00:00:00
David, I have not seen you. I think the last time I officially saw you, we were both auditioning for Tales from the
00:00:05
Crypt. >> Shut up. God. >> And I walked out of the audition and David goes, "Well, Fig's here. Everybody
00:00:12
else might as well go home." It was Hulk Hogan and Mr. T doing an ad for something.
00:00:16
>> Who knew they could? >> And they were doing the comedy of you thing like saying over and over again.
00:00:22
Yeah, exactly. You want to do this? I mean, I tell you what, you think this is going to be good? It's like, oh, dude,
00:00:27
just please. Oh, I did with a magician who had who had doubs. >> Oh, you did?
00:00:31
>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. And they would just hear. >> Can they stay in your room?
00:00:36
>> Okay, Dana, a big show. We've got Paul Fee. Now, Paul Feige, I don't know if it
00:00:40
hits the ear as a household name, but you will know >> a lot of his movies he's written,
00:00:45
>> director, >> Freaks and Geeks, he created, >> right? That old show that got
00:00:51
>> from Jud Appattow was involved in that to Seth Rogan to Linda Cardellini. There
00:00:55
was a lot of big stars popped out of that. >> And uh also one of my all-time
00:01:01
favorites, Bridesmaids. He directed that. >> We talk all about these things with him
00:01:06
with Paul and >> and he did the housemaid. That's the one we talk about. That's coming out uh the
00:01:12
19th of December right now. So >> December 19th coming up. >> I'm going to check that one out. That's
00:01:17
Sydney Sweeney. Uh >> and I think that's more in the drama tip. I think it's more of a uh I don't
00:01:23
think it's a full-blown comedy. But I like the idea. >> We talk about that movie and and the
00:01:28
sensibility of it. But yeah, he was a real gentleman. He dressed up, you know. I wore a tank top. Spade was shirtless.
00:01:35
>> A half shirt and a dolphin shorts and a sailor hat >> and he had a nice suit on. He's a real
00:01:40
gentleman. And it was really fun talking to him. >> Yeah. Uh also Simple Favor he did that
00:01:46
was with Blake all over the place. These movies that >> pretty much everyone has seen. So, I
00:01:54
think you'll like the chat from his POV. So, here's uh writer, director, producer
00:02:00
Paul Fig. >> Paul Feige, >> you know, I was watching um Vertico last
00:02:08
week, you know, and seeing San Francisco in the 50s and Jimmy Stewart is just always in a suit.
00:02:14
>> Yeah. >> And a lot of hats, but just suits. >> Yeah. >> And then here I am at age and I'm This
00:02:21
is me dressed up. It took 10 seconds to put it on. >> It's a different time. It's a different
00:02:25
time. >> T-shirts are primarily what a grown man wear. It's just t-shirts and tennis
00:02:30
shoes. >> That is true. That is Especially in LA. That's a very LA thing.
00:02:33
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. But you're I always heard you're judged by how expensive your watch is
00:02:37
and how good your shoes are. And everything else can just be tennis. >> Well, wait a minute. Why a good watch? I
00:02:42
had a good watch. >> You had a good watch. >> I'm not I'm not judging that.
00:02:45
>> This We can cut this part, but how much is on that left wrist? Like what is the
00:02:50
price? Is that something that would attract somebody >> murdered places? Exactly. No, I I I have a this
00:02:59
um watch dealer in Italy, believe it or not, who just sells it at cost because he's a Rolex dealer. So, if you get in
00:03:05
with one person, they'll uh they have to sell at cost. They can't jack it up.
00:03:10
>> I have to say, you are the best dressed person we've had on the podcast.
00:03:14
>> Oh my gosh. Thank you. >> We've done 1,700. >> Least talented, but the best
00:03:18
>> least talented. I saw your Wikipedia page. What are you talking about? >> I just saw the beginnings of it. It was
00:03:22
>> That's right. David, I have not seen you. I think the last time I officially
00:03:26
saw you, we were both auditioning for Tales from the Crypt. >> Shut the [ __ ] up.
00:03:31
>> And I walked out of the audition and David goes, "Well, Fig's here. Everybody
00:03:35
else might as well go home." And then you got the part. >> Oh my god. You know,
00:03:39
>> really. So, have you held a torch for this? >> Oh, yeah. I've been waiting for this
00:03:43
moment for >> I don't Is this a get back? Okay, now we know what's going on for the podcast. We
00:03:48
don't talk about the movies. >> Well, yeah. You know, I did also a show
00:03:52
called Monsters uh back in the day. >> Was that a cartoon? >> It was a That was a movie, but I did a
00:03:57
show, a scary show, and I had a doll >> killing me. No, I was the killer. >> Yeah. Well, the Tales in the [ __ ] you
00:04:04
killed the the the Scotty dog. I remember because it was Julie Brown. >> Yes, that I think I'm thinking the same
00:04:10
thing. >> Yes, exactly. That was probably the name of the episode. >> Yeah.
00:04:13
>> Yeah. Um, anyway, that didn't propel me as far as I thought it would at the
00:04:18
time. >> A little bit of show trivia for you there, >> but how funny that long ago.
00:04:22
>> I know. I I think we've probably said hi at various events, but you always so
00:04:26
nice to me back when I was a standup. >> Good. When I see uh Paul out, first of
00:04:30
all, he looks dapper and I warned Dana, you better bring your >> dapper is a is a cool word. It's a David
00:04:35
nivy. You know what the cannon of dapper >> should have a martini? >> It's down to you and JB Smooth at this
00:04:42
point. I know >> JB has he's got a hat on. >> Oh, I know. >> Look at his [ __ ]
00:04:46
>> JB with a hat. He's hilarious. >> He has a hat at the Emmys, which I'm
00:04:49
sure everyone loves behind him. >> I did when we did Ghostbusters, I had JB
00:04:53
come in because I wanted to do these kind of man on the street things that we were going to put in the movie. JB comes
00:04:57
in. I turn on the camera on the street. He talks for 45 minutes. >> God damn. I I never stops.
00:05:04
>> I'm so unshocked. But when >> it was hilarious, but I was just like,
00:05:08
"Wow, JB, you are just >> seen as a cutaway. JB and yeah, it's a montage. I know he doesn't shy away from
00:05:14
that. >> It's brilliant of Larry David to have him on >> just that was just magic.
00:05:21
>> Brilliant character. >> The editing >> should have won an award because they
00:05:26
got to really tighten it up even on >> Well, >> you don't edit on that much right
00:05:30
>> now when you wear this coat. Uh, I think they probably I mean there's a lot of
00:05:34
held shots you don't even know if they're >> Well, probably because when I did it,
00:05:39
>> oh, a couple people remember. >> Uh, when I did it, we did it. I've told
00:05:43
this before, but we just were told different things. We walked into scene and then we argued and then we went back
00:05:50
to one >> and they came up to me and said, "Now be a little offended by what he says." And
00:05:55
then they go up to him and I go, "What's he doing?" They go, "You'll find out." I
00:05:58
go, "Oh." So, it actually was kind of fun. Come back. Now it's a kind of a
00:06:01
different scene and the editing was in do you use one whole scene and tighten it or do you sort of use pieces but each
00:06:09
one I had a for sure stance. >> Yeah. >> And he didn't know it. He's fig we're
00:06:13
both figuring out as we go arguing but that was sort of very clever. >> I think it was a brilliant way to do
00:06:18
>> it's very Gary Chanel was the first experience with that and I thought it
00:06:23
was like magic. >> Yeah. Totally. >> Three cameras at once. you'll say
00:06:27
something like this or you'll say something like that and I'll do this and
00:06:30
you'll do say something like that. It was like mean I don't have to repeat
00:06:33
these words all day long and finally get to the the money shot. >> Well, that's what I was doing. I did a
00:06:37
bunch of the offices and and uh it was kind of the same vibe on there. They were very they were tightly scripted,
00:06:42
but then once you got to set, Greg Daniels was cool if you just kind of played. And so, um, like we did a
00:06:49
Halloween episode once and, uh, we had Greg allowed us to cut out a whole storyline because we got on this whole
00:06:56
tear with, um, Dwight talking to talking to Michael and Dwight was wearing the like the hood from the the Star Wars the
00:07:02
Emperor and you just got on this thing where just we got on an angle. It looked funny if he overannunciated the way that
00:07:07
the guy in the movie does and it was just this back and forth. It was so funny that Greg was like, "Okay, we'll
00:07:12
lose that other story line because I just want to hang in the scene for long." That's really smart because I've
00:07:16
worked on other shows where they just, you know, they keep any of that stuff. >> Do you find that as a director?
00:07:22
>> I do want to hear about your past because it's interesting how long you
00:07:25
went before you really got into with standup and acting and stuff. >> Um, when someone is discovering it while
00:07:31
the camera's rolling and you could it's a it's it pops even if they just change
00:07:35
something or they literally add a new line. >> Yeah. It's sort of a little bit of magic
00:07:40
if it works, right? >> Oh, I'm so that's my joy place basically because I always try to cross shoot, you
00:07:46
know, so that we're shooting both both characters at the same time. So I mean
00:07:49
bridesmaids that that opening scene with them in the coffee shop was just like five hours of it was scripted but then
00:07:54
it's like try this, try that, imitate a penis, do you know all this and out of
00:07:58
that yeah these moments happen and be crossooting that you're on the other person so they're reacting in real time.
00:08:05
Audiences pick up on that. That's the magic of digital cuz I never did a movie
00:08:09
when digital came in and so it was always >> cutting you know always >> bridesmaids was on film still so we were
00:08:16
stuck with those 12minute loads and something was just starting to happen like oh no so that's why
00:08:21
>> got to change the film on film and it was 2011 >> was that a concerted decision
00:08:28
>> yeah it was it was the studios were still a little weird about um digital HD
00:08:32
yeah I in 2006 I did a movie called undercomp miners and no one all and um but my DP at the time was kind of he was
00:08:40
one of the forerunners of doing HD stuff. So we were going to do it and the studio was really against it because
00:08:46
they had just had a really bad experience on a one of the the current the Superman movie they were making back
00:08:51
then where they shot on the Genesis system and there was some like line that went through they had to digitally fix
00:08:57
the whole thing. >> So they but my guy was so adamant about doing it that they end up firing him.
00:09:03
They made me fire the DP because they said, "You have to shoot this on film."
00:09:07
And it was terrible. That guy was halfway to Utah where we're going to shoot the movie.
00:09:11
>> And he had to turn his car. It was awful. >> And now, you know, industry
00:09:16
>> standard. Yeah. Sometimes if people don't watching don't know when you do
00:09:19
movie like you'll do coverage on someone >> and then they have to recreate something
00:09:24
and it's not the same reaction. It's just a real conversation. >> You can suck the air out of it so easy.
00:09:29
There's that's my nightmare is like sometimes you just can't cross shoot and
00:09:33
somebody does something off camera and you're like oh it's never going to be as
00:09:36
good you know could you do that thing again it's never >> you almost want to use just the off
00:09:39
camera voice it was so perfect totally even on them you're like that was just I
00:09:43
did a movie once where they probably run into this where when you're with comics
00:09:46
you probably run into where you see this sneaky move I didn't pick up on where I
00:09:51
did my coverage and they did theirs and I stuck to the script and when they flipped around they ad lived for 20
00:09:58
minutes and I I couldn't react cuz I wasn't on camera anymore. >> Oh, totally. Oh, no. Totally.
00:10:01
>> And so I look dumb. They're just scoring scoring. I'm just like this.
00:10:04
>> Yeah, I know. I've had that happen a couple time and I've actually taken the
00:10:09
time to turn the camera back around and say >> it was more it's more because we
00:10:12
discovered a bit when we were on the other side. And I was like, you know, then the crew gets all mad at you and
00:10:16
the D. >> If it's fair, it's fair. And you go, "Oh, that's great. That's worth it. We
00:10:20
just did something and we said, it's worth going back." >> That's exactly it. And they got all mad,
00:10:23
but it's like, I don't have it. I don't have it. >> They get paid either way. Well, you'd be
00:10:28
surprising how many directors do do not at least intrinsically have your philosophy of trying to capture some
00:10:34
kind of magic and they torture you and and they do a thousand takes and they're
00:10:39
thinking of the edit and they're not trying to kind So, I was thinking one scene there's so many in Bridesmaids
00:10:44
obviously. Uh, but when Kristen Wig is kind of sneaking up in the front of the airplane, I mean, just the spontaneity
00:10:51
of that and how it felt and of course her brilliance, >> but that must have been a throw.
00:10:56
>> That was I mean, that was lit. That was the most fun day on that set because it
00:10:59
would just like we do and I go, "Let's go again." And like just here comes
00:11:03
Kristen. Like I don't know what she's going to do this time every time. >> She doesn't know either. Yeah.
00:11:06
>> No. And it was hilarious. And I mean I just I didn't want to wear her out. But
00:11:09
I think we did six or seven takes of that full scene just to get it. And then and then we're in the coverage we were
00:11:15
playing around. So >> and there's funny coverage and then everybody luckily everyone in it is
00:11:18
good. Flight attendants are good. Everyone's playing off it and >> everybody's a good
00:11:23
>> Maya playing it so flat is good because that's a choice too. She doesn't try to
00:11:26
jump in and get some big laughs. She's like >> you're getting laughs off her just
00:11:30
staring. >> Yeah. But I mean, huge shout out to Mitch Sila who plays the, you know,
00:11:34
stove Steve the flight attendant because he just played that like, you know, like
00:11:38
an I love Lucy, you know, or like a Jerry Lewis movie where all the stuff's happening, the guy just stares and acts
00:11:44
completely >> straight man in that part. And uh also Rose uh >> which I sort of discovered
00:11:51
mostly on that because she's such a knockout. And then she was just really holding up and being funny and just
00:11:57
>> everywhere you went was funny. So >> Melissa, obviously that was her coming
00:12:00
out. I mean, she'd been on things, but that was like, >> yeah, big comedy coming out because she
00:12:04
had because she had just done Get to the Greek and um and we were trying to figure out who to who to cast in that
00:12:10
role, we saw a lot of funny women for, but was just like, I think we need like, you know, like a dramatic actress for
00:12:16
that. And Jud was like, go down the editing room and take a look at her scenes from uh from Get Him to the
00:12:20
Greek. And I was like, wow, she's she's she's there's something there. Even
00:12:24
though she's playing a completely different character, but I mean, Rose is so talented. She's one of the most
00:12:29
versatile comedy people I know because she plays it so straight and she just becomes the character and doesn't look
00:12:35
for jokes. She just is naturally kind of her reactions are funny and play well against
00:12:42
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00:15:20
>> Yeah. 7 minus 2 equals 5 hour more than you need. >> Larry David was here. I I've quoted this
00:15:28
before, but he had said that the thing that he looks for is when people are trying to be funny.
00:15:33
>> Mhm. >> And he goes, "No, no, no, no." >> Yeah. Oh, no. Totally.
00:15:36
>> We don't do that. That's this other line that's crossed. And why do you you look
00:15:43
at comedies, other movies of your peers or whatever. You don't have to bury anybody. But can you kind of intuit it
00:15:48
what's going wrong? Because great comedies are rare. >> Yeah. Well, it's it's the reason why
00:15:54
comedy doesn't win awards. It's the reason why Steve Carell never won an
00:15:57
Emmy for The Office. >> That's crazy. >> Because if you're good, you make it look
00:16:02
effortless. It looks easy. He's not trying. Yeah. We all know there's nothing worse than sweaty comedy, you
00:16:06
know, and you see it all the time. Somebody just like working so hard. >> Yeah.
00:16:10
>> So, yeah. I mean that's I'm especially bless them like day players who come in
00:16:14
you know and you hire and oh they're so funny in the audition all I'm ever doing
00:16:17
is like take it down take it down and I get it this is your one moment to shine and here you come you know
00:16:22
>> even SNL hosts their publicist warn us ahead of time they're so funny and they
00:16:26
can't wait to show you the funniness we're like >> God just stand there we'll just steer
00:16:31
you around >> there's been more no better place I've seen people eat it than on SNL like the
00:16:37
guest host when you just see oh my god I remember there Oh, the sweatiest one I ever saw on there was from way back. It
00:16:43
was Hulk Hogan and Mr. T doing an ad for something. >> Who knew they could go?
00:16:48
>> And they were doing the comedy of you thing like saying it over and over
00:16:52
again. Yeah, exactly. You want to do this? I mean, I tell you what, you think this is going to be good? It's like, oh,
00:16:56
dudes, just please. >> It'd be so much funnier if Mr. T was like actually pity the fool that
00:17:01
doesn't, you know, >> see right there. >> Do so pity these fools.
00:17:08
>> So, can we just for a second? I mean because for our audience and stuff just
00:17:11
a little bit of your biography. Sure. >> Because um there was an interesting
00:17:15
thing I guess and I don't know seeing a Woody Allen movie kind of blew your mind. I mean for me it was the party
00:17:21
with Peter Sers or other ones. So So you had this as a young and then you went into performing mostly right. You were
00:17:27
dream was to be on SNL maybe or I I Yeah. And I actually signed with an interesting thing happened where um
00:17:36
because I was a stand Yeah. I started in Michigan and I was a kid in doing theater and there you go.
00:17:41
>> Bloom >> Bloomfield Hills. >> Oh, wait. Are you from Michigan?
00:17:44
>> Yeah. >> How did I never know this? >> I just found it cuz it says Royal Oak
00:17:48
and I think that might be in the vicinity of Bloomfield. >> Yeah, it is. It is totally
00:17:52
>> And I was like, this [ __ ] never ever. >> And go Lions. >> I want to look up when I'm in the when I
00:17:59
make the uh top 100 people from Michigan. I should have scanned a little harder to see.
00:18:05
And then I claim I'm from Arizona, too. So, I really get >> Oh, there you go.
00:18:09
>> I try to get in that contest. >> You're a man of the world as me.
00:18:11
>> Me and Hugh. >> There you go. Nice. >> The big hitters. >> So, you're uh Yeah. So, I I I was wanted
00:18:18
to be, you know, an actor. That was my goal. I wanted to be Steve Martin. I wanted to be
00:18:22
>> as a little kid. >> As a little kid. Oh, yeah. Like five years old. I disco I did I got laughs in
00:18:26
front of a a school play and was like >> addicted. >> Yeah. And so, I started doing standup
00:18:31
when I was 15 years old in Detroit. Um it was terrible. Obviously, >> was there a big scene or
00:18:36
>> Why was it terrible? >> Cuz I was terrible. >> Why? We were all terrible.
00:18:40
>> I know it was. I was doing like Johnny Carson jokes and stuff like that.
00:18:44
>> I did not know that. >> There we go. Thank you. >> Give me an opening. I apologize. People
00:18:49
were pressing the podcast. Sore subject. >> No, it was big because the show Take Me
00:18:55
Laugh was was big. >> How Mandel. Yeah. >> Yeah. Bruce Balm. All >> Mike Binder. Then Mike Binder was a
00:19:03
Detroit guy. And so all these comedy clubs sprung up because of Make Me Laugh. Um where all these open mic
00:19:09
nights, >> you know, was that Baby Man Bomb? >> Yeah. Yeah. Baby Man Bomb.
00:19:14
>> Yeah. And he he put the thing up and then he's in the club and then obviously
00:19:19
>> I love the assortment pack of the weird eccentric. You know how comedians were
00:19:24
so different in the in those days? Not everybody had his elbow on the mic saying he masturbated in front of his
00:19:31
cat. Yeah, >> I'm a Jazz Kane or Denny Johnson. Like every time I got an opening or MC
00:19:37
watching these guys and we always say they would >> rarely change their act. That was a new
00:19:41
That was the old way. >> Oh, no. It was like vaudeville. You know, >> you travel with that [ __ ] thing.
00:19:45
>> I think Denny Johnson got it. Folklore says he got this great 20 minutes that
00:19:49
killed every time in like one night almost a fever dream and then just kept it for 40 years.
00:19:56
>> But that was I mean that was that whole vaudeville thing. remember that like the
00:20:00
movies killed vaudeville because a guy had an act for you know 20 years and they put it on film though. Okay, what
00:20:04
else you got? >> So what what was in stand up? Your best bit. >> My best bit.
00:20:09
>> You must had a bit that worked. >> I did. I had a I had two killer bits. Um
00:20:14
one was uh Willard Schmidt, the wood shop teacher. So I I had these glasses and I would go he's and he's a stand-up
00:20:22
comedian. Okay. But that's funny. >> So you I was kind of like a very energetic comedian, but then I would do
00:20:27
that. He's just completely flat, you know, and all his jokes are about like,
00:20:30
you know, I I had a kid in class and I told him to stop fooling around. He continued to fool around and he got his
00:20:36
arm cut off. Then I go and tell a joke about something and then I go back to another
00:20:40
horrible story about >> very flat. So you would kill. It would just kill. >> So the teacher actually cut the arm off.
00:20:46
Was that >> No. No. Because the kid was fooling around. He didn't listen to the teacher.
00:20:48
>> Oh, I see. So he got the teacher. >> Exactly. And then my other bit was my
00:20:53
clo big closer was the thirst and howl blues which I had my harmonica and I would do this uh oh yes
00:21:02
I I can't even recall >> from Gilligans Island from Gilligans Island. Yes, exactly. And then the
00:21:06
killer line I don't know if I can get it right but was like >> no pressure. Now that professor he's
00:21:11
really quite dafted. >> He can make a coconut lie detector but he can't build a goddamn raft.
00:21:17
>> Yeah. >> And that would kill. So there you go. >> Very true though. Thank you. But this
00:21:21
was back in the 80s. >> I can't believe it. >> Let me tell you my closer.
00:21:25
>> This killed >> this killed everything. >> This [ __ ] Dana destruction.
00:21:30
>> It sort of like has an extra beat. >> One of my >> This has a boom at the end. Watch this.
00:21:36
Watch this, Paul. Okay, >> here we go. >> So, I said I talk about Skinamax uh and
00:21:41
I talk about all these shows I watch late at night, all these Rated shows. Then I said HBO has a new show called
00:21:46
new back autopsy. We go into a corner's office and film a live autopsy. Let me
00:21:53
tell you something, HBO. I can't whack off to autopsy. >> Or can I? >> Bam.
00:22:00
>> Yep. Off gets a laugh. Whack off. Music up. Good night. People fly out of their
00:22:06
chair. That was a tough one. I had him cut I had him cut. Give him a red light. Um I have a Gilligans Island joke that I
00:22:12
did on SNL. So, we're doing Jerry Seinfeld. And my line was, "Okay, you
00:22:18
know, it was like a game show, right?" And it was like, "If the professor can
00:22:21
make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix the boat?" >> There you go. See?
00:22:28
>> I can't believe it. >> I like when someone goes, "I saw Gilligans Island. It was the one where
00:22:32
uh Mrs. How didn't know what to wear to the rescue." >> Oh, yes. >> Which was every episode.
00:22:39
>> Oh, what should I wear to the rescue? >> Love it. I got lauded. It funny. I got lauded
00:22:44
back then because this was 85 when I was doing this >> and everybody was still doing
00:22:48
hilariously. This sounds so old uh jokes about the 60s and so all these comedians
00:22:53
come up to go like you're the you're the first guy who's made fun of the 70s. So
00:22:56
I was there you go. >> Oh I was my my peak in 1985. >> I know. I used to do Carrie Grant. I do
00:23:03
Jimmy Stewart. You know all those Jack. >> Oh yeah. >> No I didn't do the hair back but I did
00:23:09
Jack. leave a message, you know, whatever. I kills, you know, it kills. But yeah, now
00:23:16
I'm I don't do Carrie Grant anymore. I'd love to >> when we work the retirement home.
00:23:21
>> But I I have a new bit now that I'm doing that I'm when I'm talking to
00:23:24
Comcast and there's someone who doesn't know, I just use Carrie I use Carrie
00:23:28
Grant's voice, but I turned it on and off, but they still have no reception.
00:23:32
And they don't respond or say, "Are you like, who are you? I can't believe it. I
00:23:37
got the voice of Big Game." So anyway, so back to you. you are a standup you're
00:23:42
killing and then you're directing hit movies. What's what's the timeline and
00:23:46
what happened? >> Uh I was I do I was full-time stand up from 85 to 90. >> Okay.
00:23:52
>> Um I I did I I got on a thing called the Paramount Comedy Theater which was the
00:23:58
first home video videotape um like comedians special. >> I don't know if I remember it.
00:24:04
>> I don't nobody. It was only in video. >> Was it kind of like the HBO? was only on
00:24:08
how he how he was the host. >> And um and we shot it down at the Hermosa Beach, you know, the comedy man.
00:24:16
>> And when Jimmy Miller used to manage it, >> Jimmy Miller, the Jimmy from Christ
00:24:21
sakes, no one makes popcorn like my little brother. >> Dennis's brother, everybody. And it's
00:24:26
he's exactly the same accent. But so I so so I I did it and then so the guy that produced it I I went did my act it
00:24:33
killed went great and it was really successful. My first success is the standup. I had lunch with the producer
00:24:41
few weeks afterwards and he said you know they did not want you on this show like How's managers hated your act from
00:24:49
your tape so much they threatened to pull Howe off of the special. >> What the [ __ ]
00:24:54
>> If you did it. And he, this guy was kind of a fighter, so he just fought to get
00:24:59
me on there. >> And the hilarious thing was after I my set killed, his managers wanted to sign
00:25:05
me. They signed me. >> And I this all comes back to when you said SNL because I said they said, "What
00:25:11
do you want?" I said, "My dream in life is to be a regular in SNL." They're
00:25:14
like, "We can make that happen." >> Done. >> First of all, any You should always run
00:25:18
for the hills. >> Of course. >> And yeah. Then of course it never happened. They sent my tape to Lauren.
00:25:23
He's like, "I don't >> What year? What year?" This is 86.
00:25:26
>> That's when I got the show. >> Oh, >> I knew it. >> And I remember. Would you take a look at
00:25:32
Paul Fig's tape, Dana? See if you think anything's there. >> I don't see it.
00:25:37
>> Any glimmers? I didn't see it. I didn't see your tape. I probably would have
00:25:40
said that man's going to make a hit movie. >> I don't know. >> Keep behind the camera.
00:25:46
>> Very interesting. How many people were standups and ended up movie actors or or
00:25:50
impressionists? Anthony Hopkins and just a >> well a lot of guys who were standups
00:25:54
when I was coming up all became writers like you know well >> writers that's the mo that's the
00:25:58
smoothest transition >> well because they would have like killer jokes but they didn't necessarily have
00:26:02
like the greatest stage press >> or you get tired of the grind of traveling
00:26:05
>> that's why I that's what drove me out cuz I you know I my whole those five
00:26:09
years was like working towards becoming a headliner minute I became a headliner I didn't like it
00:26:13
>> because it was lonely being a headliner is lonely like when you're the middle or
00:26:16
the or the opener you know the guys are back you come off stage everybody's like
00:26:20
Yeah, that was so great. When you're the headliner, you come off, everybody's
00:26:23
gone to dinner and you're like, "Nobody's here tonight." >> I know a guy, Larry Bubbles Brown from
00:26:26
San Francisco, got to a level in San Francisco. He's headlining. Yeah, he's
00:26:31
great. >> Said, "Nope." >> After about a couple times said, "No,
00:26:35
it's the pressure, the end, just stayed a middle." >> I get it. And the road was I hated the
00:26:40
road. >> I hated the road, too. Did you play Spellbinders in Houston? What are the
00:26:43
places all up and down the West Coast? >> Feathers. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> The Bay Area. I could stay in the Bay
00:26:50
Area pretty much, you know, and not have just drive to Santa Cruz. Cobs, Punchline.
00:26:56
>> God, it's funny. We must almost cross path. >> I know. It's crazy. No, it was the
00:26:59
comedy condo that drove me out of the business. >> Oh, staying with the Okay, give us a
00:27:04
comedy condo for people who don't know. >> No, they would they would buy this condo
00:27:09
and have three bedrooms. >> Three bedrooms. One was the shitty one for the opener. One was the slightly
00:27:13
less shitty one. And then and then the beautiful one for the headliner. >> The master bedroom or Yeah. the primary
00:27:20
bedroom. You live with three people. >> Yeah. And in like one week it's the
00:27:23
greatest thing ever. Everybody's great. The next week you're stuck with some
00:27:27
[ __ ] guy who is the worst. And they're all like trying to bring cocktail waitresses home. And I'm just
00:27:32
like I want out of this scene. I don't want any. >> You're saying sex happened in the
00:27:37
comedian's condo. Believe it or not, for a certain guy, there were certain guys
00:27:41
that were just totally >> Did you ever have share a condo with a venturoquist?
00:27:45
>> I wish. >> Cuz I did. >> Oh, I did with a mag a magician who had
00:27:48
who had doves. >> Oh, you did? >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. And they would just hear
00:27:52
>> Can they stay in your room? >> This was a Twilight Zone. He really
00:27:56
believed that Chuck, Chuck Wood, was was real. And he said, "Don't look at Chuck.
00:28:00
Don't bother Chuck. Don't touch Chuck." >> Wow. Chuck in that rider in his
00:28:03
contract. You can make eye contact with Chuck. >> Do you remember Emo? I stayed with Emo.
00:28:07
emo San Diego improv and he was like you know I was going to breakfast early I go
00:28:12
oh we're doing this off camera >> I was going to say does he like like in
00:28:15
real life he's like yeah so anyway dude >> but he was very nice he would put but he
00:28:19
put all his joke cards out on f I think Dennis does this writes them all out and
00:28:22
I was like am I supposed to do this like it was so organized and then he like Dennis they memorize them and I'm like
00:28:30
no [ __ ] chance >> even back in the early days with Dennis he do that >> I know he has f you've seen him with the
00:28:35
cards right >> I don't know the other day we were about Louis K and I just just about great
00:28:39
standups and I just thought uh Dennis it's Dennis's best special it's
00:28:45
>> put up there but so you're so how do you so what happens next your standup is not
00:28:52
you you tire the road >> tire the road so I I go into acting um and and did that for like 15 years and
00:28:58
was like a regular on five different TV series always be like the fifth or sixth
00:29:02
lead you know on uh which >> Dirty Dancing the TV series was my first I was a character that was added on who
00:29:09
was not in the movie. Norman the bellhop who wanted to be a stand-up comedian. >> So there you go. Yeah. Exactly. That was
00:29:16
like remember when they used to do the cartoons of like you know the Brady Bunch or or the Partridge family and
00:29:21
they'd add like a magical bird like I was the magical bird on the show basically
00:29:26
>> or the dancing pandas. >> You kind of do have a timeless look like
00:29:29
I could see you on the Beverly Hill Billies as the banker or you know what I mean? You play a lot of parts.
00:29:35
>> Yeah, I would. I mean I that's all the the parts I used to get but yeah but you
00:29:39
know yeah I was on the the the Tom Arnold you know the Jackie what Tom Arnold did you get?
00:29:44
>> I got good Tom Arnold. >> Was he good to I'm friends with Tom and
00:29:48
I know he had some rough times there. >> No Tom was great but they were you know
00:29:51
still he and >> and Ros lasted two or three seasons right. >> No only one season that they it's the
00:29:56
first show I think in history to get cancelled in the top 20. >> Oh wow. because they kind of pulled the
00:30:03
plug cuz they they wanted to go over to do this uh um Thomasson. I I forget the those producers, but they were CBS and
00:30:10
so they pulled him over to there. Um and I think we were ABC. Yeah, we were >> Quit Thomas maybe.
00:30:15
>> No, it was Thomasson. They they worked with the Clintons a lot. I remember. Um
00:30:19
anyway, look it up everybody. >> I did not know that. Impression number two.
00:30:23
>> Well done. There you go. >> Was Farley on uh did Jackie Thomas? >> Yeah, we did. He did that one episode.
00:30:28
>> We did. Yeah. >> And and we finished the episode. I don't know if I should say there's not. We
00:30:32
finished the episode and the minute we were done, Tom and Roseanne had him taken away to rehab.
00:30:37
>> Oh, >> yeah. >> Got that episode out of him, though. >> Yeah. But he Oh, he was the loveliest
00:30:41
guy. I loved I mean, sweet one >> sweetest guy. The last time I saw him, >> one of a kind.
00:30:47
>> Joel Madison and I went to the the Rose Bowl. Um, and uh he was there with his
00:30:53
mom and he's like, "Hey, Paul." Joel, it was just the sweetest guy.
00:30:57
>> Doll, very Midwestern. I mean, salt of the earth and probably the funniest
00:31:02
person who >> Well, we haven't seen another. >> No, I mean, not like that.
00:31:06
>> It's been a while now. And where's Chris Farley? The new Chris Farley?
00:31:10
>> I'll just look look for, you know, um, clips online. >> By the way, anybody over 180 is in
00:31:15
danger of being Are you the next Chris Farley? >> You're a little heavy.
00:31:18
>> You have manic energy. >> We were just saying this morning, it's
00:31:20
he's not he wasn't that big during some earlier movies. It was really toward the
00:31:24
end like >> I was so skinny and I was probably 135 in the movie. So he looked big,
00:31:30
>> but I'll show you something on the way out. But uh yeah, >> where it's like, oh, he wasn't. I think
00:31:34
he gained almost 100 pounds right at the very end at some point. But you know, Jackie Gleason was sort of heavy. He'd
00:31:39
go away. We go and he would move gracefully, but Chris was still an athlete as a as a big guy.
00:31:46
>> But all those guys, they're like sumo wrestlers like, you know, Belushi who
00:31:50
wasn't his hero. Belushi was even, I think, skinnier and he was known as a fat guy.
00:31:55
>> He was just a little rolly poling. Well, it's like like you know Zach's old
00:31:59
Zach's on his show. He's always I'm not fat. He's like Zach's like just like a
00:32:03
normal looking guy. Either fat or not fat or >> he always has them make fat jokes about
00:32:08
him and then he's like I'm not that. >> Yeah. He's like you have a beard. It's
00:32:11
not that. Yeah. I like when he's on his show and everyone shits on him. >> Did you all this time because I we know
00:32:16
where your story is going. Were you a big big movie fan? A lot of comedians >> I would whenever I could just watch a go
00:32:22
watch a matinea in a theater on the day of a show. So, you were had this lane of
00:32:26
being a huge >> Oh, yeah. That's all I wanted to do was do movies. Um >> Oh, the whole time.
00:32:31
>> Yeah. Yeah. I I just, you know, I Well, my goal was to be back then Woody Allen.
00:32:35
I was going to write, direct, and star in all my movies. That was the goal. Uh I did it once, the very first movie I
00:32:40
ever made, which has never been released uh called Life Sold separately. And I wrote, directed, and starred in it. And
00:32:46
it was myself and Pen Gillette was in it actually. And then some friends of mine,
00:32:50
Steve Bannis and Dave Gruber Allen, who you know, who are all actors now. on Carrie.
00:32:54
>> Was it the sensibility of Woody? Obviously, you're not doing a Woody
00:32:57
impression, but it was just his whole >> It It was No, it was um It was about I I
00:33:03
had I only had like $30,000 to make it. So, I had to like make it all in one field during the day on one day. So, it
00:33:10
was about four people who who get some >> Yeah. totally. Oh, yeah. Like you save
00:33:15
on wardrobe, you save on lighting. Exactly. Um, it was four people who all get a message in their head that a UFO
00:33:23
is going to come to this one place and pick them up and take them away from their lives because they're all unhappy
00:33:27
with their lives in different ways. Yeah, it's kind of cool. And so everybody shows up and they don't know
00:33:30
why each other's there and they find out they have this common thing and then it
00:33:33
all kind of >> turns. And then you go into writing. How do you get writing jobs?
00:33:37
>> Uh, I never actually got a writing job. >> Oh, you on Freaks and Geeks. I
00:33:41
>> I created it. Yeah, I created the show and then I co-an because Jud swore to me
00:33:45
that you had nothing to work. >> I knew it. Oh man, >> Jud hit me up this morning. I haven't
00:33:51
heard from >> Well, just make sure you bring that letter. >> Hey, [ __ ] I don't have a Japto, but
00:33:57
that's a substitute of pressure. >> Hey, I think Freaking Geeks is mine.
00:34:01
That's kind of like Japto. >> That sounds just like him. Exactly. I thought he was sitting here.
00:34:05
>> It's a book a book market. >> Hi Jud, if you're watching. Uh but yeah,
00:34:10
you that was your creation and you shephered it and it's kind of has a cold following now or it's it's become a
00:34:17
thing >> which is nice. I mean it's kind of stood the test of time which you always hope
00:34:21
>> sort of but so you were in on casting a lot of people that blew up. >> Yeah. Yeah. That was all
00:34:26
>> who was on there just so just for the people. for the people. Seth Rogan
00:34:30
>> who discovered at 16 years old in Vancouver. >> God, that guy struggled in an open.
00:34:35
>> I know. Poor guy. He's um Linda Cardellini, Jason Seagull, James Franco,
00:34:40
Bizzy Phillips, uh Sam Lavine, um and of course um John Francis Dailyaly, who's
00:34:46
now a big time director, writer, director. I know. So, they all they all have succeeded.
00:34:51
>> All blew up. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, so when So, since we This isn't a two-parter. I want It's
00:34:56
like when did you start uh your first movie you directed and for a studio or when you
00:35:01
>> the studio? It was the the thing called Unaccompanied Miners. I think I
00:35:06
referenced uh earlier. Yes. That they where they fired my DP for wanting to shoot HD. Um Okay.
00:35:11
>> Yeah, I got that. Well, no, no, I was actually No, it was a movie called I Am
00:35:15
David that I did right after Freaks and Geeks. It was like a drama and that was the moment where I'm like, "Oh, I'm this
00:35:22
will be my Oscar movie." And I learned a valuable lesson like don't ever try to
00:35:25
make movies for to win an Oscar. Yeah. >> Cuz you What are you learning at this
00:35:29
point? What are the basic things? You you do Freaks and Geeks and you're directing there and then you're going
00:35:33
here. We know where you go where you become this great comedy director. So, you're learning stuff all along, right?
00:35:40
Well, I start I then I go heavily into TV directing because I directed I I wanted to direct on Freaks and Geeks and
00:35:46
they wouldn't let me because I didn't have enough, you know, experience or
00:35:49
whatever. Finally, they let me do the very last episode that I wrote and directed and it came out really well. So
00:35:54
then >> they go, "Oh, he knows how to >> actually knows what he's doing." And
00:35:58
believe it or not, but then our line producer from Freaks and Geeks went on to do um Arrested Development. And so he
00:36:04
called me up and said, "Hey, they'd like you to do Unrested Development." So I
00:36:07
ended up doing like six Arrested Developments, >> which is probably No, it's not harder.
00:36:10
That's still It's not a sitcom. No. >> Did you ever do a sitcom? >> No. No. Not Not three camera. No.
00:36:16
>> Yeah. It's It's way harder what you're doing. >> Yeah. Well, I don't
00:36:19
>> It's closer to movies. >> Yeah. But the three cameras seems hard
00:36:22
to me, you know, like what >> three camera? Yeah. It's a different muscle probably.
00:36:26
>> Well, you're definitely relying Yeah. You got that audience right there.
00:36:29
>> Yeah. I like I like having something hap like getting it right once and never
00:36:33
doing it again. That's why I love movies and single camera stuff, you know, cuz
00:36:38
you just get magic >> ones. >> When you get it right in a comedy, >> it's so hard.
00:36:44
>> Yeah. >> From the idea and the pitch to the script doesn't get right and and you've
00:36:49
got to get that right. Then you got the editing and the casting and then >> and finishing it and the produ, you
00:36:54
know, then the marketing and the poster. >> And then the biggest problem is
00:36:58
everybody's got everyone can agree what's dramatic, what's sad, what's
00:37:01
scary, what's thrilling. Nobody can really agree on what's funny. Yeah. >> So, comedies are so divisive because
00:37:08
some people love them and some people hate them. >> And trailers are really, you know, like
00:37:14
lightning rods. I mean, we put the the trailer out for >> for bridesmaids.
00:37:20
People are enraged and angry and like either's like either like, "Oh, clearly
00:37:25
all the best jokes are in the in the trailer." And then they were mad that they thought they knew that we were
00:37:30
going to be making fun of Melissa McCarthy's character and it's like no she's actually the coolest character in
00:37:34
the thing. But people there's a hostility I find because I think maybe it's was that people have gotten burned
00:37:40
by a lot of comedies over the years you know and so they came in afraid to go to
00:37:44
the theater not not by yours my friend. You've been some of the greatest comedies of all time. Thank you. It's
00:37:49
true. Um, but you know, but there's it's just uh Yeah, it's there's a weird thing
00:37:55
and that's why now there's not a lot of comedies straight up comedy. >> Yeah. What what what do you what's your
00:38:00
thoughts on that? Where are they? >> I think I think comedy straight comedy
00:38:04
feels too frivolous for audiences for the in the last 10 years. You know what I mean? They want higher stakes. And I
00:38:12
think you know it's the difference between like a movie that's about like
00:38:17
spies or cops but like the villain is like bumbling and so it's like oh so it's all comedy so there's no stakes
00:38:23
there versus I always go back to that movie 48 hours which you know oh Eddie Murphy this is going to be hilarious
00:38:29
first thing there's like a guy gets like executed in a hallway you're like oh
00:38:33
[ __ ] but then yeah but then you're like oh cool so now when Eddie Murphy goes
00:38:38
into that cowboy bar I'm kind of worried he's going to get shot or something
00:38:42
bad's going to happen. So I think goofy comedy. >> Yeah. People need steak. So that's why
00:38:45
now so much comedy is in the form of horror movies. I mean all do you see weapons? I saw it twice. It's hilarious.
00:38:53
Yeah. I mean it becomes hilarious >> and Megan and those things you know. So
00:38:58
>> is is interesting. >> Weapons too scary for me? >> No. No. No. It's not.
00:39:02
>> Is Megan too scary for me? >> No. No. My I will tell you I will tell
00:39:07
you cuz I saw some blurb on you that I would love when I watched Megan I watched it like mystery science. I just
00:39:14
talked the whole time and was making myself laugh and I'm like why can't Dane
00:39:17
and I just do this? Well, you just watch something and there's so many funny
00:39:21
things to say. >> Yeah. >> And Megan was funny in that way. But I see why it worked also.
00:39:26
>> Yeah. Well, because you're still, you know, you're invested there. It's it
00:39:31
it's I used to get really mad at as film like studio exact when they use the word
00:39:35
stakes. Yeah. >> Because I I always felt like did they know what that means or not? But now
00:39:40
what it means >> sometimes well sometimes people just repeat words. I know exactly but you
00:39:44
realize like it just audiences have to feel that there's the invested and you
00:39:48
know like worried. >> Naked Gun the the new one that came out. I watched it. Yeah. It was but it was
00:39:55
that there was no stakes. >> It's old school. Yeah. >> It's old school. Oh, you really have to.
00:39:59
It's very tricky. >> Well, I was really rooting for that, too. And I think it did pretty well.
00:40:02
>> Yeah, it did pretty well. >> But cuz that kind of breaks the mold of
00:40:05
what I'm saying. But look, comedy, you know, we say this is how it is, then something comes out and it changes
00:40:11
everything. So, you know, the biggest thing in comedy, and we all know this, is if you're inflexible in comedy,
00:40:17
you're dead. >> You know, if you're like, I know what's funny and don't tell me what's funny. if
00:40:21
you don't evolve along with the the scene, you know, keep your voice, but just, you know, don't be making dad
00:40:27
jokes. >> The ones that stick out to me are Tropic Thunder, uh, Hangover. >> Yeah.
00:40:32
>> Um, some of Will Ferrell movies. >> Yeah. They just hold up. >> And then they sort of it sort of changed
00:40:38
or it stopped. I don't know if it's political or whatever the studios want
00:40:42
or the audience wants, but >> I just think it's what the audience want. Audiences are very
00:40:46
>> fickle. Yeah. Exactly. But they a because we've done a lot of research in
00:40:50
my company on this, you know, about like why why do sequels a lot of times not work anymore,
00:40:57
>> right? >> You know, because used to be like a sequel. Yeah, exactly. Because you think, oh,
00:41:02
people just show up. But the big question audience are asking now because they got so much stuff available to them
00:41:06
is why? Why? Why do I need to see this? I really like the first one. Why do I need to see what's going to be different
00:41:12
about this? Am I just going to see the same thing again? And it's a valid question. You know, everything's
00:41:18
expensive. And >> there's something about discovering >> a movie, too. Yeah. And you just don't
00:41:22
discover it in the sequel. You found all your answers kind of. >> Yeah. And that's why sequels are so hard
00:41:26
to do because you've estab you're not discovering. Yeah. The discovery isn't
00:41:31
Everybody thinks they want Bridesmaids, too. And I'm like, yeah, it could be
00:41:34
funny, but the reason Bride Mates works is because Kristen Wig, you meet this person who's just a complete disaster,
00:41:41
and she has to build herself back up, and by the end, she doesn't show happy.
00:41:45
So you don't want to go >> disaster again. Yeah. It's like where do
00:41:47
you start? >> Yeah. Right. Oh, she's messed up again. Well, I don't want to watch this.
00:41:50
>> We talked about that with there's a one we did called The Wrong Missy on Netflix
00:41:53
and >> we wind up getting married, but the girl's crazy and she's very funny. She's
00:41:58
the whole movie. Like she goes bananas. >> But how do you do it where she kind of
00:42:03
got her [ __ ] together >> and then >> there's different pitches, but you go,
00:42:07
"God, that's a tough one cuz you almost want to leave it alone, but there's such
00:42:12
>> a feel for like, well, maybe do one. They pay you more, it makes less. So,
00:42:17
>> I know. Oh, yeah. Fame. That's the answer. There you go. >> You know, you've worked with a This
00:42:21
sounds like uh some social statement. You you've presented a lot of women into
00:42:27
comic films, you know, bridesmaids, obviously. >> Um, and then you you love Melissa
00:42:32
McCarthy as we all do. So, when you you directed her in Bridesmaids and then you
00:42:37
guys connected again, I would just speak to that. I mean, did you just sort of it
00:42:41
we we've we know her. I mean, she's so charming and whatever, but did you see
00:42:45
lightning in her biology? There's more here. Are you just >> Yeah. Well, we just hit it off. I mean,
00:42:49
after cuz Yeah. We did bridesmaids and we did The Heat, then Spy, and then uh Ghostbusters.
00:42:54
>> Yeah. So, >> no controversy in Ghostbusters, by the way. >> Well, yeah. I I I was I was out of town.
00:43:00
>> Do people talk about it? I love the first one. >> No. Well, you you know like with Farley
00:43:04
and you know and people you've worked with like if you're in sync with somebody comedically that's like gold
00:43:10
because it's so hard to find that you know where it's across the board you
00:43:14
agree >> well I think for the performer from that side of the fence if you have a director
00:43:18
like you who's affable who gets them who's smart and wants to capture them is
00:43:23
not resentful of them or competitive with them I mean there's there's a lot
00:43:27
of types of directors out there and so that obviously just >> you capture her. Yeah. Well, I mean
00:43:32
that's my I always say my biggest job on the set is to create a safe environment
00:43:36
where everybody feels they can try anything and we like cuz I used to when I was an actor I'd get yelled at by
00:43:41
certain directors like what are you doing? Stop that. And then you just you clench up
00:43:44
>> humiliated. Can I try something? >> And then I try something and he goes,
00:43:49
"That's what you wanted?" >> Oh, no. No. Yeah. Really? That was
00:43:52
terrible. >> Those are quotes. So that's what you wanted to do. This is in front of the
00:43:56
whole crew. So why would you sabotage the person in the movie? >> So awful. I mean, I I I love my fellow
00:44:02
GGA and yet sometimes I just go, you guys, come on. >> Well, sometimes they're they're speeding
00:44:06
it up. They want to keep moving. And also, if you just go at the end, can I try one? But if it's someone like you
00:44:12
and you're like excited to see it, like, hey, if we can make it better >> and then like you said, you stumble into
00:44:18
something else that works. That's the fun. I think she can do that. I think she trusts you because I saw The Heat
00:44:23
and I was with Sander Bulock. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Great. And uh and then after that was
00:44:28
>> Spy was Spy and Rose again. >> Physical comedy. Always a verbal non-verbal comedy with Melissa is always
00:44:36
great. She does that. She I mean >> well she'll surprise you with jokes and
00:44:39
like you know sometimes she'll be in the middle of a of like a really mean thing
00:44:44
and she I can't say that. I'm like Melissa finish it. It's gonna be the
00:44:48
funniest thing you say all day. >> Thanks for the out takes. Give us something. Yeah totally. because some of
00:44:52
those movies she goes off and then she can be very you you feel for >> Yeah. Well, that's the thing and that's
00:44:58
you know I you know when because when we did the heat there was a lot of not backlash but I heard like certain like
00:45:05
entertainment reporters like she only does one thing. She's always just mean
00:45:08
all the time. So that's why I did Spy because I was like no I want to show that she's actually really sweet. Yeah.
00:45:12
>> You know in real life but then she gets to become a tiger. She has to be a tiger
00:45:16
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your discount. There's no safe like simply safe. Life can't be safe or simple, but it's
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simply safe for you. >> Safe and simple. >> So, you actually read reviews that are
00:46:51
actionable on them. Oh, I see that. Now, I'm going to make a whole giant $30
00:46:55
million movie to prove you [ __ ] wrong. >> Pretty much. I I I do everything out of
00:46:59
revenge basically. >> You just wait a minute. You'll see her range. And then she was in a simple
00:47:04
favor. Or was that Blake Lively? >> No, it was Blakeley. Blake. Yeah. >> Yeah.
00:47:07
>> I know they're always up. What's going on with Blake Lively right now? She's a
00:47:10
great actor. >> Are you going fantastic? >> Are you going to jail? There's
00:47:12
>> I know exactly. I have no idea what's going on. >> I know. I don't either.
00:47:15
>> All I I'm team Blake. I'm definitely >> Do you have any final Cuz we'll put it
00:47:19
to rest here. Do you have any final thing to say about Ghostbusters? >> I'm glad I made it. I'm very proud of
00:47:24
it. >> Okay. >> The people that had a problem with it, I'm sorry.
00:47:29
Younger people really like it. It was a lot of mostly >> Hey, it's supposed to be Bill Murray.
00:47:34
older guys who saw when they were kids and they got really mad that I would >> touch it. It was with me going that I'm
00:47:40
exactly your demo. Old cranky. I should be an >> cranky. I judge everything. I don't like
00:47:45
anything to change. >> What? That's not him. >> Wait a minute. >> I don't even like Dan Akroy being older
00:47:50
now. I'm like I want him the way I saw him. >> And so when I see that I go I literally
00:47:54
go in I go I got to be fair about this. >> I love Ghostbusters but I think these
00:47:58
girls are funny. So what do we do? So I go in and I go it is funny. Now, that's
00:48:03
just one opinion, but I paid I went and saw it and then >> I saw it, too. I thought it was great.
00:48:06
>> You go, >> well, those four people are just >> It's different. There's different jokes.
00:48:10
It's not It's not exact frame by frame recreation. >> No, cuz you didn't want to do that, but
00:48:15
it was just, you know, it was I I thought it would be fun. I What I didn't realize
00:48:20
>> it wasn't going to be fun. >> I know. It was It was It was one of the
00:48:23
worst experiences of my life. Not making it was was fantastic, but the all the [ __ ] around it. I mean, Donald Trump
00:48:29
came out against us. Oh, he did. Oh, there's a video. There was a video of him going, "Uh,
00:48:34
>> we don't like it. We wanted that accent. We got to have the other guys. The
00:48:38
ladies can do their movies. The men do their movies." >> Well, here's the exact here's the exact
00:48:42
quote. And you can find it online. It's on tape on video. Oh, it's on video. He
00:48:45
goes, "And now the Ghostbusters are women. What's going on? >> What is going on?
00:48:49
>> It's the end of the world as we know it. It's not good." And let me tell you,
00:48:52
I've seen it many times and they're busting them. I know what they do. And they need to have acro.
00:48:58
They've got to have Acro. I don't know. So, let's talk about your current movie, which I like these kind
00:49:04
of movies. I saw the teaser trailer I thought was kind of brilliant because it's just a, you know,
00:49:09
>> and so it's called Housemaid. >> The Housemaid. Yeah. >> With someone who I I think is sort of
00:49:15
out there now a lot. >> I think she's got a future. Yeah. Sydney Sweeney. Sydney. You've heard of her.
00:49:20
>> Um and Amanda >> Amanda Safe Freed. >> Safe Reed. And so tell us about this
00:49:25
movie that's coming out in December. >> Yes. Uh yeah, I'm very excited about it.
00:49:28
It's a It's more of a straightup thriller, but it's still in my own inimitable way. It's going to be funny
00:49:33
at times. >> Gets nutty. Yeah. It gets, you know, in the weaponsy kind of way, I guess. Um,
00:49:38
but it's it's a it's a based on a bestselling book that's been on the
00:49:41
bestseller list for a year and a half called The Housemaid by Freda McFaten. >> And, uh,
00:49:46
>> Brandon Slenar is also in it, who's fantastic, and and Michaela [ __ ] who
00:49:50
was in my another simple favor movie that I did last. Uh, and it's it's just
00:49:54
it's a really fun twisty thriller. You think you know where it's going and you
00:49:58
completely don't know where it's going and then it twists again. >> I love it.
00:50:00
>> Yeah. I I I love thrillers. That's kind of all I watch. >> Well, it's good for City Sweenies, too.
00:50:04
>> You know what? You know, I do, too. Huge star. >> I really like thrillers.
00:50:08
>> Yeah. You know, it is like I I find I don't watch much comedy because I don't
00:50:13
watch it at all. I know how the rabbit gets out of the hat. So, it has to be something really different.
00:50:18
>> Yeah. No, totally. Oh, I I did just watch um Friendship the other night and
00:50:22
that really made me laugh. >> How was that in friendship? >> Yeah. You know, Tim is just so it's if
00:50:27
you like Tim, if you love Tim, you'll love this movie. >> Sure. >> There's some of the funniest there's a
00:50:32
couple of sequences that are so funny. >> He's got some of the best clips.
00:50:35
>> Yeah. >> You know, like everything is clips now, but >> it's a way to introduce you. It's like a
00:50:39
little nugget >> and then if I see it enough, it starts showing up and I'm like obviously I'm
00:50:44
watching it because it keeps telling me, "Oh, you like this." >> Yeah. No, totally.
00:50:48
>> You're going to look at it again. And then keep surprising me. It's very hard.
00:50:51
>> Yeah. No, it's true. So, so I don't watch like but I I Yeah. thrillers and
00:50:55
and crime shows and all that. I love all that stuff. >> Yeah, that's I watch them with my wife
00:51:00
and you know and I they're they're just fun. So, you like true crime, too.
00:51:03
>> Did you say it? The housemaid is it's called >> The Housemmaid. Yeah.
00:51:06
>> And did you say a little bit of what it was about or you don't want to say?
00:51:09
>> Oh, uh no, I I say yeah, I guess I should do the plug. Yeah. It's about
00:51:14
this young woman who's kind of uh living out of her car, a little down on her
00:51:18
luck, who goes and uh gets an interview to be a housemmaid in this rich this rich family's house and gets the job and
00:51:25
the the the woman who hires her seems like the greatest boss ever and then things start to turn get weird.
00:51:30
>> I'm in. >> Thanks. >> It's all I needed. >> Excellent.
00:51:32
>> Living in car. >> You're going to love it. Exactly. >> And it and it's it's a sexy thriller,
00:51:37
too. I'll say that. >> It's kind of nice. I mean, I just >> Everything for Eden was like, "These two
00:51:42
girls are going to hook up." Like Eden was just like I thought it was literally
00:51:45
two girls hooking up. That's that was the pitch. It was like >> Yeah. I thought it was really kind of a
00:51:51
softcore porn. >> Was this taking you back to your Skinnamax days? >> It was. And I was like, "Oh, there's
00:51:58
other people in it. >> Wait, there's sand." >> Actually, how do you That sounded like
00:52:02
an interesting movie because it was weird. Like I go, >> well, it was a true story, you know.
00:52:07
>> How do you fight this idea that we all know? >> I was in and out. Oh, Eden was a true
00:52:12
story. I like it. No, I did like it. And Jude was good. Was in it. >> Jude, I love Jude.
00:52:16
>> So, when will it be on my machine? Eden. >> Uh, well, it's it's going to be in
00:52:20
theaters, believe it or not. It still hasn't been released. >> I'm sorry, Eden. I'm sorry.
00:52:24
>> Oh, yeah. I switched over here. We know about Housemate. >> Sorry, let's go back to House. The
00:52:28
Housemate opens December 19th. >> Sort of the thing. It's in theaters and
00:52:33
then you have to want compel people to the theater thinking that well, it'll be
00:52:37
on Amazon Prime in a month. So, is there a strategy? >> It'll be on the machine soon, I bet.
00:52:43
>> Always always I guess it's always on something else later. >> It used to be DVD, used to be VHS, but
00:52:49
now >> like F1 I saw then it goes it's going to be on Apple. I'm like, oh,
00:52:54
>> yeah. >> I didn't want to wait, but you know, it's like, oh, okay. But there's a
00:52:57
window. It's shorter. It's longer. >> The big screen is great. >> I'll tell you this. What I've discovered
00:53:01
this is >> because of this connectivity. >> Yes. >> It's either church or a movie theater.
00:53:09
Turn it off >> for 2 hours. It goes pitch dark. The sound's really great. You're in a
00:53:14
stadium. There's almost no one there. >> It's fantastic. I mean, the world just
00:53:18
quiets down. It's way bigger deal than it was to me in the '90s. >> Now it's like I I'm going to turn it
00:53:24
off. >> Well, at home when I watch movie, I look at my phone and I got when I go to the
00:53:28
theater. >> I you you're also disturbing people. So, >> it's one more reason to go just [ __ ]
00:53:33
for a little bit. Even though you get itchy, you go, >> "Oh, no. Totally." or like when you hear
00:53:37
it like buzz, you know, you're like wonder what it was. >> It's that that's
00:53:41
>> Let me ask you a question about the summer blockbusters and which one that
00:53:44
you might have enjoyed the most. I I was in my own head because I did see all three in the theater cuz
00:53:50
>> Jurassic Park, >> right? >> Um >> are they Mission Impossible and
00:53:53
Superman? Those three Yes. >> all did really well and got a lot of people in the theaters, which is great
00:53:59
for the movie industry. >> Yes. >> Do you have a favorite? >> You're going to love this.
00:54:03
>> You don't have to say. >> I didn't see ANY OF THEM. WHAT?
00:54:06
>> I DIDN'T see any of that. >> Fantastic 4. >> No, I'm I'm I hate to say I'm not a
00:54:10
superhero guy. >> Okay. What's your favorite movie in the last few years? What's the movie that's
00:54:15
really float floated your boat besides Dunkirk? >> So, I'm just throwing stuff out. There
00:54:19
you go. Exactly. >> Once upon a time in Hollywood. >> Uh that was I I enjoyed that very much.
00:54:24
I really like that. I I mean I have to say I think well there's a movie called
00:54:28
Abigail >> that I loved. It was this vampire movie, but it it's a straightup comedy. It's it
00:54:33
cuz it's so bananas. You got to watch it. >> That's on the machine.
00:54:36
>> No, exactly. Yeah, that's on the machine. You can definitely get on the
00:54:39
machine. >> I've heard of that. That's >> Megan. I thought Megan was great. The
00:54:42
first Megan. I didn't see the second one yet. Um >> Yeah. I mean, >> I got you. Is Allison Williams and
00:54:47
Megan? >> Yes. >> She's the mom. >> Yeah, she's the >> It starts like a tragic beginning,
00:54:53
right? >> Oh, no. Totally. Well, it's actually a really funny beginning because it starts
00:54:56
with the ad for the dolls for this other dolls they're trying to sell. That's I
00:54:59
go like, "Okay, I they It's so smart. You got to set the tone right at the
00:55:04
beginning of a movie." >> Yeah. You said open with Did you say that? Opening.
00:55:08
>> It's You got to get something right away. It's almost like a TikTok.
00:55:11
>> We just got to let people know how to watch the movie, >> right? Okay. Horror films are the the
00:55:15
highest money makers at the moment. At the moment. >> At the moment. >> I was just curious just before we let
00:55:20
you go, it's just like what what movies do you love just off the top of your
00:55:25
head? You don't have to say your favorite. just of all time. Way back of all time. I mean, my favorite movie of
00:55:30
all time is It's a Wonderful Life. >> And not that I think it's the greatest
00:55:33
movie ever made, but I think it accomplishes everything a movie is supposed to accomplish. It makes you
00:55:38
cry. It makes you happy. It makes you sad. It It takes you through dramatic things and it's uplifting at the end.
00:55:43
So, I always love that one. >> I I I concur. I I literally It's a thing
00:55:48
my wife just laughs because if I talk about that movie with people >> and I just And I don't know if it'll get
00:55:54
me now, but it's like a trigger. >> You get emotional. Oh, no. When the
00:55:56
people come to the end and they say, "We heard No, it's I'm already feeling it.
00:56:00
We heard George." >> Sorry. Yeah. >> Bailey was in trouble. I don't know why.
00:56:05
That gets me every time. >> It's fantastic. And you know the the backstory on that movie is it it
00:56:10
literally bankrupted the studio that created it. Yeah. It was Capra and and some other guys started the studio,
00:56:16
Liberty Studios, I think it was called to and and it was so poorly received and so destroyed by the critics.
00:56:23
>> Cap Capricorn. >> Yes. Capricorn. Exactly. But it was only because when you know TV came around and
00:56:31
they it was something that they could put on for free or for like no money. So they just started playing it over and
00:56:36
over again at Christmas time and that's how it became this big. >> Oh boy. I kind of like those stories.
00:56:41
>> I like those stories too because when critics [ __ ] all over your movies, you
00:56:43
go maybe there's a second chance. >> So what else is on your list off the top
00:56:46
of your head? >> Uh Doctor Strange Love, one of my favorites of all time. Um Bringing Up
00:56:52
Baby, one of my favorite movies of all time. That was with Heburn. >> Stewart.
00:56:56
>> He and No. And um you're you're the guy that nobody knows the that you do
00:57:02
anymore. Uh >> Carrie Grant. >> Carrie Grant. >> Yeah. Carrie Grant. Right.
00:57:04
>> In one of his funniest roles ever. He plays a nerd and it's hilarious.
00:57:08
>> I like to bring up babies. >> Something about the babies that I just
00:57:11
love. >> It's a fun voice to do. It's the weirdest voice in film. >> Yeah, totally. It's It's fantastic.
00:57:16
>> Do you like 2001 of Space Odyssey? >> I do. I love it. >> You like that?
00:57:20
>> Love that movie. >> It's so funny. When I was in film school, um I had a friend and he was
00:57:25
like, "Oh man, if they made that movie today, the sound would be so much better." And all I go, "No, the reason
00:57:29
that movie is great is cuz there's no sound." Like where they're in space,
00:57:32
it's just silent and it's so creepy. You know, when that guy's trying to get back
00:57:36
in and they're trying to grab him, I'm like, "Oh, it's so harrowing." And then
00:57:38
he goes drift. I never got that for years. It took me I kept thinking about that guy who drifted off into
00:57:43
>> and the greatest death scene in a movie. Yeah, totally. >> I can feel it, Dave.
00:57:48
>> I can feel it. Daisy, >> we're >> And now here we are in the world of AI.
00:57:54
>> Well, Paul, that's the scary part. And and we all I can in three years I can
00:57:58
make a movie with my computer like Apocalypse Now, right? >> I refuse to believe that's going to
00:58:02
happen. >> Garbage. Your movie. >> Apocalypse Now is garbage. >> No, I mean if you're going to go make it
00:58:07
on your computer with >> Yeah, I know. Exactly. You still need human experience. Exactly. Exactly.
00:58:11
>> So, um, well, any final thoughts? You've been on the David Spade podcast.
00:58:15
>> I want to know if you would think I could handle the Conjuring. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I love the
00:58:21
Conjuring movies, but would you enjoy it? If you >> No, I won't. I'll mean
00:58:27
>> that's based on re if it's as any real. If there's any devil, I can't take it.
00:58:30
>> Go to see Weapons. >> Weapons is a good >> Okay. You and Dana both like it.
00:58:36
>> You will enjoy it. >> It's mostly funny and and it's filmed. I
00:58:40
thought the beginning, the first act is so interestingly >> Yeah. The first act you'll go like, "Oh,
00:58:45
this gonna be really scary." And then it because it jumps around different POVs
00:58:50
of the different characters and then let's just say Amy Madigan is brilliant
00:58:53
in the movie. >> I didn't know it until I was going to the end credits. Yeah,
00:58:57
>> you're going to get pop outs, you know, and you know when they're coming, the
00:59:00
camera's in tight. What I do is I sort of >> There's not too many of those cuz I
00:59:03
don't I don't like >> three of those kind, you know. Um just squint during those.
00:59:10
I'm in my late dancing line. Take a beta blocker and >> I'll take a beta blocker and go.
00:59:15
>> All right. Thank you, Paul. And I will uh movie house. We will go December
00:59:20
19th. >> December 19th in theaters only. >> Theaters only. >> I'm going to see it and then I'm going
00:59:24
to hit you up after tell. >> You bet. I can't wait. >> Perfect. All right. Bye guys. I'm going
00:59:27
to go. >> Bye everybody. >> Thanks everybody. >> Bye-bye everybody.
00:59:31
>> Bye. >> See you. Hey guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow
00:59:40
on your favorite podcast app. Give us a review, fivestar rating, and maybe even share an episode that you've loved with
00:59:47
a friend. If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now.
00:59:52
>> Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey, an executive produced by Danny Carvey
00:59:56
and David Spade, Heather Santoro and Greg Holtzman, Mattie Sprung Kaiser, and Leah Reese Dennis of Odyssey. Our senior
01:00:04
producer is Greg Holtzman and the show is produced and edited by Phil Sweet Tech. Booking by Cultivated
01:00:10
Entertainment. >> Special thanks to Patrick Fogerty, Evan Cox, Mora Curran, Melissa Wester,
01:00:18
Hillary Shuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gainner, Shan Cherry, Kurt Courtourtney, and Lauren Vieiraa. Reach out with us
01:00:27
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01:00:34
That's audacy.com.