00:00:00
People forget that like Fight Club became such a >> phenomenal >> definitive film and everything, but it
00:00:06
was a total financial bomb. Brad had said to me, he kind of pulled me aside. He said, "How do you think this is going
00:00:12
to go?" And I said, "I don't think this is going to go well at all." And he said, "Me neither. Let's get stoned."
00:00:16
Sandler's interesting cuz like I thought Uncut Gems was just >> brilliant, brilliant, brilliant [music]
00:00:21
film. And he was >> as great as he's ever been in anything. Mhm. >> And I remember I was texting with him or
00:00:29
something and you know, I don't remember if it was the reviews or the the Oscars
00:00:33
or something came around and he wrote me, "No love for the Sandman, you [laughter] know,
00:00:39
>> Edward Norton. Uh, >> very cool dude. >> Got a little mystery to him, which doesn't happen a lot in this business.
00:00:47
>> He's, uh, he came out of the box fast." We'll talk all about his career, his techniques, his philosophy. He's very
00:00:53
thoughtful, has a great sense of humor. He's very generous with with people he works with. Um it was it was fun to talk
00:01:00
to him because he he's a really classic great movie actor >> and there's some good stories. Brad Pitt
00:01:07
stories, Adam Sandler, we kind of broke down a little bit. Uh >> lot of fun and um it pops up in a lot of
00:01:14
cool movies. We asked about the Hulk. >> I told him why I wouldn't play the Hulk.
00:01:19
Yeah. Yeah. The Hulk and his new movie with Olivia Wild. So it's it's a very interesting
00:01:26
>> invite that comes out >> interview with someone who's who's uh just a brilliant actor who just keeps
00:01:32
working and doing cool stuff. >> Look from in the invite with Penelopey Cruz, Seth Rogan,
00:01:37
>> Olivia Wild, and Edward Norton. So that's in theaters soon. And >> yeah, >> I'm definitely going to that one. He was
00:01:43
talking about it and I got very interested. >> Yeah. >> So here he is. >> Yeah, it sounds cool. Edward Norton,
00:01:51
>> congratulations. You're on our podcast. >> Awesome. [laughter] >> Yeah. Everything's coming together for
00:01:57
you. >> Whose birthday is it? >> Uh, [laughter] it's Well, wait. It's Let's Let's go by
00:02:04
hierarchy. It's Jerry Mats who played the beaver in the 1962 >> and myself. Do you share your birthday?
00:02:12
We don't have to get the the number, but with a other well-known person. You have
00:02:17
five seconds. I I think maybe Robert Redford. >> Wow, what a good one. >> Oh my god, I got I Jerry M.
00:02:28
>> Sean Penn and Robert Dairo are all in the same like mid I can't remember. Uh >> okay.
00:02:34
>> I can't remember who's on my day though. >> It kind of makes sense. But anyway,
00:02:38
yeah, it is my birthday and they said you don't have to do this with Edward Norton on your birthday. I go, are you
00:02:42
[ __ ] kidding me? >> You were like what could be better? >> Pretty much. I mean, what am I supposed
00:02:47
to do? be like a 10-year-old all day long. Me open present. I mean, are you a birthday guy? Like, [ __ ] a man. No,
00:02:53
nobody [laughter] is. It's rational after the age of 10. >> Listen, the audience is wondering who
00:02:58
has one on my birthday. I'll tell you quickly. Uh, Selena Gomez. Okay. >> Okay. >> Uh, let the applause die down. And Don
00:03:07
Henley. >> All right. Continue. >> I like diverse. >> I like Don Henley. [laughter] So I I've
00:03:16
>> seen that I add nothing to this [ __ ] >> That is kind of nice. Mine's just Jerry
00:03:20
Mathers and me. What? Do the do the math. We're in the same tribe. All right, that's good. I like that. So, as
00:03:28
far as the movie The Invite for a second, we can start with that. >> Okay. >> Whoops. Whoops.
00:03:34
>> Whoops. Big >> I read some of the reviews. >> They're incredible. [laughter] Hollywood Reporter gave you a love
00:03:42
letter. Did you see that? I didn't. >> Okay. Is it good to hear that phrase love letter?
00:03:48
>> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, um it's it's it's kind of weird, isn't it? Like in the time we've all been doing this, like I
00:03:56
mean, I I remember being in New York and in my early 20s and there were there were people who could close a play, you
00:04:04
know, like Frank Rich in the New York Times, he could open or close a play. And then there was those people like,
00:04:11
[gasps] >> you know, there was >> and I it's wild. >> Roger Eird maybe. >> Yeah, Roger Eert. You could you could
00:04:19
really um you and there was writers you loved and there was people I feel like it's not to
00:04:25
disrespect anybody as a writer or anything, but I just feel like in this like Rotten Tomatoes world, it I'm I'm
00:04:31
not as tuned in. And I'm just not that tuned in anymore to >> I'm not as tuned in as I used to be to
00:04:38
what an individual >> kind of review. Um >> it doesn't really mean anything. >> Yeah. And and and it's like it's more
00:04:47
it's it is sort of more like are we are we are we fresh overall? Are we rotten to you know are we
00:04:53
>> are you rotten? >> Like are we I don't know. You know it's like >> how are we how are we um
00:05:00
I don't know. there's like this different metric now uh in a way and maybe it's maybe it's healthy in some
00:05:06
ways but then you do sort of sometimes it you kind of miss that thing of like I mean it was dramatic you felt like you
00:05:13
were >> stars and it really >> yeah you felt like you lived sometimes you it was like you felt like you lived
00:05:18
and died on that stuff >> well if we do standup David and I or theater wherever then there's a thousand
00:05:23
reviews just you go online you see what people thought of the show >> or egalitarian you know that's different
00:05:30
like it's right there. You know, you bombed. And uh Rotten Tomatoes is interesting because I think they get
00:05:35
they rough up so many movies they added a audience meter tomato meter where they
00:05:40
go well the critics hate it but the crowds liked it. So I think >> Edward might be in more of the both
00:05:47
liked it >> with his movies. Maybe >> sometimes sometimes >> sometimes >> although people forget that like Fight
00:05:53
Club became such a >> you know that became became such a >> phenomen film and everything but it was a total
00:06:01
financial bomb. I mean [laughter] when it ca when it came out it didn't do it it didn't do well at all. I mean I think
00:06:07
I think that movie cost 60 or 70 million bucks to make and I >> I'm not even I'm not even sure it got to
00:06:12
40 I don't even know if it got to 40 million at the US box office. It was very um the whole and it it and I
00:06:21
remember um I remember they made a very strange decision to premiere that movie at the Venice Film Festival which didn't
00:06:29
feel like a good fit um with subtitles and all these things and it and it got booed. Um it [laughter] it it got booed,
00:06:38
but I had um yeah, [clears throat] it got booed and and um and I had at the hotel beforehand, Brad had said to me,
00:06:47
he kind of pulled me aside. He said, "How do you think this is going to go?" And I said, "I don't think this is going
00:06:51
to go well at all." And he said, "Me neither. Let's get stoned." And he um and [laughter] he had flown in private,
00:06:56
so he had a big joint. And we kind of stood in the back of this hotel and I was, you know, I'm like a lightweight
00:07:03
and Brad's like a at the time >> pro, >> you know, was a pro and >> and we we we we [laughter]
00:07:10
we I remember but I remember sitting in the back and watching the movie and and people people were actively they were
00:07:17
booing. They booed at the end and people left in the middle of it and and at the
00:07:21
end of it, Brad he Brad turned to me in the dark at the end of it kind of tearfully. and he said, "I think that's
00:07:26
the best movie I'm ever going to be in." And um >> Wow. And it was but and and it sounds
00:07:31
like a a story a funny story but the thing is that the experience I the experience was really really
00:07:39
schizophrenic because it there was this feeling and this is just to the point sometimes
00:07:44
you have sometimes you have your own feeling about a thing and it doesn't you know it doesn't like it doesn't grab in
00:07:52
some of the ways that the that the industry or the town signals but then it's got its own, you know, and I I mean
00:08:01
I mean think about comedies like I think there's so there's things that have become
00:08:07
>> sure >> you know they didn't get well reviewed and maybe they did well or they didn't
00:08:10
do well but they become kind of epic um they become classics and I it's kind of interesting because you can be I
00:08:17
remember that feeling of being disappointed in the short term and then but then slowly over time you go oh this
00:08:22
is actually this is better than >> this this is better it's almost better >> take that because Yeah, it turns into a
00:08:30
cult. It turns into an important thing that hits people and and if it's still being talked about to this day, you
00:08:36
might hear it every day. I mean, there's things I've done that if it was bigger and then you don't hear about it. I'm
00:08:42
not even on your level. Let's be honest. We'll start with that. But like, let's say a comedy I hear about to this day,
00:08:47
Tommy Boy, it made >> I was I literally was thinking that while we were talking about this, every
00:08:52
I mean like that's a classic movie in in everybody's comedy pantheon. And I don't
00:08:59
think at the time >> 32 million >> 32 What did What did Wayne's World make right before that? I can't remember.
00:09:06
>> No, you're going to say some high number, you prick. >> I I don't know. No, but you're right. As
00:09:10
far as [laughter] >> resonance was just like >> uh that, you know, but comedians I don't
00:09:16
know about anybody else, but most comedians get their ass kicked doing movies or TV shows. It's just like as if
00:09:23
we're trying to do Apocalypse Now and we came out with this. [clears throat] They
00:09:26
[ __ ] on Sandler more than any comedian in history for decades. I would text him
00:09:30
after that. They're out of their minds. You're not trying. Yeah. And so we were used to that. I remember Steve Martin
00:09:35
one time going, "Yeah, the critics hate me." But >> it's kind of a trap because Bert
00:09:39
Reynolds used to say that too. Reference >> and no one really knew the critics hated
00:09:45
them. You don't even thought of it until they announced it. We are not reading their reviews. Well,
00:09:50
>> I'm talking to somebody who's done very well for himself. Go ahead. >> Yeah. some some sometimes. No, but
00:09:55
Sandler's interesting because like like I thought Uncut Gems was >> honestly maybe one of my favorite films
00:10:00
in the last 10 years. It's just >> brilliant brilliant brilliant film and he was
00:10:07
>> perfect >> as great as he's ever been in anything. Mhm. >> And I remember I I I was texting with
00:10:13
him or something and you know, I don't remember if it was the reviews or the the Oscars or something came around and
00:10:18
he wrote he wrote me no love for the Sandman, you [laughter] know, but and I remember he he wrote no love for the
00:10:24
Sandman and I and I said but I remember you know and you laugh and you go like ah [ __ ] him, you know, but but it is but
00:10:32
I do remember thinking at the time even I thought it is funny. It's like that it's like it's like sometimes people
00:10:40
just don't want to give it up. Uh the Matrix doesn't want to give it up. >> Um they're just going to keep they want
00:10:47
to keep Adam in a box and you know um >> he's pushing out of it. That's the thing
00:10:52
is like they he gets very close and then they're like we'll let you get this far.
00:10:56
>> He had that and then he's had Jay Kelly recently where he's kind of knocking at
00:11:02
the door a couple times. I think one more turn >> punch through. Yeah. Yeah. Well, punch
00:11:06
glove. I mean, punch gloves like like to me that's one of PTA's best. I love it.
00:11:12
Yeah. And and Adam in that. He's he's um but uh I I don't know the I don't know if it's if you guys feel is I don't know
00:11:23
if it's age and or just getting a thicker skin or having family and your priority shift or whatever or if there's
00:11:32
been a real cultural shift there. There's no question people are consuming things in
00:11:38
a different way and they're listening. The g like you said the gatekeepers I don't I don't think things aren't the
00:11:46
same. I mean there's this >> there's anatomization there's not as much power in there's not
00:11:52
as much power in like in the idea of cultural gatekeepers. Um, I feel like there are
00:11:59
more ways there's more ways for all of us, anyone who makes anything can kind of get direct to their own audience in
00:12:08
ways that I I actually I'm happy, you know, I I'm happy. I think it's >> Oh, yeah.
00:12:14
>> Um, cuz we came up with Johnny Carson >> or SNL or a sitcom and that was it. And
00:12:21
there were three channels. So now like Shane Gillis, he really got bumped off of SNL. came on our podcast and he
00:12:27
released his own special on YouTube and he was kind of a little shy. I guess maybe I'll play theaters and they just
00:12:34
took off the fans. So I I do like that about it, you know. Do you read comments, Edward, about yourself? Do you
00:12:40
read >> Are you on social media? >> No, not really. I mean, I I I use it. I use I I
00:12:47
>> like I'm I'm a real interloper in social media. I don't I I I mean, you know, they they it seem the
00:12:56
algorithm seems to know that I like um surfing and and people falling [laughter]
00:13:01
like like they they must have said somehow it like somewhere in New York I think at my desk I uh um I still have
00:13:10
like a sticky on it with that Mel Brooks line that you know um uh uh you know tragedy is when I cut my little finger
00:13:19
comedy is when you fall in an open sewer and die. That [laughter] that's like one
00:13:24
of Mel Brooks's lines. And I um Yeah. And I uh I I I I'm I'm a sucker for for that stuff. But I don't I don't No, I
00:13:33
don't um I I I don't go down that rabbit hole. >> It's like you watch one surfing video
00:13:39
and then it goes, "You love surfing. Here's a hundred videos." You're like, "I like one."
00:13:43
>> Yeah. There's a I you know the way I would describe it and there's other people like you unintentionally
00:13:49
mysterious because you're certainly not fostering a celebrity thing and so it's I using the word loosely of cool I mean
00:13:57
I Jean Hackman would come in crush in a film then he go to New Mexico know what he was doing
00:14:03
>> and I know this I from what I gather with you you're this isn't intentional you're just not hungry
00:14:10
>> for that you are I mean it sounds very self congrat you're just doing great stuff, you know.
00:14:17
>> Well, look, I I I mean, everybody everybody gets shaped by their own inclinations and decisions, but then
00:14:25
also there's a lot of luck, you know, there's a lot of um there's a lot that's not in your control, too. And I I
00:14:35
I'm certainly um I've certainly been hugely lucky in the sense that from pretty early on I I I I was getting to
00:14:44
choose, you know, I I I had I had choices about what I wanted to work on and what I didn't. And and so I I was
00:14:50
getting to cut my own path. But then, but then I do think in all honesty, I think um there there are there are
00:14:59
performers, let's not even say actors, there's performers of all types who are just like we're drawn to them because
00:15:06
they're iconic. They're very um they're they're star they're a star, you know? They're like and and it's kind of like
00:15:13
who they are, their characteristics. >> Um I mean, we're talking about Sanders, but like and I'm I'm not even joking.
00:15:19
Like to me, Sandler's iconic because we we just love him. He's got these characteristics that we love and we go
00:15:28
to him again and again and again. Not that he doesn't do things like Uncut Gems, Shave, but then there's other and
00:15:34
I and I think those those kinds of people tend to draw attention in a in a different way. And then there
00:15:42
are people who I think like that's not I don't think that that's my val I don't even think that's my value in a way like
00:15:50
I or because I just tend to I tend to gravitate toward character driven stuff and I do I don't really
00:15:59
think it's me like I I don't I don't think people are that interested in commentary and me or following me around
00:16:06
or doing that because I don't >> that's not even the role I serve for them. You know what I mean? I don't I'm
00:16:12
not playing something interesting and they go see that because you're going to put some spin on it or whatever. They
00:16:18
know at least you'll try hard to bring something. >> Yeah. Which for me, I will be honest, I
00:16:23
I am I it's a it's a happy uh I love getting I love getting to do the work I get to do. And if there's, you know, if
00:16:35
if there's this or that that I I don't get to do because I'm not like, you know, I don't I don't I'm not
00:16:44
the most commercial or that's, you know, I'll I'll take it because I think um I think some sometimes what comes with all
00:16:52
that as we all know is can be a real burden. You know what I mean? And it's like I I mean I I have a lot of friends
00:17:00
who, you know, being too much in the limelight has ended up putting them in 12step. You know what I mean? Like I
00:17:07
don't I don't I don't uh >> I don't sort of >> Yeah. They surround you with their
00:17:12
iPhones now. It's not autographs or anything. [laughter] I mean, not me, but you know, really famous people and they
00:17:17
just start filming you if you're walking around. Well, you did do um the the Hulk, you
00:17:25
know, that was like a a big tent pole part of a franchise >> and um >> Yeah. >> What was that like for you? That's like
00:17:32
a big >> I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. I did I I did I mean I loved I did it cuz I love
00:17:37
those comic books. I I was you know I was >> Yeah, me too. nerdy kid who subscribed
00:17:41
to I I subscribed to probably like >> a half a dozen of those those things and I and I loved when they
00:17:50
>> it was like but when you were too little to get porn mag you know that like Marvel people forget like comic books
00:17:56
showed up in a brown envelope you know what I mean it was a little bit uh [laughter] it was a little bit elicit
00:18:01
you know you got a brown envelope and you got the little plastic sleeve >> and um you know
00:18:05
>> I couldn't read enough comic books >> I loved it super back there. I'm such an
00:18:10
actor. If I was in the Hulk, I would be holding production because I'm telling the director I should be red because I'm
00:18:17
mad and not green. And then we'd go back and forth and then they we'd land on green, but I would waste everyone's time
00:18:24
>> because I'm overthinking it. >> You were like purple pants? Really? [laughter]
00:18:29
>> I know. Who's wearing purple pants? >> Even you know what? >> It didn't matter what Bill Bixby was
00:18:34
wearing. That's what's really funny too in the comics, but also in the great Bill Bixby, you know, in the the Lou
00:18:40
Ferno show we grew up on. >> It's like whatever Bill Bixby was wearing, >> you know, should but the pants became
00:18:47
purple. Why? >> Oh, I didn't even think of that. >> You know, and that was from the comic
00:18:51
book, too. But why were why why no matter what Bill Bixby was wearing was Lou Fri?
00:18:57
>> Notice that. >> You know who should have noticed that? >> Joker friend or something.
00:19:01
>> [ __ ] script supervisor. There's so many people that dropped the ball on that.
00:19:05
>> Of course, my mother's my mother's favorite comment that she loved to make whenever we watched The Hulk with Lou
00:19:11
Faragna was she would always say, "Why do his pants only rip up to there?" [laughter]
00:19:16
>> Oh jeez. >> She would be >> very observant and rather interesting. >> Does his wiener get bigger? We don't
00:19:24
know. >> Yeah. No, it's like but it is it was funny how his his his pants shredded up
00:19:29
to >> Bill would wear like he's from Best Buy and then he would suddenly I never even
00:19:35
connected. I was so into the Hulk 2 >> and I was so blinded by the fun of it. I didn't really look at that stuff.
00:19:40
>> I'm just excited that Bill Bixby was mentioned on our podcast. >> I know he's not he's not talked about a
00:19:45
lot on >> That's like Ross Martin. >> Yeah. >> Oh, from Gordon. Yeah. >> [ __ ] I used to love that. Do you
00:19:53
remember Courtship of Eddie's father? >> Of course. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean that was
00:19:59
>> what were you like 3 months old when he walked it? But >> but it and stuff. Yeah. Go [laughter]
00:20:06
ahead. >> It's funny how there's things that from when you were really young. They you you
00:20:11
kind of remember a the song. I remember the song too. >> There's certain things that had a um I
00:20:17
don't know. They had a vibe. They had a vibe that you knew maybe you were a little too young for it, but there was
00:20:22
something about it that seemed >> sweet like >> or happy. Yeah. Every one of those old
00:20:28
shows has a theme song that I hear and I like Partridge Family. There's so many where they're just good. They have good
00:20:34
memories right away and there's some potion where they put together these jingle songs.
00:20:40
>> Cheers. >> And you just love them and then the whole your whole life. >> Great song.
00:20:44
>> It's funny they don't do I don't think they do it that much on those shows anymore. these shows, but
00:20:48
>> oh, we grew up during such a innocent time and you think of the those shows and they were, you know, maybe they
00:20:55
weren't um politically correct or whatever, but uh I Dream of Genie and you know, Wah. [clears throat]
00:21:03
>> Go ahead. There's no there's there's there's so much you know there's so much
00:21:06
uh so much you know chatter and debate right now about all the inevitable you know all the corporatism
00:21:14
and the compression of you know is this studio going to buy that studio and all the mergers and and I agree I agree that
00:21:21
in on balance um >> you know just more more diverse places to get stuff done is probably better on
00:21:29
the whole but the um but I think Um, and I think, you know, I'm I'm not one of the ones who's sort of down on to me
00:21:38
streaming, um, and this whole idea of all these platforms. I it's it's hard to argue that it's
00:21:47
>> it's created more opportunity for more people to make more different kinds of
00:21:51
stuff than >> ever when we were coming up. I mean, >> and I think and I think it's on balance.
00:21:57
You know, it's so much that in a weird way I feel at times I'm like, I just can't keep up with
00:22:02
>> I just can't keep up with what's going on. I can't People are always referencing, have you seen this and
00:22:07
that? I'm like, where where do you show this? >> It's so much. It's so much I but I will
00:22:13
say and I know that I know that there was a much narrower bandwidth of types of things when we were growing up,
00:22:22
>> but at the same time it was it was really interesting. There was basically the three networks
00:22:27
>> and there was what was coming out in the theater >> and and I did I do have this kind of
00:22:33
memory that >> you kind of knew everything. You knew everything that was available like you
00:22:39
you knew >> everyone did. Yeah, you kind of knew >> what night a show was on. >> Yeah,
00:22:44
>> you knew what was coming out. >> Star War Indiana Jones is coming out this summer. You'll know that now it's
00:22:50
[ __ ] blur. >> It Yeah, it's it's very very very very psychologically challenging to keep up
00:22:56
with uh with how much stuff gets made. Um and and the whole idea of like I don't know. I'm sure it cuts both ways
00:23:05
because it's all the things we were talking about. I think people people with unique cool voices and ideas they
00:23:13
they can almost get out there and you know it's easier than ever to make your own stuff. It's easier than ever to
00:23:20
get your own stuff out there and distribute it and you can have and there's so much that's cool about that.
00:23:25
Um and and I think you do see a lot of people figuring out how to >> like find an audience. You don't have to
00:23:32
go through the gatekeepers to get >> the current number one movie as this podcast is being made is why a young man
00:23:38
I think he's 19 or 20 did back did some AI and he's out doing these big corporate films. I'm not against them
00:23:44
but it's just interesting to observe that. So there's never and it's going to accelerate within 36 months I'll be able
00:23:50
to go Wayne's world 3 um kind of done as Alfred Hitchcock would do it. Boom. And then in two
00:23:59
seconds, an AI right now, I just heard this stat the other day, can read a 100,000page document in two seconds
00:24:07
>> and have photographic memory of it. So, we're right at the cusp, but >> you know, but we still
00:24:14
>> I find myself not worrying. I mean, doing doing the invite um was actually a really good
00:24:21
>> like really strong affirmation of this. the the way that Olivia Wild made the
00:24:25
movie um and the the amount of imp Yeah, she she terrific actress and and she directed she directed this new comedy
00:24:34
that we made. It's um >> it's me and Seth Rogan and and Olivia and >> Penelopey Cruz and uh
00:24:41
>> and Olivia she did she I mean I've been doing movies for 30 years. She I have
00:24:47
never never done what she did which is it was it was a single set. It's one apartment, two couples in one apartment
00:24:54
for one evening. And um and she she shot it in page order. So So So we got to make it in in the exact order of the
00:25:08
scenes and it had this really cool effect which was what and you were always building on what had actually
00:25:17
come right before. And so if a wild and she was encouraging so much improvisation and so much um it was
00:25:26
almost like going back to you know acting classes when you were in college. She was having us write our backstories
00:25:31
and and know a lot and and she wanted us to kind of invent our characters, bring
00:25:38
them in. Um >> Wow. And as a and as a result, as we were doing it, she was w really wide
00:25:44
open to the idea that the ending might end up very different than anything that had been on the page. And it did. The
00:25:51
ending >> because you're building toward it and it's changing as you go. >> Yes. And it was changing. It was
00:25:56
changing as we went. And it was this it was a very nervy but very cool feeling. Seth is one of the great improvisers
00:26:06
I've ever worked with. He's phenomenal. Olivia and I had kind of a riff that we were building on. Penelopey brought in
00:26:13
all this great stuff from Esther Pel and from other stuff she was interested in and um but I guess my point of this was
00:26:25
that it it was the ultimate it it was the ultimate rebuttal to the idea that AI,
00:26:31
you know, AI is just going to like print and p punch out everything because the film which Olivia just did a completely
00:26:40
phenomenal job with like it's I I saw it at Sundance with Seth and we kind of were with our wives. We turned to each
00:26:46
other and we we were like she that's like a classic. She made like a classic like Mike Nichols
00:26:53
>> kind of vintage comedy. And and the thing is >> it didn't even end up like what we
00:27:00
thought it was when we started out because of how live alive and on the feet and improvisational it was. And I
00:27:08
don't I mean let alone AI I don't even think and we had good you know Will Rashida will Will McCormack and
00:27:14
Rashidita Jones were >> you know with the six of us were at a table working on this thing very fluidly
00:27:20
evolving it in rehearsal evolving it but even from that >> it it changed on a daily basis as we
00:27:27
carried it forward and it was like this that that's the kind of thing that makes
00:27:32
me think like you're never you know AI is never gonna Um it's I just can't imagine like that kind
00:27:42
of a process getting supplanted supplanted by something because I think there's um
00:27:49
>> there's just things about people bouncing things off of each other >> that that's part of
00:27:54
>> things you wouldn't think of because you're just thinking out of the box that
00:27:58
wouldn't make sense. >> Sounds like Olivia is very very smart. >> Yeah, >> she's really smart. You got four
00:28:04
brilliant actors and you're not trying to control them. You're I mean it's just like go
00:28:10
>> some play, you know, people at home don't realize some one thing is some directors, writers lock to the script.
00:28:15
You cannot go outside these lines and that's okay too. But I've never done one where people might not even know when
00:28:22
they see a movie, you shoot it completely out of order. And I think when I tell people that casually, they
00:28:27
go, "Wait, you don't do it the way the movie is." >> You say, "No, you start at the end. You
00:28:32
might have your final crying scene the first day and you don't even know how you got there really because it will
00:28:37
change a little bit and I've never had that gift of going straight through. I haven't even heard of it really, but if
00:28:43
you have one set, I guess you can. >> It It was great. And um there's a there's a m we were trying to figure out
00:28:50
Seth and Olivia became it's basically about an unhappy couple meeting a happy couple on o over cocktails and
00:28:58
everything that this collision produces. And it's it's it's it's kind of hysterically funny, but it does get down
00:29:05
into the real [ __ ] at the end. Yeah. >> And in the beginning, I think when we embarked on it, the ending was a lot
00:29:11
lighter. And by the time we were halfway through, we were sort of realizing there
00:29:17
was so much savagery underneath it. There was so much real, you know, the way that couples get really nasty with
00:29:23
each other that in a way it almost felt like it almost felt like you couldn't duck it. And by the end, Seth and Olivia
00:29:31
became really convinced that that we could and should get down into the real [ __ ] a little more. But but we were
00:29:40
sort of figuring out like, well, how are we going to make that frequency shift? And
00:29:44
>> and there was this I kind of had this idea that had just been for me of what had happened to my character. And Olivia
00:29:50
said, "Maybe we should find a way for you to say, you know, that." And um but she did something wild which is she set
00:29:58
up she didn't she never she asked me to write it and not tell it to her and she shot herself and Seth listening to this
00:30:06
there's this monologue that and she shot herself and Seth listening to it for the
00:30:10
first time >> and her emotion in the film is Olivia listening to this story for the first
00:30:16
time >> but which is beautiful and really ballsy as a director. I mean really really you
00:30:22
know kind of a big swing. But the funniest thing was when you see this film Seth Seth says something to me on
00:30:30
the back end of this very vulnerable sort of reveal and share that is I think it's maybe one of the funniest things
00:30:37
I've ever heard anybody improvise. Like he made it up on the spot cuz he had never heard the story.
00:30:43
>> Right. And it and it was so good [laughter] that the whole scene to my point the whole
00:30:50
scene just p just completely went off the it it changed the entire trajectory of the scene. This one line that Seth
00:30:59
>> Seth made up so >> it was it was it was such a um it was a it was a really fun way to work. But I
00:31:08
will I will admit like it was a little like Birdman. And it was sort of like Birdman was fascinating and great and I
00:31:14
loved it. At the end we all had this feeling of like this could be a this could just not work at all, you know.
00:31:19
And then lo and behold, he did it. I think when we finished, Seth and I were walking out at one point and we were
00:31:24
like Seth was like it was fun to do. I have no idea if if it's going to come together. And I just give Olivia like
00:31:33
all the credit in the world cuz she really um >> she kind of hit the high and the low
00:31:37
with it. interesting thing where I'm sorry D when you do a movie that there's something fun about the fact that with
00:31:45
everybody good at their job and the best people you still don't know you can [ __ ]
00:31:48
it up. I mean you just don't know if it's going to be good. You can walk out of there going we nailed it and for some
00:31:54
reason it just falls on its face and you go no one has for sure or we would have
00:31:58
movies that all killed at all times. So part of the fun is going if you make one
00:32:02
work it's such a big deal. You go we got through editing we got through the posting the trailer.
00:32:07
>> Yeah. It feels like a miracle. >> It's like a miracle to get to the finish line. It's still good. You go, "Oh,
00:32:11
that's great. That sounds great." She did Books Smart, which I is that what she did? Books smart?
00:32:16
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> I thought that I I thought that was great. Yeah, she did a great job.
00:32:19
>> And she made the science She made a science fiction film um called uh Don't Worry, Darling. That I also thought was
00:32:25
really sharp and great and weird. >> Is that with Harry Styles? That one? >> Yeah. Yeah, it's really good. I saw
00:32:29
that, too. Yeah, >> it's it's really really good, actually. Um >> but no, I did um I did this movie Death
00:32:35
to Smoochie that I love. Uh, [laughter] and but by the way, it's Danny, you know, Robin Williams and me and but
00:32:42
Danny Devito directed it and is in it. Katherine Keenir, John Stewart, >> um, I mean, you just run down the list
00:32:50
of everybody who's in in the movie and we could not I mean, I could not have had more fun. And um,
00:32:56
>> and I and it didn't do well at all. [laughter] >> Like it, >> but it, you know, and it's kind of come
00:33:01
up. I'm not going to say it's fight club, but I do think there's a bit of a cult following around Destucci. And um
00:33:06
>> I mean >> but but but same thing it was like we I mean we were killing ourselves. We were
00:33:10
cracking ourselves up making it. And um [laughter] >> I mean we were later. >> No, I was like I I was like it was like
00:33:19
this long winter in Toronto. I started like feeling like I had stomach muscles coming in and I was like I haven't been
00:33:24
working. I realized I was laughing so much. Uh >> you know I was actually like like
00:33:28
getting fit. Yeah, that's that's unfortunate thing that happens sometimes. You know, the
00:33:33
crew the crew is laughing like this and like, oh my god, everyone's high-fiving then you you know, you see the dailies
00:33:40
in the old olden days, you know, just a big shot and go, this is going to work. And then it's cut into the film and like
00:33:46
>> SNL sketches, too. They work all week and you the audience the audience goes,
00:33:50
"Fuck you." [laughter] >> Oh, god. I I had that at the the I had a you know I had that thing where the end
00:33:58
of the at the dress and you have to kill one you know you got to kill one >> you know or something. Yeah. And I got
00:34:06
down to that thing where um I got down to that thing where >> there's sort of I guess you guys called
00:34:12
it like the you know the 1140 or the whatever the 1245. Yeah. the the last one that they saved the weirdest one
00:34:18
for. And basically [laughter] two we had two of those and Lauren was like >> Lauren was like you got to you got to
00:34:25
pick one of these. One of these is your >> is your last slot one. And I loved them
00:34:30
both. And um and the one that got killed the one that got killed was this thing of like me and Kate McKinnon were like
00:34:36
this couple. Do you remember the who was the couple at the Dresden Room? Do you remember the singing couple at the
00:34:42
Dresden Room >> in East LA? like they were like Steven Edy. Um >> I know, >> you know, they they were like the piano
00:34:50
bar couple. This really like >> uh they were like an older Yeah, they they Yeah, they they I feel like they
00:34:58
were named like Steve and Edy or something like that. Anyway, we Kate and I were like this completely kooky couple
00:35:06
who were obsessed with the idea that they're going to write that their songs are going to get done by Rihanna. And um
00:35:13
and and it was it was a little bit Ishtar. It was like it was almost like it was like it was like Ishtar. It was
00:35:18
like a couple writing songs for Rihanna. >> And I was so in love with it and uh and
00:35:24
they killed it. Um they killed it right at the end cuz we did it in dress. I was
00:35:29
convinced if we had done it in the real show it would have gone in dress in the dress. It was like
00:35:33
>> it just it I knew what we were doing wrong. We had to but it didn't go over. And so Lauren was like
00:35:39
>> Marty and Elaine. >> Yeah. Marty and Elaine. Marty and Elaine. Thank you. >> It's so difficult in comedy. It's you're
00:35:46
always humbled like that that didn't work. [laughter] But that throwaway got an applause break. You know
00:35:52
>> it's hard to get cocky. You get you get a cutaway in a movie. a reaction shot
00:35:56
gets a bigger laugh than anything and you're like you're in a screening going that's the funny part. All right.
00:36:01
>> All right. [laughter] What have you guys said? >> We have no idea what we're doing. Yeah.
00:36:05
>> No. No. >> Hard to get cocky. Yeah. >> I also I heard a the first first movie I
00:36:11
directed um was called Keeping the Faith and uh is me and Ben Stiller. Ben Stiller. Yeah.
00:36:17
>> And he Yeah. He's great in it and we had a we had a really good time and I when I
00:36:21
went to do it I uh I met this editor named Malcolm and he had cut Malcolm had cut um I think he had cut like he had
00:36:31
worked on a lot of Landis films so he had done like Animal House and he had done um he had a really he had a really
00:36:37
great roster of um of comedies uh that he that he had cut and um I thought it'd be good to work with someone like that.
00:36:45
So I was working with this guy and um and it was back when you know we were using Avids but then you had to conform
00:36:53
back to film remember you we weren't you know you still had to you had to re rematch the film um to the digital edit
00:37:01
and we were going through this but we we locked the movie >> and we were going through this process
00:37:06
of of you know where they cut the negative and all those old things from when we were doing stuff on film. I said
00:37:12
to Malcolm, I'm like, "Hey, we you know, let's go out. Let's have a drink, celebrate or whatever." And he said,
00:37:16
"I'm gonna hang by the phone." And I and and I said, "What's going on?" He goes,
00:37:21
"Well, we're cutting negative tonight, you know." And I was like, "Yeah, but that's like I mean that's like, you
00:37:26
know, a science lab. They do that." And he's like, "Yeah." And I said, "What's your anxiety?" And he told me this
00:37:32
story, which is he cut spies like us. Do you remember Spies Like Us? >> Yeah. Dan Akroyd.
00:37:37
>> Yeah. Dan Akroyd. Chvy Chase. kind of a kind of a a pretty funny movie. Anyway,
00:37:44
he they had cut spies like us and it had gone to the lab to cut the negative and
00:37:50
all these things and Malcolm said they called him and he he said he got this call and they said, "Can you hold for
00:37:56
the head of Technicolor and he said he went, "Oh no, like there's a huge scratch on the negative or something and
00:38:03
we're going to have to replace a shot or something." And he said he said I what?
00:38:08
He said as soon as the guy got on he said what real what reel is it? Just what reel is it in? And the guy said
00:38:12
real three. And he said I'm doing the math like what real three real three. And he said what what what shot in real
00:38:18
three? And the guy said real three. And he said what what are you talking about?
00:38:22
He said the whole reel is gone. The whole negative of real three is gone. And he said what could have happened?
00:38:27
And it was an a guy he had moved the real like instead of into the developer he had put it in you know he put it into
00:38:34
the wrong solution and he had completely >> erased the negative of the cut negative
00:38:41
of real 3 and Malcolm said they had to cut he said they had to call in you know the head of the studio the insurance
00:38:48
company technicolor all of it because and basically they were like they told him and landis like you have to get from
00:38:55
the end of real two to the beginning of 4 with the most efficient, you know, use
00:39:00
of re-shoots or shots and everything. And he said they he said they they did this crazy thing. They picked up a few
00:39:07
shots. They took out takes. They did this thing. They put it all together. And he said he and Landis were like,
00:39:12
"Well, this is obviously never going to work." Then they did a test and they scored higher. Um [laughter] they got
00:39:18
they got bigger laughs and scored higher >> with basically their whole real three
00:39:23
eliminated. [laughter] You just never know. Ridiculous. >> I know. I know. >> You You never know.
00:39:30
>> I have a good feeling about this movie, though, because in the trailer, you see
00:39:35
the couple come in and just just though you you four actors and the awkward Yeah. Hey, thanks for having us. Of
00:39:42
course. You know, I mean, just that tension immediately grabbed me. So, I I really going to want to see it in the
00:39:50
theater. I think that I would I it sounds like a line, but I would definitely I would
00:39:56
definitely get another couple and go, you know, go as a double date because it it's a the it will provoke a very
00:40:02
interesting dinner table conversation afterwards, >> you know. >> Oh, I mean about unspoken truths that
00:40:10
couples don't mention. [laughter] >> Yeah. And I I don't know. You maybe maybe you maybe want to go to this movie
00:40:16
with another couple that >> that you you both agree are attractive [laughter] >> yeah yeah yeah
00:40:27
>> where you're like you're like would I would would we you know like >> it's got a little
00:40:32
>> watch the trailer has 10 million views already >> and all these comments are fawning over
00:40:39
it and also just such a big cast when they come to Before you wrap up, I want to tell you when they come to you, this
00:40:45
type of movie, is it just a script Olivia's attached to direct and she's the star? Is that when you get it or do
00:40:52
you wait and >> No, no, this was different. This [clears throat] was this was different.
00:40:56
Um, this there was this Spanish this little Spanish independent film um that this guy Ces wrote and it was a play and
00:41:05
then he made a film of it and and the film is ba this Spanish film is the same scenario. two two couples. It I think it
00:41:12
was called The People Upstairs or something. But anyway, the um I saw it I saw it um
00:41:19
maybe I don't know four years ago, four or five years ago and I liked it. I saw it with my wife Shauna who
00:41:24
>> you know you guys know from um she produced all Jud Appetile's movies and a lot of stuff. Um but so she's kind of
00:41:33
the she's the comedy um guru guru. Yeah, she did like Elf and Anchor Man and those
00:41:40
>> are big big big >> Meet the Parents. Uh she did those ones. >> There's some bangers that
00:41:47
>> that era with Ben Stiller doing his thing. Will >> anyway I look to her for, you know, is
00:41:53
this funny? Is this not funny? Um I think she's kind of famous for the dick jokes in Superb Bad. That's her. That's
00:41:59
her. >> They were there. They did a good job. >> You guys seem like such a match.
00:42:03
>> The uh [laughter] Exactly. Um because I am known for actually although I've done
00:42:08
now with Seth I've known Seth and Jonah and all those guys and Michael Sarah through Shauna. Um
00:42:16
>> and I have done What have I done with Seth? I've done >> we did Sausage Party together. Um yeah,
00:42:23
we did we did Sausage Party together and then they turned that into an Amazon series. So, we've been every every now
00:42:30
and then I drop my kids at school and I go record some Sammy Bagel Jun some Sammy Bagel Jr. [laughter] Um
00:42:37
>> and I just did I just did an episode of the of the studio with Seth that's that
00:42:41
was really really fun. But um but um this Spanish film is brilliant and there had been remakes of it in like Poland
00:42:51
and South Korea and France and everything. And and I thought to myself, I would love to get the rights to this
00:42:58
and do a an, you know, adapt do a do a re a US remake of it or something. And then I found out someone else had some
00:43:07
producer had grabbed the rights and it was gone. And I and I even threw my hat in the ring and said,
00:43:12
Hey, I would direct this and be in it. And I in my mind I was like I was gonna call Se, you know, either Seth or Carell
00:43:19
or someone like that. And I and and then I and then I actually like >> actually talked to the guy who ended up
00:43:28
producing the movie who had the rights. >> And he sort of [laughter] he kind of he was really nice to me, but
00:43:33
he kind of was like, "Yeah, I think I'm going another direction." [laughter] Like it basically was like, "Thanks.
00:43:38
Thanks, but I'm going to talk." and and then he went through these permutations of it with other directors
00:43:44
>> and other actors and it they never got it together and it kind of >> what a process
00:43:50
>> but it was under my skin you know most stuff I'm like ah that didn't work out I
00:43:53
didn't really think about it again but this one kind of got under my skin and I it I did for a couple years it was like
00:43:58
the one that got away I thought ah that one was so good I wish I could have done
00:44:02
that one >> interesting >> and um and then lo and behold Seth text me and said hey do you know something
00:44:08
about this this thing this thing called the invite. I said, "No." He said, "About the two couples."
00:44:14
>> And I was like, "Wait a minute. Is that what they're calling it?" And he said,
00:44:17
"Yeah." He said, "You know, Olivia Wild wants to do it and she wants to do it, you and me. What do you think?" And I
00:44:22
was like, "Is this the Spanish thing?" And he goes, "Yeah." And I >> it was like four years after I gave up
00:44:27
on it, it came back around. Um >> Oh, great. >> Yeah. And and I and in a weird way like
00:44:35
it was meant to meant to be maybe. But but I also think Olivia what Olivia did with it is so
00:44:42
much better than anything I had in my head. Like she really >> she she just saw it she saw it with more
00:44:52
layers on it, you know? She she saw more in it than >> than the pure comedy of it. And I do
00:44:58
think what she did has a lot of what I love about Mike Nichols films or what I love about, you know, Woody Allen's
00:45:06
Manhattan or or Husbands and Wives and stuff like that. She she >> she took it to a whole other level. Um
00:45:14
>> and and really was a a gift that it came back around. >> Yeah. >> And you got to be a part of it.
00:45:23
>> Yeah. >> It's coming out. Let's tell you when if you don't know. I know. >> June 26th, I think.
00:45:29
>> That sounds right. >> June 26th, The Invite. >> Mhm. >> 21 days on set. >> 35mm film.
00:45:38
>> Yeah. Shot on film. Um >> Yeah. It's like, you know, it's like I mean I I don't think The Odyssey is
00:45:43
going to be a lot of laughs, you know? I think it's going to be good. But I think, you know, at some point you want
00:45:47
to laugh in the in the course of the summer. >> Oh, is that what it's up against? The
00:45:50
Odyssey? >> I'm just saying. I I figure the Odyssey is going to straddle the summer like a
00:45:55
colossus. Matt Damon will find a way to get funny >> unless there's another Trojan horse
00:46:00
movie. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um [laughter] well, thank you, Ed. Edward, I appreciate you coming on. I
00:46:06
think I ran into you the other night. It's always good to see you out in the real world. And uh
00:46:10
>> um Dana, >> I just want I just wanted to say uh was so happy when we saw your name on on the
00:46:16
list like of course, you know. And also I loved the Pete Seager. I loved your I love you doing that character.
00:46:23
>> Bob Dylan movie. Yeah. Bob Dylan. A complete unknown. Huge Dylan fan. Woody Allen fan. Beatles.
00:46:32
Pink Floyd. You have to pick one. >> All of it. >> Yeah. >> If I have to pick one. Oh, man.
00:46:37
>> Led Zeppelin. Pink Floyd. >> God, >> it's impossible. [laughter] >> I mean, it's I was just
00:46:45
It was Man, that's not fair. That's not fair. >> I'm sorry. John Lennon, Paul McCartney.
00:46:50
>> H I mean, >> that's tough, too. >> It's tough, too. I mean, >> Bob Dylan, Neil Young.
00:46:55
>> Oh, you're killing like it's like I mean, but Dylan is in another, you know, he's entirely he's a mystic.
00:47:02
>> He's one of the only He's one of the few people I never wanted to meet. Like, I
00:47:06
just was like I just would there's there's only a few people who are like a wizard out there and a mystic and I I
00:47:13
never >> there's lots of people you I mean, you can you meet Bruce Springsteen and he's
00:47:17
a great guy, you know, but I don't but Dylan like you know >> Dylan has a thing. He's not a people.
00:47:23
[laughter] >> No. Aren't there some comedians? There's probably some comedians it's better not
00:47:27
to meet. >> There's some that aren't hilarious in real life. I I will say that >> we're traditionally sad clowns. You
00:47:33
know, they're traditionally kind of have messed up inside. >> Well, it's just sort of a damaged. Uh
00:47:39
Edward, I have one last boring piece. You can even click off for this, but here's a piece of trivia. I did a movie
00:47:46
called Jod Dirt years ago, and they give you your, you know, wardrobe, and they just came off another movie. And so I go
00:47:51
open my wallet and there's a license in it and it's Tyler Durian and uh it's a picture of Brad and I'm like, "What's
00:47:59
this?" He goes, "Oh, I forgot to switch it. We just did Fight Club. We just used
00:48:02
the same props and everything." [laughter] So I kept it cuz I thought it was so fun cuz I loved Fight Club and uh
00:48:09
[ __ ] Anyway, that's >> that's a good one. That's a good one. I'll tell you another funny trivia,
00:48:14
Dana. Do you remember making Wayne's World the producer named Hawk Cotch or you know Howard
00:48:20
>> Cotch? Okay. >> So you're like this. So in this movie the invite in the in the script my
00:48:27
character was is his name was Shane and he was a bit of a jock and Olivia and I were talking about you know okay like
00:48:34
let's let's make it something more to me you know a little more to me. And um I said to her, so my character's name in
00:48:43
the movie is Hawk. And I and I said to her, I said, you know, the first film I produced, I met this produ the first
00:48:50
film I was in, Primal Fear, was produced by this guy named Howard Cotch Jr. who >> when he turned 50 went through
00:48:59
>> certain life experience emotional and he changed his name to Hawk. >> He changed his name to Hawk to reflect
00:49:05
like who he wanted to be and what he wanted to be. And and he's like hugely respected producer. became the head of
00:49:09
the academy and um you know he's very beloved he did Wayne's world he did Wayne's world with you guys anyway
00:49:16
anyway um >> Olivia liked it so much and she liked this idea of a person who changed his
00:49:22
name because he changed his life so we made so my character's Hawk is >> is very specifically inspired by Hawk
00:49:29
Cotch um >> love it >> who who you know too [laughter] >> that's a perfect name >> thank you Edward Thanks guys.
00:49:39
>> Enjoy. Catch you around. See you around. >> Enjoy your summer. See you around
00:49:42
campus. >> You too. >> All right. Listen. If you're enjoying the fly on the wall, of course hopefully
00:49:50
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>> Whoops. and maybe even share an episode with a friend. If you're watching this
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episode on YouTube, please [music] subscribe. Dana, what do you think? >> I'm going to tell you this right now.
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Hear me now, believe me later. [laughter] Fly in the Wall, believe it or not, is
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presented by Odyssey. >> And executive produced by, hold for it, Dana Carvey and David Spade, or David
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Spade and Dana Carvey. We don't [music] write this stuff. Heather Santoro, Greg Holtzman, and Leah Reese Dennis. The
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show is edited by Evan Cox with production support from Phil Sweet Tech. Talent production and booking by Sophia
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Leapor.