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You know what can happen when you take a film on the festival circuit?  You leave home for a bit and may fall out of touch with close friends.  That’s what happened to writer-director Alex Ross Perry and it made him wonder, what happens to those friends when he’s not around?  That’s a question he explores in his new film, Listen Up PhilipJason Schwartzman stars as the title character, a writer eagerly awaiting the release of his second novel who’s got the tendency to do what he wants and speak his mind at all times, even if it hurts others.

Some may describe Philip as an unlikable character, but Perry approaches it from a different perspective.  Whether or not you can relate to Philip, he hopes that the movie makes viewers wonder, where does that kind of behavior get you?  Hit the jump to hear about that, Perry’s thoughts on working with a bigger budget, whether or not he’d want to give a big budget studio film a go and loads more.  Listen Up Philip is currently playing in New York City and is due to expand on October 24th.

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Alex Ross Perry:

  • 00:00 – Putting his cat in the movie.
  • 00:59 – On the budget and having “real resources” for this film.
  • 02:07 – The added flexibility that comes with the bigger budget, specifically for lighting and the art department.
  • 03:45 – The benefit of lighting an entire room from the ceiling.
  • 04:35 – Needing a certain budget to lock in locations; they cost what they cost.
  • 05:34 – What would Perry do if someone approached him to direct a mega-budget studio film?
  • 07:08 – Making movies on the East Coast.
  • 07:40 – Making movies on the East Coast versus Los Angeles.
  • 09:22 – How his film festival experiences inspired the idea for Listen Up Philip; answering the question, what happens to people when I’m not around?
  • 11:00 – Meeting filmmakers he admired and how that affected other relationships.
  • 11:52 – Working with such an unlikable character; motivating viewers to ask, where does this behavior get you?
  • 14:27 – Coming up with the line, “It’s good enough.”

 

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