With Sundance in full swing here in Park City, I got to sit down with writer-director Gregg Araki to talk about his new movie Kaboom. Premiering January 21st in limited release and nationwide on VOD (Video on Demand), Kaboom is a " thriller/comedy telling the story of Smith (Thomas Dekker), an ambisexual 18 year-old college freshman who stumbles upon a monstrous conspiracy in a seemingly idyllic seaside Southern California town." The film also stars Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Rozane Mesquida, Juno Temple, James Duval, and Andy Fischer-Price. If you're a fan of Nowhere, The Doom Generation and Totally F*cked Up, you'll definitely want to check out Kaboom.During the interview, Araki talked about being a Sundance veteran (he's made 10 films and 8 have played at the Festival), how he's a fan of movies that are 90 minutes, his thoughts on VOD, how does he talk to his actors about the nudity in his films, what he might do in the future, and a lot more. Hit the jump to check it out:
Before going any further, you should definitely watch the trailer for Kaboom here. And here's the full synopsis:
Kaboom is a thriller/comedy telling the story of Smith (Thomas Dekker from Heros) an ambisexual 18 year old college freshman who stumbles upon a monstrous conspiracy in a seemingly idyllic seaside Southern California town.
Smith’s everyday life in the dorms - hanging out with his arty, sarcastic best friend Stella, hooking up with a beautiful free spirit named London, lusting for his gorgeous but dim surfer roommate Thor - all gets turned upside-down after one fateful, terrifying night.
Tripping on some hallucinogenic cookies he ate at a party, Smith is convinced he’s witnessed the gruesome murder of an enigmatic Red Haired Girl who has been haunting his dreams. What he discovers as he tries to find out the truth leads him deeper and deeper into a mystery that will forever change not only the course of his young life but the destiny of the entire world.
Greg Araki
- 0:20 - Talks about editing the movie down to a brisk running time of 84 minutes
- 3:25 - There's a lot of nudity in Araki's movies. How does he present this to actors?
- 6:40 - Talks about his experiences as a Sundance veteran (this his eighth time at the festival)
- 8:10 - Discusses the affect of video on demand on the business and viewing experience for Kaboom
- 10:50 - What kind of movies would he like to make next?
- 13:40 - Agrees that now would be a good time to make a musical
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