Sometimes it seems like New York gets
all the good press when it comes to the
romance of the city itself. Director Alex Holdridge
works with a clever and knowing script
by Scott McNairy and a cast that inhabits
their roles with such casual comfort that, if
you live in L.A., they are all absolutely familiar.
They all give us something distinctly Los
Angeles. Those of us who think the reward of
that elusive kiss is worth all the false starts,
misunderstandings, agony over which picture
of ourselves to use for that online dating site,
and whether or not it's necessary to do some
special personal grooming - just in case the
date goes really well - for once have a date
movie we can recognize.
Have you ever had a "24-hour date" similar
to what happens in the film? I have been living
in L.A. for four years and have a laptop, so
yes. Relationships, Internet dates, car crashes,
thefts, soul-crushing defeats, moments of
adrenaline-fueled victory, text message flirtations,
e-mail breakups, and the occasional night
when a perfectly organic romantic series
of events takes over. You're not sure where it's
all going, but you're along for the ride. You bet.
Those are great moments in life and sometimes
the beginning of something that lasts a long
time. At least that's what I always think.
What was easier - giving script notes to Scoot
McNairy or directing him? Scoot's a pro. He
is funny, charming, has dynamic range and can
run with ideas at the drop of a hat. As a director,
it gives you a chance to work collaboratively
in the moment, which is ideal. In the middle
of a scene I can throw out an idea for a new
piece of dialogue and he mixes it in seamlessly.
Sometimes that spontaneity leads to a fresh,
more instinctual place than we had originally
conceived. Scoot's great because he always can
just go with it and trust you, giving it his all
whether it's script notes or directing.
What is the best thing about having your
film at AFI FEST? Showing at the ArcLight in
Hollywood with a great AFI FEST crowd. The
movie is the L.A. that my friends and I know,
and I am really looking forward to people that
live here getting the chance to see it in such a
terrific venue with an audience of film lovers.
We have traveled all over the world with the
movie this year, and I have been longing for our
return to L.A. to premiere it in the city.... God,
now I'm nervous.
What was your favorite iconographic L.A.
location to shoot? Hands down, the downtown
theater district. Banks and theaters built with
such creative ambition and then completely
abandoned is very sad, interesting and mysterious,
especially when you consider the property
values in this city are among the highest in the
world. The post-apocalyptic anomaly is something
that is visually very rich.
From a story point of view, it adds history to
our characters ambitions. These are relics of a
bygone era from a time when people came to
L.A. to "make it" in theater or Vaudeville. That
era having faded into oblivion is not unlike our
own in film and TV, which seems so robust but
inevitably will evolve. As hot and important
as we may become, in due time we too will be
forgotten. To me it gives a historical perspective
and makes our own struggles seem more
comedic in the grander scheme.
What should a director do that they never
think of until it's too late? Become an accountant.
Your mother was correct.
No, honestly, never give an actor lines you
yourself would not feel excited to say. I've been
on the flip side and I know how it feels to be
asked to deliver poorly written dialogue. Work
with your actors to make it sound natural for
them and rewrite it to fit smoothly into their
mouths. All will be happier.
What's the most underrated job on the set?
No doubt it's the P.A.s. Long hours, no attention,
often times no proximity to learn anything
valuable, low pay, and yet they are absolutely
essential to the film. Awful yet critical things
like locking down, wrapping cables, and breaking
down equipment fast is essential for me to
stay on schedule. Interruptions from filming
great acting begin to eat away the coverage we
can get, and I lose shots from the shot list. So
help moving fast and preventing interruption is
key, yet it is taken for granted. Robert Murphy,
the cinematographer, and I have done it years
ago on multiple productions. I know how it is.
So let me thank anyone working in the future as
a P.A. on our set. Thank you for putting in the
effort. It is making the movie better, I promise.
Which one do you use - My Space or Facebook?
I only show up at parties so I can take a
few photos and then update my My Space profile
to show people how cool my life is. Honestly,
I waste more of my life on My Space these
days, but I use them both. I think My Space is
as important as e-mail right now. I can attest to
the fact that it can certainly eat up hours when
you're feeling lonely.
Will you be grooming your pubic hair for
the premiere of the film? You never know, the
screening may go really well. I will certainly be
prepared. TMZ rumor is I might even go with
blue dye and a pubic faux-hawk to out-hipster
anyone with a hoodie that may show up.
What was the last film that made you cry?
Laugh out loud? At the Sarajevo Film Festival
I saw THE BAND'S VISIT and both cried
and laughed. It is a treasure that I hope a lot of
people will see.
Popcorn or candy? Well, grandma and I have
a sweet tooth. It has to be candy for Grandma
Min and me.
DVD EXTRA
Is Nic Harcourt to IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT
KISS, as Wolfman Jack is to AMERICAN
GRAFFITI? What a great question. Yes,
to me Nic Harcourt is the voice of L.A. That's
the guy I'm listening to in the morning and when
I'm driving around to meetings. In the way Wolfman
Jack is the prevailing voice tying together
all the stories of American Graffitti, Nic is the
voice that seems to pervade the city in my view
of L.A. So it was essential to get him. Thank
God he wanted to do it.
