Lisa Hammer [Interview]

In the 90’s it meant something completely different to be an “underground filmmaker/musician/artist/etc.”.  Just as the terms “alternative” and “independent” have become so skewed lately that it is hard to tell what or who is true to its/their origin and might be considered “underground”.  Of course, many technological advances have been made to make such a jaunting insight a true reality, some of which really isn’t such a bad thing.  But for me, and I hope many others, these terms meant nothing more than the act of being an artist with a specific taste and desire to create only what they feel is worthy of being shown, at least in their own heart.  Sure there are common characteristics such as being off-putting or risque that seem to be a commanility as well that most likely were the initial push “underground” as they say.  But in all actuality, that was the point!  Doing something different!  Different only in the manner that is pleases your own eye, even if it isn’t something you are used to seeing or hearing during the prime times or spot lights of our lives.

And in the 90’s, and thankfully to this day, there has been one woman who was and will always be in the upper echelon of the underground world.  Yes, I understand the bizarre sound that may make when you say it out loud (sort of like an “Anarchist Leader”, right?), but it is the truth.  There will always be somebody who’s work stands out amongst the rest of the rest of the rest.  And that woman is without a doubt the brilliant musician and filmmaker Lisa Hammer.  She has been grinding the gears of the weird for several decades, creating some of the finest underground works to date.  Whether it is masterminding German Expressionist masterpieces, or doing voice over work for Adult Swim cartoons, this is a woman who may not do everything she wants, but she certainly does only what she wants.  So ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, the lovely and talented Lisa Hammer!

What initially drew you in to the world of German Expressionist films?

In film school I saw Sunrise by FW Murnau and I was mesmerized by the beauty and timelessness of the story and the gorgeous scenery and cinematography. The film made me cry with no words spoken, only titles. That is so powerful. From there I was hooked.

Who would you consider your greatest personal influence in the medium?  

It’s a mash-up of Murnau in my silent films, Cocteau with my surrealist fairy tales, Bunuel for my sacrilege, Lynch for my dream imagery, Busby Berkley for the musical aspects, and John Waters for my camp. I aspire to reach the comedic genius heights of: Peter Bogdanovich, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Blake Edwards, Roman Polanski and George Cukor, to name a few. Too many to name!

Can you tell us a bit about your involvement in Miranda July’s Joanie4Jackie film anthology?  How did your participation in the anthology come to be?

She asked me to submit my film Empire of Ache with Dame Darcy for her video chain letter project, (the short films created by several women circulated the world for a few years.) I don’t really know how she heard about us, it just came out of nowhere but I was very happy to participate!

You have been in the world of music and film for a lot of years now.  In your expert opinion, how do you feel the worlds have changed with the introduction of technology, social media, etc.?  Are the changes positive, negative, or both?

Since the technology for both music and film has become affordable and easy to use, anyone and everyone is both a filmmaker and in a band now. The market is flooded with artists and amateurs. Andy Warhol’s prediction that everyone would get 15 minutes of fame has actually happened. It’s great to see so many people being creative, but I think I preferred it when there were only a handful of us, it was a bit harder to create our films and music, but we got much more attention. Now it’s hard to get noticed at all, thank god I already have a history and a group of loyal fans! The trick now is to get noticed and it makes me want to go back to school to study marketing. Ha!

On that note, what do you believe the term “underground” means today, as compared to what it may have meant 20 years ago? 

20 years ago I was noted as one of the very few underground experimental female filmmakers in the industry, I got a lot more attention from magazines and distributors. My colleagues were very few and also got tons of attention. People like Nick Zedd, Jim Jarmusch and Richard Kern, to name a few in the NY circle.  Now I don’t see an underground per se, I see everyone grabbing a cheap digital camera and uploading their films and web series to youtube. It’s hard to find the actual underground film projects, you have to sift through lots of amateur shorts and web series, and an awful lot of videos of cats doing silly things. It does raise the bar for filmmakers, as we have to create the best work of our lives and get it into festivals and create a buzz in the industry. The competition is healthy.

What do you personally believe to be the highlight of your career thus far?  What accomplishment(s) make you the most proud?

I have so many, every film has been my favorite, from the insanity of Pus$bucket, to the artistry of The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch, where I got to mentor with amazing director James Merendino (SLC Punk.) I loved filming POX where I got to write with Ben Edlund (Firefly) and Doc Hammer (The Venture Brothers) and direct an incredible cast in a haunted silent film star mansion in Hollywood (I lived there!), and recently the filming of  The Sisters Plotz with my partner in crime Lisa Ferber has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.

I’ve been really lucky. I have been blessed to direct the amazing talents of celebrity guest stars: Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch), James Duval (Donnie Darko), Clayne Crawford (Swimfan), Allen Lewis Rickman (Boardwalk Empire), H. Jon Benjamin (Archer), Jonathan Katz (Dr. Katz), Arden Myrin (Mad TV), Leo Allen (SNL), Aryn Cole (All My Children), Yelena Shmulenson (A Serious Man) and I lived through directing Courtney Love! I get to work with my talented husband Levi Wilson (Not Fade Away) on all my projects, which is the best thing of all. We have so much fun on every project. 

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming film The Sisters Plotz?

The Sisters Plotz is a frothy romp through the world of three eccentric heiresses who live in a townhouse with their butler, who is really an earl, but is slumming it. These kooky aristocrats have no idea what year it is, don’t know how to do anything for themselves, and rely on their servants to do everything for them. It’s a slapstick musical comedy with amazing songs by Lisa Ferber and May Feinsinger. We all get to sing and dance, but it’s not corny, it’s a bit surreal and campy, as if John Waters and Busby Berkley had created a love child. Lisa Ferber wrote it and I helped create the story, and then I directed it. Eve Plumb plays our sister Celestia, a Dada poetess. Levi plays the sarcastic butler, Reginald. Lisa Ferber plays my sister Whimsellica, a dreamy painter, and I play the dangerously recreational inventor, Ladybug.

It started as a web series and got to be a top 5 most watched video on Funny or Die. I decided it needed a longer format to tell the whole story. I’m editing the feature film right now and it should be done by 2014. And… we added a PIE FIGHT.

You are a filmmaker, screenwriter, musician, composer, so on and so on.  Of all the trades you have racked your resume with, what is your absolute favorite?  

I am more talented at music than filmmaking, but I seem to gravitate towards directing film. I’m really a mediocre filmmaker, so maybe I am striving to improve in areas I lack in? I really have been neglecting my music a bit, but I’m a little sad as my wonderful guitarist from Radiana (Steven Deal) passed away a few months ago, and I feel lost without him. By 2014 I will seek out new band members and continue the band in his honor. It’s hard to sing with a broken heart.

Least favorite?  

I love all of it! Except: I hate creating shot lists and breaking the script down to make a budget. If anyone out there wants to help me with line producer duties on the next film, please email me! Hahaha!

With so many different forms of art already under your belt, is there any form that you have yet to tackle that you would like to? 

I’m an aspiring novelty inventor. A few of the inventions seen in The Sisters Plotz are actual inventions I am developing. I just need help from a patent lawyer, if any readers are patent lawyers, also please email me. Hahaha!

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My absurdly gorgeous Himilayan cat, we call her Missy Shitepants, as she has long white hairpants and she often doesn’t clean them well. It’s pretty gross but it makes me laugh. Also the Hulu show “Quickdraw” makes my sides split. And my awesome husband Levi, who cracks me up constantly.

John Hamburg [Interview]

It is no secret that there are a couple of dozen folks who are currently running the world of comedy as we speak.  Essentially, the cast of Zoolander and Old School run the show.  Throw in SNL and The Office, basically all of NBC comedy.  As well as anyone who makes their way in to a Judd Apatow production of any kind (even his “failed” television shows Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared).  We continue to see the same faces appearing alongside one another consistently.  We could speculate as to why this truly has come to be, but let’s just stick with the facts…..  they are hilarious and crazy talented.  But even they can’t do it all on their own.  It is the writers and filmmakers that bring their comedic wit and genius to the screen.  It’s obvious if you think about it.  These are the people who come up with this shit!

And one of the highlighted films of the Hollywood illuminati, and my personal favorite of the batch, was 2009’s I Love You Man starring Paul Rudd, Jason Siegel, Rashida Jones, Andy Sandberg, Thomas Lennon, and so many more regularly casted members of today’s comedy world.  It is a beautiful tale of man who needs to find another man…..just as a friend.  It also happens to be spawned from acclaimed screenwriter/filmmaker  John Hamburg.  And surprise!  Hamburg is the amazing mastermind behind none other than the likes of Safe Men, Zoolander, the critically acclaimed Fokker series, and the hilarious and also Ben Stiller fronted film Along Came Polly.  Yes, John Hamburg is obviously a key player in the world of comedy today.  He has proved himself time and time again as one of the finest filmmakers and screenwriters of this day and age.  And we are extremely excited that he has agreed to share a few words with us, and talk to us about some of his past works and what the future holds for him and the world of comedy as we know it.  It is an incredible honor to have John Hamburg join the Trainwreck’d Society family.  So bow your heads everyone!  Now look up, and read on with our interview with the legendary John Hamburg!

What draws you to write and create in the world of comedy? Have you ever considered experimenting in other genres?

I simply see the world in comedic terms. I always have. Even the most dramatic or tragic situations – I tend to see the comedy in them. So it is not really by choice, it is just my nature. I have considered making movies or tv in other genres, but I think no matter the genre, my work will always have some kind of comic bend to it.

You’ve written no less than 5 screenplays that featured actor Ben Stiller. Is there something about his acting chops that intrigues you? If so, what? Or is it sort of a friends helping friends sort of set up?

Ben and I met after he saw my first movie, SAFE MEN, at the Nantucket Film Festival. I was already a huge fan of his from his early movies and The Ben Stiller Show on Fox. He is an incredible and underrated actor. I think his performance in MEET THE PARENTS is one of the great comic performances of all time. He doesn’t always get credit for being such a great actor, because his work can be very subtle and he is comfortable reacting to other actors in the scene. Ben and I click on many levels — but I think the idea of being sort of befuddled by the world, confused, anxious, tense, and finding ourselves in awkward situations is something I am interested in as a writer (and human being!) and that Ben connects to brilliantly as an actor.

How did you come up with the concept for the Fokker series?

I did not come up with the concept for the Focker series. It was based on a short film that Jim Herzfeld developed as a screenwriter. I came on to the first MEET THE PARENTS after several drafts had been written, primarily by Jim, and did many drafts of my own both before and during production.

You made your break with one of my personally favorite indie comedies, Safe Men. But, a couple of years prior to that films release, you had a short entitled Tick. Can you tell us a bit about this project? How did it come to life?

First off, I am deeply appreciative of the SAFE MEN fans out there, so thanks for saying that about my first feature. TICK was a short film that I made while at grad school at NYU Film School. At the time, Hollywood was making these big high-concept comedies (many of which I loved, some of which I thought were terrible), and I thought it would be funny to do a high concept comedy, but make the execution very lo-fi. So I came up with an idea about two slacker bomb-defusers in a town where bombs keep going off. There was very little danger to it, the bombs were basically harmless and the tone was very light. But something about the idea of two guys who were in a very dangerous field, but totally inept and, spending more time on romance and personal grievances when they were supposed to be defusing bombs struck me as a very funny idea for a 10 minute short.

The movie got into the Sundance Film Festival, and basically jump-started my career, because a Hollywood agent saw it, some producers saw it and were interested in doing a feature with me, etc. We did a special 10 year anniversary SAFE MEN DVD and I actually put TICK on the DVD.

What do you personally consider your greatest achievement in your career?

On a macro-level, my greatest achievement is just being able to do the very thing that I dreamt about doing when I was a teenager – writing and directing comedy, be it in film, tv or commercials which I also direct on occasion. On a more specific level, while I’m both proud of (and find huge flaws!) in everything I’ve done, the movie I LOVE YOU, MAN, which I wrote, directed and produced, achieved a kind of tone that I had been working towards for many years. I was happy that it did well critically and commercially, but more importantly than that, was the idea that I made the exact movie that I set out to make, which can be a very challenging thing, especially in the studio system.

Was Rush always your band of choice when writing the script for I Love You Man? If so, what makes them so special? What other groups might you have considered?

RUSH was always the band. I love their music – they are incredible musicians – but also, they are a band that tends to have primarily male fans. And they are, of course, very popular, but not in the league of, say, The Rolling Stones, or The Who. People are fervent RUSH fans, but there are also many folks who just don’t “get’ them. So I felt that RUSH was the perfect band for two dudes to bond over in a movie about male friendship.

And it also turns out, having worked with them, and gotten to know them, that they are the most hard-working, grateful, and nicest guys in the world (they are Canadian after all). Forming a relationship with them has been one of the great by-products of the I LOVE YOU, MAN experience.

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming project, Brother From Another Mother? Are you excited to get back in the director’s chair on a feature film?

BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER is a movie I wrote (my good friend and collaborator Ian Helfer co-wrote the story with me) about a 30 year old guy who escorts his 16 year old half-brother on his college tour. They go to the alma mater where the older brother dropped out of… and a lot of comedy, drama and awkward and painful family dynamics occur on the trip.

It’s been a challenging project to put together — I think it has a chance of being my funniest and most emotional movie — but it’s not a down the middle comedy — which is a lot of what is getting made by the studios right now. Fortunately, we are now working with a great independent financier to put the movie together, so hopefully, if it all comes together, I’ll shoot it within the next year.

I am every excited to direct another feature. Believe me, I hate having a long gap in between “Directed by” credits – even though I know that I’m not just taking a vacation between directing movies – I’m working on various things the whole time, I promise!

In the past few years I’ve written TV shows, directed commercials, produced other movies — but my true passion is writing/directing/producing feature films, so I can’t wait to get back that.

If you could create a biopic about any famous stand up comedian, who hasn’t had one yet, who would it be?  And who could you see as the lead?

Oh, man that’s a tough one. I’d have to say Steve Martin. His book BORN STANDING UP is one of the great stories ever written about what it means to be an artist – and in particular an artist who expresses himself through comedy. I grew up listening to his comedy albums – my dad would play them on long car rides — he is the funniest, most unique stand-up I’ve ever experienced.

Who would play him? I have no freakin’ clue — maybe some brilliant actor who’s yet to be discovered.

So what is next for you? Any new projects in the works?

I have several projects in the works. In addition to BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER, I am about to write two more features I’ve been developing. I’m producing some television this year as well, and I also produced an insanely funny, filthy super low-budget movie that Paramount is releasing this year… I would tell you the title but we may be changing it, so suffice it to say — it’s about a DESTINATION WEDDING that goes awry. A super-talented young guy named Nick Weiss directed it with a cast of really great young actors, and it’s been a ton of fun to work on.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

This morning, my two year old daughter told me to act like a sea lion (which I did, of course) and then she started feeding me fish. That really put a smile on my face.

J.B. Ghuman Jr.[Interview]

A couple of years ago I saw this great little indie flick called Dakota Skye.  It wasn’t the most memorable of films, but it had an amazing cast of actors and actresses whose performances always stuck with me as a terrific example of un-tapped indie talent.  Especially with the film’s bad boy J.B. Ghuman.  He played the one you wanted to hate so much, but found yourself siding with his ill ways out of love for him.  I spent a lot of time thinking about the film, and decided that I would like to speak with somebody involved, especially J.B. himself if I could reach him.  Well not only did I reach Mr. Ghuman, but I became so enthralled with the cat when I realized he was actually a very accomplished filmmaker as well.  He was actually the man behind another beautiful indie gem that I always loved and adored, Spork.  Spork is a film about a transgendered 14-year-old girl who deals with the everyday pressures of high school that so many kids face, but about twice as difficult as your average new teenager.  It is beautifully shot, funny as hell, and even pulls at the old heart strings a bit.  I came to learn that this was J.B. Ghuman’s true talent.  He is a gifted actor, but has chosen to leave that world behind to live behind the camera.  And there are so many other fantastic things to say about this guy, with his own unique brand of art creativity.  Hell, even his manner in interviews is unique and refreshing!  But, I think I will let the man speak for himself.  Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. J.B. Ghuman!

When did you first realize that you wanted to live, work, and breath in the world of art, no matter the medium?

Oh gosh…hmm. Well…i’d say the first time I discovered a passion for a sort of “art” if no medium matters at least…would be when I was around 10 yrs old or so…I used to write poems for both my mother and sister and then slip them under their doors randomly throughout the day. At first they used to get touched by this…later they simply would forget to tell me they read them. I’d get upset and storm off. Why do you ask, love? ox jBjR!

Your beautifully dark and edgy indie film Spork has enjoyed a great amount of success since its release.  Tell us, what was your general rhyme and reason for making this film?  What was your inspiration, so to speak?

To be honest, I don’t have a specific “Reason” to writing the film. In danger of sounding a bit too bohemian, I tend to get a bit “possessed” with an idea at the most random times and then simply become hell bent on seeing it come to fruition. As far as inspiration goes…I’ve heard I think the most from folks that my film rips a lot on “Napoleon Dynamite” and whereas I did not actually rip from that film…I did in fact rip from a even more profound and dark film by the title of “Welcome To The Dollhouse” while writing “SPORK”. Todd Solondz is a true maverick in story telling and his skillful yet careless way of crass language and serious under tones was a major influence as far as dialogue and vibe. Though John Waters is king of surrealism and false realities with there bright colors and over the top personas. I just adore the child in him…he/she is so wild and fun in a sort of sinister way. But…a’dunno…I worship the dark, magical stuff in Tim Burton’s skull. He’s got this strong way about him that…ya know…lets you know he’s coming from a mile away. It’s neato…but doesn’t feel that “cool”…like a car chase or big action film director can do…rather a bit more etherial…more subtle tone of flare. I dig it…a’dig em’all, man. The music is a uber soft touch on Baz Lurhmans kneck. Not really a tap or even a pinch…i’d def. say a soft touch. So music was added…I had been walking home from the gym and this song came on…”Is it cos’im cool”. So random…never really got big in the states, and whatnot. I had been staring at spork for so long and then jus took a break. I started to sort of dance on my way home to it and it just felt so…a’dunno…so bitchy. It made me laugh. I rushed and added it before I forgot it to the script. I filmed it a bit more fun too. There’s this amazing scene when Betsy and all the girls grab their asses and it’s right into camera. It was in the film all the way up till it’s initial export before Tribeca cause my producers said the mothers wanted it out. I was like “Wtf…why?!?! We can have black face but not little bratty white girls grab there clothed ass in a comedy? Absurd.” Gosh, I ramble a lot. So weird…how we are all getting so comfortable…with typing…it’s like i can hear my thoughts as i….type them. (sniff, eye rub)…so…what’s the next question?

Were you at all surprised by the success of this film?  And do you think audiences have understood what exactly it is you where trying to convey?

That is…a full question, my dearest. I mean…cheese, man. Well…(neck-crack)…i was actually. I dunno…i guess i was. I had some wacky family stuff going on at the time. I’m not big on talking about it to be honest but a’will say that it was just like…ya know…a pinch in time, dark. Like…black hole dark. So..when shit gets like that…and i’m sure some people understand…you don’t really care about anything else. Though…as the film started to climb, awards, traveling…the countries and smiles…a’dunno…it did sort of surprise me i guess…cause…i mean…if i had known how happy the films success would have made me…a’think I would have just gotten happy ahead of time. And I did not…so…yea, it surprised me. In the most awesome way, though. In that sort of way, given all that was going on, where it doesn’t make you puff out your chest and feel better than anyone…but like…in that way that makes you wanna shrink…so small that you can only see the shine of it and it makes you teary eyed and shit. And hell yea, dude…i do think audiences understood. I mean…let’s put this shit this way…I was in brazil…literally i’ve said this story a thousand fukin times, but i don’t care…i was in brazil..and i literally…could give a shit about anything. zero magic, zero care of the air…moon, sun…whatever…i just wanna go back to bed…and not think…about anything. I walk downstairs…watch my film in another fuckin language…Portuguese…and it’s not even like the exact translation. i was like…”Wtf…this isn’t evan landing right…the jokes an shit?” Sigh…i jus sat there…pondering if I should do something crazy…sleep on the street or some shit…i dunno. We walk out and this bum stops me…he yanks on my arm and keeps trying to say something. They push him and i’m all “nah, nah…let’em speak…sup, bud?” He starts to wave his hands and ramble some toothless speech. He gets teary eyed…i stare back…i start to get teary eyed…dunno even know why yet…i ask the lady next to me “what…what is he saying…?” she listens and then says back to me…”he says your movie…is like medicine…for the heart”…and then…i kid you not..i fucking…lost it. Like…started balling and hugged this smelly ass homeless man. No lie, hand to the stars. So yea…they did…and I think they did cause it’s not me I’m talking about in the film…it’s basically a human experience to find yourself and be happy. I simply said it in a fun and sort of dark, comedic way. With like…random shit.

I first became interested in hearing from you to talk about your role in the 2008 flick, Dakota Skye, in which you performed so delightfully.  Can you tell us a little bit about how you geared up for that role, and what was it like being a part of that project?

Geared up for that role? I mean…I read a book on punk and then just sort of had fun on set. It was cool…really cool. The last time I really tried the whole acting thing. I dunno…it’s just not for me…i get nervous now in front of crowds and…i’m just not that guy anymore. But the director was a total sweetheart…same with the writer and cast. All we’re chill… 🙂

I’ve noticed that you have seemed to have taken a break from the acting world lately.  Is this a positive step for you, or do you miss the world and plan to return?  Or is it all up in the air?  

A’mean…you really go for it with these questions, gurl. (nsert wipe of brow) Well…yea…i’d say it was positive. To be honest being an actor taught me sort of how to brand my own self with my art…but at the same time…give me the confidence to know I’m simply not the Dorothy…I’m the wizard. And I’m happy with that…with my social anxieties now and jus…i’m off the grid to be honest and enjoy my sort of “in the shadows” life…It allows me see things in a way I think is good for me given what i’d like to say in my work. That makes sense, right…? I think so…

Is there any word on your script for Rhino?  Is there a chance we might be able to see it become a reality soon?

Oh gosh…honey…You mos’def. will see RHiNO! soon. I have passed on so much shit that would have made me so much money, eaten so much fucking pizza and literally have almost broken my creative back…(nsert slam of foot on floor)….to stretch my creative eye to the point it no longer blinks. It’s been tuff, gurl…everyone wanted me to simply jump on a teen comedy to move into the matrix right away and cash in…i was so high on the magic that SPORK had given me…i simply…a’dunno…a’jus…a’jus couldn’t imagine pushing RHiNO! aside doing something for money when what I am trying to do with RHiNO! could do for someone what SPORK…did for me. I know it sounds cheesy and stupid…and almost self driven. But…a’swear, it’s not. And the funny thing is I think the stars had planned for me have to wait for it this the whole time. Cause I look at SPORK and the stuff I’m making now if even as a personal installation or even a music video with hardly no budget..and like…it’s working. I’m totally…growing. I’m learning more and more on just how to get the things I share to look exactly like i see it and if not…then at the very least…better. Whether it’s from anothers input or simply a road block that turns into the best exit. But…who knows…i pray it lights up soon. I do know one thing…no matter how much time it takes…i’ll simply be that much more of a stronger director to bring my mamma to life.

So, what else have you been up to lately?  What are some of your latest works?

MMmm…i dunno. It’s been so creative weird and hectic for me. I’m trying to really take things to a higher level and sort of get my slant out their but in the business realm of things. I did a music video for LIL DEBBIE and then CAZWELL, LUCIANA, etc. I’ve got another Lady Tigra video in the can and two more music videos I just shot in the can as well…but there wicked rad looking…so I’m pumped to stitch them all together. But then I did this really neato-beato photo-installation shoot in Palm Springs with Jake Shears and Amanda Lepore. Jakes one of my tight boys and I’m a huge Amanda fan so it was jus dope as fuck and the shots are sick looking so it’s gonna be a cool installation once it’s done. Did another installation with David Woodman, the cat who was apart of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin and shit…oh, and talking with Miley Cyrus for something a bit off the cuff but sorta dope as hell as well..can’t say much but i’m uuuuber stoked to shoot it. Holy shit i need a dish washer.

I understand you grew up as a B-Boy as a youth.  As the years go by, do you still participate in break dancing, or have you had to hang that coat up?

Are you crazy…I breakdance weekly, punk. (insert beat-box / shoulder floss) Nah…I mean I do…and surf and all that “i’m so hot” guy stuff. But to be honest…i’m approaching my mid-thirties now, honey. My back hurts, my shoulders been pulled for 3 months and this kid wizard has so much on his plate yet at the same time is doing it all for the shine with shadows darting left and right. I try and break as much as i can, esp. on my roof with my head phones. But it’s getting to be very rare these days.

What have been some of your favorite films from 2013?

Er…i’m a little behind to be honest. Is it lame if I say THE LITTLE MERMAID on BluRay 3D?

What was the last thing that made you smile? 

Aww…I wanna say so badly that “it’s the question itself” but that’d be so cheesy, no…so obvious…right? Grrrr….hmm…whatever. It is…it’s the question itself. So what….eat me.

ox jBjR!

Alison Becker [Interview]

Thanks! I’m so grateful to be able to work on such an amazing show. On the surface, Shauna Malwae-Tweep is just a small town newspaper reporter, whose reporting sometimes creates little obstacles for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). But the writers of “Parks” – and Dan Goor and Mike Schur in particular – added this other fun layer to Shauna where she’s chronically unlucky in love. Shauna desperately goes after guys, and often gets the short end of the stick, which I think we can all relate to. One of my favorite Shauna lines was after she tried to ask out Chris Pratt’s character: “I can’t even land the shoe shine guy.”

Last season, Shauna was dating Rob Lowe’s character (swoon!), and I thought it was hilarious how she finally gets this great guy and won’t commit to him. I can certainly relate to that personally…I’ve dated some lovely guys and yet somehow, I eff it up. Only recently have I learned not to do that anymore. I hope Shauna learns too!

I started taking classes at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City over 13 years ago. Since then, I’ve performed improv, sketch and variety shows at the UCB theatres in both New York and LA. Becoming part of the UCB community – especially so early on – was invaluable to me. And not just in the way of learning comedy and improvisation, but also in the building of friendships and working relationships.

Without UCB, there is no way I would be where I am now as a working actor and writer. UCB has become such an institution in the comedy world, that now aspiring comedians know that their path will most likely include UCB classes. But when I first started at UCB, there was no “clear path” as to what aspiring comedians and actors should pursue. We just gravitated towards this little comedy theatre in New York because we had done improv in college, and we has seen Amy, Ian, Matt and Matt perform before in tiny, grungy little rooms in NYC. We looked up to them, and we wanted to do what they were doing – it did not occur to us at the time that we could make a career out of it. When UCB Theatre opened in New York, the only audience members were other improvisers. Now, it’s widely accepted, understood, and loved by so many. It’s really been amazing to see it grow like that.

I used to perform at UCB on a regular basis, but now I only find myself onstage a few times a year. This is mostly just due to me working more, so I don’t have as much time to commit to live performances. But I will always feel like I am a part of that community.

As a teen, I always dreamed of working at MTV or VH1, so I was very honored to be a part of that family. But, as with anything, it’s a lot less glamorous when you see what’s behind the curtain! When I was a VJ at Vh1, the network couldn’t afford a studio, so we’d shoot every show “on location,” which most often meant on the streets of Manhattan. In other words, we’d shoot in 100 degree heat, or sub-zero temperatures, in loud places, and there were ALWAYS people jumping into the shot screaming. I didn’t have cue cards or a prompter, and each section was about 2 minutes long. And there were usually about 30-40 sections throughout a day. So I’d have to memorize each two minute chunk and get the whole thing in one take, with no edits. I’d often make it all the way to the end and then some random would run up to the camera and go nuts. We’d have to explain to him that this WASN’T live, and then I’d have to do the whole thing over again. Not that I wasn’t grateful for the gig! I learned a lot and it taught me how to memorize lines super fast, which is still useful. And I was able to interview some incredible people, including Jon Bon Jovi, who I’ve had a crush on since I was 11.

Thanks! I’ve been fortunate to be a part of some really great web shows, including Dating Rules from My Future Self, Mayne Street, Yahoo!’s Sketchy, and most recently, “The Morning After.” Of course the web is the fasting growing medium in the world of entertainment, and performers are drawn to it because we have more freedom than we would on television. It also makes production more accessible for lower budget projects. But, as a performer, when I get approached about a “web show,” it’s sometimes hard to tell up front if it’s a legit project or just a shoot in someone’s basement. And the union still has a ways to go on getting a handle on all web production so that actors can actually make a living on it. If a webshow is getting as much exposure as a TV show (and many of them are), then people shouldn’t be getting short changed. It’s just going to take awhile for the paradigm shift to happen with advertisers and whatnot.

I’d love to play Jackie Mitchell, that female baseball player who struck out Babe Ruth AND Lou Gehrig. There’s a lot of parallels between women in sports and women in comedy, especially early on.

I’ve only done a few horror projects, but never a full length horror film. I think that’d be so fun, but I’m also on the fence because it may just scare the crap out of me.

Perform, perform, perform! It’s so easy to find open mics and get stage time. Plus, you meet other comedians and you can collaborate together. You’ve got to put in the work if you want to get good.

O boy. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the show was put on hiatus by Fox. So only one of my episodes aired. It’s such a shame that they didn’t give this show more of a chance, because it’s funny and heartwarming. And the cast and crew are just lovely people.

I just watched a video of my 5 year old nephew playing ice hockey. It’s like watching a drunk monkey try to ice skate. Absolutely adorable.

Colman Domingo [Interview]

You have had great success in the world television, film, and especially on stage.  If you had to choose only one to finish of your professional days with, what would it be?

Retire? I’m only 43! lol. I haven’t thought that far away. I like to stay in the present. Right now, I’d love to tackle something new and edgy. I am sure I’d like to tackle some classics like Troy in August Wilson’s Fences or King Lear or Richard III.

Fred Dekker [Interview]

One of the greatest things about running this site has to be the intriguing people who I never thought I would ever have the chance to talk to, and then seem to build great (even if they are purely digital) relationships with such intriguing minds.  But, what is even betters is when you discover that mutuality of friendships can lead to meeting some other extremely talented and beautiful folks.  And, enter Fred Dekker.  I originally became interested in talking with Fred mostly about his work on Robocop 3, which I personally consider a fine film and a wonderful addition to the series, despite what some critics might have thought.  Yes, this is personal reasons interacting with any sort of reason, but fuck you, I liked the film!  And as a I got to look in to Fred’s illustrious career, I realized that he has been behind some familiar and alas brilliant projects that I am also fond of.  So, I thought it would be great to ask this giant of a man a few questions.  So I did.

I do have to do a full disclosure bit here though:  I don’t know a damn thing about Star Trek.  And Fred Dekker had a good run during a season of Star Trek: Enterprise, which I simply could not ignore based on the immense popularity of all things Trek like, even I am not personally a fan.  Nothing against the series, I just have live a life where I can hardly understand the complexities of human life on this planet, let alone begin to wonder what the hell else is out there.  I am simply not that smart.  So with that being said, I need to give some credit to some friends I contacted via social networking means who really helped me out.  Cherie Stoor Reynolds helped me get things started, and I thank her dearly for doing so.  And then my old high school friend (I know I bring them out from time to time) Cody Lyons came in full swing and came up with some wonderful questions garnered from a current life of insight into the world of filmmaking in this day and age.  So thank you Cherie and Cody for helping me come up with some great questions for Fred.  I owe you a world of gratitude.  And if I ever move beyond the distractions of this world, maybe I will find that for you.

On that note:  Ladies and Gentlemen…..Mr. Fred Dekker!

How did you come to work with fellow TWS family member Ethan Wiley on the screenplay for the cult horror film House?

I had wanted to be a filmmaker from around the age of 12.  By the time Ethan and I became college roommates, I was very serious about it and wanted to come up with a low budget feature to direct.  I’d grown up in a spooky-looking Victorian house that my parents still owned, so I had a free set…  and I knew the smartest way to keep something cheap is also to have a small cast.  So I figured, “One house.  One guy. Scary shit.  What could be simpler?”  Problem is, I never got around to writing the script.  All I had were the bare bones of an idea – a haunted Vietnam vet trying to exorcise his personal demons in a house that may or may not also be haunted.  I envisioned a very dark, black-and-white, Roman Polanski kind of movie.  Because I was slacking, Ethan asked to take a crack at the screenplay and I didn’t have a good reason to say no.  His rendering of the story turned out to be much more comical (and probably more commercial) than mine, and when he was done I gave it to Steve Miner, for whom I was writing another script.  Steve loved it and gave it to Sean Cunningham. These were, after all, the guys who made the FRIDAY THE 13^th movies, so they quickly found the money to make it.  The rest, as they say, is history.

What was it like to join in on the Robocop franchise to write and direct the third installment?  What sort of obstacles did you face?

I was very excited to get that job, but in retrospect, ROBOCOP 3 may have been a no-win situation.  The character’s arc was complete in the first film, and there weren’t a lot of new directions to take him.   That said, when I look at “threequels” like GOLDFINGER or BACK TO THE FUTURE III or my friend Shane Black’s IRON MAN THREE, it’s clear that you can make a good one.  I think I was hamstrung by the PG-13 rating, for one thing.  The studio wanted to appeal to a wider, family audience, and that’s just radically opposed to the spirit of Verhoeven’s universe.  The character and his world are grim and violent and savagely satirical, so by toning all that down, we kind of came out of the gate hobbled.  I blame myself mostly for a lack of courage, and for not projecting what an audience would want from the movie.  I was so enamored of Frank Miller’s script that I didn’t see the forest for the trees.  I was also unaware that T2 and JURASSIC PARK were just around the corner and were about to raise the special effects bar for action-adventures to an unprecedented level.  So to sum up, I take personal blame for the movie’s drawbacks.  It needed to be funnier, more inventive in the action department, and just generally ballsier (within the confines of the studio’s PG-13 family edict).  If I’d done that – and maybe brought Nancy Allen back at the end as a kind of “Robo-Bride” to kick some Ninja ass — I think the movie might have worked.  But I’m very proud of my cast and a lot of my directing.  It was certainly the most enjoyable of my films to make; I just wish everybody didn’t hate it so much.

During your time working on Star Trek: Enterprise, was there a lot of pressure to create a Trek true to Roddenberry’s themes of a utopian society or was the emphasis shifted so they could show cool battles in space?

The producers did seem very keen on a vision of the future where humans were polite, patient, well groomed and emotionally restrained.  Or as I call it:  boring.

In the Trekkie world, Enterprise sometimes got a bad wrap for attempting to re-write the Star Trek history?  Do you believe this to be true or absurd?

Ironic question, because I feel the show was too beholden to Star Trek history!  A key reason I wanted to be involved was to tell stories pre-Kirk, pre-Picard, pre-everything we know about Trek canon.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to start with a totally clean slate and do a show about the first space explorers with warp drive capability.  What would be out there?  What life forms would we encounter? Unfortunately, apart from one episode (“Fight or Flight”), I feel like the first season quickly devolved into rehashing all the stuff we’d already seen – Look, more Vulcans! Hey, it’s the Andorians!  Oh, no, those darn Ferengi!  Yawn.  But the cast and crew – and my fellow writers — were fantastic.

In your opinion, what do you believe it is that has elevated your films The Monster Squad and Night of the Creeps to cult film status? 

I’m not sure, but I’ll hazard some random theories.  For one thing, both movies are about outcasts, people on the periphery who are actually smarter and better equipped than the popular crowd.  I think a lot of people feel like this (I know I did when I was young) so it’s empowerment for the disenfranchised.  Also, on a genre level, sci-fi, horror and humor have always lent themselves to “cult” audiences, and these movies are chock-a-clock with those elements; they’re almost made-to-order!  Mostly, it’s that many people discovered these pictures in the dark recesses of late night cable and dusty VHS shelves, so they feel like buried treasures – as opposed to most mainstream movies, which are kind of force-fed to us by the marketing departments.  For these reasons, I think people have a special place in their hearts for these films.

What is it that fascinates you about the world of horror films?

To be honest, not a lot.  I was interested in monsters and things that go bump in the night when I was a kid, but I’ve gradually grown out of it.  I much prefer thrillers, dramas, stories where people have to overcome personal odds, regardless of genre. The truth is, my early films were informed by my youth.  I’m a lot older now.  In fact, I was over zombies and vampires a LONG time before they became hip again.

How do you think that world has changed since your heyday in the 80’s?  Is it better or worse?

Worse by a wide margin.  For one thing, the business isn’t run by people who love movies anymore, and I think that shows in the kinds, and quality, of movies that we see now.  Executives are so beholden to branding and the bottom line that we rarely see anything new or surprising or even interesting; that’s become the domain of cable TV and independent films.  But before I become the annoying old guy complaining about these crazy kids with their Tweeting and their YouTubes, let me ask you to do something:  name ten classics from the ‘80s…  then name ONE classic from the last five years.  While you’re mulling that, think of how many recent films are remakes, retreads or rip-offs of films from the ‘80s.

I rest my case.

What would you personally consider your greatest victory as a man behind the camera, pen, etc.?  What has brought you the most pride?

Does marrying my wife count?  Of the stuff I’ve done that’s never seen the light of day, I wrote a low budget urban drama in the CRASH/STRAW DOGS vein that I think was very powerful, and I was quite pleased with my JONNY QUEST script, based on the ‘60s animated show.  Of my produced work, I’m probably most proud of the scene in CREEPS where the detective (Tom Atkins) tells the kid (Jason Lively) about what happened the night he killed the axe murderer…  and I think the last two reels of MONSTER SQUAD are pretty terrific.  But the truth is, I feel like I haven’t been afforded the opportunity to do my best work.  But here’s hoping!  (Insert winky, smily-face emoticon here.)

What does the future hold for you?  Any chance you might be getting behind the camera again soon?

From your lips to God’s ears.  I’ve been developing things on and off for years, but I finally have an idea I’m really excited about.  I just have to find the time to sit down and write it.  I’d love it to be my next film (and no, it’s not horror.  Sorry.)

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My cat.  He talks.

Kassie DePavia [Interview]