FRED Entertainment

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

I guess I don’t get it. I don’t get Zach.

One of the stories that broke this week is that comedic star of the small screen, Zach Galifianakis, has just been signed to play in Todd Phillips’ latest flick, THE HANGOVER. Now, whether anyone can point a finger at his turn in Ashton Kutcher’s WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS and use it as proof that this “comedian” would just as soon sell his soul to a Cameron Diaz/Kutcher production in order to make the rent there does seem to be something to Phillips’ use of Zach. The guy is something different and his brand of humor borders on the Kaufman-esque.

For one, and I know I am not the only one, there definitely seems to be a need for many to have the stench of SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS washed from their mouths as the rank taste has left many wondering what was left for this director who parlayed his goodwill for OLD SCHOOL and ROAD TRIP into paychecks for the betterment of his own wallet. Could this director get himself a movie actually worth getting excited over again? I’m not sure, again, STARSKY AND HUTCH showed he could do broad comedy but that’s exactly what it felt like, broad. He hasn’t impressed anyone with anything he’s done since being involved behind the lens for BORAT, and even that how much would any of you say was the writing versus the performance Sacha Baron Cohen gave? Yeah, exactly.

So, you have a director who has cashed in and cashed out and an actor who has been around for years but who no one else knows besides you or I. I believe this is what Todd needs, a break from his usual fare and an opportunity to show that Judd Apatow isn’t the only one in this town who can make a comedy. Although, judging by Apatow’s output Todd has a few more to make to even catch up.

In other, less acerbic news, I learned about this charity auction that is going on as we speak. It’s a chance to spend a day on the set of IRON MAN II: ELECTRIC BUGABOO with Robert Downey Jr.. Now, I wouldn’t normally find these sorts of things very interesting or newsworthy enough to send out to y’all but somehow this sounds like a rare opportunity to see exactly what Favreau’s going to be doing with the second part of what was, really, one of the best summer movies this year. A lot has been made of Marvel’s obstinate dealings with the man made them more than a few bucks and, even more, them declaring a release date before production was even started. It’s a one-two punch of not the greatest ways to begin a film that has more than a few things going for it. It showed people Robert Downey Jr. still is one of the best actors working today, that Gweneth Paltrow isn’t a shrill shrew who obviously can stop using her faux British accent whenever she pleases, that Favreau knows how practical effects can trump green screen when used properly and, the one thing a lot of suits understand, it made wheelbarrows of cash for the studio.

With everything surrounding the bizzare circumstances surrounding the negotiations to get Favreau back on board with a grin there is a lot I’m interested to know, from a fanboy perspective, of how he’s working under the pressure to meet the time line hurdles he’s no doubt going to have to overcome. I wish I had a few thousand to spend on an experience to not only josh around with the man who wears a goatee better than any dude has a right to but to get the inside line about where things are going to go from here.

If you have the cash, spend it. Then let me know what you find out.

Now, before I get right into it I wanted to make note that Ray Schillaci is back once again for one of his WORTH REVISITING rants. This time he’s back with a movie even I haven’t seen, CATCH-22, and explains why I should man up and put it into my queue. It’s good to have him back and, hopefully, if any of you have thoughts about this film you sound-off below and tell me why I need, or don’t need, to rush and see it.

IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS (2008)

Director: Alex Holdridge
Cast: Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian Matthew McGuire, Katy Luong, Bret Roberts
Release: Now Playing
Synopsis: From emerging, award-winning filmmaker Alex Holdridge and the producer of BEFORE SUNRISE and DAZED AND CONFUSED, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS is a funny and bittersweet look at love, sex, and modern romance. With an unsold script, no concrete plans, and a love life reduced to getting caught in compromising positions (alone!), a twenty-nine-year aspiring writer, Wilson (Scoot McNairy) just had the worst year of his life. That is until his best friend, Jacob (Brian Matthew McGuire), browbeats him into posting a personal ad for New Year’s Eve on Craig’s List. When Vivian (Sara Simmonds), a sexy, sarcastic, and seemingly blind-date-from-hell responds, the two strangers embark on an unexpected, chaotic, and hilariously awkward journey through the black-and-white streets of Los Angeles hoping to meet the right one before the stroke of midnight. A truly original love letter to Los Angeles, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS captures a lost downtown rarely seen on screen along with the hearts of critics and audiences alike.

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Prognosis: Positive. Do any of you know how much I love romantic movies?

I’m a fan of romance. Now, that doesn’t mean I enjoy the stylings of Matthew McConaughey and whatever flick he decides to doff his top in but I am more of a SINGLES kind of enjoyer when it comes to stories that try and deal with what it’s like to fall in love or at least of what it’s like to try. You can absolutely go wrong in so many regards to how unbelievable you make the character or what it’s actually like to try and distill the reality of frustration and pain you go through to find the one you end up with. SWINGERS and ONCE did this masterfully and when I see a trailer like this I am reminded that these bubblegum pop songs cum movies are still alive and well.

The trailer starts off thoughtfully enough. It sets up, what seems like, something completely unrelated to the film itself. It talks about the midnight kiss that two people give each other at the stroke of midnight. The music, the composition of the scenes, is well done and, like I mentioned, it seems unrelated to the narrative. Things come back to the moment at hand, however, as we are introduced to the man looking for love and his goofy ass friend.

“You’re gonna have 14 year-olds calling you, you’re going to have grandmas calling you”¦”

What seems to be at issue, then, is the pensive, introspective man who doesn’t want anything more than to just die in a small hole is somehow roped in to placing a personal ad on Craig’s List. Sure, it seems outrageous but so did what Debbie did in SINGLES when she threw herself into a video dating service.

What differentiates this trailer, and this story, from the others is that the guy seems well intentioned enough that he’s willing expose himself to the outside world in that he’s looking for a date for new year’s while completely understanding how bizarre and sad it is to be doing such a thing on-line.

So, the narrative moves forward after he gets a phone call. The shot of nothing but a pair of wet lips and the sounds of a woman who we don’t see interests me. The self-labeled misanthrope prepares for a date with this mystery woman and it’s endearing in a way. His jackass friend, and you have to have an obnoxious foil in there somewhere if you want to keep this kind of film from going too deep with emotion, is actually funny when he opens his fist as he drives his buddy to his date and reveals a mound of condoms. The misanthrope’s shock is worth the price of admission into this trailer.

Also, big ups to the music that’s embedded into this thing. It serves as a sweet frame around which everything takes place. It’s accurately chosen and it doesn’t take away from my riveted interest in seeing what is going to happen next.

What happens next is that we meet the woman who will end up with us for the rest of the movie and, save for a little pretentiousness that eeks out slightly on the screen, she seems like a nice lady. When the girl mentions she’s looking for true love on this night of nights, and you think that this could be straying too far into the artsy fartsy realm, we’re pulled back by misanthrope who questions using Craig’s List for such a thing.

We’re given a pull quote from LA Weekly and it honestly helps ballast my expectations a little higher. Toss in a few more moments of these kids getting to know one another and add in 4 other quotable reviews, mix in a nice jingly jangly acoustic number that is wickedly pleasant to listen to, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

But wait, there’s more!

This crazy lady’s ex-boyfriend threatens to burn all her things which sets in motion this frantic moment where these two budding lovebirds scramble to save some possessions from a relationship pyre. It’s chaotic but funny.

Near the end, the twinkling music that chimes in as the two of them are locked in traffic at the stroke of midnight is too perfect as we have an honest to goodness moment that should trigger something within you that says this is a movie which deserves to be seen.

THE SOLOIST (2008)

Director: John Wright
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Rachael Harris
Release: November 21, 2008
Synopsis: In “The Soloist,” an emotionally soaring drama about lost dreams and the redemptive power of music, journalist Steve Lopez (Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr.) discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives. “The Soloist” is directed by Joe Wright Golden Globe winner for Best Drama and Oscar® nominee for Best Picture “Atonement.

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Prognosis: Positive-ish. Let’s just toss this out there before anyone else has a chance to do it: Is Jamie Foxx (The Second X Is For eXcitement) going full retard in this film?

Yeah, it’ll be something that I think will inexorably follow any Robert Downey Jr. movie from here on out but I already have a feeling this expression has been played out. Regardless, though, there is something else that has chaffed me the wrong way in between the time we’ve all watched TROPIC THUNDER and IRON MAN and it has everything to do with this article that Rolling Stone did with Downey just last month. Besides the author collapsing under his own self-love of the prose coming out of his fingers the odd profile piece seems like it’s something better suited for a post-modern academic journal about dissociative disorders than it is an interview; seriously, for fuck’s sake, Downey seems just as pleased to be the master of obfuscation than actually giving a straight answer on anything. It’s Exhibit A why I don’t think I would enjoy the trappings of interviewing A list celebrities. Give me blue-collar actors any day of the week.

However, when it comes to Downey’s work as of late the man is just unstoppable. I think that if I did have any issue with how this new trailer starts is that it seems incapable of having any narrative flow. You have Downey riding his bike and then, next thing you know, he’s wiping out. The whole thing feels like a poor editing job and it’s disjointed on top of that.

I get that he’s a writer looking for some kind of inspiration and a little “ha ha” funny moment where we see him picking his words for a future column I guess is a little humanizing. Seriously, this does nothing more than wonder if this is going to be another down-on-his-luck writer (possibly afflicted with some kind of alcohol or drug problem, no less. Maybe he’s a male prostitute) who needs to find THE story that will lift his spirit and get him off the sauce.

Enter Jamie Foxx. Enter This is about the time when we get the “Higher Ground” Stevie Wonder cover version on a shiatty violin. Somehow of all the street performers in the world this one catches his ear. Regardless of why that’s the case we’re now supposed to buy into the idea that this guy captures Downey’s heart strings, awww, and prompts him to buy this street performer a new violin for reasons we’re not really privy to.

As a journalist he digs deeper, Downey finding out this prodigy of the woodwinds is crazy as a box of fruit loops.

We get some clue as to this guy’s craziness from what we’re given: Foxx asking Downey if he’s the pilot of a plane that’s passing in the sky, him making calls in phone booth with no shoes, him employing some retard strength as he turns on Downey and gets ready to give him a piece of his knuckle sandwich and a couple of other moments that scream, “Please, Academy, witness my greatness!”

Shameless pandering aside we do get a moment that feels genuinely tender. With a delicate violin solo and the announcement that this is coming to us from the director of ATONEMENT there are some rather evocative moments that surprise even me.

In a world slathered in crazy comes a guy who talks to the air, punches anyone who he short circuits around and just happens to be masterful in the one thing that separates him from any other crazy person that doesn’t get a movie made about them.

I think I really respond to Downey playing the part of friend who says the embarrassingly sappy lines of “We look after each other” or “I’m the closest thing to family he has.” It really reeks of the kind of bombast that is usually reserved for pabulum like this. However, how deep the superficiality goes or how maudlin things get is really up to Downey and Foxx (Where The X Stands For eXtreme!) to see how much retard they’ve imbued these characters with.

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WORTH REVISITING: CATCH-22

Catch the Catch by Ray Schillaci

Of all the movies about war, whether it be Vietnam, Gulf War, WW II, even to go as far as to affiliate Braveheart or 300 in that category, there are ten that I could recommend. Perhaps a handful of them would leave you feeling both exhausted and exhilarated for their cinematic style and story telling. But there may be only one that that takes you beyond the edge and pushes you off while putting you through a whirlwind of emotions. Love it, hate it, one cannot deny the brilliance, not only of story, but casting and direction that is picture perfect. Yet, it is far from recognized getting lost in the shuffle of Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter and Platoon. It even was lost during its opening having to compete with a far more digestible war piece, “M.A.S.H.” The reason; it makes you think and generally people would rather escape than struggle with their mind. “Catch-22″ not only makes you struggle but also has you contemplating far after several viewings.

Catch-22 is of all things a black comedy about the horrors of war and one man trying to escape them while others wallow in its profiteering, bathe in its depravity and snap (and literally break apart) under the unfathomable duress. Sound like fun? Think about it; what movie executive in his right mind would green light a project like this. Of course, this was done in the 70’s when filmmakers were allowed to have a voice and not be pressured into franchises, monopolies, and toy manufacturing. It’s a time when Coppola had not yet fried his brain and a young Spielberg was interested in story as well as technique.

This anti-war satire of epic proportions was ripped from the pages of a harrowing novel written by Joseph Heller. The book had people talking and the idea of turning it into a movie was as insane as the premise of the story itself. Paramount probably only gave it the go ahead because of the dedicated talent that was willing to tackle this behemoth of a story and to compete with 20th Century Fox’s broader appeal war project in the works, M.A.S.H.

Paramount thought they had something going on when they signed the winning team of Mike Nichols and Buck Henry fresh from “The Graduate” to handle the delicate balance of laughs, drama and horror of the amazing novel. They were able to land a cavalcade of stars that were all in their acting prime; Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Jack Gilford, Buck Henry, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins (yes, Norman Bates!), Paula Prentiss (and showing full frontal ““ how the heck did they manage that?), Martin Sheen, John Voight”¦I know what you’re thinking ““ does it ever end? No, they actually topped it off with the talents of Orson Welles and the unusual Art Garfunkel (yes, from Simon and Garfunkel ““ “Mrs. Robinson” fame). Normally this would be a film executive’s wet dream watching these talents woo the dollars into the box office. But no one anticipated the brilliant film team of Nichols and Henry to dive into the book and venture beyond the challenge not seeming to care who they may offend, repulse or leave in a quandary.

This was the studio’s goose egg and a film connoisseur’s dream. They had taken the story of a small group of flyers in the Mediterranean in 1944 and placed before us winners, losers, opportunists and survivors. They displayed the frightened, profane, pathetic and very nervous edge that accompanied those participating in such folly. Of course, this was just coming off the heels of the age of love, not war, and these love children wanted to make sure if you walked into that theater you would never forget and probably think twice before enlisting (I know, not very patriotic). They were of a time when so many young people felt there had to be another way to handle disagreeing fractions peacefully rather than have old men beyond their prime sending out young, lower and middle class, men to slaughter for the illusion of freedom.

Some may find the movie hard to follow, especially with so many flashbacks and dream sequences, but it all ties together in the end and is probably one of the most defining films of that period. Nichols gives us images that stick to our mind; Alan Arkin sitting naked in a tree, refusing to put on his uniform for fear of flying again. There are officers running through routines like Abbott and Costello while their landscape is being blown to shit. Guts spilling, people literally cut in half and blow jobs in back alleys have one in shock that mainstream cinema was allowed to go this far back then. It just shows you how backward and infantile we have become. Do not get me wrong; none of this is for exploitation. The images as a whole lash out a statement that puts Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” to shame.

Once again, this is not an easy one to find. But it may be worth adding to your collection since it can be purchased for less than $10. Just the cast alone is worth that. Warning this is not for wives or girlfriends (unless they are very hip and don’t mind putting themselves through the wringer). This is a thinking guy’s movie. So, those who like their war movies dummied up with little dialogue, lotsa gore and far less story ““ rent “Rambo, the Fight Continues” ““ it’s as original as it’s title. But I do admit it’s a guilty pleasure when I’m in a red neck mood.

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

Are there too many movies out there right now?

I just read a piece in the Arizona Republic about the flood of movies that are entering the marketplace looking for your dollars. One of the movies the article makes note of is MY MOM’S NEW BOYFRIEND, a Meg Ryan/Antonio Banderas film, was opened internationally to good acclaim but only saw the light of day here in the U.S. in the form of a direct to DVD release. I know, I know, it would be an easy joke to point a finger at a piece of rom-com fare but the implications about a vehicle like that only making it to store shelves and bypassing the silver screen altogether raised my curiosity. The piece goes on to talk about how films that seem to have such a good chance to make a dent in the theatrical market are being financially slaughtered when given to the public to see them. SON OF RAMBOW was another statistic thrown out as a film that had such great promise after its favorable critical reception and audience indicators that this would have been the one to break through only died a pathetic fiscal death, only grossing $1.78 million.

What does this say about modern theatrical releases? Well, the article does the job in explaining what this does mean, the idea that we are only at the epoch of a long line of releases thanks to the rush to get films under production prior to the writer’s strike, and if you have some time read about what could be the portent of things to come to your local megaplex.

Read it and post some of your thoughts below. I’m curious to see what some of you Monday Morning Quarterbacks have to think.

2. NPR recently did a story about ways theater owners are getting people back into the theater.

Something that has been used here and there is now being looked at as a viable way to get fresh butts in seats. After listening to the story, and how productions like Broadway plays and concerts by contemporary artists that don’t suck, are being shown in limited release and are actually extricating home dwellers from their enclaves where DVD is the only form of entertainment that they know.

Sure, smaller DVD windows are helping people make the choice to stay inside, that’s the businesses fault for allowing that to happen, but when some dude thought “Shit, I’m barely making anything exhibiting the latest turd from Sony, why don’t I toy with the idea of finding ways to show something other than a movie?” that was a brainstorm that deserved a lot of credit. No longer can you expect Hollywood to the harbinger of great entertainment; some promoters got wise and found out that Dick and Jane might make a date night out of the chance to see a simulcast of a performance for Cirque du Soleil’s latest without having to pay $140 a ticket and without having to fly to Vegas. Lord knows I get all the shit road productions that appeal to Arizona’s finest golden oldies (No joke, but you realize I once sat at a play where there wasn’t just handicapped seating but areas that were cordoned off for those with oxygen tanks?) and if I had the chance to see something fresh on Broadway and not pay the full fare, you’re damn right I would be there.

Anyway, the story is quite interesting and I hope that some look at this as a new way of how to engage those who are finding other things to do with their time.

3. Darren Aronofsky won an award.

Ok, this isn’t so much about Darren’s successful outing at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Golden Lion for his flick THE WRESTLER. I, additionally, want it known I was one of the few lonely hearts pining for what should have been more attention to THE FOUNTAIN but who the hell cares in the grand scheme of things. Yeah, it’s great he won that silver tiger, whatever. What has been lost in the shuffle of things is Mickey Rourke.

God damn, sweet Jesus!

What hell on earth befell that poor man’s face? It’s like someone stuck a candle too close to his lips and melted his cheekbones.

I have heard this movie is awesome. I have heard that this will really be a departure from his usual fare. But the way he has Darren in that headlock in the picture above I cannot believe he wasn’t fearful for what would happen if Mickey decided to pop his neck right then and there.

Everything about the way women and men have to keep themselves pumped up, quite literally, from their lips to their eyes to their boobies, and anything else that might end up sagging. Lord knows we’re just years away from testicle/elephant sack tucks. I don’t spend enough time exploring this issue so I can’t speak about it on any great authority but just seeing Rourke walk down the aisle, ready to collect the award with Darren, I was just struck by a small sense of shock at what that man has wrought to his face.

Can’t wait to see this one.

4. As I write this, it’s the 7th anniversary of September 11th and today I spent an hour with former governor of Minnesota,  Jesse Ventura. I will be furiously whipping up those transcripts immediately but I will absolutely go on the record as saying that the hour I spent with him was the highlight of my year. Without question, without having to explain myself any further. The man has so much to say and on such a poignant occasion there was much political talk about Palin, McCain, Obama, the political process, how a death threat wasn’t going to interrupt his golf game, the war in Iraq vis-a-vis Vietnam and so much other mind-blowingly funny stuff that you absolutely have to tune in to that interview. Last year on September 11th was Henry Rollins. This year is Jesse. I can’t wait to see what next year brings.

5. I saw BURN AFTER READING last night. It was good. Not A+ grade Cohen brothers good, not LEBOWSKI good but it was good. George Clooney was average, Frances McDorman was brilliant, Brad Pitt was flat out funny, John Malkovich is a lightening rod of talent and J.K. Simmons ties everything together like a big fleshy bow. My initial reaction was that it fails to live up, if there is such a thing, to the likes of ARIZONA and LEBOWSKI for one pivotal reason: those people were fuck-ups that could never ever exist in our reality. In READING these are hopelessly fractured humans who we can almost imagine living among us based on the small pieces of humanity that could be reflected by any one of us. Again, it’s a knee-jerk response to seeing the film 2 hours ago. Take it for what you will.

See it but don’t expect to see brilliance thrust upon you; let it steep for a while, like a fine Earl Gray, and allow it to soak into your brain. There is a payoff.

Now, on with the show…

MAX PAYNE (2008)

Director: John Moore
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Beau Bridges, Mila Kunis, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Donal Logue, Kate Burton
Release: October 17, 2008
Synopsis: Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a DEA agent (Wahlberg) whose family was slain as part of a conspiracy and an assassin (Kunis) out to avenge her sister’s death. The duo will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.

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Prognosis: Smells Like A Morgue That Lost Its A/C. First, a word about what Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg had to say about this role:

Mark Wahlberg Calls Max Payne The Most Complex Character He’s Ever Played

Mark Wahlberg has faced grief (“The Lovely Bones”), war (“Three Kings”), a wave the size of a skyscraper (“The Perfect Storm”) and nothing less than the apocalypse. Twice (“The Happening” and “Planet of the Apes”). But his most draining, emotionally charged role to date? Would you believe a video game character?

“Two weeks out I was just dying,” Wahlberg said of his titular role in the upcoming video game adaptation “Max Payne.” “I wanted my life back.”

The film-noirish, John Woo-esque “Payne” was a huge hit when it premiered for PCs in 2001, spawning a sequel and selling more than 7 million units. But its success comes not just from gameplay, which is untranslatable to the big screen anyway, said Wahlberg, but from a surprisingly adult, sophisticated, and yes, complex lead character unusual for the medium.

“I read the script and said either somebody got really creative or it’s actually more like a movie than most games,” Wahlberg enthused.

“Max Payne is not a one-trick pony. It’s probably one of the edgier roles I’ve played but also the most layered. Here’s a very happy guy who worked a dismal job, had a beautiful family. But the beauty in his life was taken away. He just goes on a rampage. It’s all driven by emotion.”

Hahaha! Really? You serious?

This is the kind of film that goes into the category of Let Me Try And Talk About This Project In Ways That Mask some of the more horrific signs that this is going to flame up like the Human Torch in ways that, if you haven’t figured it out by now, expose how hyperbole in interviews by some actors only serve to deceive you, the people who pay upwards of ten bucks to see this pile of crap.

I’ve watched this trailer a few times and each subsequent viewing only makes me titter more and more. What, ostensibly, is the line of bullshit they’re trying to make you buy into, literally, is that this is a movie based on some kind of revenge and that this is some hard-boiled dude who is out to stop at nothing to blah, blah, blah, shoot guns, blah, blah, blah.

What the beginning of this trailer proves, however, is that the video game that has now come to life should have just stayed a video game. I mean how can you not point and finger and laugh at the gravely voiceover where Marky Mark is trying to sound all serious as he talks about becoming fodder for fish, his body drifting slowly to the bottom of a river. It’s funny because the monologue is something that is better suited for an Antonio Sabato DVD release than it is something someone would plunk millions into making a reality.

Beyond that, though, it’s a weird amalgam of shots that I guess are supposed to be spooky, compelling or both. It does nothing, not an absolute thing, to give us any kind of narrative structure to follow. I don’t know why some chick is standing in the middle of an alley with a lot of fake snow falling around her, I don’t know why Marky Mark is standing at an open window with even more fake snow billowing inside his office and I sure don’t know why some dude is making reference to the devil building an army.

What do any of these things have in common? In the immortal words of Pee-Wee Herman in PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE: I. Don’t. Know.

So, Payne wants to find something that wants to stay hidden (huh?) and, seriously, there is a moment when I think there’s going to be something profound. It’s a moment when some nameless dude says, “Remember when you were a kid and you would hold your breath when you went past a graveyard? Just leave that man alone.” This is the part of the trailer where I contemplate suicide, knowing some guy made more money writing that line than I did all last year.

Next we get the same old, tired, boring, hackneyed, unoriginal premise that the guy’s family was taken away from him. Seriously, from the PUNISHER to LETHAL WEAPON it’s just lazy storytelling at this point. Revenge murdering and the introspective, dark and brooding kind of character has just been done again and again.

We lots of gun play, lots of shit flying everywhere, as our one man with a gun is able to blow through everyone’s defenses. Leaping and bounding over crap, trying to mimic the game play of the video game (which was pretty wicked when it came out), it just doesn’t jive.

There’s an obvious grasp at trying to titillate as some whore takes her top off, some chick with a gun starts spraying lead everywhere and there is a lot of screaming by Marky Mark that has no context whatsoever. Not to mention all those fucking birds everywhere.

Yeah, Marky, one of the hardest roles you’ve ever had to take on.

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Recently, I was able to chat with an actress who is set the Los Angeles Film Festival afire with her performance as a girl named Cleo in an indie called HottieBoomaLottie. The film deals with a much maligned outsider who just wants to get with one of the most popular girls in high school. The quick synopsis, sure, doesn’t sound like something original but thanks to its reception when the film played a couple of months ago the film was applauded for being more original in its execution than many directors or writers who seem intent on defining the adolescent experience in the exact same way.

Lauren McKnight plays Cleo, cousin to our man trying to make something positive happen with the girl who should be unattainable to many mortal men, and it is my hope that this film breaks out of its festival shackles and surfaces where other people can partake of a comedy that seems to be more funny than it is “quirky.”

CHRISTOPHER STIPP: I have not seen the movie, so start me out by telling me what the movie is about.

LAUREN MCKNIGHT: It’s about a high school boy named Ethan who is definitely a social outcast. A bit of a high school underdog and he has been infatuated with the hottest girl in school, Madison Sweet. Ethan actually has an older brother Clay who is the exact opposite of Ethan. He’s really cool and definitely socially accepted. He also has an interest in Madison but Ethan doesn’t know that. Anyway though, Ethan spends the majority of the movie trying to get Madison’s attention in different elaborate ways and she doesn’t even really know that he exists.

And within those attempts to try and get her attention he gets in trouble with him mom and she send him off to live in California with his cousins, Asher and Cleo. Cleo, which is my character, is a very tomboy kind of girl. She doesn’t really put much effort into her appearance every day. But after Ethan comes to visit her in California, it prompts her to become more feminine so that Ethan will notice her. Anyway though, in the movie Clay, his older brother, actually ends up hooking up with Madison. So Cleo actually helps Ethan to try and break them up because really she just wants Ethan to be happy. So, I don’t know, it’s kind of a strange predicament.

CS: I’ve noticed going through your resume that it’s really been, with the exception of one project, it’s all been film. And most of the times when I’m talking to actresses in films, they have a lot of television work because that seems to be the progression. Television ““ then movies. But you seem to be just”¦

MCKNIGHT: Film oriented?

CS: Yeah. Was that a conscious choice to just focus on that exclusively?

MCKNIGHT: I don’t know. I’ve auditioned for television stuff before but I think I’m more into movies. Television is a long, drawn out process you know. Filming episodes ““ even if you are just in one episode ““ I like being able to go through the entire story. It really hasn’t been my choice to stay in film it’s just what I have been cast in is film. I love movies. I would definitely prefer it over television.

CS: And a film like this ““ you get a script with a title like it has ““ Did you at first roll your eyes and say, “I’m not so sure about this?”

MCKNIGHT: Well, it fits it. It’s an extremely quirky comedy. It’s awesome. It’s definitely unique. After I read through the script I knew it was definitely something I wanted to do.

CS: What was it about the writing? You look at it and it’s fairly standard ““ it’s got it’s moments of little twists in there as you were explaining it to me but as you were reading it what really drew you into the idea?

MCKNIGHT: I really just fell in love with my character, Cleo. She’s just me in so many different ways and she’s such a deep character. I don’t know. I love her. Playing her was the perfect role for me to play.

CS: How long was your time on the set? Were you prominent enough that you had to be there for the duration of the entire shoot?

MCKNIGHT: Pretty much. Of course, some days are longer than others but I was there most of the time. It was about a month long shoot.

CS: Really. 4 weeks and that was it?

MCKNIGHT: Yeah. A lot of the locations were pretty convenient we did have to fly out to San Francisco for part of it but other than that, most of it was filmed in Utah. So the locations were convenient and close together. It was easy.

CS: Taking a part like this ““ not the biggest budget in the world but it seems to be doing pretty well in it’s circuit ““ is there any kind of hesitation that maybe the script is good but it’s not as big a profile ““ does that ever come into play of how big of a film financially it is or is it really about whether the part is any good?

MCKNIGHT: You know what. That’s never really seemed to bother me. I’ve worked with Warner Bros. and stuff before and I like the feel you get from an independent film. It’s such a laid-back, casual, intimate experience and you are all there because you want to be there. I don’t know. I read scripts and if it’s a good script and a good movie and something that I want to be a part of, if it’s something that I want to do, I’m going to do it regardless of what the pay is, or it’s not going to get that much attention. Really, if it seems like it’s something for me, I like to do it.

CS: Like I said, going over your resume, it’s not like you’ve been in this business for a long time. Years ago, what spurred you on to the idea that I really want to make a go of this as a professional actress? Where did you cut your teeth to get that bug?

MCKNIGHT: Well, ever since I was little I was an actress. I just pretended to be other people. It was just something I had a passion for even when I was a little kid. And later in my life I started getting into plays in drama classes at school and those were fun, but I didn’t fit in with those kids. I felt like I was the outcast and I was actually kicked out of two drama classes because I just wasn’t like very body else. So it was kind of funny. The director for HottieBoombaLottie actually met me in my high school drama class. He asked the teacher if I’ve done film before and if I would like to work with him on a film and he said, “Oh yeah, she does film but I wouldn’t hire her because she never shows up for class.” Because I wasn’t serious about drama class my teacher just assumed I wouldn’t be good for film.

CS: Geez. Something like that, I would think, would deserve a punch to the ear to the person who said it.

MCKNIGHT: It’s kind of funny and ironic that I got kicked out of my drama classes. But I’m doing what I like to do now ““ got into film and really fit in there and think it’s definitely my industry.

CS: So, after doing a project like this, do you find that this is your sole income? When you look at certain projects do you weigh the financial income and say, “Well, this will help.”

MCKNIGHT: It’s definitely an issue ““ if it’s going to end up costing me money rather than earning money ““ which has happened a couple of times ““ but I definitely do weigh that a little bit. A goal that I have for myself is to be able to get to the point in my acting career that I will be able to support myself and family solely by acting. And I will be happy with that. I don’t want to have to take on a second job. I just want to be able to do acting.

CS: I am always curious about the life of an actor of how you can go from one project ““ like this project you said was 4 weeks – so after 4 weeks are the crickets chirping in the background saying which project is next? Do you always have to be planning your months out, your years out?

MCKNIGHT: Sometimes. I’ll usually take on jobs in between that are flexible. I am also a photographer so I’ll do head shots for people. I’ve done pictures for bands ““ that’s flexible for me. So in between that, there is something for me to do. I paint, I do photography, there are things that I can control in my career and in my life and provide me with other sources of income and keep me busy until the next project comes along.

CS: And how do you keep that sense of that this is just a job after all? Are you finding it a difficult thing to think about or do you really just have to devote your entire sense thinking that it’s either this or it’s nothing?

MCKNIGHT: I really do think of it more as just a job. I feel like acting is my life and it’s my goal in life to become a successful actress and I’m going to push for that as hard as I can.

CS: When you read a script and say “Yeah, I really like this part” or “That part makes me laugh” in your history of doing films do you find that you are surprised that something doesn’t work out the way it does on the page but when you actually act it out, are there any surprises?

MCKNIGHT: Definitely. I mean all these script movies that are really iffy to me but then sometimes end up coming together extremely well. I read through the HottieBoombaLottie script and it was really funny to begin with but after seeing the actual part being played out it was just that much better.

CS: Right. Obviously it is filled with comedy and one of the things I always seem to ask ask about is when actors do comedies, and when you have to take multiple takes, does it start to loose it’s spontaneity or are you able to recreate it no matter how many times you have to do it?

MCKNIGHT: I think the different takes are extremely helpful. In some of the more serious parts that I have, I find after the first take I’m OK about it but I keep going deeper and deeper into the character the more times you go through it. As far as the comedy goes, they try it tons of different ways and that always helps to find out which one will be successful and plenty of caffeine in your system helps.

(Laughs)

We were all just pretty happy and all over the place.

(Laughs)

C: Based on that ““ this is a comedy, UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, that was a comedy, do you ever think that maybe you should mix some drama in there or is that ever a consideration? At the end of the day, if the script is good, the script is good and if it just happens to be all comedies, c’est la vie?

MCKNIGHT: Yeah. I’ve done a couple of serious roles. Not really ones that are known very well but I feel like I will be able to get a good mixture in there. Especially with Cleo. She has some extremely deep, serious parts in the movie. She’s a very full character. She definitely is a likable character because of that, I think, because she has so many emotions and shows so many emotions in the movie.

CS: And do you find, the way it’s being described, I saw a tag line where they are comparing it to JUNO and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE…

MCKNIGHT: Oh yeah, I’ve heard a lot of people say that. Even people who haven’t heard anybody else say that are saying that. I definitely feel like the comedy is closely similar to those movies. It has the same feel to it. Which is a good thing.

CS: Exactly. They’re good movies to be compared to at the end of the day. Does the quirkiness really come out on the page? I know that if you were going to read the script for NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, it doesn’t seem that odd but the director’s really made it a point to make it feel like it was it’s own world. After seeing the final product, did they capture what you thought you had read on the page?

MCKNIGHT: Yes, that and more. Some of the parts in the movie I didn’t really thoroughly understand until I actually saw them being played out and I think it definitely came together better than I expected it would.

CS: So now, going forward, are you finding people responding to it ““ does a movie like this garner better scripts in your mailbox, does performances like this help the quality of work that comes in? When you are first starting out you kind of take what you can get but is there a selection process where you can now say, “I can be a little more selective in what I pick?”

MCKNIGHT: Yeah. I think there really is. I mean I definitely only want to be a part of things I want to be a part of. I’m not picky. But it’s exciting for me because now I can be. I won’t just end up doing those independent films where they say, well, we’ll give you good food and that’s about it.

(Laughs)

CS: If I had one more question it would be, watching this film, what do you hope people take away from having seen the film?

L: You know what, the film in general just leaves you with a happy feeling. Coming out of movies that are similar to this – you are lifted up by the movie and it really is just a feel good movie.