Entertainment
Jim Gaffigan Talks New Book Dad is Fat
Jim Gaffigan is best known for his hysterical stand-up routine. His material on Hot Pockets and McDonalds are fan favorites. Jim has been in films, television shows, and on Broadway. Now he can add being an author to his resume. Gaffigan’s book “Dad Is Fat” came out earlier this month. Click here to purchase his book.
In his book he explores fatherhood, his relationship with his wife and kids, and being on tour. The book is a great read and very funny. I was able to chat with Jim about where the title of the book came from and how fatherhood has changed him.
Art Eddy: “Dad is Fat” is the title of you new book and is it true that one of your kids came up with the title?
Jim Gaffigan: Yea that is true. When my seven year old was first learning to write that was his first complete sentence, dad is fat. On the book cover it is actually his hand writing. It was a moment where he wasn’t punching me in the stomach. So it was all good.
AE: When people see the title of the book they might think that you are trying to lose weight, but it is just your story about fatherhood. What inspired you to write the book?
JG: I wanted to do a book about just being a dad and how I am an improbable parent of five. I am certainly not an expert. So I wanted it to be white and vague. We were looking at different titles. I thought it was kind of funny and captured the chaos of my life and it shows the absence of authority I have in the process of parenthood.
AE: I like that fact you didn’t use a ghost writer for your book. Was that very important to you?
JG: To be clear I did it with my wife. It was interesting because I had an offer to do a book a couple years ago. I knew I didn’t want to have a ghost writer. I am glad that I waited because often with books or even comedy books there is this motivation of wanting to get a lump sum of money, getting on the New York Times best seller list, or just to say that they did a book. I am grateful that I did not get caught up in that.
AE: I have two daughters and people are always asking if my wife and I are going to have more kids. Some people say it gets easier after two. I don’t get the math on that. You and your wife have five kids. So tell me does it get easier?
JG: Well I think the biggest adjustment was two kids. At least for me. There is an asterisk next to that because I am a guy who travels a lot doing stand-up comedy. I get this forced one or two break every week.
I think it is very fascinating how everyone is really curious about how everyone else is going to procreate. It is baffling! You would never ask someone when they are getting their hair cut. People are consumed with curiosity if a couple is married or dating for longer than six months people suddenly need to know whether they are going to have a baby.
It is rude really. I don’t care, but I just think it is funny. I know that we have had way beyond the normal amount of children. People are like are you going to have any more children. I am like why do you care? Are you going to pay for their college? How is that any of your business? This myth of overpopulation that comes from 18th century England that no want to admit is just B.S. Why does anyone else care? It is like don’t worry I am taking care of this. People don’t ask why someone owns two cars.
AE: As a father what would you say are some of the most challenging aspects about being a parent?
JG: I think it is an ongoing thing of checking in. It is overwhelming the fact that you are in charge of another human being develop. For me it is a constant battle of keeping a balance between work and parenting. I think that we have found a good balance with me doing stand-up. I am lucky enough to do theaters and I can travel with my kids on the tour bus.
Even writing this book it took me away from parenting responsibilities that I think are pretty important. There are important things and it is not about going to birthday parties. It is about being there when they go to the doctor and listening to a good dose of the guilt. I think it is going beyond ordering pizza and going to dance recitals. I want to be involved in a certain level.
It was interesting writing the book. In the end I remember thinking if no one buys the book at least if my kids eventually ever read it they would say he was thinking a lot about parenting. He was not perfect, but he tried.
AE: For your stand-up routine do you try and balance fatherhood with other topics or do you find now that you are creating new material that is mostly parent based?
JG: Well when I started about 20 years ago I would see comedians talk about their wife and kids. I remember sitting in the audience going that is great I can’t even get a date. I don’t know what you are talking about. I made it a point never really going beyond in an hour show maybe talking about being a parent or my kids for more than five minutes.
I would almost censor myself. I can’t be the kids or parents comedian because there are going to be 20 year olds in my audience or there are going to people without kids in my audience. I always life for my stand-up to appeal to everyone. I intentionally did censor it. I think with Twitter I had an outlet to pump out some of these parenting observations and it would be fine.
To listen to the entire interview click here!
May 20th
Aly & Fila Rock the House at Insomniac’s Awakening at the Exchange LA
It was a wild night at Insomniac’s Awakening at the Exchange LA featuring the Egyptian super duo Aly & Fila. A packed house danced the night away to the uplifting trance music that has made Aly & Fila international stars in recent years. Aly & Fila ranked #19 on the DJ Mags Top 100 in 2012.
The performance at Exchange provided Southern Californians with a second chance to experience some fun times. Aly & Fila rocked the house at Sutra in Orange County a few weeks back. In between, they squeezed in amazing shows in Nicaragua and Colombia.
We had the good fortune to catch up with Fadi Wassef Naguib (aka Fila) for a quick interview in the lobby bar at The Hotel Standard in Downtown LA before the event at Exchange Friday night. From the get go, it was clear that Fadi is a cool dude.
The interview covered a variety of topics from the impending release of their new album Quiet Storm to the current state of the EDM scene in his native Egypt. Fadi was gracious and forthright, sharing his insight on every question we had.
After the interview concluded, it was time to head to the Exchange. Spanning 25,000 square feet with four floors and located about a mile from Staples Center, the historic building is stocked with six full-service bars, excellent sound system and friendly staff.
If you haven’t been there yet, the crowd is usually upbeat and looking to party. The dance floor was packed and the capacity crowd was clearly enjoying what Aly & Fila brought to the table. We had an amazing view of the dance floor from the balcony area up top and the place was rocking all night.
Aly & Fila’s new album will be available soon. The first single released on Quiet Storm is “Running Out of Time” with Chris Jones. Aly & Fila have done several successful collaborations in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Footage from the Sutra show and the complete interview with Fila coming soon…
May 6th
“The Walking (And Talking) Dead” — A Bad Lip Reading of The Walking Dead
Another great video from the folks at Bad Lip Reading just got released. This time these guys poke fun at the AMC hit show “The Walking Dead.” It even got the approval from Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon on the show.
So if you are needing some new Walking Dead in your life since the last season ended here you go!
May 3rd
50 Concerts, 50 States, 1 Day with Bud Light Music First
For live music fans, summer is about to kick into high gear with the launch of Bud Light Music First. Bud Light is teaming up with the best music and interactive partners, including Live Nation, Myspace and Universal Music Group to host the ultimate live music experience.
It all culminates with the “50/50/1” event on August 1, with concerts in all 50 states on a single day and featuring artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Sublime with Rome, Alex Clare, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Flaming Lips and Guster. Additional artists will be announced in the coming m
onths.
Tickets to the 50/50/1 events as well as more than 500,000 music-centric prizes including Monster DNA Headphones, Live Nation Concert Cash and UMG music downloads are up for grabs through the Bud Light Music First app, available through the Apple and Android app stores.
Fans can also track updated show announcements, discover never-before-seen artist content and live-stream select 50/50/1 concerts through the Bud Light Music First Hub at https://new.myspace.com/budlightmusicfirst.
“Music is such a unique platform because it brings people together, yet everyone interacts with it on a personal level,” said Rob McCarthy, vice president, Bud Light. “With Bud Light Music First, we have an amazing collection of artists and partners that will make sure every adult fan can experience music in a fun, interesting way this summer.”
“We’re excited to partner with Bud Light as the Music First initiative gives fans the opportunity to connect to music on a massive scale, tapping into Myspace’s platform as a destination for 50/50/1,” said Christian Parkes, global vice president of marketing, Myspace. “Like Myspace, Bud Light shares the desire to create unique experiences in music and provide fans greater access to their favorite artists.”
The other music acts confirmed to perform in 50/50/1 include: Emeli Sandé, Drive-By Truckers, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Dirty Heads, Capital Cities, Citizen Cope, Coheed & Cambria, Gogol Bordello, Mastodon and Machine Head, Halestorm, Under the Sun Tour, Guster, The Mowgli’s, Minus the Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Best Coast, Frank Turner, Wavves, The Hold Steady, Corey Smith and Portugal. The Man. Additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks. The 50/50/1 lineup is being curated by Live Nation.
May 2nd
Egypt Invades the OC, Aly & Fila at Sutra
With politics reaching a boiling point in the Middle East, the hottest thing out of Egypt lately is electronic dance group Aly & Fila. You can imagine our excitement as we received an invite to meet the duo at one of the hottest nightclub destinations in the OC, Sutra.
Sutra OC is located in the “Triangle Square” plaza in Costa Mesa and truly ranks as one of the most high energy, interactive yet surprisingly intimate places to catch top tier artists. Sutra’s design features the DJ stage in the center with a wraparound floor plan, providing guests an amazing vantage point from every angle. The Sutra staff is always professional and courteous.
Aly & Fila’s much anticipated performance was received well by a sold out crowd representing their growing international and American audience. Recently ranked 19th on DJ Mag’s Top 100, the group has covered the four corners of the world with notable stops from EDC Vegas to WMC Miami to Tomorrowland Amsterdam. Aly & Fila plan on celebrating their 300th show May 5 at FSOE 2013 at the Sharm El Sheik resort in Egypt.
Listening to the uplifting and empowering style of the group, one can easily understand why their track “We Control the Sunlight” was chosen as “Tune of the Year” on Armin Van Buuren’s show A State of Trance in 2011.
Aly & Fila have recently collaborated with Roger Shah on ‘Perfect Love’, Solarstone with ‘Fireisland’ and ‘Vaporiz’ (alongside John O’Callaghan) that will be featured on their upcoming 2013 album “Quiet Storm.”
Be sure to catch Aly & Fila’s guest mix this Sunday April 28 from 2-4am (PST) on Power 106 Los Angeles Powertools Mixshow. From there, the duo will head out to Nicaragua and Colombia for a few shows before returning to Southern California May 3 for Awakening at Exchange LA presented by Insomniac.
We look forward to interviewing Aly & Fila before their show at the Exchange on what promises to be an exciting evening in Los Angeles.
Apr 27th
Interview with Writer and Actor Juddy Talt
“Language of a Broken Heart” is a new romantic comedy that is now out in theaters. It follows a guy named Nick looking to repair his heart after a devastating breakup. Nick is a best-selling author on love, and he finds his fiancé with another man. His heartbreak drives him crazy and he starts reflecting on his many romantic failures.
I was able to talk with the writer and actor Juddy Talt, who plays Nick in the film. The movie also stars Oscar Nunez, Kate French, and Julie White. Juddy and I talk about how he came up with the concept of the film and the process of getting the film from paper to the big screen.
Art Eddy: You wrote and star in the film “Language of a Broken Heart”. Tell me about the film and how you came up with the story?
Juddy Talt: This has been a long process. When I graduated at the University of Southern California I knew I wanted to make my own film. For this film it stems from a breakup. Well I should say a combination of a lot of breakups, but mostly on one that took some time for me to get over. It helps that I am a fan of movies like “Say Anything” and a lot of Woody Allen films. There are a lot of neurotic characters in Woody Allen films so that was something I thought about as I was doing my film.
I had a tough breakup so I decided that I needed to do a film about that. What did Henry Miller once say? It was something like the best way to get over a woman is to turn her into literature. A therapist once told me the best way to get over a woman is to get under another one. To me that sounded as odd and inappropriate advice.
So I went with the film route. I wrote it from my experience and it came out pretty quickly. It is a highly fictionalized version of this breakup. I find that breakup stories are such a universally accepted topic and people can relate to this story. My character has a broken heart, but you see him go through things that are sad and humorous at the same time. When I was dealing with a break up in my real life I looked back and thought there was some funny things I did. My dad even told me that I needed to get laid. It is funny now as I reflect on that and I think people will see the humor in what my character goes through in the film.
My character goes home and repairs his relationship with his mother and viewers start to see that this broken heart keeps on going around to different characters in the film. We have been getting great reviews so far and I am pleased with the viewer’s reaction to the film.
AE: Since you wrote the story for the film, did you feel that acting in that role was easier than other projects that you were in before?
JT: I would say yes and no. I think it is very easy in a sense since you have been with the material for so long. Yet that can be a big downfall because you can hire an actor who brings something to the script that you never thought of before. It is fun when an actor comes and surprises you with a new take on the role. I have similarities to this character obviously. Yet this character is very obsessive and very neurotic and I hope that I am not like that in real life. (Laughs) The jury is still out. 
AE: The film also stars also stars Oscar Nunez, Kate French, and Julie White. Were you part of the casting process to get these actors?
JT: Absolutely. When I was in Los Angeles I got Ronnie Yeskel to be the casting director for the film. She is a well-known casting director and she responded well to the script. I was very much involved with her in casting for the film. We read with Kate (French) and Lara Pulver. Then we read with Ethan Cohn, who plays Cubbie in the film.
For Julie White and Oscar Nunez they were just straight out offers. We really wanted them. We were about to start shooting the film and we didn’t even have them yet. We shot the film in New York and in Dallas. We heard that Julie was in Dallas so we thought that this was our chance to get her for the film.
Two weeks before we started filming in Dallas we started stalking Julie since she was in Dallas. We knew she was at her mother’s house. We wondered if we should just show up at the house and just drop off the script. The funny thing about the whole stalking Julie thing was that it goes right along with a scene in the film. The main character’s ex-girlfriend says to my character to stop stalking her and stop leaving notes and things on her car and house. My character then says something like what is the difference between stalking and being romantic. Luckily Julie liked the script and we got her for the film.
AE: How long did it take to bring the film from concept to screen?
JT: It was pretty long. I also produced it too. I was out there raising a lot of the money for the film. Even once I had the script I would say that it took about a year to a year and a half to start filming. I was also trying to get another project off the ground at that time. I switched my focus to this film because the other one was starting to get really expensive.
Yet overall all after the script for “Language of a Broken Heart” was done we were able to start shooting in a year or so. Now the film is in select theaters and that was not an easy task, so I am happy that it is in theaters.
AE: Do you preference of acting or writing?
JT: Every day I can wake up and write. It is a great way to get out what I need to get out. I really enjoy writing. I grew up on the stage acting. I did a bunch of community theatre growing up in Pasadena. I continued with that passion as I grew older. I love the both so it is nice to be able to do both.
AE: Are there any type of stories you would you like to tell that you feel the film industry has not touched on yet?
JT: Definitely. I think that this is a good starting point for me. This film doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It is a very poignant little film. Viewers really responded well to it so far. If you go on sites like Fandango you see that audiences are really behind this film and are encouraging people to go check this film out. I don’t have a big marketing budget so word of mouth is great.
For me, I love to mix comedy and drama. It is a tough thing to do, but I want to keep on making films like that. I want to show people how life is and that there will be good and bad times in everyone’s life. I love films like “Almost Famous” and “Say Anything” since the blend drama and comedy is done so well. Even in stories that are tragic I want to show some sense of humor in part of that story. People will walk away from those films saying that is true to life. That is what I want to do in the future.
Apr 17th
Johnny Ray Gill talks about his new show Rectify.
Johnny Ray Gill can be seen in the new series “Rectify” that will be on the Sundance Channel starting up on Monday, April 22nd. Gill plays Kerwin Whitman who is friends with the main character Daniel played by Aden Young. “Rectify” is a legal drama that tells the story of Daniel, who was falsely imprisoned for 19 years and is released due to new DNA evidence. The series at times follows Daniel thinking back about his time in jail and the viewers are introduced to one of his friends and fellow inmate, Kerwin Whitman.
Gill also has been seen in great shows like “True Blood”, “Bones”, and “Harry’s Law”. Gill also has produced a short film called “Pas de Restes”. Gill wrote, starred in, directed and executive produced the film.
Johnny Ray Gill was able to sit down and chat with me about “Rectify”, his short film, and what he has learned from his experience in the film industry.
Art Eddy: Tell me about the plot of the show “Rectify” and your role as the character Kerwin Whitman.
Johnny Ray Gill: “Rectify” is on Sundance and it is a totally original show. It reminds me of a play in the theater but on camera because of the nuance of the way the story is told and shot. It follows the main character Daniel, who is played by Aden Young. Daniel has been in prison for about 17 years on death row and now because of DNA evidence he is released.
The story is about his first few days out of prison and how he acclimates himself to the town and society. Kerwin Whitman is who I play and I would say that he is Daniel’s spiritual best friend. Kerwin was in a cell that was right next to him on death row.
AE: The show sounds very original and to me I feel like there is nothing on television like it right now. You must be excited to be part of show like this am I right?
JRG: Oh definitely. This show takes a hard and real look about what it is like to be on death row. We take a look at what it does to people’s families, the victim’s family, and what happens when a person is released.
It is also a relevant topic. Right now if you watch CNN or MSNBC you see that with things like DNA evidence people are getting released from prison. There have been a few stories just recently that people who were incarcerated and now were just released based on new evidence that showed that they are innocent. I am very proud to be on a show that is brave enough to dive deep into something of that nature.
AE: I love to see the passion you have for this role and wanting viewers to see a true representation of a person on death row. What type of research did you do for this role?
JRG: Well in terms of research I have never been on death row and never been in prison. When I auditioned for the part I had a sense memory because one of my cousins is actually in jail for 25 years. It happened when I was in high school. He was part of killing someone through gang violence.
I feel that I was able to explore his spirit for the audition. African Americans and Latinos are hugely incarcerated inside a penitentiary complex. There is so much information to tap into. I wanted Kerwin to be almost an example of what not to do. To show how tragic it is to find yourself in these circumstances rightly or wrongly.
We film with real prison guards and they put real handcuffs and real chains on me. When I hear the clanging of the chains as I was walking into a cell that is the size of a bathroom I felt like I was representing my ancestors. I thought about the middle passage and slavery.
The beautiful thing about Kerwin for me is that even though he committed something very tragic on the outside in the real world, he is trying to find his manhood and atone for the things he did wrong. Reading Shakespeare, Malcom X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was able to go into my well so to speak and pull out the emotions of a tragic person trying to be a better man. I did as much research as I can to give the character the most authenticity for the show. To me these characters are not given the weight that they deserve and just become stereotypes and I didn’t want to do that with Kerwin.
AE: Just hearing that alone wants me to check out the show. You have been very busy aside from shooting “Rectify.” You also have another project called “Pas de Restes” in which you wrote, starred in, directed, and executive produced. Tell me about this short film.
JRG: It is a short film that is on the festival circuit right now that I shot last January. It has already been accepted to the Black Hills Film Festival and the Cape Fear Independent Festival. This film was a labor of love. Obviously there is a film industry here in Los Angeles, but there is not a film community. So there is a lot of beg, borrowing, stealing, and cheating to get the movie made.
“Pas de Restes” is about a family that goes out to eat at a popular restaurant. After ordering a bunch of food, like we all do, they are kindly prodded to finish their meal to ensure that no food is wasted. It is a dark comedy and it is doing pretty well so far. I hope that the festival circuit will continue to be kind to it.
AE: Sound like an interesting plot. I hope the film does well for you. Out of acting, writing, and directing do you prefer one over the others?
JRG: I will say I don’t like producing. Producing sucks. (Both laugh) I don’t mean like hey here is $10 million go out and make a film. I mean the day to day having to be your own secretary. Having to schedule everything here and there. That sucks.
Seriously though for acting, directing, and producing I always like to classify them as different suits. One is a pinstripe, one is a slim fit, and one is baggy and you have to put them on at different times. For me I definitely love acting, but the writing and directing aspect for me just comes from wanting to see new and fresh stories being told.
I want to show new perspectives that are not seen in films today. I would to follow the footsteps of Tom Hanks or Will Smith where you can pick the projects that you want to do, but also look at a story and say this needs to be told and go out and be able to tell that story. To me that is how you get great projects out there like “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire”. I want to be one of those individuals who stars and produces a show like “Boardwalk Empire”.
AE: You have also appeared in the shows “True Blood”, “Bones”, and “Harry’s Law”. What did you learn as an actor from being on these notable shows?
JRG: I have been blessed to be on great shows like “True Blood.” With all those shows including “Rectify” you get to see how a great show is really done. People are moving at a frenetic pace and they have to do an episode in eight days usually. These shows are telling fantastic stories and you have to be totally prepared and ready to match these actors when we are filming the show.
The times that I was not acting I would be watching others or the cinematography to learn more about the industry. I would see what they thought was important to put into that scene and I can take what I learned from those shows and put them into my projects.
As an actor when you work with someone like Kathy Bates, you study her. She is an Oscar winner. She knows her craft and there are so many things that you can learn from someone like her. I have been very blessed to have been in those shows and I take that experience and use that for the future.
Apr 11th
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s AMP Energy PowerDash Game
“AMP Energy PowerDash”, is a brand new free mobile racing game from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and AMP Energy. The rules of PowerDash are simple: the longer you keep your No. 88 Chevy SS race car on the track without crashing, the faster you drive and more points you earn, which in turn unlocks upgrades for your car, as well as AMP Energy coupons. 
Playing PowerDash not only gives fans a chance to earn a spot on the virtual leaderboards, but is key to potentially winning a variety of unique real-world prizes and experiences. Weekly prizes include a variety of Dale Jr./AMP Energy memorabilia, including autographed hats, firesuits, scale-model die cast cars, and much more. The top-performing player with the highest score wins an all-expenses-paid VIP racing experience with Dale Jr., and everyone who downloads PowerDash and plays the game has a chance to win a 2013 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible.
PowerDash also leverages image recognition and geo-location technology. Consumers can visit 7-Eleven stores around the country to scan cans of AMP Energy to unlock exclusive offers and tips for maintaining the right level of energy with AMP Energy products.
The game is fun to play and you can get it for your iPhone or Android device. For more info check out there Facebook page.
Apr 3rd
Carmelo Anthony Launches Degree Men DO:MORE Campaign From Atop Madison Square Garden
Carmelo Anthony has always been a dual threat on the basketball court, a leading scorer and a fierce defensive threat, but now he’s showing the world how he can DO:MORE off the court with his love for boxing. Last night Anthony helped Degree Men launch its new DO:MORE campaign with an afternoon workout event with some of New York’s top amateur boxers in a pop-up boxing ring atop the Madison Square Garden marquee. From above the Madison Square Garden marquee, Carmelo helped inspire guys everywhere to DO:MORE in their own lives by hopping in the ring for a brief workout with his boxing trainer. 
Complacency is not an option – especially for America’s elite athletes. As you may have already seen or heard, basketball superstars Carmelo Anthony & Kevin Durant are teaming up with Degree Men deodorant to help launch a new campaign encouraging men to go beyond their comfort zone and test their limits – they’re challenging guys to DO:MORE. With national TV advertising featuring Anthony & Durant airing this month during the NCAA tournament, the guys – who are known and recognized around the world for basketball – are showcasing their individual passions off the court with the support from Degree Men, in hopes to inspire guys everywhere to DO:MORE in their own lives.
With the support of Degree Men with MOTIONSENSE, Anthony has the confidence and protection needed to take his game to the next level and DO:MORE whether he’s running 94-feet up and down the basketball court or going 12-rounds in the boxing ring.
Apr 1st
Jeymes Samuel Interview
Jeymes Samuel is the type of person you wish they’d make more of. Bursting with energy, his creativity is palatable. The guy’s a born storyteller. He’s the type of casual wordsmith that reveals his cleverness in everyday conversation. He just can’t help it. Articulate, confident and excited, that’s his default mode. He’s a singer, songwriter, producer, writer, filmmaker, all-around multitasking visionary. He knows he’s the shit, too. And the real awesome thing is that he doesn’t hold it against you.
I had a casual lunch with Jeymes and a group of other media folks while visiting SWSX in Austin. It was the day of his film debut, They Die by Dawn, a 50-minute Western short with a sick cast that marked Jeymes first foray into film. The guy has created music videos before and worked with the artists like Jay Electronica, Jay-Z, Tori Amos, Charlotte Gainsbourg and a bunch of other people to create some great music. Jeymes has his own music crew too, a group called The Bullitts who will debut their first album this May. They’ve already released some pretty chill tracks, so check ‘em out if you haven’t already. I like “Landspeeder” quite a bit.
Anyway, MANjr is friendly with the Bulleit Bourbon brand, who helped sponsor the film, so we got sent out to SXSW to see the premiere of They Day by Dawn at a Bulleit-sponsored event at Viceland. The short film had a great cast (Michael K. Williams, Isaiah Washington, Rosario Dawson, Giancarlo Esposito, Erykah Badu,Nate parker, Jesse Williams, Bokeem Woodbine, Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, you get the point). And by all accounts, everyone had a lot of fun making this short film.
The impetus of the film was Samuel’s love of Westerns and his desire to correct a “huge inconsistency” that he saw in Hollywood’s historical “disservice” of excluding people of color in Western films. But this short film was just the beginning, just a taste of more to come. As Samuel put it, “This was just a link. What’s coming next is a full tub of Haagen Daaz.”
That tasty bit of froyo is coming in the form of a full-length feature film called The Notorious Nine. They Time by Dawn was just a sketch, an illustration that Jeymes can do it all.
I had a chance to speak with Jeymes at the premiere of They Die by Dawn at SXSW in Austin. We talked about everything from his original score inspiration to the upcoming feature film The Notorious Nine and a whole lot more. Here’s the interview:
CS: So I know you did the soundtrack yourself. I felt a heavy Ennio Morricone vibe, is that where you drew some of your inspiration? Those old spaghetti westerns?
JS: Absolutely, Ennio Morricone is like my favorite film composer of all time. I love that guy, man. “Ecstasy Of Gold” is one of the greatest pieces ever made. So when I was doing They Die by Dawn, I drew a lot of influence from him and what he was doing. Because Ennio Morricone was a guy that didn’t have big orchestras at hand, so he would use voices. So he was the first guy that wasn’t doing Western music to a Western. He was just doing what he saw in his head. He couldn’t afford an orchestra so you’d hear “aaaaaaaaaaaaaah ha ah ah ah” so swag, you know what I mean? He is my favorite composer of all time.
CS: That Mission soundtrack is all super emotional as well.
JS: Ill, man. Ill!
CS: Alright so I know this thing ended on a cliffhanger, is there anything you can tell us about The Notorious Nine or not yet?
JS: Let me tell you something. I’ll straight tell you about The Notorious Nine. But even while I’m telling you, that’s nothing in comparison to what’s coming. I shot They Die by Dawn over four days, right.
CS: Four days?
JS: Four days, that’s small. For Notorious Nine, there was a guy called O.W. Gurley right, and he got his 40 acres and a mule. He took this place, Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and made black Wall Street. I’m rebuilding black Wall Street for Notorious Nine. I’m bringing back Jack Johnson. There’s a big bank heist around Jack Johnson, right. I’m bringing all of these characters back and I’m assembling them in one place at one time. We touched on one town in They Die by Dawn, but for Notorious Nine we’re going everywhere. It’s much bigger.
CS: Are we going to see some of the same characters?
JS: Yeah, because it continues. This is like a prelude. But The Notorious Nine, you can watch it even if you haven’t seen They Die by Dawn. But They Die by Dawn serves as a prelude to what’s coming next, when I unleash the most menacing villain in modern day cowboy movies, Rufus Buck. It’s like some real, real menace. It’s about the pursuit of Rufus Buck and, in turn, his pursuit of The Notorious Nine. You know what I mean? The movie is almost like a heist movie. It’s a really great thing.
CS: I’ve heard you talk about how you’re assembling this cast and you thought of it like The Avengers. How did you single out which characters you wanted to bring to life?
JS: Well there were about 150 characters I wanted to bring to life. But I was like, let me save some great ones for the The Notorious Nine and let me just introduce the ones I want to put out there now. Giancarlo Esposito is one of my favorite actors of all time. He’s the reason I’m wearing Jordan Force today. He was doing research into his character and I told him I wanted him to play him, it was just natural. Then I wanted to introduce the character of Rufus Buck and I wanted to talk about Bill Pickett, who wasn’t really an outlaw. He was more like a rodeo dude and that. But I really wanted to introduce these characters, just a few of them first, the ones that stood out to me the most. That was the easiest to portray. If it was someone like Cherokee Bill I’d want to make it more violent. He’s in The Notorious Nine but I’d want to make it even more violent with Cherokee Bill.
CS: Are we going to see some of the same cast members?
JS: Yeah. You’re going to see all the same cast members, all the ones that didn’t die. You’ll see all the same cast members and more. We’re going to close down down Hollywood on The Notorious Nine. You’re going to see something that you’ve never seen before in cinema.
CS: So how did you first get involved in the Bulleit Partnership? How did that develop?
JS: Well what happened was what I see in Westerns, when I see cowboys asking for whiskey, that’s unrealistic. That’s lazy on the writer’s part. They always ask for the same thing, that couldn’t happen. If I was a cowboy I’d have a particular drink, if they had particular drinks. Otherwise what is the point of having particular drinks in those days? Everything around the world has just been called whiskey, but they had brands so people would choose a brand. The only time when people would just say “give me whiskey” was in the depression era when they outlawed alcohol.
CS: “Gimme some of that bathtub stuff.”
JS: Yeah, give me some moonshine. Musically, I’m the Bullitts so I found this brand called Bulleit Bourbon, and that existed back then, it was meant to be like this couture brand. I was like, if I was a cowboy I’ll drink Bulleit,” so I just wrote it into the movie just to be authentic. So when people look at the script they can’t say “that didn’t take place” or “that town in 1890 didn’t take place” or “there wasn’t all that many black people.” I wanted to have all of those aspects and all the realistic aspects, that’s why I chose Bulleit Bourbon. The next minute, after I’d done post production, I met someone from Diageo, they told me that they own Bulleit. I was like, “no Bulleit doesn’t exist anymore” and they were like, “yes is does.” Next thing you know I’m speaking to Tom Bulleit and it’s just a whole other –
CS: I heard that guy’s a chill dude, right?
JS: He’s the most chill. Tom Bulleit is like Keyser Soze – the most chill dude you’d ever get to meet. He’s exactly like me with regards to his brand and bringing it back and the audacity of daring. You know what I mean? Dare to dream, almost, you know what I mean?
CS: So what were some of your favorite spaghetti Westerns growing up? That you drew inspiration from for this?
JS: Well, the spaghetti Westerns were a particular type. I love all the Westerns, even the ones that take liberties with black people, like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. I love all the Westerns. But as far as my favorite spaghetti Western, my favorite of those is For A Few Dollars More–
CS: With an awesome soundtrack…
JS: Wicked, man. Obviously The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Once Upon a Time in the West with Henry Fonda playing the most evil person you’re ever going to meet. Also a film called The Great Silence – Il Grande Silenzio. I think it was by Sergio Corbucci. It was an ill Western starring Klaus Kinski. And it showed a black guy, one of the leads is a black guy, and it has no reason for him being there. He’s just there, he’s just one of the characters in it. It really stood out to me.
CS: It took a foreign guy to do that.
JS: Yeah man, it took a foreign guy to do that. Like come on man, it took a foreign guy. It took Sergio Leone to cast Woody Stroud in Once Upon a Time in the West. And when he’s coming he’s not chasing anyone or serving anyone, he’s just one of the characters there. They don’t call him “that black dude,” he’s just one of the characters. It took someone who wasn’t institutionalized by the Hollywood system to do that. That was my inspiration. Some of those other things were my biggest inspirations when telling the story of They Die by Dawn and The Notorious Nine.
CS: When does that start filming?
JS: I’m going to start filming The Notorious Nine I think in late May or beginning of June. I’m going to start filming in a minute. When I get to London I have to hand in another script and then we go full on into pre-production.
CS: Well, I look forward to that.
JS: It’s ill, man. I’m telling you, The Notorious Nine… people like this stuff, and They Die by Dawn was done in four days.
CS: Yeah.
JS: The Notorious Nine is a bank robberies, train robberies, jailbreaks, and a whole other rebuild. I’m rebuilding Yuma and we break out of Yuma. It’s a whole other moment. I think it’s going to be something really culturally significant. It’s going to be dope. The Notorious Nine, baby!
Mar 28th
