"Mockingjay" director Francis Lawrence admits he reads reviews; Pasadena Playhouse takes a risk with "Stop Kiss," a show about a lesbian love affair; Beyonce’s least known collaborator goes by the name of Boots; and how did Mike Tyson end up with a TV cartoon?
'Hunger Games' director Francis Lawrence knows the pressure is on
Just in case you weren't aware, "The Hunger Games" is a global phenomenon. The latest installment, "Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One," opened to an estimated $ 121.9 dollars at the box office, the best American debut for any film this year.
That said, the domestic totals were down about 22 percent from the opening of the previous "Hunger Games" movie last year. It’s not a complete surprise, as “Mockingjay Part One” barely has any action. Jennifer Lawrence’s character, Katniss Everdeen, shoots only one of her famous arrows in the entire movie.
But even if the film isn't as action-packed as its predecessors, its revolutionary message has so inspired protests in Thailand that using the three-finger salute from the film is an illegal act. When Francis Lawrence was interviewed for The Frame, host John Horn asked his opinion on the political impact of the film, how he handles criticism, and how the film managed to continue shooting after the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Interview Highlights:
By the time the next "Hunger Games" movie comes out late next year, you will have been working on the series for almost four years. At a certain point, do you start dreaming like Katniss? Does it start permeating other parts of your non-professional life?
No, not really. I mean, I think you have to train yourself to be able to shut it down a little bit at night. If I weren't able to, I don't think I'd be able to have conversations with my wife. I'd be drifting off while she's talking and thinking about it, and it would be really unhealthy for my relationships. [laughs]
I went to a theater with my 14-year-old son, and the film was playing on nine out of 12 screens. For all the 14, 15, 16-year-old kids there, it was almost like a Beatles reunion. Are you able to experience any of that? Do you wander around theaters and check it out as it's opening?
No, I mean, I've debated about it this weekend. It's funny, because "Catching Fire," the last film, was my first film in the franchise and we were making the "Mockingjay" films at the time, so we were running around so much at that point that I didn't get a chance.
But my problem is that it's hard for me to watch the film at this point, because I've seen it so many times. And, quite honestly, going through the release of the movie is such a vulnerable moment for me that it's tough to sit in an audience and enjoy the moment.
The producers of the film and the studio behind it decided to split the third book by Suzanne Collins into two films. When they presented that idea to you, what was your reaction? Did you have a voice in the decision, and what were the conversations like?
I did not have a voice in the decision; that decision was made before I was asked to join the sequels. It really interested me, because it's always very difficult to take a 400-plus page novel and whittle it down to hopefully a two-hour movie while making it something for the fans. They like to keep as much of the books as possible in the movies, and I think this afforded us the opportunity to keep more of the book in the movie.
It also means, because you're splitting the book up, that most of the action is going to be in the second film. So how do you create action suspense when most of the action comes in the next film, particularly when this is the first film without any of the competitive "Games" in it?
I have to say, in all honesty, that I was a little nervous going into the release of this movie because, yes, it is a quieter movie in the sense that there are no "Games," and people have certain expectations. But it's a really different kind of story; I think it's really emotional, I think the scope of the movie opens up because you see the rebellion starting to spread. The stakes ratchet up and you get to see the more political sides of these stories and get to explore things like propaganda, battling over the airwaves.
Do you pay attention to reviews and what they say about films, and what they might have said about this film?
Yeah, I do.
And what do you take away? What hurts?
I mean, certain things definitely don't hurt. There are certain things that I sort of expect, like I knew that there would be criticism for splitting the book. I think there's a perception that some people have going in that it's a money grab, and it's not for storytelling purposes. And I understand people go in thinking that way so they'll view the movie a certain way. And that quite honestly doesn't hurt. Occasionally people label me, and that sometimes hurts, even in a good review.
How do they label you? What do they say?
I remember seeing in one review that I was called "serviceable," and that really annoyed me, I have to say. And it was in a very positive review. But when you spend a year away from your family, working really hard and putting everything you've got into a movie, and you get one word stuck next to your name, it's annoying.
But what you're describing is something that I think is interesting: no matter how or what you do on these films, they are ultimately, fairly or unfairly, going to be seen as Jennifer Lawrence movies, not Francis Lawrence movies.
Yeah, and by the way, that's fine by me; I really don't mind that. I don't make movies to be a star. I'm behind the camera for a reason; I don't like being in front of the camera, and I don't need to be on the cover of a magazine. There's just something about the amount of work that gets put in, and when that gets whittled down to a word, it's a little disheartening.
You dedicate the film to Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died earlier this year while you were still in production, almost done shooting his scenes. What did his death mean to you personally and emotionally?
It was a horrible, horrible time. It caught everybody by surprise. It was a Sunday when he was found, and it was probably a few hours later when we found out. I found out from texts from people who were watching the news before we were called by anybody. It was a complete shock, with so much sadness, and it was such a strange experience, because he had become a friend. He was great to work with, he was part of our film family, and there's a certain bonding that happens when everybody's away from home and working on something, and it's the middle of winter and it's freezing. And for him to be taken away was tough on me, the cast and the crew.
Logistically, he was almost done with his work, so there wasn't much to figure out in terms of story and shooting, but emotionally it took a long time to get any kind of groove back. We had to shut down for a little while, and we had to re-shuffle the schedule so we could ease the actors back into work.
We started very small, very quietly, just some scenes with Jenn and Liam; we didn't want to be around a bunch of extras. We shot half-days, and we had to slowly work in the other cast members again, and everybody needed time to ramp back into work. And honestly I don't think that we got any kind of the fun back in the shoot until we left Atlanta and went to Europe and had a complete change of scenery.
Were you one of the people who felt very strongly that, even though you have amazing digital tools, the scenes that Philip hadn't finished should be given to other actors?
Yeah, very strongly. There was never a debate. Very soon after his death there were articles saying that we were debating whether or not to create him digitally; that was never a conversation, because we knew he only had two scenes left to dialogue, and he was absolutely one of the best living actors.
There was no version of us trying to recreate a Philip Seymour Hoffman performance by chopping up his dialogue and creating a digital, animatronic version of him. That was never going to happen.
A large part of this film is the use of an image, or Katniss, as political propaganda, and your film is stirring up controversy in Asia. China has delayed the release to next year, and some theaters in Thailand have canceled the screenings after five students were detained for using the "Mockingjay" symbol. How does it make you feel that your film has become a political tool in the real world?
My feelings are a little complicated on it. We first started seeing this where people were using the three-finger salute in Thailand while we were still shooting "Mockingjay." And at first there's sort of a thrill to it, where you say, Wow, the imagery in these movies has real meaning for people, and they're connecting to the ideas in them.
But when suddenly that becomes illegal, and the three-finger salute is banned and people are starting to get arrested, the thrill goes away for me. It's a tricky thing; I don't make movies to incite people to go out and incite people to risk their lives or their family's lives. I don't want people to be getting arrested and killed because they watched one of these movies. It's a tough thing.
Does that mean you actually fear that the film could somehow escalate unstable situations around the world?
No, I don't in general. There's just no way that I can be happy about the fact that people are protesting while using this symbol and then getting arrested. I think that one of the strong aspects of these stories is that they do mirror things that are happening in the world, now and in the past, and I think that some people pick up on that and connect to it, and see the connection to the world and some of the environments that they live in.
But I just think one of the big messages of these movies is that there's a consequence to violence and war. Even if sometimes a revolution is needed, it's not going to be pretty; people will be damaged forever, people will die, and people will get arrested. Even if you survive, you may be psychologically damaged forever, and so it's really important that people think about things before they do them. I just want people to be careful.
'Stop Kiss': Pasadena Playhouse director makes risky debut with lesbian love story
Seema Sueko joined the Pasadena Playhouse as associate artistic director this past January, and for her directorial debut she made a gusty call by directing a run of the play "Stop Kiss."
The play tells the story of a blossoming friendship-turned-romance between two women, and the ways their relationship changes after one of the women is viciously beaten as part of a hate crime.
When Sueko dropped by The Frame studios, we asked her about her expectations for the Playhouse's run of "Stop Kiss," how to create a relationship with the community, and the love story at the core of the play.
Interview Highlights:
How big of a gamble was it to make your first production "Stop Kiss?"
The play itself is not a risky play. It's a beautiful love story, and what's been wonderful to experience have been the audiences who, regardless of sexual identity, have come up to me after the play and have spoken about how much it reminds them of their own discovery of love, knowing when it was the right love.
So on one hand, we did want to be prepared; in our promotional materials we did want to be clear that, at its core, this is a love story between two women. We were bracing for some push-back, but we've been wonderfully surprised that there hasn't been.
There are a lot of big theater companies in town. Where do you see the Playhouse's identity fitting in to the larger theatrical community?
Theatrical diversity is a core value of our company and I think people can count on that, not only with what's on stage but also in our audiences. It's been a great joy for me to stand in the courtyard and see the diversity of the individuals coming to the play.
Do you have a strategy for retaining those new audience members, or for generating new types of audience members? Are there any theaters around the country that are especially making progress on that front?
We do have a strategy and a methodology that we call "consensus organizing for theater," and it's a type of community organizing where, at its core, it's about servicing mutual self-interest between the theater and a diversity of communities — building stake in those community and those communities building stake back in the theater.
So what we did for this season was hire community organizers for each production. Alison De La Cruz is our community organizer on "Stop Kiss," and she's been highly effective at engaging new audiences who are drawn to the themes of this particular play, and then welcoming them to the Pasadena Playhouse. But part of our "consensus organizing" methodology is maintaining that relationship; build stake in them while they build stake in us.
If "Stop Kiss" is actually pushing audiences into places that they haven't typically been, would it be okay if some people are a little bit uncomfortable watching this play?
Absolutely. I think people should have whatever reaction they naturally have. I don't think there's any right or wrong; every person's response is their own. What's been really wonderful about interacting with the audiences who have seen this play is that many of them have expressed to me how much they have actually felt empathy for the characters and reflection of themselves in the characters, I think much to their surprise. The unfolding of a love story, discovering new love, and discovering your own voice and courage to figure out what you want and pursue it — that's a universal discover that hopefully we all make.
"Stop Kiss" is at the Pasadena Playhouse through November 30.
Boots: Beyoncé's most mysterious and least talkative collaborator
Beyoncé has now released the Platinum Edition of her hit, self-titled 2013 album and posted all her videos on Vevo. She's made the new album available for streaming on Spotify (previously only on iTunes) and you can buy a CD box set complete with lots of goodies.
In honor of this day in Beyoncé-land, we hear from her most enigmatic — and least talkative — collaborator, who goes by the name of Boots. He spoke with
of Side Show, a podcast that's part of WNYC's Studio 360.
became the Internet’s favorite mystery late in 2013 when he was credited as a songwriter and producer on Beyoncé’s surprise self-titled album alongside super-producers such as Timbaland, Pharrell, and Frank Ocean. But it was Boots who was credited with writing some of the album’s most personal songs: “Heaven”, about a miscarriage; “Blue” about Beyoncé’s daughter; and “Haunted," which maligns the music industry.
In no time, BuzzFeed, Pitchfork, Vogue and just about everyone else took cracks at answering the question, Who is Boots? Once reporters learned his real name, Jordy Asher, they began calling his parents’ house in Florida, someone tried to sell photos of him, and Beyoncé fans started following him around Brooklyn.
“To go from none of that to a lot of that, I didn’t take it well,” he says. Still, the 27-year-old has nothing but positive things to say about Beyoncé. “The only reason she and I worked so well together is because something I had to say resonated very deeply with her,” he says. “It’s amazing that it happened.”
Asher started in Miami. He was in a string of rock bands before he and a girlfriend took a hard left turn towards indie-pop as Blonds. They broke up; Jordy moved to New York, became Boots. How he got from there to Beyoncé (and Jay Z’s label, Roc Nation) is still unknown, and Boots won’t discuss the matter. He’d prefer to talk about the future, beginning with the lead single from his upcoming album, “Mercy.”
To see videos of Boots performing "Mercy" and to hear a longer version of this story — and more from the podcast Sideshow — go to the Sideshow website.
'Mike Tyson Mysteries' producer says boxer plays a 'comedic fantasy' of himself
Mike Tyson is no stranger to playing cartoonish caricatures of himself, as his cameo in "The Hangover" proved. But he's taking it a little more literally now and actually starring in his own cartoon. That's right, Mike Tyson is starring as himself in a cartoon.
The show is called "Mike Tyson Mysteries," and it's a joyously satirical take on classic cartoons such as "Scooby-Doo," but instead of a loyal dog as a sidekick, Mike partners with an alcoholic pigeon.
We talked with Hugh Davidson, a producer and writer on "Mike Tyson Mysteries," about Mike's comedic chops, writing jokes for Norm Macdonald, and the relationship between real life Mike Tyson and his cartoon alter ego.
Interview Highlights:
Mike Tyson is playing himself as maybe a little bit clueless, obviously prone to violence; would you say that he is playing a version of himself? How would you describe the relationship between actor and character?
I think he is a comedic fantasy of Mike Tyson. The thing that makes him great is that he's willing to play that with his name on it. You want to imagine Mike as very impulsive, and I imagine that at times the real Mike Tyson is impulsive. Or that he might haul off and hit somebody is a sort of fantasy [laughs]. So, he's rash. He's got a good heart and he's trying to do the right thing, but he may not have all the facts when he decides it's time to act.
And then this whole story was supposed to be that Mike has now turned his life around, he wants to do good, as it were, and he's being guided on a path to redemption that Mike chooses to achieve through solving mysteries. [laughs]
He's served time, he has a criminal background; what were the conversations that you had, and why did you feel it was important to give him a chance to be on television?
It's very easy to fall in love with Mike; he could not be kinder. I've been around him when he walks in a crowded place, and Mike stops and talks to people. He'll talk to the janitor. And the thing he does on a daily basis is that he says, "I want to be a better person." He takes breathing classes to control his anger; he's not some guy who's just trading on his past, not in the least. He's very aware and trying to do the best he can, and it's hard not to root for that.
In your first episode, Cormac McCarthy, the author of "All the Pretty Horses" and "The Road," is unable to finish his book, or at least that's the presented mystery. And you write in the show that [Tyson] can't pronounce Cormac McCarthy, and also there's a supernatural creature called the Chupacabra, whose name he also can't say. Is that actually his performance? Did you say, "Mike, muff this up?"
The Cormac McCarthy stuff was definitely my idea, and I thought, Cormac McCarthy is an oddly difficult thing to say. It's just weird, and it's an odd name, so anyone could have gotten that name wrong. It's extra that Mike gets it wrong, maybe, but then he himself was having trouble with Chupacabra, and Mike himself thought it was funny and he would just do the performance as best he could. And that became far funnier than the intended joke.
You have Norm Macdonald playing the Drunk Pigeon and Jim Rash playing Marquess of Queensberry. They're both writers, both comedians; do they have input in the show as well? How do you work when you have people who are clearly talented at doing their own specific style of humor?
I was terribly intimidated, not by Mike Tyson, but by Norm Macdonald. I love Norm Macdonald. I do think he's the funniest person in the world, and I've always thought that. I tried to write his voice at first, and I could tell he thought I was aping his way of speaking. He's made fun of a couple of jokes, or he'll tease me about the construction of them, but at the same time he's said, "This is funny." And that's the best thing to hear.
Is there any network that this show could have worked on, other than Adult Swim?
The thing about Adult Swim that I do like is that feeling that they want it aggressively, maybe too aggressively, and they want it to almost alienate some people. I'm one of those people who hates being uncomfortable, and I don't like making people uncomfortable; I'd rather feel warm and fuzzy and comfortable, so in a weird way that's why this show looks like something from our past. It goes down easy to me. I don't want to feel weird; I feel weird enough in my life. [laughs] Who wants to feel weird?
"Mike Tyson Mysteries" airs Mondays at 10:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.