by John Wildman
AFI FEST Daily News

David Munro, director, FULL GROWN MEN

Over the age of 30? Still own an action figure? Talk to filmmaker David Munro.

Writer-director Munro's comic drama, FULL GROWN MEN, follows the literal and figurative journey of a man fighting his way to adulthood, combating the inevitable process of growing up.

Munro's anti-hero wears out his welcome with every well-meaning soul he meets as he attempts to start anew by selling his collection of vintage toy figures.

FULL GROWN MEN screens Friday, November 3, 9:45 PM and Saturday, November 4, 3:30 PM. It stars Matt McGrath, Judah Friedlander, Alan Cumming, Amy Sedaris, Deborah Harry and Joie Lee.

1. What is the coolest action figure that you own?

It's bad form for a director to play favorites. But if I have to choose, I'll say Action Jackson. Major Matt Mason is more your straight-up astronaut guy, whereas AJ, I'm not really sure what he does. He wears a powder-blue jump suit and sports some mean sideburns. His name is Action so I guess he's up for pretty much anything.

2. Who made you laugh more off-camera, Amy Sedaris or Deborah Harry?

Amy, without a doubt. No disrespect to Debbie, who is lovely and charming and supremely talented, but Amy's about the funniest person alive. We could make a whole other movie from her outtakes, most of it X-rated.

3. What is the best thing about having your film at AFI FEST?

My co-writer and producer Xandra Castleton had a short film at AFI and swears it's the best festival she's ever attended. She saw so many wonderful films, met terrific people, and felt very well-treated. We couldn't be more thrilled to have our LA premiere at AFI.

4. Why was it important to have the film set in Florida?

Florida is very much a character in the movie. It's the land of never-ending play, where dreamers from Ponce de Leon to Walt Disney have sought eternal youth and E-ticket paradise. It's also where I grew up, so it was fun to go back and seek out all the barely-standing pre-Disney amusement parks along the old Orange Blossom Highway. Gatorland, Weeki Wachee, it's the perfect setting for a film about a chronic nostalgiac.

5. What should a director do that they never think of until it's almost too late?

Location, location, location. We're based in San Francisco and didn't move to Florida until five weeks before shooting started. I spent months obsessing over the look of the film, poring over William Eggleston photography and other style references for vintage Florida, only to show up and discover that - surprise - the place I grew up wasn't what I remembered from 25 years ago! So it was a scramble to ferret out locations that I already had in my mind's eye. I wore out our locations people, but we ended up with some truly amazing and timeless locales.

6. What's the most underrated job on the set?

Coffee maker. We were lucky. Our craft services person was aces at making Cuban coffee. You'll see the caffeine in every frame.

7. Would you grab a chance to relive childhood for a day or are you more than happy to have that behind you?

The great thing about being a filmmaker is that you do get to relive childhood everyday, or at least everyday you get to think about your movie. Imagination is a child's domain, so although you have all these adult anxieties to deal with, when you're writing and directing, you have that license to escape into a child's world of pure "What If?"

8. What was the worst job you had before you became a filmmaker?

Probably a tie between cab driver and hotel desk clerk. Equally shitty.

9. What was the last film that made you cry? Laugh out loud?

THE ICE STORM makes me cry like a baby every time I see it. I don't know if it's the whole 1970s existential crisis relationship thing that is so personally affecting, but I am absolutely out of control whenever I watch that movie. I laughed really hard at TALLADEGA NIGHTS. I expected it to be stupid, but thought it was actually very smartly written and craftily performed.

10. Popcorn or candy?

Popcorn with brewer's yeast, the San Francisco treat. (Do other cities offer yeast with popcorn? I'd be curious.)