Ep 144: Interview w/Duncan Birmingham, Writer/Director of “Who Invited Them”

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Hello, and welcome to Happy Horror
Time podcast. My name is Matt Emmert
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and I'm Tim Murdoch. Today's special
guests wowed us with his smart and original
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horror film that premiered on Shutter last
year, called Who Invited Them. Not
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only did this movie capture the feeling
of trying to look cool in front of
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house guests you want to impress,
but also played on the anxiety we all
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feel when people overstay. They're welcome. We can honestly say Who Invited Them
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is one film you will want to
let into your home. Please welcome to
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the podcast. The writer director of
Who Invited Them, Duncan Birmingham, Thank
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you very much, Thanks Matt.
Thanks Tim. Good intro, good intro.
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Thank you? You like that?
Yeah, we um you know,
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we obviously we're gonna spend the majority
of this time talking about this film,
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which we loved, but we always
take it back to the beginning and we
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read that you grew up in Boston
and started your career as an intern at
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Rolling Stone. Now, I mean
that sounds like a pretty awesome internship to
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land. So how did that come
about? On? What was that experience?
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Like? I was always a Rolling
Stone lover and I applied. I
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got very lucky somehow, I think
I had. I had also worked at
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tabloids in high school. I was, I was a office boy at the
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weekly World News in the National Enquirer, so I already had a little newsroom
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experience. Maybe that's why they picked
me. And it was super cool.
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It was my almost famous moment.
But I have to admit that at Rolling
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Stone I was a big dork and
I didn't I don't know if I really
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took advantage of the internship. I
think all the other interns were a little
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more savvy, pitching articles and stuff, and I was. I was a
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little like wide eyed and out of
it in New York City after going to
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school far far upstate, rural upstate
New York. So so it was good,
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but I also I also was a
little I was very naive. I
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was a little disillusioned by how how
corporate it was. I don't know what
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I was expecting. How old were
you at this time? I was twenty
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two. Oh my gosh, I
mean, I mean that's tough too.
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And then and I guess I'm getting
the order wrong because I had thought that
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you went from Rolling Stone to then
working as the Weekly World News and in
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the tabloid. But did you you
did that first? I did that first.
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I did that first, and I
kind of worked at Weekly World News
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a little bit over the years,
in and out, even when I wasn't
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at their office. I would take
pictures of friends in college and old roommates
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and stuff like that, send them
to the Weekly World News and they'd get
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forty dollars and then they would appear
in the Weekly World News as like a
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doctor or someone who had been abducted
by aliens, and they'd get an alias
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and all that stuff. So so
yeah, I had a kind of a
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long, a long relationship with the
Weekly World News. And that might have
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been the other thing at Rolling Stone. I you know, I was a
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small fish and a big pond and
Weekly Rolled News was just like a twenty
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person paper, and they let me, you know, write some articles.
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I will say, the very first
day at Rolling Stone, you don't as
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an intern. You don't have a
desk, You just kind of desktop.
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So I was transcribing something for this
reporter and Jon Winner walked through the office
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and I was like, oh,
Yon Winner, and Jean Winner looks at
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me, calls attention collaps his hands
for the whole office to look it over,
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and starts yelling at me about how
messy my desk is and how the
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whole office is a mess and a
ship hole and everybody's got to clean up
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their space. Meanwhile, this isn't
my desk. Luckily, everyone in the
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office knew I was just an intern, but I was like red faced.
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Oh my god. He didn't even
give me time to responding when to his
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office. So it was a big
It was a big an auspicious debut at
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Rolling Stone that first day. Oh
my god, that is that's mortifying.
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Well because another thing with the Weekly
World News, I mean, we saw
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that you were called a big foot
expert, and I'm just wondering, how
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does one become an bigfoot expert?
Like did you guys hang out regularly or
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like there was there was one summer
I was there and we were offering a
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million dollar reward for anyone to bring
in Bigfoot, but he had to be
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unharmed. And I think I was
the only one who had the time on
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weekends and in the mornings to do
radio shows, so they let me be
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the Bigfoot expert to go on you
know, morning zoos. And stuff and
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talk about Weekly World News is our
our our big Foot bounty. But that
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was the big one. We didn't
want people you know, riding around,
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uh taking pot shots at that bigfoot
with their shotguns. You had to bring
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him in unharmed. So was then
deemed the big Foot expert. But tabloids,
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I mean working, can you just
I mean, I don't want to
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spoil the entire tabloid industry with this, but are you able to You're just
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able to make up whatever you want? Like no holds barred. Well,
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it depends Weekly World News and National
Choir in the same office. So I
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started the Inquirer. Then I went
to Weekly World News National Choir. There's
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uh, you know there there is
a team of lawyers that comes through everything.
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Um, you know, a lot
of that is more the celebrity gossip.
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Weekly World News. There is a
disclaimer in there, uh that a
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lot of this is fictionalized. Alternative
fact, Yeah, alternative facts. So
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the Weekly World News is a weird
mix of completely made up stories and then
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weird associated press you know, findings
and kind of oddball stories that we would
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put in there too, to give
it a little very similitude. It's very
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hard to go through the weekly world
news and pick out which are the fake
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stories and which are the real.
I mean maybe it's not that hard,
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but yeah, that one. We
had a lot more license at that one
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than at the at the gossip rags
like the Inquirer. That is. So
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that sounds back to Jamie Lee Curtis. Did you ever see the movie Perfect
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where John Travolta was writing for Rolling
Stone? Oh? Yeah, okay,
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And so when you went in as
an interview like, I'm John Travolta,
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you know, I don't think I've
seen I haven't seen that movie, uh
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yet. I was thinking, like, I'm gonna be like Hunter S.
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Thompson. And then I'm getting like
yelled at because there are too many sticky
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notes on the desk that isn't even
mine. But I only actually only saw
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Perfect a few years ago. But
yeah, great great movie. Jamie Lee
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Curtis never always hot, but never
been hotter? Right, and that like
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that, I mean there's so many
anyway, that's a whole other podcast talking
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about the Perfect And of course we
have to ask about working on the show
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Queer as Folk. What did you
do as a writer's assistant and did you
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come up with the title of the
episode home is Where the Ass Is.
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I would love to claim that I
did not. I was not allowed near
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the titles at all. That was
a great job. I had just moved
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to La I got very lucky being
in the right place at the right time
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where I heard about that an interview
at Queer as Folk, and they took
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a real chance on me hiring me. There was a lot of drama season
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one. I mean there was a
lot of drama my first week. There
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was behind the scene. I can't
believe the writer's room. Is there a
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huge amount of gay people working on
the show or I mean, I guess
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I would say, but sorry,
Yeah, everyone in the writer's room except
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for me at that time was was
gay, Which is part of why they
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I think, part of why it
was so great. They took a chance
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on me. Um and I think
not to get two in the weeds on
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it. But at least my perception
of season one was the show runners were
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looking for something, you know,
super flashy, provocative, push some buttons,
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and the writers season one we're saying, hey, this is a big
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opportunity to uh you know, uh
portray gay life in a way that has
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been shown yet on TV. Let's
let's not you know, go crazy with
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this character sleeping with this guy who's
maybe in high school and and you know,
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so there were there and I understood
stood both points of view and it
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was really interesting. And then there
was one one writer who who left the
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show, and there was like a
fifth mark through the wall. There was
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a lot going on. I mean, all very fun and everyone was super
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nice, and I was kind of
like, you know, an outsider,
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but I was. I was just
taking the taking notes, trying to do
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as good a job as I possibly
could. And I loved it. Yeah,
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it was. It was so cool. I'm sure learned a lot about
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gay culture. Yeah I did.
Yeah, I learned a lot, a
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lot about everything. A lot of
I was I was, Yeah, I
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was a real I was very green. I'm just thinking, like witnessing that
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I can't even mask and witnessing what
went on behind the scenes back in two
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thousand and one, I was shocked
by that show. Well, Tim is
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from the Midwest, yea, And
I often say Tim is a Midwestern lifetime
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mother and I don't care, but
no, I think that's cool and a
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lot of boundaries it did. Yeah, well so so again, In your
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lead up to Who Invited Them,
we know that that was your feature film
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debut, but before you wrote and
directed that movie, we saw that you
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worked on a bunch of short films
and we were just wondering were any of
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them horror related, and which of
your various short films that you worked on
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are you most proud of. I'd
have to say I did a short.
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The very first short is always is
kind of my favorite short because we shot
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it in my bedroom, shot it
over one night. It was like a
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super low budget short, practically no
budget, and it got into Sundance and
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that was so exciting, and at
the time I thought, I was like,
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I've got the magic touch. I'm
just sticking to shoot something my bedroom
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goes to Sundance. That didn't happen
with the other shorts or anything else I've
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I've worked on, So maybe it
was a little bit of beginner's luck.
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So that's my favorite. The actors
in it were great, and that's how
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I met the producer who produced Who
Invited Them. We met at Sundance and
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talked about doing a movie for for
years. Only one of the shorts has
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a horror element, and that was
my last short. And it's called Exterminator
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about a guy who hires a very
oh an exterminator that pushes his buttons and
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she's actually more trouble for him than
the rat problem he's trying to uh solve.
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So there's a little bit of a
horror element in that. And then,
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um, yeah, but I really
liked working on it. I liked
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going to the horror festivals. At
that time, it was COVID, so
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most of them were over zoom.
But I was like, what a what
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a cool, cool world to dip
a toe into. I love that setup,
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like like the extermator being more of
a pest than that actually your exterminator.
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Yeah, sorry, wait what was
the name of your short that went
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to Sundance? Your first short,
that's that's called Excuse Me, Excuse Me
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with Angela Trembur and psy Carter and
they're all on all the shorts run Vimeo,
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and Excuse Me might be on YouTube
as well. Oh cool, because
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we were like, because we were
looking up like your IMDb resume and a
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lot of times shorts they're not obviously
as readily available and didn't know where we
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could watch him, but that's good
to know. And um, we also
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saw I had to ask you about
that just because of the title. We
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saw that you produced a short film
called Sperm, and I mean, we'd
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regret it, as the people we
are if we didn't ask about this one.
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Please tell us a little about the
plot of Sperm. Uh sure,
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I mean sperm. I have to
admit I was not that involved. And
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they shot it at my place,
so that was kind of the didoch and
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we shoot at your place. Some
talented actors that I know, really fun
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writer, a producer who did it
and uh yeah, I knew every everybody
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on the crew. So I think
Sperm has to do with a young man
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who is recruited by his uh queer
landlords to possibly be a donor because they
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want to two women, they want
to u have a baby. They need
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some sperm. And he's a little
bit he's he's I think he's initially intrigued,
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but then he realizes he's very low
on the list of people they've gone
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to. He's like the he's like
the tenth or twelve person they've gone to,
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and then he's a little insulted.
I would be insulted. I was
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waiting for I guess I'm always so
fixated on horror I was waiting for and
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then he murdered them, you know, so I don't think there's a horror
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element. I can't remember the exact
ending, and I feel like that's I'm
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not sure where that one is.
I think that's on Omelet. That there's
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a there's a short site called omelet
Nice Nice, okay, And we even
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saw that you've done a little bit
of acting. Do you prefer being in
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front of the camera or behind it? I prefer being behind it. I
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mean if someone was like you are
amazing, I you know, I have
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that that you know, Martin Scorsese
fantasy that he's like, he's like,
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you've got something. And I'm recruited
to just play a version of myself,
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which is really all I can play. Then sure I'm game, but but
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now I like look at myself on
camera, just like, oh my god,
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there's I want to There's so many
people that are good and yeah,
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basically, I think if someone drops
out, I'll be in a friend short.
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Um My dog is also an actor. He's got his own IMDb dB
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page. So we're we're available and
we're cheap. And I just like being
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on set. So if I'm not
shooting something and somebody needs a you know,
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a warm body to say something lines. I will, I will,
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I will do it. Wait,
what is your dog's name? His name
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is Snacks. I'll just I'll just
pick him up since he's right. Is
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it Snacks Birmingham? Does he share
your life? Can you see? Oh?
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Um? Where is oh on the
couch? Yes? Okay? What
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breed of dog is that? Just
for our listeners to hear. He's a
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listeners, He's a mutt. He
looks like a small ewalk. He's got
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some poodle in him. He's diabetic, he's half blind. He's got a
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lot going on right now. So
you rearrange the furniture that gave him character,
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that give him character? Right,
So you know. Another question we
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ask all of our guests is,
obviously because we're a horror podcast. Growing
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up, were you a fan of
horror films or if you weren't, were
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there any particular ones you saw that
made like an impact on you at a
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young age. Well, I was
a huge movie buff, but I probably
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I would say I came to horror
a little lake. I was a big
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movie buff, but I was also
a big scaredy cat, So I was
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not the kid who was like watching
every Friday the thirteenth. But at a
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certain point, if you're a movie
buff, you know, and you love
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movies, You're like, all right, well, now's the time. I've
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seen all the other Kubrick movies.
I gotta watch The Shining or I've seen
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all the way in Freekin movies.
Now I gotta watch the Exorcist. So
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I kind of went in, probably
went in with the more high end horror
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movies at first, and then you
know, gradually got got very into horror.
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But but those were kind of my
entryway movies more the more the kind
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of big, high end artsy films
that I felt like, well, I
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gotta watch these if I'm going to
call myself a sneet at at that age.
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And those are also the ones a
lot of them that made the big
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impressions. I mean, I watched
a little bit of the Exorcist. My
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parents came home, they were out
to dinner or something. I was terrified,
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and I admitted to them I watched
a little bit of the Exorcist.
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But but but that's all, you
know, all fake, right, And
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my dad, who was very religious, was like, no, it's all
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real. It's based on a true
story, and I was that was not
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what I wanted to hear. So
I went to bed. I did not
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sleep that night. So, yeah, The Shining the Exorcist not a horror
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movie percent really, but but uh, Deliverance that might be in my mind.
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This resaw it in the theater recently. We just watched it recently,
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and I would definitely call it a
horror movie. It is there's true terror
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that it is terrifying. It is
just terrifying. Yeah, thank so.
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Moving on to who Invited Them,
which Matt and I raved about an episode
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one. Yeah, so if you
are liking this interview, please listen to
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episode one fifteen where you're here are
unbiased review before we even knew the man.
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We love this? Um, where
did this idea come from? And
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have you thrown a party where strangers
crashed it? Yeah? The idea for
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the whole film? Like how did
that start? I mean, I've been
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the person who has the party and
wants I would say I used to be
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more of the person who was the
last to leave, and now I'm more
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the person who's either the first leave
or the person having the party, who's
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like, all right, we gotta
wind it up here it's it's twelve forty
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five. Boom, that's late.
I like my beauty's leet. I've been
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on both sides of the fence.
And and in terms of where the idea
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came from, it it seems like
it was kind of two ideas that I
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married, one being this, I
love home invasion movies, and obviously they're
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home invasion movies like The Strangers that
have a foot in Horror. And then
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they were kind of like the more
artsy ones like funny Games. And then
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I even like the home invasion movies
like um others is Dennis Larry movie The
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ref Yeah, that I love,
like, you know, yuppies in trouble
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um with a with an outside element
coming in. So there was this idea
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of having a party and having some
guests that you didn't recognize, and I
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thought that was a fun idea if
the husband doesn't know him and the wife
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doesn't know him, and it almost
seemed like it was like a way to
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get into a polite home invasion movie. Um. So, so that was
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that was one idea, and I
guess the other idea was was really um
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uh well, I guess that was
that was the seat of the idea.
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Then I, you know, I
worked on it for a while. I
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didn't want to write mostly comedy,
as as you guys might have seen from
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the IMDb page. I really wanted
to work on something that was a horror
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movie or had a foot in horror, because I had a lot of fun
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doing that short The Exterminator. So
I was like, what what can what
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can the story be behind these these
uninvited guests that makes them really threatening in
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a way that it isn't It isn't
just about the laughs of like our main
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couple trying to get them out of
the house, and and also how can
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we how can they realistically stick around
the house like enough to have a couple
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of drinks? Um? What what? What can be their backstory? No,
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that's great, and it's a very
original idea because obviously there's been home
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invasion thrillers like you know for decades
and decades. But it's a very original
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idea that really made us think about
because as anybody who has thrown a party
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or has had guests over, I
mean I I throw a big Halloween party
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every year, and I already know
that I'm not going to know everyone,
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but especially in costume, but but
just the idea of you always assume even
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me, like if someone at the
party I don't know, I assume,
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well, they have to know someone
that I knew, Like, you don't
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immediately think it's danger So I think
it's so creative that it's like people that
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are weaving their way into your home
that way, because no one's going to
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assume that people are going to use
that tactic to get in. You know,
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it just seems too in front of
everybody yet just out in. Yeah,
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use bathroom, that's a really good
one. Yeah. Or if someone's
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crashing a party, you assume they're
like super fun people, like, oh
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look at these party crashers. These
guys are wild and uninhibited. You don't
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assume they are dangerous. I know. It's almost like parties are like this
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uh this X fact or evening where
you open your house up, but somehow
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you don't think anything could go wrong. And I also think post COVID,
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I want to say this, the
whole thing was like a metaphor for COVID,
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but I only came up with this
later. There is something that seems
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more kind of dangerous and risky about
having a party in this Uh, I
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shouldn't say post COVID wherever we are
in COVID world or where that kind of
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socializing feels like it comes with some
baggage. But yeah, you know,
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it's it's funny. Most of the
reaction the movie has been been very good.
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But obviously I don't know if you've
heard, but on Twitter sometimes there
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are certain haters for things, and
uh, there's there's a certain type of
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person on Twitter who's talked about the
movie that I feel like it's a little
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bit of a self owe where they
say something like, yeah, this movie,
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the people have a party and then
they don't know some of the people
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at the party, like when has
that ever happened? And it's like,
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have you ever been to a party? Clearly you've never thrown a party.
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I mean, if you're having a
good sized party, you don't. If
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there's at least one or two people
you don't know there, it's not a
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party. Otherwise that's complete bullshitage.
I engaged with the Twitter trolls. Well,
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Twitter, I mean, people will
people want to find reasons to hate
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things. It's just it's unfortunate.
But I mean, you're right, anybody
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who's thrown a party or our sizable
party knows that there's always going to be
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people that you don't immediately recognize you
or that you assume are friends of friends,
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or that can easily say, oh, we know that person over there.
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And as the host, you know, you have so many things on
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your mind that you're like, oh, sure, you're not going to really
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think about it. Yeah, And
if they're sitting next to someone, they
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obviously came with that person. I
don't know, you never know, but
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you know, I also wanted to
ask how if you can take us through
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how the film made its way to
becoming a shutter exclusive. And also as
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the writer, did you always know
you wanted to direct it yourself or was
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there ever a time when you just
wanted to sell the script? I knew
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I wanted to direct it myself in
the going back the aughts, I've worked
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more as after as folk, work
more as screenwriters. Sold some scripts,
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but nothing Ever, even when I
sold something, nothing got you know,
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made. I was kind of like, didn't have any control. Got into
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TV. Love TV. The writer
when you're in TV is kind of more
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the producer, a little more in
charge, but never lost that desire to
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make movies and make shorts so I
was working on who invited them as a
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as a script. The idea was, um, what what what can I
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write that isn't going to have an
enormous budget? Um, you know,
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it'll be bigger than a one location, but not too much bigger. Have
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have a budget that's just small enough
that I'll be able to find someone who
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will trust me to uh you know
direct this and and pony up the dough.
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So that was the idea for me
to direct it. And we shopped
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it around and uh, uh you
know, Shutter was just really enthusiastic and
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seemed to really like it and uh
want to be work together. But but
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but be hands off. They didn't
really have any thoughts. Nothing's occurring to
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me in terms of like the you
know, directions the script should go.
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Um, I think maybe they liked
the idea of doing something that had a
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foot in comedy. Not that they
don't have a bunch of things that are
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comedic on the on the site.
But yeah, they got they got involved,
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and once uh you know, once
they were involved, we were kind
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of all systems. All systems go. No, that's awesome because Shutter,
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I mean, as horror enthusiasts like
that is to go to streaming service for
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horror. It's still even before they
had original content. You know, they
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had there's a million streaming services where
you can watch horror, but they always
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had the best horror. And now
with their originals and they and exclusives,
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they have new stuff almost every week. So it's just it's just like it's
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always giving more content, which is
amazing for people who love horror. You
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know, I have to ask about
this because this is I think what first
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got us chatting with you on social
media because we had a clip from our
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episode about this topic. So what
man, now we get to actually talk
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with you about it. Well,
so what made you decide not to include
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a question mark at the end of
the title? Who invited them? Because
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and I'm wondering if any parties involved
ever said, hey, do you want
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to put a question mark at that? Because we're unbiased, No thoughts on
351
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that, but just want to know
your thoughts on that, all right.
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I never thought a question mark.
To me, a question mark always feels
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like maybe it's a little more of
a comedy. You know, you don't
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have periods at the end of title, so I feel like you can get
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away with it and so I left
the question mark out. Maybe a couple
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of people mentioned something and then are
a brilliant editor at one point mentioned and
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found this article, and he was
like, you know, there's almost a
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little bit of a Hollywood some Hollywood
lore, a little bit of a curse
359
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around the question mark in terms of
the box office. And sure there are
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exceptions. Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf
I think has one What's Up? Doc?
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But I think the most famous case
is Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Which
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originally had the question mark. Then
before the movie was rolled out, they
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took the question mark off all the
pr materials and it does not have one
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because a question mark, I don't
know, just feels a little watery.
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So there's there's you know, there's
just a lot of Also, there's a
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lot of bad question mark movies,
like is that one called Who's the Man?
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Wait? Who's the Man? On? What did you say? Which
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one? Who's Your Caddie? Is? Yes? You think? I think
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Who's Harry Crumb? That didn't do
that? I saw that? Just what
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about Bob have a question mark?
I feel you like it does? That's
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so funny. It does too.
I feel like it does too. So
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every you know, exceptions to every
rule. No, I love it.
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I think it's funny. We were
talking about how when I read it without
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a question mark, I read it
like a statement, like it's more definitive,
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like who invited them versus who invited
them? I know, this is
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the dumbest time I'm listening to you. No, I like the definitive statement
377
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version who invited them? Who invited
them? No, it's not like I
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don't know who invite them anyway that
I just had to ask you about it
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because it's too funny, because I
know we connected with you on on Twitter
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all of our favorite social media people
over that. But um, you know
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another thing, obviously want to compliment
you on the very smart writing, because
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it truly is such a It's just
so well written. And one of the
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things other than the writing that makes
this movie so effective is the casting.
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I think the four main stars Ryan
Hansen, Melissa Tang, Timothy Granaderos,
385
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and Perry matt Felt they're not only
all brilliant in this film, but they're
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also I mean, I would say
those are pretty big names to get in
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your very first film, And I
was just wondering what was the casting process
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like and did you have any other
stars in mind for any of the roles
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when you first wrote the script.
We were super lucky, like you said,
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I was. I was super blessed
by the whatever the movie gods with
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those four I mean, the four
strongest legs to support this movie table.
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When I wrote the script, I
had actors in mind that maybe I already
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had relationships with. I talked to
some, we had a zoom read.
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You know that the dates for the
movie kept pushing UM. So these actors
395
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were all on my radar, but
they weren't people that I thought I could
396
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get it. I didn't write the
script with them in mind. So it
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was a real blessing to get them. And it was a combination of reaching
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out with my producer, bringing in
a casting director, UM and and and
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just kind of crossing our fingers when
we ended up going to them. And
400
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this came together very quickly. This
was a very you know, we talked
401
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about Shutter being involved, but this
was a super indie movie. This was
402
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a twelve day shoot. Uh,
no fancy trailer, this is this was
403
00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:25.920
like bare bones. So these actors
came in, we had a zoom read.
404
00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:29.519
I met them at our little costume
fitting, which was basically me and
405
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the producer throwing clothes at them,
and then it was like right into twelve
406
00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:40.079
Days of Night shoots. It's so
black. Yeah. And four I think
407
00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:44.839
very difficult, tricky roles. Uh
and they all forum just came in and
408
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:48.839
totally nailed it. And I think
a very distinct free, different types of
409
00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.759
performances, which is maybe one of
my favorite things about the movie that the
410
00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:56.839
performances all feel very different but also
of a piece. Um, So I
411
00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:00.359
feel like they all work with the
tone. So I I really got super
412
00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:07.119
lucky. And Adam and Margot are
so relatable. Um and every every situation
413
00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:08.359
that they're in. As a viewer, you're like, oh I can relate
414
00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:11.720
to that. Oh I would do
that. Like there was never a point
415
00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:14.319
where it felt like a movie.
I mean, yes, it's a movie,
416
00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:18.319
but like I they did things that
people throwing a party would do.
417
00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:22.480
It. Yeah, very believable,
Like even just the them wondering, you
418
00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:25.480
know, like everybody's had that feeling
of I don't want to look lame,
419
00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:29.039
so I'll let these people stay or
I'll stay longer at this party when you
420
00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:32.319
really don't want to. And it's
all because you're trying to impress other people,
421
00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:37.519
which is so funny. Which character
would you relate to most? Hopefully
422
00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:45.720
not obviously all all for me,
but yeah, there's no doubt. And
423
00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:48.720
I'll just say this as a story, like we've showed the movie to Overlook
424
00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:52.200
film Thust when New Orleans and someone
raised their hand and their question had to
425
00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.039
do with how douchey Adam was,
and I was like, well, yes,
426
00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:02.960
but also, certainly Adam is the
most closest to my personality. Bits
427
00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:06.960
of his dialogue are things I say
all the time I wake up every day.
428
00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.799
I want to be more of a
Tom minus his more sociopathic behavior.
429
00:28:11.079 --> 00:28:15.440
But yes, I'm I'm more squarely
in the Adam camp. So I feel
430
00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:18.759
like they're Adam and Margot are very
relatable, and I wanted to give them
431
00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:25.240
real problems, but problems that hopefully
don't feel that different than a couple that's
432
00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:30.440
been married, you know, eleven
twelve years might have. I talked about
433
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:33.559
this with Ryan and Melissa that at
the end of the day, you know,
434
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:37.319
Adam and Margot are going to stay
together. They do have a good
435
00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:42.079
relationship. Tom is spot on when
he says that they just have you know,
436
00:28:42.119 --> 00:28:45.920
big problems to overcome. I see, I'm a Sasha. I like
437
00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:48.000
to get people to do cocaine in
front of me. Oh I know,
438
00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:52.480
I know it could be blanned on
cocaine. You don't have to twist my
439
00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.480
arm. Have you ever been to
a party where they did have a hashtag
440
00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:02.920
like the one you used Adam hashtag
Adam and Margot's crib. Uh, it's
441
00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:07.880
it's I know. I've been to
uh like engagement parties and weddings where they
442
00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:10.759
have the hashtag and then yeah,
it's it was like a theme party.
443
00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:12.160
Uh yeah, I've been to a
Halloween party where it was like, this
444
00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:15.640
is the hashtag? So yes,
I like, it's so douchey. But
445
00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:22.240
at the same time, I actually
have I've been told to have the hashtag,
446
00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:25.680
like, especially at the Halloween parties. I have like because it has
447
00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:27.599
a name, and I'm like,
and I get that it's a good place
448
00:29:27.640 --> 00:29:32.039
so you can spot all the pictures. But I think if you're it's one
449
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:33.240
thing if it's a big event where
you're gonna want to see pictures, like
450
00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:37.720
Halloween or a birthday or an engagement, but when it's just their house warwing
451
00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:41.039
party, didn't I didn't think Adam
came across a douchey. I thought he
452
00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.920
came across as grounded and um real, you know what I mean, Like,
453
00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:47.000
I didn't think he was douche at
all, and I mean, in
454
00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:49.839
all in all, I was joking
about Sasha. Obviously I felt more like
455
00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:53.759
the Margo character of like cringing when
he was saying those things and just trying
456
00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:56.920
to get people like to be Yeah, but I mean there's but again,
457
00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:03.319
there's believable aspects of all all Adam's
littal douche is you know, comes comes
458
00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:07.079
from a place of vulnerability hopefully.
Yeah, that's what I Yeah, and
459
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:08.960
so I need to know let's let's
back up here. I want to know
460
00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:12.759
what the name of the Halloween party
is. Oh, it's called Halloween Havoc.
461
00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:18.640
And we just had the nineteenth year, so like it was Halloween Havoc
462
00:30:18.039 --> 00:30:22.519
X one x because do Roman numerals. But and I know now and now
463
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.799
I sound like the douche. No, But I mean, but I didn't
464
00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:29.519
like get up at the beginning and
say, hey, everyone hashtag Halloween havoc.
465
00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:32.839
But I did title it that,
So I guess that's a little douche.
466
00:30:32.920 --> 00:30:36.519
You know, so you know you
gotta find the pictures somehow. Well,
467
00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:37.400
now you're right, You're right,
I've got to. I mean,
468
00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:40.799
I'm just thinking about it now.
Cring. I've got a book club.
469
00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:45.240
I have a hashtag for that.
I've got I love hashtag the hell out
470
00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:47.680
of whatever. Yeah, I love
it. I love it. Um.
471
00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:51.000
So you know one thing that's really
yeah, one thing that's fun about the
472
00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:55.400
film, you know, watching Sasha
and Tom totally manipulate Adam and Margo and
473
00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:57.359
continue to kind of goad them into
arguing with each other. It's so much
474
00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:00.400
fun. And I'm just wondering,
as a right or is it tough as
475
00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:03.920
you're writing a script to continue kind
of raising the stakes in a film like
476
00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:07.480
this as you're also trying to keep
the audience guessing. Because another thing that
477
00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:11.799
I loved about this is that I
knew obviously there was something off about Tom
478
00:31:11.799 --> 00:31:15.400
and Sasha, but I wasn't.
I didn't quite guess the entire plot until
479
00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:18.880
the end when it's kind of revealed
and stuff. So I'm just wondering,
480
00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:22.559
as a writer, how do you
continue raising the stakes and keeping people guessing
481
00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:25.599
that kind of thing? Um,
it was a little tricky. I would
482
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:30.240
say the raising the stakes was the
less tricky of the two in terms of
483
00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:34.160
once I kind of got going on
the script, Tom and and Sasha's characters
484
00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:38.359
felt like they had these interesting voices, and I kind of at least I
485
00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:44.680
feel like I cracked the code of
why of why Adam and Margot would keep
486
00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:48.799
them around so long is because they're
impressed by them and Adam not only it's
487
00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:52.359
not only do they like them,
but also there's there's a job opportunity there,
488
00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:56.119
there's a there's a there's social opportunities
there, there's kind of like this
489
00:31:56.240 --> 00:32:00.799
ladder run climbing thing going on.
But at the same time they're they're super
490
00:32:00.839 --> 00:32:04.599
super charming, which was another reason
I got so lucky with these actors,
491
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:07.880
because they are super super charming.
UMU. The the harder part, yes,
492
00:32:08.039 --> 00:32:12.680
was certainly this idea of like,
since it's not a you know,
493
00:32:12.759 --> 00:32:15.440
it's not a comedy, and uh, there is horror, but you know
494
00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:19.160
a lot of the horror it comes
kind of later in the movie, So
495
00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:25.039
how do you keep the tension high? Um I you know wanted to reveal
496
00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:29.240
I wanted, uh, I think
in a most home invasion movies in that
497
00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:31.519
genre, which we are playing with
uh, you know, you know more
498
00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:36.640
than the couple that is being invaded, like you you know that these people
499
00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:39.519
coming into the house are bad news. So I wanted to I wanted us
500
00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:44.240
to be the audience to be ahead
of Adam and Margot, but not to
501
00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:46.799
ahead. And then I wanted but
I also didn't want to drop, So
502
00:32:47.079 --> 00:32:50.799
I didn't want to save all the
reveals to the end and have a kind
503
00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:52.279
of feel like a sheet, you
know, like, oh, you know,
504
00:32:52.359 --> 00:32:55.599
you can kind of come up with
anything at the at the end if
505
00:32:55.640 --> 00:33:00.319
you I wanted to feel organic,
so that I would say the downside of
506
00:33:00.359 --> 00:33:06.400
that is some pipe people might the
ideal audience member in my mind would be
507
00:33:06.519 --> 00:33:08.839
a little ahead of Adam and Margot
would kind of have some theories about who
508
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:13.319
Tom and Sasha are or are they
this, But then they might kind of
509
00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:16.799
throw those theories away because we're we're
we're kind of trying to convince you that
510
00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:21.000
maybe what you were thinking isn't what
you were thinking, and then by the
511
00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:23.119
end, which you were thinking might
be a little closer the truth than they're
512
00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:27.680
not. So to try to try
to give give, give it out in
513
00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:31.240
bits and pieces. How much change
from script to screen. Is there any
514
00:33:31.319 --> 00:33:36.519
characters you have to cut out or
even major plot points that change from the
515
00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:38.839
script when you found since again,
since there was such a you know,
516
00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:43.400
a low budget movie, and as
you know from the running time, it's
517
00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:49.359
like a tight whatever it is tight
eighty three minutes, didn't really have any
518
00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:52.240
any didn't really have that much of
an option to leave things on the on
519
00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:55.279
the cutting room floor, you know. The script was a type eighty three
520
00:33:55.400 --> 00:34:01.440
pages. I would say the only
thing that was really cut two things,
521
00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:06.880
uh, was there was a moment
with the characters Teeney and Frank, who
522
00:34:06.880 --> 00:34:10.239
were they're kind of more homey,
uh, you know, down to earth
523
00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:15.280
neighbors from down the hill that they've
left behind, and as they're kind of
524
00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:20.239
deciding who's going to drive back up
into the hill and and and get the
525
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:23.400
the stuffed animal, which is is
we know or we are suspecting it's like
526
00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:28.000
someone who's gonna be walking in the
danger they were gonna have like a coin
527
00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:30.559
flip, and it was all about
like the fate of like is it going
528
00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:34.880
to be the douchey husband who knows
about guns and you might want to see
529
00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:36.960
him get killed, or is it
gonna be his, his, his,
530
00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:39.800
his sweetest pie wife. Who's the
last person you want an emergency. So
531
00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:45.440
I like that coin flip. It
didn't quite come out. We were I
532
00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:47.400
didn't as a director, I should
have practiced this coin flip more. It
533
00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:52.360
just didn't quite play the way I
covered it. So we cut that out
534
00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:55.960
and that was basically it. I
will say. The one other thing we
535
00:34:55.960 --> 00:35:01.159
did a little tweak where there's a
flashback pop towards the end of the movie
536
00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:06.239
where Tom and Sasha are talking about
the plan they put into effect, and
537
00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:09.800
we see a little little bits without
seeing their faces, of them creeping around
538
00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:14.719
the house. That little just that
little bit was in the beginning of the
539
00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:19.840
movie. He decided, you know
what, let's make it a little more
540
00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:22.679
fun, so we don't we don't
completely know Tom and Sasher were creeps for
541
00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:27.599
the first half hour of the movie. Let's see around the house. Yeah,
542
00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:30.320
no, no, I like that. I mean it's interesting. Um
543
00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:32.599
I am obviously since you are the
writer of this film, there are three
544
00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:37.079
little things that we wanted to ask
you about and clear up regarding the plot.
545
00:35:37.239 --> 00:35:40.159
Um. And the first is Adam
and Margot's son Dylan, and those
546
00:35:40.199 --> 00:35:44.679
troubling dreams he has about his parents
being killed. In fact, the film
547
00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:46.840
you Know opens with one of his
dreams. I was just wanted to know
548
00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:50.880
what was your thinking behind this plot
point, Like, was it just meant
549
00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:54.119
to give the film an ominous feel
or was there more meaning behind those dreams?
550
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:59.960
I well, I certainly liked opening
the film with an ominous feel.
551
00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:02.760
I also feel like the ending feels
little dream like too, So I like
552
00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:07.280
this idea of like the bookends um
uh, both being dream like. And
553
00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:13.400
it also felt like they moved to
a new house, a new neighborhood and
554
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:17.039
a new house, and the parents
aren't quite getting along. It felt fairly
555
00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:22.199
organic that it makes sense to me
that Dylan the Sun might be having these
556
00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:27.960
these bad, bizarre dreams. Uh. And I felt like using that as
557
00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:30.480
something that almost felt like, uh, it made sense that he'd be having
558
00:36:30.519 --> 00:36:37.119
them. But since children are so
um you know intuitive, uh that if
559
00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:40.119
we had the dream in the movie, it might kind of raise your eyebrows
560
00:36:40.119 --> 00:36:43.679
a little bit like, oh,
is is this is this something? Are
561
00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:47.079
we moving in this direction in the
movie, So it hopefully works on that
562
00:36:47.159 --> 00:36:51.559
level, like, oh this as
a little creepy as this the direction we're
563
00:36:51.599 --> 00:36:54.360
moving in in the movie. Is
Dylan picking up on something uh going to
564
00:36:54.400 --> 00:37:00.360
go on with Tom and Sasha or
is it just the more organic explanation of
565
00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:04.840
Dylan's in a new house and he's
having nightmares and and that's kind of what
566
00:37:04.920 --> 00:37:07.599
new kids do when they are in
a new neighborhood. And we kind of
567
00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:12.840
did that and a lot of the
movie, I think having two answers to
568
00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:17.920
different choices. Yeah, explanation and
then something that might be a little more
569
00:37:19.320 --> 00:37:22.440
fantastical. So hopefully that well,
no, no, no, that makes
570
00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:27.559
sense. That makes sense. And
the second one we wanted to ask about
571
00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:30.320
was and you had mentioned is the
character of Teeny, And you know,
572
00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:32.840
she's the friend and her subplot and
getting lost on the way back to Adam
573
00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:37.599
and Margot's house and the whole thing
with not being able to shoot that coyote
574
00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:40.800
that her husband hits and when she
finally makes it back to their house toward
575
00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:45.119
the end, I think we assume
she'd be the one to like save the
576
00:37:45.239 --> 00:37:47.480
day or something, come in and
like foil the plot, and she actually
577
00:37:47.599 --> 00:37:51.519
doesn't at all. And I was
just wondering, in your mind, was
578
00:37:51.559 --> 00:37:54.599
everything involving Teeny was a kind of
meant to give viewers more of like a
579
00:37:54.679 --> 00:37:58.719
break from the four main characters,
or was it just a show that she
580
00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:01.639
was had the personality like too hesitant
to be someone who could save the day.
581
00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:06.039
Just wanted to know your thoughts on
that. Yeah, I love those
582
00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:12.639
B plots and movies like this,
everything from something like Get Out to Misery
583
00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:17.480
to The Shining where there is this
character who's who might have some information and
584
00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:22.440
they're running to beat the clock to
save the protagonists or give the protagonist the
585
00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:28.679
information before they get in too deep. So the idea was, I thought
586
00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:32.360
it'd be fun to have the person
who you would at least want to h
587
00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:37.880
walk into a dangerous situation walk into
this dangerous situation. So that was the
588
00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:40.639
idea with Teeny, But then I
also wanted to give her for me,
589
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:45.920
Like the the ultimate subversion of that
B plot is The Shining where you're watching
590
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:47.239
scat Man Cruthers, like the whole
movie, like, oh God, get
591
00:38:47.280 --> 00:38:50.159
him up there, get him up, there's gonna get there in time,
592
00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:52.440
and the moment he gets there,
he's just killed. Yes, we talk
593
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:59.079
about all the time, like he
travels so long to get there in the
594
00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:04.280
stomach that makes so for teeny,
I wanted to I wanted to give her
595
00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:07.239
a little bit of a plot,
so it wasn't just that she goes up
596
00:39:07.239 --> 00:39:12.000
there and we subvert what the usual
expectation is. So the idea of her
597
00:39:12.159 --> 00:39:16.760
kind of not being able to use
a firearm with the suffering animal hopefully gives
598
00:39:16.760 --> 00:39:20.320
you this feeling of like, oh
my god, this this is this person
599
00:39:20.360 --> 00:39:24.000
should just turn around right now,
You're useless. And so on one hand,
600
00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:28.639
she is completely ineffective and just makes
things worse. But on the other
601
00:39:28.760 --> 00:39:31.239
end, you could argue that she
has a little bit of a of a
602
00:39:31.239 --> 00:39:37.880
win um by by being able to
do something aggressive when she she does get
603
00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:45.320
up there into the hills. Yeah, yes, she she only nips his
604
00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:50.719
face, right, Yeah, yeah, yeah no. I mean it's just
605
00:39:50.760 --> 00:39:54.079
so sad because it makes a lot
of sense though now with the Shining Res,
606
00:39:54.119 --> 00:40:00.199
I totally get that more of like
this person you're following and you want
607
00:40:00.239 --> 00:40:02.119
to get there to like help,
and then they just absolutely don't, and
608
00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:07.480
you're like crushed because but at least
she survives. And again our podcast,
609
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:09.719
people who listen, we know we
were spoiler. I think we spoiled the
610
00:40:09.719 --> 00:40:15.079
movie when we were probably everyone's seen
we will. Definitely my biggest worry with
611
00:40:15.159 --> 00:40:19.119
that, and I think it is
just because some people were confused, is
612
00:40:19.119 --> 00:40:21.880
that I was like, Oh,
does it make sense for someone that doesn't
613
00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:24.360
live in la this idea of how
long it can take you? Yes,
614
00:40:24.440 --> 00:40:29.199
and how easy it is to because
I've done that, I've lost phone reception
615
00:40:29.239 --> 00:40:31.079
in the hills and been lost up
there trying to find a party. It's
616
00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:37.679
so easy for it to happen constantly. And thirdly, uh, did Tom
617
00:40:37.719 --> 00:40:42.639
and Sasha kill the hamster or did
the camster just fall into that drink?
618
00:40:45.239 --> 00:40:47.880
Another one of those things that could
work on two levels. I think they
619
00:40:47.960 --> 00:40:53.679
definitely, they definitely put the hamster
in the drink. I think it's a
620
00:40:53.719 --> 00:40:58.639
little up in the air whether they
took it out of the cage, killed
621
00:40:58.639 --> 00:41:00.719
it and put it in the drink, or if they hamster, because it's
622
00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:04.079
always escaping from the cage, was
running down the hallway and Tom, you
623
00:41:04.119 --> 00:41:06.800
know, picked it up with a
handkerchief and put it in the drink.
624
00:41:07.400 --> 00:41:14.920
But they it was definitely placed in
the drink by that horrible people. You
625
00:41:14.960 --> 00:41:17.519
know, all the killing of the
people I can understand, but when when
626
00:41:17.599 --> 00:41:22.320
you tuck the Hamster. You've gone
too far. It's gone too far.
627
00:41:22.400 --> 00:41:23.360
I mean, I guess I could
have said. Another option would have been
628
00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:25.960
in the Hamster escape from the cage, had a heart attack, and Tom
629
00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:30.239
picked it up. If that's gonna
make the movie more palatable for someone,
630
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:34.519
let's go with that option. But
I'm sure people will be okay with that.
631
00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:37.280
You know another thing, Tom and
Sasha I love this in the film
632
00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:43.119
because they love continuing to bring up
the idea of like swinging and threesomes with
633
00:41:43.239 --> 00:41:45.159
Adam and Margot. And I was
just wondering, and this is not just
634
00:41:45.239 --> 00:41:51.159
because I'm perverted, but were you
ever considering including some type of like awkward
635
00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:52.880
sex scene between the four of them
and the film or was all the talk
636
00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:57.800
just a way of totally just like
testing Adam and Margot's faithfulness. Didn't feel
637
00:41:57.840 --> 00:42:01.679
uncomfortable? Yeah? Yeah, for
me, it was Tom and Sasha kind
638
00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:07.840
of giving them the old marriage strength
test um and and and pushing their buttons
639
00:42:07.840 --> 00:42:12.599
in that way they do through the
film where they're seeing like how how much
640
00:42:12.639 --> 00:42:15.400
can we fuck with this couple?
And uh, is this is this a
641
00:42:15.400 --> 00:42:19.159
good couple? Um? If I
could have pushed it some had an idea
642
00:42:19.199 --> 00:42:22.039
of how to push it even further
that would have made sense. Um.
643
00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:24.599
Sure, I would have loved to
come up with an idea that had them
644
00:42:24.639 --> 00:42:28.719
all in bed together, but it
didn't seem. Didn't seem I couldn't come
645
00:42:28.800 --> 00:42:34.119
up with something that legitimately would have. Well, it's it's unfortunate because we're
646
00:42:34.159 --> 00:42:38.960
big fans of Timothy Granadero. The
other one too. Oh um? Oh?
647
00:42:39.039 --> 00:42:42.360
Ryan, yeah? Yeah? Did
you ever see him in Burning Love?
648
00:42:42.760 --> 00:42:45.760
Off the topic of everything? Okay? Ryan Hanson was also in the
649
00:42:45.760 --> 00:42:49.559
Friday the thirteenth three mate, that's
true. And he was in Bad Stand
650
00:42:49.679 --> 00:42:53.119
too, and he was in um
Veronicamars yeah okay. And uh and not
651
00:42:53.239 --> 00:42:59.559
only Party Down Original but the Party
Down Rebooth that's coming up. Oh wow.
652
00:42:59.800 --> 00:43:02.400
I yeah, I mean we were
just I think now it definitely didn't
653
00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:05.719
need the sex scene. But it's
like, because they were so focused on
654
00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:07.239
it, I was like, I
wonder how awkward would have gone if they
655
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:12.320
actually tried to initiate. I think
it was all talk. Yeah. I
656
00:43:12.360 --> 00:43:17.400
think if Adam and uh Margot had
um you know, called their I guess,
657
00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:20.199
you know, way you could call
it a bluff, called their bluff
658
00:43:20.239 --> 00:43:22.679
on the sex stuff. They would
be dead before you know. Yeah,
659
00:43:22.719 --> 00:43:25.719
I was just gonna say that that
would be a cantalope, not a rout
660
00:43:25.760 --> 00:43:29.519
of Bega. Yes, and um, this movie, I'm assuming it was
661
00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:34.960
filmed during the pandemic. What was
the hardest obstacle? Just the anxiety of
662
00:43:35.159 --> 00:43:38.000
is someone going to get COVID and
and then what's going to happen because we
663
00:43:38.239 --> 00:43:43.440
don't have the money to hold off
on shoots or have other shoot days,
664
00:43:43.440 --> 00:43:45.599
So it was it was really tense. I'm also you know, just the
665
00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:51.239
fact that everyone's got their masks on. It's a little hard to um uh
666
00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:53.239
you know, obviously the actors don't. And when I'm talking to the actors,
667
00:43:53.320 --> 00:43:57.079
I get to take my mask stop
and be a little far away.
668
00:43:57.320 --> 00:44:00.920
But but still, you know,
it's it's hard with crew that you've just
669
00:44:00.039 --> 00:44:04.639
met and you want everyone everyone was
working really hard and as exhausted, but
670
00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:07.679
if you want everyone to feel a
little camaraderie, uh, you know,
671
00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:13.719
and you're but you're still passing them, and it's hard. It's hard to
672
00:44:13.760 --> 00:44:16.599
kind of you know, get everyone
like excited about the movie when you're masking
673
00:44:16.760 --> 00:44:22.880
everyone. No, ill, I
can't even imagine. So that that definitely,
674
00:44:23.039 --> 00:44:25.679
uh, that definitely was a was
a hurdle. We had a great
675
00:44:27.079 --> 00:44:30.920
covid um you know, uh safety
person who checked us in every day,
676
00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:36.360
but it was it was definitely another
hurdle obviously another expense um to the movie.
677
00:44:36.920 --> 00:44:39.000
Uh yeah, I mean when we
had our premiere here in La I
678
00:44:39.119 --> 00:44:42.079
joke that, like I was like, Wow, I'm seeing the crew,
679
00:44:42.119 --> 00:44:45.960
I'm seeing mustaches, I'm seeing chins, I'm seeing dimples. I don't even
680
00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:50.280
recognize half of the people here because
people are cut, some people are not.
681
00:44:50.920 --> 00:44:54.559
Yeah, a lot of times people
are probably even better looking than you're
682
00:44:54.559 --> 00:44:59.039
imagining. But you're just not imagining
that nose. So it just kind of
683
00:44:59.079 --> 00:45:01.400
throat, like I thought you had
to hurry into my life. No,
684
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:07.800
you're no, I've got thanks.
Um. Now, you know you mentioned
685
00:45:07.800 --> 00:45:10.280
how Shutter you thought Shutter may have
shown some more interest in this because it
686
00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:14.840
had a nice kind of balance of
comedic and horror elements. Were wondering,
687
00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:16.880
was, um, you know you'd
the movie's pretty light on gore until the
688
00:45:16.960 --> 00:45:21.679
very end when the neighbors are killed. Did Shutter or anyone involved ever step
689
00:45:21.719 --> 00:45:25.679
in and like ask for more gore
or more kills in your film. Uh,
690
00:45:25.719 --> 00:45:30.440
they didn't ask they they I think
they did encourage us to kind of
691
00:45:30.519 --> 00:45:36.159
lean into the kills that we had, um and and you know, just
692
00:45:36.519 --> 00:45:39.760
make make sure right into any rewrites
to make their less kills. Um.
693
00:45:39.920 --> 00:45:44.280
I know they did. They did
like this idea of starting with the nightmare,
694
00:45:44.679 --> 00:45:49.079
um uh with Dylan's nightmares. So
so yeah, kept that in and
695
00:45:49.599 --> 00:45:52.159
also the night starting with the nightmare, it just it just gave us a
696
00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:57.000
chance to uh kind of do something
a little different that we don't get to
697
00:45:57.039 --> 00:45:59.800
do in the movie in terms of
the way it's lit, and we don't
698
00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:02.119
get to spend a lot of time
with like other characters besides the initial six.
699
00:46:04.199 --> 00:46:07.320
So yeah, they didn't ask for
any more any more dead bodies,
700
00:46:07.400 --> 00:46:10.440
which was nice because it's you know, it's it's hard to come up with
701
00:46:12.239 --> 00:46:15.159
dead and also it works I think
as it is. I mean, you
702
00:46:15.320 --> 00:46:17.800
again, you don't have to have
kills and gores to be scary. And
703
00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:21.400
one thing that Tim and I notice, and I think we talked about this
704
00:46:21.480 --> 00:46:24.159
in our review of the film,
is that you can, because of the
705
00:46:24.599 --> 00:46:29.920
writing and the performances, the anxiety
level as a viewer. It just keeps
706
00:46:30.039 --> 00:46:32.360
raising and raising because you're like,
are they ever gonna leave? Are they
707
00:46:32.360 --> 00:46:35.719
gonna find a way out? So
it's like and I think that is what
708
00:46:35.800 --> 00:46:38.840
makes a really effective suspense thriller or
horror movie. That you can get the
709
00:46:38.920 --> 00:46:44.000
viewer to feel the anxiety that you
know the protagonists are feeling or something,
710
00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:46.800
and you don't need to just be
chopping people up to get that anxiety.
711
00:46:46.840 --> 00:46:52.920
I like both. I like I
do love movies that are supertense. I
712
00:46:53.000 --> 00:46:59.039
just rewatched After Hours two nights ago, one of my favorites. Things like
713
00:46:59.079 --> 00:47:05.480
that. Uncut Gems movies I've already
cited that are more funny games, but
714
00:47:05.519 --> 00:47:07.760
it doesn't matter if they're a horror, dark comedy or was this this kind
715
00:47:07.760 --> 00:47:12.960
of subgenre of just like anxiety inducing
movies. I'm I'm all in, I'm
716
00:47:13.000 --> 00:47:15.159
a cut Gems is a hard movie
to sit through about. You may also
717
00:47:15.239 --> 00:47:17.480
want to watch if you, especially
if I have a fear of heights.
718
00:47:17.480 --> 00:47:22.880
A movie called Fall. It was
just like an independent well it was well,
719
00:47:22.920 --> 00:47:25.000
I mean, it's just about two
girls climbing a tower, but the
720
00:47:25.039 --> 00:47:29.320
way they film it and everything,
you feel like you are up there on
721
00:47:29.400 --> 00:47:31.639
that tower with them and you never
can run. My palms are sweaty for
722
00:47:31.679 --> 00:47:36.840
like twenty minutes. It's just a
very underrated movie that we saw and reviewed
723
00:47:36.840 --> 00:47:39.800
in one of our episodes, and
it played very limited running theater maybe like
724
00:47:39.800 --> 00:47:44.360
a week. It did that well. But like it just talk about a
725
00:47:44.400 --> 00:47:47.280
movie that makes you uncomfortable the entire
way. So if you like feeling uncomfortable,
726
00:47:47.679 --> 00:47:52.599
yeah, well and um, I
obviously the movie has like a love
727
00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:55.320
for records, and I really love
this song what about Us by the Handsome
728
00:47:55.320 --> 00:48:00.280
Furs, So obviously write what you
know. So like our records a big
729
00:48:00.320 --> 00:48:05.079
part of your life. Records are
I would say, not as big as
730
00:48:05.159 --> 00:48:07.000
Adam. I wanted to give Adam
like this. You know, I have
731
00:48:07.079 --> 00:48:12.000
some records, I have a record
player. Um, I don't have like
732
00:48:12.039 --> 00:48:15.239
an amazing collection. But I love
the idea of him having a collection that
733
00:48:15.239 --> 00:48:20.119
he didn't want other people's fingers on. Um. So we got really lucky.
734
00:48:20.559 --> 00:48:23.199
If you know DJ Dan Willcox,
I think Sunday Nights on Casey r
735
00:48:23.360 --> 00:48:28.360
W as an old friend, so
he was our music supervisor and really came
736
00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:31.920
in and saved our bacon in terms
of we didn't know didn't know what songs
737
00:48:31.920 --> 00:48:36.039
we were going to have for the
movie. You know, I'd written in
738
00:48:36.119 --> 00:48:40.639
that stuff about the DJ Shadow Radiohead
remix, and we knew we wanted,
739
00:48:40.840 --> 00:48:45.800
you know, music that could be
on vinyl, maybe not the most current
740
00:48:45.880 --> 00:48:49.079
music, because we wanted to kind
of like arken back to like Margo and
741
00:48:49.159 --> 00:48:52.440
Adam's Heyday, which was seven eight
nine years ago, and and and and
742
00:48:52.480 --> 00:48:57.440
so we wanted something that felt like
current but not two current. And uh
743
00:48:57.519 --> 00:49:00.400
yeah, Dan came in and did
a great job helping them find those five
744
00:49:00.440 --> 00:49:04.480
songs. That's so cool. And
then, um, you know what I
745
00:49:04.760 --> 00:49:07.119
mentioned a quickly, But where,
how, where or how did you come
746
00:49:07.199 --> 00:49:12.320
up with the use of the whole
cantelope versus rutebega language come from? For
747
00:49:12.360 --> 00:49:15.400
listeners who haven't seen this film,
you know, Sasha and Tom they use
748
00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:20.960
the word cantlope to each other if
they decide that they should kill a couple
749
00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:23.519
the couple doesn't deserve to live,
and ruta bega if they're gonna let them
750
00:49:23.559 --> 00:49:28.039
live. Is there anything that sparked
that or did you just randomly come up
751
00:49:28.079 --> 00:49:30.840
with that? You know, it
was very random. I had it in
752
00:49:30.880 --> 00:49:32.519
this I think I wrote it in
the script and then figured I would I
753
00:49:32.519 --> 00:49:37.360
would change it to something else later
and never did. And it felt like
754
00:49:37.360 --> 00:49:43.239
that kind of first instinct in this
case felt like the best instinct. Um.
755
00:49:43.320 --> 00:49:46.760
I love the idea of like cantlope
and rutebega being words that you really
756
00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:52.679
can't crowbar into a sentence without seeming
odds. So it's not like Tom would
757
00:49:52.679 --> 00:49:54.960
ever say cantlope and they would accidentally
murder someone, You know what I mean?
758
00:49:54.960 --> 00:49:59.039
They are they are very specific words. Maybe there was a little bit.
759
00:49:59.119 --> 00:50:04.000
Actually I was talking with someone about
the old seinfeld episode. I think,
760
00:50:04.159 --> 00:50:07.639
uh, George has like a safe
word twinkle toes when he wants to
761
00:50:07.679 --> 00:50:10.480
like get out of somewhere, and
the and that always made me laugh.
762
00:50:10.519 --> 00:50:15.719
So there might have been a little
seinfeld In influenced there. Love it,
763
00:50:15.760 --> 00:50:17.800
love it. And And as a
director and the writer of the film,
764
00:50:17.920 --> 00:50:22.280
was there a do you have a
favorite scene in the film, whether it
765
00:50:22.320 --> 00:50:24.960
was your favorite scene to actually film
or your favorite now to watch in the
766
00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:30.320
finished product. Um, you know, the whole it's it's it's tough,
767
00:50:30.400 --> 00:50:34.800
it's chopped up, so it's not
really a scene per se. I would
768
00:50:34.840 --> 00:50:37.880
say two things. I love the
whole sequence, especially because it was one
769
00:50:37.920 --> 00:50:40.480
of the first things I came up
with, and like writing the movie of
770
00:50:40.519 --> 00:50:45.599
Adam and Marco when they are finally
uh like we have to go to bed
771
00:50:45.719 --> 00:50:49.840
and they walk in and Tom and
Sausher are sitting on the floor and it's
772
00:50:49.840 --> 00:50:52.719
like, how do we get how
do we get these people to leave?
773
00:50:52.760 --> 00:50:55.159
And what is the line that gets
crossed? You know, is it Adam
774
00:50:55.159 --> 00:50:59.760
gonna like jerk jerk Tom up by
the by the arm? Like it's like,
775
00:50:59.760 --> 00:51:01.880
how do you get people to leave
when everything's very polite? And what
776
00:51:01.960 --> 00:51:06.199
that line is and uh, and
how to push it and make it as
777
00:51:06.239 --> 00:51:10.159
tense as possible but it doesn't feel
um, unrealistic. And then and then
778
00:51:10.199 --> 00:51:14.199
it's like the real world when they
say that line, um, be polite
779
00:51:14.239 --> 00:51:16.880
until it's time not to be polite. That scene stands out for me too
780
00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:21.239
because I remember as a viewer thinking
like, oh my god, get like
781
00:51:21.320 --> 00:51:23.159
you know they're coming without Yeah,
they're like, um, uh you know,
782
00:51:23.239 --> 00:51:25.199
oh why don't we order pizza?
Hey? Are you guys good with
783
00:51:25.239 --> 00:51:30.280
like let's play a board game?
They keep or they are just I mean,
784
00:51:30.320 --> 00:51:32.000
obviously they know what they're doing,
but they are not getting the hint
785
00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:37.119
and The funny thing is is that
anybody who's had people over knows what it's
786
00:51:37.159 --> 00:51:39.360
like when people overstay their welcome.
I mean, obviously it's not as extreme
787
00:51:39.400 --> 00:51:44.039
as this where they have ulterior motives, but like, and you don't want
788
00:51:44.039 --> 00:51:47.320
to have to say you need to
go, but some at some point you
789
00:51:47.360 --> 00:51:51.159
have to say that because they're just
not they get they don't want to be
790
00:51:51.280 --> 00:51:53.400
lame. Um. So, Matt
and I usually see eye to eye like
791
00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:57.559
on pretty much everything, but the
one thing that we did not see eye
792
00:51:57.559 --> 00:52:01.400
to eye on is like, I
really think Sasha uh Perry Mattfeld looks like
793
00:52:01.480 --> 00:52:05.159
Jennifer Aniston, Like, I cannot
be the only one that thinks that.
794
00:52:05.760 --> 00:52:08.000
Well, You're definitely not the only
one. I would. That did not
795
00:52:08.079 --> 00:52:12.920
occur to me. I don't,
I don't I I yeah, I wouldn't
796
00:52:12.920 --> 00:52:15.559
think so. But I have seen
that on the internet people say that,
797
00:52:15.639 --> 00:52:20.159
So I'm not alone. Wait,
I think it might be more specifically in
798
00:52:20.159 --> 00:52:24.320
this movie. Uh yeah, in
this movie for sure. I didn't see
799
00:52:24.360 --> 00:52:28.880
it. I saw it, that's
all. I'm sorry. We and we
800
00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:30.639
you have you were saying there were
two sequences that were your favorites. That
801
00:52:30.679 --> 00:52:35.400
was the first. What was the
second. Oh, I really liked the
802
00:52:35.880 --> 00:52:39.000
sequence, the slapping game sequence,
And I think I like that one because
803
00:52:39.440 --> 00:52:43.559
obviously I wrote it and I liked
it. But I'm away was worried that
804
00:52:43.679 --> 00:52:45.760
day. I was like, We've
been shooting a lot in that living room.
805
00:52:45.800 --> 00:52:47.280
I was like, is this sequence
gonna play? It's such a long,
806
00:52:47.360 --> 00:52:51.639
long, long scene. Is this
gonna Is this gonna work? And
807
00:52:51.960 --> 00:52:54.239
the way I was shot and the
way the actors played it and sold it
808
00:52:54.480 --> 00:52:58.840
um just made it so fresh that
I feel like it's almost like a little
809
00:52:58.920 --> 00:53:01.360
mini movie in itself. So that's
what I'm really happy with. It definitely
810
00:53:01.360 --> 00:53:05.599
work. It definitely worked. Yet, so you know, the film ends
811
00:53:05.880 --> 00:53:08.760
where Tom and Sasha are still out
there and they pretty much make it known
812
00:53:08.840 --> 00:53:13.719
to Adam and Margot that they can
go into their house whenever they want.
813
00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:16.599
And I'm wondering two questions on this. Number one, would you ever consider
814
00:53:16.639 --> 00:53:21.039
writing a sequel? And number two, do you think Adam and Margo made
815
00:53:21.079 --> 00:53:23.320
the wise decision to stay in that
house because I'd be gone? Well,
816
00:53:23.320 --> 00:53:25.679
I think it was Margot who made
the decision. Well, Margo did,
817
00:53:25.719 --> 00:53:29.440
but Adam obviously is going to support
it. But yeah, so would you
818
00:53:29.440 --> 00:53:31.440
ever consider doing a sequel? And
do you think they made the right decision
819
00:53:31.440 --> 00:53:38.159
to stay there? I'll answer them
out of order. I think I think
820
00:53:38.239 --> 00:53:42.880
they are mostly safe. I mean
it feels like to me, if Adam,
821
00:53:42.920 --> 00:53:45.480
if Tom and Sasha we're going to
do harm to them, they would
822
00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:49.920
have done harm to them already.
I personally would be out of that house.
823
00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:54.559
I think there's a possibility that Margo, because she was you know,
824
00:53:54.760 --> 00:54:00.920
live fibbed too before and Adam kind
of you know, bullied her into the
825
00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.519
move, there's a possibility she might
change her mind. I think she puts
826
00:54:04.599 --> 00:54:07.679
up a strong front, but I
wonder if maybe maybe she's going to change
827
00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:10.519
her mind in a couple of weeks. But but see Adam's doing the whole
828
00:54:10.559 --> 00:54:14.039
She's teaching Adam a lesson because he's
doing the whole thing. Again. Hey,
829
00:54:14.079 --> 00:54:15.199
I just came home. I just
I just put the house on the
830
00:54:15.239 --> 00:54:19.119
market. I just did this.
And she's and so she's kind of taking
831
00:54:19.159 --> 00:54:21.519
the reins. I mean, Tom
and Sasha. There's a little bit of
832
00:54:21.559 --> 00:54:25.480
like these serial social sociopaths like kind
of like help Adam and Margot get their
833
00:54:25.480 --> 00:54:32.079
groove back. So the last thing
isn't as much about Margot seeing we're definitely
834
00:54:32.079 --> 00:54:37.119
staying in the house. The takeaway
from me was more like, I'm standing
835
00:54:37.159 --> 00:54:39.679
up for myself. We're equal partners, and h you know, I'm playing
836
00:54:39.679 --> 00:54:42.960
guitar again. I'm probably gonna start
a band. I might even call mister
837
00:54:43.000 --> 00:54:45.039
sexy Pants. That was kind of
the bye Bye wanted. And then I
838
00:54:45.079 --> 00:54:51.239
also wanted it to feel a little
a little surreal because because Adam has seen
839
00:54:51.480 --> 00:54:53.880
things that Margot hasn't seen in terms
of the murders, so he's probably going
840
00:54:53.920 --> 00:54:59.719
to be experiencing some pretty hardcore PTSD
at this point. So I wanted to
841
00:54:59.719 --> 00:55:04.280
feel a little just a little dream
like. And for the second first question,
842
00:55:05.000 --> 00:55:07.039
hell yes, for me, I
feel like I would love, you
843
00:55:07.079 --> 00:55:09.559
know, to work And I didn't
think if you had asked me when we
844
00:55:09.559 --> 00:55:12.639
shot finished the movie, I'd be
like, no, this at the end
845
00:55:12.639 --> 00:55:15.400
of the story. But it was
so much fun to work with his crew
846
00:55:15.480 --> 00:55:20.519
and this cast and these actors,
and obviously Tom and Sasha are still out
847
00:55:20.559 --> 00:55:23.960
there. Yeah, and Adam and
Margot there's I feel like there's a lot
848
00:55:24.039 --> 00:55:28.119
more to their story to tell,
and the actors seemed game for it.
849
00:55:28.320 --> 00:55:30.679
I also feel like Tom and Sasha. They're almost like if like the talented
850
00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:34.840
mister Ripley was a was a couple, Like you can kind of drop them
851
00:55:34.920 --> 00:55:37.519
into anywhere like the south of France
or like the ski slopes of Vail.
852
00:55:37.760 --> 00:55:43.840
They're always gonna be like working angles
and trying to like ingratiate themselves into this
853
00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:47.239
kind of upper echelon and causing trouble. So, m oh yeah, I
854
00:55:47.280 --> 00:55:52.199
could see them taking on. I
mean, it would maybe tougher to work
855
00:55:52.199 --> 00:55:54.840
off for them, but I could
definitely see any other plot with Tom and
856
00:55:54.880 --> 00:56:00.119
Sasha going in and you know,
working their magic into testing other couples some
857
00:56:00.239 --> 00:56:04.519
things like that have guest freaking havoc
and and and but and I want Teeny
858
00:56:04.559 --> 00:56:07.199
to get her moment. She's got
a got staff. Teeny needs to get
859
00:56:07.280 --> 00:56:13.320
one moment to shine um. So
when the film was all done and wrapped,
860
00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:15.719
it was the first time everyone did
you have like a cast in cruise
861
00:56:15.719 --> 00:56:17.119
screening? Because I know it's made
for Shutter, but did you ever get
862
00:56:17.159 --> 00:56:21.079
to see it like on a thirty
five millimeter screen? It did? It
863
00:56:21.159 --> 00:56:23.599
did? So, uh yeah,
we were on a tight schedule Shutter one
864
00:56:23.679 --> 00:56:28.599
to air it in September, so
they had a few film festivals that they
865
00:56:28.599 --> 00:56:30.480
were like, well, if you
know, if you can get it in
866
00:56:30.639 --> 00:56:34.000
here, uh you know, uh, that would be great, but we
867
00:56:34.000 --> 00:56:37.719
don't have we really just have the
summer. So played a premiered at Overlook
868
00:56:37.760 --> 00:56:39.880
Film Festival, which was awesome,
but that was just me that got to
869
00:56:39.920 --> 00:56:43.800
go to that, but so great. I was a little worried. I
870
00:56:43.840 --> 00:56:45.800
was like, oh, or the
horror people are they gonna embrace this movie?
871
00:56:45.880 --> 00:56:49.719
And people seem to really dig it
it played it fright fast in the
872
00:56:49.800 --> 00:56:52.519
UK, which I didn't get a
chance to go to. And then we
873
00:56:52.599 --> 00:56:57.039
had, uh some screenings. We're
a big screening out here. We had
874
00:56:57.039 --> 00:56:59.639
a screening with the just the cast, and then we had a screening with
875
00:56:59.679 --> 00:57:04.840
the cast and crew and in a
party at the Lemley Theater here in Hollywood
876
00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:07.760
and h that was like a few
days before the ard on Shutter and that
877
00:57:07.840 --> 00:57:12.559
was a blast. Did everyone leave? Everyone lead in the in the middle
878
00:57:12.559 --> 00:57:15.760
of the movie at the end,
like, did everyone leave? Oh?
879
00:57:15.800 --> 00:57:22.519
You meant you did? Any The
better question would have been did anybody show
880
00:57:22.559 --> 00:57:32.239
up uninvited? You know what I'm
saying? Warm seats? I um um.
881
00:57:32.280 --> 00:57:35.880
So we Also before we end,
just to wrap things up, we
882
00:57:35.920 --> 00:57:38.159
wanted to ask you are and I'm
sure that you are, and so I
883
00:57:38.159 --> 00:57:42.239
know the answer this question. But
are you working on any new projects right
884
00:57:42.280 --> 00:57:44.840
now that you can tell us about? And do you think you'll ever write
885
00:57:44.840 --> 00:57:49.320
another horror film? Uh? Yes
and yes, so up pitching a pitching
886
00:57:49.320 --> 00:57:53.679
a TV show right now that is
kind of a kind of a comedic detective
887
00:57:53.719 --> 00:57:58.840
show that takes place in uh,
let's just say the culinary world. And
888
00:57:58.880 --> 00:58:00.880
then I just said a friend of
mine. Uh, you know, you
889
00:58:00.880 --> 00:58:04.800
have those writer friends who were the
first people you send the scripts to when
890
00:58:04.840 --> 00:58:07.159
you're done to get their thoughts.
I have a movie. It's a slasher
891
00:58:07.199 --> 00:58:13.519
movie. It's also a rom com, and uh, that's what I want
892
00:58:13.519 --> 00:58:15.960
to do next. I'm hoping,
I'm hoping people like it. I'm you
893
00:58:16.000 --> 00:58:19.719
know, just finished draft one,
so I'm not quite sure where I am
894
00:58:20.400 --> 00:58:22.519
uh with it, but um,
yeah, that's that's what I just finished
895
00:58:22.599 --> 00:58:27.039
up. That sounds really You're gonna
I'm gonna steal the queer as Folk title.
896
00:58:27.559 --> 00:58:30.000
Home is Where the Ass is gonna
be the name that season one?
897
00:58:30.360 --> 00:58:32.519
You have a season one? I
think that should be the title of the
898
00:58:32.559 --> 00:58:37.639
slasher rom com Home Is Where the
Ass. Yeah, there was a there
899
00:58:37.679 --> 00:58:39.119
was a Queer as Folk reboot,
but I didn't catch it, and I
900
00:58:39.119 --> 00:58:44.440
don't think it's coming back, did
I didn't. I watched it on Peacock.
901
00:58:45.079 --> 00:58:50.280
I liked your version better. Your
your version. The my version I
902
00:58:50.280 --> 00:58:53.639
was basically just sharpening pencils And okay, I like your version. It was
903
00:58:53.679 --> 00:58:57.559
a sharper version. No, I. Um, Well, first off,
904
00:58:57.559 --> 00:59:01.280
we're very excited to follow your care
I think we both think you have a
905
00:59:01.320 --> 00:59:05.519
great career ahead of you, whether
in horror or comedy. Like, again,
906
00:59:05.679 --> 00:59:09.119
we really really enjoyed this movie.
And we talk about new horror movies
907
00:59:09.159 --> 00:59:13.679
all the time, but there's only
a few where we're like, we actually
908
00:59:13.719 --> 00:59:16.000
want to seek out the people involved
in it because we enjoyed them so much.
909
00:59:16.039 --> 00:59:21.039
So we really did enjoy this film. Yeah. Well, I really
910
00:59:21.239 --> 00:59:23.719
really appreciate that. Thanks for having
me on if you Yeah, if you
911
00:59:23.760 --> 00:59:28.400
watched the movie, listen your listeners. Yeah, hit me up with a
912
00:59:28.440 --> 00:59:30.719
tweet review it on Rotten Tomatoes,
drop us some stars. But yeah,
913
00:59:30.880 --> 00:59:36.679
really really appreciate that. Great questions
as well, Yeah, we have one
914
00:59:36.840 --> 00:59:38.440
final question for you, if you're
okay, this. We asked us to
915
00:59:38.519 --> 00:59:44.440
everyone also that we interview on the
podcast, What is one thing that you
916
00:59:44.480 --> 00:59:49.920
can tell us about your experience working
on who Invited Them that you've never told
917
00:59:50.039 --> 00:59:55.119
any other interviewer or publication or at
a fish that you've never told anybody.
918
00:59:55.159 --> 01:00:00.559
Just one thing about your entire experience
that you've never told anybody. Well,
919
01:00:00.719 --> 01:00:04.440
I will, this, won't.
I'll give this as an extra. But
920
01:00:04.480 --> 01:00:08.559
I also I've never talked about the
coin flipped teeny Frank scene, or the
921
01:00:08.599 --> 01:00:13.559
way that we nudged those that little
flash pop of them sneaking around the house
922
01:00:14.000 --> 01:00:16.480
from act one to act three.
So so you're already you're already getting some
923
01:00:17.280 --> 01:00:23.440
already got thank you? Oh god? I well, I mean this is
924
01:00:24.320 --> 01:00:29.119
obvious, but I certainly haven't talked
about it. I was nervous as hell,
925
01:00:29.599 --> 01:00:35.079
nervous as hell, could not sleep, stomach ache, wan to bar,
926
01:00:35.679 --> 01:00:39.519
driving to set that first day,
very nervous. I mean, it's
927
01:00:39.519 --> 01:00:43.079
your first film there, and so
I get that. I mean, but
928
01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:45.519
that shows how much it's not like
a news flash sexy headline. But I
929
01:00:45.840 --> 01:00:49.920
haven't you know, I've done a
question. I don't know if we already
930
01:00:49.960 --> 01:00:52.840
asked us, but Um, was
it filmed in the Hollywood Hills. It
931
01:00:52.960 --> 01:01:00.159
was filmed in uh the Hills.
Uh there's actually yeah, well we're if
932
01:01:00.519 --> 01:01:02.320
if we're I'm giving you real behind
the scenes, I might not have even
933
01:01:02.320 --> 01:01:09.679
said this. It was the hills
of Burbank actually Glendale Hills. Nice for
934
01:01:09.800 --> 01:01:15.840
your backyard kind of yeah yeah,
yeah, so yeah, And we never
935
01:01:15.880 --> 01:01:20.079
say Hollywood Hills or La Hills just
to get like something was gonna happen,
936
01:01:20.079 --> 01:01:22.880
We're gonna have to film like the
Portland Hills or something. Yeah, but
937
01:01:22.519 --> 01:01:25.159
yeah, so, I mean there's
some Hollywood Hills footage, but most of
938
01:01:25.159 --> 01:01:30.280
that is Burbank and Glendale. It's
awesome, cool, Well, no,
939
01:01:30.400 --> 01:01:31.960
these are We love hearing these little
tidbits. And it's also it makes you
940
01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:36.400
a real person to show that you
cared enough to be that nervous by it.
941
01:01:36.480 --> 01:01:38.280
But again, it turned out great. The performances are great, the
942
01:01:38.400 --> 01:01:42.679
writing like it was just and it
really stood out to us because it was
943
01:01:42.719 --> 01:01:46.119
it was very different. Solid perfect
thriller. Yeah, solid perfect thriller.
944
01:01:46.239 --> 01:01:51.519
There it is reporting that that's gonna
be the pull quote from this podcast that
945
01:01:51.599 --> 01:01:54.559
I post. So solid perfect thriller. But I'm not good with Tim Murdoch
946
01:01:54.639 --> 01:01:58.719
got a writer, Happy hard time, No well again. Thank you Duncan
947
01:01:58.800 --> 01:02:00.360
so much. We would love to
stay in touch. Will definitely be in
948
01:02:00.360 --> 01:02:06.360
touch and thanks for spending the day
with us. Thanks Tim, Thanks Matt,
949
01:02:06.440 --> 01:02:08.000
Yeah, keep in touch. Great
questions. Okay, take care,
950
01:02:08.320 --> 01:02:17.280
have a good one bye. We
hope you enjoyed this episode of Happy Horrortime.
951
01:02:17.519 --> 01:02:22.360
This podcast is hosted by Tim Murdoch
and myself, Matt Emmert. It's
952
01:02:22.400 --> 01:02:25.320
co produced by Jacob Randell. We
release new episodes every Monday, and we
953
01:02:25.400 --> 01:02:30.719
switch off between reviewing new horror films
with spoilers and interviewing horror stars, so
954
01:02:30.719 --> 01:02:36.679
there's something for everyone. You can
listen to the podcast directly from our website
955
01:02:36.719 --> 01:02:42.000
that's www dot Happy Horrortime dot com, or from Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
956
01:02:42.119 --> 01:02:45.239
Pandora, or wherever you stream podcast. And if you'd like to support us,
957
01:02:45.599 --> 01:02:51.840
please sign up to be a patron
at www dot patreon dot com slash
958
01:02:51.840 --> 01:02:57.079
Happy Horrortime. Patrons get access to
our monthly bonus episode where we discuss past
959
01:02:57.119 --> 01:03:00.519
horror films according to a theme.
They get to vote on the those themes.
960
01:03:00.519 --> 01:03:06.000
They get our monthly newsletter at the
Happy Horror Times and autographed Happy Horror
961
01:03:06.000 --> 01:03:08.960
Time stickers. If you haven't already, make sure to follow us on Facebook,
962
01:03:09.079 --> 01:03:15.000
Instagram or Twitter at Happy Hordtime.
And since our movie reviews do contain
963
01:03:15.079 --> 01:03:17.719
spoilers, we always post the films
we're going to review a few days in
964
01:03:17.840 --> 01:03:22.679
advanced on our social pages, just
in case you want to watch them beforehand
965
01:03:22.719 --> 01:03:24.480
and be in the know with us. And finally, if you'd like to
966
01:03:24.559 --> 01:03:30.679
contact us directly send an email to
Happy Hardtime at gmail dot com. We
967
01:03:30.920 --> 01:03:35.320
espacially love it when you tell us
exactly we are. I'm mad Ammer and
968
01:03:35.400 --> 01:03:39.159
I'm Tim Murdoch, and we hope
you have a happy horror Time.