By Kelly Strodl
Today I sat with Chris Landon, director of BURNING PALMS, which sold out at last night’s screening and has been slotted again to show at 5:45 PM tonight. I know not much time, but if you get down here you could just catch this smash hit starring - Starring Adrianna Baraza, Dylan McDermott, Jamie Chung, Lake Bell, Nick Stahl, Paz Vega, Robert Hoffman, Rosamund Pike, Shannen Doherty, and Zoe Saldana. This subversive comedy takes a stab at satirizing the well-known stereotypes of varying Los Angeles neighborhoods. The stories of five interlocking characters who must their own varied, darkly funny fates, are followed in this entertaining film boasting an ensemble cast large enough to leave Hollywood reporters joking about being out of breath at the end of the litany of names. In this daring romp no taboo is left unexplored.
Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?
A: I’ve heard of the festival just from word of mouth, general mentions. I had a short film that cruised the film festival circuit. But this year we were invited to screen BURNING PALMS by the festival. I’ve spent a lot of time though checking out the website.
And the whole thing is really laid back. Which I like. Other festivals seem to have a “douche” factor that is very absent. Here, people come out to generally support movies and that’s great.
Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.
A: It’s a dark comedy where five stories are all inter-connected. It’s a meditation on loneliness and the really dark places that can take you to… Not for the faint of heart – it’s some really bizarre, outlandish stuff.
I wrote the screenplay six years ago, It’s been gestating for some time. It’s a risky work so getting it financed was risky too. But once it got financed it was a quick pre-production – six weeks. Then a year of post, which is longer than usual, but that’s because we had an animated section of the film.
Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.
A: Went to film school at LMU. Then, I actually had an internship at Disney, working for a number of producers. They were cool, and made me an unofficial reader, reading scripts all day. Most were not very good and I got to thinking that I could do better. So I started writing my own scripts. And that was the impetus for getting starte with the whole thing.
I was such a hobby – I really didn’t think anyone would take it seriously. That feeling never goes away. I know I’m a professional, and the validation is not getting paid. It’s being given the opportunity to make a living creatively. It is a gift.
Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)
A: Zero complaints in actors performances. They were a dream - beyond talented. They brought so much more to their characters and that was the thrill for me.
We even had some non-professional actors and they were awesome. One of the actresses who played a doctor in a mental hospital – it was written for a doctor that was and Indian woman, but we couldn’t find anyone in casting that really did it for me. Well, one of our investors just happened to be Indian, she just was it. So I turned to her one day in the middle of casting and said, “Can you do it?” She, kind of shocked, said, “I’m not an actor.”
“I don’t care.”
And she was perfect. She was the character. Every screening, when she comes on the people just start laughing hysterically, every time.
It’s those challenges that really pushy you and make you better as a filmmaker.
Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?
A: I’m a film geek through and through. I see everything. If I hear a movie’s really bad I actually run to see it. You can learn a lot from a bad movie. You not going to learn every thing you need from just seeing good films. You learn from others mistakes, too. It’s those times when I stop viewing a movie with that analytical eye that I know a movie’s really amazing. Those are the great ones.
BURNING PALMS screens at 5:45 PM today, Saturday, April 24 in the Edwards Island 4.
Click here to purchase tickets for shorts showcase:
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