August 12, 2024 • 38 mins
We welcome Zachary Mooren, who plays a Buster Keaton lookalike with a sinister twist in Ti West's Maxxxine, where his character stalks Maxine down a dark alley, only to have the tables turn when he draws his pocket knife.
Join us as Zachary shares his experiences working alongside Mia Goth, the creative vision of Ti West, and shooting his unforgettable apperance!
Join us as Zachary shares his experiences working alongside Mia Goth, the creative vision of Ti West, and shooting his unforgettable apperance!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the nerd Party.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello, and welcome to the twenty four project. Here in
the Nerd Party Network, my name is Lee Hutchinson and
Dallas King and I make our way through the twenty
four filmography and along the way bring you interviews with
the talent involved in front of and behind the camera.
Today we welcome Zachary Morin, who plays Buster in Maxine,
a Buster Keaton lookalike who stocks Maxine down a dark
(00:33):
alleyway in Hollywood, but soon finds the tables turned on
him as he draw us his pocket knife. Zachary takes
us behind the scenes on working on Maxine and working
alongside Maya Goth and Ty West, and much much more
in the steep Dive interview. Thanks so much to Zachary
for joining us, and I hope you too will enjoy
this episode.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You can learn and you can hide, but you'll never
get away.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Rob it.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Buster.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
What were we gonna do? Huh nothing?
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I was just playing around.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Well we're playing now. How did you get involved in enacting?
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Zachary? Wow? I mean kind of kind of reluctantly over
the years. I felt like it was not something that
was necessarily tailored for me. I was a very shy kid.
But movies were kind of my my life raft growing up,
(01:48):
and any you know, there was there was always these
school plays that were going on. They kind of forced
you to be in them when I was growing up,
and I I just loved it. It's one of those things.
It's always been kind of like a like a faith
or a religion to me. It's never really been something
that I've sought out and tried to do. It's just
(02:09):
it's kind of like it's a part of me, just
like my left arm is.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
When did you realize you could turn something like that
into a career and going from just something that was
a passion into something that's like a job.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
I mean, I still, you know, constantly am doubting myself
in that in that vein, but it's just it's such
a part of who I am. It's my greatest love affair.
It's what I wake up every day thinking about and
go to ben thinking about every day. You know, It's
it's I never really I still question whether or not
I'm going to be able to sustain this over you know,
(02:44):
a lifetime, but I it's my pursuit.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Sounds like it played, as you said, such an important
rule in kind of your your upbringing, whether certain like
films or actors that you gravitated towards that gave you
that sense of comfort or perhaps inspiration.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Oh yeah, I mean so many, But to the ones
that are striking off the top of my head were
my father would take my brother and I out to
the movies, and he was a really big fan of
Val Kilmer, so we would go see all of Val
Kilmer's movies in the movie theater, and you know, family
(03:23):
movie nights were Yeah. One one night, I remember him
bringing home the movie ed Wood by Tim Burton, and
you know, there was a big, big fight in the
house between my parents because my mom thought it was
inappropriate for a five year old to watch. Maybe she
was right, but that was another movie, and there was
another There's another memory I have of my brother's like
(03:46):
eleven years older than me, and he was obsessed with
cinema when I was growing up, and we shared a
bedroom together, and he had a VHS copy of Pulp Fiction.
And I grew up in a very conservative household, and
any you know movie that was found like that, or
Nirvana albums or whatever those were, those were smashed in
(04:07):
front of us. And thrown in the garbage. So he
kept that VHS under his pillow and every night, you know,
when my parents would go to sleep, we would look
at the cover of that thing. And you know, he
showed it to me when I was a little too young,
but I just remember like staring at that that cover
and you know Vuma Thurman on the on the front
and John Travolta and Sam Jackson on the back and
(04:29):
just being like, Wow, I have to make something like this.
One day.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
You mentioned like Val Kilmer. A film I really loved
in the past few years was the documentary Vow about
his sort of like career and the impact of his cancer.
Have you had a chance to see that one?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Oh my god, Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was It's a
I mean seeing that that movie kind of redefined what
being an artist is to me and how no matter
what happens to you in your life, if you're able
to sort of reshape who you are and still create things,
I mean, that is again it's going to be it's
going to be your saving grace. And also that kind
(05:05):
of changed the way when I saw him doing all
of his his tapes that he would send out to
Martin Scorsese for Goodfellas or or you know, he sent
it to a I think he did a self tape
for Full Matter Full Metal Jacket and sent it over
to Kubrick. I think he actually hand delivered it to Kubrick,
put himself on a flight and went all the way
to London. I started to when I saw that in
(05:27):
the documentary, I said, why the fuck am I doing
my self tapes like standing up against a blue backdrop, like,
you know, shmacking as much as I possibly can to
get a job. And I started actually just taking agency
and making my own little short films when I when
I submit tapes now and it was all from that.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, And there's something I think I get the impression
we're both nineties kids based on the films that we
grew up with. There's something by that documentary as well,
and like he was such a prominent figure in the
nineties and not just you know, your Batman's, but your
your Prestige pictures as well. And there was like a
real sense watching that, like oh you could see it,
feel a sense of time and so on that, So
that was a childhood hero could be impacted in such
(06:06):
a cruel way. And I remember just feeling such a
sadness watching that.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, it was terrible. I mean it's terrible. But I
met him after the fact. He did a one man
show called Citizen Twain where he plays Mark Twain, And
you know, I saw that when he brought it to
Los Angeles. It was like the same week when I
moved to Los Angeles. I saw it actually, And then
he ended up doing a taping of it and doing
(06:31):
a screening of the film that he made of it,
and that was after he got sick, and I met
him after that, and again his spirit was kind of untouched.
It was, I mean, he had more energy than I've
ever seen him, and more creativity and velocity than I
think anybody else really.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah, and how's your kind of taste evolved since that
kind of nineties kid? What do you kind of find
inspiration in these days in terms of the films and
arts or performers as well.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I'm still I'm still after that nineties kids sort of
sort of thing where you take these incredibly colorful, larger
than life ideas and you somehow shoe string a budget
together to make it that way. I think there's a
there's almost like a Roger Korman aspect of the nineties
films where you have only a certain amount of dollars
to make something that is going to look like a
(07:19):
Steven Spielberg epic, and they did it. And those are
still kind of the films that I gravitate towards. I mean,
I think seventies the nineties are those are the best
decades for films in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
So obviously my first instruction to you was was Maxine.
But you've kind of stood out in some other rules
as well, and i't how don't realize afterwards you've been
in Cat Person for example, that really caught people's attention
since Sundance. Can you tell us a little bit about
some of your your other rules that people could maybe
check out.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I mean, so ones that I would try and encourage
everybody to go see you are the ones that I
actually helped produce. One of them is called Electric Love.
It's a bit dated at the now, but back in
twenty eighteen when we made it, it was all about
you know, people desperately trying to seek connection, but they're
(08:07):
using you know, the dating apps and kind of calling
flat on their face through it. And then with that's
the same group of filmmakers that I met on that
we ended up a year and a half later kind
of shotgunning another movie called val that's a horror comedy.
We worked really hard on those movies and I'm proud
(08:28):
of what we were able to do, you know, for
again very low budget.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, because obviously you're not just an actor. You've I've
noticed you've got direction work, as you mentioned production. You know,
do you want to be that kind of jack of
all trades or terror kind of or is there a
preference that you've you've maybe got Do you want to
go from actor to director for example?
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I like hopping around, but I think that I mean,
with the examples of those two movies, Electric Leve and Valve.
I was hired onto Electric Love as the first principal actor,
and there was something just within the conversations I was
having with the filmmakers that they kind of ended up
asking me to help cast it, to help find the
soundtrack to you know, so I kind of fell into
(09:13):
producing these two movies with them. It wasn't something I
was seeking out, And when I started moving into writing
and directing, that was kind of a I never expected to.
I mean, like, you know, Vincent Gallo was a huge
influence on me growing up. John Cassavetti's are huge influences
on me. But I never saw myself doing that. And
(09:33):
I think anytime that I do write, that I do direct,
it's almost like this itch that I can't scratch, and
I just I have to I have to make it.
You know. It's not something that I really plan out
or have any sort of saying. It's just a it
just kind of happens, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
So when did you first year write the opportunity for Maxine?
When did that come along?
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Man? I was I was in Mexico at the time,
and I just got a regular old audition came into
my Gmail and I made a very very bizarre tape.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Okay, And what was that tape? Kind of like, because
you mentioned obviously you make these short films, did you
kind of decide to make a maybe a Buster Keaton
style kind of production.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
It was a I mean, I've again just said I've
always wanted to play Buster Keaton in a movie, and
you know, these daydreams of doing it for a long time,
and when that opportunity came up again, I was like,
I'm not going to just do the scene. I'm going
to make a little short movie, and I made different
options of it. I used very bizarre camera techniques and
(10:34):
I didn't go as far as getting my testicles smashed
off by later, but yeah I did. I did. I
did a fun little short film for it and tried
to invoke as much Buster Keaton energy as possible.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
It was quite funny. When I was doing my research
into you, I saw someone I think it was maybe
on Reddit that was like, oh, yeah, he's a professional
Buster Keaton impersonator, And it seemed that you must have
really sold people on.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
That there actually was a professional Charlie Chaplin impersonator on set. Yeah.
I actually even ran into him at the premiere and
he didn't break character the entire time. But no, I'm
definitely not one of those Hollywood boulevard Buster Keaton guys.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
So had you kind of seen X and Pearl previously?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I hadn't. I'd seen the preview to Pearl maybe two
weeks before I shot the audition for this, and I
saw the preview for Pearl. I was like, this is
exactly the type of cinema that needs to be made
right now, stuff that is taking huge swings and doesn't
look like, you know, carbon copy of every movie that's
come out over the past ten years. And I was
(11:43):
just a huge fan of me a Goth even before
I saw the trailer for that. And then you know,
she kind of hits you over the head with her performance,
even within thirty seconds of watching her in that, And
so yeah, I just filmed the audition, got the movie
maybe two weeks later, and did everything I could not
to watch X or Pearl before I shot. I didn't
(12:04):
want to be influenced by the other two movies because
I also knew that tonally they're completely different. I didn't
want to be intimidated, to be honest, and was pleasantly
surprised after I, you know, wrapped Maxine, when I went
back started X, then went into Pearl and and yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's amazing. And what was it like when you found
out that you kind of biog this kind of rule.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
I was, I was, I was pumped. I mean, I
was finally like, I don't you know, it's it's it's
difficult as an actor because you're at the grace of
whoever gives you the opportunity, and a lot of times
it's not necessarily what you envisioned you know, when you
(12:46):
were a kid getting inspired by all these things that
you want to make, you know, and so any time
that you are given an opportunity by filmmakers that are
creating those things that that would have inspired you when
you were coming up, I mean, yeah, it's it's it's
it doesn't get any better than that. It's nothing's more
exciting than that.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
So did you have much like preparation time between being
past and that to really embrace being Buster key in?
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I did. Yeah, it was Actually it was probably the
most respectful process pre production process I've ever been a
part of. They gave me the job. I think I
had six weeks prior. I was there at the first
initial cast table read. I was given multiple costume try
(13:30):
ons that a place called Western Costume. It's historic. It's
amazing to hone the look that I wanted tie the
whole time. It was a conversation, makeup tests. You know,
there were certain things that I even was experimenting with
the makeup team that didn't end up in the movie.
I think it was a little too violent. I had
like track marks made on my arms, crazy tattoo on
(13:52):
my back, and then I think Tye was like the
track marks are a little too violent considering what we're doing,
and nobody really tattoos like this in nineteen eighty. So
but again, like the fact that they were indulging me
to sort of come up with all these things, and yeah,
take the time to meet with a movement coach to
sort of figure out the stillness of Buster, and yeah,
(14:12):
I had. I had a lot of time. I don't
know how much of it ended up showing up on screen,
but it was still one of those things where I
feel like performances are like icebergs. What you see is
just the top level, but everything else that I stand on,
you know, the is underneath the surface.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
What was that kind of first day on set like
that you sounded like, get a great pre production process.
What was that moment like when you could finally get
on stage onto that back law.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I mean, you know, having that much time to sort of,
you know, ruminate about the job was lovely. And then
when you actually showed up on set that they the
first day, you go, oh shit, we're actually going to
do this, and it was scary. That's a real gun
in my mouth, real switchblade that I'm dealing with Mia
(15:02):
And I immediately had to have a trust put in
place because even if her heel was half an inch off,
that would have really done some damage. And there were
takes even you know where I'm grabbing onto her with
a real switchblade, and so yeah, I mean when we
first showed up, it was very much like lighthearted conversation
(15:23):
trying to get to know that we can feel safe
with one another. And once the costumes were on, it
was very much you know, you stay over there. I'm
going to stay over here and I'll see you between
action cut.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
The people might be surprised by that because you always
think of it like I would assume ninety nine percent
of people look at and go fake gone, fake knife
and so on. What was perhaps like the reasoning behind
using kind of real props and that because I imagine
even just logistically, there's so much risk assessment that goes
into something like that that's not basically like rubber.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I mean, I think there's a lot of a lot
of merit to it. Number one, I think the camera
can always see if you're lying. And I think having
a real gun in my mouth and having a real
switchblade on mia just brings a certain amount of authenticity
to what we're doing a certain amount of danger. I
(16:15):
think that it makes everybody on set, not only just
the actors, really locked in. And it's so easy, especially
when you're an adult doing this, I feel like to
feel ridiculous, you know. I mean it is ridiculous what
we were doing at the end of the day, entertaining, hopefully,
but ridiculous. And I think adding that little bit of danger,
(16:36):
that little bit of realism just kind of, I don't know,
it just clicks differently.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
And do you obviously mentioned sort of like you really
keen to kind of work with me at golf. What
was she like as as a scene partner to work
on things with?
Speaker 1 (16:50):
I mean, she was very different than anybody I've ever
worked with before. It was almost as if every single
nuance that she came up with she was hitting a
bullseye on. I had all these crazy ideas, you know,
I was. I was just the fact that the character
comes you first meet him, and he's antagonizing her the
(17:12):
way he does. And I have an idea about you know, well,
when Buster Keaton did switch over to talkies and you
heard his voice, he had a very deep, very you know,
weird monotone voice. Once that sort of character gets broken
by the fact that he gets a gun thrown on him.
I wanted to figure out who was underneath that, and
Ty was very much so He's a scared little the
(17:32):
opposite of how he approached it. And so with that,
I was like, Oh, I have all these big ideas
that I can sort of throw and when I started
Take one with her and just locked in on her,
I was genuinely afraid of that person that she clicked
into and all of those ideas, that sort of things
(17:53):
that you wanted to try went completely out the window
and you were just locked in on your scene partner,
which is the way it should be. I mean, if
you're playing things out X, Y and Z to do
in a scene, than the scene's gonna suck. It's all
about the electricity that happens once you plug into your
scene partner and you know between action and cut and again,
like I said, she was precise on what she was
(18:13):
doing on this one, and then going back and watching
each of the movies, her performance in them are completely different,
and they're completely different because of what the requirements of
that movie were from her. This one is a this
one's a dirty, hairy popcorn Summer Movie, and her performance
I think is meticulous to that, as opposed to A Pearl,
(18:35):
which is theatrical, over the top and X, which is
you know, very just sort of grungy sexy. You know,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
And I love that scene in particular because I found
what was quite interesting with the film was that I
expected it to be have more perhaps agency within the film,
and there was times where I thought the kind of
character seemed quite passive. But the scene with yourselves, there's
a real intensity to that that you feel like, oh
my god, like she could like tear this guy out.
(19:03):
We know she can kill people, and she's up against
another killer as well, And I find that just that
seemed really sparked in quite a unique way in the film.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I'm really I'm happy to hear that. But even at
the table read, when we first all sat down with
the script, she even told me. She came straight up
to me and was like, this is a great, great
freakancy and I can't wait to put this in the movie.
And then when you read the whole script, it was
probably two hundred pages and the movie got edited down
to I don't even know one hundred and whatever, But
(19:31):
like this was a way more epic fairy tale of
a movie the way it was written. And I think
the lack of her agency in the cut of the
movie was because there are certain characters that were basically
prophesizing things to her throughout the movie that didn't end
up in the cut. And that scene in particular is
(19:53):
a perfect exit, like even my character had more more
footage of him prior to when you meet him. And
I think that that her reaction to that was very
much so because of some of the things that were
edited out of that movie. And at the same time,
that's actually a huge testament to the filmmaker that tie is,
(20:13):
in my opinion, somebody that can write something, direct something,
edit it, and realize that each stage is its own
thing and to allow the movie to talk to you
in each of those stages. I know so many filmmakers
that you know, the screenplay is the Bible. They shoot
it that way, and then they force that same sort
of spark that is in the screenplay in the edit,
(20:34):
and it doesn't work that way. Movies are very much
an assembly line and you have to take what's given
to you in each stage of the process.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
O curious when you saw that script originally like based
on your your outbringing, that conservative family, you know, film
burning essentially, did you sort of recognize a little bit
of kind of you and kind of this character of
Maxe someone with quite a religious sort of family work,
maybe more more conservative family then and so on? It
(21:04):
was there a bit really well.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I mean yeah, no, no, no, I mean I was very
much straised in a crazy, crazy kookie Catholic house. I
mean it was yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that I
definitely resonated with with some of that. And let's just
say my let's just say, my mother is not gonna
(21:27):
watch watch this movie.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Yeah, And it's interesting now knowing even think like it's
a real gun like it was a really vulnerable role
you took on. There's the nudity, there's essentially blow giving
a blowjob to a gun. Did you have like any
concerns or are you someone that's got that like that
nineties buzz of like I'll take anything on you know,
this is this is real kind of art here.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
That's very much so that. I mean, I again, like
what I was saying, I don't have any control about
unless I make the project. I don't have control of, uh,
what I take on what what shapes I sort of
take on as an actor and and if something scares
the shit out of you and it's a it's in
a project with people that you really respect, I'll do anything.
(22:13):
I mean, I think that kind of proves it. And
I also, you know, the the characters and in a
lot of screen time, but the amount of people that
have wanted to engage and talk about its definitely made
me feel like it was worth it, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (22:28):
So what about that prosthetic, That's something that stood out
for for a lot of people. What can you tell
us about that? Very true? Hope you're on the roots recovery.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Yeah, I mean, there was no prosthetic the days that
we were shooting principal photography, and then I had to
come back for you know, inserts of that on a
separate day after the movie wrapped. And that was kind
of fun because because shooting was intense, and then when
we were able to come onto a sound stage and
do that speci part of it, we were all able
(23:02):
to laugh again and realize how ridiculous it is what
we were making, and you know, just be like, oh,
I hope, I hope people dig it, you know, I
hope we're not going too far. But again, it was
one of those things where we're like, I've never seen
anything remotely like that in a movie, and I'm so happy,
(23:23):
proud and glad that I got to I got to
offer that to the cinema. Gods.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
You know, there's a comedian you might be familiar with
that we've got here in Scotland called Limmy and he's
got like a great kind of line that's become very
memed of like don't back down, double down, And it's
one of those ones when you watch that, it's not
just someone gets stamped, Oh, it gets really kind of
stamped and obliterated. You sell it with the scream as well.
That's one that's like not just going in, it's just
(23:50):
going all in. And a couple of.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Times over I did that scream in one take And what.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Do you tap into to produce a scream like that?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I think that it was because it was on the
tail end of filming with me and how intense that was. Again,
like I think for keeping it in our rating, we
had to we had to trim down a lot of
the stuff that that her and I were doing with
each other because yeah, I mean, there's no way that
they could have kept some of that in, especially with
what she was doing to me. It was very Yeah,
(24:22):
but I think that was an immediate result take one
of the kind of intensity that was happening between the
two of us.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
What maybe didn't make the kind of cut that you,
I suppose you were subjected to.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
It was way more hyper sexualized, and there were takes
that were extremely violent on my end towards her. Yeah,
I mean, and the sort of you know, she luxuriated
in the process a little bit more and a little again,
(24:55):
a little bit more sexualized.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Kind of thinking of like that, remember that film Killed
Joel where there's like, yeah, I kind of I always
imagine that where there's like there's the humiliation aspect, but
there's someone else getting off to kind of thing. I've
got that kind of image in my head.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But it was absolutely like that, Yeah, that's a really
good That was actually one of the first time I
ever read the script decides, even though that was the
first thing I thought it was killer Joe.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
So what was Ty West like as as a director
to work with? What does he kind of run his
sets like?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
He again was completely even his producers that he works
with on everything, completely inclusive and supportive of my process
and including me. And you know, that was a there's
a lot of names on that on that bill, and
there was never a tear system. It felt like you
were just as important as anybody else, and what your
(25:47):
process was was just as important as anybody else. I
will say that the days that we were shooting this movie,
you look at it and think that, oh, this is
a huge budget film. You have all the time in
the world to do things, But like that not the
case at all, and it was under time constraints. It
was very hectic. He was he was very much so
(26:11):
captain of the ship and relied on his relied on
his team to sort of keep everything moving so that
he could stay in the zone of what he exactly needed.
And then yeah, I mean, like I said, it was
hectic when we were shooting and very intense. And then
(26:31):
you know, the day that I came in to do
the pickups with the prosthetic, and then you know, able
to get to know him a little bit better. And
then the premiere at the Chinese theater, got to hang
out and party with him and his wife and his baby,
and you got to know him a little bit, a
little bit different, But he's somebody that I think is
(26:54):
hitting this this stride of of of his work where
there's no there's no boundaries anymore. I think he's really
just hitting a stride where his films are going to
be very exciting coming forward, and I can't wait to
see what he does after this, to be honest, So.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Was the Chinese Theory the first time you got to
see the film altogether?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
It was the first time I saw the film. That
was the first time I ever dared go to the
Chinese theater.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
What was that like to go there? Because that's like
one of those like real moments for some actors, like
to have a film play at the place where they've
done Star Wars all these other things where you just
see those iconic pictures. And the primary looked like a
lot of fun from the outside with the fake protest
and so on as well.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Oh yeah, that was nice. I mean, it was a
dream come true. And I still feel like I'm a
bit dazed and confused by it. Yeah, it was just
a surreal It was surreal. It just felt like it
wasn't really happening. And right after, you know, you do
(27:59):
the carpet thing and you do some interviews. I walked
around this corner and there's this actor that I've run
into a few times. We have a similar reps. But
his name is Scoot McNairy and I'm a huge man.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I great guy.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
He runs right up, gives me a hug and starts
talking to me about, you know, the movie and YadA YadA,
and again he's just kind of a big hero of mine.
And you know, immediately after that, I'm talking to Kevin
Bacon and who had seen the movie, and he's talking
to me. It was surreal. It was like all these
heroes of yours that you put on a pedestal for
so long and you think that they're different from you,
(28:35):
and then all of a sudden, they're just They're movie fans,
just like you, just trying to make things that other
people are entertained by and do the same things for
them that movies did for you when you were growing up.
You know, it's very much a it's a communal thing.
It's it's it was awesome, man.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, did you have any kind of nerves before your
kind of scene was coming up? And how much made
the car or didn't make the car? If you even
manage to be that's all kind of thing more.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
I mean, yeah, yeah, I mean my head was in
my lap. I don't even think I watched the movie
that was. That was Yeah, you know, I I it's
not it's not easy to watch yourself ever, but under
these circumstances it was. It was particularly difficult. But but
(29:26):
hearing the crowd it happened, and seeing you know, I
don't know how many seats are in that theater, but
seeing the reaction from the audience was I mean, it was,
it was. It was amazing, and you.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Can imagine there's like you always think of like a
big American audience, like can imagine that I was screaming
and making noises and start you're scene. Then you get
like a UK audience. It's a bit more quiet. But
I remember just watching that scene, I'm just like moving
a little bit in my chair, kind of glancing at
my partner next to me, like, oh my god, they're
really doing this. Oh you know, And it's so interesting
to imagine different responses to to such a such a scene.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yeah, it is. It is funny. My sister in law,
she lives in Berlin, and she was telling me the
reaction that she you know, that her audience had when
that happened. She was like, it was the biggest part
of the mood. Like, you know, it's just a funny
to hear what different you know, different places around the
world and how they react to it and what I
what I will say about this movie in particular too,
(30:26):
is hearing from a lot of people that don't you know,
they're not as they're not like film nerds like you
and I, you know what I mean, They're just they
like it as a source of entertainment, but they don't
think too much about it. And hearing their reaction to
this movie, I feel like it really broadens audiences together
in a way. You know, you don't need to get
(30:48):
a file like this one.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Yeah, it's interesting how these films are broken out because
it like, you know, I remember going to see X,
you know, not long post COVID cinemas are starting to
come back, and then you know each film is quite different.
And then you know, this this whole cult that surrounded
people have got tattoos of pearl. She's this instantly cool,
well thing and it's one of these like rare things
that is organically kind of growing. You know, it's not
(31:11):
like it's it's Marvel films or things where they just
they come with all these things built in. This has
been kind of like an organic growth and something that's
quite unique, which I think is to be always to
be celebrated.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Isn't that exciting though, that people are starting to there's
a phenomenon about something that is that is this unique.
I mean, I had no idea about the sort of
culture surrounding the movie until until after I shot and
people started, you know, reaching out through Instagram or whatever
and started to realize like, oh, this actually has a
(31:44):
big fan base, And that to me is very encouraging
as a as an actor, as a filmmaker, knowing that
audiences want they want good material, they want new things
to get excited about. They really are tired of the
same formula, regardless of office says. I mean, these movies
were made shoestring basically budgets during COVID lockdown. I mean,
(32:08):
they're they're unhinged how they're made, and I think it
just reflects that audiences are really there their dire for
original material.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
And it goes back to that thing that you know,
I'm sure you say as much as me, films like
Maxine used to be ten a penny. In the nineties.
You would have Maxine one week and then probably something
that's equally as original the following week and so on.
Whereas it kind of stands out a little bit, these
kind of films of like, oh, we've got this, this
is something a bit new, we better go along and
see it, you know, become popular. But in the nineties
(32:38):
there was always films like this to to go along
and see and to be found on video and vhs.
And it's a shame that films like this in terms
of the originality and the appeal are just a bit
too rare.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I think, yeah, I think A two four is definitely
leading the front on making sure that that's that's eradicated,
that that's that's not what's going to happen in the future.
I think we're seeing a really big shift in movies
right now again, regardless of box office. I think that
people are talking about good films again. And I mean,
(33:14):
I don't know how many superhero Marvel whatevers came out
this year, but probably a lot, and I don't know,
they're not really being talked about now.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
It's a bit sad in terms of the UK, like
a dead Pool Wolverine just came out today and like
one of the counterprogramming films is that I saw the
TV Glow, which has obviously got great right up in America,
but like here in Edinburgh, the capital city, one showing
a day at one cinema and so on, and you know,
like you can go see in forty X screen X,
(33:44):
you know, multiple times a day dead Pool Wolverine, but
people that are looking for an original film have to
go along at either eight o'clock a night or three
in the afternoon during the working day to see something
that's really unique and it's come with a lot of
buzz to the UK. It's just frustrating.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I mean, I think it's just even more of a
calling for people with a few dollars to open up
independent cinemas again. And you don't need these huge multiplexes.
You just need a couple of shairs of screen and
start start showing them. You know.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
So what's coming next for yourself, Zachary.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Well, some stuff that I really hope pans through. I'm
in negotiation right now with another A two four movie
and I can't really talk about it.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
It's good. Well, it's just been like a good excuse
to get you back on again in the future all
going well.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Man, I would love that again. Like this, this movie
in particular, the filmmaker in particular, and everything about it.
I really hope it all works out. If that doesn't happen,
I still have a film of my own that I'm
going into production on mid August and it's called Capricorn.
And yeah, I kind of just like I was saying,
(34:54):
aside from what people sort of cast you, and it
just always kind of find it important to make sure
you're doing your own thing and having your own voice,
just because it also gives you agency on what you
say no to. You don't have to do every cop
TV show where you tell the good guys which way
the bad guys go or vice versa.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
You know, you you might not be keeping the lights
on or putting food on the table, but there's certain
things that are a little bit more important to me
than just making a paycheck from.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Absolutely and you obviously mentioned Day twenty four. Any kind
of favorite films of theirs from their filmography that you like,
let stand up for you.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
There's one that I can't get out of my head.
I've seen it maybe five times in the past two years.
Is after someun.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Brilliant film, like one of my favorite films.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
First time I ever saw that was actually on the
plane to Mexico when I shot this audition from Vaccine
and I was watching it on my iPhone and it
hypnotized me screen that size. I just think it's one
of the most impactful, beautiful movies I've ever seen, and
(36:10):
I can't wait to see what that filmmaker does.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Yeah, she's you know, talking of independent cinemas like you know,
after Some got its premiere and well UK premier like
at the Edinburgh Film Festival a couple of years ago,
and we did like the opening night like red carpet
event and so on, which was just amazing to interview.
She's Scottish, yeah, and what she's done is like one
(36:33):
of our really great independent cinemas here in Edinburgh closed
a couple of years ago, went bust for a couple
of different reasons, and it's just coming back and you
know early next year people have really got behind in
a big campaign and it was announced that Charlotte Wells,
that the director after Someone, is gonna be one of
the patrons of that kind of cinema and you know
when it kind of reopens, which is just fantastic, you know,
(36:56):
and she's been she's been someone that you know, the
opening night of like After Sun and other events have
talked about how you need those independent cinemas, you need
to build them, because there's no point in making an
after Son or a Maxine if you don't have the
kind of cinemas that people will go along and see
these films and champion them and so on. And you know,
she's someone that's certainly not forgotten her her Scottish roots
(37:17):
and the type of cinemas that you know, where she
would go along get her film education and so on,
which is just fantastic. And you know, After Sun is
just beautiful, Like the performances and that ending has just
stuck with me for years now.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
And just like what masterful work on from everyone from
actors to what she did. And yeah, I mean it's
truly incredible. I'm glad that. I'm glad that you guys
are revitalizing that that theater so important.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
And finally, where can people keep up to date with
like any news or developments on your career or films
that you've got coming out.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
I mean, there's IMDb, there's Instagram, although not really you know,
not posting selfies every day, but when I do have
projects coming out, I usually post about them or yeah
IMDb or I kind of want to be one of
those people that you know, surprises you every time you
(38:13):
go to the movies. You don't really know where they're
going to pop up or what they're going to do next,
but then there they are.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
That's the type of actors we're always looking out for
on this podcast, and it looks like, hopefully we'll have
another opportunity to keep an eye out for you in
the future.
Welcome to the nerd Party.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello, and welcome to the twenty four project. Here in
the Nerd Party Network, my name is Lee Hutchinson and
Dallas King and I make our way through the twenty
four filmography and along the way bring you interviews with
the talent involved in front of and behind the camera.
Today we welcome Zachary Morin, who plays Buster in Maxine,
a Buster Keaton lookalike who stocks Maxine down a dark
(00:33):
alleyway in Hollywood, but soon finds the tables turned on
him as he draw us his pocket knife. Zachary takes
us behind the scenes on working on Maxine and working
alongside Maya Goth and Ty West, and much much more
in the steep Dive interview. Thanks so much to Zachary
for joining us, and I hope you too will enjoy
this episode.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You can learn and you can hide, but you'll never
get away.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Rob it.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Buster.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
What were we gonna do? Huh nothing?
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I was just playing around.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Well we're playing now. How did you get involved in enacting?
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Zachary? Wow? I mean kind of kind of reluctantly over
the years. I felt like it was not something that
was necessarily tailored for me. I was a very shy kid.
But movies were kind of my my life raft growing up,
(01:48):
and any you know, there was there was always these
school plays that were going on. They kind of forced
you to be in them when I was growing up,
and I I just loved it. It's one of those things.
It's always been kind of like a like a faith
or a religion to me. It's never really been something
that I've sought out and tried to do. It's just
(02:09):
it's kind of like it's a part of me, just
like my left arm is.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
When did you realize you could turn something like that
into a career and going from just something that was
a passion into something that's like a job.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
I mean, I still, you know, constantly am doubting myself
in that in that vein, but it's just it's such
a part of who I am. It's my greatest love affair.
It's what I wake up every day thinking about and
go to ben thinking about every day. You know, It's
it's I never really I still question whether or not
I'm going to be able to sustain this over you know,
(02:44):
a lifetime, but I it's my pursuit.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Sounds like it played, as you said, such an important
rule in kind of your your upbringing, whether certain like
films or actors that you gravitated towards that gave you
that sense of comfort or perhaps inspiration.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Oh yeah, I mean so many, But to the ones
that are striking off the top of my head were
my father would take my brother and I out to
the movies, and he was a really big fan of
Val Kilmer, so we would go see all of Val
Kilmer's movies in the movie theater, and you know, family
(03:23):
movie nights were Yeah. One one night, I remember him
bringing home the movie ed Wood by Tim Burton, and
you know, there was a big, big fight in the
house between my parents because my mom thought it was
inappropriate for a five year old to watch. Maybe she
was right, but that was another movie, and there was
another There's another memory I have of my brother's like
(03:46):
eleven years older than me, and he was obsessed with
cinema when I was growing up, and we shared a
bedroom together, and he had a VHS copy of Pulp Fiction.
And I grew up in a very conservative household, and
any you know movie that was found like that, or
Nirvana albums or whatever those were, those were smashed in
(04:07):
front of us. And thrown in the garbage. So he
kept that VHS under his pillow and every night, you know,
when my parents would go to sleep, we would look
at the cover of that thing. And you know, he
showed it to me when I was a little too young,
but I just remember like staring at that that cover
and you know Vuma Thurman on the on the front
and John Travolta and Sam Jackson on the back and
(04:29):
just being like, Wow, I have to make something like this.
One day.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
You mentioned like Val Kilmer. A film I really loved
in the past few years was the documentary Vow about
his sort of like career and the impact of his cancer.
Have you had a chance to see that one?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Oh my god, Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was It's a
I mean seeing that that movie kind of redefined what
being an artist is to me and how no matter
what happens to you in your life, if you're able
to sort of reshape who you are and still create things,
I mean, that is again it's going to be it's
going to be your saving grace. And also that kind
(05:05):
of changed the way when I saw him doing all
of his his tapes that he would send out to
Martin Scorsese for Goodfellas or or you know, he sent
it to a I think he did a self tape
for Full Matter Full Metal Jacket and sent it over
to Kubrick. I think he actually hand delivered it to Kubrick,
put himself on a flight and went all the way
to London. I started to when I saw that in
(05:27):
the documentary, I said, why the fuck am I doing
my self tapes like standing up against a blue backdrop, like,
you know, shmacking as much as I possibly can to
get a job. And I started actually just taking agency
and making my own little short films when I when
I submit tapes now and it was all from that.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, And there's something I think I get the impression
we're both nineties kids based on the films that we
grew up with. There's something by that documentary as well,
and like he was such a prominent figure in the
nineties and not just you know, your Batman's, but your
your Prestige pictures as well. And there was like a
real sense watching that, like oh you could see it,
feel a sense of time and so on that, So
that was a childhood hero could be impacted in such
(06:06):
a cruel way. And I remember just feeling such a
sadness watching that.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, it was terrible. I mean it's terrible. But I
met him after the fact. He did a one man
show called Citizen Twain where he plays Mark Twain, And
you know, I saw that when he brought it to
Los Angeles. It was like the same week when I
moved to Los Angeles. I saw it actually, And then
he ended up doing a taping of it and doing
(06:31):
a screening of the film that he made of it,
and that was after he got sick, and I met
him after that, and again his spirit was kind of untouched.
It was, I mean, he had more energy than I've
ever seen him, and more creativity and velocity than I
think anybody else really.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah, and how's your kind of taste evolved since that
kind of nineties kid? What do you kind of find
inspiration in these days in terms of the films and
arts or performers as well.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I'm still I'm still after that nineties kids sort of
sort of thing where you take these incredibly colorful, larger
than life ideas and you somehow shoe string a budget
together to make it that way. I think there's a
there's almost like a Roger Korman aspect of the nineties
films where you have only a certain amount of dollars
to make something that is going to look like a
(07:19):
Steven Spielberg epic, and they did it. And those are
still kind of the films that I gravitate towards. I mean,
I think seventies the nineties are those are the best
decades for films in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
So obviously my first instruction to you was was Maxine.
But you've kind of stood out in some other rules
as well, and i't how don't realize afterwards you've been
in Cat Person for example, that really caught people's attention
since Sundance. Can you tell us a little bit about
some of your your other rules that people could maybe
check out.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I mean, so ones that I would try and encourage
everybody to go see you are the ones that I
actually helped produce. One of them is called Electric Love.
It's a bit dated at the now, but back in
twenty eighteen when we made it, it was all about
you know, people desperately trying to seek connection, but they're
(08:07):
using you know, the dating apps and kind of calling
flat on their face through it. And then with that's
the same group of filmmakers that I met on that
we ended up a year and a half later kind
of shotgunning another movie called val that's a horror comedy.
We worked really hard on those movies and I'm proud
(08:28):
of what we were able to do, you know, for
again very low budget.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, because obviously you're not just an actor. You've I've
noticed you've got direction work, as you mentioned production. You know,
do you want to be that kind of jack of
all trades or terror kind of or is there a
preference that you've you've maybe got Do you want to
go from actor to director for example?
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I like hopping around, but I think that I mean,
with the examples of those two movies, Electric Leve and Valve.
I was hired onto Electric Love as the first principal actor,
and there was something just within the conversations I was
having with the filmmakers that they kind of ended up
asking me to help cast it, to help find the
soundtrack to you know, so I kind of fell into
(09:13):
producing these two movies with them. It wasn't something I
was seeking out, And when I started moving into writing
and directing, that was kind of a I never expected to.
I mean, like, you know, Vincent Gallo was a huge
influence on me growing up. John Cassavetti's are huge influences
on me. But I never saw myself doing that. And
(09:33):
I think anytime that I do write, that I do direct,
it's almost like this itch that I can't scratch, and
I just I have to I have to make it.
You know. It's not something that I really plan out
or have any sort of saying. It's just a it
just kind of happens, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
So when did you first year write the opportunity for Maxine?
When did that come along?
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Man? I was I was in Mexico at the time,
and I just got a regular old audition came into
my Gmail and I made a very very bizarre tape.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Okay, And what was that tape? Kind of like, because
you mentioned obviously you make these short films, did you
kind of decide to make a maybe a Buster Keaton
style kind of production.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
It was a I mean, I've again just said I've
always wanted to play Buster Keaton in a movie, and
you know, these daydreams of doing it for a long time,
and when that opportunity came up again, I was like,
I'm not going to just do the scene. I'm going
to make a little short movie, and I made different
options of it. I used very bizarre camera techniques and
(10:34):
I didn't go as far as getting my testicles smashed
off by later, but yeah I did. I did. I
did a fun little short film for it and tried
to invoke as much Buster Keaton energy as possible.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
It was quite funny. When I was doing my research
into you, I saw someone I think it was maybe
on Reddit that was like, oh, yeah, he's a professional
Buster Keaton impersonator, And it seemed that you must have
really sold people on.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
That there actually was a professional Charlie Chaplin impersonator on set. Yeah.
I actually even ran into him at the premiere and
he didn't break character the entire time. But no, I'm
definitely not one of those Hollywood boulevard Buster Keaton guys.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
So had you kind of seen X and Pearl previously?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I hadn't. I'd seen the preview to Pearl maybe two
weeks before I shot the audition for this, and I
saw the preview for Pearl. I was like, this is
exactly the type of cinema that needs to be made
right now, stuff that is taking huge swings and doesn't
look like, you know, carbon copy of every movie that's
come out over the past ten years. And I was
(11:43):
just a huge fan of me a Goth even before
I saw the trailer for that. And then you know,
she kind of hits you over the head with her performance,
even within thirty seconds of watching her in that, And
so yeah, I just filmed the audition, got the movie
maybe two weeks later, and did everything I could not
to watch X or Pearl before I shot. I didn't
(12:04):
want to be influenced by the other two movies because
I also knew that tonally they're completely different. I didn't
want to be intimidated, to be honest, and was pleasantly
surprised after I, you know, wrapped Maxine, when I went
back started X, then went into Pearl and and yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's amazing. And what was it like when you found
out that you kind of biog this kind of rule.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
I was, I was, I was pumped. I mean, I
was finally like, I don't you know, it's it's it's
difficult as an actor because you're at the grace of
whoever gives you the opportunity, and a lot of times
it's not necessarily what you envisioned you know, when you
(12:46):
were a kid getting inspired by all these things that
you want to make, you know, and so any time
that you are given an opportunity by filmmakers that are
creating those things that that would have inspired you when
you were coming up, I mean, yeah, it's it's it's
it doesn't get any better than that. It's nothing's more
exciting than that.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
So did you have much like preparation time between being
past and that to really embrace being Buster key in?
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I did. Yeah, it was Actually it was probably the
most respectful process pre production process I've ever been a
part of. They gave me the job. I think I
had six weeks prior. I was there at the first
initial cast table read. I was given multiple costume try
(13:30):
ons that a place called Western Costume. It's historic. It's
amazing to hone the look that I wanted tie the
whole time. It was a conversation, makeup tests. You know,
there were certain things that I even was experimenting with
the makeup team that didn't end up in the movie.
I think it was a little too violent. I had
like track marks made on my arms, crazy tattoo on
(13:52):
my back, and then I think Tye was like the
track marks are a little too violent considering what we're doing,
and nobody really tattoos like this in nineteen eighty. So
but again, like the fact that they were indulging me
to sort of come up with all these things, and yeah,
take the time to meet with a movement coach to
sort of figure out the stillness of Buster, and yeah,
(14:12):
I had. I had a lot of time. I don't
know how much of it ended up showing up on screen,
but it was still one of those things where I
feel like performances are like icebergs. What you see is
just the top level, but everything else that I stand on,
you know, the is underneath the surface.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
What was that kind of first day on set like
that you sounded like, get a great pre production process.
What was that moment like when you could finally get
on stage onto that back law.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I mean, you know, having that much time to sort of,
you know, ruminate about the job was lovely. And then
when you actually showed up on set that they the
first day, you go, oh shit, we're actually going to
do this, and it was scary. That's a real gun
in my mouth, real switchblade that I'm dealing with Mia
(15:02):
And I immediately had to have a trust put in
place because even if her heel was half an inch off,
that would have really done some damage. And there were
takes even you know where I'm grabbing onto her with
a real switchblade, and so yeah, I mean when we
first showed up, it was very much like lighthearted conversation
(15:23):
trying to get to know that we can feel safe
with one another. And once the costumes were on, it
was very much you know, you stay over there. I'm
going to stay over here and I'll see you between
action cut.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
The people might be surprised by that because you always
think of it like I would assume ninety nine percent
of people look at and go fake gone, fake knife
and so on. What was perhaps like the reasoning behind
using kind of real props and that because I imagine
even just logistically, there's so much risk assessment that goes
into something like that that's not basically like rubber.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I mean, I think there's a lot of a lot
of merit to it. Number one, I think the camera
can always see if you're lying. And I think having
a real gun in my mouth and having a real
switchblade on mia just brings a certain amount of authenticity
to what we're doing a certain amount of danger. I
(16:15):
think that it makes everybody on set, not only just
the actors, really locked in. And it's so easy, especially
when you're an adult doing this, I feel like to
feel ridiculous, you know. I mean it is ridiculous what
we were doing at the end of the day, entertaining, hopefully,
but ridiculous. And I think adding that little bit of danger,
(16:36):
that little bit of realism just kind of, I don't know,
it just clicks differently.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
And do you obviously mentioned sort of like you really
keen to kind of work with me at golf. What
was she like as as a scene partner to work
on things with?
Speaker 1 (16:50):
I mean, she was very different than anybody I've ever
worked with before. It was almost as if every single
nuance that she came up with she was hitting a
bullseye on. I had all these crazy ideas, you know,
I was. I was just the fact that the character
comes you first meet him, and he's antagonizing her the
(17:12):
way he does. And I have an idea about you know, well,
when Buster Keaton did switch over to talkies and you
heard his voice, he had a very deep, very you know,
weird monotone voice. Once that sort of character gets broken
by the fact that he gets a gun thrown on him.
I wanted to figure out who was underneath that, and
Ty was very much so He's a scared little the
(17:32):
opposite of how he approached it. And so with that,
I was like, Oh, I have all these big ideas
that I can sort of throw and when I started
Take one with her and just locked in on her,
I was genuinely afraid of that person that she clicked
into and all of those ideas, that sort of things
(17:53):
that you wanted to try went completely out the window
and you were just locked in on your scene partner,
which is the way it should be. I mean, if
you're playing things out X, Y and Z to do
in a scene, than the scene's gonna suck. It's all
about the electricity that happens once you plug into your
scene partner and you know between action and cut and again,
like I said, she was precise on what she was
(18:13):
doing on this one, and then going back and watching
each of the movies, her performance in them are completely different,
and they're completely different because of what the requirements of
that movie were from her. This one is a this
one's a dirty, hairy popcorn Summer Movie, and her performance
I think is meticulous to that, as opposed to A Pearl,
(18:35):
which is theatrical, over the top and X, which is
you know, very just sort of grungy sexy. You know,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
And I love that scene in particular because I found
what was quite interesting with the film was that I
expected it to be have more perhaps agency within the film,
and there was times where I thought the kind of
character seemed quite passive. But the scene with yourselves, there's
a real intensity to that that you feel like, oh
my god, like she could like tear this guy out.
(19:03):
We know she can kill people, and she's up against
another killer as well, And I find that just that
seemed really sparked in quite a unique way in the film.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I'm really I'm happy to hear that. But even at
the table read, when we first all sat down with
the script, she even told me. She came straight up
to me and was like, this is a great, great
freakancy and I can't wait to put this in the movie.
And then when you read the whole script, it was
probably two hundred pages and the movie got edited down
to I don't even know one hundred and whatever, But
(19:31):
like this was a way more epic fairy tale of
a movie the way it was written. And I think
the lack of her agency in the cut of the
movie was because there are certain characters that were basically
prophesizing things to her throughout the movie that didn't end
up in the cut. And that scene in particular is
(19:53):
a perfect exit, like even my character had more more
footage of him prior to when you meet him. And
I think that that her reaction to that was very
much so because of some of the things that were
edited out of that movie. And at the same time,
that's actually a huge testament to the filmmaker that tie is,
(20:13):
in my opinion, somebody that can write something, direct something,
edit it, and realize that each stage is its own
thing and to allow the movie to talk to you
in each of those stages. I know so many filmmakers
that you know, the screenplay is the Bible. They shoot
it that way, and then they force that same sort
of spark that is in the screenplay in the edit,
(20:34):
and it doesn't work that way. Movies are very much
an assembly line and you have to take what's given
to you in each stage of the process.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
O curious when you saw that script originally like based
on your your outbringing, that conservative family, you know, film
burning essentially, did you sort of recognize a little bit
of kind of you and kind of this character of
Maxe someone with quite a religious sort of family work,
maybe more more conservative family then and so on? It
(21:04):
was there a bit really well.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I mean yeah, no, no, no, I mean I was very
much straised in a crazy, crazy kookie Catholic house. I
mean it was yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that I
definitely resonated with with some of that. And let's just
say my let's just say, my mother is not gonna
(21:27):
watch watch this movie.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Yeah, And it's interesting now knowing even think like it's
a real gun like it was a really vulnerable role
you took on. There's the nudity, there's essentially blow giving
a blowjob to a gun. Did you have like any
concerns or are you someone that's got that like that
nineties buzz of like I'll take anything on you know,
this is this is real kind of art here.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
That's very much so that. I mean, I again, like
what I was saying, I don't have any control about
unless I make the project. I don't have control of, uh,
what I take on what what shapes I sort of
take on as an actor and and if something scares
the shit out of you and it's a it's in
a project with people that you really respect, I'll do anything.
(22:13):
I mean, I think that kind of proves it. And
I also, you know, the the characters and in a
lot of screen time, but the amount of people that
have wanted to engage and talk about its definitely made
me feel like it was worth it, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (22:28):
So what about that prosthetic, That's something that stood out
for for a lot of people. What can you tell
us about that? Very true? Hope you're on the roots recovery.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Yeah, I mean, there was no prosthetic the days that
we were shooting principal photography, and then I had to
come back for you know, inserts of that on a
separate day after the movie wrapped. And that was kind
of fun because because shooting was intense, and then when
we were able to come onto a sound stage and
do that speci part of it, we were all able
(23:02):
to laugh again and realize how ridiculous it is what
we were making, and you know, just be like, oh,
I hope, I hope people dig it, you know, I
hope we're not going too far. But again, it was
one of those things where we're like, I've never seen
anything remotely like that in a movie, and I'm so happy,
(23:23):
proud and glad that I got to I got to
offer that to the cinema. Gods.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
You know, there's a comedian you might be familiar with
that we've got here in Scotland called Limmy and he's
got like a great kind of line that's become very
memed of like don't back down, double down, And it's
one of those ones when you watch that, it's not
just someone gets stamped, Oh, it gets really kind of
stamped and obliterated. You sell it with the scream as well.
That's one that's like not just going in, it's just
(23:50):
going all in. And a couple of.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Times over I did that scream in one take And what.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Do you tap into to produce a scream like that?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I think that it was because it was on the
tail end of filming with me and how intense that was. Again,
like I think for keeping it in our rating, we
had to we had to trim down a lot of
the stuff that that her and I were doing with
each other because yeah, I mean, there's no way that
they could have kept some of that in, especially with
what she was doing to me. It was very Yeah,
(24:22):
but I think that was an immediate result take one
of the kind of intensity that was happening between the
two of us.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
What maybe didn't make the kind of cut that you,
I suppose you were subjected to.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
It was way more hyper sexualized, and there were takes
that were extremely violent on my end towards her. Yeah,
I mean, and the sort of you know, she luxuriated
in the process a little bit more and a little again,
(24:55):
a little bit more sexualized.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Kind of thinking of like that, remember that film Killed
Joel where there's like, yeah, I kind of I always
imagine that where there's like there's the humiliation aspect, but
there's someone else getting off to kind of thing. I've
got that kind of image in my head.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But it was absolutely like that, Yeah, that's a really
good That was actually one of the first time I
ever read the script decides, even though that was the
first thing I thought it was killer Joe.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
So what was Ty West like as as a director
to work with? What does he kind of run his
sets like?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
He again was completely even his producers that he works
with on everything, completely inclusive and supportive of my process
and including me. And you know, that was a there's
a lot of names on that on that bill, and
there was never a tear system. It felt like you
were just as important as anybody else, and what your
(25:47):
process was was just as important as anybody else. I
will say that the days that we were shooting this movie,
you look at it and think that, oh, this is
a huge budget film. You have all the time in
the world to do things, But like that not the
case at all, and it was under time constraints. It
was very hectic. He was he was very much so
(26:11):
captain of the ship and relied on his relied on
his team to sort of keep everything moving so that
he could stay in the zone of what he exactly needed.
And then yeah, I mean, like I said, it was
hectic when we were shooting and very intense. And then
(26:31):
you know, the day that I came in to do
the pickups with the prosthetic, and then you know, able
to get to know him a little bit better. And
then the premiere at the Chinese theater, got to hang
out and party with him and his wife and his baby,
and you got to know him a little bit, a
little bit different, But he's somebody that I think is
(26:54):
hitting this this stride of of of his work where
there's no there's no boundaries anymore. I think he's really
just hitting a stride where his films are going to
be very exciting coming forward, and I can't wait to
see what he does after this, to be honest, So.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Was the Chinese Theory the first time you got to
see the film altogether?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
It was the first time I saw the film. That
was the first time I ever dared go to the
Chinese theater.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
What was that like to go there? Because that's like
one of those like real moments for some actors, like
to have a film play at the place where they've
done Star Wars all these other things where you just
see those iconic pictures. And the primary looked like a
lot of fun from the outside with the fake protest
and so on as well.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Oh yeah, that was nice. I mean, it was a
dream come true. And I still feel like I'm a
bit dazed and confused by it. Yeah, it was just
a surreal It was surreal. It just felt like it
wasn't really happening. And right after, you know, you do
(27:59):
the carpet thing and you do some interviews. I walked
around this corner and there's this actor that I've run
into a few times. We have a similar reps. But
his name is Scoot McNairy and I'm a huge man.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I great guy.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
He runs right up, gives me a hug and starts
talking to me about, you know, the movie and YadA YadA,
and again he's just kind of a big hero of mine.
And you know, immediately after that, I'm talking to Kevin
Bacon and who had seen the movie, and he's talking
to me. It was surreal. It was like all these
heroes of yours that you put on a pedestal for
so long and you think that they're different from you,
(28:35):
and then all of a sudden, they're just They're movie fans,
just like you, just trying to make things that other
people are entertained by and do the same things for
them that movies did for you when you were growing up.
You know, it's very much a it's a communal thing.
It's it's it was awesome, man.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, did you have any kind of nerves before your
kind of scene was coming up? And how much made
the car or didn't make the car? If you even
manage to be that's all kind of thing more.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
I mean, yeah, yeah, I mean my head was in
my lap. I don't even think I watched the movie
that was. That was Yeah, you know, I I it's
not it's not easy to watch yourself ever, but under
these circumstances it was. It was particularly difficult. But but
(29:26):
hearing the crowd it happened, and seeing you know, I
don't know how many seats are in that theater, but
seeing the reaction from the audience was I mean, it was,
it was. It was amazing, and you.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Can imagine there's like you always think of like a
big American audience, like can imagine that I was screaming
and making noises and start you're scene. Then you get
like a UK audience. It's a bit more quiet. But
I remember just watching that scene, I'm just like moving
a little bit in my chair, kind of glancing at
my partner next to me, like, oh my god, they're
really doing this. Oh you know, And it's so interesting
to imagine different responses to to such a such a scene.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yeah, it is. It is funny. My sister in law,
she lives in Berlin, and she was telling me the
reaction that she you know, that her audience had when
that happened. She was like, it was the biggest part
of the mood. Like, you know, it's just a funny
to hear what different you know, different places around the
world and how they react to it and what I
what I will say about this movie in particular too,
(30:26):
is hearing from a lot of people that don't you know,
they're not as they're not like film nerds like you
and I, you know what I mean, They're just they
like it as a source of entertainment, but they don't
think too much about it. And hearing their reaction to
this movie, I feel like it really broadens audiences together
in a way. You know, you don't need to get
(30:48):
a file like this one.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Yeah, it's interesting how these films are broken out because
it like, you know, I remember going to see X,
you know, not long post COVID cinemas are starting to
come back, and then you know each film is quite different.
And then you know, this this whole cult that surrounded
people have got tattoos of pearl. She's this instantly cool,
well thing and it's one of these like rare things
that is organically kind of growing. You know, it's not
(31:11):
like it's it's Marvel films or things where they just
they come with all these things built in. This has
been kind of like an organic growth and something that's
quite unique, which I think is to be always to
be celebrated.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Isn't that exciting though, that people are starting to there's
a phenomenon about something that is that is this unique.
I mean, I had no idea about the sort of
culture surrounding the movie until until after I shot and
people started, you know, reaching out through Instagram or whatever
and started to realize like, oh, this actually has a
(31:44):
big fan base, And that to me is very encouraging
as a as an actor, as a filmmaker, knowing that
audiences want they want good material, they want new things
to get excited about. They really are tired of the
same formula, regardless of office says. I mean, these movies
were made shoestring basically budgets during COVID lockdown. I mean,
(32:08):
they're they're unhinged how they're made, and I think it
just reflects that audiences are really there their dire for
original material.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
And it goes back to that thing that you know,
I'm sure you say as much as me, films like
Maxine used to be ten a penny. In the nineties.
You would have Maxine one week and then probably something
that's equally as original the following week and so on.
Whereas it kind of stands out a little bit, these
kind of films of like, oh, we've got this, this
is something a bit new, we better go along and
see it, you know, become popular. But in the nineties
(32:38):
there was always films like this to to go along
and see and to be found on video and vhs.
And it's a shame that films like this in terms
of the originality and the appeal are just a bit
too rare.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I think, yeah, I think A two four is definitely
leading the front on making sure that that's that's eradicated,
that that's that's not what's going to happen in the future.
I think we're seeing a really big shift in movies
right now again, regardless of box office. I think that
people are talking about good films again. And I mean,
(33:14):
I don't know how many superhero Marvel whatevers came out
this year, but probably a lot, and I don't know,
they're not really being talked about now.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
It's a bit sad in terms of the UK, like
a dead Pool Wolverine just came out today and like
one of the counterprogramming films is that I saw the
TV Glow, which has obviously got great right up in America,
but like here in Edinburgh, the capital city, one showing
a day at one cinema and so on, and you know,
like you can go see in forty X screen X,
(33:44):
you know, multiple times a day dead Pool Wolverine, but
people that are looking for an original film have to
go along at either eight o'clock a night or three
in the afternoon during the working day to see something
that's really unique and it's come with a lot of
buzz to the UK. It's just frustrating.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I mean, I think it's just even more of a
calling for people with a few dollars to open up
independent cinemas again. And you don't need these huge multiplexes.
You just need a couple of shairs of screen and
start start showing them. You know.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
So what's coming next for yourself, Zachary.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Well, some stuff that I really hope pans through. I'm
in negotiation right now with another A two four movie
and I can't really talk about it.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
It's good. Well, it's just been like a good excuse
to get you back on again in the future all
going well.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Man, I would love that again. Like this, this movie
in particular, the filmmaker in particular, and everything about it.
I really hope it all works out. If that doesn't happen,
I still have a film of my own that I'm
going into production on mid August and it's called Capricorn.
And yeah, I kind of just like I was saying,
(34:54):
aside from what people sort of cast you, and it
just always kind of find it important to make sure
you're doing your own thing and having your own voice,
just because it also gives you agency on what you
say no to. You don't have to do every cop
TV show where you tell the good guys which way
the bad guys go or vice versa.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
You know, you you might not be keeping the lights
on or putting food on the table, but there's certain
things that are a little bit more important to me
than just making a paycheck from.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Absolutely and you obviously mentioned Day twenty four. Any kind
of favorite films of theirs from their filmography that you like,
let stand up for you.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
There's one that I can't get out of my head.
I've seen it maybe five times in the past two years.
Is after someun.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Brilliant film, like one of my favorite films.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
First time I ever saw that was actually on the
plane to Mexico when I shot this audition from Vaccine
and I was watching it on my iPhone and it
hypnotized me screen that size. I just think it's one
of the most impactful, beautiful movies I've ever seen, and
(36:10):
I can't wait to see what that filmmaker does.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Yeah, she's you know, talking of independent cinemas like you know,
after Some got its premiere and well UK premier like
at the Edinburgh Film Festival a couple of years ago,
and we did like the opening night like red carpet
event and so on, which was just amazing to interview.
She's Scottish, yeah, and what she's done is like one
(36:33):
of our really great independent cinemas here in Edinburgh closed
a couple of years ago, went bust for a couple
of different reasons, and it's just coming back and you
know early next year people have really got behind in
a big campaign and it was announced that Charlotte Wells,
that the director after Someone, is gonna be one of
the patrons of that kind of cinema and you know
when it kind of reopens, which is just fantastic, you know,
(36:56):
and she's been she's been someone that you know, the
opening night of like After Sun and other events have
talked about how you need those independent cinemas, you need
to build them, because there's no point in making an
after Son or a Maxine if you don't have the
kind of cinemas that people will go along and see
these films and champion them and so on. And you know,
she's someone that's certainly not forgotten her her Scottish roots
(37:17):
and the type of cinemas that you know, where she
would go along get her film education and so on,
which is just fantastic. And you know, After Sun is
just beautiful, Like the performances and that ending has just
stuck with me for years now.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
And just like what masterful work on from everyone from
actors to what she did. And yeah, I mean it's
truly incredible. I'm glad that. I'm glad that you guys
are revitalizing that that theater so important.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
And finally, where can people keep up to date with
like any news or developments on your career or films
that you've got coming out.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
I mean, there's IMDb, there's Instagram, although not really you know,
not posting selfies every day, but when I do have
projects coming out, I usually post about them or yeah
IMDb or I kind of want to be one of
those people that you know, surprises you every time you
(38:13):
go to the movies. You don't really know where they're
going to pop up or what they're going to do next,
but then there they are.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
That's the type of actors we're always looking out for
on this podcast, and it looks like, hopefully we'll have
another opportunity to keep an eye out for you in
the future.
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