SXSW Interview: Walter Perez and Parker Bagley are in ‘Detention’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:43 — 6.0MB)

Walter Perez and Parker Bagley are both starring in the new teen horror comedy Detention. The movie, directed by Joseph Kahn and also starring Dane Cook and Josh Hutcherson, is about a group of teens that has to survive their last  year of high school. That’s going to be hard because a slasher movie killer has seemingly come to life. They’ll survive, if they can only get out of detention.

Unfortunately, when I talked with them we were at a bar with lots of noise. You gotta love SXSW! So, transcribing the interview was really hard to do. Walter and Parker talked to me about the film, how they got started and crazy auditions! Download the file and check it out!

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

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SXSW Interview: Shiloh Fernandez and Heath Freeman talk ‘Skateland’, auditions and getting left on the cutting room floor!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:38 — 17.6MB)

When I talked to Shiloh Fernandez at last year’s SXSW for the film Skateland, I wrote that he had been one of my favorite actor’s to interview.

A full year, one starring role in a big budget studio film (Red Riding Hood) and tons of press later, he’s still one of my favorite actors to talk with. He loves acting, gives thoughtful, honest answers and is an all-around good guy.

I talked with Shiloh and the co-star/co-writer of Skateland, Heath Freeman (Raising the Bar, Bones), during this year’s SXSW where they were gearing up for the film’s release.

This is a really great interview where they both talk candidly about losing out on work and getting cut out of films, bad auditions and of course, Skateland!

The film – which I absolutely recommend – also stars Ashley Greene and opens on May 13^th.

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

You’re also an actor what made you wanna write the script?

Heath Freeman: I got the lead, I was the lead in a TV series, and then… and I got replaced. A new head of the network came in two weeks before I was supposed to go shoot and replaced me for no reason. And so I was pretty upset about that. I called my brother, my brother Brandon, we’ve always wanted to do movies together and write together and we had some ideas floating around. He was like, “Well let’s do a movie. I mean what are you doing in LA? Why do you wanna do other people’s stuff, people’s material? Let’s start a project.” I was like, “Ah, ok, it’s that easy?”

I’ve always wanted to write about this roller rink, kinda center something around this roller rink that we all grew up in Longview, Texas, which is kinda this, I mean it’s a lot nicer in this film, but in all actuality it was a pretty run down place, pretty bad, pretty nasty. And so, that’s kinda how it started.

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SXSW Interview: Vera Farmiga “If you’re frustrated with not working, then create your own opportunity”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:32 — 17.6MB)

In the new sci-fi thriller, Source Code, Vera Farmiga plays ‘Goodwin’, a mysterious Military Officer who sends Jake Gyllenhaal on a mission to save thousands of lives. Her character spends the majority of time dealing deal with Gyllenhaal, as he attempts to understand what is happening to him.

In the film, Farmiga acts right to the camera as she’s talking to Gyllenhaal and she admits, that “acting with those physical limitations” is hard.

I talked to Vera at SXSW in a roundtable interview about rehearsing with Gyllenhaal, if acting to a camera got any easier and how visuals help her create a character.

This interview is spoiler heavy, so I left a lot out in the transcript. For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

Did you have to do a lot of like research before filming?

Vera Farmiga: This wasn’t a real research kind of a role, it was really just using your imagination and working in the confines of the role which was pretty limited as far as the kinds of roles that I’m normally drawn to, is pretty much the antithesis of this character. But arc is always important to me and I found the challenge of that arc within these limitations, these 8 minute increments, I found that to be compelling.

How quickly she changes and the moral dilemma within that – treating ‘Colter’ [Gyllenhaal’s character’ as science project first – and then getting to know him personally in this 8 minute increments and then having that impact the way she does her job. So that’s really what I focused on most, the pyscho-spiritual energy between the two and how best to convey it when the actor’s not in your presence. I did not work with Jake at all, except for in rehearsals. It’s important in rehearsals to hash out some stuff and we did. We sat opposite the table in rehearsals so with had that time spent, and he was there a couple of days reading lines off camera, but other than that it was the script supervisor and me staring in the barrel of the lens which is extremely difficult to do for an actor who spends most of your time ignoring it.

So, thinking about the character in these ways, how best to convey the emotional life of the character and the mental life with very little movement and the confines of the space.
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SXSW Interview: Michelle Monaghan talks about ‘Source Code’ and getting her face melted off

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:48 — 11.6MB)

In Source Code, Michelle Monaghan plays a woman on a train that only has eight minutes before it explodes. I’d tell you more but then I would ruin the movie. I can tell you that she has the difficult task of re-creating that same 8 minute scene over and over again. Each scene had to be the same, but different. Imagine how hard that would be!

Well, she does a fantastic job and when you see the film, you’ll definitely agree with me.

I talked to Michelle in a roundtable interview at SXSW about the challenges of doing the same scene over and over, if she did any research into the Source Code and what it’s like to get her face melted off.

Oh, and just an observation: Michelle has some guns on her. Seriously! There’s no doubt in my mind that she could kick my butt… without breaking a sweat.

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

Can you talk a little bit about what it was with this script that really sort of attracted you with the project?

Michelle Monaghan: Yeah, I think initially, I was just really struck at, kind of what an original idea it was, and from an actor’s point of view for the role of Christina, I thought it was just gonna be a really cool exercise and performance and a real challenge. It felt really daunting to me initially and then, then I got really, really intrigued, and I especially became more intrigued after I spoke to Duncan. We Skyped and for me it became very, very apparent that it was, he wanted it to be character driven more than anything. I haven’t really kind of ventured into sci-fi as far as the genre, don’t lot of other things, but sci-fi was not one of them, and so I really thought, wow why not go on this endeavor with somebody who’s cool, young and energetic as Duncan Jones. And he’s great at telling a story, so I thought if anybody can do it I don’t, necessarily think it can work in anybody’s hands and it was difficult material, for all of the actors I think. And it was really fun, it was a really fun experience, and it felt like we were making a student film a lot of the time ‘cause we were just sitting in this commuter train that one car, and we would huddled and like work it out each Source Code, and it was really fun, it was really cool.
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SXSW Interview: Director Azazel Jacobs on his film, ‘Terri’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:22 — 9.3MB)

I’ve become one of Azazel Jacobs biggest fans.

First of all, he’s got a great movie called Terri, about an overweight teen (Jacob Wysocki) who lives with his uncle (Creed Bratton). Having pretty much given up on anything involving a social life, Terri soon forms a surprising friendship with his high school vice-principal (John C. Reilly).

And second, when I talked to him at SXSW, each question he answered was extremely honest and heartfelt. I could have talked with him for hours.

This is Azazel’s 4^th film – his 3^rd, Momma’s Man, was a Sundance hit – and it’s a touching, extremely funny piece of work.

Azazel talked to me the casting process, what he thinks kills actors when auditioning and if he ever met a kid like Terri growing up.

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download from iTunes

What’s it like watching the movie with an audience?

Azazel Jacobs: Completely different, we finished a few days before Sundance, and so by that point nothing is funny anymore, nothing is interesting, and everything seems like a disaster.

Does it really?

Azazel Jacobs: Oh absolutely. You can’t feel anything, I mean, so you’re just, you’re hoping, you’re showing it to people that you trust, and they’re telling you that something’s resonating but you’ve just got no idea. During the actual premiere, the screening at Sundance, I’m sitting there, telling my wife, “This is going horrible, I’m gonna go outside and throw up right now.” And she’s like, “You’re crazy, you’re crazy, people are loving it, you’re crazy.” And luckily I was wrong. People really responded well.
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SXSW 2011 Roundup

Hey guys! I have to apologize that the site hasn’t been updated since Monday! I was in Austin, TX for SXSW (South by Southwest Film and Interactive Festival).

I got there on Friday and was running around, busier than I’ve ever been till Monday afternoon. I talked to some great actors and filmmakers – all of which I’ll post as soon as I can.

Who did I talk to?
The cast of Source Code (Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Director Duncan Jones and Screenwriter Ben Ripley).

Josh Lucas – This was one of the highlights of the fest for me. He’s starring in a film called, A Year in the Mooring, and he’s fantastic in it. I can’t wait for you guys to read this interview. One of the best!

Dane Cook – This was another highlight. Seriously, Dane is a great guy. We talked about his new film Detention and his upcoming Broadway show, Fat Pig. Unfortunately, I just read this morning,  the show has been postponed til next season because of financing.

Shiloh Fernandez and Heath Freeman – This is the 2nd year in a row I’ve talked to Shiloh and he’s still as thoughtful as last year. Along with his friend and co-star of Skateland, Heath, this is another great interview.

…and many more!

I’ll post them all as soon as I can.

Thanks again for all the support. If not for you, I wouldn’t have been able to talk to these wonderful, creative people.

~Lance

 

Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson on their film, “Leaves Of Grass”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:55 — 21.2MB)

Edward Norton playing twins in a movie that’s directed by Tim Blake Nelson? How could that not be great?

And guess what? Leaves Of Grass is great! Edward Norton plays twins Brady and Bill. Brady is a small-time pot grower and Bill is an Ivy league professor. Tim Blake Nelson who also wrote the film plays Brady’s redneck friend Bolger.

I saw the premiere at SXSW and the movie is funny, violent and at times, you have no idea where the story is going to take you, which for me, makes the film.

This was another roundtable interview (my question is here) and the interview ran longer than most, so I’ve cut it down a bit. If you want the whole interview, you can listen/download the whole conversation above or click here for iTunes.

On a side note: I’ve been interviewing people for a while now and I have to say, Tim Blake Nelson is truly one of the nicest guys around. The day after this interview, I was in the hotel lobby when Tim and I saw each other. He said, “Hi” and we started to have this 5 minute long conversation. It wasn’t anything about his movie… just a normal conversation… about BBQ. You gotta love SXSW.

Tim, I was wondering as actor and as a filmmaker do you involve yourself with films that act as a corrective and not go straight towards the stereotypical easy laugh?

Tim Blake Nelson: Yeah, I certainly do.  I do grow tired of intelligence having such a limited manifestation in movies.  And so when I wrote this I knew immediately that the wisest and smartest characters, two characters in the movie in this movie would be the ones who either remained in Oklahoma or returned there.  So, the smartest guy in the movie is Brady.  I think that’s evident and it’s also stated by the mother.  And the wisest character is Keri Russell’s character, and she’s chosen to return and write in Oklahoma, and I think she gives the Bill character the wisdom that allows him to begin to move forward in his life as it’s collapsing around him.  So, in answer to your question, I was eager to debunk certain stereotypes about Southern characters in this movie.

This question is for both of you and it has to do with that obviously to believe in the duality of it you have to have this suspension of disbelief, and I’d like to hear from you how you achieved it through filmmaking and how you achieved it through your acting.

Tim: Yeah, suspension of disbelief in a story like this is pretty essential, although that said, I think you have to be responsible to your story as a storyteller.  To make it feasible enough, and I hope that this story is feasible enough.  There are details peppered throughout that I didn’t want to bang the audience over the head with it.  I mean, an obvious question would be well, hang on, wouldn’t folks know they were twins, but they didn’t grow up in Ida Belle, in the Ida Belle, Broken Bow area.  They grew up in another town, Hugo.  And Brady is moved to Ida Belle.  But these stories are all far-fetched, but the antecedent material for the movie, like in Menander and Plautus and Shakespeare, you know, it’s a retelling of a twins genre.  And the main character in the movie is a classicist, and so that’s all very intentional.  It’s meant to reflect on those earlier works.  The character, Bill, has done a translation of Plautus’ play The Menaechmi, which is a Roman twins play.  And so suspension of disbelief and that whole question is part of the fun of the movie.  Alright and now he’s going got say thanks for referencing Menander (laughter).

Edward Norton:  Well, no, actually I was going to say that any questions I had about whether a redneck from Oklahoma could actually go and become a Brown classical philosophy professor were ended when I met Tim because I think as you can see one conversation with Tim and you kind of realize, ‘Oh, Bill is a believable character.’

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Life Unexpected‘s Brittany Robertson on her new film, Cherry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:19 — 8.5MB)

If you’re a fan of the CW show, Life Unexpected, then you already know Brittany Robertson.

I interviewed her at SXSW for her new film, Cherry. The film is about a college student named Aaron. He gets involved with an older woman who has gone back to school to straighten her life out. Things start to get complicated when he meets the woman’s daughter, Beth, who begins to  develop feelings for him.

Brittany plays Beth and she is perfect in the role. She’s a terrific actress who is definitely doing things right. Check out the interview where she talks about how she got her start, her love of acting and how she goes to her acting coach 4 times a week. Yes, 4 times! How many actors do you know who can honestly say that?

As always, listening to the interview is always better!

Daily Actor: Tell me about your character in Cherry.

Brittany Robertson: My character Beth; she’s a 14-year-old, inappropriate young woman who’s very misunderstood as the movie so pleasantly says. She comes across Aaron Milton (Kyle Gallner) and finds an affinity for him, and becomes attached to him. I think that’s where you get to see her softer side. She has this wall up because of her experiences with her mother and people coming in and out of their lives. I think he brings her into a softer side and you get to see the real 14-year-old whose just chillin’ up in there. She’s a sweet, vulnerable 14-year-old who’s just had a bit of a rough life.

You’ve been in so many great projects already. Where are you from and how did you get started?

I’m from South Carolina originally, a Southern chic. I got started when I did a convention in Hilton Head, South Carolina with an agent who’s in South Carolina. She brought agents from New York and LA down to see us and observe our acting. I did a monologue and a commercial, and the agents from LA were like, ‘You should come out and we’ll represent you.’ I was like “Okay, cool. Sweet.” So, then I moved out there when I was fourteen for pilot season. And I actually meet this kid (Kyle) here during that time.

Did you stay at that Oakwood apartments?

Yup, that’s where I met him. So I did that and I moved out there permanently when I was 16.

What was your first big thing when you got out there?

For an actor, booking a pilot for a TV show is so hard, but it’s a big. It’s a big deal. I did two back to back; neither of them got picked up. But it was still a big deal for me nonetheless. And then I did a film called Dan In Real Life for Disney, and I think that was probably my biggest thing that I did, the biggest opportunity for me. Working with the great actors in that movie was such a standout.

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SXSW Interview: Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer on their new film, “Barry Munday”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:17 — 9.9MB)

Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer star in the hilarious new film, Barry Munday.

I got a chance to see the film and interview them at SXSW and both were so much fun. This was by far the most fun I’ve had at an interview yet! If you get a chance to listen to the interview, you really should – you’ll see (uh, hear) what I mean.

The film is about a guy who wakes up in the hospital after being attacked in a movie theater, only to realize that he is missing his… his testicles. To make things even worse, he finds out that he’s knocked up a woman he can’t even remember hooking up with.

Patrick plays Barry and he is the worlds greatest douchbag – Barry, not Patrick. Judy plays Ginger; Patrick described her in the interview as a “crabapple”. I said she was socially retarded but you can be the judge of that when you see the film. Which I absolutely recommend – Patrick and Judy are fantastic as usual.

So, Patrick at what point did you go, “ouch?”

Patrick Wilson:  Oh man.

Judy Greer:  Did you read the script?

Patrick:  Yeah, you know it’s funny.  I have had a history of some type of emasculation in movies.  This was the first time it actually was quite literal.  But, what I loved about it was… once they established kind of who he was, I just thought it was the most outlandish circumstance. But the coolest journey for a story essentially about becoming a man.  To have that completely stripped away, that was exciting.

Patrick, it was pretty widely publicized that you put on a lot of weight for Watchmen, and it looked like you still had that on for this.  Was it hard to put on that 25lbs and then take it back off to where you are today?

Patrick:  You know, I just really took my time, to be honest with you.  The first time I got the script, I was shooting Watchmen, so luckily, it just sort of fit with this guy.  My whole theory, because I’m sure we all know these types of guys, he’s sort of still hanging on to the 90s when he thought he was cool, and hung out at the Bennigan’s After Dark bar.  And you know, I also thought there was something incredibly cool about not being vain about it, and just actually the fact that you did get to see a shower scene and a love scene and just have him still be doughy.  So, I didn’t necessarily try to keep it on, but it wasn’t until after Barry Munday that I said, alright, let me get back in shape.

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“Skateland” star Shiloh Fernandez: “I’ve learned more on this film than I’ve ever learned about acting in my life”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:59 — 6.9MB)

Shiloh Fernandez is currently starring in the film, Skateland with Ashley Greene.

I saw Skateland at SXSW and it’s a cross between Sixteen Candles and Dazed and Confused. I liked the movie a lot and Shiloh was a big part of that reason.

He’s got a really good story on how he got started and how he got the role of Ritchie Wheeler in Skateland.

He was such a nice guy, loves the craft of acting and I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about him in the future.

So tell me about your character in Skateland.

Shiloh Fernandez: It’s funny because I’m the worst person at explaining things.  Well, I guess that’s not funny (laughter).  That’s terrible.  I play a kid named Richie Wheeler, I think he’s like 19, 20.  Just kind of complacent in his life.  He’s had this job at the skating rink since he was 14.  He’s become the manager and it’s kind of an easy life.  He doesn’t have to deal with the hassles of responsibility in any kind of widespread arena.  But he is a talented kid and he’s got a good heart.  Everybody around him is kind of rallying to make him understand that he should test the waters outside of this small town in his, not mundane, but his normal life.  And I related with some of the, there’s some family problems, some friends, friends that want to stay in town, friends that have gone off.  I guess I kind of identified with that.

How do you approach a role?

Shiloh: This was a part where I felt really connected to this kid.  A lot of the parts that I’ve gotten in the past were very, not necessarily one-dimensional, but the go-to for me to get the job was to be very intense and kind of, not hardcore, but just… I don’t know, not super light-hearted or friendly or smiley.  If that’s a word.  And so, I really just wanted to bring a lot of who I am in real life.  I mean, at the same time it takes place in East Texas and I’m from Northern California.  Obviously Tony, the director, whenever I felt kind of out of place or like I didn’t know what I was doing, I’d look at him because he is similar to Richie Wheeler.  So it’s good to have your director to look at.  It’s like this good old boy, he’s funny and he’s friendly and he’s genuine.  So just trying to bring out the best traits of myself.  Ashley Greene plays my friend/love interest, so that wasn’t hard.

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