Crime thrillers that blend action and crime are nothing new, but few offer the sci-fi twist that BenDavid Grabinski’s new movie can boast.
It sometimes comes off as a throwback 1990s thriller comedy, full of pop culture references (a ‘Gilmore Girls’ discussion might be the funniest) and needle drops from the era and beyond.
Written and directed by Grabinski, this has a script that moves at a fair clip, throwing a variety of different characters at us, who all provide various levels of entertainment value. Sometimes it all feels a little Tarantino-lite, but it has its own appeal.
Cinematographer Larry Fong helps give this one some visual panache, and if it occasionally leans too hard on certain styles, the movie certainly delivers in a way that fans of directors such as Edgar Wright will appreciate.
It’s the casting that really helps this one –– Vaughn delivers his trademark witty attitude (with an extra version of his character for good measure thanks to the movie’s time travel twist). Marsden is appealing nervy and if González doesn’t always get as much to do, her Alice is still a solid character.
Around them, there is a deep bench of comedy acting talent, including Stephen Root, Ben Schwartz and Jimmy Tatro, who all steal scenes.
Two gangsters and the woman they love try to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine.
Who is in the cast of ‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’?
Moviefone recently had an opportunity to attend Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles, where actor Simon Rex was handing out food at the Tacos 1986 truck in promotion of ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’.
Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’. Photo: Michelle Felix.
We had a chance to speak with the actor about his new film, his first reaction to the screenplay, working with Dustin Milligan and Jason Biggs, crazy conspiracy theories, and collaborating with director Michael Kvamme on set, as well as working with Oscar nominee Rose Byrne and director Stephanie Laing on their upcoming film ‘Tow’, which opens in theaters on March 20th.
Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’. Photo: Courtesy of Jami Philbrick.
Moviefone: To begin with, this is a wild movie, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you want to be part of this project both as an actor and a producer?
Simon Rex: Well, I laughed out loud every page, which was a good sign. Me and my agent and my manager, after reading it, were like, “This is the funniest script we’ve read in a long time.” There’s not a lot of comedies being made. If they are being made, they’re not that funny lately. I feel like that genre is gone and we need it back. So, when I read this, I knew I had to do it, and my agent and manager were like, “We have to roll the dice and go for it on this one.” Sometimes working with a first-time director, you don’t know what you’re getting into, but I trusted Michael because I knew how smart he was from the script and his background at ‘Funny or Die’ and working with Will Ferrell. He’s just gets it, and I knew he could pull it off. I was happy that he did, obviously.
(L to R) Simon Rex as “Danny” and Dustin Milligan as “Luke” in the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
MF: Can you talk about the brotherly relationship between Danny and Luke and creating that relationship on screen with Dustin Milligan?
SR: So, in the casting process, which was new for me, I usually am the one who’s coming in for what they call a chemistry read to see if you are of the essence of the other actor’s brother or friend or partner. So, we had it down to like five actors, and Dustin was one of them, and when he came in and read, it was just obvious that it worked. He was very grounded and pragmatic. I’m very over the top, and insane, and that’s the odd couple chemistry that you need for it to work. I’ve seen him in ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and I saw him in another movie, the name escapes me right now, but I was a fan of his. I’m like, this dude’s great, you know? He gets comedy, he nailed it, and that’s how we got him. We just cast him old school, in the room, which doesn’t happen anymore, usually it’s self-tapes.
Jason Biggs as “self” in the comedy ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
MF: Jason Biggs plays a crazy and exaggerated version of himself, was he a good sport about doing that?
SR: Well, that takes a lot of courage and a lot of self-deprecating, self-awareness, and a lot of actors won’t do that. I love that he would because he’s the perfect chef’s kiss for this role, because he’s sort of a throwback to the era of what this movie feels like. It’s like the ‘American Pie’ era. It’s, ‘Dude, Where’s My Car?’, ‘Harold & Kumar’, and those fun, lighthearted, wholesome comedies that we don’t make any more in this town. He was perfect in that universe to be synonymous with that era. He’s hilarious, and he’s Jason Biggs. Everyone knows him. He’s a familiar name, so it was perfect. We’re very happy with him. There was a lot of people we were exploring, and some actors wouldn’t be willing to laugh at themselves. I’m just glad he did.
Doug Jones as “Elder” in the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
MF: Your character in the movie is a conspiracy theorist. What is your favorite conspiracy theory, not necessarily one you believe in, but one you think is interesting like Stanley Kubrick shooting the Moon landing?
SR: That’s a good one. There are some very strange parallels there. It’s that thing where I got friends who are conspiracy theorists and they’re like, “There are no coincidences.” I don’t agree with that, but there are some things lately that have been coming to light that have proved me wrong. But my favorite one to answer your question is the “flat Earth” theory because I love how those guys go so crazy. They’ll fly to Antarctica, and they’ll do the measurements, and they’ll be proven wrong, and they’ll still be like, “No, it’s flat.” They just can’t accept the science. That one’s very entertaining, so that’s my favorite one.
(L to R) Dustin Milligan and director/writer Mikey K on the set of the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
MF: What was it like collaborating with director Michael Kvamme on set to find the right tone for the movie?
SR: I mean, again, he just gets it. I think people who are that funny are usually very smart in my experience, the funniest people that I’ve worked with are usually intelligent. I think that humor is also a part of being smart and I just knew because of his background, who he’s worked with, and the script that he wrote that his instinct was really on point. That’s a lot of it too, his instinct. It’s just one of those things that you go with your gut. When I met with him and I read the script, it just felt right, and then I’m happy to say that while we were filming, that he knew exactly what he wanted. He showed up prepared, and when you have a director that knows what they want, it makes everything else fall into place. I’ve done jobs where the director is sort of lost. You’re like, “Uh oh, the captain of the ship doesn’t know what’s going on.” This was the opposite. He was extremely on point with everything he wanted and how it would look, and he did all the preparation and he nailed it.
(L to R) Simon Rex and Rose Byrne in ‘Tow.’ Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
MF: Finally, you also have the movie ‘Tow’ opening in March with Rose Byrne, which is based on a real story. What was it like working with Rose and director Stephanie Laing to bring Amanda Ogle’s story to the big screen?
SR: It was cool. It’s a great wholesome heartwarming movie. I got to meet Amanda. She was on set with her daughter and working with Rose, she might be the most down to earth, normal, big female actor I’ve ever worked with. She was just extremely sweet and generous and I’m happy for this moment she’s having. I’m rooting for her to win the Oscar. I mean, she won the Golden Globe. She could walk away at this point a winner, but I want her to win it all. Obviously, it helps ‘Tow’ if she does. Working with Stephanie Laing, she’s so calm and I’ve never worked with a director that was this mellow, but in a good way where she was so chill. We shot that movie in 19 days, which is insane and ambitious to shoot a whole movie in 19 days with that cast. We got it, and the movie came out great, and it was a great experience. I want to work with Stephanie more and hopefully I will.
‘Operation Taco Gary’s’ opens in theaters February 27th.
What is the plot of ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’?
Two brothers uncover an alien invasion hidden inside a fast-food chain and must save Earth.
Who is in the cast of ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’?
Simon Rex as Danny
Dustin Milligan as Luke
Brenda Song as Allison
Tony Cavalero as Kyle
Jason Biggs as himself
Doug Jones as Elder
Arturo Castro as Tiago
Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’. Photo: Michelle Felix.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Biggs and Meaghan Rath about their work on ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’, their first reactions to the screenplay, why Biggs wanted to direct, Rath’s approach to her character, her experience working with Biggs as both an actor and director, balancing the right comedic tone, if Biggs will direct again and what he learned from this experience.
(L to R) Jason Biggs and Meaghan Rath star in ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Jason Biggs as “Kevin” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
Moviefone: To begin with, Jason, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to direct this movie?
Jason Biggs: I read the script, and it was originally offered to me just to play the role of Kevin. My agent said to me, “I think you may want to direct this one,” because we had been looking for something to direct for a few years. What I loved about it was that it was unexpected for me, I think. As an actor there are connections that people make for me, and I thought that would have extended to my first time directing as well. I even had an opportunity to direct something that was much more like ‘American Pie’, and I ultimately thought, “I’d rather challenge myself in a different way and try to do something that was a little unexpected.” So, when I first read the script, I was like, “My God, this is really great”. It’s the kind of movie that I like to watch. I’m a big Coen Brothers fan and it felt like it had that tone to it, and it was populated with similar characters, structure, gore, and comedy. So, for me, it was like, I really wanted to direct this. It felt like the right one for me. I don’t think I anticipated just how difficult it was going to end up being, but it was a challenge that I took on, and here we are.
Meaghan Rath as “Suzie” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
MF: Meaghan, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, and did you recognize immediately that this would be a great part for you to play?
Meaghan Rath: Yes, absolutely. I was in shock when I was reading it because I really felt a connection and an urge that I needed to play her. I thought that there would be so many actors that want to take that on, because it is a terrifying challenge with of all the emotions that she goes through, but also playing those tonal shifts. I felt that it weirdly combined a bunch of different skills that I had from previous shows that I’ve done. So, it felt like it was right for me, and it felt like it was mine, and it was.
(L to R) Jason Biggs as “Kevin” and Meaghan Rath as “Suzie” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
MF: Meaghan, what was it like working with Jason on set as both an actor and as a director?
MR: I felt very safe. We got on well just from the beginning and it’s so nice to be able to have that comfort with somebody that you’re getting on this runaway train with. It was 20 days. It was such a grueling shoot, and it was mostly nights. To have somebody that you knew that you could trust to take you through it, and not just as a scene partner, but as a director, figuring out this character, because it was very overwhelming. I came on not long before we went into picture, so I didn’t have that much time with it. It was nice to have somebody to figure it out with that I knew that I could rely on. So many times, during the shoot, I was like, “I don’t think we got it.” We had such crazy time restrictions, but he always gave me another take if I wanted it. So, that’s really something.
(L to R) Justin H. Min as “Stu Cho” and Jason Biggs as “Kevin” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
MF: Jason, can you talk about the challenges of balancing the right tone of comedy and suspense?
JB: They’re in lie the biggest challenge, for sure. Meghan kind of alluded to it. It’s performance, its lighting, its shots, it’s the edit for sure, and the score. I always wanted it to feel as grounded and real because it’s a high concept movie. It’s a guy who fakes a break-in with his friend to win his wife back, and it goes wrong, and someone’s dead. It’s a high concept, but I felt like we would have the best chance of making it work if we kept it grounded. Because there’s a very broad version of this movie, for sure. But the version I wanted to see and make was as grounded as possible, because then I always thought that we would be able to go to some more extreme places, and ultimately be able to tie it together more organically in the end. So, yes, there’s laughs and very clear comedic moments, but there’s gore, there’s the thriller, and there’s the whodunit. It was the challenge of this movie, between the performances and everything else, and even right until the end, until the score was placed in. That was the sort of the final thing that we had to do. They did such a great job. So, that was the final thing, and it’s fascinating how much that helps connect everything. Anyway, that was part of the fun challenge for me.
(Center) Director Jason Biggs on the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
MF: Finally, Jason, do you think you will direct again, and if so, what have you learned from making this film that you will take with you to your next project?
JB: Yes, I would love to direct again. That’s saying a lot because this was a very hard shoot, as Meaghan said earlier. It was ambitious and very difficult at times. But for me, the moments that I will take from it, particularly working with Meaghan and the other actors and having that interaction, giving notes, having them change their performance. That was, for me, a high. It was such a great thing. So, I want to do it again. What have I learned? An insane amount. I mean, there is so much that I will take onto a next project if I get the opportunity. From little things to a big thing like, letting go, and being able to let go. You can’t get stuck. If you don’t get the shot, you just don’t get the shot. I remember missing shots and thinking, “That’s it. How am I going to put it together? It’s going to be impossible. Like, without that shot, there’s no way that this could work,” and that’s just not the case. There’s always creative solutions and ways around it. So, not getting as caught up in that, I think, maybe, is a big lesson to take.
‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’ will be available on digital January 27th.
What is the plot of ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’?
As a last-ditch attempt to save his failing marriage, an actor (Jason Biggs) stages a home invasion during a romantic getaway weekend.
Who is in the cast of ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’?
Jason Biggs as Kevin
Meaghan Rath as Suzie
Arturo Castro as Ernie Guerra
Justin H. Min
Anna Konkle
(Right) Director Jason Biggs on the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
(L to R) Arturo Castro, Aimee Carrero, and Mark St. Cyr at ‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.
The acclaimed movie, which was directed by Mark Mylod, centers around a young couple (Taylor-Joy and Hoult) who travel to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the famed Chef Slowik (Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
The event was held at a Blockbuster Video Pop Up on Melrose Avenue, and served cocktails inspired by the characters in the film, as well as Chef Slowik’s “To Die For” burger and fries, which were featured prominently at the end of the movie.
‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.
In attendance were actors Arturo Castro and Mark St. Cyr, who along with Rob Yang as Bryce, play Soren and Dave, respectively, who are Slowik’s greedy business partners. Also appearing at the event was actress Aimee Carrero, who portrayed Felicity, the assistant to John Leguizamo’s movie star character.
Moviefone had the pleasure of sitting down with Aimee Carrero, Mark St. Cyr and Arturo Castro at the event to talk about their work on ‘The Menu,’ their characters, the ensemble cast, director Mark Mylod, and if they are surprised by the success of the movie.
Aimee Carrero at ‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was it like for you as actors to be a part of this incredible ensemble cast?
Aimee Carrero: Well, it was like a play and we shot it in sequence, which is such a gift and so rare. What’s cool about the cast that Mark Mylod put together is all of us come from theater for the most part. So, we’re all used to being together, doing the same thing many times over, and just the stamina that it requires to do the same thing over and over again, not knowing where the camera is and still keeping the energy up, and still keeping it really fresh. So, I was really lucky to have a partner like John Leguizamo and have Judith Light, I mean a theater legend, Ralph Fiennes, another theater legend, and Janet McTeer. I mean, I could go on and on.
So, it was amazing. The first day I was really intimidated, but then I remember being in my trailer and thinking, okay, the only way you can mess up this job is by feeling intimidated. You got to go in and know you belong here. You can have something to offer the story. So, I gave myself a little pep talk, but nobody made me feel that way. I mean, everybody was just wonderful and so nice. It honestly felt like doing summer stock theater camp or something. It was just so much fun.
Arturo Castro: Even the days that you didn’t have lines, you had to be there. There was one scene where it’s John Leguizamo and Ralph Fiennes and they’re going at each other, and then the lines end and they start improving with each other. I remember being there. I’m like, I wouldn’t have believed you had you told me that one day I would have front row seats to watch these masters go at it. The movie had a few moments of such gratitude that I felt my chest was going to burst. So yes, it was like theater in that sense, but also just for an audience of twelve, it was wonderful.
MF: Was Ralph Fiennes intimidating to work with?
Mark St. Cyr: He takes his craft very seriously. So, when he’s there to work, he is there to work. In a way you end up being very grateful for it because he sets the tone for the whole set. Everybody’s like, “Hey, let’s treat this as a sacred opportunity while we’re here.” Then Ralph is great when he is not on set. He’s very relaxed, very generous and has a lot of fun. But when you’re there, man, he’s locked in.
Arturo Castro: He’s intimidating in the sense that the man didn’t mess up a line once, not once! One time he went, “I’m going to take that back.” He hadn’t even messed it up. He just took it back one time. I’m like, you can’t set the bar that high Dude. You got pages and pages of dialogue, and we’re fumbling like three lines a piece every five minutes. That was the intimidating part. He just said the bar too high.
Aimee Carrero: Ralph is an OBE, Order of the British Empire. He’s a theater actor. So, I was expecting someone very formal, and he’s not at all formal, which is really nice because we were all a little buttoned up when he walked in. I mean, we’d met him at a rehearsal and a lunch and stuff, but everybody’s like, there’s Ralph Fiennes.
But he was so approachable. He was so funny. He just is a curious person and wants to know about your life. So, he’ll be like, “So tell me about your husband. How did you meet your husband?” I’m like, “Really? You want to know this? You’re Ralph Fiennes, don’t you have other things to talk about?” But I think that’s what makes him a great actor, he’s really interested in people and asks people things. So, he was just a joy.
(L to R) Arturo Castro and Mark St. Cyr at ‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.
MF: Arturo and Mark, once you were cast, how quickly did you guys get to meet Rob Yang and figure out the dynamics of your three characters?
Arturo Castro: I didn’t meet these guys till I went down to Savannah. But the first day we met, we sat around discussing the script and me, Mark and Rob went out to drink. That was the dynamic, and then we started kicking it from there. We just rode the wave.
Mark St. Cyr: I met Arturo, but I didn’t know who the third Tech bro was at that time. Rob wasn’t there, so we weren’t complete until we did the table read.
MF: Can you talk about the challenge of humanizing these otherwise despicable characters?
Arturo Castro: We all know people like this, and I think there’s more than the two-dimensional factor of it. I think for me it was about people that have made something of themselves, but they come at it from a resentment point of view. Like, “Now I’m on top, so I get to be the guy and you get to feel bad because I’m on top.” These are people that have felt belittled for one reason or another, or that they had imposter syndrome and they are overcompensating on the other end. That’s how I humanize them.
Mark St. Cyr: I think that’s interesting, what you just said about how they feel like they’re on top now. Maybe they were on the bottom before because that table is all minorities, which I thought was interesting as they very easily could have cast all the tech bros as white. So in a way, you kind of get to watch the entitlement attitude that comes with having a ridiculous amount of money at your disposal. I think there are a lot of men that just prioritize money above all else. Money is important, but above all else can do some weird things to you.
MF: Aimee, John Leguizamo has publicly said that he based his “movie star” character on Steven Seagal, who he had an unpleasant experience working with on 1996’s ‘Executive Decision.’ Did you know that was where he was pulling his inspiration for the character from when you were filming?
Aimee Carrero: No. In fact, I thought he was going for a Johnny Depp thing because of the scarf, because he had that little scarf on. But he actually said that during our press junket in November when the movie was going to come out. I remember him being coy about not saying who it was, and finally half way through the junket, he was like, “Honestly, it was based on Steven Seagal.” He just said it. I was like, oh my God.
But no, in fact, I thought he played the movie star with a lot of heart. I actually felt bad for him at times. So, maybe that was his detached, delusions of grandeur kind of thing definitely coming through. But yeah, it’s funny because whenever actors are portrayed in film, it’s always so over the top and kooky. But he chose the route of, this could be an actor or it could just be a guy who’s really full of himself and no one’s ever said no to him.
MF: Aimee, without giving anything away, I felt that both Felicity and Anne, played by Judith Light, did not deserve the outcomes they received. Do you agree with that, or do you think they got what they deserved?
Aimee Carrero: Well, it’s funny because Judith and I talked about that. We talked about the idea of if you’re not making the problem better, then you’re making it worse. I think maybe out of all the people in the restaurant, they deserve to die the least. I don’t think that they were as bad as the other ones. But I think in Felicity’s case, because her mother ran a big studio, she got a job there, she was stealing money, she had no student loans.
I think part of it too, from the writer’s perspective, there has to be a catharsis that the audience feels when they’re having to pay their student loan every month, to watch someone who didn’t have to suffer that meet their end, in a funny way, it has to be cathartic. But I don’t think she was as bad as the other ones. But it does spark a question in my mind, is it okay to just not be that bad or do we have to be good?
(L to R) Arturo Castro and Mark St. Cyr at ‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.
MF: Finally, what was your experience like working with director Mark Mylod on this project, and were you surprised by the success of the film?
Arturo Castro: We were just talking about it and we feel like it comes in waves. When it came out in theaters, then it came out on HBO Max, and now that it’s on Blu-ray and DVD, so we’re just incredibly grateful. If I may say about Mark Mylod, every morning he would get to set, he would have a team meeting and he would have such humor and grace to what we were going to do for the day. He just set the tone really early in the morning for what the day was going to be. It helped tremendously for morale. So, now that people actually like it, it’s just incredible.
Mark St. Cyr: I would say about Mark, to me, he’s the most incredible director I’ve worked with, and I don’t say that to flatter him. But one of the things that really stood out for me was that he learned the name of every background artist we had and he called them by name. There were takes where they had an important storytelling moment, whether it was crossing or they had to do something. He would check in with them by name and be like, was that good for you as well?
I’ve never seen that on any set that I’ve ever been on. He really invited creative collaboration and there were times when the background artist would let him know, “Hey, there was this thing that didn’t go according to the plan, just want you to be aware of it.” It made the project better because everybody felt like they had a sense of contribution and ownership.
Aimee Carrero: He’s a dream come true. So, I knew his work. I’d never met him, but I watched all of ‘Succession,’ even before I knew I was auditioning for this. So, I’d seen that and lot of the ‘Game of Thrones’ he directed. What I didn’t know about Mark was that he started in comedy, so he did a lot of comedy before he moved into that prestige TV. That was really cool because I knew from jump that it was important to him to bring out the levity in the movie, which is a dark, black comedy. But he was amazing because I think he also was really honest. Being a TV director helps you just be like, “I’m not going to beat around the bush, this is what I need,” which is so helpful.
But also aside from that, he’s a deeply talented person, and he kept the set super light and just really supportive. So we’d get the takes as written, and then he’d always give us a freebie take. So we’d improvise, and a lot of the improv made it in. That whole bit with John and I, when he was like, “I gave you a bad recommendation to Sony.” And I said, “I know, you CC’d me on it.” That was improv. So, they kept a lot of that, which is so cool. Sometimes you don’t have the space to do that, especially if you’re on a tight budget. This was not a huge movie as far as budget goes, so time is money and he would always take the time to make sure that everybody got to do what they felt good about.
What I’m surprised by is how many people were interested in seeing it. We obviously knew we were in a dark comedy, but you’ve got to play it for real. For some reason I thought we were making this art house thing. But people were so excited to see this movie. What surprised me more than the theatrical release was when it hit the streamers. There were all these people that maybe didn’t feel comfortable going to the movie yet because of COVID, or maybe have young children. So, many people saw it on streaming, and I’ve seen more of that now than when it was in the theater. So, that was really cool.
Listen, it’s always a surprise when anything you do, people like. I’ve done a lot of clunkers, so it’s amazing anytime you get it in a movie and then you like the movie, and then people like the movie and you have a good time, that’s lightning in a bottle.
(L to R) Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr and Aimee Carrero at ‘The Menu’ Blu-ray release party at the Blockbuster Pop Up in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Dan Steinberg Photography.
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The new dark comedy ‘The Menu,’ which was directed by Mark Mylod (‘What’s Your Number?’), opens in theaters on November 18th. Produced by Adam McKay (‘Vice’) and Will Ferrell (‘Spirited’), the film takes an exaggerated look at celebrity chefs and “Foodie culture” and in doing so, serves up one of the best movies of the year!
The story follows Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), a young couple that travels to a private island to experience celebrity chef Julian Slowik’s (Ralph Fiennes) acclaimed restaurant, Hawthorne. The restaurant specializes in molecular gastronomy, with everything grown on the island, and treating the food more like conceptual art.
Other guests at the dinner include food critic Lillian Bloom (Janet McTeer), her editor Ted (Paul Adelstein), a wealthy couple (Reed Birney and Judith Light), a movie star (John Leguizamo) and his assistant (Amiee Carrero), and three “Wall Street-type” investors (Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, and Rob Yang). But the dinner soon takes a terrible turn when the guests realize that they were all invited for a nefarious reason, and that Chef Slowik plans to take make an example out of all of them.
While not a mystery per se, ‘The Menu’ reminded me a lot of ‘Knives Out,’ which is ironic since that sequel is being released next month on Netflix. But instead of being a “Whodunit” it’s more of a “how will it be done” type of story since we know from the beginning that something is not right about this island restaurant and Chef Slowik’s intentions. The tone of the film is dark, but it is also quite funny, with the humor coming out of the awkwardness of the social situation the characters are in.
The film also has a lot to say about class, wealth, and the social media enhanced celebrity worshiping world we all find ourselves now living in. While the lead characters have names, you will notice many of the other characters are only known by their titles like Leguizamo’s “Movie Star” character. I would imagine this was done on purpose by the writers to establish the idea that what they represent is more important than who they really are.
Originally set to be directed by Alexander Payne (‘Sideways’), Mark Mylod ended up making the film and it’s by far the best of his career, making him a director that I would keep my eye on. He balances the different tones of the film masterfully, and moves the camera around the restaurant and kitchen with ease, as if we were actually there, adding to the mystic of the film. The set design is also impressive, with a fantastic modern tone and colors popping off the well shot and gorgeous looking food.
However, it’s the characters and performances that really make the movie worth watching. The supporting cast is excellent, even in their somewhat limited roles. John Leguizamo perfectly captures the insecurities of a falling movie star, while Aimee Carrero pulls a lot of sympathy as his assistant, Felicity. Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr and Rob Yang also portray their “Wall Street Bros” characters well and add to the drama of the film. Veteran actress Judith Light (‘Who’s the Boss?’) also shines as a wealthy wife just realizing that her husband is a cheat.
But of the dinner guests, Janet McTeer is absolutely unforgettable as food critic Lilian Bloom, and deserves Oscar consideration for Best Supporting Actress. McTeer brings just the right mix of upper-class snootiness and superiority to the role. Veteran actor Paul Adelstein (‘Prison Break’) is very funny as Bloom’s editor and yes-man, Ted. Actress Hong Chau from ‘Downsizing’ also gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Slowik’s bossy assistant Elsa, who will do anything to please the Chef.
Nicholas Hoult’s role as Tyler is the weakest spot for me, but I don’t think it was the actor’s fault. The character is not as well written as the others and struggles at times to stay as interesting as the other characters in the scene. But ultimately the character is revealed to be not as nice as he seems, and the actor does his best to layer that throughout his performance.
In the end, it’s Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes performances that make the film work, and the exploration of their characters’ interesting relationship. Taylor-Joy gives one of her best performances to date as the over-her-head Margot, who’s only chance at survival is to show the Chef her authentic self.
Fiennes is absolutely commanding in the role and carries the movie’s dark comedic tones and pacing with ease. While his actions could easily be labeled “crazy,” the actor is almost able to convince the audience that the Chef is in the right, which is quite impressive given his motivation and actions. Fiennes also has great chemistry with Taylor-Joy, and the connection between the two characters really resonates.
Without giving anything away, I did have an issue with how the film ended up treating a few characters that I felt didn’t completely deserve their outcome, namely Light and Carrero’s characters, who seemed more like ignorant accomplices than the actual “terrible” people Slowik wants to punish. Yet it seems like that was the point, that someone can be held responsible for someone else’s actions just by being complicit themselves.
In the end, ‘The Menu’ is a fun and fascinating movie that explores class, wealth, and the strange social media and celebrity driven society that we all live in. With stunning directorial work from Mylod, and excellent performances from Fiennes, Taylor-Joy, and the supporting cast, ‘The Menu’ should have a good shot at several nominations this coming awards season.
More in line with parodies of the genre such as ‘Walk Hard’, ‘Weird’ takes the concept of the music star biopic and absolutely goes for broke in a style that recalls the ‘Naked Gun’ movies or the ‘Airplane!’ films of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrams and David Zucker’s time.
Yankovic, let’s not forget, made cameos in all three ‘Naked Gun’ films.
Directed by Eric Appel, a veteran of the ‘Funny or Die’ site (and loosely based on short online trailer version hosted there, which stars ‘Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul as Yankovic), the film, co-written by Yankovic and Appel, chronicles a large swathe of Yankovic’s early life and career.
Except, this is a far from factual account, which seems fitting for a man who has made a career out of funny parody songs, big hair and a talent for the accordion.
His successful career – he’s the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time, with five Grammys under his belt, a 2014 release in ‘Mandatory Fun’ that became the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 and being one of only three artists to have had their own top 40 hits in each of the last four decades – is certainly material for a solid movie. But it’s much more entertaining that the musician and Appel have liberally invented milestones in his life.
Daniel Radcliffe as ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in The Roku Channel’s ‘Weird: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story.’
After an in media res opening with Yankovic being rushed into surgery, we’re introduced to young “Alfie” as a kid (played by Richard Aaron Anderson) who lives with his sensitive, understanding mother Mary (Julianne Nicholson) and his no-nonsense, god-fearing father Nick (Toby Huss), who expounds on his work at a local factory and how if Al would only agree to let him “put a word in”, the job would make a man out of him. Never mind that it has a higher fatality rate than ‘Spinal Tap’s drummers.
Fate intervenes when a door-to-door accordion salesman (Thomas Lennon) stops by, and while he’s roundly assaulted by Nick for tempting the young Yankovic with the “demonic” instrument, Al’s mother quietly buys it for him in secret.
That leads to a brief, even funnier section in which teenage Al (David Bloom) is introduced to the concept of polka parties where his skills make him a big hit – at least until the police raid the home of one of his friends.
Soon, we’re catching up with college-age Al (now Daniel Radcliffe, who commits completely to the role, even if he doesn’t totally nail Yankovic’s voice), who in a memorable sequence, invents his first big parody song with ‘My Bologna’ after hearing The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’ on the radio while making sandwiches for his encouraging roommates.
Making fun of movies such as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, where famous songs are generated seemingly out of nowhere for dramatic effect, the tone here is purely one of fun.
(L to R) Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey, and Daniel Radcliffe as “Weird Al” Yankovic in The Roku Channel’s ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.’
With an assist from radio DJ Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson) and a performance at a punk club that goes surprisingly well, Al is on his way, even if he has yet to impress snobby music executives (played amusingly by Will Forte and the real Yankovic, who has a blast demeaning and critiquing his avatar).
Things snowball from there, with Yankovic becoming hugely famous, attracting the attention of Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood), who becomes his tempestuous lover and Pablo Escobar (Arturo Castro), his biggest fan – who will later cause problems for him.
It’s a wild and wooly ride, going for broke at every moment and squeezing as much humor as possible out of Yankovic’s life with a hilariously fake history. Yet somehow, if often comes across as less preposterous as some real-life biopics.
Radcliffe, who in his post-‘Harry Potter’ career has proved one of the most game and adaptable young actors, here shows comedy chops, slapping on a curly wig and fake Moustache to bring Al to life (with a little help from the real-life version when it comes to the songs).
He’s vanity-free, nimble and funny, and matched in the leading stakes by Wood, who brings ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’-era Madonna to life with verve and an endless supply of chewing gum.
Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna in the Roku Channel’s ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.’
The result, like the ‘My Bologna’ scene, is the spontaneous birth of ‘Another One Rides the Bus’, sending Deacon off embarrassed.
‘Weird’s entertainment value dips a little towards the end, where the tone becomes ever zanier and the joke can’t quite sustain a full-length film, but before that happens, it has easily earned its place among great spoofs.
Yankovic’s descent into the typical drink, drugs and sex scene of some hard partying rockers is even funnier when you know that in his real life, he’s a clean-living vegetarian whose late parents were incredibly supportive.
This is an artist getting the chance to live out their fantasy of how their career might have turned out, were it not for the fact that they were successful on their own terms and never fell into such clichéd ways.
We’re grateful he found a way to do it, though, as it makes for an even funnier story than some of his songs.
‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Roku Channel’s ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.’
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