Live From The Dallas International Film Festival 2023

For posterity's sake, it is 646 on the East Coast.
It is, six minus three, 346 on the West Coast.
It is the last day of April in the year of our Lord 2023.
And the Clubhouse podcast is live to tape this week.
Something about going home again.
For the first time in, we have,
we're calculating four to five years.
We're not exactly, well,
the time is a construct.
We are live from the Dallas International Film Festival.
Some would call this the scene of the crime.
I don't know.
We've had a lot of great memories right here at the Diff.
Welcome. My name is Rob.
I am the executive producer of the Clubhouse Podcast.
And we've got a lot to do in a short time to do it in.
Joining me, Alex out on assignment this week,
but joining me across the table is the official fact checker
of sooner or greater productions.
You may know him is Ick Boonu,
but his mom, my name is,
my mom, my name is Don Ford.
I'm a column, Don Ford.
Hey, brother.
We're bad.
Whoa, you are so loud in my ears.
Good mercy.
I'm turning you name.
I always do that every year.
Yes, he does.
Yes, he does.
We're at the Diff.
We are.
We have your members in this very spot here.
Ah, yeah.
So, Glen Moore-Shower has been at this very location.
We at Thompson has been this very location.
Some of the best memories of this show
have been as a part of this festival.
And this year is going to be no different.
Well, you know me.
I do.
Yes, you do.
And I'm sorry, Doctor.
I heard a loud pop and then nothing.
Well, we've already got guests.
We're just, we're, we're, we're coming in hot.
So, gentlemen, I will let you introduce yourselves
if you would please.
All right, ah, my name is Matthew Price.
I was an actor on the Doldrums.
All right.
My name is Ty Hochan, and I am the producer of the Doldrums.
Awesome.
I'm just over here making some adjustments
so we can make sure this works right on the recording.
And I think we're actually there now.
All right.
Let me make sure to that, that, that, that, that.
And you go ahead and talk for me.
All right, yeah.
Check.
Sounds like, no, I think we're good.
I think we're in a good place now.
I think we're in a good place now.
Technology, what are we going to do?
I don't know anything smart to say.
So, tell me about the film.
Ah, yeah.
It was a movie, Leo directed it.
He took a big chance on me.
He allowed me to come in and work on it with him.
It's sort of a coming of age story.
It's sort of a lot of, a lot of his high school experience
and younger days experience whenever he was going
through meeting people and they kind of were stuck in a rut.
And he wanted to move on and he had to sort of let go
of some of the people that he grew up with.
Things of that nature.
When did you, how long has it been since you shot the film?
Four years.
So, four years ago, I'm still a little vague.
I'm trying to remember it as we talk.
I'm still trying to figure out why I'm coming
through louder than you guys.
I don't know what's going on here, but that's OK.
We're going to get it done.
So, it's been four years since you shot it.
Do you feel like when you watch it now?
Because as part of the film festival, have you watched it since?
I have not.
So, this is me the first time you've watched it.
You said it will be my first time seeing it.
Is it going to be one of those moments that it's just like,
oh, yeah, we did that.
Or do you think you remembered enough
that you'll be able to stay in the moment the whole time?
I think sort of 50-50, I think I remember enough to, you know,
like, I won't be shocked at anything that happens,
but at the same time, it will be kind of a weird reminder
that we did do those things.
Because I don't, I mean, again, it was four years ago.
I don't remember exactly everything that went on,
but I think it'll be really fun to do.
I'm nervous as I'll get out.
This is my first film.
I've ever acted in.
Well, I think that comes with the territory, though.
I think it's a rational fear or nervousness I have.
I think any time that you have to watch yourself on a screen.
Yeah, I don't even like pictures of myself.
I miss, I have to listen back to the show
because I'm listening for corrections and omissions
and things like that.
I don't like it.
You know, and I don't mind even looking at myself.
I'm just listening to myself.
Oh my gosh, yeah.
How about you, sir?
How about me?
You're here with us, too, talk to me.
What would you like to know?
Let's talk about how you're feeling at this point.
Oh, well, I've got my local beer on me.
I'm feeling good.
Four Corners is good stuff.
Yeah, I don't drink much.
And so this tiny little can here is,
it's gotten me in a pretty good mood right now.
You know what, there's actually a store on the north side
that's actually called Liquid Courage for a reason.
But this film, have you watched this sense that you finished it?
Is this your first time or have you been able to screen it?
I am obligated to watch it before it screams.
So I've seen it.
It's pretty dang good.
I'm very proud of what our director Leo has done,
proud of the actors.
There's some moments in there that just reminds me
of what happened on set on those certain days
I were filming.
I think a lot of times when I'm watching something
that I've worked on, I'm really
recalling all of those things more
than I'm really being pulled into the film.
And so it's a little different for us, I think, just watching it.
It's definitely going to be a new experience for me.
I think I might do the same thing.
We're, instead of watching the movie for what it is,
I'll just be looking at what I was doing the whole time
and how I was feeling that day and things like that.
And this is day three of the festival.
Have you guys been here for the whole thing
or have you did you come in today?
We've been here since the opening, yeah.
As Tom Petty once said, the waiting is the hardest part?
The waiting is the hardest part, yeah.
But have you really been able to just kind of relax
and take everything in?
Because the Dallas International Film Festival,
there's a lot going on all the time for seven, eight days.
Yeah, I've been a nervous wreck.
I've been an absolute nervous wreck.
But have you had the opportunity to even celebrate
and others that have had their film shown here?
Does that help take your mind off it for a little while?
It does help in the moment.
Monday night we came in here and it was nice,
to meet other people in the industry and things like that.
I mean, I live in West Texas.
So there's not a lot of arts going on in Midland,
but the Midland, no desert.
Exactly, we got a lot of them.
We got to get old, Matt, oil.
I'm sorry.
I've spent some time there.
I'm so sorry, man.
We go where we go.
We go where the road takes us.
That happens, yeah.
You can say you've got a larger view of things.
For you, somebody that's behind the camera.
Yes.
Does it affect you differently
as you're watching other films?
Is it hard to take that hat off
when you're watching film to go,
oh, I see what they did there.
I know how this works.
I know what they did here.
It is difficult because you're not watching.
I mean, you want to watch the story unfold,
but you can't help but wonder and think about
how it's been told, what's happening in the creative choices.
So I think when you become involved in filmmaking,
you kind of rob yourself of that magical experience
that perhaps the audience is going through.
But again, with compelling performances,
they do kind of creep up on you,
and then you do find yourself really surprised
at what you're watching,
and those are the moments that I look forward to.
For you, is there a film specifically that you saw
that made you go, ooh, I want to work in this industry.
I want to make stuff like this.
In the past, you mean like this?
What lit the fire?
This might be a controversial answer,
but when I was young, I saw Ford's Gump.
And I, yeah, it just, I've been so young
and seen something like that happen on film
and crying into the theater as a young kid,
it really hit me.
And I really saw no other career choice ahead of me,
other than being involved in something so magical
as what I saw in the theater.
And that film technologically took us a few steps forward too.
Yeah.
And from somebody behind the scenes,
it's kind of a different ball game,
because you're looking for something different,
and you found that inspiration from the technical side of it,
which makes sense too.
What about for you?
Well, mine's not as intellectual of an answer.
My first time that I realized I wanted to be an actor
was seeing Napoleon Dynamite.
When I danced to Jamera Clio, I was like, that's it.
That's it for me.
I just love that you were able to name
Check Jamera Clio.
Oh, that brings me joy.
As a man who is a, I thought I was a retired DJ
and there's no such thing.
I love it when people name check bands correctly.
It was a great song and it's a great dance.
The movie's fantastic in my eyes,
which is I just, I was so entertained
and my whole family was entertained
and I saw, you know, my family's very cold people.
And I saw them enjoy themselves.
I was like, wow, people can do that.
They don't even know these people
and they're laughing and smiling with them.
I thought that was beautiful.
So I'd love that movie.
2023 from a film standpoint is coming in hot right now.
Normally, historically, January, February, early March
is kind of the dumping ground for studios.
Since the advent of streaming and things like that,
that seems to have changed.
Has there been anything you've seen this year
that has knocked your socks off?
Oh, beef.
I have not gotten into that yet.
It's like, you, that is a good show.
That's a really good show.
Oh, gosh, I haven't seen anything this year.
That I can recall.
I've seen a good number of films so far this year
and I've loved the diversity between, you know,
something like John Wick chapter four gets released
and then you get something also
that just came out Friday called Polite Society,
which I absolutely adored.
And I love the diversity that we've had in film
in the last four or five years.
And last year with, of course, everything everywhere
all at once, just doing what it does.
Films like RRR, if you have not seen.
Yeah, that is three hours and 10 minutes.
I will spend any possible time I can.
When a man grabs a tiger and throws him at another man,
like, what else do you need?
That's tight, you know, that's awesome.
And it's, and apparently we are getting a sequel.
Oh, I've never heard of what is RRR.
So it's on Netflix.
It's kind of a what if story.
OK.
It's Bollywood to the absolute end.
Oh, fantastic.
It's about two different guys that really did exist,
but they didn't exist at the same time,
as India rebelled against the British Empire.
And how they end up on opposite sides, but then working together.
And your main villain is played by Ray Stevenson,
which he's the punisher, he knew what he wants.
And then I'm watching this film, and I'm watching his wife,
and I'm like, I know this lady.
So of course, Magic Box, I am DB.
Alison Dutie from Indiana Jones in the last crusade.
Oh, my God.
I'm like, we have an Alison Dutie sighting.
This is amazing.
But no, that's a film.
It is three hours and 10 minutes, but commit yourself to it.
Would somebody throw a tiger at somebody?
A man throws a tiger at another man who attacks and tackles
that man.
I've watched that on loop for three hours and 10 minutes.
It is such, and I'm hoping somebody does a showing of it,
because I would like to see it in a theater.
Oh, yeah.
Because watching it at home, I mean,
I've got a decent theater system, but it's not
the same as being in an auditorium, which is why I'm so glad
we're back here.
It is different, yeah.
Talk about you guys as the return to the theater
experience has happened.
Oh, shoot.
I mean, is that what held the film up so long?
Were you waiting for the return to theaters?
Or was it just taking that one to get moving?
I, you know, I actually, I was just,
I think I was just waiting the longer for it to get moving.
I didn't know what was going on again.
I'm just an actor.
I just, yeah, but you should at least be in the loop, I would say.
I mean, I'm in the loop.
And I, you know, I have a, I know, I know what was going on.
And Leah has been super on point with everything,
like letting me know it came me in the loop and stuff.
But I, I didn't like add any pressure to myself.
I was already nervous enough about seeing myself in a movie
that I didn't like make myself think about anything else.
So that's been an issue.
But so after the film, is it tonight?
Tuesday, Tuesday night, Wednesday,
Tuesday at seven and Wednesday at 1015.
So by the time we get this posted,
people will know when they come to see it.
Well, we'll be here at the end of the viral crowd.
Yeah, so I want to use the old name.
And I can't use the old name.
And I'm still trying to get used to the new name.
Have you done a Q&A before, after a, no, I don't think I have.
This is my, I didn't even know I was doing this until someone told me to sit down.
So you and me both look at us.
I mean, we've been doing this forever.
But Q&A is a cool thing.
I'm excited, you know, and I love hosting Q&A's,
I love being part of Q&A's.
Is there, is there anything that when you're watching the film,
are there any beats that you're, that you're going to be watching for spin?
Don't, don't spoil anything.
But are there going to be certain beats that you're prepared?
You're, I know that the audience is going to react now.
Or you're just going to go in and freeform the thing.
See, okay.
So I have a lot of moments that I want the audience to react a certain way.
And that again, terrifying, you know, I'm just, you know,
I hope that I don't fixate too much on what I want to happen.
And I'm able to just enjoy what's happening instead of, you know,
being in my head and being so self-critical as all actors are, we're super dramatic.
But do you prefer not having watched it before watching it with a crowd?
Or would you rather have watched it like in a controlled environment first?
No, I'd rather out of the front end of the fire.
Like, let's just, let's just go to go.
Let's just dive into the deep end.
Let me know right off the bat for you.
Would you have rather seen it with it in front of a crowd for the first time?
No, um, that's a hard no.
No, I, I, I'm a bit of a control freak.
I liked, well, when I say that, I, I mean, I need to be in control of my own emotions.
Fair enough.
So I need to know what to expect.
I know that there are two moments in the film that, uh, that are quite fun.
That, you know, Matthew's in one of those parts that, um, where the, uh,
the style of the film, uh, changes a little bit.
Um, and then there's another part towards the end where, uh, it really changes.
And, um, uh, to me, uh, it's thrilling to watch something like that.
Uh, for an audience, um, you guys have no idea what's coming up.
But, uh, it's pretty exciting.
Uh, I'm, I am looking forward to seeing the reaction to that.
Um, but no, I, I, I, I tend to want to see it before anyone else.
So Tuesday night and Wednesday night, right here, right?
Just right probably what 50 yards from where we're sitting here on a beautiful Sunday
afternoon.
We were a little worried about the weather going into this weekend and the weather
held out.
I'm looking for Don.
All right.
We're good.
All right.
So the doldrums Tuesday night, Wednesday night, right here, right here in the
uptown area.
It's a beautiful area.
You can come down, get some of the eat beforehand.
Guys, thank you so much for hanging out with me.
Thank you.
I hope everything goes well for you this week.
I'm looking forward to hearing the feedback.
Thank you.
He's crossed.
All right.
We are live at the Dallas International Film Festival.
Runs through the end of the week.
It's one of our favorite things to do every year.
And we are tagging out.
Good afternoon.
Is this a afternoon?
No, I mean, technically in the mountain time zone.
It's the afternoon.
We'll take it.
Go ahead and introduce everybody to use.
Uh, hello.
My name is Samuel Rinkus.
I was the gaffer on the doldrums.
All right.
And I am, uh, Leo Nussensvig, the, uh, writer, director of the doldrums.
So you, you are the one hurting all the cats.
Uh, yes.
Listening to the guys that were up here before, right?
And I like that we've got representation on both sides of the camera,
because I always love that because I always love the compare and contrast.
Like for your actor who's in front of the camera,
that his world ends at that lens.
Sure, yeah.
But for everybody else, it's that plus everything else.
Listening to what they were saying.
I was watching you pace.
I'm like, that's the director.
There's no way that's not the director.
How are you feeling right now?
Well, uh, you know, it's, it's exciting to, uh, actually have, uh, you know,
movie out, uh, it's my first feature.
Uh, but I think the more exciting thing is that it's, uh, uh,
the actual in person premieres in my hometown and where the movie was shot.
This is like a Dallas movie.
I mean, we've talked about this at a couple of festivals recently.
That the Dallas film scene, a lot of people don't understand.
There's a lot that happens in this area.
And you're from this area.
Any more specifically that you want to talk about?
Uh, yeah, I'm from Lakewood.
Ah, yes, but we have an album over in that area.
Absolutely.
But I'm a big fan of what inspired you to start doing film?
Well, that's a tough question.
I mean, uh, well, I can kind of look back to my dad where he, uh, where,
where like, uh, you know, we, I, I, I, I'm not, I wasn't born in Dallas,
but I moved here and, uh, you know, between like, uh, before starting
school, he would take me every, every weekend to a blockbuster.
And I would, uh, pick out like five or so movies and watch them over the week.
Hey, blockbuster video, blockbuster video, like it, like a blockbuster film,
because he kids, there used to be this place.
It was a magical place.
I actually worked at one for a while.
Yeah, I'm a big film guy.
I was a projectionist in high school.
I was the kid in the third grade that pushed the projector into your class.
And I made your day because you knew you weren't going to have to do anything that day.
So that for you is ingrained very young.
Yeah, spending a lot of time watching film.
Exactly.
For you, another person behind the camera, and I don't know that we've had the
opportunity to talk to people in that position.
Uh-huh.
I think we, I think we now have every position on film covered in 13 years of the show.
Great.
Which is winning.
It took us 13 years, but we're winning.
Uh, do the nerves sit with you differently?
Or do you think that you guys all carry that same level of nervousness going?
Because you, you still got another two days.
Oh, I mean, yeah, I'm nervous for sure.
I've seen this movie a bunch of times though.
So I think like I've gotten the nerves kind of out.
I know what to expect.
I'm very excited.
I am very happy with the final result that we produced.
So I'm a little bit nervous going into it, but I think probably not as much as
maybe the actor and the director might be still.
This film was like a huge part of my life for a pretty long time.
I was working with like kind of Leo when he started developing the story from to
when we started scouting locations.
And me personally, not being from Dallas, like this movie is how I know Dallas.
I came here to work on this movie and every time I've been to Dallas,
uh, has been something related to the.
So we get to judge you based on what you think our town is versus what it will
actually be in a couple of days.
Well, exactly.
I promise you won't judge me.
We promise we won't judge you outwardly.
How about that?
That would be my only hope.
Maybe just get a bless your heart.
I'm trying to formulate words.
I've been working shows all weekend.
So my brain's a little bit frazzled right now.
Oh, mine too.
We talked earlier about, you know, this has been four years.
Yeah, four years with the return to theaters.
Because that was the big thing during the pandemic.
We were like, for me as somebody who loves film, I need to get back to a movie theater.
I don't care if you have to encase me in bubble wrap and put me in a silkwood shower.
I need to get to a theater.
Me too, for sure.
Is this something?
Would you, would you have been okay if you had to go streaming first?
Or are you more happy that we were able to have a timeframe where you can do
this in an auditorium with a bunch of people not online, not on a Zoom call,
not in a chat room where you can be with people in three dimensions and watch this happen.
I mean, yeah, it's, it's a, it's really rewarding.
Like the, like the thing is, it's like, this was basically, it was added, put together,
edited during the pandemic.
So even the editing was over Zoom.
It was like this insane setup that we did just to, just so like my editor could
live cut in front of me.
And now that it's like coming to, how does that, how does that even, like, it's really bad.
My brain would explode.
And if I'm having to just watch somebody on a screen edit my film,
I'm like, can you, can you just send this to me when you're done?
You're, you're, you're driving me insane.
Yeah, I mean, like my producer, I'm, I'm also a bit of a control freak.
So I do want to want to like, you know, have some say where the cuts are.
Maybe, you know, I'm too involved in the, in the edit.
But it's a, it was one of those things where at certain moments during the pandemic,
I'm like, okay, I can't do this and we wouldn't, wouldn't speak for like a week and a
and then, and then we come back cutting every day and then, and then it's, you know, these,
like, these times, because I was stuck in an apartment in New York.
I wasn't, you know, I wasn't doing, I wasn't doing anything besides this and watching movies
and playing video games.
It's been, it was a insane time.
I've, I'm a big fan of physical media.
Yeah, my co-host who couldn't be here tonight, he is vehemently not.
He's like, I can just stream it.
And I'm like, look, when the grid goes down, where are you going to be?
You're going to be at my house wanting to watch movies.
That's true.
Fight through it.
But I just lost my train of thought.
You said you were basically isolated in New York during the editing process.
How long was it before you got it to a point where like, okay, this is the final product.
This is what we're going with.
We are locked for show.
Well, it took a year and a half and then a trip to LA to finalize it.
And I like to get that time frame from people because people don't sometimes don't understand.
It's not like, hey, we got together for a couple of days and we made a movie.
And it's like, no, I talk to people who do shorts that shoot for two weeks for 10 minutes.
When you sat down and the credits rolled for the first time,
was there that exhale or were you just like, I'll take it.
I mean, I think when I saw the moment where I saw the movie for the first time is when I finished
sound editing, because sound like makes a huge difference.
Absolutely.
And I was fortunate enough to work with, actually, Abel for R is sound crew.
Very nice.
And I had to go to Italy for that.
And, okay, send me to Italy.
Fine.
Yeah, I know this whole thing.
Here's my arm twisted.
Here's, okay, okay, okay, okay.
And they're really great, extremely professional.
And when we finished that whole edit and we sat there in the final day,
after watching the film, he in pieces for days and days and days.
And that like the week was finally over and we got and we watched the film from beginning to end.
No notes.
It was like, I called Sam.
I was like, I was like, I remember this, yeah.
I finished the movie.
I've already watched it five times.
I was like, we gotta watch it again.
I've already watched it a bunch of times.
I mean, it's now done.
Are you kidding me?
Well, you gotta watch it now.
Well, I'm about to watch it a couple more times this week.
After Wednesday, what's next for you?
Well, I mean, we recently got into another film festival.
You can talk about it, so they don't want me to put it all dead in it now.
All right.
I heard my feelings.
We recently got into a Marina Del Rey Film Festival.
Oh, and now.
That's another one that, you know, is on the road.
And the, basically, I'm working on a short documentary right now.
Then you talk about what about or you want to hold on to it?
Well, I can talk about it.
It's about Kate Verdean Music, contemporary performance in this archipelago
of the coast of West Africa.
Huge music scene, kind of unknown.
And I'm doing my master's thesis on it.
So that's true.
I like, I like how people, my master's thesis in film,
this brings me joy.
When you have writer's block or you just, you hit a wall.
Is there any, is there a film or something that you go to that helps you get through that?
I go to Sam.
It sounds like no pressure.
I have a very good list in there.
Basically, what happens is I call them on the phone.
And if he answers, I yell at him for about an hour.
And then my writer's block is gone.
So there's not something that you kind of go to to get away from it all.
Any films that you enjoy watching over and over again.
I mean, the thing is, I've developed this habit of just watching
as many movies as I can.
So whatever I'm consuming at the time, whether it's reading a book
or watching a movie that ultimately goes into the thing that I'm working on.
But if it's overcoming writer's block, it's like I'm a ball of anxiety.
And I have to get this energy out somehow.
Sometimes I just force myself to write.
Other times, I just take it out of my friends.
What about you, Sam?
I'll take it out of my friends.
That one almost got past me.
What's the question?
What helps you get away from it all?
Oh, I think I go on like long walks.
I listen to music a bunch.
I love to watch movies.
I feel like I watch a lot more movies than kind of anybody else.
I know outside of like Leo and our group that we knew from college.
But I feel like I am always finding myself going to the theater.
I'm a huge fan of the AMC A-list.
I am an A-list or myself.
My three movies a week in.
I like seeing good stuff.
I like seeing bad stuff.
I love being there in the theater.
It always helps me settle my head.
Or if I'm like feeling very anxious, then I'll go watch a scary movie.
Because then that's how you're supposed to fall.
I'm not a scary movie guy, but I did love Renfield.
Oh, see?
That one I have not seen yet.
One wonderful.
All right, I'm getting a high sign.
But before we go, the show is based on shameless self promotion.
So where can people in touch with you, hook up with you on social media,
give us all the things?
Yeah, so I'm on Instagram.
It's basically the only place that I am.
But Leo of Apple, he can follow me and message me.
I usually respond.
And when it comes out, watch the doldrums.
Yeah, I'm a sound killed cinema on Twitter.
That's my main social media.
I have a podcast coming off the ground in a few weeks on 2000s horror films.
Why two slaves also keep an ear out for that in the future.
And that's how you can find me.
Guys, thank you so much for joining us.
I hope everything goes smashingly to the end of Wednesday.
And I come down here to vote with theaters and see the doldrums right here
at the Dallas International Film Festival.
Don, what you got for me.
Thanks.
Thank you.
We are tagging out yet again.
Beautiful Sunday afternoon and evening here at the Dallas International.
No, please don't yell Don, because you're right in my ears now.
OK, there we go.
Now we're in somewhere.
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Here's the thing.
I can like this gentleman here to do it himself.
OK, as we do.
All I want to say about this is that there's
a North Texas Film Critic Association thing from last night.
Never heard of them.
Yeah, even though you're a member of it, you never heard of it.
Oh, yeah, that's it.
When you get in the interview with this awesome gentleman and director,
ask about the clouds, because that's a big second question I asked him.
But if you already asked him.
Well, he's not on yet officially yet.
I'd like you to be here.
This guy.
That's why he's our fact checker.
That's why he is who he is.
Welcome.
You can tell everybody who you are.
Hey, there.
I'm James Kamali.
I'm the director of the mental state.
It's a feature film about a teenager from rural Kentucky.
Get right up on that thing.
If you're coping, we go, wow, I'm James Kamali, director of the mental state.
That's why I've got this thing, because I'm always right next to it.
Yeah, you look like a sports cat.
I feel that way.
This is the first time I've used this at one of our shows as a gift from a friend of mine.
I'm excited to have it.
It's great.
So the mental state is about a teenager from rural Kentucky who's going through a severe mental
health crisis.
And it's about he and his family kind of coping with it with the lack of resources that
they have at their disposal.
So I think this film is very, very timely.
Yeah, especially, I don't know if I'm a jute, I've been paying attention to pop culture
in the last week with the video that Kevin Smith released.
No, I didn't see it.
He released a 38 minute.
You could call it an interview, but with Kevin, it's never an interview.
You ask Kevin a question, and he goes with people magazine.
It's on YouTube now, where he had, he has announced that he has spent the last month in a
mental health facility in Arizona.
Mental health has been a very big focus, which I'm very happy about.
Yeah.
Same.
Especially, and it just feels like the way you're talking about this film, but there's
a very personal piece to this.
Yeah.
I mean, so how can I, it also deal, so it's a deals with teenage mental health and
gun control, gun violence, right?
Right.
Not to give too much away.
Two very hot topics, right?
Yeah, exactly.
And there's a lot of other social topics that are kind of woven in throughout the story.
It's based on a play of the same name by writer Josh Adele.
He actually wrote it for high school students to perform, to kind of help open a dialogue
between students and faculty and parents.
And it did really well.
He wrote it almost 10 years ago, right?
So that kind of helps give you some idea of how relevant this topic has been for a long
time.
For me, again, not to give too much away, I kind of have to be hard to do.
Yeah, it's hard to do in an interview, but and to help tell why it's such a personal
thing.
But I felt like my generation on kind of grew up in an era of school shootings and a lot
of that dealing with gun violence and teenage mental health.
And you know, just kind of growing up in that, it was a story that I wanted to tell.
Just try to understand it more for myself being a student of this generation.
Can you talk a little bit about, you mentioned this was a play?
Yeah.
There is an art form, in my opinion, of translating a stage production to the big screen because
you have more room to play in in most cases.
If you look at something like the whale, it's very closed in, closed in for a reason.
But you can tell this was a stage production.
Yeah.
How did you approach that?
Did you want to expand it into a bigger world or did you like keeping it in that kind
of a frame?
Yeah, so we wrote, you know, 20 different traps going one way or another, you know, the
writer Josh writing it for his high school drama class, he was writing it for a specific
amount of students, right?
So the first thing we wanted to do was like, do all of these characters need to exist?
So we started there before we wanted to, you know, make it bigger or, you know, make
it into cinematic language.
And then as far as adapting it, like now you're kind of bringing it into legitimate locations,
not just on stage.
So, you know, how far do you want to go?
But you know, I just kind of looked at the play as a really solid foundation for us to
work from as far as giving us characters and Josh Adele did a fantastic job at including
so many sort of social topics woven into a really strong plot line that from there was
a matter of like, you know, just trying to sort of massage it into film language.
How long did that process take?
Wrote it for a few years, probably three or four years to write it and then finally
started to go out and shoot it.
We shot it a good amount of years ago, actually, the initial principle photography.
We shot for about 25 days and then we were in post-production for a while kind of doing
some reshoots and pickups and for me it was like my first true feature debut.
So it's a lot of learning curve and, you know, I was kind of co-producing it at times
as well.
So that was a lot of hats that I had to wear throughout that.
When is the film showing during the festival?
So it showed last night?
Oh, so how'd it go?
Oh, I did really good.
We had a nice amount of people and a great Q&A afterwards.
Tomorrow we have another showing at 4.30 Monday.
It's currently sold out, but I don't know if they're doing any rush tickets.
Hey, nothing wrong with that.
Yeah.
When you could say I could took it to an international film festival and sold it out.
Yeah, I sold it out.
I sold it out twice.
Yeah, yeah.
No big deal.
I won't correct it.
No big deal.
You know.
So.
How?
Was that your first time seeing with an audience last night?
So we've actually been in a few festivals already.
This is our sort of Texas premiere this festival.
But we've shown it at Newport Beach Festival.
We showed it at Catalina, quite a few in the fall.
Showed it at Mammoth Film Festival in Mammoth, California just a couple months ago and then
brought it out here.
And right now we have a sales agent who's working to get it out to the world so you know,
even further.
So we're excited about that.
If you had your brothers and this is a question that I asked filmmakers and some of them will
answer it and some of them won't.
Sure.
If you had your brothers, who picks up this film?
I think it would do actually pretty good on HBO Max.
I know it's a streaming.
I mean, like, look, everybody has the dream of like going into the cinema and showing
in a theater for a run and that would be super awesome.
But I think just the sort of content of the film and just knowing what gets shown on HBO
regularly, I think it would be a good pairing, but who knows, you know, I mean, it should
get a theatrical run and I think that from what you've talked about, I would love to have
this, if it were me, you know, of course I detached as I can be.
But this seems like the kind of film that you could even tour with schools and use as
a discussion tool, is that something that would be in the scope?
It's something that I would love to do.
It's certainly, we don't have an MPAA rating yet.
It's certainly rated R. So that kind of makes it difficult to have how to run that through
a high school.
So maybe that, you could might even be able to pivot that to like a community night where
you could have families come together and say, look, this one was rated R for the following
reasons, but we would like you to come and gather around and so that way because I feel
like these topics are things that need to be discussed, especially amongst families.
Yeah.
Because more and more people are saying that talking to my family was the hardest part.
Yeah, it often is.
And I think that's something that you see with Andy, our main character, struggling to not
only understand his mental health crisis that he's going to for himself to sort of actualize
it in his head, but also to discuss it with his family and understand that further.
So yeah, I mean, that's a fantastic idea, I'd love to do that.
But what filmmakers inspire you?
I think it's, a lot of people ask me this, it's different for each film that I'm working
on, you know, because I think when you go into a film, you're trying to capture a certain
image and, you know, every filmmaker watches a gazillion movies all the time.
If we do it right.
Yeah.
If we do it right, we watch everything.
Yeah.
And then we clean what we can.
Yeah.
So, you know, for me, some of my favorite directors are John Kessavetti's and Paul Thomas
and the real sort of actor directors that, you know, work, you can just see the work that
they did with the actors on screen, you know, and the work that the actors are bringing
to the, to the piece on screen.
Which you could say for so many films, but I think there are certain directors who really
focus on that more so than, you know, giving you a twist on a plot line or something like
that.
So any theatrically, is there anything you're looking forward to coming up?
I mean, I already saw it, but Bo was afraid was.
I couldn't get into it.
It was like the craziest move I've ever seen in my life.
I will not debate that.
So, I mean, I just, I had a fun time watching it.
I thought it was funny at times.
It's incredibly dark at other times.
And then actually, Evil Dead Rise, which I saw recently as well, Alyssa Sutherland, who
stars in that as the mother, stars in our film.
Really?
Yeah.
She plays the aunt of the main character who's kind of a-
Local cop and she's like a great-
She's a fantastic actress.
I mean, everybody who was in the film was a really fantastic actress, but it's cool to see
her in Evil Dead Rise as a completely different character and monster and creature.
Yeah, that's kind of Don's department.
I don't do scary movies.
I have a policy, I live by a code.
I can't give someone my time to try to make me pee on myself.
So-
That's fair enough.
It's one of those things, but like Renfield loved it.
Oh, I have, so that's one.
Renfield, it's a very tight 90, which is good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm in them out.
Yeah.
But it's, there's no title card.
There's no.
It just goes right in.
Well, it starts with him because Renfield is in a support group for co-dependent people.
And the first thing you see is his, hello, my name is Renfield.
That's your title card.
That's your title card.
Which I thought was brilliant.
Yeah.
So-
We were talking about this earlier.
2023 has started out so strong.
Yeah.
Which I dig because you get, you know, you've had so many years with those first couple of
months, it's like, I just got to get through these first couple of months of film.
Yeah.
But now, because, I think it's because of the advent of streaming and other options,
the studios are going, no, we need to be consistent in our, in our material for 12 months.
But then the downside of that is you get a movie that releases early that you want in
Oscar contention later.
Yeah.
Which I think everything, everything, everything everywhere, all at once was kind of an exception
to that rule.
Uh-huh.
Maybe it would be hidden, may.
Yeah.
I saw it in July.
Yeah.
And I was like, oh, please let this movie carry.
Yeah.
And that was my favorite film of last year.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
That was one of my favorite films.
I mean, I, I know it's only like a year old, but it very quickly became one of my favorite
films.
I mean, I think it just-
Absolutely.
Captured so many different styles, so many different, uh, jokes, like I had never seen
a film make me feel all the emotions it was trying to make me feel.
I was glad there were three people in the theater, including me, because I was like, I am
a ball of emotion right now.
I am all of the things right now.
And when a movie can do that, uh-huh.
You know you've done it right.
Yeah.
And also make you laugh your ass off.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Any given moment.
It works on molt.
And it was 45 minutes before I went, that's short round.
Yeah.
Like, oh my god.
He's back.
And just seeing all the success that they've had with that film, there's a film right
now that I've very, very high on called Polite Society.
Ah, is that the one with the Michelle Williams and-
No.
Or, no.
Um, this is-
It's a British film.
Okay.
That's very Bollywood and Western influenced.
All right.
About a young girl, uh-huh, whose sister gets caught up in a whirlwind romance.
Okay.
And she doesn't think everything's on the up and up, and she's an aspiring stunt woman.
It's hard to explain without spoiling anything.
Yeah.
But I really hope that that film gets a lot of eyes on it, just for at least this weekend.
So-
Okay.
So that's what I-
If you've got some time, check it out.
Oh, seven people I know.
Oh.
Well, now you've got eight including our listeners.
Yeah.
So, but-
Polite Society.
Polite Society.
I love that that film has done that.
And there's been so many great films already.
And it's not even May.
Yeah.
Like, we're still, what, two or three?
Oh, I guess summer movie season gets earlier every year, and with Guardians this
week, that's, you're going to be your kickoff.
Yeah.
Is there a genre that you prefer, like if you could direct anything, what genre would
you-
What language would you want to be?
I mean, I'd like to be funnier in my movies.
No, I mean, again, it really depends on like what I'm working on.
So like, I brought up some horror films, I'm writing, I'm trying to write more of a horror
film right now.
And so, I think, again, it just really depends.
I mean, I just love, I just love movies, man.
You know, I'll go out and watch anything from, you know, the tiniest film that was made
in like the 50s or 30s or wherever to Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, you know.
So I don't have a preferred genre, just kind of whatever idea that I'm working on that
is stuck in my head that I need to get out, I'll go out and watch that genre.
When you find yourself in those moments, are those lanes that you stick in, or is it helpful
for you to...
Alright, let me go work on this for a little while because doing this might help me get
through this.
Yeah.
Yeah, so I'll stand that lane until I kind of, you know, sputter and putter out and fade
off of that idea and then I'll go into a different film or different idea that I'm working
on that might be a different genre and then I'll start, you know, it kind of reflects
on what I'm watching and I'll just watch a ton of that and, yeah.
So I try not to watch too many giant superhero films because I don't think I'm making
one of those anytime.
You never know.
You never know.
You never know.
I'll keep my fingers.
Kenneth Brawna has done one.
So Kenneth Brawna can do superhero films, anybody can do.
Very true.
Very true.
I was getting the high sign, but we do base our show on shameless self promotion.
Sure.
So let everybody know where can they get a hold of you, where can they get a hold of the
film, everything they need to know.
So I'm mostly on Instagram at James Kamali, J-A-M-E-S-C-A-M-A-L-I, where you can find
my production company out of shot on Instagram as well and here promoting the mental state.
It is currently in the Dallas International Film Festival.
Jack Rabbit Media is our sales agent.
Let's get it out there.
Let's get the people watching and yeah, thanks.
Thank you so much for sitting down with me today.
It was an honor.
The mental state, check it out.
Even though it's sold out, he's sitting there.
My movie rush tickets.
So keep your eye on it.
We are the Clubhouse podcast live from the Dallas International Film Festival Alex
out on assignment tonight.
Don is working the red carpet as he does so masterfully.
So we get to do the solo adventure, which we don't very do very much tonight.
Earlier today and earlier this weekend, I did spend some time at Dallas Comic Show moderating
some panels and we were going to have those up for you on our YouTube channel.
Look for the Clubhouse podcast.
Check out for the logo, which is a penit kind of sitting on the floor very faded because
there's a bunch of different Clubhouse podcasts.
We are the first and only the original in our 13th season, if you can believe that.
Let's see what else is going on in the world.
Next weekend, we will have a live show from Garland High School as we will be at the Real
Owl Film Festival for those of you that do not know here in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
Garland High School has a film program run by the great Thomas Schubert.
Each and every year, the kids put their films together and the three of us being Don
myself and Alex amongst other local industry people.
We get to judge those films and we get to award those films from everything from directing
to acting to cinematography.
It's a big night for the kids.
We will screen the films and then do a one hour show after the films and before the award
presentation, that will be up next week.
As we do that, we've done that now for four or five years and have a great time.
The Schubert's are amazing people with some incredibly talented kids that you will see
in the industry down the road.
I didn't write a run sheet because I didn't think we'd need one and now we kind of do.
So in the meantime, what we will do is I'll just bring up the magic box and oh, I can't
do the magic box now.
Can I?
We'll do it a different way.
5 past 2, but I forgot that it was not on Wi-Fi.
Here in the Uptown area.
So let's see what we got because it is Sunday and on Sundays, we do take a look at your box
office numbers.
De-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de.
Here, what are we doing here?
Trying to figure this out.
Top 10 box office at this point in the weekend, falling out of the top 10 this week, the
Pope's Exorcist drops from 7 to 12, making $1.75 million, but was afraid drops from 9
to 13, making $1.5 million, Pope's Exorcist now up to $18 million, but was afraid at 5.6,
Reinfield drops from 8 to 14 this week, $1.27 million, for a 3 week total of $16.3 million,
I would have thought that would have made more.
Polite Society actually debuts in 15th place with $800,000, but only on 927 theaters.
So not bad, go out and see this film, I enjoy it so much, debuting in 10th place this week.
A movie that I am very interested in and we'll be checking out at my next possible convenience,
a movie called CISU, $3.3 million, a quarter million dollars this week from Lionsgate, dropping
from 3 to 9 this week in a big drop, the Covenant, actually also known as Guy Richies, the Covenant,
a great film, you can check out my review for that, as well as Don's at our website, www.theclubhousepodcast.com,
it's made $3.6 million, in two weeks just under 13, debuting in 8th place this week,
Punny and Selvin Part 2, with $3.8 million, air drops from 6 to 7, making another $4 million,
in four weeks it has made. So I mean the air is dropped out of it?
Have you seen area, one of our favorite humans just sat down, and he's going to help me with the
rest of this personal piece to the report, Bart Weiss, one of my favorite people in the entire world,
how are you friends? I'm doing great, I'm doing great, still living.
So did you get, because last time we talked you hadn't gotten to see air yet?
I loved it, it was great. I thought he did an amazing job.
Yeah, but a lot of movement in the top 10 this week, Dungeons and Dragons drops from 5 to 6,
I loved that movie, so many more Easter eggs than in April on the White House lawn,
that's all I'm saying, but it's made, you know, $88 million in five weeks,
apparently we had a re-release of Return of the Jedi this week,
but that hit fifth place of $4 million, John Wick chapter 4 stays in fourth place at $5 million,
it has made six weeks, it's made $176 million. I feel like you should have made more than that,
but you know, two hours and 45 minutes, so long time. Are you there, God, it's me Margaret,
debuts in third place, I actually finally got to see it.
Haven't seen it yet, wonderful. It's so good, even Judy Bloom was like, you know what,
I like this better than I like the book. She's got a cameo in it too, which is kind of cool.
Evil Dead Rise stays in second place, so then they're 12.2 million, it's made 44 million in two weeks,
and the Super Mario Brothers movie still in first place, another $40 million in four weeks
that movie's made almost a half a billion dollars domestic. I would say it exceeded expectation.
So what does it say about the state of Hollywood when how many of these films are based on video
games and game culture? One, two, in the top 10. Only two. Well done, it's just dragons.
And and Mario. Yeah, because Evil Dead's a franchise, then you've got Judy Bloom, you've got
John Wick. So, okay, video games and franchises. Yeah, I mean, that's, that's, so where are the
original voices? Well, like you had the big George Foreman biopic that came in the eleventh place,
it made three million dollars. But I'm just saying, I mean, there's a, I think that there's a real
problem and that there's a laziness in going for, well, I think that'll be, you know, John Wick
part 17, you know, but what, but what do we know about Hollywood? You find something that works,
you make 50 more just like it. I mean, you think about the late 90s, how many X files rip off,
did we see? Yeah, but I can still complain about it. Yeah, that is true. That is, that's, that's,
that's what makes, that's what makes debate debate. How are things with you, sir? Oh, it's great.
How's the festival been for you? Well, I have a great time. In 25 minutes, going to introduce
Goy, a Jewish Spanish film. And having a great time, it's always good to watch movies, see people
coming out to watch movies and to be inspired, to meet a lot of people coming from out of town. By
the way, one of my favorites of the, of the whole festival is Skate Girls. It's an absolute must-see.
This was the world premiere of the film yesterday. Oh, wow. I actually, I wanted to show it in Oxford,
where I was programming Docs, and it wasn't done yet, which broke my heart. Oh, but it's really,
marvelous film about these women's skateboarders and, and the culture really great, just a wonderfully
made film, and it's my pick for, for, for the festival. Anything recently that's come out that you,
you're like, as soon as I get a chance, I gotta go see it. Well, there's a lot of things I need to
see, like, so, like, next week is, last week of school. That's what I think. That's what I'm saying,
that you got some time, because, plus, you just got back from Vegas at the big dance show as well.
Right. It may be, and then I'm, like, during two different things, so I gotta, like, just watch and
stuff. But, yeah, I need to go out to the theaters more. It's really wonderful to see a film in a
theater with a bunch of people, and I think that's one of the great things about being here. And I
think that being at this theater, as theater is really wonderful, seats are great. Hot dogs are
good, by the way, if you haven't had a hot dog here. You posted something the other day, and I
want to know more about it. Yeah. You had some film delivered for your students. Tell me about that.
I, I believe that it's really good for students to learn how to shoot film. So you have to learn
about looking at light, measuring light with a light meter, measuring the focus. And I think the
process of thinking about that in a different way makes you a better filmmaker. So, um, luckily,
folks at Kodak gave us some free film stock, but we did have pay for transfer and developing.
But it's very exciting. Anyway, it was a lot of fun.
Oh, what are we doing? Oh, what are you guys doing with that? What's going on?
What are we doing? I, so, so do you know about shot deck? I was reading about it in the press release
because I get these emails. We have somebody joining us right now. Please introduce yourself, sir.
Lawrence Sherrson, photographer and also founder of Shotdeck, which is a filmmaking tool
that we created to help people find images for reference and research and inspiration,
for pitch and prep and post, just basically something that'll make your jobs easier as a filmmaker
or anybody in the creative arts. You didn't get to inspiring to look at the
emails. You didn't get to do the prefix to your name. Oscar award-winning cinematographer.
I would never leave that with that. Can I lead with that, though? Because you, you got the hardware.
You got the hardware we get to talk about it. For Oscar nominated, I didn't get the hardware
on that one because Deakin's got me. Oh, you got it. I got to get into something.
Okay, you got Oscar nominated for for children. I always like to skip the word nomination.
I'm just going to listen. I'm going to give it to you. I'll take it. I'll take it.
That was an incredible experience and I would say that like, truly, that was the win.
It really was. Like for somebody who had long since shooting hangover movies and those kind of
things that are on my resume, I'd long since given up on the idea of like the dream that I would
somehow be nominated. You got to be in the room. Yeah, I was in the room.
And you look at the list of the people you're up there with. That was crazy.
That was the, that was the craziest part because it was a heck of a year. It was a heck of a year.
Well, and I like when I was looking in, in the press notes for you, the versatility of the
projects, Joker, Godzilla King of the Monsters, the hangover, Garden State, Zach Braff,
who currently has one of my favorite films of the year in theaters in a good person.
But we're here to talk about shot deck. Oh, we can talk about whatever you want to talk about.
I have not seen good person because I just finished up this joke film and I haven't got
dinner. Did you work on Fall of New? I didn't work. Fall of New, we just finished up.
So you did work on that. Oh, yeah. Oh, but I will see good person and I'm hoping I won't miss
it in the theaters. But yes, of course, I'm excited. It's one of those films.
Zach Braff, I kind of hold on a, because the guy's been around forever. Like, how many episodes
of scrubs did he direct? Like by the time he got to Garden State, he had the skins on the wall.
This film works on every level. Oh, good. I'm glad to hear that. And it's just,
it'll rip your soul out and then put it right back in there gently for you. Oh, great.
Which I like. I love hearing that. Well, that's good. As heck of a filmmaker. I mean,
look at what he's even done with Ted Lasso and and other. I've seen him on a lot of other shows.
My co-host wrote me like a government meal for months to get Ted Lasso and I was like,
I feel like I need to be in a certain place to watch Ted Lasso and then I watched an episode and
I'm like, everybody leave me alone for the next three days. Because and I'm fully caught up now
and I'm really upset that this is the last season. And you know, Biscuits, which is the one that's
act directed. It's a great episode. I mean, yes, and he's a talented guy. No doubt about it.
What kind of films inspire you? Honestly, anything that moves me emotionally or I connect to
emotionally. So for me, is there anything you kind of as a go-to that you like to watch?
It's so funny because and this is like as somebody who desperately loves movies,
sometimes my go-to is the stupidest thing available. But that's how it works sometimes.
Yes, like because sometimes you want that experience of the thing I just described, right?
The emotional thing, the thing that drags you either to a place of like, you know,
residence or or or you just want to feel seen in all the ways in which movies can be amazing.
And sometimes you want to just shut your brain off and see something silly. I mean,
I always say like, what is the movie? And this isn't a silly one as an example. But
if there's a movie that if it's on TV, I stop and watch until the end. I'm like that.
Off the top of your head. Well, two romance is one of those. Oh, great. Two romance. If it's on,
it's I get it till the end every single time. There's a combination of the Tony Scott of it,
the Quentin Tarantino of it. And that is just world's colliding. Brad Pitt, the Michael
Rappaport, you know, all of it to me is like this collection of just sort of filmmaking kind of
popular slash weird Quentin Tarantino stuff. It's just it's it's awesome. As a cinematographer,
what is it like to have your vision versus a director's vision? How much give and take is there?
Well, I mean, 100% it's always the director's vision, right? That's I'm a firm believer that it's
like a benevolent dictatorship, right? It's like there needs to be one person who you're always
executing the plan for. So for me, if I'm executing a plan that's different than the directors,
then I'm doing something wrong. So first and foremost, I'm trying to align myself. And if I have
ideas, I'll try to see how those vibe with the director and sometimes the directors more of a
actor's director. And I and I can sort of help guide that vision. Sometimes they have a very
specific vision and mine is about executing their vision. So it's a combination, but there needs
to be one person that ultimately can, you know, say got it. I've gotten all the opinions from all the
collaborators. And this is the direction we're moving forward with. So do you have a favorite story
in that vein? Of where you had something that you saw and the director saw something
differently, but he kind of gave into your vision and it worked out. It's such a good question
because I'm sure I have dozens of those examples. I'm just trying to come up with one.
I mean, sometimes by the way, it comes up in ways that are not
or not great, right? Like, you know, one of the benefits of working with somebody multiple times.
Like, I've worked, I've made seven films now with Todd Phillips, super close friend, immense
respect for him as a filmmaker. And very versatile as a filmmaker too. I mean, listen, I will like
do a whole TED talk about, well, forget that Todd Phillips is one of the great American
authors. Like, first of all, he writes every single one of his films along with a co-writer, but
that's an author right there, right? So he creates everything, you know, writer director.
And those are two hats that are very difficult to exist. And has made things like incredible,
crazy documentaries all the way through old school, but also has made franchises that have made
billions of dollars. So he's made popular films. He's made really interesting films. He's made
really diverse films. And he's the author of all of them. So it's not just because he's a friend,
it's not because they've worked with him seven times. But when you work with somebody so long,
you also have a collaboration that's a lot like a marriage. And I do remember one time,
because we would battle. And because we've worked together so much, you talk about like,
how do you reconcile that? Well, sometimes it's like a bit of a give and take because
you have a very specific mission and you're trying to go, I got a feeling for this. And sometimes,
and I do remember one time on Joker, the first one where Todd had to basically go,
just fucking do it because I'm the director. And I went, oh my god, I'm fucking so embarrassed
because he's 100% right. And in that moment, I crossed over from to the director,
DP relationship, but also crossed over because we were friends too. And I went, you're absolutely
right. And that's an example of like somebody at some point has to go, we're moving in this direction.
And it's because I say so. And so I will always remember that even if it was a bit almost embarrassing
for myself. They're giving me a high sign, but before we go, I do want to talk about Shotdeck.
Give everybody a good 10,000 level view of what Shotdeck, given why it's amazing. Yeah, so
Shotdeck, you can find it at shotdeck.com. It's a collaborative image database in which we
you know, break down movies into like their most important shots, tag them 50 different ways
for every shot, make it infinitely searchable so that it's your ultimate place for reference,
research, inspiration across movies, television, soon to be music videos and commercials.
Nice. It's basically a visual IMDB for lack of a better word. It's a celebration of the movie.
So you're saying this is my next rabbit hole is what you're telling the rabbit hole. It's a beautiful
rabbit hole. And you can go kind of things that I can send days on. It's what I use it for every
single project. I start every project with it. And yes, you will you will disappear in a lovely way
into celebration of movies one one frame at a time. Thank you so much. This was awesome. Yeah,
you got it. Lauren, sure everybody. Thank you for hanging out. We are live at the Dallas International
Film Festival with the Clubhouse podcast. I'm Rob Alex out on assignment tonight. We are going
to keep it moving. All right. We use Shotdeck for our film. Come sit down. Come sit. Come sit. Come sit.
We've got microphones and everything. Thank you so much. Tell me who you are. My name is Jorge
Antonio Longsales, producer of Simone. And I'm Diego Vicentini, the writer and director of
Simone. All right. Let's talk about the and you've already given the plug for Shotdeck. So
well played. Tell us about the film. So Simone is a narrative feature film about a Venezuelan
freedom fighter seeking asylum in the in Miami and the USA. And so it deals with the asylum
process and having to watch this character, Simone, who is basically a very hardcore freedom fighter
willing to stand up against a dictatorship, take to the streets, face military tanks and
die for his country. But then the movie begins and we we see him in Miami kind of a shell of
his former self not wanting to even talk about his country, what happened. But then facing the
asylum process, basically, you have to sit down and say everything that happened to you to lead
to this moment. Sorry, the movie kind of slowly reveals what it is that happened to him,
what broke him and what led him to abandon the country and abandoning the fight.
Very intense. It's not a comedy. Well, I wasn't going to say it could still be the field
good movie the year we don't know. But as a kid from South Florida, you have my attention.
Tell me were you able to film locations there. Tell me about that experience if you were.
Yeah. So we shot everything in South Florida. Thank you. The whole movie is based in Miami. I mean,
I left Venezuela when I was 15 years old and I finished high school in Miami.
We're at. So I went to Oliver. Okay. So it was, I mean, I wrote the movie specifically to be
shot in Miami because that's where most Venezuelans that land in the US go.
But also because I already know the locations, I already know the spacing of the city.
And I knew we were going to be able to have so many amazing locations that we did have in the
movie. For example, I can break all the islands right in front. I'm like, this is, I've never seen
this in a movie. So be able to also show Miami in a way that I've never seen in a movie.
The Miami that I lived, let's say as a high schooler, the places I went to and the experience
of Venezuelans had recently arrived there. I have to struggle to start a new life and do the whole
asylum process. So everything was shot in South Florida, including scenes that are supposed to take
place in Venezuela. But for perhaps obvious or not. So obvious reasons, we couldn't shoot in
Venezuela because we would fear for being persecuted in the country for shooting anything of this kind.
You can talk to Arda about this, but even in the making of this movie, we had to
prior to making. We had to have a discussion where like if we make this, we should accept that we
might never be able to go back to our country once it comes out. And that's where we are now.
Let's talk about that. Whereas as you know, you are a producer on this film,
how during while you were shooting this, is that when it got that real for you or were you prepared
for that level of reality as you got into the project? I have to be very honest. I thought deeply
about this like two weeks ago because we were into the process of making the movie,
a Venezuelan movie, and we have to go to different processes in the country. And when we went
through that, we understood that it wasn't going to be so easy and that there could be consequences.
So I think, I mean, two weeks ago or one week ago, I said to myself and said to my wife, I have a
little boy one year old and I said to my wife, I think I won't be able to go back to my country
because we are in a very deep and important project that will touch millions around the world.
I love that because it's that level of bravery that it takes where you know the consequences,
but you're still willing to go forward. From what I'm seeing here, you are fresh off your world
from here. Yes, so is this the third screening so far? You correct. How was that first night?
The first night, which honestly luckily has trickle through every screening, but I mean,
it was very beautiful moving so many tears. I cannot explain how emotional it was. And for two
reasons, one, which we kind of knew going into this, or at least expected that Venezuelans will
connect with this movie. It's what we're going through. And then to hear that the movie has been
a bit cathartic for everybody to deal with the emotions of being immigrants having to have left.
It's happened in every screening and happened right now. An hour ago that I leave the screening
and somebody comes up to me and he says, thank you for the make the movie. I was detained and tortured
for two days, only two days in the movie. It's a different timeline, but he said, I went through that.
They made me sign something. I didn't want to sign. And now I'm here under a silent. So it's,
it's almost a real, you know, because we're making movies and fiction, but then all of a sudden,
you're faced with the reality of it. But then to also experience non-Venezuelans, even non-Latinos,
an American or Europeans that come out and they come out crying and emotional. And then that's
definitely very satisfying. And it makes me feel some sort of success with the intentions with
the movie that it's not just for Venezuelans or even Spanish speakers or Latin Americans that
maybe have a more direct understanding and experience with all this, but that just that the movie
emotionally connects and that it makes people suffer a little bit with the character. But ultimately,
what it's done for me and what it seems to be doing with these screenings of that people come out
with a feeling that they've gone through something, right? They're like, experience a hardship of
the character. But then there are these, you know, towards the end, there are these very cathartic
moments and moments of release, which I think has been very therapeutic for myself. And
luckily that I've now been able to see with the audience, it's been a bit of these emotional releases.
Did you expect that level of almost universal identification with this film? Or was that one of
those like, whoa, this just happened? It's like, you kind of hope for it, you're writing it. I mean,
when I'm writing the film, you know, you hear that in screenwriting, it's got to be universal,
it can't be, but sometimes the more specific it is, the more universal it is. And to be honest,
I think I wrote it from such a heartfelt place of like, I just felt guilty for not being in my country
and not fighting alongside my generation against the dictatorship. And I just felt guilty for
not being there. So that's what fueled me to write it. And I could only hope for that. But yeah,
then like I said, then it just becomes real when you're with an audience and they come out crying
and they tell you whatever they tell you and they hug you. And yeah, I don't know, it could
be more rewarding. And it is, it's still a surprise. Yeah, even though it's part of the intention,
it's a surprise when it does happen every time. Are you at the place that you still are able to
watch it all the way through with an audience or do you need to know, because you know what's going
to happen? You were there. Do you need to take breaks from it because the level of intensity that
this brings? Has that, has that gotten to a place where it's all settled or do you still have that
level of intensity when you watch it? Not yet. So I've still seen it at every screening because it's
it's such a unique experience to be the director and be in the room and and hear people's reaction
when they what are they laugh at? What are they cry at? So I still want to savor and and appreciate
every moment that I get to live this. Also see the movie in a big screen and like there's a limited
amount of times you get to experience that from past experience. I know at one point you get jaded
and like I could I go have a drink at the screening and I come back for the Q&A, but for still now,
I'm like really enjoying it and it's also so such a learning process to to hear the audience what
what's working what isn't and through several audiences because every screening is slightly
different. They laugh a little more at this. So it doesn't land and you don't know it's like
did it just not work or maybe it was this audience. So again, it's a very insightful process and I'm
just like learning and enjoying every bit of this movie making process. And you're here at a beautiful
time too. It's not home. It's not home. Yeah. You know, I go home and I tell people they're like,
well, what's it like in Texas? I'm like, this thing that makes the trees move and they're like the
breeze. I'm like, yeah, we don't have that. And if we do, it's like somebody's following you
on the hairdryer. So 60 days from now, completely going to be different. Well, we're here on Friday.
So it was quite a bit. It wasn't bad. I was falling windy. Has there been and this is for both of you.
You've screened this a handful of times now. During the Q&As, has there been a question that
absolutely took you off guard outside of this one? Well, I remember the first question. I don't know
if you remember in our second screening, it was beautiful because it's the question I want to
work on. It was so beautiful the reaction. Everybody cry and when someone asked, he said,
how can we do to bring these to the Oscars? And it was like, okay, nice. That's it. That's what we
want. And we are working on that because we're like, how do we do? Yeah, but we were hoping you could
tell us. But as Venezuela, we have the opportunity to postulate our movie. And we're working on that.
Let's see what happens. Would this qualify as an international film? So that sort of what he was
talking about where we were doing the process it takes to nationalize the movie, meaning that it's
a Venezuelan film. But we knew we were going to face some obstacles. That was going to be my question.
There's going to be something. I mean, when I wrote down like, I don't think they'll ever give it to us.
But we've been undergoing through the process and we've gotten way further than we thought. And
basically, we might be in the clear to at least getting that stamp of approval because we fill
out the requirements. The right of the director, the main, the heads of department were all
Venezuelan. The cast is Venezuelan. The story is about Venezuela with the Venezuelan protagonist.
So it wouldn't make sense not to be the certificate, but we don't live in a normal country where that
should be taken for granted. So it's been a process and it looks like we might have that stamp,
which is something that's ongoing right now, which is what it also led to. Basically, the reality
of being like, we might get the certificate, but we might also really come to terms with like,
now we can't go back because now they've seen it. They had to stamp it. So that's where we are now.
And in terms of the questions from the audience, it's not a question. It's more when people come
up to the Q&A and then they grab the microphone and then they start sharing some of their experiences
and then they start crying and there's no question involved. And we're just sitting listening, but it's
like the best thing ever because it's like, all the Q&A sort of turned into like a communal therapy
session. People just express what they've been through. And although sometimes it's nice to be asked
what frames per second you shot at or what camera, which is nice. The filmmaker part, but as a
with that connection, it's like, yeah, that's the big compliment that they're connected with it.
And like, oh, we'll save the geeky questions for some other moment. They're giving me the high sign.
Two quick questions before we let you go. Number one, where does the film go from here?
Cool. So we're starting our festival. We're on like you just said, we just had to world premiere.
Dallas is our second festival. We've got a bunch of other festivals coming up. And the best way to
know anything about the film is at Simon DeFilm. That's where you can follow us on all social media,
especially Instagram where we post everything. And me specifically as a director working on my next
script. SimonMovie.com for the website as well. SimonMovie.com is website. Everything
upcoming with the movie eventually when it's available for everybody to watch and share. Hopefully,
because hopefully this movie can help spread this message spread awareness about what's going on.
It is Simon. I'm assuming the screen meeting went well from what you've told me. So that's
awesome. Congratulations, gentlemen. Thank you so much for hanging out with us.
SimonTheMovie.com or SimonMovie.com go there. Simon The Film is the social media. I just learned
to read. It's okay. Thank you guys so much. Go enjoy your evening. I appreciate it so much.
You do the same. All right. This is the clubhouse podcast live at the Dallas International Film Festival.
So much going on. It's day three. And I think we've got like four more to go.
So make your plans go to Dallasfilm.org. Find out the schedule. Make sure that things
not close to the curb because there's like a dip over there. And next thing I'm going to
know down goes Frazier and it's a whole thing. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Tell everybody
introduce yourself if you would please. I'm Brian Beckman. I'm one of the directors on Go On Be Braves.
And I'm Mary McSpatton. I am the other director on Go On Be Braves. I am so excited that you're here
because I've gotten multiple emails in the last few weeks. And I've been waiting to talk to
somebody because I haven't had a chance to see the movie but I'm extremely excited about it. I
know about it because your marketing team is amazing. I'm just going to say it because
I was I was getting the emails about it that your eyes were going to be here.
It was and it but it may be genuinely excited for it. It wasn't like oh here's another email.
It was oh like let's do this thing. So tell everybody about this film.
So the film Go On Be Brave is about Andrea Lidelpeet who was diagnosed with ALS or also known as
Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of only 33 years old. You're right up on that thing if you would.
Do you want me to repeat that? No I can hear you but I want to hear you better. Perfect.
And so she was diagnosed with ALS at only 33 years old and she said I'm going to go out the way
that I want to go out. This has a life expectancy of two to five years and I want to be the first
person with ALS to do a marathon in all 50 states and so we started filming with her four years
ago and it just transpired into a four-year journey of chronicling her you know attempting this
impossible impossible. And so we have two directors because I'm assuming because four years
because at some point you you have to like go home right? Yes and we also we so we are also married
so we're directors and we're married. Somebody's got to be home then. So yes. So yeah it started off
with Miriam meeting Andrea and doing something for a short documentary for a PBS station and then
Andrea approaching us and saying I want to do this goal do you think that would be a good
documentary and then within like five days you were on an airplane to tend to see with her
to document a marathon and we just took off from there. Was this the beginning of her journey or
did you pick this up midstream? She had done six marathons. She had just so happened to have done six
marathons at six days at that time so we picked up with her at marathon seven and then followed her
two. And these are 26.2s. 26.2s. Let's let's make sure everybody understands. This isn't you know
you you go and you do the virtual thing. She's out there in every state on the road running 26.2
I can do that in my car. Outside of that I make no guarantees. So what we did was we picked up with
this on her five year anniversary five year of being diagnosed. Okay good so it's like two to five
years as a life expectancy when she hit five years she's like I'm still alive. I'm gonna set an
impossible goal because I'm not supposed to be here. Yeah. We're there moments because you said
it was a four year journey. Yeah. I'm going to assume that baked into that four years where
a moment where you just kind of had to go you know what I need a day because this has to be an intense
story to have to tell. What were you was there anything that you were able to do specifically to
just kind of reset your brain or just get space from it so that you can make sure that you're
focused on the story itself and that it doesn't get away from what the vision of it you have as
long with your subject. I had done a lot of work in short documentaries up until now you know
the the five to 12 minutes and with those what I can say is you know you have your pillars of
storytelling that you have to hit and I with this film this is my first hour first feature length
film. I fell in love with letting go of the control because once you hit four years you can't control
like you can't you get your pillars you get your storytelling pillars and then you have to
truly allow life to happen and with her life there were two directions that could go she could
accomplish it or there could be another direction that it went and that's the direction that the
disease takes and it has taken so many amazing people incredible people and we profiled many people
in the film friends of ours who we got to know through filming who sadly have passed but they
were also ALS warriors and they said I'm also going to live my life the way that I want to and so
we I fell in love with releasing control allowing story to happen and then knowing we have to we
have to tell the life that happens and that's our job. Were they were your friends the one that
connected you to her? They were actually her friends so for her she it was very important for her
she said my progression is unusual I have a longer a slower progression and this disease is brutal
and I don't want people anyone to come away from seeing this film and think that
they did something wrong and that if they had done something differently they could have had my
progression and so with that she was like please tell stories of other people with different
progressions and so that's how that it was they were her friends who ultimately it was this
entire ALS community that welcomed us into their homes and into their lives to tell all facets of
the story. As a married couple that's also a dynamic you're married and you're co-directing.
Do you set up parameters that say we need to take this amount of time and not talk about work
because my wife and I worked in the same office for a couple years totally not the same thing.
I mean I think a documentary takes over your whole life whether you wanted to or not.
That's a fair assessment though I don't think that like it was an option to turn it off because it's
like especially with this kind of documentary at any moments notice we might need to grab a camera
and get over there at least one of us because one of us would be available to do that and so it was
I mean we were spending a lot of time on the road together we during COVID we drove across the
country together in our in our mid-size SUV and slept in it and like there was no getting away from
each other at that point like that was like a very intense the claustrophobia. How many times has
the film been screened before today? So we premiered it at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
and then we were just at River Run last week so this is our third. So this is three so it's
I'll take it. I'll take this premiere. Don what do we got?
Welcome. We are so happy that you're here we love talking about your movie
so it's the third time today ever it has been shown. How did it go?
It's happening right now. So you're here the movie's showing now I don't think that has ever
happened in 13 years of the show that I'm like oh you know what we'll go do a podcast while my movie's
on. The first time you watched it what did you think? I mean I was talking away you know I did
down Marathon Spade I did down magic. She's the word magic dude. She did that's heavy. That's
heavy. We're not going to take that. She did the magic. Tell me about your experience with the
festival since you guys have been here. How is things? I mean I know everybody's great here because
that's why we do this. How has the experience been for you? I mean I am uh
us surrounded by our friends and our family and um you know just the other people that we
have met are just so interesting and uh I'm genuine. I'm out. I don't I don't I want to ask but I
don't want to ask because if I ask a new answer then it's going to ruin the film. I assume we
at least got close. Can we say that? Or do they need to see the movie to find out?
All right all right fair enough. We are spoiler free on this show but you they can tell me
off air. It's fine. Where is the movie going from here because Don said you're limited on time.
I don't want to make sure we get all the plugs in. We are continuing to apply to film festivals but
we are so excited that we are going to start an impact campaign at the end of the summer and
early fall into fall and we work in 50s so we have 50 screenings set up and the money raised
is going to go to ALS research. Andrea has a foundation team Drea foundation. The website is
team Drea dot org. Spell Drea for me please. T-E-A-M-D-R-E-A dot org. Okay. And she is partnered with
literally some of the world's leading researchers and doctors and so the money raised from this film
is going to go directly to cutting edge research. Nice. And um we are going to make a day. This is
going to be one stepping stone along with many stepping stones in the ALS community that have
already been laid and that people are actively doing right now um that is going to make it possible
for people with ALS to live a full life. That is the dream. That's the goal. That's our next marathon.
We're going to do it. And also just as another plug her book uh hope fights back her memoir is also
coming out September 5th. Yep. And they can they get to that from the website as well. It can be
pre-ordered from Amazon. How can they get to from Amazon? It can be uh ordered from go on be brave.com
as well. Yeah. The official website for the movie. For the movie. Yes. Perfect. I don't know what to say
right now. This has been I love it when an interview can take me so far off guard that I don't have
words. She's pretty disarming. I just I am so happy that the film got here. I'm so happy that you
guys are here. I know you've got to go shake hands and kiss babies and answer questions and all
those good things. Nothing but the best for what you guys are going to do. And this will be up
this week so people can hear and get in contact with you and see the film. Go on be brave.
If you're not at least finish the podcast then go watch the movie. Just do me that solid and then
go watch the movie. So thank you guys so much for hanging out. And we want to say thank you Rob
and the clubhouse podcast for having us. I love it when we get name checked. Don what's up. I
really rarely ever do this where I come in and talk during the festivals. My ears. My prayers
are with you. My thoughts are with you. Absolutely. Like I said my coworker it just happened to him.
You're an inspiration to rent. So amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you guys so much. That was
awesome. That was awesome. Clubhouse podcast live. I'm going to stand up for this. Thank you guys so
much. Live at the Dallas International Film Festival. It is day three. Alex out on assignment.
Tonight we will have him back very very soon. Don't don't forget next week Garwin High School
Real Owl Film Festival. It's going to go down live. Can't wait to see all the kids. See the
shoebirds. See some great student short films in a high school. I love that we have performing arts
in our high schools because we got to get these kids young so that they can foster their dreams
and become the filmmakers that we get to see at things like the Dallas International Film Festival.
I love it when we see kids come back that are living their dreams and getting those films made.
Make sure that you follow us on all your social medias. The website is www.theclubhousepodcast.com
just at a revamp on it. We'd love to get your thoughts on that. We've got more people to come hang out
with us. Alrighty. You're you're you're stuff to go to go to go wind it. Be very careful of the
curb on that. There's a weird there's a weird ramp going on over there. What am I doing? Oh good
good good good good. All right if you guys would go ahead and introduce yourself for me. I would
greatly appreciate it. I'm Randy Schmidt the writer and producer for Karen Carpenter Starving
for perfection and I'm Andy Stritefeld the executive producer of the said film and I'm
Randy Martin director for Karen Carpenter Starving for perfection. I would ask what brought you to
do a documentary but I think we already know. Karen Carpenter absolute legend. You you can't
go anywhere and not at least run into something that the Carpenter's did. I even have the if I
were a Carpenter tribute album because I mean I've been a DJ forever and you just you amass these
things over years but there's certain things that I buy for me you know I don't care if I ever
spend that CD at a party it's for me. She obviously impacted all three of you because if not you're
not sitting here in front of me but what specifically about her drove you to say I want to tell her
story and talk right into those microphones because they're unidirectional so otherwise it's not
going to pick you up well enough. So for me this is Randy Schmidt. For me it was of course Karen's
voice but discovering her voice and her her life story all at once in 1989 the TV movie about
Karen was on CBS and I was a 13 year old kid watching it and immediately started researching
and wanted to find out everything that I had missed not having grown up during the Carpenter's
heyday I was born right in the middle of it as was I and so that research grew over the next 20 years
or so and in 2010 my book Little Girl Blue the Life of Karen Carpenter was published and it's
that book that then all these years later has now served as the basis for this documentary that we've
done. It's a street bill of you it. So I am older than Randy and Randy and I actually grew up during
the Carpenter's heyday so I was in high school from 1970 to 1974 so that would have put me right
in the center. Right yeah right smack dab in the middle of it. And I bought other albums and I
unlike Randy who probably listened to all the heavy metal stuff I hated heavy metal and it was all
about the Carpenter's and of course I wouldn't tell that to my friends because that was sort of
a and I was very shy kid anyway so it was sort of a way but and then I met them when I was 21 I
keep saying I met them I did not meet them I wasn't an elevator with them from floor one to floor
two. I'm counting it you were in proximity that is a meat. All right it's a meat for probably eight
seconds ten seconds and counts 21 years old it compact video in Burbank California so that had
something to do with this I'm sure but I'm sure they're my favorite band certainly from that.
I mean Randy will talk about bands I don't know who they are it's like you know journey I know
yeah I know journey but who's the other one you did? Talk right into that thing sir.
Prince Guns of Roses? I don't know Guns of Roses. I don't know they're not one of them. I find that
hard to believe. No I really don't I really really what's their number one song?
Paradise City Sweet Child of Mine. They did a great cover of Living Let Die
yeah okay they were on the soundtrack to Terminator 2 with you could be mine.
Right. But certainly not in high school I would not have known them even a little bit in high school.
So okay so Annie mentioned it I when I was in high school I was I was listening to the hard
stuff however I also being a musician got into fusion jazz classical Stravinsky I'm still
a Stravinsky fan and the carpenters growing up are always playing in the background and there's
a scene in in Tommy Boy that's also in a rock where yes they they're like gauging each other about
okay should we listen to this and they're trying to be cool that was me that was me I would never
go seek out a Karen or a carpenters song. That was superstar wasn't it they came on the radio?
Yeah yeah yeah so I would never go seek seek them out but whenever they were playing and my parents
would play them I was always like those guys were really good yeah I won't let you pick the needle
up you can let that one right mark that those those melodies are they're pretty rich. Well and then
you see videos of her that not a lot of people realize she was an amazing percussionist.
There you go. And when those videos pop up I get reminded of that because that voice that
you can't replicate and she was also a very accomplished musician too and as a musician myself
I identify with that and you know seeing the influence they had on a lot of people that people
don't realize and I compare it to there's a Ford there's a Fordist box that out there that
Phil Collins did that's called Phil Collins plays well with others and it's all of the stuff he
did with other people. Robert playing it. Yeah and she you could do the same thing with the
carpenters because as much as they wrote and they collaborated with other people that you never
even know knew about you had the screening earlier today I believe that four o'clock this afternoon
is how many times has the film been shown before this before this? Well it's been in testables.
It's been in multiple hospitals. Yeah. How the screening go today. Really good it was full and
the one yesterday was full. Love it. Oh so you had two this weekend. We actually we actually had
yesterday they announced our original screening was at one yesterday sold out in two days. Love it
so thankfully the festival added a second screening which also sold out very very rapidly. How did
the Q and A's go? Really good and the Q and A's I love because they're generally questions that
are not covering the film which are you know very nice and emotion and Randy of course knows all
the answers to everything. One thing just to be clear for people for your listeners is this really
is about Karen. Yes Richard's part of this but it's Karen's story. Yeah. You know and in
Brandy I told you before the thing that's amazing about this is how Karen's friends came together
to him and said listen her story has never really been told and to me that's fair to me even just
as a viewer not even being involved in that that's something that pulls me in. Do you feel that
is it as you have left? I agree. There you go. Done. Are you still having the same
emotional reactions now that you had in the beginning when you watch it? You know I watch it
every time. I don't go to sleep all the time. I have gone to sleep watching it but I am I see
new things I see details and there's nothing I would say. I mean I'm so corn you say that
there's very little nothing I would change at this point. I mean it's so hard to produce a
documentary that maintains interest that isn't too long. So many docs are way too long and I thought
these guys in hour 40 we're not going any we're an hour 40 and five. And that's a good pocket
for documentary too. That 90 to 105 is a really good pocket. And I want to tell a story that
a lot of different people could could understand because it's not just for the fans Brandy sort of
started out worried about the fans. Fans already know all this stuff. Well the fans are one
percent of who we're getting to. All those other people are the ones that we want to get to.
So it's I mean I love a lot of docs we do. So I just I mean I'd probably watch it a hundred
times by now and watch it with people in the room is incredible because they laugh and cry.
Have you gotten that feedback from super fans? Oh god.
Because I would love to hear that story. Give me a story about a super fan that you talked to.
Oh well actually just yesterday at the at the screening in the afternoon there was
a girl a teenage girl jumping up and down in her seat raising her hand when you ask a question.
And she was so excited about being able to be at the screening and that she had read my book
and all this that she could hardly breathe. And I met her a little bit later after that once the
Q&A was over and her parents were having to tell her you know take a deep breath calm down breathe amazing.
And she was just so excited and she knew she was asking detailed questions from my book that
you know people who had watched the documentary. So she's hitting you with multiple angles.
She's a documentary and the book. Yeah that was fun. But as far as you know usually I don't
have fans of my own that was a first I think. Okay we like it usually it's usually you know
Carpenter's fans and a lot of them have been fans since first hearing their cover of ticket to
ride on the radio in 69 and then in with close to you of course being their first number one in 70.
So I am so grateful to those fans who have allowed me to co-exist in this place with them and to
be just some part of Karen's legacy is really an honor to me and it's been the front the fans
encouragement that's kind of kept me going along and doing this all these years. So their response
has been overall very positive. The only thing ever once in a while there are a few of them that
are hurt by the title because it is so shocking it is it gets right to the point of several
you know the things in Karen's life that of course led to her demise but you have to acknowledge
you have to acknowledge the whole story to tell the story. Well even when you don't want to it's
like no this is a part of the thing. Yeah those that's that's one of the things that I think the
people who have actually seen it realize the the respect and love that has gone into it and the
careful attention to to Karen's story and legacy that we've we've we've kept in mind throughout
the entire thing. Let me follow up on that. Please please see your question. This is your time
feel free. I got nothing but time. Your question was about the Q&A's and the audience response
and so two things our very first screening was at a different festival on the west coast and
one of the personnel in the doc I mean he the guy won a he won an Academy Award for screenwriting
Rainman. So he he saw the doc twice and the first time and I think everybody who's involved in
the film they typically will look at it hey you know did the audio stay in sync and did everything
stay in focus and they kind of look at it if you're involved in making it from more of a technical
sample. Well he watched again here's a guy who's won a freaking Academy Award the second screening
that he watched it he got caught up in the documentary and he was in it and he he he was moved to
tears just just from the emotion of the the story itself but that's an audience reaction from not
only somebody in the audience but also was involved in the film and he just got cut care of but
I don't know if you remember Randy the girl you were talking about the superfan in yesterday's
screening almost like Darth Vader appeared on the screen she know the story so well that when the
like up the bat let's call him the the villain popped up for a short piece of the documentary she
booed him wow in the screen that is amazing and think about it the rest of the audience they don't
know what's going on why did why did this girl just move this guy just this photo popped up that's
amazing I'm getting the high sign but I was two quick questions okay number one this is going to be
that's that's the ultimate answer this I'm asking the tougher one first give me one of their songs
that you want to hear one of today's artists do and who is it because for me I want to see a Bruno
Mars or a John legend take on one of their songs because they could give it the gravitas
that's a deep question right there only yet only yesterday is my favorite song that is a great
song I don't know who would be the best person for me it would probably be either superstar or
rainy days and I'd like to hear Kelly Clarkson do something I mean she does she's from Texas we
give you points for that her her Kellioki of course is that means she's done so many covers but
she does them all so well so yeah she comes to mind for me right now oh boy I'm gonna have to go
a superstar too I mean that's my favorite but let me put that with a band you could do justice
with that melody give me faith no more their version of easy is what what breaks me there they're
they're cover of easy is amazing okay I'll go I'll go with you know that then all right so we
base this show on shameless self promotion so before we let you go give us give our audience
everything the websites the social media how they can get in contact with you everything okay so
the website is carin carpenter doc dot com so the word carin the word carpenter d o c dot com and
an Instagram site is at carin carpenter doc check that out go ahead just as I say for Facebook
Facebook and Instagram are both Karen carpenter doc it is Karen carpenter starving for perfection
I'm so glad you guys had two amazing screenings I am looking forward to getting to this at some
point but again this has been this is like my third show this weekend I've been doing I didn't
get to do any films so thank you guys so much for hanging out and sitting down with us all the
best you as this thing goes forward thank you for your intelligent questions thank you thank you
I have that recorded I ask intelligent questions that is not getting edited out there you go chicken
or the egg which came first that's not the same you don't get to do that because it's the egg
and dinosaurs late eggs and there were dinosaurs millions of years before chickens that's the answer
all right that deserves a carin carpenter rim shot this is like the tape this week
don't if you could give them the give them the youtube channel and everything and the way because
it'll be on the website thank you so much gentlemen thank you so much the clubhouse podcast oh
you're good it's supposed to do that live at the Dallas International Film Festival
we've been on the air now or we're recording now for almost an hour 45 so I will get some after we talk
all right if you could give me one yes please because I'm talking to them they're not getting up
go ahead and tell everybody who you are go ahead hi I'm I belong I'm the producer writer of
and I'm Samuel Diaz Fernández I'm the director of La Cosecha tell us about the film
the film is about Nolvia Castillo she's a Guatemalan immigrant she learns how to drive
and in the process she also kind of realizes that there is a sparsity scarcity of healthy food in
her neighborhood and so she distributes the food and on top of that then it's also the idea
that she the question of legacy comes up how she relates that to her son and then there's
a third component which is I she's as a Vietnamese immigrant how does she relate to this idea of
her past memory through food and that's what the film trends encompass these three dimensions so
you've got three different storylines kind of all interweaving am I hearing that correctly
there's Nolvia there's a relationship to her son and then there's I's Vietnamese immigrant
story who's kind of a foil or an undercurrent to that story would you would you say anything
else to that yeah it's an audio medium I don't I don't have my video cameras you can you say no
we don't have our cameras it's like people are going I think she reacted I'm not sure
questioning face no I wouldn't say anything else about that it's not hard pass okay how long
did you finish the film we finished the film in October 2022 so this is fresh off it this is very
fresh yeah is this the first time you've shown it no no we screened a South by this past March oh so
South by has turned into such a thing that's the only way I can put it because it's just this
sea of people yeah where has this one thing I like about the diff you still have a crowd but it's
it's not the controlled chaos can you talk about the dynamic difference between a
a film festival like South by and something like the Dallas International Festival do you want
yeah sure um well South by is just chaos and it's you're one of many many many films and it's
it's it's overwhelming it's everything all at once but diff I what I'm what I'm this is my
first time a diff and welcome thank you so much and even though my hometown is Garland Texas so I
lived in Mesquite for 15 years and we will we will actually be in Garland next weekend Garland high
school oh that's where I went did you were you there when the film department was there no they have
a film department and Thomas Schubert who is a wonderful human being he and his mother
run it and so next Saturday although they're all the all the films that the kids have been working on
all year they have their own little mini film short festival and the Don and myself and my co-hosts
who couldn't be here today we are actually judges for it doing that for five or six years so and
it's one of our favorite shows to do every year are you moved I moved to tears if this were
visual media here to your now that's your job coming down my cheek because I graduated oh five don't
reveal that information hey you see the hair in the goatee I'm not trying to hide anything I graduate
oh five and I'm just reminded the hallways of somebody said the fighting owls and yeah that is
them that is that is that we will be there right about now because they'll we'll do this festival
and then we'll do about an hour of the show where we're interviewing the kids and and then we go
back to the auditorium and we get to present the awards because we give the awards for
send them photography and acting and directing and every it is one of my favorite things to do
everything okay how do you bring me along come on out we'll be there in mid afternoon and that's
amazing yeah but back to your film but I love that but we talked about South by versus dip and
this is your first time at the diff yeah it's our first it's my first time in uptown in this
neighborhood so it's it's kind of surreal to and my family something about Dallas it feels
really homegrown and while there's a lot of big names here the fact that also we were able to have
my family here feel kind of merges that kind of the the grand juror of the festival but also the
familial aspect as well so how did that feel having the movie show with your family and attendance
oh I mean as filmmakers a lot of times our families don't really understand what we're doing
or they're like when are you going to get a real job so to have you know my brothers here and
they they brought their his sons and you know my little nephew like waved at me during the middle
of our films so great so it it has that profound feeling in addition to exceeding your art on
the big screen what about for you well if I can layer this we're actually lay partners as well
okay it's our second life partners we had on the show tonight yeah for the people who are
going to be brave there are husband wife directing yeah so husband and wife so her family is my
family and it was really funny because I'm not in the film I'm director cinematographer and I think
Darren Darren was like why is someone not in the film he is technically and that's what his dad
is that I was like oh well he's behind the camera but I think coming from immigrant communities
I'm Colombian myself my best friend is Colombian back home in Florida so that's hopefully a good
person he is he's a much better person than I will tell you that like Colombians like to think
that about themselves all right but I think that again that gap between an immigrant community
that usually for a long time have been thinking along survival lines and not just like immigrant
communities but even like older generations that are like you need to be an engineer you need
to be a doctor you need to be a lawyer at place like this becomes the tangible touch point where
people are like oh what you do make sense and there has there's value in that and not only that
but it feeds back into our community it visualizes a way of life that previously wasn't visible
and you are you are the one who's kind of going across the river sticks you are the boat
you know that's helping us across that is that gives value to us and we have fragile egos so that helps
the Billy Joel Glass houses out of covers I always go to that but also the availability I think is
important of technology has moved so fast yeah you know when Soderberg shooting an entire film
on an iPhone yeah talk about how that has also helped you because you said you just finished
this thing in the fall there was a time when that movie couldn't even see the light of day for
at least a year we're now in the spring and you're at you've now screened it twice I do what
I don't know what's going on through your brain I mean I think it's just incredible I think it
it also I mean speaking of the kids in garland high school making their films like technology has
helped democratize and allow kids as young as 12 to you know however long to make film and do things
that was previously so inaccessible to me so if I think about in high school for me to make a film
and to edit it and now kids are so good where they're like you're shooting you're directing you're
my Mrs. 13 and she's she's making short films I'm like we just saw high school screen their film
and it was like I was able to see something in high school yeah some of those might have been
garland kids because they do a block and yes and we saw we saw hers and I was just so
impressed and moved that somebody in high school could do that and the fact that digital has
allowed us to to be where we are today I think it's really incredible I'd like that to that because
my take is not different but maybe a layer is that at the same time I think accessibility has
provided people with visual language to to make moves so like you see a lot of films that
film festivals where everybody's like making moves crane shots and drone shots and you're like oh you
know the moves to make a film impressive at this production value you you have an are you Alexa you
have a C300 but it's interesting to try to go back and say do you understand how motivation works
within cinema and then at the same time do you know do you have the know how to understand the
technical choice that validates that move and that sometimes is what I think that's why I think
cinema will always have a foundational historical like you need to route yourself in a historical
understanding right like every choice has to be validated and the technology will not teach you
that what teaches you that is knowing how stories function well and it's amazing how that translates
to what you can tell which I'm sure your film does because of that as personal as it is you can
see the passion and when you can see the passion on screen it doesn't matter where the technology
came from yeah if I'm in a theater and you move me that's what I want well Phil I think film is more
like music in that sense in that it's like jazz right no matter how much the instruments evolve or
the accessibility to a trump but you need to understand timing you know you know you need to understand
how improvisation functions how structures function so that the call and response works so I think
a filmmaker needs to understand or an editor or a storyteller of any kind needs to understand
how does silence function to motivate something right so you need even in the even in the industry's
maximalism you need to be able to strip everything down to its bare elements to understand what is
there when nothing else is there absolutely I'm getting a high sign because we want you I think you
got people waiting on you if I'm seeing things correctly but we base the show on shameless self
promotion so tell everybody I don't think we've talked about where where they can get to you where
they can get to the film where they can see the film next okay so we're screening us in alas
Americas in June which is the Latino film festival in Austin we're really excited about it nice
you can find us on instagram at lack of such a underscored doc L-A-C-O-S-E-C-H-A underscored doc
on instagram but our production company is also Tappy's story T-A-P-I story which stands for
it's a portmanteau which means two words together talking piece and the idea is that listening
is more important for storytelling than actually talking so Tappy T-A-P-I story.com and you'll see
a lot of our work which has to do with social impact thank you guys so much for sitting down this
was awesome thank you we had a lot of fun yeah go go enjoy the evening you can see the tears
yeah tears for tears thank you guys so much the clubhouse podcast thank you we are live at the
Dallas yes Dallas International Film Festival day three wrapping up day three oh she's giving
some hugs okay we're finishing strong are we all right howdy howdy howdy tell everybody who
we are I'm Sharon at the aga I am the director of the oh sorry I'm the director of the short fiction
film in tow tell me about it it's a action adventure comedy drama where a mother and daughter
wake up to find that their mobile home is being repossessed with them inside of it oh jeez yeah so they're
on the road they're getting taken to the repo lot but the daughter inside the house it's actually
she's a senior high school cheerleader and so her goal that day was to get to homecoming which is
why I was kidding I was like okay for those because this is an audio medium you and some of your
cohorts are wearing mums for people that don't live in Texas these are the I didn't know what
a mum was till I moved to Texas so these are very large ribby flowery things that young people the
kids with the clothes in the hair wear two things like homecoming and the bigger the better my
niece had one that I swear was the size of my car yeah so and I drive an SUV so how long is
the film it's 21 minutes so that okay I was gonna say because that's a lot of story to tell when
you say short yeah I call it a lord because it's a longer short I'm trying to to coin this term
what was the production time on it oh what was that oh the timeline I'm gonna take you to film it
well we filmed for seven days wow but we have been working on this project for a while the
principle is seven days uh-huh yeah for all of that yes yeah that is amazing we had one one day of
pickups yeah I was expecting double that I honestly was yeah because for the that kind of a story
you know a lot of that you got to get the first time yeah I would think a lot of things were like
that because we had a lot of uh practical effects and it was like okay we're well I can't give too
much of it away but yeah please don't there's some things that we would do and it was like okay this
is like gonna be a really long reset of props every single take so we are doing like three takes
maximum uh or else we don't make our day who came up with the idea that would be my next question
yeah how do we get to that like yeah well uh it's there are a number of things um I had a friend who
actually woke up one morning and um she said there was a whole crew ready to take their house like
they had just heard this really loud sound um and I was like you know I grew up in mobile homes
myself and so I got to thinking like what would have happened growing up if one day I just woke up
and I was suddenly on the road many times like when a storm would come and it felt like our house
was just gonna be lifted and and just like flown away and so in a way this is kind of like my
Wizard of Oz uh my version of the Wizard of Oz um so you know through my rewrites though I started
discovering that really the inspiration for a lot of the material in the film comes from my own
experience growing up with uh financial instability and just like never knowing if we
may have the same home again like especially when I was in high school it was a lot of like
us having to move around because my parents couldn't afford our home and I think I had a lot
of that to unpack uh now that I'm and filmmaking is great therapy for that too so a very expensive
form of therapy do you have any plans to maybe turn this into a feature because I could see this
being a full length feature for the right price I would otherwise this is it
it has as it show as the block shown or the block coming up it did uh it showed today at 12 p.m
how to go it was great it was great to see everything finally on a large screen I've been watching
it on my my MacBook Pro and um it's just it was great to see um so this is the first time that
you'd shown it to an audience yes oh nice yeah this was our world premiere and it was great to see
just even like the finished visual effects up there and um hearing people uh from the audience tell
us like that they couldn't tell what was VFX and what was real very nice that was great uh shout out
to our uh VFX supervisor Lori Powers going she's great have you exhale yet uh I will after
dinner I think well you're in the right place for it that's why I love what will be here at the
diff at this specific theater there's everything right here and it's a gorgeous night it's
finally cool and off a little bit it's a little warm earlier yeah uh any plans to take the film
anywhere after tonight or are you just waiting to hear back right now we're in the waiting stage
we are into a festival I guess if if this goes live Monday I still can't say what festival it is
it's not public info yet but our next screening will be in June um and then we yeah we're
playing the waiting game big time right now just apply to a lot of places yeah if people need to
get a hold of you want to see the film because I know you've you've got a gathering for dinner and I
will never interrupt a meal oh it's okay I don't miss one trust me where can they get to the film
so they can follow us on social media at intoshort film uh both on facebook and instagram uh which
is where we're most most active I also have a newsletter um that they could sign up for at
Sharon Arthe dot com you spelled out for buddy Sharon s h a r o n and then arthe is a r t e dot com
okay because we want to make sure people can can find you because that's important
a few my previous work is up on there and trailers to some of my other films are on there too um
and which one one of them is actually streaming on hbo max right now oh that's cool which one
what what what what is it it's called when you clean a stranger's home it's a six-minute video essay
uh because we want to make sure people can go see it because if it's out there for them now
which hbo max about to become max which right if you were going to pick one of those companies
to go with I think they picked the wrong one but that's it yeah that's that's my personal opinion
i want you to go enjoy your evening my friend congratulations so glad that you came here to the
Dallas or national film festival all the best i want to see this as a feature all right it's a
sounds like amazing i'm gonna go check it out when i can yeah no please do thank you so much all right
thank you all right thank you oh no thank y'all we're happy that you we're able to have you sit down
the clubhouse podcast we're about to hit two hours done we did it we did it as we always do we always do
we loved we love the dip it's been good too long i think this is about our sixth or seventh time
doing it so my god did you got to take the breakout because i want to say it was nine yeah i want to
say it was like the night it was the it was nine years ago when we did our first one of these
and it's it's just never never gets old i know at least 2014 so that's nine years
because because Gary passed away in 16 so it would have been 14 because that was the third time yeah yeah
so well we always love the Dallas or National Film Festival we want to thank everybody at the
dip for having us out thank you don't for all the hard work you've done to get to this point
we got thanks James as members of the north Texas Phil critics last night i want to put this in that
we we had the director on earlier James from the mental state and did you bring up the cloudy skies
i did not because we were talking about the film i do well the thing was which i noticed
your entire film every outside shot it was cloudy not one sunny shot because it was probably
setting the mood for the film i don't actually kind of make the point you know that's a big question
when i answered the q and a but i did my first official q and a last night good good never
you you sir are making strides you are making strides our treasure joshley or even says i did good
good that is good news so far but but the festival goes through this week we want
everybody to come out and see some films of the film festival so many great films that are here
love that you got involved last night we love the Dallas or National Film Festival let's do the
plugs and wrap this up because yeah it's getting late and it's getting close to my bedtime i know
we got worked make sure you and there's our friend Marcus Blake from that nerd show as well we're
just wrapping up Marcus to doing the plugs and getting out of here visit our website
www.theclubhousepodcast.com you can see Marcus's work at that nerdshow.com anything coming up you
want to plug real quick um well i think that the best film of this film festival is obviously
going to be i made a fourth disturbance in the fours a documentary about the star wars holiday
special oh absolutely i that was that was playing earlier and i missed it as well it's been a
long couple weeks didn't they play it at another festival recently well they might have but they're
doing a ten o'clock show on Wednesday but of course you know we're all north Texas film critics so
we have trivia night which is important i've worked first Wednesday of every month me and my
crew have worked very hard to come up with really good star wars trivia and that'll be at the
Londoner uh it over by the angelica correct on Wednesday night my every answer is r2d2 all the way
through but hey you do uh um you can reach out to james and maybe do a q and a if you got
somebody coming in from the film well we know the director because uh Jeremy koon who is from
Richardson um they also they were here back in 2016 for the Raiders documentary Raiders
love that of the greatest fan film love that documentary and if you've never seen that film it's
actually on hulu right oh is it good i watched it again the other day all right well we're
definitely going to have to do the plugs right hour three i'm worn out uh you can follow me on all
your social medias if you'd like everything is yes that rob urban that is about the ervi i
and my normal cohost for the show Alex barnhill you can follow him on as vex plate on all social media
Marcus working they find you on social media um Marcus Blake author on facebook or the Marcus
Blake and i don't know what my instagram is i don't do it fair enough if you want to get some
austin t's that make even me look good go to pro rson t's dot com slash the cheap popcast at
twitter i'm at it booroo i do you you you and if you want this madness like this at your place email
me don at the clubhouse podcast dot com you can email me questions comments concerns tell me to go
pound sand i am rob at the clubhouse podcast dot com our normal shows sunday nights seven eastern
four pacific is your one stop shop for all things sports entertainment and pop culture so until
next time for all of our guests for dawn for the empire for Alex i'm rob the clubhouse is closed
Britney Palmer taking a very very much earned vacation and she's documenting it and that brings me joy