 250 percent I love that movie. And that was a movie that I saw in a preview. The girl that I took on a date wanted to see Austin Powers and there was all sold out. And I'm like, but.
Do you know who Luc Besson is? No. Do you like Bruce Willis? Yes. Do you want to see Bruce Willis doing like a French Star Wars that looks like Mobius Comics? Who's Mobius? All right, you know what? We're going to give it a shot. And I walked out of that movie thinking this, this fucking flick is going to make $200 million at the box office opening weekend.
um but over the years it it like it was one of those movies that like i loved and was telling everybody about but everyone's like what that movie the one with mila jovovich you know like saying multi-pass the whole movie but when you watch that film That's one of those movies that like you can completely respect the fact that Luc Besson. knew how to edit that movie in the script you know there's the moment when um
Gary Oldman opens the box and closes the box immediately. And you go, that's not a cut you find in post. That's a moment where like even just the inner cutting back and forth, like that movie on so many levels from the production design to the cinematography, to the editing, the score, the, the, the effects, everything that is one director's vision. from front to back, and you can't not respect that. So fuck yeah, that's a great choice.
Yeah, the John Paul Gossier did the costumes. Oh, yeah, it's incredible. But I think it's one of those things. So I'm 37. I just turned 37. and um what did it come out like 97 or 99 I think 97 maybe it came out yep so like I had never seen that Right. I had never seen I think so many people disliked that movie at the time. Because they're comparing it to other things or whatever. But for me, that was the first time I ever saw Bruce Willis blow something up.
That was the first time that I ever saw Chris Tucker. I didn't even know you could put, you know, a man in a unitar and give a black dude blonde hair and have him. hooking up with all the stewardesses, and I didn't know you could have an alien lady. you know who's doing opera uh and with a hip-hop beat behind it and they pull you know uh stones that saved the world out of her out of her fucking stomach that was crazy i just i didn't know you could do that
And so as a kid, I just was like, whoa, this is the most important thing I've ever seen. And then I told my family, I was like, I want to do that. I want to make movies. I want to. So that's where it started would be. And then, you know, there are tons of films that just like... The first time I watch them, they make me...
You know, it feels like everything tastes different, smells different, looks different. Ichi the killer. I love Tekashi Miki. Oh, dude, man. You know what? Like, let's just talk these fucking movies because I feel like. such a kindred spirit right now we just isn't it crazy to think that You know, the guy who plays Ichi the Killer just won a Golden Globe for Shogun. Yes, it's awesome. It's really awesome.
And Takashi Miike was one of, like, again, I will never forget seeing Dead or Alive, which was the movie that he did, I believe, like right before Audition. the cinema village in New York city. I went with my brother. We had heard about it and heard like there's a scene where a dude pulls a bazooka out of his back pocket and blows up the fucking world. And then there's another scene where there's somebody swimming around in like a waiting pool of poop. I'm like, well, you had me at poop.
Yeah, yeah. But then, like, right after that, he makes Audition. and then right after that he does visitor q which was a dv movie or then the happiness of the kookagore is like that's one of those dudes where you go wait how many movies did he make this year 30 oh yeah i'm a little behind but you know He just works, but also he has this sensibility that I think makes the experience feel dangerous.
Like, I genuinely don't know. I know that he'll do anything. There's no line he won't cross. And I never know where he's headed. And so that always felt like what a, I don't know that there's a more rewarding. um movie experience again sorry i'm sick y'all i don't know that there's a a more uh rewarding uh cinema experience than him but also like
it opened up all of Japanese filmmaking to me, you know, like I was like, Oh wow. You know, uh, it, it, I, then I watched house and then I watched, you know, like you just, you're like, And then, you know, then you start to look at a lot of the Korean filmmakers. And that's how I found out about Bong and, you know, Last Train to Busan. And, you know. The first time when you see Oldboy and you're like, holy.
shit you know the fight scene in old boy which i know is like you know very celebrated um but the first time i saw that i would i felt like i could run through a brick wall And it comes right after the moment where... uh they they have that that moment where he pulls up the hammer and it shows that like where the where the hammer is going to go down with a visual illustration and at that point you go all bets are off Like this, this filmmaker is going to be able to do whatever he wants.
If he's it's or even like the moment in Pulp Fiction where she draws what you know, the square and it shows the illustrated version of that. Like when you start implementing that into the language of the movie that you're watching. I love movies like that. I love that. Like, you know, Gaspar Noe is another one or Michael Haneke, where you go, whatever is going to come out of this dude's brain and project onto the screen.
Yeah. Like it's dangerous, but not dangerous in like, I'm just going to provoke you. It's dangerous in a way that like you feel. you are in the hands of someone who's going to push the boundaries, maybe in terms of taste or maybe in terms of extremities, but you're not, you're in a comfortable, dangerous place. And challenge you. Yeah. I like to go to the theater and be challenged. Like, you know, Michelle Gondry, I think does this in a way that is like, yeah.
In his own sensibility, it's a little cuter, but it feels no less dangerous to me. Or like a Spike Jonze. I feel like the dangerous filmmakers are... I don't know. There's like, just, I think there's tremendous value in it. There's just something more exciting about it. I mean, especially in the day and age that we live in where, because there were, there was a time where you could differentiate between, okay, that's cinema.
And then over there on the little screen that's in your house, that's TV. And, you know, there were a few filmmakers who could traverse between the two, you know, but like, it was like. Kind of what I was saying before, where there there's a TV sensibility where it's like, OK, the showrunner is king and the script is God and the filmmaker is the manager. They come in, they get the master, they get the over over.
maybe they get a, you know, the fancy shot in here a little bit here and there or whatever, but it's rudimentary there. It's a means to an end where for us, I've always been challenged by those filmmakers to when I step on set, hopefully if I've done my homework and I've done my prep.
And I know what I want, even though there's a good chance that an actor is late or the weather sucks or what have you. So that really cool wonder that you were coming up with in your head or that very intricate techno crane shot that will likely take all day will probably get fucked. But then, you know, the thing that makes us. the who we are in terms of our creative metal is how do I...
still get that what I want and, you know, and still make the day and still be responsible. And then you have those filmmakers who will push the boundaries of what filmmaking as a storytelling trope is and how that experience will affect the audience. You know, there's so many times in Opus that, you know, even just obviously, you know, the use of, you know, leaning on Niall as, as the, not just the music supervisor, as a producer, but creating those songs, you made a choice.
And there's so many non-safe choices, like, you know, not to be too spoilery here, but like there's a moment in the movie where Juliette Lewis's hair gets ripped. And I'll never forget the feeling that there was a guy that was a dude sitting next to me. who was with his date and both he and his date went oh shit like they were visibly affected by that tear You know, and and leaving the audience in an uncomfortable place sometimes means that they're aware and they're watching and there's.
than being in a theater, especially when it's a festival screening where you know you have usually a very welcoming and inviting audience for the most part. And we've been in there, you know, I'm sure you've been, you know, both as the filmmaker itself, but also as, you know, someone who's just enjoying this or even as, as media, when you feel a room turn or sour or the worst.
just be complacent and they're just like yeah like like oh what are we going to do after what are we going to get for dinner after like nobody was thinking about dinner when we were watching opus yeah you know yeah i went and watched it with uh strangers last night oh where'd you go i went to the grove and it was uh Man, I don't know that there's a more rewarding feeling than a full theater of people that you don't know that you see jump and react.
There's one jump scare that gets this big reaction in Opus. The whole theater, this poor girl spills popcorn. and you're like yes i did it fuck yes i know i know and it's it's a i think that too is an addictive feeling i think uh you know we're artists but we're also exhibitors right like you you do dream about that feeling of what it's like when the thing you made is experienced in that full theater um
Yeah, it's a crazy profession that we have. To hear the rest of this episode, go to patreon.com slash themoviecrypt. For only $1 a month, you'll get every new episode every Monday downloaded right to your podcast app of choice.