Marc Bellinger - Actor - First Cut Film Festival Co-Founder

Joining me this week, Marc Bellinger

Marc has been producing film and involved in the arts for 2 decades. He was the lead role of Robin in The Devil’s Stomping Ground which opened Cucalorus Film Festival ‘22. He continues to act, direct, and produce short and commercial films in Wilmington. After Hours is his directorial debut short film! He also runs the only horror film fest in Wilmington known as The First Cut which will be an annual festival!

First Cut was where Reel Terror had it's US Premier, and it holds a special place in my heart! I am now a judge for First Cut. 

If you have a short film, submit to First Cut!

Marc's Instagram

First Cut Instagram

My letterboxd:

My film Reel Terror:

Transcript

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Welcome to Your Life and Film. I'm your host, Ted Bennett. Joining me this week, Mark Bellinger. Mark is an actor and uh the co-founder of First Cut Film Festival over in Wilmington, North Carolina. First Cut uh was where RealTechror had its US premiere. So um they these guys really hold a special place in my heart. I I am a judge for that festival now. First year I wasn't, obviously. The second two years, because it's their third year they're running, I've been a judge, and it's been wonderful. Uh I think being able to see what people are doing in the short film world has helped me immensely as a creative, but also just as a film watcher, seeing what people are interested in and uh building on that. Mark and I were discussing film festival things uh when we get into this uh interview conversation, so that's what we're talking about. But yes, we we did record uh this previously, but there were the the file got corrupted. So a couple of times Mark does sort of say, Oh, you know, we spoke about this last time. It's kind of that. Uh that's what he's talking about, and also the fact that he and I talk about films. Anyway, enjoy or not. No, no, no, enjoy. I mean to be honest, like I I big it up all the fucking time. Like whenever I talk about festivals, I always sort of say, like, my favourite one in the States was your one because it felt like such a personal like um environment. Like I felt like I was instantly greeted and I felt like I was part of the team and you were so happy to like exhibit our film, and we were I was so pleased about that that I whenever anyone asks, I'm always like, I really like these guys because they give a shit. Like, and I've been to so many festivals as well where they just don't give a shit. And you're like, nah, I'm alright then. Like if you don't care, if I'm just uh uh entry fee, yeah, I'm alright. And I I think that could be a thing when you know when you have a hundred filmmakers come, you know, I think that it does kind of get lost through um just how big it is. You know, it's interesting that this film, the undead one, the zombie one with Brian Um Husky in it, um, the filmmaker Bo Webb he actually started Cucolaurus, which is the big film festival in Wilmington. It's been running for 32 years or whatever it may be. Um and he, I guess back in the day, um he was a part of this production team of um you know a whole bunch of filmmakers and they called themselves Twinkle Dune. And uh he still goes by that yeah, he still goes by that same name. And um yeah, they started they started Couko Wars. I mean, just the same kind of thing that you know we've been doing with First Cut. And that's the thing though, that that all these all the festivals start with the intention of being like a place to exhibit film. They all start with that hope that it's going to be something where we show some stuff that no one's seen before and whatever. But I think by nature of it, when it gets to a certain size, it it you you start having to bow to like sponsors, and if you know, if you're so big now that like I don't know, let's say Nolan is like, I want to premiere my film at your festival, you're gonna go like, Okay, yeah. Cool. Yeah, you're not you're not gonna say no. And it's like that's a wonderful problem to have, but it also means that like regardless, you have to now show it, and then someone else may not get to be shown because of that, which I don't like, but also I get it. Like it's just it's a business. Uh and I I think whenever I've looked at festivals since doing my proper festival run the other year anything that's between like one and three years, as long as they're not scams, they they give a shit. From like four years to about eight years, I think you can get like good stuff in there, but then you start to get into der dangerous territory. And then from like seven or eight years plus, I just see those as moneymakers. And unless you're bringing in a celebrity that they can sell for tickets, they don't care, and you're like, oh such, you know. Yeah. Yeah, I hope to I hope to ride that fine line because it does take a lot of work. I mean, that's the thing too. It's like it's a year-long thing. Um, practically. You're you're practically working on it every year, and you know, would I like to get to the point where I'm not having to do the the daily functions of like the doing all the social media and having to find all the sponsors and like doing all that stuff. Like, yeah, I'd like to get to that point where I can just focus on um, you know, maybe like the social aspect of it, or just really kind of studying the films, because I mean that's the best part to me, is like, you know, the networking and finding the talent. Um it is what it is. I think it's just it's one of those things where you create it and it gets it gets big and you just try to hold on. Just try to yeah. And like you're saying about the watching the films, I love checking it every it's on one of my like tabs every morning to like check what new films have been added. I've got quite a few at the moment because they're a bit more flurry. But it's nice when it's like, oh, I've got a couple of hours or like an hour or twenty minutes free, and I'm like, oh, uh one of them is only 10 minutes or only five minutes long. I'll watch that one. And then I watch it, and then I get to spend 10 minutes just sort of watching a little short, then thinking like, what was that good? What was good about that? What wasn't good about that? Well, how could they have improved it? Like, and if they could have improved it, what was their limitation that meant they couldn't improve it that way, and how did they work around it? And you're like, oh, this is a great, great little moment to actually have to analyze film in a fun, enjoyable way. And some of the films instantly great, you know, like some of them when you're watching them, you're just like, this is excellent. And then there are others which is it the laundromat one? Obviously, uh, we probably can't say anything if you know whatever, but there's like it's like a group of kids and they'd made it and it was all shot on like a DV cam, but they were very clearly having a lot of fun making it. And the story structure was there, and I thought, like, this is better than some of these other ones that clearly had a lot of money spent on them, and it was like, oh, that's so nice, it's so nice that you're seeing people enjoy it. But then we also fall into that category of I watch one today, obviously I won't name it, but I was like, This looks like it was a lot of fun to make with your friends, and that's where it should have stopped, it shouldn't have gone any further than your WhatsApp group. Like, yeah, don't don't waste our time. Yeah, and that's that's another one of those things, it's just like, you know, I've I've made movies with my friends that have gotten a lot of um publicity, and they've said, Oh yeah, you look like you had a lot of fun making that movie, and it's like, okay, well, yeah, we did, but you know, we wanted more to come of it. But it's everything everything has its place somewhere, you know what I mean? And being critical of especially f you know, peers and other filmmakers is really tough to do, and that's why I'm fortunate, you know, to have other eyes on this, you know, because we're we're sitting at anywhere between 10 to 15 judges at you know any given time, which is nice, and they all they're from all around the world now, and they're from all walks of life, and mostly in the film industry, of course. So, you know, we've you're playing God no matter what, and it's not you know, it's not fun. It's not fun to do, but you know, it is it is the nature of it. No, I think it's also quite nice because I've mentioned to other people how I'm a judge for the for you guys, and they sort of say, like, oh, do you ever just like you know, do you jealousy step in and you're like, well, no, fuck. And I'm like, no, actually. Like, that's actually what I really like about it is that I'll watch something and I'll be like, oh fuck, that was good. Like, and regardless whether it was good or bad, it was like, did it do its job? Yeah, okay, I liked it then. And sometimes I watch things where I'm just like, mmm, you're so fucking close, mate. Like, and then I'm not gonna say how I would have changed it, but you are so close. And I love it. I I love all of that sort of yes, you're playing God, but also I think you're playing God with a very um very well-established set of rules of like no no no, if you do it correctly, like, we're happy. I don't care how much money you spent on it, I don't care who's in it, but if you did it correctly, like I don't know, there's there's some people I think they know their chance and their luck. And I'm just like, do no AI. No way I slop. And that's the thing too, like with these things, you don't have to have money. If you have a great concept and you you follow through with it, you know, we've seen a we've seen a million films where it's a great idea, but you know, they just fell short in just executing it. And that's that's it's unfortunate, especially whenever you know, you don't usually get a second stab at one of your ideas, you know. It's kind of like you make it and you're probably not gonna do it again. You know, it's gonna be this is like your one chance at it. So And I mean, uh from what you were saying about being jealous about things, I've gotten that way with um as as an actor, I've I've been like, oh gosh, I wish I was in this. You know, I've thought of I've thought about that with a lot of films. It's just like, oh, I wish you knew that I mean I could do something like that, but I I I withhold, I withhold all those feelings, of course. Um but of course you know it is nice to to see everyone give it their shot, especially the locals too. And you know, we've we've done some of this early selection to to help some of these people that are far away, you know, plan ahead. Um and maybe they can actually you know show up, and then we've we've you know we've early accepted a couple of local people that may have some conflicts. Um so we're we're trying to to get these these filmmakers here because you know, like I've been always saying to beat a dead horse is you don't have a film festival without the filmmakers. And that's you know, we do everything that we can in our power to entice them to come and you know be able to do those Q ⁇ A's and be able to, you know, do the launch event, do the day before. Hopefully we're gonna be doing like a like a day after kind of I'm gonna call it the I don't know. We'll call it post-production. You know, hopefully it'll be a chance to after all the noise from the first two days that you know people will be able to before they hit the planes or the the road, then you know, they'll be able to have a coffee with um some fellow filmmakers and you know be able to do that. I think that's the most important thing. I think it's going into any of those film festivals, if there's no one to talk to afterwards, whether it be I mean talking to the audience is nice because it gets you can get a good reaction on your work and you can decide whether you need to oh that didn't quite sit or they really enjoyed that but they didn't like that bit, and it's like okay, I can work on all these things to the next project. But unless I'm in a room full of other filmmakers, and if no one wants to talk, it's like come on guys, this is this is when we get it done. This is how we get it done. Like if you're a cinematographer for this film and there's this guy who's shooting films all the fucking time, go talk to him, go get some work. If she's writing something great and she wants to make another film, you two get together. You know, I d I I think that festivals can fall into like an audience one, a filmmaker's one, or a prestige one. And my favorite is always the filmmakers one because that's the one which encourages more work. Yeah, that's that's uh definitely what we need here. I mean, we try to we try to keep things going throughout the year, and I try to, you know, I want to do more seasonal type events, you know, to kind of bring these people together. And and there is one group in town that um kind of have this continuous little um meetup, which is great, and I try to support them as much as possible, but I want to be that person too that's you know, maybe doing some workshops throughout the year because it's it's it's also tough to wait a whole year for all of this, you know, culmination of everything that we've been working on. So I think it's nice to have that community, and you know, and I think that only translates into when the festival happens as well. So, you know, hopefully we'll be able to do some workshops um you know, eventually when we have time to do it, because I think that would be amazing. I think um this year too, there's some exciting things going on in town at the same time. I believe David Cummings from the No Sleep Cot Podcast is planning um to do hopefully a um a live kind of action of one of his uh stories. Um kind of like a little what we're gonna be calling a little satellite event, um hopefully uh the same night of the launch party. Um and we'll also be doing um so I usually get Matt Barrett um from Bearded Schools and he does like special effects demos, but I believe that they will be doing a haunted house this year, so I hope they're gonna be bringing back the Port City Fear Factory as well during that month. So hopefully, yeah, there'll be some things going on that you know, if people aren't making it to the launch party, or you know, say if they can't make it to one of the blocks, um, you know, there will be other kind of horror-esque things going on as well, you know. So I think it's gonna be very, you know. Um I don't know. I keep on throwing out symbiotic, but you know, it's it's all it's all part of the Halloween love. No, I know what you mean though. Yeah. It's you it's just you gotta make it so that no matter where you are in that town, there's something to do, and you gotta make sure that you are one of the places that there's something to do. You know, you want someone to either you're either watching a workshop, oh I came for the workshop, I came from the acting workshop, how to act how to direct actors. That's what I came for, and I stayed for some shorts. You know, you gotta you ask the theatre groups about like what would make you come to a f a film thing because you're theatre, but you're not acting like you're not film actors, like would you come because there was a director who was looking for actors? Like, it's all those kind of things. We we do a film society once a month, like I run it, help run it, and um I'll do a shout-out, open door cinema club. Come on down, everyone. And uh it's like my thinking is always like we'll put on an event. So we showed Sean of the Dead, and then we got a guy in um to do musical Bingo, and it's uh it was Bingo Black Bingo is the name, and it's great. Like, and it's he did he did soundtracks, and it was like we play made the place look a bit like a pub, and then we showed Sean of the Dead, and it was great. And I think more people get more engaged when they feel like it's that slightly immersive, symbiotic, sort of like, oh, so we showed Blues Brothers, we had a blues act on, they did a 10-15 minute set, and then we showed Blues Brothers. That's perfect. I love that on-theme stuff. And then that's great. And that's the stuff, you know. It's like that's where that's where if someone's saying, like, come down to this, you get some music, there might be some food, there's some chit-chat. If you like what's being shown, stay. If you don't like being shown, cool. Hope you had a nice time, you know. Like, so it's it I yeah, I think it is just trying to cast that net as far as you can. And I think First Cut does. I think it does a great job of getting people excited for the films that are being shown. Thank you for that. And not just not just as I yeah, I think I think we do a good job about you know, just trying to keep everybody up to date and you know, as as much as we want them to be up to date, you know, without giving away too many surprises and and secrets and stuff like that. Because I think it's uh you know, I think it's uh I think it's exciting to not know a little bit, and I think, you know, as far as even with as far as the audience choice awards go, and um, you know, the regular awards, we don't tell anybody before, and we don't know who's gonna get the audience awards to begin with. So I think like that's an element of surprise that engages the audience, and for one, that they beget to become that said you know, judge that I don't really like the yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now it's your you it's your turn to cast these stones. Look in everyone's eyes and say they weren't good enough. That's what they want. So yeah, I think that we're both trying to do it on both sides of the pond. That's great. Um that's what it's all about. I mean, I feel like you know, we're probably similar in the fact that we were raised on films, you know. Um God, I mean, if there was a freaking ticker for how many hours of film it'd be on my letterbox, I realized I had logged 4,000 films, right? And my friend I sent them to my friend and he was like, Conservative, that's 8,000 hours of film. And they always say it was it, 10,000 hours, you become a professional in any subject if you study it for 10,000 hours. And I was like, wow, I'm 2,000 hours away from being a professional TV watcher. Yeah, you're like I I've almost mastered the telly. One more year, man. Just one more year. I'm gonna be there. I mean, uh when did I hit f I hit 4,000 this like in the last month or so? Yeah. Oh no, I'm only at 4,028, so yeah. Yeah. I would it would take a crazy memory to see to to I don't know. I gotta play catch-up because there's still a lot of great horror films and stuff that I haven't seen in the past year that I've been really lacking on, but I mean I've been fortunate to see a couple, but yeah, I've I've still I've still yet to see weapons. Um and that's that's that's one that I'm really looking forward to seeing. And apart from horror, I I still haven't seen, and I shouldn't say this out loud, I haven't seen uh one battle after another. I know I can't wait to see it. I'm I'm waiting for uh I'm waiting for a special occasion. I mean I recently went back and rebought all of Paul Thomas Sanderson's films because I was like, uh I love these films. I love all of them. Like they're so good. And I want it once I've got I think I just need to get Punch Drunk Love, once I've got that, I'm gonna watch them all, and then when I get to the very end, I'm gonna treat myself by getting the 4K of one battle after another and be like, yeah, there he is, and straight in. Yeah. That's so I'm surprised you haven't watched it. I know. People are uh the fight you're fighting at the moment. I know, right? I mean, it's uh it's everything that I love too, as far as like the actors go, and yeah. Uh oh well, I'll definitely I'm definitely going to see it soon. It's worth your time when you do, let's put it that way. Yeah. Yeah, my my main focus right now is just to not make an embarrassment of myself on stage. So I've been I've been hitting my monologues pretty hard here. So this is about this has been my my work right now. I went to the beach yesterday and I just was started memorizing my lines. That's like that was what I did. I was like, I'm gonna treat myself, I'm gonna go to the beach, but I'm also gonna work while I'm doing it. And it was a god, it's been gorgeous. How do you memorize your lines? So uh with monologues, it's different. So um normally I'll memorize my lines um I mean if I'm fortunate enough to have an acting partner, that's great. Yep. Um but um if I'm doing it by myself, which is like 99% of the time, I'm a little um I usually force recorder. Um, you know, I'll read the other person's lines and then I'll kind of go back and forth. But with a monologue, it's a little trickier because you don't really have anybody to work with. Um so what I'll do is I'll usually write out my lines, um, and I'll only write out the ones that I have memorized. You know, and then I'll just build off of that. Yeah. So I'll just be like okay, and then I'll just say to myself a few times until I feel like it's in my head, and then I can build off of it, and then I'll write another line down, and then I'll run through it all again, and then you know, eventually you get the whole monologue. Um so uh that's how I normally do it. Um yeah, you just start, you know, it's the best way to eat an elephant, you know, one bite at a time. It's the it's the the same thing. I've got a pretty I've got two sizable monologues um in this play, so um I'm kind of that are some stacks of paper you just held up. Yeah, I've well I've got um I've got about six weeks to get it all in my head, and uh I'm trying to do it in a way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's it's um it's plenty of time. It's the with this character, it's more like you have to figure out what direction you're wanting to go into as far as the voice and the dialect, and it's um it's an interesting um take on a character, and without giving too much away. So I've been more focused with just trying to figure out where's this character from, you know, like all the backstory of it, and I think that was will kind of help me with learning the lines and then going from there ultimately. Whenever I uh work with actors, my first portal call is get to know this character, just get to know them inside and out. So if you deviate from the script, I don't care because I know in your head you're going in the right path. So if you say something that you think that that character would actually say until we get back to that line, that's fine. Because that's you've understood that base character, you've understood what that that person is trying to do, trying to say what their motivation is, why they're doing a thing from years ago, what's niggling in their mind until it finally come out into this moment. If I know why that thought first grew, then they can use it. So it's just one of those things. I think knowing your character inside it out is more useful because you can just read lines, you know, you mean like you can just say soulless lines and it doesn't do anything if your character knows. Um I think that's the process of it too, you know, from from writer to director to actor, you know. I mean, that's that's the whole thing. It's like what are you putting into this that's your own, making it your own, because just like you said, I mean you can read it and it and people are gonna know that you it feels a little ingenuine. Um so you have to you have to do that. I mean, and I I think it it's all about timing too. If you have enough time to really put in the work and you care enough, I think that it really shows through. Yes. That goes for that goes for everybody, you know? Does. I I think that is my biggest problem uh in film, let's say at the moment, is that you can really tell when no one cared. Everyone did it for a paycheck, and you're just like, if you don't want to be there, don't waste my time. You know what I mean? Like I'd rather see a group of people not getting paid but loving to be there, I'd rather see that. And if the film's not as tight, if the photography's not as good, if it's not well lit, I don't give a shit. If it's clear that everyone gave a shit to be there and was given it their best, that's more interesting to me. Yeah. I think it's definitely you gotta have fun with it. Because it it shows if you don't have fun on something then Yeah. It shows through. Also, we've only got one run of this. You know what I mean? Like have fun, enjoy what you're doing. Don't don't sit through it miserably. Like, try and get the best you can out of it, and don't be a dickhead to anyone else getting that, you know. Yeah. But hey, what would I know? What would you know? What do what do we all know? What do we all know? You know, nothing. Um all right, well, I think that that leads us quite nicely into one of our first questions. A love of film has always been a part of you, and you know, like you said earlier about being raised on film and things, and running your own film festival is obviously not something that you do if you didn't give a shit. But uh what was the first film that you saw at the theater? I would have to say. Oh goodness. I remember when we we talked about this before, and I I believe that the one that I remember the most, and you might have made it fun of me last time, was Titanic. I can't I can't help it. It's it's ingrained in my head. And I know it's it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing to say, but I mean I'm sure there's a million films that I saw before then, but I love that it could be you could have had any Jim Cameron film as your first film, you could have had any Leo DiCaprio film as your first film, and Titanic is the one. Well, it still is epic. Hey, certainly, certainly is. Yeah, not something I'm proud of. But I know that I I can remember like actually getting dropped off at that and um and going, and it was, you know, the whole the whole place was just seeping of just out with people. I I don't even think people should have been in the theater. You know what I mean? Like I remember sitting in the back of the theater with not even a seat. Yeah. And like, I mean, that's the one that that's what sticks out in my head so much because of it was fucking huge. It's crazy. People went bonkers. Like, I remember that film coming out and there was like promos on TV for it. Like UK comedy like people were doing like skits on it, and that that you didn't really get that over here. Like, we didn't have that SNL culture of it. So the fact that we were doing it, I was like, buddy, that's a lot. And then when the like the VHS came out, I think it was the first time I noticed that the VHS box was this like indigo-y blue colour to match the font. And I was like, What is going on? Like, how much money are you spending on this box just because of this film? Like the film was huge, it was the mamma mere of its time. Yeah, it really was, and it came out at the time where you know I was what was like 97, so I I must have been whatever, nine or nine or you know, nine at the time, and I I remember because our theater was attached or like right next door to the the skating rink, and that was the thing to do, you know. And so I was always in that little complex and whatnot. So in and and apart from being like, you know, a a grand movie, I mean it was just it was just the culture of it at the time. Yeah. But you know, going to see it like multiple times was kind of crazy. And I still think Leo did a great job in it. I mean, oh you know, he gets a lot of bad rap for it, but you know, I mean, he has kind of grown to be one of my favorite actors of all time, and I I would be I'd be super proud of that. Can you imagine like if if if anybody got into that movie, not just his role, but like you carry that for the rest of your life. Yeah. And like Leo had clearly done some really good work before, like, you know, What's Eating Gilbert Grape was back in Great Basketball Diaries. That's like some solid work he was doing before. But this is the first one that I think I think that's right, it was the one that like really boosted him. I think it was man's got range, but he also has universal appeal. He's a he's a double threat over here, like he can do it, you know? And like like we were saying, with he's one of my favourites now. I think he he doesn't mind looking fat and dirty. And it's like good, you're not so concerned about your genuine public image in a film, in a role, uh that you'll do whatever it takes. And it's like, great, I love it. So yeah, I I I kind of agree. I did re-watch Titanic in the last couple of years. Uh I don't like it, but everyone's great in it. Yeah, I mean I think it has a lot of different elements to it, and I I still feel like at my at my core, I'm still like a little bit of a I don't mind like a huge blockbuster action with you know with this kind of romantic feel to it. I mean, in a way, like I mean it it sounds silly, it's it's not like it's my favorite film ever, but I I feel like that was definitely the one that I can remember um definitely seeing at a young age. But you know, like what you said about Leo, he is he does not mind being vulnerable. Like, I mean with everything that he talks about um and his influences and kind of being shunned from all these awards, you know, and taking to like the revel the revenant to finally getting some sort of acknowledgement when you're he's like uh uh he's an LA baby, he's a he's an LA kid. And literally it took how many years acting for people to be like, oh, let's give him an award, you know, and that's that's that's honestly my slightly controversial uh take on the award season that recently happened is I think they did I think they gave Michael B. Jordan his Oscar now because I think there was a bit of a thing of like, this man is going to be like one of our finer actors in the future. And I and I think they're a bit like, and I don't want us to do what we did with Leo. I think there needs to be that recognition early on so that Michael B. Jordan can from now on, he can just go, no thank you, I want to wait for the good thing. And that gives him now that sort of like stable base where he can now just pick the perfect roles every time. And I think we're gonna get some absolutely stunning work from him in the future. I don't think his Sinners role deserved an Oscar. But I do think like it was like, but I don't disagree that he should get one, and it was a real like uh I think I think that it's a good thing if they've given him one early, because he's definitely gonna give us more in the future. So that's a good it's a good theory. I mean, and I and I think that I think Sinners was a great movie for what it was, and I and I but you know, w at the at early on when I saw that trailer, the first thing going to my head was, oh, well this is very similar from Dust Hold Dawn. Yeah. And I love I love vampire movies and I love Dust Hull Dawn. Yeah, I love Dust Hull Dawn and I and I and I loved it, but I I didn't think it was different enough to you know honor um all of the publicity that it did get. It was a great movie. I mean, I'm I'm not saying that it wasn't a great movie and it wasn't some of the best acting that I have seen. Isn't it so bad that that's how you have to approach like a film that is it is a great film, it was great, solid six, seven out of ten. Like it was a perfectly fine movie. And people are like, Oh, you got oh, you didn't like sinners. It's like, hold on. It's not that I didn't love it. I I I loved like all the bits of it, but it was it just it doesn't deserve the noise it's getting. Yeah, it just wasn't as original as people kind of made it out to be. I feel like Kugler won an Oscar for best original, and I was like, uh again, if it means that a person of color winning an Oscar for a story means that more people of colour will win Oscars for original stories, I've got no issue with him winning an Oscar. Right. But this isn't an original story we have from Dust till Dawn. We have from Dust till Dawn, and a lot of people that may have kind of put it on its pedestal, did they forget about From Dust till Dawn? Did they and I know like in the general population of people that they might they might not be familiar with it, and I've not seen every movie in the world, and I and and no one has, but that was a pretty pretty big movie. Yeah, this isn't like Tarantino watching old Hong Kong cinema in the 90s that no one heard of and then remaking it himself. We're talking about a Robert Rodriguez film that had fucking George Clooney in. Right. I mean that was a started class, like yeah, but you know, it it was still great, and you know, it was it's you know one of the better films that we had this past year. Um, definitely. Um it's definitely not gonna be one of my favorite films ever, but no, um I'm glad to see that horror is getting you know this recognition, and I think it's only good for for me and what I like and what I want to do in the future, and I and I think that that's great. I think that's the best thing to come out of all this is that horror is getting more respect. Yes. Ultimately. And I think the fact that we've got was it Lee Cronin's mummy film coming out, um, Zach Craig has got another thing coming out, uh Damien McCarthy's got Hokum coming out. Like, there's so many really good non-franchise horrors coming out at the moment where you're just like, good, good, let's let's have more of that. And if some of them are duds, okay. No issue. Let's try again. You know what I mean? And I think it's just I think it's very good that we're getting more, and I do appreciate that, yeah, Sinners getting that kind of attention means that more money might get put into horror. I hope some good horror. I hope so too, and I think so. I think they're realizing that, you know, what's working, and some of these more original scripts, you know, that you might have to take a chance on, I think that people are willing to pay extra, you know, they'll pay, they'll go to the theaters and they'll go see 'em. I mean, I I hope that that's I don't know. I just hope that I hope that's a thing. I hope that's a thing. I someone pointed out, I can't remember who it was, that they said like if people like Sabrina Carpenter, Beyonce, I don't know, n name another pop star, Taylor Swift, if they can sell out like stadiums, people don't have an issue with spending money on entertainment. So if the s if the theatres aren't getting full, it's not because people don't want to go see films at the cinema, it's because it's not worth what they're what they're going for. Right. So, and I can't remember who the and then another was it? I can't remember who it was. Someone else then said, like, it's our responsibility. I think it might have been Ryan Gosling. Like, it's our responsibility as filmmakers to make something worth going to see. Yeah, it was either Gosling or or Reynolds. It was one of the Ryan's. They're interchangeable. Insert generic Canadian white man. Hey, Ryan Reynolds has range. What are you talking about? Do you need a witty? I was gonna try to make a joke and be like, oh yeah, of course. And then I was like, no, wait, I can't think of a single thing where he had buried. Buried just the only time he hasn't done his normal shtick. I gotta get out of this coffin. Jesus Christ. Uh I I remember seeing him in waiting, which is one of my favorite comedy movies, and being like, this dude is going to be somebody. And he he loved that film. Yeah, there it is. I mean, he he became somebody. I mean, and yeah, and darn if he wasn't ripped while he was doing it already, and that was in the early years. I mean, we're talking like 20 years ago right now. I mean when he did Amityville, the remake of Amityville, and like he's cutting wood shirtless. Oh hot digging damn. I was watching Woof Woof Madamarcy. I was watching that. Cut the mics. Then all of a sudden, man's nearly 50 and still looking the same way, and it's like, Hokey kokie. I'm nearly 40, and I'm happy if I can fucking touch my toes. Gotta get that yoga on, buddy. Maybe I do. I've been on the uh the Manjaro, like the Ozempic. Okay. Alright. Well, I think I've lost nearly like nearly 40 pounds, if not 40 pounds. Okay. That's damn good. Yeah. I mean, you gotta keep it up. I know my my dad was on it for a little bit, so he um he saw a lot of um a lot of progress, and then of course he had to do a pretty major surgery, and then he had to get off of it, so now he's been gaining it back. So yeah, I think it's one of those things you just gotta keep an eye on. The surgery wasn't related to it, was it? I shouldn't be. No, it wasn't. Oh no. It wasn't. I would I would definitely let you know. I'd be screaming that off the mountaintops. What film did you watch over and over again as a kid? Oh, well, that one's pretty easy. Because um, and I threw up my little Batman here so to help me remind myself that I I watched that original Batman, um, the Tim Burton's Batman with Jack Nicholson and um old uh Michael Keaton. Jesus, sorry. Um yeah, I watched that on repeat forever because I'm like a huge Batman fan, if you can't tell. I've got I've got all the all the gear and had every toy growing up from you know 1990 to 2000. I think I had every freaking Batman toy ever. It was insane. You're the second person I've interviewed today that has mentioned that film. Yeah. It's a good film. It was a great film. You know, I still like it. I still love it. I think it's I think it's my favorite Batman. Yeah, I I honestly feel as if I watched Batman Returns maybe more growing up though. Um something about DeVito as you know the penguin was was really I don't know. I mean that was probably traumatizing when I was that young. Yeah. Because what what did that movie came out in probably like ninety four ninety six well I thought Batman original came out. Was that '89. '99 was the first, ninety-two was the second, forever was ninety five. Okay. And then I think it was ninety-seven was and Robin. Oh Jesus. Yeah. Oh. Those ones. We don't have to get in that. I I've got nothing to say. I was gonna say, like, Batman and Robin introduced me to and it was like who? Alicia Silverstone? Like, Alicia Silverstone. Yeah. Like that's about it. Like, I don't I don't think there's anything else that Batman and Robin introduced me to. So Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, Chris O'Donnell. And the thing about he's he's had some some small wins, but I just um the whole thing was weird. I think he's been really given his fair shot and it just didn't work. Yeah. Which is not easy. Just like, you know, what we were saying about film festivals and stuff. It's not like you're gonna turn down these huge roles when you got, you know, George Clooney is in something. 100%. Well, it's like the um Bruce Campbell thing about Congo. It's like, you're gonna tell me it's a book written by Michael Crichton, produced by Steven Spielberg, like it's got these actors in it, and you're gonna you're gonna turn it down? No, you're not. You're gonna say yes please, and it turns out it's not a very good film, but you're gonna say yes please. And it's like, yeah, yeah. Good point. Good point. I think everything has a chance, you know? If you if you don't want to say yes, you know, trust your gut. But if you say yes, you think it's got a chance. If it doesn't work out, that's just the way it worked out. But well, it's like you have to believe in something too for it to work out, and like you know, uh a lot of crew and actors and and You know, the like they sign on to things that they don't know are you know every every actor they'll they'll tell you the same story. They're like, well, we didn't know this was gonna be that big. Maybe besides yeah, like Brad Pitt and Fight Club, they knew what they had. They were like, We know that we know this was gonna be good. But you know, a lot of the times you don't you don't know where it's gonna land, or you know, but if you don't believe in something, then it has no chance of making it. So you know what I mean? So it's it's kind of like you just gotta you know use your best judgment at the time. I mean, uh what what can we do? You know, if if we get a paycheck too, that also helps, you know. So working's working, and if you put in the effort, hopefully it'll be rewarded. Who knows? Um what was the first R-rated film you saw, and how old were you? The first R-rated film. Um I think um it was what did we say last time? I think uh I would go with something like Leprechaun, or it was like the people under the stairs. Oh yeah. That was that was a really good one. Um People Under the Stairs was a good and creepy one. I think that was definitely rated R. I'm sure it was. Oh my god. Leprechaun ready to go. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, so yeah. Uh yeah, rated R, people under the stairs. That was uh that was a 91. Um that was a good one too. That was a good one. So you've seen you've seen Leprechaun as well. I haven't seen it yet. So it's uh it's on the the shelf of to be watched. Oh okay, yes. Yeah. The shelf is it's four shelves. It's this one here, this one, this one, and one above it. And it and that's just DVDs I haven't watched. There's another like one of Blu-rays that I haven't watched. I need to stop buying films and start watching films. Yeah, right. It's uh it's a lot easier to buy them, I guess. Uh but yeah, I thought it was a I thought it was a that was a good movie. That another thing that traumatized me fairly young, because I mean I I had the privy of I think we had like all of the movie channels like growing up at my at my mom and my my stepdad's house. Um and he worked for a um well for one, he was part of a band, and their name was October 31. For one. And two, he worked at a audio um entertainment store. So they did um so he would get he would get a lot of like sample type um music things or you know, movie things. Um, but yeah, he was a huge proponent of practically having every station that you could ever have, you know, back in cable years. You know, we're talking like HBO and Stars and Cinemax. So like I grew up having all of this at my leisure at age 10 and up or whatever, you know. So I was witness to a lot of things that maybe a uh a young a young boy should not have been seeing. Um but I mean because of that, I got to see a lot of great films, you know, and just marathon it. I can just, you know, I I would wake up on the couch almost every single morning because I'd just be watching, watching. And they let me do whatever I wanted to. I mean, it was it was pretty ideal, you know, just growing up on all those films. So um yeah, I probably don't even remember everything in the I've seen, you know. But yeah, I always like it when there's like a scene that I remember and I can't remember where it's from, and then years later you think like, oh, I'm just gonna watch whatever this film is, and you put it on, you have no memory, no memory, no memory, that scene, and you're like, Yeah, like I've never seen this fucking film, how do I know? And then you're like, oh my god, I watched this as a kid at three in the morning. I turned on the TV hoping for porno, and it wasn't porno, and someone else, and then it's just like, oh my god. My bad. Yeah. So yeah, like I love Ola. I love all like rediscovering a film or like from something that you didn't know. Like I tried to explain a scene to a film of a film once to someone, and the way I explained it, you wouldn't have thought I'd ever sit fucking seen this film. And the guy I spoke talking to about it, he kind of was like sat there thinking and thinking, then he was like, Are you talking about Stalker by like Andre Tarkovsky? And I was like, Maybe? And he showed me a screenshot and I was like, yes, and he was like, Where did you see this? And I was like, it was on TV, really late, and I didn't know what was going on. He was like, Right. Even if you watched it in the daytime, you still wouldn't know what's going on that this is the film. And I was like, Okay, cool. So I've got it, and I'll watch it eventually. Have you seen um I think I may have said this to you before, um Pagemaster? Have you have you have you checked that one out yet? Wait, which one was Page Master? Because I might have that one always stuck with me too. Macaulay Culkin film. Oh, maybe I'm getting it mixed up with no, it was not Wishmash. Yes, maybe it was the Wishmaster. It was another type of uh yeah, like horror film that really stuck with me. Yeah, I thought that guy was so good as an actor in it, too. Andrew Divoff. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I uh I watched all four of them. Okay, the Wishmaster. Yeah, this is West Craven. Yeah, man. I watched all four of them over like a very short period, like maybe a weekend, and Kirsty came into my office and she was like, What are you watching? And I was like, uh Wishmaster 4. And she was like, You're what I wanted to watch these. And I was like, Would you wh why? When have you ever said you wanted to watch these? She was like, I I've said to you I wanted to I said I don't care what you watch, but if you watch the Wishmasters, I'd like to watch those with you. And I was like, Well, I've watched them now, it's too late. Right wish that back. So um I think I've I've watched this one, I mean, even since um being a child, um, Dark City. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. God, I I love that one so much, and I don't think that one really got that much recognition because it came out the same year as like Fight Club or something else was like huge that year. Matrix, I think it came out. Maybe it was Matrix, yeah, yeah, it was Matrix, came out the same year. And it's just like it's good though. It's a good Arrow, Arrow just did a release of it, like a fancy like 4K or something of it. So I might try and pick that up. I think we might have the DVD somewhere. I wonder if they're gonna try to remake that one. Because probably. Oh I mean remake and everything else. Yeah, I don't know how I'd feel about it. Maybe they if they could bring back Jennifer Jennifer Connolly, that'd be great. Yeah, Jennifer Connolly in anything, it'd be great. Woo! Um there's like a a Charles Darwin film or something, and like the town I live in is the town that Charles Darwin was born in. Oh cool. It's like the birthplace of Charles Darwin. So I thought, like, oh, I wonder if they'll do the premiere here, and Paul Bettany was in it, and his wife is Jennifer Connolly. That means Jennifer Connolly will turn up, and I was like, I might meet Jennifer Connolly. And in my head, I was so so I'm gonna meet her. I'm gonna meet her that magnificent person. Never happened. Never happened. And I've not and I'm yet to meet her. Well, one day. Where is she from? Is she American? She's American. Uh I bet she's somewhere like Chicago, or she is I bet she's like Connecticut. Ah, Cairo, New York. The name is Cairo. I've never heard of Cairo, New York, but uh upstate New York is definitely what I was thinking. Yeah, I'm telling you what, man. Upstate New York and central New York, where I'm from originally, has some of like the funniest names. Like I my my town is right next to Mexico, New York. I'm telling you, dude, it's so funny. I'm just like, yeah, we're just gonna go to Mexico real fast. She's gonna pop over the border. Yeah, it's it's really funny. Uh I'm like every time I drive back up that way, I just get a little giggle of like all these little stupid name things. Let's see, there's another one that's I can probably like Hannibal, which is kind of cool. That's yeah, that's cool. And they have like a South Hannibal. I like the even like Buffalo doesn't make sense. Yeah, I don't really know where. I don't really understand that either. It's like is that where the buffalo ran? Really? Were they running up there? Really? Nowhere else. Where are the buffalo? Where the fuck do you think the buffalo are? They're in Buffalo, man. Yeah, that's so silly. Yeah. There's oh, Rome. Yeah, there's a place called Rome that's right near where I'm from. That's more of a popular place. There's a place called Liverpool, which I mean I understand that. Yeah. Cause, you know, and then Syracuse is the biggest town or city from like where I'm from. Oh yeah? So we I kind of claim that, and then you know, you follow the where that came from, and that's very much uh, I believe, Greek. So who knows? Sure. We steal everything. We steal everything and then claim that you were there first. So the next question. Yeah, right. Uh what was the first film you watched that you felt grown that felt grown up? Well I think the one that I watch, and this is kind of on the same realm of what we were talking about, is um the really big mind fuck for b better or less words, or was was Fight Club. I mean, I mean I was pretty young when I watched that for the first time, and that one really was just like had my brain just trying to wrap it around of you know, the plot of that. And I was probably what I mean that came out in what we say, 99 or 99, yeah. So we were both, yeah, uh 10 or 11. Yeah. So that and that was a yeah, that was a lot for my age range, I would think, you know. Yeah. But like growing up with my my dad was like huge into like Twilight Zone, so I was always kind of you know, exposed to that, and like, you know, we were we were exposed to a lot whenever we were young. I mean, my dad loved uh you know, late night Nickelodeon, and we would watch that. I know I remember watching that with my my older siblings when I was pretty young, and then you know, if I was good and he would let us stay up and watch Tales from the Crypt. So, you know, I mean, and that's that's some pretty dark matter to show like a you know a a child child. But you know, one that opened up my mind to to those kind of you know bigger thoughts and and whatnot in film was probably definitely like Fight Club. Um I I do feel like it's the first film of our sort of like generation, let's say, where you you kinda had to have a think. You know what I mean? Like you you couldn't let it wash over you. It just you had to be like, wait, what? What's going on? Yeah. I've got to pay attention here. What do you mean? Well, and it encourages repeat watching and it encourages sort of like looking at things the the way they're being told to you. And I think there are other films obviously that do it before Fight Club, but uh not that's aimed at sort of teenage boys as it was, you know. So it does open up a lot of questions as a as a new audience member. It's like, oh, I meant to I meant to consider what I'm watching. I'm not just watching colourful noise. I've got to think about this. I can tell you that it definitely stuck with me because I tried to dye my hair white like Jared Leto and it was not successful, and it turned out like bleach yellow or orange-ish, and yeah, it was pretty embarrassing, I remember at the time. So that's that's that's how much I really enjoyed it. I always wanted to bleach my hair, but I just don't think it would ever take. Yeah, you gotta get it professionally done, how I uh I learned. So, and I'm I'm really surprised that my mom probably helped me do it at the time because and I and trusted her that it would work. But I've met your mum. I'm not surprised she did that. She's she's she's uh she's always allowed me to be who whoever I've wanted to be. She was the person that gave me the cigarette after I did my uh award acceptance from your book. So that's perfect for me. Hell yeah. You're like, fuck yeah, let's do this. This woman gets it. She's she's cool, Mom. She remembered she kept on telling everybody she's like, I've never met a stranger. I've never met a stranger. Either here or across the pond. Like, mom, I have never heard you ever say that before, but okay. What the fuck do you even mean? Yeah. She's she's cool. I liked her. She's she's a good fan. She's a good fan of the film the film fest, and I'm sure she loved her film too. Yeah. Even if she didn't, I still like her. Yeah. Um so uh what film holds a special place in your heart? Um well, one that I always go back to, and it's not new, but I really do feel as if I consider it being the best movie of all time, and I I will I will still keep on saying that in the dark night. Um and I know every that's a lot of people's uh favorite film, but because of my background being such a Batman freak, yeah, and you know, that was the one that took the cake for me. I mean, it you know, going off of the first one that Nolan did, and then having this one and having Ledger, and you know, I I really feel as if there's a lot of reasons that that movie is acclaimed to being, you know, one of the best films made ever. And I mean, for so many reasons. I mean, you know, when you have that amount of money and you have that many great actors and you have that much time to plan something, I mean, I'm sure that they were start to finish working on this thing from anywhere from like eight to nine years or whatever it was, it's just like it's insane the amount of detail with every single thing, you know, and when you have what $300 million, it's just like it's just it's absolutely insane. But it I I still think about that movie all the time, and I still quote it, you know, weekly. But um yeah, for me and um yeah, I just I just really I just really loved it. Um I think that was like you know, early on and just being obsessed with all of Nolan Nolan's films and what he's capable of. I will say I do like um he I mean Nolan does get a blank check whenever he wants to make a film, but I I like that you can see where the money goes. Right. You know, it's not just the money doesn't just sink into you know, like electric state made for 350 million. I can't tell you where that went, you know. I haven't seen it, so that's why. But um like at least with a Nolan film, you can go like yeah, the scale is the scale is here, the scale is there, you know, your performers, you've not just bought the biggest name, you've bought the biggest name that is the perfect person for that role. And you know, you you pay for these performances in in many ways, but like you you you I can see where the budget goes in his films, and I do think that yeah, scale-wise, it is a it's a very good Batman film for that. I don't like it, but it you know, I I I don't want to be dismissive. Um it definitely has got elements in it where you know it's some filmmakers would settle just for that bank vault scene in the intro as their main plot point. Right. And he's able to throw that as a a throwaway intro to his film. Uh not a throwaway, but you know what I mean. And he uses every ounce of his stories to to tell them. And I think it is good, and I still think to this day, I think that Dark Knight trailer is one of my favourite trailers, even though I don't like the film, even though I know I don't like the film, and I've watched that film five or six times at this point. I know I don't like it. That trailer is still excellent. Maybe I'll like it this time though when I watch it. Every fucking time. Every time I put it on, I'm like, right, I'm not in a bad mood, I'm not hungry, I'm not jealous, maybe I'll like it, and then I'll finish it and be like, pile of shit. I mean, uh not to say that there's not not to say there isn't some holes in the movie. Like, so it really upsets me that it they couldn't get um uh the original actress that plays his girlfriend the first. Oh, Katie Holmes back. So that that really bugs me that they they didn't get a chance to, you know, and if she was pregnant or yada yada, like whatever it was, you know, going down the Scientology fucking hole, I'm sure she was. Um that really bums me out because like a lot of these things in the DC universe, you know, we're they're having to recast and start from scratch every single time that they come out with a Batman film, and that's like it's it sucks that they can't make it very cohesive, and you know it's it's just it's like this thing. It's like, oh okay, well, we everybody knows the story of Batman, uh, you know, and like but they have to redo it every single time, and then it's like okay, can we not just build off of what we did last time? But we're not gonna have we're gonna have a different actor that's gonna come in and yada yada yada yada yada yada. Kind of James Bond it, you know, it's like it's the same world. If you want, it's the same character. If you want, it's this. If you don't you can reference stuff, but you don't need to play on it. Like, I don't know. I think there is a world where they can do Batman better, I think. Yeah, I I think that they can too. And I mean, yeah, even with that, you know, you're talking about that bank scene, and it's like, okay, they bust out of the bank and just happened that the bus gets you know goes into the line of buses like as it's coming out, it's like, okay, that was a little bit of like a like a cop out. A little bit. I mean, you know, it's it's it's smart if if that was possible to time that. Sure. But um, I don't really think that that was it's all part of the plan. It was all part of the plan. It was all part of the plan. Look, does he look like the kind of man that has a plan? Yes, yes, he fucking does. Everything is planned to a T. He knows exactly what he's doing. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna take off this mask and show you my real mask, or you know, the joke about um where he's got the the nursing um, you know, the COVID mask on, whatever, whenever he's in like the the hospital with two fashion, then he's yes. I can't believe it! Wait, that's the joke. Yeah. So yeah, there's some holes. There's definitely some holes. Sure. But uh, you know, when you're when you're first time watching it, you probably don't even notice it as much, but now it's just like everybody's been able to, you know, pick apart these things too. It's nearly 20 years old, that film. Right. Which is scary. It's nearly 20 years old, so like obviously it's been picked apart, you know? And every film has a hole. There's no perfect film, you know what I mean? Right. And my thing with these with this is always if I'm entertained, I'll happily overlook holes. I'll happily overlook continuity errors. I don't care. If I'm entertained, I don't care. But if I'm not entertained. Right. That's all you focus on. And that's all I'll focus on. And I think Dark Knight, I did not care from the moment I sat down. I think maybe after the bank scene, I kind of was a bit like, wait a minute, I don't know about this. I saw all of it as I went in, so the first time I saw it, I saw all the problems. So now I struggle to ever watch that film and not be like, come on. Yeah. There's also like another thing that sticks out is like his little bat um growl. Like I mean, I feel as if I don't know. This must have been an actor choice, but I think distinguishing when you are playing you know Bruce Wayne versus Batman. Like I don't think he had to do like the whole little growl like the entire time. And that little bat rasp, whatever it was, is just like I don't understand some of the choices there. You know, now that I liked Affleck had the voice changer. That made more sense to me. Something that is just on your vocal cords, so when you speak, it just muffles you not muffles, but it like distorts your voice. Makes sense. Yeah, that that that does make sense. Yeah. I mean they could have went that route. I don't think you're ever gonna get Christian Bale to do that, but he seems as if he's always going to be I don't know, I'm I'm sure he's not a method actor, but he's very intense and great in what he does. You know, he's I would say he's probably more of a purist. Let's just put it that way. That's sure that's what that's what I mean by that. Which is great. Yeah. So I do like that uh Rpats one. I think the RPATS one is gonna be like the next one, sorry. Like I'm sure that one's gonna be a good one. I think it's gonna work. Yeah. No, I'm excited about it. I mean, dude, I'm I'm s I was so pumped about like the penguin and Colin Farrell and oh my god, this this no little this new little iteration of it is just so fucking amazing. Um yeah, I'm I'm really excited to see what they do with it next. I think it'll be good fun. I think it'll be good. Um what's your controversial opinion on a famous film? I think we'd probably just hit that. I mean controversial. I I don't know. I mean well, we talked about sinners. We've talked about we've talked about some Batman things. Um I don't know. I might have to skip this one until I can think of something else. I know I probably had it written down at one point, but my notes have have left me. If you see what I've dealing with right now. Too much monologue. Oh god. Yeah, it's uh it's been a little crazy. No, I think having had that, you know, the hot take, let's say, on sinners like I don't think it's a controversial opinion. I think it's it it it actually makes me quite irritated that uh some people like a lot of people seem to ignore that it's not as good as it uh is being touted. And there is absolutely no world where it deserved 16 Oscar nominations. Like, and I I think the Oscars are nonsense anyway, whatever. Like, but even then I'm like, really? That film, that film deserves 16 Oscar nominations of it. Are you sure? Like it's not that good. Like, and it's not a it's not a shit take on the film. The film's fine, but it's not sixteen Oscar nominations good. It's crazy. I I I I think they should have spread the wealth a little bit more. And Yeah. I I feel I s I feel like I feel guilty sometimes when I don't watch, you know, every film that's up for awards, and you know, and then I and then I kind of get to pick and choose what I get to say about it, but you know um at least all the people voting this year had to watch the films. That's part of the stipulation. Like, what? Fucking good. What are we doing here? Like, uh, we we knew it was like just a cool crowd kind of thing, but now it's just like, you know, whatever. That's that's the thing about awards, you know. It's just look, I feel I'm more I guess the Academy I don't feel it's the same deal, obviously, but with like First Cut, people paid money to put their film up for a festival. The least we can do is watch it. Like that's genuinely the least we can do is watch it. I hate it when a festival return like just sort of hey, sorry, we had so many films, you know, we couldn't we couldn't, you know, whatever, and it's like you're okay, you didn't watch it then. And if you didn't watch it, you should refund me my like thing. If you watched it and said no, yeah, cool, keep my money. If you didn't even watch it, then you shouldn't keep my money. Like I I find it such a weird like money-making thing when it's like, oh, it we get so many applications, and it's like well then with the money you're making, hire someone to watch the films or return whoever you didn't watch. Like, I don't I don't like that. I agree. I agree with you. Uh I think that's the the the least we can do is um is watch those films, you know. I mean, it's you never know if there's gonna be a little bit of some gold somewhere, you know, a little hidden gem. You never really you never really know. Or you know, it could be the opposite, you know, you could start out real strong and kind of but you know what we think about whenever we're doing these um submissions and ratings and whatever you want to call it is you know, could I put this into a 90-minute block that's interesting for all sorts of people to come and enjoy, and or we want to be proud of this block. And like I've said it multiple times where I wish I could um accept every single local film at the very least, you know. Yes, and put those people on the pedestal because that's what we're here to do. I think the local film, it's I I would always take a local film and just sort of be like, hey, you know what? Film's not great, come on down. Yeah come on down and improve on your skill. Here's a group of filmmakers that are also local, go make something because you might have an idea and you might know how to use a camera, but you've got it in the wrong places at the moment. So you do that, you do this. What about this actor? She's local, get her in, you know. I think having that community is worth more than, you know, a laurel on your poster. It's like get together, make something. Yeah, and that's that's the thing. Like, I mean, every I mean, I think I feel like like last year we probably had 20 local submissions, and um, I'm sure that we accepted probably over half of them, you know, and that's that's those are pretty good numbers. I I still think. You know, I I think that's that's as great as it can be, and you know, we're just gonna keep on trying to do it as much as we can, you know. But there's uh there's a lot of talent around here, there's a lot of filmmakers, and you know, a lot of people come to Wilmington because you know we have great programs at USCW and Cape Fear Community College, and you know, there's a you know, there's still a lot of talent here from the older years to the newer years. I mean, there's there's a lot going on, and people are they're figuring it out. Yeah. They gotta be there, it's gotta be there somehow. I mean, that kind of leads into what we're we're about to ask for the final question. What have you been watching recently? Oh goodness. What have I watched? Um, yeah. I mean, to be honest, I've that's pretty much only the only things that I have been watching is the the film submissions, because I've I don't really watch a lot at my home and my house as far as like TV goes. Um I have been catching a little bit of um my roommate and I have been um re-watching Under the Dome, um which was filmed here, you know, you know, that was produced by Stephen King and Spielberg, and um I know a lot of people that worked on it. Um I've shot at uh some of those locations and you know worked on other films that were you know use these same locations that are you know close to Wilmington. So and I thought it was a very I thought it was a pretty interesting um series. Um and I haven't completed it. Um not that I know, I don't think I've watched all of it yet, but um it's it's pretty it's pretty interesting. You know, apart from all the short films that we watched, I mean we've we've gotten 11 submissions just in the past like couple days. Yeah. So I mean that's I think I had I had like two or three I needed to watch, and then uh like that was on Friday or whatever, and then like when I came into my office yesterday, I was like, oh fuck, 50 something? What the fuck did they come from? Dude, I'm telling you, it's um they're they're coming in in droves. It's um it's amazing. And I've been I have been specifically reaching out to some of these filmmakers, and you know, I've just find them, you know, I find them on Film Freeway or I find them on Instagram and I say, Hey, would you please submit to our our film festival? So like I'm doing everything in my power to make the film festival, and I do this every year, but I feel as if I'm doing it, I do it more and more, you know, at each current year. Um, because if they can't find us, I'll find them. And I'm ultimately at the end of the day, I want to have the best film festival that we possibly can by October 10th, you know, whatever it is. And um I've been really really satisfied with some of the submissions. So I'm excited for you to be able to see some of the newer the newer um submissions. So looking forward to it. Um yeah, the it's um it's very exciting. I think I think this year is gonna be great. Um it's hard to top the last two years, but I think um I think we'll do it. I think we're gonna have a whole bunch of little surprises and ah man, October can't come fast enough. So do do a proper shout-out. What are we talking about? October. So um October 10th in uh Wilmington, North Carolina is our event date. Uh, we'll be hosting um the First Cut Film Festival at Django's Playhouse, and we'll have four blocks of films, so that's including 90 minutes of content for each block. Uh, we'll have some entertainment in between each block as well. I'll be followed by a rap party that night. Um, we'll have a launch party the day before for the filmmakers and the sponsors, and uh we'll be inviting some um alumni to come as well. Um and it's gonna be a good time. Uh we've got some special guests coming and uh I've got some surprises for everybody. So October 10th at Django's Playhouse. It's it's so much fun. Like when I was submitting four festivals for Real Terror, I saw the um I think I saw like the front of Django's Playhouse, and I was like, I don't know what this festival is, but I want my film to be played there. Like it was definitely just like, I don't know, I I love the idea of that. And then when you guys said yeah, I was like, sick. I've gotta get I've gotta get over there. And then obviously it became my you know US premiere, and it was like that's even better, and it's even better that you guys were fucking beautiful about it, you know. There was such a a warm welcome. I I I do honestly encourage most filmmakers I know with a film that is applicable. I'm like, submit to these guys, it's good. Thank you for that. And yeah, you made it special. I think you really legitimized our festival, our first year. So um, yeah, we're very thankful for that. I know Christine and I are super thankful, and we're super thankful to have you on as one of our international judges now. So that's very special to us. I will say as well, like knowing that that sort of that next level of it, it's not just you know, you you picked my film, I turned up, and that's the end of it. There has been an ongoing uh professional relationship as well as uh you know, a lovely relationship between us anyway. Um but you know what I mean? Like there's that professional relation that there's ongoing, which is I think is so important in these worlds. Like you need to have it. It isn't just a one and done, fire and forget, only talk to me when you've got something that you need to sell. It's like, no, no, no. Like, what can we do? Who can we who can we help? Who can I put you in contact with? It's it's the best way to be. Everyone just needs to be nicer. Yeah, and I think it's um I think people fall into um the similar excuse of where they just don't have enough time. And you know, and I feel as if you have to make time, you know, you have to you have to cultivate those things. And I'm I'm sure we're all everyone's busy of it. Everybody's busy, and everybody's guilty of it, and you know, and and most people have little families that they've started too. And um, you know, I I haven't I haven't taken that leap yet, so I a lot of my time I can devote to my the arts and and whatever I do, whether it's you know a play or a film or the film festival or you know, all the multiple jobs that I have to do too to keep all this, you know, the engine going. But I think that you know that's the difference between people who care and you know, and people that don't care, or maybe they just want to, you know, have a Me Too type of festival, um, you know, just because they it thinks they think it's it's the thing to do. Yeah, I know what you mean. Um that whole they just want to be seen to be doing it. Doesn't doesn't matter what it is, they just want to be like, oh yeah, I do one of those too. And it's like, do you come on, pay attention, be nice, make fucking encourage. Yeah, and if you like surround yourself with the right people, and I think that's the the biggest thing, because we've been super fortunate to surround ourselves with the likes of David Cummings or um Chelsea Lee and Justin who make the trophies, or um you know the the Riley Jones people who have been advocates for us from day one, or Stephanie and Bill from uh the Patriot Roofing, you know, it's like you you wouldn't think that they would be such like big proponents of uh our types of art, but you know, they they are they they see us as entrepreneurs and they see how much work that we put into it, and you know, these are just a small list of people, you know, um you know, Justin McKenzie or uh Kelsey Allen who does who do a lot. They and all these people, you know, for the most part, they work in the film industry too, and they take time out of their day to to help us, you know, keep this little rock polished as much as we can because they care about it as much as we do, and we couldn't do it without everybody, you know, we couldn't do it without all these people that they believe in us ultimately. They really truly believe in us and they've seen what we've done, and you know, we continue to do it, and it it takes uh it takes a little army to to make anything, you know, especially especially a film. Well, it's all collaborative, isn't it? You can't make it on your own. If you could make it on your own, you'd be making a painting. You'd just go and do it on your own somewhere else. But you need a group of people to come up with these ideas, and then as soon as a group of people come in, it's not yours, it's everyone's. And I think if you if you try and be selfish about it, it's gonna go r the wrong way. But if you are open and you know everyone's invited and it's all nice, like people walk away with a much better environment. So yeah, so well done. Yeah, I think there's very thank you. I do appreciate you, but I and I I do think that there's a very small amount of people that can, you know, be their be the writer, be the director, be the the DP, be the um editor, be the everything, and and I think there's a very small um group of people that can do it all, and I don't know if it's that fun, if you have to do it all, but I do think that it's okay to lean on people, and I and I think that that's that really is what it is. It's a it is a work in motion, it's um you know, like the thing that made me so passionate about working on film sets is actually seeing all the departments working in unison, and it it was it was like a work of art. Like it literally was quite beautiful to see when you have two or three minutes to hey, you're changing over for a scene and you got another setup, and you just see like 40 people come in to set and you know, kind of like this crazy like ants trying to carry a big leaf or something like that. You know what I mean? It's just like it's crazy to see the professionals at work that that are really good at what they do, and they're so efficient, and I I don't know if you know a lot of people don't get a chance to see that side of things. No. You know, and seen it and seen it on an indie level and seen it on the on the bigger levels, because it it really is amazing what people are capable of, especially around here, you know, to to name drop Wilmington again. That sounds like a perfect place to end it with a a little love note to Wilmington. So thank you very much, Mark, for coming on. Uh it's been lovely to speak to you. And like I said, I have that Polaroid like on my desk. It's been there since the day I got back from the States, two years ago, nearly. So, you know, you're always looking over me. Yeah. And the trophies up on the shelf up there as well. Of course, you gotta have that. I mean, you do, they're so beautiful. I love that. I mean, you gotta earn it though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remembered uh when I was at the award, like like you brought some people up the front to talk, and for some reason I just assumed we'd all stay at the front, but the other guys left, so I was kind of just stood there, a bit like, oh, and then I happened to win the award, and it felt like I knew it was coming, and it was like, no. I don't know why everyone like went to sit back down. So yeah. I was kind of like, oh great, I didn't have to say anything. Perfect. I was like, he's already there. I was like, this just works out. Sometimes it just has been working out like that here recently. I don't know. I guess I I don't tell anybody beforehand, I can promise you that. No, no, that's for damn sure. Like that like I was uh like there was a weird thing when I got there that I was like, I've I've seen like one of these things and I fucking want one. I'm gonna be really guyed if I don't win one. And the fact that it was like I spoke to a few people and everyone was just like, well, you never know. And I was like, I don't know. And then they did. Yeah. So yeah. They're one of a kind, well, for the most part. They are they are quite original. Yeah, they are unique. They're unique per one though, aren't they? Because they have different like foreign cut for me. Yeah, I have um You got one for yourself. Well, I have like the original um prototype. Oh nice. This one doesn't have any writing on it. And I think the I think the light has finally went out, and I'm I'm scared to change the battery in it. But I do have the first, the prototype. Nice. So it's like a little dusty, but talking about a little dusty, you know you got the you you also gave us the little tea light one. Oh yes. That's been the by the side of my bed pretty much. Oh cool. And but but that one is dusty as whole hell. I keep thinking I'm always like, I should give that a quick dust. And then it's like, uh, uh, I'll do it later. Yeah, I'll have to send you um the the little 3D printed one that we got from last year. I think I've got an extra one that I would love to. This though that one's really cool, but I'm working on a new one for for this coming year, and uh it's um it's gonna be based off of the mascot, and it's also gonna be it's gonna be based um well it's people are going to see it in the bumpers, and then they're gonna get to have one. So I think um without telling without saying too much, it's gonna be really cool. All right. Well, we'll leave it there. Thank you very much, and it's been great speaking to you. Yes, you too, Sarah. I'll see you soon. See ya.