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00:00 you know his response was always.
00:01 This works really well as a short sketch right. But in 2019
00:08 I just got like a random e-mail from Al one morning that said
00:11 I think maybe it's time to turn this into a real movie it was
00:15 trying to figure out what his next move was going to be in
00:18 his career, you know he just released this big career
00:21 retrospective box set and he said maybe we can do this movie
00:24 together and you know we're off to the races we met up the next
00:27 morning and started that right you ready you are ready for you
00:30 ready for 9 years. I subconscious level I was waiting
00:35 9 years for that.
00:37 I've heard enough.
00:51 And what did you think
00:57 do you know why they call it the music business.
01:00 Because it's a business it's a business you sure head kid
01:06 nobody wants to hear a parody song when they can hear the
01:10 real thing for the same price. What's the point that makes no
01:14 financial sense whatsoever.
01:16 >> My my song was actually a big hit on the captain before
01:19 Joe.
01:19 >> Captain before yeah, we kept him before and actually played
01:26 your song on the radio. Yeah, well, I should tell us the
01:28 changes everything been get this young gentleman, a record
01:31 contract this very instant you're going to sign him up for
01:35 teen album deal really.
01:37 >> I am an idiot he's not an idiot not an idiot.
01:41 >> Welcome to behind the lens today, he is responsible for
01:47 what 12 Emmy nominations this year between 8. For outstanding
01:53 television movie. Weird the Al Yankovic story on Roku and for
02:00 other nominations for another series with Roku now that he's
02:04 also very associated with called die hard to and
02:09 congratulations welcome to Erica Pell.
02:11 >> Thanks yeah, thanks for having me how does that feel
02:14 12 Emmy nominations over your 2 of your shows. I mean it's
02:19 it's incredible it's it was it was a surreal morning to see
02:23 all those nominations. Yeah, did you expect that or I mean
02:28 you never expect to get nominated for anything. You
02:31 know the best you can hope for is that people. The projects
02:35 you make resonate with audiences and that that people
02:38 you know like what you're putting out and you know you're
02:41 not embarrassing yourself. And it's not ending your career.
02:45 Yeah. So you know to to receive nominations like this it's it's
02:50 it's amazing and earlier this year to with the
02:53 you know we would critics choice awards and all these
02:56 things for my group, yeah, we're it was just and also the
03:01 director skilled and the writers skill. Yeah, that's
03:04 another to be nominated by your peers is just so huge as well
03:09 it's been a great great year for that.
03:11 >> Isn't it's the way this movie just hit I was in
03:14 Toronto when it premiered and of course went on to win the
03:18 midnight madness audience award and those audience awards in
03:22 Toronto are key they are very predictive certainly for movies
03:26 and apparently for television and he's here to be as what
03:31 goes in Toronto continues.
03:33 >> Yeah, Toronto was an incredible experience to and
03:36 also just to
03:39 we didn't do test screenings we edited this movie during
03:42 covid you know we didn't put it in front of big audiences the
03:45 first time I saw with the crowd was in Toronto. 1200 people in
03:49 the audience. It was a very nerve wracking experience,
03:52 but just amazing to see how well played there. Yeah, I
03:56 played incredibly. It was like a rock concert it was wasn't
03:59 that I mean that has to feel good as a director and writer
04:03 and all of that yeah, yeah, yeah, amazing so
04:07 how did this come about it's such an interesting story this
04:10 actually goes back a decade. Yeah, at least when you first
04:14 did the first part of this little journey.
04:17 >> Yeah, I made a fake movie trailer. When I was working at
04:21 the website funny or die. Thank movie trailer for a fake by a
04:25 for a fake by a real person, yeah, so that was sort of the
04:29 joke is that it's a biopic about someone who is still
04:33 alive right and but all the events of their life are
04:36 completely fabricated and that was the idea of a lot of
04:40 Hollywood biopics. Yeah, they're dead. It was taking
04:46 something that's already true. Biopics and just sort of
04:49 blowing it. But you know I didn't know weird out before
04:54 then I was a big fan of his growing up.
04:57 I reached out to him through Patton Oswalt who I made a
05:01 video directed a video that he wrote recently before that
05:05 and I reached out just to get out blessing because I felt
05:09 like this is an idea that he maybe would have done himself
05:13 and I didn't want to step on any toes so so I had Pat reach
05:17 out to him for me and out came back to me and was like I'd
05:21 love to collaborate on this thing which was so
05:24 mind-blowing you know being such a big fan of his we went
05:29 out for coffee that night and started batting around ideas.
05:32 Watched a bunch of biopic trailers and sort of
05:36 found what all the tropes are and picked out our favorite
05:39 moments and
05:41 yeah, Aaron Paul and Olivia wild were were played weird
05:45 Alan Madonna in the original trailer. That's wild and you
05:49 know it did well on the Internet now showed it at his
05:52 concerts for for like a decade. He did every summer we go on
05:57 tour, you know during a costume change this trailer replay
06:00 people would come up to him after the show and ask.
06:02 You know this movie real or if it's not can can it be. Yeah,
06:09 finally, you know his response was always
06:11 this works really well as a short sketch right. But in 2019
06:17 I just got like a random e-mail from Al one morning that said I
06:21 think maybe it's time to turn this into a real movie it was
06:25 trying to figure out what his next move was going to be in
06:28 his career, you know he just released this big career
06:30 retrospective box set and he said maybe we can do this movie
06:34 together and you know we're off to the races we met up the next
06:37 morning and started that right you ready you are ready for 9
06:41 years. I on a subconscious level I was waiting 9 years for
06:45 that you know to show.
06:47 >> Well a lot of your big break was with funny or die with
06:50 doing these kind of short things which I thought was a
06:54 really interesting way in yeah, directing and writing and all
06:58 of that is to do the shorts.
07:00 >> Yeah, it's funny it's a it's it's kind of a way in that
07:03 doesn't exist anymore. This is like funny or die was pre
07:06 tiktok and right to Graham and it was only a few years after
07:10 you to come out.
07:12 At the time, you know I started out at the upright citizens
07:17 brigade theater as a improviser and performer and I was writing
07:20 sketches in the early 2000's.
07:23 And that led to to a couple you know TV writing gigs on my
07:28 cable shows but funny or die is where I really
07:31 you know I decided to pick up a camera and and figure out how
07:35 to do the directing part.
07:36 >> And then then you did sitcoms you did Silicon Valley,
07:40 a lot of top shows you moved into that and you are ready by
07:44 the time we're now came around to let's do a movie.
07:47 >> Yeah, it's you know I feel like
07:51 in so many careers, it's a lot of
07:54 it's timing it's luck, it's a lot of happy accidents that
07:57 that that occur, you know, obviously you have to be doing
08:01 the work but
08:03 all of these things sort of one leads to another you know my my
08:08 time at the upright says citizens brigade
08:11 led me to funny or die like they were people connections,
08:15 I'd made at UCB
08:16 that that were
08:19 we're at 20 or die and then leaving funny or die it's like
08:23 the same thing happened I kind of
08:26 people from my time at UCB we're working on some TV shows
08:30 which got me in the door there.
08:32 And my first network television episode I directed was the
08:37 office. My very first. It was the second to last season of
08:41 the office like and you know I I kind of lucked out there too
08:47 I had had a general meeting at 3 arts.
08:50 And a slot for this one office episode happened to open up
08:55 that was like 2 weeks away.
08:57 And I knew some people and had worked with some people from
09:01 UCB who are in the cast of the office the time Ellie Kemper
09:05 was the 2 of us were an improv group together years ago and
09:08 Zach woods and at Helms I had worked with. So it was kind of
09:13 this right place right time.
09:15 I got asked what are you doing anything in 2 weeks you come
09:18 direct this episode of the office. My and that ended up
09:21 being such a great experience and then people from my
09:25 experience working on the office.
09:27 We're leaving and doing other things which led to my next
09:30 thing and you know everything kind of build the show business
09:33 story being in the right place and knowing the right people.
09:37 Yeah, yeah, it's really and then you know that led to I
09:40 did sitcoms for a few years.
09:44 You know some some shows like the office new girl. Many that
09:49 were canceled after you know 9. Directed. I mean I had a couple
09:54 of my so didn't even air it's like yeah, yeah, there are a
09:57 couple of shows that like oh my God pulled off the air in
10:00 episode 5 and mine was like the 9. God that. Yeah, so I direct
10:05 hit there was one show animal practice remember this show I
10:10 was I was in the middle of directing it when it got
10:13 canceled. I was on set on day 3 and we we read on deadline.
10:20 On set we're always here with the scoops folks. Even if you
10:24 don't want to hear that yeah, the writer of the episode turn
10:26 to me and showed me your phone and it was a deadline article
10:29 said NBC is pulling the plug on animal practice. Does anyone
10:34 know about this yet. Like they hadn't even made it down to set
10:38 to tell people oh my God so we did and the yeah, yeah, yeah,
10:42 sorry about that. Yeah. So working with weird out though
10:47 the nominated for 8 Emmys I can tell you as an aficionado of
10:51 watching the Emmy categories and things best television
10:54 movie.
10:55 Usually at the most Dolly Parton gets to nomination for
10:59 something. It's the ignored category limited series, it's
11:04 you know it gets all the writing and directing not this
11:07 year. I know you've got a nomination for most for a
11:11 original television movie in that category. I can't think of
11:14 the last time I know that that that kind of blew me like
11:17 behind the candle a bros like one maybe right like we're
11:20 going way back, yeah, but
11:23 yeah that was the most surprising thing is that I I
11:26 mean I figured
11:27 we would at least get a nomination for best movie made
11:31 yeah TV, you know
11:33 all of those other shit, yeah, sharing that category with with
11:37 limited series and anthology series which are just like
11:41 typically these prestige programs that you know they
11:44 dominated completely yeah, writing and directing
11:47 categories and here you are nominated for writing and
11:50 there's 3 television movies that are of the 6 nominees and
11:55 you and weird out are nominated together, but you never could
11:58 have imagined that a combo in at the Emmys.
12:01 >> And it's so cool also be like obviously making this movie
12:07 with Al we became close, you know.
12:10 But but now to to have these awards that you know that
12:15 showing up with a tuxedo with weird out next to me, you know
12:20 it's like we are we are truly bonded together forever in this
12:23 this experience really amazing what was he like as a
12:26 co-writer. Oh just it incredible, I mean
12:31 growing up being a fan of his.
12:37 My comedic sensibilities were shaped by this man, you know
12:43 like I really play the heck out of those those albums off the
12:48 deep end was like the big one that I got when I was I think
12:51 1111 or 12 years old right and I mean just like war the tape
12:55 out.
12:56 So to get to actually sit down in a room with them and come up
13:01 with jokes and you know come up with things that make the both
13:04 of us laugh.
13:06 I mean it's such a unique experience that like who gets
13:10 that experience like who gets to work with their heroes,
13:13 I just I mean, I'm so eternally grateful for the opportunity to
13:17 and such a great idea you the mind runs free here, you know
13:21 Madonna you just can put Madonna in this and make up a
13:25 whole story between her and and all of those guest star cameos
13:30 that you had in this amazing as well now we're now re recorded
13:36 all the songs and it is him singing it's not Daniel Radcliffe
13:41 yeah, why was that decision because Daniel Radcliffe is a
13:43 Broadway star and he can sing yeah, you know.
13:47 >> We thought it was just funny to hear Al's voice coming.
13:51 >> Yeah, yeah, it's always funny because I mean that is a thing
13:58 that happens in bio you know a lot of all the time yeah,
14:02 there's there there lip syncing
14:04 so the and the idea to re record them was to do.
14:08 For one to do kind of truncated versions of the songs because
14:12 we knew we wouldn't play like a you know complete song and and
14:15 based on where the scene was. These songs had different
14:19 arrangements, you know one's like out in a backyard pool
14:22 party one is supposed to sound like it's in a really small
14:27 like biker bar. So you know and we had to do that whole.
14:32 There's this Jim Morrison, you know drunken meltdown sequence
14:37 where we had to go in and like record the band doing this
14:40 doors grew up for me that was one of the coolest parts
14:44 getting to go into the recording studio. Yeah with
14:47 Alan the band, you know, and I was there for the recording of
14:51 that doors part.
14:53 You know because Al
14:56 all the dialogue that Daniel has not seen for timing
14:59 purposes, Al read that while the band was recording so I had
15:04 to be there to sort of direct the oh my God to make sure the
15:07 pace of all that was correct. And and then when Al mixed the
15:15 new versions of the songs, you know I was the first person
15:17 that got to hear those so that was an incredible experience as
15:19 well getting that e-mail from Al one night, you know that
15:23 that's like you're the first person in the world to hear
15:26 these mixes that are going to be on our soundtrack album wow
15:29 and again as a fan.
15:31 It was just such an incredible thing you can't you can't go
15:34 wrong and I have to say Evan Rachel would is great as
15:37 Madonna did you ever hear from the real Madonna.
15:41 Did she see it we have not heard from the real Madonna
15:44 Madonna you've got to check out this movie. I really want I
15:49 know I want Madonna to see it, I feel like Madonna would find
15:52 it funny. Yeah. I hope so and I mean it's performance is so
15:56 fun and and obviously you know it's not.
16:00 It's not based on the real Madonna, it's based on like the
16:04 idea of Madonna. You know this is I said before Evan plays the
16:10 version of Madonna that like my grandma thinks that that's what
16:13 the dawn is actually like. It's sort of evil succubus yeah.
16:20 Well like a surgeon and all of that. I have to before we go I
16:23 have to talk about die hard. This such an interesting
16:28 journey that this show has taken with Kevin Hart, yeah,
16:31 and it is now nominated for let me see all the actors more
16:37 Paula Pell and
16:39 bench warts. Natalie Emanuel and Kevin Hart all up in the
16:44 short film comedy or drama series categories. They
16:48 dominate them actually I mean this is crazy right 4 of the 6
16:54 or 8 nominees. Yeah more than that yeah are.
16:59 >> Yeah, I think there's 6 nominee. Yeah, nominees total 4
17:02 of them are from your show. Yeah, it's it's pretty wild.
17:06 Yeah, the life of die hard
17:07 has been while it started as a quibble as quibble remember
17:10 boy that's a blast from the recent. Quibble the failed
17:15 short
17:17 watch things on your phone for 10 minutes idea. Yeah, it's
17:20 funny guy die hard came out in like the second wave of would
17:24 be content so unfortunately could be already had one foot
17:28 in the grave. Came out. And I think yeah could be went away
17:33 maybe a month after die hard debuted so running theme with
17:37 your career, yeah.
17:38 >> Yeah, so nobody really got to see it when it was there.
17:44 Thankfully, you know Roku bought could be told content
17:48 library and then when it came out on Roku it like over
17:52 performed for them. I think it was like the best piece of
17:55 original content that they had at that point. So they green
17:58 with a second one.
18:00 And it's wild that that yeah that's another thing it's like
18:03 not never in a million years to expect that the second die
18:06 hard was going to get nominated for awards but yeah, I mean the
18:10 cast is fantastic and they absolutely deserve it. I mean I
18:12 think yeah their performances were were incredible. They're
18:16 also funny and Kevin Hart sort of like also in the theme of
18:20 pretending to be other things here is pretending to be a
18:24 major action star yeah, sort of like a bizarro version of
18:28 himself. Yeah in a world where he like in the in the sequel to
18:33 die hard he had he had become
18:36 the biggest action star of the world and he's looking for like
18:40 a more authentic action experience. But you have to
18:44 actually shoot I've seen the show. Yeah, our major stunts
18:47 and action scenes, this is like a big movie. Yeah, yeah,
18:51 I mean like our stunt coordinator on the second one
18:53 David cock like you know he does marvel and stuff like that
18:57 yeah like he knew Ben Schwartz are ready from working on
19:00 Renfield, you know like he does these major. The Hollywood
19:04 movies and he's such an amazing
19:07 stunt coordinator and fight choreographer. Yeah that that's
19:13 that's a lot of this it's like the comedy
19:15 comes naturally for all of us, you know like that's the easy
19:18 part and then we have to do these big fight sequences and
19:21 stunt sequences and that's
19:23 part of like what's the most fun for me is getting this kind
19:28 of break outside the mold and even with weird, it's like
19:32 you know, I've done comedy for my whole career, but
19:36 but weird is
19:38 it looks and feels like a drama, but it's a media kid.
19:42 And that's the you know that these things were that's the
19:45 thing that I love to do is sort of combine these genres and and
19:49 and really lean hard into those aspects that aren't fully
19:53 comedic
19:55 to support and heighten the comedy.
19:58 >> And after could be died and the stuff you had shot which is
20:02 designed in 10 minute increments to be watched that
20:05 way you actually turned it into die hard the movie right and it
20:08 was like on Amazon prime.
20:09 >> Yeah that was kind of always the intention that you know
20:12 this model that could be had which is that you were and
20:16 that's how it got pitched to me when I got hired to direct die
20:19 heart. It was like you're going to be making a movie and it's
20:22 going to be shot like a movie. But it's going to be split up
20:27 into these 10, you know 10 minute increments that are had
20:30 the intention was always
20:32 after the 2 years or so that could be would exhibit this is
20:36 short form content that it would be you know stitch
20:40 together as a feature and then it could go anywhere in the
20:43 case of die hard it got it went to Amazon like globally
20:46 technical achievement. Yeah and also to do you know we shot
20:50 the whole thing in 20 days. I think wow and you did weird
20:54 was an 18 teen yeah, yeah, they gave you a month you'd be
20:58 killer. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hope my next thing doesn't have
21:02 16 days. You know it keeps getting shorter and shorter
21:06 we'll see die hard 3.
21:08 >> There will be a die hard 3. Unfortunately, I am not going
21:13 to be I there was a conflict with timing and then because of
21:16 the strikes right everything got pushed around anyway,
21:20 so maybe I would have been available but
21:22 but yeah, I'm not not not working on the 3rd and well
21:26 pretty impressive stuff here and best of luck at the Emmys
21:30 whenever they may be Hill yeah. Yeah, it's kind of a bizarre
21:34 year for that I said it feels like when the Dodgers won the
21:37 World Series. It was during that weird covid baseball.
21:41 Feels like award season's version of yeah, but go figure
21:47 well well deserved thanks for joining us here on behind the
21:49 lens. Erica Pell thanks so much thank you.
21:52 (gentle music)
21:55 you