(L to R) Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
(L to R) Jason Segel and Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
Marriages where the passion has long cooled have been a fertile source for bloody comedies in the past, including ‘The War of the Roses’ (remade recently as ‘The Roses’) into that genre steps ‘Over Your Dead Body’, which boasts the comic stylings of Jason Segel and the comedy/action chops of Samara Weaving. But does it deliver?
Script and Direction
‘Over Your Dead Body’ director Jorma Taccone.
Adapted from the Norwegian film ‘The Trip’ (which was co-written and directed by Tommy Wirkola), the new movie features a script from Nick Kocher (‘Pizza Movie’) and Brian McElhaney (‘Plus One’) that sets up the bad romance between Segel and Weaving’s characters before throwing all manner of comically violent twists in. It doesn’t always work, but when it hits, it hits hard.
Jorma Taccone, the Lonely Island co-founder, shows a knack for staging violent set pieces here, and keeps the movie feeling fun.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Juliette Lewis, Samara Weaving, and Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
Segel and Weaving are excellent as the central pair, but kudos also to Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis and Keith Jardine, who all give committed, loopy performances.
Final Thoughts
Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
If you watch one action comedy this year where Samara Weaving regrets her choices and fights for her life, make it ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’. But if you’ve room for two, then ‘Over Your Dead Body’ has plenty to offer.
‘Over Your Dead Body’ receives 69 out of 100.
(L to R) Jason Segel and Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
What is the plot of ‘Over Your Dead Body’?
A couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) tries to reconnect while on vacation, only to find out they have plans to kill each other.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Jorma Taccone about his work on ‘Over Your Dead Body’, remaking ‘The Trip’, shooting the action sequences, the music, and putting together the exceptional cast.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
(L to R) Jason Segel and Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the challenges of remaking ‘The Trip’?
Jorma Taccone: Well, this is based on a Norwegian movie called ‘The Trip’, originally called ‘In Bad Days’ by Tommy Wirkola, and it’s a very funny movie. Tommy did movies like ‘Violent Night’. I was really a big fan of all his stuff. He’s more of an action-comedy guy. I’m more of a comedy-action guy. So, there’s a Venn diagram there. The original movie is very dark. It’s angry but it’s very funny too. I was very interested in, one, what a different cast would bring to it. There are some pretty big changes that have happened with our bad guys. When I read the original script, I was really impressed that Nick (Kocher) and Brian (McElhaney), who are very funny writers, had captured the tone that I really wanted to present, which is the characters being a bit more redeemable and really trying to earn the ending of the movie. It’s a series of tricks that this movie is doing of threading all these different needles. It’s like three movies in one. It’s this suspense/thriller, into almost a home invasion, into an action movie and it just ramps. So, it was pushing the comedy, which is obviously my heart, not wanting to break anything and having the reality of the world. But really doing all those tones, having all these twists and turns, and having the comedy stitch it all together in this way that felt like such an awesome challenge. Showing different shades of things that maybe people don’t expect from me.
(L to R) Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, and Keith Jardine in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
MF: Can you talk about your approach to filming the action sequences?
JT: I mean, there’s a lot of cool set pieces in this movie. With the days that you have and the time that you have, it’s always challenging to get. A half a page of action lines can take a full day to shoot. So, it’s always like that. There’s a whole action set piece that goes all around the front yard and there’s brutal stuff that happens. There are maybe ten different gags that happen that are just really over the top violent and it’s so fun. It’s also funny and disturbing. So, that was a fun one to block and choreograph with 87North Productions, who are known for ‘Bullet Train’, ‘Atomic Blonde’, ‘John Wick’. So, I had the best stunt team on the planet. Then I’m also weaving all my dumb comedy into it as well. So, it was those moments that you’re just like, “This is so fun to have so many different things going on in one scene.”
Samara Weaving in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
MF: Can you talk about the music you used in the film?
JT: I’m obsessed with audio. There’s all these EDM songs that are in the movie that I got Karen Gillan to do. So, she did this song, and Samara Weaving does a song. But if there is chaos, there’s even more chaos with audio and there’s this crazy song happening. So, it was fun to build all that stuff up.
(L to R) Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
MF: Finally, what was it like putting this cast together and working with them on set?
JT: Well, one of the things I’ve been saying, which I think holds very true, is that my wife (director Marielle Heller) was saying that there’s a head of every department and there’s always a head of the acting department. Jason Siegel was absolutely that for me. He was the hub of the wheel that we first got. Then to get Samara who works so well with him, and she’s so funny in this movie. She’s playing an Australian too, which was great for her improv to just be able to go toe to toe with Jason. There’s so much fun between them. But then Timothy Olyphant, who was difficult to convince, but I did it. Then him and Juliette are so funny. Then, Keith Jardine, who is mostly known for MMA fighting, but he’s been in a ton of stuff. He’s the sweetest man on the planet and he’s so funny in this. Then, Paul Guilfoyle, who’s unbelievable as this dad character. So, I got incredibly lucky. But Jason was the start of that, of the ball rolling towards this incredible cast.
Editorial Note: Tessa Smith conducted the interview and contributed to this article.
Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Courtesy of Independent Film Company. An Independent Film Company Release.
What is the plot of ‘Over Your Dead Body’?
A couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) tries to reconnect while on vacation, only to find out they have plans to kill each other.
(L to R) Juliette Lewis and Peter Dinklage star in ‘The Thicket’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis about their work on ‘The Thicket’, their first reaction to the screenplay, their approach to their characters, the challenges of making a Western and working with director Elliot Lester.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Dinklage and Lewis, Leslie Grace, Levon Hawke, Gbenga Akinnagbe and director Elliot Lester.
(L to R) Peter Dinklage in ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Moviefone: To begin with, Peter, can you talk about what attracted you to the source material, your first reaction to the screenplay and your approach to playing this character?
Peter Dinklage: Well, yes, selfishly, I am an actor and that Reginald Jones, when I read the book, I had to put his boots on. He really spoke to me in an environment in which I am not a part of, but who would I be a couple hundred years ago in that universe? Would I be Reginald Jones, or would I be a survivor? You got to put yourself in the shoes of that character and any commonality you have with that character. I know how to navigate a room like Reginald Jones does. I don’t really knock anybody sideways and stab them in the leg to get out of the room, but I’ve had the urge to, occasionally. But it’s that. It was just, Joe (Lansdale) has such a gift for, and I say this in the best possible sense of the word, I love pulp novels, so it has a pulp feel to it. I’m a huge fan of all those types of books, and it was such a fast read and so suspenseful that I really thought this could work as a film. So, David Ginsberg, my producing partner and I sought out the rights and everything started to fall into place. Ten years later, Juliette Lewis and I are sitting here talking to you.
Juliette Lewis in ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
MF: Juliette, when you first read the script, did you recognize right away that this would be a fantastic role for you to play in particular?
Juliette Lewis: For me, it was a dream part. It was a part of a lifetime and what I was striving for was something spectacular. What I mean by that is by not trying. I wanted to make it so believable. The writing, the ingredients that I was given was so helpful and it just pops off your imagination in a very special way, and so I was very excited by it. But there’s a description about her voice being mangled, because she’s called Cut Throat Bill and that people mistake her for a man, and that she’s so savage. So, when someone tells a story like that, I really want to bring it and you believe the folklore of this character. So, I was very pleased when I placed my voice lower, and I could do it for long periods. I was like, “Oh, this might work. There might be a character here.” I showed it to Elliot, and he approved of that direction. Because you usually need your director to give you a little encouragement and say you’re going in the right direction. It’s really a special project for me.
(L to R) Peter Dinklage and Gbenga Akinnagbe in ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
MF: Peter, is it fun making a Western or is it physically demanding? What were the conditions like making this movie?
PD: I love to be demanded of physically. We’re actors. Sometimes we spend too much time in the trailers, where it’s warm. There’s something about putting rocks in your shoes and being out in the cold. I say that proverbially. We didn’t put rocks in my shoes, but that feeling of the discomfort a character would have in this environment. It really does most of the acting for you when you’re freezing your bum off. You don’t have to act cold. So, there you go, it makes our job easier in a weird, ironic way.
(L to R) James Hetfield and director Elliott Lester on the set of ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
MF: Juliette, what was it like collaborating with director Elliot Lester on set?
JL: (He was) just passionate. He came to the table with this vision, and like Peter said, he came on board. They’ve been wanting to create it for quite a while. So, he had a strong vision of the thing. They assembled such a great team, from the cast to the wardrobe, to the horse wranglers, to the prop department. I mean, everybody was just the top for this film. So, that was exciting. But Elliot’s super passionate. So, it was exciting. But I got to say, the scene with Peter, the centerpiece in the movie there, is a highlight of my career, what we got to do in this movie, next to (Robert) De Niro in ‘Cape Fear’, this scene with him was special. It’s amazing.
(Left) Juliette Lewis in ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
MF: Finally, Peter, what was your experience like working with Juliette on this project?
PD: It’s incredible. I feel the exact same way working with (Juliette). It was a joy. I was so excited when Juliette said yes to the film, because I knew we were going to get something very, very specific and so lived in, and I didn’t know what it was going to be. I just had that gut feeling, and it was so exciting to hear her for the first time.
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What is the plot of ‘The Thicket’?
An innocent young man, Jack (Levon Hawke), goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister Lula (Esme Creed-Miles) after she has been kidnapped by the violent killer Cut Throat Bill (Juliette Lewis) and her gang. To save her, Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Peter Dinklage), a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave (Gbenga Akinnagbe), and a street-smart prostitute (Leslie Grace). The gang tracks Cut Throat Bill into the deadly no-man’s land known as The Big Thicket — a place where blood and chaos reign.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Thicket’?
Peter Dinklage as Reginald Jones
Juliette Lewis as Cut Throat Bill
Levon Hawke as Jack Parker
Esmé Creed-Miles as Lula Parker
Leslie Grace as Jimmy Sue
Gbenga Akinnagbe as Eustace Howard
Andrew Schulz as Hector
James Hetfield as Simon Deasy
(L to R) Leslie Grace, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Levon Hawke and Peter Dinklage in ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
At the time it was released, “Natural Born Killers” was considered one of the most controversial movies ever made. Based on a story by then-newcomer Quentin Tarantino, the film unapologetically depicted a pair of serial killers and the media blitz that they attract, turning upside down the relationship between real and on-screen violence with a brutal satire that only someone like Oliver Stone had the commercial and creative muscle to pull off. Today it remains a galvanizing look at the way that media controls and exploits real-life tragedy for ratings, while also serving as an absolutely singular triumph of technique. As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary, Moviefone looks back at the unique and sometimes troubled production, remembering a time when major studios took big chances with ambitious filmmakers on stories that didn’t merely transport audiences but challenged them to examine and reconsider the world around them.
1. Quentin Tarantino sold producers Jane Hamsher and Don Murphy an option for his “Natural Born Killers” script for $10,000 after he was unable to direct the film himself for $500,000. When Oliver Stone signed on, he, David Veloz and associate producer Richard Rutowski heavily overhauled Tarantino’s script, which is why he retains only Story By credit on the film.
2. Stone initially wanted to make a gritty, violent action film that offered a logistical reprieve after the challenges of his film “Heaven & Earth.” But a number of high-profile court cases that dominated the news during that time (including the O.J. Simpson case and the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan incident) prompted him to transform the would-be road movie into a commentary about the dangerous role of the media in Americans’ daily lives.
3. Although many real-life murderers and serial killers inspired different aspects of the story and characters, Stone was perhaps most strongly influenced by Arthur Penn’s “Bonnie & Clyde,” and in particular the film’s then-innovative editing techniques, which used footage from different cameras shooting simultaneously at different speeds.
4. Tom Sizemore revealed that Stone would play African tribal music at high volumes in between takes in order to keep up a level of manic energy on set.
Warner Bros.
5. Cinematographer Robert Richardson broke his finger and a replacement cameraman cut his eye shooting the scene where Mallory runs into the wire mesh and knocks herself out. Juliette Lewis also broke Sizemore’s nose in the scene where she slams his character Jack Scagnetti into a wall.
6. Coca-Cola was reportedly furious to discover what the movie was about after their famous commercial featuring the polar bears was used twice prominently as cutaways.
7. In the scenes involving rear projection, the background footage was shot prior to principal photography, edited together and projected live at the location behind the actors and actresses.
8. The scene where Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory are apprehended at the drug store was purposely filmed in a way to evoke the Rodney King incident.
9. Oliver Stone used more than 150 rattlesnakes, some real and others fake, for the scene where Mickey and Mallory walk through the field of snakes. Since the scene was filmed at night, the snakes were colder and therefore more sluggish — if not sleeping — and therefor less dangerous to the actors.
10. Ashley Judd appears in a deleted scene as a sorority girl who is the only survivor of one of Mickey and Mallory’s killing sprees. Mickey questions her on the stand before stabbing her to death with a pencil.
Warner Bros.
11. The prison riot was shot at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois. Eighty percent of the inmates there were detained for violent crimes, but they were allowed to participate in the riot scenes with rubber weapons.
12. Stone and Richardson use eighteen different film formats on screen throughout the film.
13. Shooting of the film only took 56 days, but editing it took another 11 months. The finished film features almost 3000 cuts, which is almost four time as many as average.
14. The film was banned in several foreign countries upon its initial release, including in Ireland. The bans were later lifted.
15. The film became a lightning rod for controversy after author John Grisham helped bankroll a court case against Stone and the filmmakers when a young woman named Sarah Edmondson and her boyfriend dropped acid and went on a shooting spree after watching the film. Although the case was initially dropped on the grounds that filmmakers are protected by First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, an appellate court overturned the ruling; Hollywood held its breath for more than four years to see whether the court would find the filmmakers responsible for inciting violence. But the case was fully dismissed in March of 2001.
Juliette Lewis revealed that she is joining “The Conners,” ABC’s “Roseanne” spinoff. Johnny Galecki is also returning as David. They will play a couple, with Lewis playing David’s girlfriend Blue, who was (insultingly) referenced by Darlene (Sara Gilbert) in the “Roseanne” revival last year.
As Lewis noted with her post on the news, this will mark a reunion for her and Galecki after playing siblings Audrey and Russ Griswold in the 1989 movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
“The Conners” will also bring back John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, and Emma Kenney. Roseanne Barr was fired, leading to the end of “Roseanne,” and she revealed that “The Conners” plans to kill off Roseanne Conner with an opioid overdose.
“The Conners” premieres Tuesday, October 16 on ABC.
Every year the Oscars “In Memoriam” tribute leaves out one or two big names who died in the previous year. The Internet noticed that “Godfather” star Abe Vigoda was missing from the 2016 telecast; he just died in late January 2016, but the show managed to include Alan Rickman and David Bowie, who also just died in January. In terms of actors who died in 2015, there was no mention of Geoffrey Lewis, who had hundreds of screen credits, including roles in many Clint Eastwood movies.
Lewis died on April 7, 2015, and — at the time — his daughter, actress Juliette Lewis, shared a touching tribute to her dad. So you could understand if she was upset that the Oscars didn’t include her father in the tribute. But she kept things classy and positive in a series of tweets and retweets:
A photo posted by Juliette Lewis (@juliettelewis) on
It is sad that he was overlooked, but heartening that he was not forgotten by fans. Overall, Lewis still seemed pleased with the Oscars, and tweeted congrats to her old “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, who had his first acting nomination in that movie when he was just 19.
So happy to see Leo win and to use it as a platform to talk about #ClimateChange and things that matter! Congrats my friend @LeoDiCaprio
Here’s a list of other departed stars who didn’t quite make the In Memoriam cut, although there may be some good timing and … canine … reasons for those snubs.
If you’re like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Here’s the best of what happened last night on late night.
“The Tonight Show,” and it turns out she does a MEAN Liam Neeson from “Taken.” That cute face can get scary fast. Oh, and Selena also kindly checked the studio for ghosts using her funky ghost app. Vin Diesel is such a softie. He was also on “Tonight” and showed off the most adorable photo of his baby daughter. He said his 7-year-old daughter sends him adorable texts on set. Everything is adorable!
Still on “Tonight,” Fallon broke out his perfect Trump impression to watch the “huuuuuuuuuugely boring” Democratic debate with Ben Carson (David Alan Grier). This is genuinely hilarious: Nathan Fillion insists he’s not much of a prankster, but while having work done on his house recently, he had some contractors around and one of them kept whistling “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Nathan decided this was too good to resist so, when the guys were at lunch, he hid in his own closet and waited. when the guy returned, Nathan popped out and yelled “Pop goes the weasel!” But it turns out the guy had some kind of nervous condition and the next time Nathan saw him he was missing most of the hair off of his left eyebrow, apparently from stress. (!) Poor guy. But good prank!
Jimmy Kimmel also noted that Nathan’s “Halo 5” character is slightly more handsome than Nathan is in real life. You’re still pretty, man!
Stephen Colbert noticed the problem many candidates have had in that they want to use famous songs to promote their campaigns, but then the musicians blast the candidates for using those songs without permission or endorsement. So Colbert and Jack Black teamed up to sing a new political anthem free for any candidate to pick up. It’s appropriately generic and catchy. That’s “My Kind of America”! Kate Winslet keeps her Oscar statue in her bathroom and she explained to Seth Meyers exactly why it’s in there and what she expects people do with it. She times people so she can tell how long their fake speech might be. Better finish quick before the music rushes you off, Leo!
Colin Hanks, Juliette Lewis, and Matthew Fox shared the couch on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” and when they weren’t discussing their first albums, they were listening to Juliette explain her underpants problems — as highlighted in a paparazzi photo that caught her adjusting herself. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.
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The robot that put the “Holograms” in “Jem and the Holograms” has made its debut Tuesday in the new trailer for the live-action adaption of the popular 1980s animated series.
In this iteration helmed by Jon M. Chu, Synergy is a mini-robot that projects what appears to be the title character Jem’s childhood home movies.
“I thought you said your dad’s inventions didn’t work,” a friend remarks to Jem when the mobile-beeping piece of technology (think Wall-E) reveals itself and flashes a film on the ceiling.
It’s not clear what the extent of Synergy’s abilities will be, but it’s a far cry from its origins.
Fans of the animated series, which ran 1985-1988, will remember the coolness of Synergy — an animated amazon beauty with lilac-colored skin, blue feathered tresses tamed by a purple headband, striking red lips and aerobics gear that had shoulder pads.
Synergy was beautiful. Synergy was fabulous. Synergy was not a mini-Redbox on wheels.
Synergy mostly resided in Jem’s computer system, but she could also project herself into the real world. She was a genie-like partner to Jem, who would summon her by touching a star-shaped earring while uttering: “It’s showtime, Synergy!” At Jem’s command, Synergy would create lifelike holograms that would thwart her enemies, the rival band The Misfits.
“Jem and the Holograms,” starring Aubrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Aurora Perrineau and Juliette Lewis, hits theaters Oct. 23.
Geoffrey Lewis was one of those character actors who was in just about everything, but first and foremost he was a father. Lewis died of natural causes on Tuesday, April 7.
Fans may know him from Clint Eastwood movies like “High Plains Drifter,” “Every Which Way But Loose,” “Pink Cadillac” and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” He has dozens of TV and film credits on his resume, and he was nominated for a Golden Globe award for his role in the TV series “Flo.” Actress Juliette Lewis just knows him as Dad, and early Wednesday morning she posted a larger version of the photo shown above on Instagram with a caption that goes straight to the heart:
My dad. My dad my dad my dad my dad. My love my dad. My dad. My hero. My dad. My dad my love my loving father. My strength my might. My friend. My hugs. My laughter. My love. My dad. Oh my heart. My heart. He loved us so. He loved us so. So so much. I am forever my father’s daughter and he will never been gone.”
Beautiful. According to Variety, Mr. Lewis is survived by his wife Paula Hochhalter, Juliette and nine other children — including actors Lightfield and Matthew, and actress Dierdre. He will be missed but, as Juliette said, he will never be gone.
Geoffrey Lewis was one of those character actors who was in just about everything, but first and foremost he was a father. Lewis died of natural causes on Tuesday, April 7.