A little over a week ago I posted some highlights of the roundtable interview I did with Seth Rogen. With his new movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno arriving in theaters this weekend, I figured you might like to read the rest of it.
For those that donât know about the new Kevin Smith movieâ¦
Lifelong friends and roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are facing hard times and a mountain of debt. When the electricity and plumbing get cut off, the two seize upon the idea of making a homegrown porno movie for some quick cash, enlisting the help of their friends. The two vow that having sex will not ruin their friendship. But as filming begins, what started out as a business proposition between friends turns into something much more.
As Iâve said a few times already, I dug the film and it has one of the funniest scenes Iâve seen this year...anyway, the interview below is pretty solid. Seth talks about all the various projects heâs working on and a lot more.
Again, Zack and Miri gets released this weekend.
Q: How did you do it? How did you loose all the weight?
Q: You are working with a trainer? Itâs called the âFiveâ¦â
Yeah, I couldnât do this on my own. Heâs got a book. I havenât read it. I lied to him about it. I go there. I go there real early in the morning. Iâm barely awake and he tells me what to do and I go home to sleep and itâs like it never even happened.
Q: What are you missing the most?
Just eating hamburgers all the time, I miss that.
Q: Was there a weight you had to reach for the part? Was it contractual?
No, not at all. They didnât give a shit. Honestly, they didnât care at all. I mean, I actually see Amy Pascal, I run into her on the lot and sheâs like âYouâre too thin! Youâve gone too far! Stop it!â But yeah, they donât care at all.
Q: How quickly do you go back to old Seth shape?
I think it will take three hours.
Q: Is it all worth it?
Yeah, honestly I think it serves the movie, yâknow? Thatâs the only reason Iâm doing it. You need to physically believe I can run around and jump over shit and punch people. Itâs all just to serve the movie.
Q: How much have you lost?
I dunno. I donât weight myself.
Q: So, itâs really your commitment to making it a great, believable comic-book movie?
Yeah, itâs just to make it, comic book or not, itâs just a commitment to the movie. I mean it just works better that Iâm a guy who is in better shape.
Q: Youâre filming âFunny Peopleâ â did you have to reach a certain place in weight where you had to stop?
Yeah, so, right now, Iâm kind of at my âFunny Peopleâ weight and we donât shooting âGreen Hornetâ until May so we finish âFunny Peopleâ in January so Iâll have four months to transition into Green Hornet
Q: So, Iâm going to go into âZach and Miriâ nowâ¦
Iâm thinner. I was cursed by a man in a Stephen King book. Thatâs what happened.
Q: Can you talk about the dynamic of working with Kevin and your process versus his?
It was great, yâknow, Iâm more than happy to â I have no process. I donât give a shit. I have ways Iâve done things but Iâm totally open to new things. So, Iâm more than happy to hand myself over to someone and I think itâs interesting to see what they do. Judd goes into am movie and he has no idea what he wants. He knows what the scenes are about, but he doesnât necessarily know how any of the information comes out or who says it or how itâs said or what the shots are. He doesnât know any of that. Kevin knows exactly what the shots are and he says, âWhat?â and you can change the jokes within that, but he basically knows how he wants the scene to go. They both have their merits. They both have things that make them so difficult. But it was really interesting to go into this totally other world and I really enjoyed it. I didnât have to think as much. That was a lot nicer. Just going in every day not having to come up with 13 hours of shit, that was nice. And it was interesting to see how someone directs who has shots planned out. That was interesting also. Yeah, I liked it a lot.
Q: Did it help to have
Definitely and Craig, I try to insulate myself with familiar faces. Just because I knew we were shooting in
Q: What did you think about having your nude scene?
I was fine with it. Luckily or not, we didnât have to go too far. I didnât know what Kevin expected of us. I didnât really care. I was ready for anything. I have no shame about it. Itâs fine.
Q: Is there anything you wonât do?
If itâs funny, yeah, I will probably do it. If I genuinely think itâs funny, there is a good chance Iâll do it. Donât hold me to that. (Laughs)
Q: Weâve heard this phrase, âSethâs encyclopedia knowledge of porn.â Is that an accurate statement?
Ah, I would never claim that, but if itâs bestowed on me I guess will take it.
Q: Itâs fair to say you didnât need to do a lot of research?
Exactly, yeah, I didnât need further research.
Q: You ever have a favorite porn growing up?
That Pam Anderson sex tape was pretty rad when that came out. That was kind of like a dream come true when it happened. It was like, âReally? That happened? Wow! I get to see what?â That was pretty good. That was pretty rad when that happened. I was pretty psyched when that happened.
Q: Surely, you have come across an actual âStar Whoresâ?
I donât know if there is an actual âStar Whoresâ actually. I think if there was, we wouldnât have been able to do it. They would have sued us.
Q: Was that scene a lot of fun to do?
It was hilarious and I was surprised they were able to do it. I guess he got permission from George Lucas or otherwise we would have been sued promptly. Yeah, I thought it was hilarious and I know so many people will masturbate to that scene in the future. So many. There will be lots of freeze frames of Katie in that outfit.
Q: I heard you were a huge fan of Kevinâs before working with him. Can you talk about that?
He was really influential on me as a writer and he just really laid the groundwork for the type of movies we make now and it was always something I would have hoped to do was work with him. Itâs like one of those things. Itâs amazing to me that I get to work with the people who directly influenced me. Like Iâm working with Adam Sandler now, I got to work with Kevin Smith, itâs crazy.
Q: Iâve heard your new comedy âObserve and Reportâ has turned out much differently than people would have expected. Can you talk about it?
Well, itâs the exact movie we wanted to make. Itâs a super dark comedy. Itâs really dark. Itâs like âTaxi Driver.â Itâs like a comedic âTaxi Driver.â Thatâs literally what we wanted to make. Jody and I sat down and we were like, âWe want to make a comedic âTaxi Driver.â If martin Scorsese put me in a movie and wanted it to be kind of funny, but still very dark.â And thatâs exactly what it is and I love it. I think as a film fan I watch it and go, âHow in the hell did we get away with this?â It is fuckinâ crazy. It is by far the most edgy movie Iâve been in. The most balls to the walls and most unabashed movie Iâve been in. But I love it. I could watch it over and over and over again.
Q: My friend who saw a test screening said he saw things in that film that have never been done in film history.
I think so! We really push it and itâs my pleasure. Yâknow? In comedy I think itâs always important to push the envelope in some ways and Jody I was always such a big fan of and Iâm just glad he got to make that movie the way he wanted to make it and Iâm glad Iâm in it. I donât think itâll get neutered throughout the process of it getting released. I feel like itâs so far in the direction that it is youâd have to take some major work to take it out of that direction. So, I feel good about it. And Iâm excited for the world to see it.
Q: For years, Stephen Chow has dismissed attempts to make movies in
We gave him the goods man. Um, I donât know. We didnât know that. We had no idea if he had been approached by anyone. We had just heard he was very hard to get in contact with. But, we sent him the script and heard he wanted to do it. It was as simple as that.
Q: No personal phone call or anything like that?
Nope. Nothing like that. Literally sent him the script and then we heard he was coming. Heâs in hotel right now somewhere.
Q: I think you said you hope he doesnât realize youâre not the Wachowskiâs.
Yeah, heâs a big fan of them. Heâs a great guy. Heâs really funny. And weâre just thrilled Every time weâre in a room with him weâre like âHow the fuck did this happen? We got him! We actually got him!â Itâs really exciting and itâs exciting because a lot of people want to work with him so as we hire our production designer and cinematographers were getting to choose from very good people because, and we didnât know this, apparently itâs as exciting to everyone else as it was to us that Stephen is making a movie in America. So, itâs great. Weâre amazed and thrilled that we ultimately might be the thing that brought him to
Q: What can you tell us about âMonsters vs. Aliensâ?
Oh, itâs so awesome. I donât know if you saw that illegal trailer that leaked online. Did you? Itâs really rad. You can watch it somewhere. I think they are releasing a trailer for it on the âKung Fu Pandaâ DVD which comes out in a few days. And itâs amazing. Itâs really awesome. Itâs kind of more adult oriented like âThe Incrediblesâ and itâs blown my mind what Iâve seen. Itâs really, really funny.
Q: What kind of voice do you do? Whatâs the character like?
I play a blob. Weâre monsters and I play Bob, heâs called, and heâs a gelatinous blob with no brain so heâs stupid. Itâs a very funny character actually. Itâs a great movie. Iâve had a lot of fun doing it.
Q: Your own voice or?
I donât have other voices. Have you seen me?
Q: How long have you known
Yeah, I met her on âThe 40-Year Old Virginâ is when I met her? It was in 2005 I guess? Maybe 2004 when we shot it? And we got along well and sheâs friends with Paul Rudd and yâknow those Stella guys and I kind of know those people so weâd hang out and see each other and we got along really well. She kind of has a dirty sense of humor and I always thought it was crazy she wasnât in these kinds of movies. That she wasnât the main girl in a romantic comedy. So as soon as Kevin said, âIs there anyone you can think of?â It was like, âElizabeth Banks, obviously. Itâs weird that you didnât think of that.â So yeah, I am thrilled for her. Sheâs doing a lot of different stuff and Iâm a big âDefinitely Maybeâ fan. But yeah, Iâm glad itâs all happening.
Q: Your name has unofficially been attached to âGhostbusters 3.â Has anyone talked to you formally about that?
No. Not at all.
Q: Were would you fall on that?
Itâs hard to imagine that would be good, isnât it? I mean just as a movie fan I am the first guy to be skeptical of that. It sounds like a terrible idea when you first hear it. At first hearing it sounds like the worst idea ever. I dunno. Maybe. I mean, that would have to be one mutherfucking good script.
Q: But youâve worked with Ramis before. If he was involved would it be harder to say no?
It all depends on how bad the script was. (Laughs.) There is a point where itâs so bad itâs really easy to say no. I have enough insulation around me now that I donât have to say anything.
Q: So with all your newfound popularity, how do you keep it real?
I keep it real. I drink with my homies every nightâ¦No, dunno. I donât do anything. I just do all the same shit I always did. Luckily, I think, I never really wanted to be famous, I just wanted to make movies. My lifestyle, I have always worked a number of hours a day and I came home and did the shit I liked doing. So, I still do that.
Q: Out of all the characterâs youâve played, who do you think will make the best Halloween costume?
I hope to see some Dale and Saulâs out there. I feel like itâs an easy costume to effect. I feel like if you have a tan suit and some Guatemalan pants and a friend then you can do that.
Q Would you ever like to write a comic book?
Yeah, me and Evan have looked into that actually.
Q: Is there a character youâve got your eye on?
No, Iâm not sure right now. Weâve talked about it, it just seems so crazy to take on more responsibility right now.
Q: One more question on Stephen Chow, did you guys have a different opinion on the direction of the project when you brought him in?
Right now is we are just beginning the conversations. I mean, we havenât started shooting yet. But, no, we wanted his input. We gave him the script in a very early phase hoping that heâd have a lot of ideas to add to it. When we do something, I donât know if itâs the best idea ever and I wouldnât necessarily recommend this to writers, but we send our scripts out to directors at a very early step in the process. To the point where it just scares some directors off all together and they go, âBlugh!â And some people get and say, âI get what they are going for and I have a lot o f ideas that can help build thisâ And Stephen had a lot of ideas and thatâs exactly what we wanted and I feel like â we want our directors to feel like itâs there movie too. We donât want them to feel like they are just guys brought in to film what we wrote. We want them to feel like they can stand behind it also. So far we havenât disagreed, weâre all just trying to figure out who he should be.
Q: Any chance weâll see IMAX on âHornetâ or other upcoming films?
Yeah, actually, Evan has been doing a lot of research into that lately. As far as 3D goes and IMAX stuff and different ways of shooting stuff. Heâs now the resident expert on that if you see him, because heâs really been boning up on the exact price ramifications of shooting on that stuff and how much it traditionally gains you in the box office versus just how cool the filmmakers think it is to have that. So, Evan is boning on that. Weâre considering it.
Q: Youâre in âFanboysâ which is finally coming outâ¦
Is it? I bet you a million dollars it wonât. (Laughs.)
Q: I talked to the director on the red carpet last night and he said the Weinsteinâs have a release dateâ¦
Yeah, yeah, OK.
Q: You play 5 million parts in that film and youâre really good in itâ¦
I do. Thanks. Itâs been ridiculous. I play a lot of different characters. I had a good time doing it. I made that movie -- you have no concept of how longâ¦I made that movie before I made âKnocked Up.â I made that movie a really long time ago. I had a lot of fun making it. I pretty much did it because Jay Baruchel was in it and weâre really good friends and I didnât know any of those other guys, but I went and I had a good time. They let me put on prosthetic make up and I got to play a Star Trek fan. I play a pimp in one scene. It was a lot of fun and then I donât know what the fuck happened after that. They bumbled that one. I think itâs a good lesson in not listening to people on the Internet. I think they got scared by Internet buzz and Iâm of the thought that Internet buzz is literally influenced by 500 people with laptops. And I think they let Internet buzz change it and then change it back and then make some other weird version of it. And I donât know what the hell they are going to release. Let the filmmakers make their movies and donât worry about early reactions are. If the people who made it like it, I would release like that. I donât know why. To me, it has been a very mishandled project.
Q: Whatâs your take on the changes made to Zack and Miri to get the âRâ rating?
They didnât have to change anything. Did they? But I think alternately he didnât have to change anything to get it. I think every thrust he wanted is in there which makes me happy?
Q: Can you talk about what Judd has been like on âFunny Peopleâ compared to the others?
Itâs a different movie. Itâs tonally a little more dramatic at times. So, that actually makes it a lot easier, so we donât have to think of jokes all day. Weâre not constantly pressuring ourselves to make it hilarious in every scene. The fact Janusz is shooting it takes off a lot of pressure. The one problem people have with our movies sometimes is that they donât look that good. So, itâs somehow a battle of how can we improvise a lot and keep it visually interesting, but Janusz is such a genius heâs found a way of shooting with three cameras at once and it looks as beautiful as anything youâve every seen. So, that has actually made it a lot easier and taken a lot of pressure of and itâs been a lot of fun. Working with Sandler is great. He creates a very relaxed environment. Itâs actually been the most relaxed shooting experience Iâve ever had.
Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your screenplays?
My friend and my life and just kind of things that happen. Day to day stuff.