Sir, where do you see cinema in today’s day and age? What could be the most significant function that must be performed by the bioscope?
I believe that cinema in today’s day and age has fallen into more of a propaganda and agenda-based platform.
I believe the most significant function that must be performed by the bioscope is entertainment. I expand on this more in my last question in the interview.
What is your definition of comedy? What do you have to say about the various categories that fall under it like satires, parodies, slapstick, etc?
I would not dare to define comedy. comedy is something personal and different for everyone. what I find funny may not be funny to others and vice versa. we all have a different sense of humor.
my favorite comedy is real-life situations that are stranger than fiction, which of course can be created or embellished when writing a story.
I like comedy that is based on reality and absurd situations that I believe could have happened.
I’ve laughed at all types of comedies, such as the tree that you listed, satires, parodies, and slapstick, but for me, it is the funniest no matter the style, as long as it’s relatable.
Do you think these demarcations can be strictly maintained in all cases? For example, is it incorrect for a satire to have elements of slapstick and vice versa?
I totally believe it’s flexible in that you can maintain one or combine them as long as the story works and makes sense.
I think that like any form or genre of cinema, the story is first and foremost and if it’s good, compelling, and relatable, then it can work for any genre.
Who are your favorite directors? What were the movies you grew up watching? Do you believe movies possess the power to change the world? Please share your opinion with us.
Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, Peter Farrelly, Clint Eastwood, Sam Peckinpah, Todd Phillips, Edgar Wright, Steven Spielberg, Hal Needham, and the list goes on.
I grew up watching westerns, martial arts films, action films, and action/comedies mostly.
I believe movies have the power to change people, through motivation, curiosity, and the ideas they may promote. therefore if movies can change people, they can change the world.
Did you face difficulties while writing the screenplay of your movie? What were the things you had to keep in mind while devising the plot of the movie?
once I settled on the idea of the parody that emulated “first blood” it wasn’t too difficult as I already had a template.
the main thing I had to keep in mind, was how to relate my characters to the characters in the original story while still getting my message across in the new version of the original story.
You ensured that your narrative had similar elements to the original movie. Did that somehow limit the scope of your story, the way you wanted the story to be told? You also stuck to similar characters from the original movie. Was that a part of your plan initially while you were writing the screenplay?
I didn’t find that the original story limited my scope at all. I chose that story because I felt it enhanced it in a comedic fashion that helped the audience swallow the pill of the message I was sending out there in a fun way.
This is basically, how ridiculous we can become as a society when misinformation and fear are spread through misinformation by the mainstream media, especially when the majority only listen to the mainstream media.
I most definitely planned to have the characters remain as close as I could to the originals in Rambo: first blood.
it all started with the lead character Katie Rumbo, and once I started her journey it was actually pretty easy to create the character of sheriff bill weasel (will teasle in first blood) and his deputies as we went along.
the two gas attendants are played by Malcolm sparrow-Crawford (hazmat suit attendant) and Dave Jacoxsr. (old gas attendant) were really the only two I had to create from scratch. they were a direct relationship to the ridiculous situations we had dealt with in real life.
the rest of the characters already had a template to follow from the original and that made it easy. as well I wanted it to be recognizable and relatable to Rambo fans.
The purpose of finding a place to pee and the subsequent plight of the protagonist is quite an interesting one. Your movie primarily focuses on the chaos that follows after an individual has been denied her right to fulfill a physiological need. Do you agree?
Most definitely!! that was the whole point and Justine’s character spells that out at the end amazingly as did Stallone in first blood, but of course she did it as Katie Rumbo and we related it to the current situation we were all living in. basic human rights that are being taken away.
I could have just as easily made a horror film, but I felt the world needed a laugh at a time when so many are crying and depressed, so, I chose a comedy.
The dialogues in the movie have been dexterously written. They are perhaps the most interesting aspect of the movie. The dialogues perform a double function. These interactions happen between the characters of the movie and with the audience. Tell us something about the process of writing the dialogues keeping a plethora of things in mind.
well, I definitely had a point I wanted to make and a message to share. people relax, and are more accepting of the truth when you give it to them with a laugh rather than beat them over the head with a club!
so I tried to write all the dialogue to show how ridiculous the situation we are living in is, but add a comedic twist in the terms of sarcasm or the way the actors delivered the lines. I most often felt that playing them straight and serious even when they are saying something absurd. like when Katie broke down crying and sobbing, “I use to pee freely.”
Would you like to share some interesting stories that happened on set while you were shooting for the film? Perhaps a moment that broke the entire cast and crew into fits of hysterical laughter.
we had a fairly new stunt actor, Sam Francisco playing one of the deputies for us. he was the one who gets caught in Katie Rumbo’s leg snare and it pulls him upside down up into the air between two trees.
so, when I called “cut” on that scene, I yelled, “okay, that’s lunch!” and we all left the set and left him hanging up in the air between the two trees upside down! he started yelling, “Hey guys!…guys!…this isn’t funny! get me down! I’m going to call the union!”
of course, we went back to get him after we all had a good laugh at him as he started to panic.
Do you think the number of movies that can be called parodies has substantially slackened? What could be the possible reasons behind this?
yes, I believe so. I find that more and more films and tv are being used to spread propaganda, not unlike the mainstream media. big corporations have the money and are trying to get their messages out to the masses that watch movies and tv.
parodies, comedy, and entertainment, in general, have changed. it’s not just for the sake of entertainment anymore. it’s a business to sell things for the most part.
and yes, I’m guilty of it too, as I have tried to get a message across in this short film as well.
but my ultimate goal is to entertain and evoke emotion in the viewer.
in this case, obviously happiness and laughter.
I would like to see more projects out there that tell stories that are for entertainment, not for agendas.
my next project is an action/comedy feature film called Mexican radio and is strictly for entertainment, excitement, and laughter!
