(upbeat music) - Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of the Comic Source. It's another San Diego Comic Con preview episode, something really special. I'm excited to talk to our guests today about a short film that is making it's, I guess we'll say convention debut. It hasn't been screened at a convention yet. So certainly making it San Diego Comic Con debut. And it's based on Stephen King's short story. And it's my pleasure to welcome Julia Marchesi to the show, Julia. Thanks for taking the time. - Hello, I'm so excited to talk to you about this today. - Yeah, so first of all, thanks for letting me have a screening. I got to check it out. Stephen King is also one of my favorite authors. And you sort of have a background in horror films, acting and directing and what have you. So before we start talking about this project specifically, you wanna give everybody a little bit of a short bio and talk about your experience in the film industry. - Sure, so I've been a Stephen King fan since I was about 11. So that's been going back for a really, really long time. But I've been an actor since I was a kid. I went to perform my arts high school and I studied drama and film in college. And then since then I did film programming at the New Beverly Cinema for eight years. I've been in a bunch of horror movies, including one about cannibalistic sorority girls called Delta Delta Die for full moon features. I got to get covered in a bucket of blood, live in the dream. And I've also done some other December. I did it was one of Joe Dante's movies bearing the X. So I've got to do a lot of really cool projects. I also am a director. So I directed a documentary called "Out of Print" in 2016, which is about the importance of revival cinema at 35 millimeter to culture. And that one is streaming anywhere you like. And it's also got a 35 millimeter print that lives in the Academy Museum, the film archive. So that's pretty exciting. And then I read this story and it's kind of strange to go from a feature to a short as your next project, but I read this story and was blown away by it and was like, how does one get to do a Stephen King adaptation? So this is part of his dollar baby program, which we have to buy that. You can ask for the rights to certain short stories for $1 for one year. And then the contract restrictions used to 45 minutes are under nonprofit non-broadcast, but the end result you get to send to him and it's in contractually, he has to watch it. So you know going in that he will see your work. So that's part of the perk of it. So it was something where I inquired in a way that I wasn't prepared when they sent me back a contract immediately. And then I was like, oh, I have a ticking clock now. I have one year to make this movie and it's not a lot of time to make a film. And there was the, we pushed back a year because of the pandemic, but it was something where I went, oh, okay, I'm never gonna have this opportunity again. And so when I asked the University of Maine if we could film there because that's where the story takes place and they said, yes, so those are the actual locations from the story, the library he mentions, the dorm we filmed in is the dorm that Stephen King lived in when he went to the University of Maine. I got to sleep in his room. It was lifelong, constant reader dream. - Yeah, and we'll talk a little bit about the movie and the story itself and some of the themes and what having just a little bit of everybody if you're not familiar with it. It was first published, I think in Cosmo in 1976, is that? - You can see that issue in the film. - Yeah, that is the magazine that the roommate is reading when you first meet her, is that comic, is that Cosmo? - Well, that's cool. Yeah, a lot of other little Easter eggs as well. But I think most people, most Stephen King readers probably got it in the night shift, which is a collection of his short stories. That's where I first read it when I was probably read around 11 or 12 myself. But you mentioned the Dollar Baby program, and I love this, right? Like Stephen King, we know he's known worldwide, his books are sold around the world, bestsellers and what have you. It's not like he needs the money. So I love that he kind of gives back to other creatives, people trying to start out. And it's also one of those things where he probably wants to see other people's interpretations of his work. - Yeah, I think that's so cool that he would still want that. Because the version of the story that's in my head is not the version in his head. And so what a cool thing for him to do, knowing that his name on the project is gonna get more eyes on it, and it's going to help you. But also he's like, ah, what's this? How does this person see this story? And I think I would be fascinated. And I think that's so cool that he still is. - As a lifelong Stephen King fan though, you got that yes, with their sense of pressure, intimidation, nervousness. - Of course, and part of the reason, so it's set in the 70s partially for my own aesthetic purposes, but also because if the story takes place in the present day, it falls apart because you can't have the internet, you can't be able to look him up. That's part of why I wanted to keep it what it was. And so I also didn't want to change the story because part of the contract is you have no restrictions. You can do whatever you want with that story. So you can take one little nugget and spin off into something else if you want to, but I didn't want to do that. I wanted to try to keep it as faithful as possible. So I was like, well, we kind of have to keep it set in the 70s then to keep the private investigator and to be able to have that same feeling. 'Cause I really, you know, the biggest compliment that I've received with the film is like, it feels like Stephen King, but it also feels like you. And I was like, that is, I couldn't ask for anything more. That I feel like, you know, if you can marry, 'cause I always want my films to feel like me. I feel like the film, because I like are ones, and I'm like, oh, okay, this, I can recognize this. And people have, you know, really said that it feels like the story to them. And I think I'm so honored because I was so nervous about sending this out because I feel like the Stephen King community is all very, very welcoming, but they have to know that you're real first, right? And you have to know that you're really put in the time. And like, you really mean the passion. And I think that the best adaptations are ones made by clearly Stephen King fans. Like, you look at like Mike Flanagan adaptation, like, okay, he loves Stephen King. He knows what he's talking about. And like, it gives you that kind of sense. And I've read everything he's written now. So I'm like, okay, I'm coming from a pretty good base of his work. I understand the entire multiverse now. So I feel like I can put nozzler in there and be like, okay, we all know what this means, right? Like, you know, really have fun with the Easter eggs, but also the pressure is, the pressure is what will the fans think, but also what will he think, right? This is the ultimate is you know he will see it. And that's a lot of pressure. But the fans have, by and large, everybody has really enjoyed it. I'm so thankful that the vision I had of it, 'cause it's kind of weird. It's a after school special, which is not necessarily what you would put together with this frosty, you know, very pastel glow that goes into a Stephen King story. But I feel like this film works that way because it is a cautionary tale. And that's what after school postures are. And I, you know, but I also wanted to make it at the end and have a little bit more fun with color and really push it out there and feel more. Brian De Palmo is what I was aiming for. Nobody's gonna hit Brian De Palmo, but I can aim for Brian De Palmo. And like that kind of split screen, colorful, you know, crazy cutting. - Yeah, one of the things, so before I actually, so I got the link so that I could watch it. But before I watched it, I was like, well, God, I haven't read that short story since I can remember it's probably been over 20 years. So, so I've read it. - Oh, good. - I read it. I was thinking about, you know, how you were talking about setting it back in the day 'cause I was one, I was like, well, man, if they modernize this, I just don't know, like it's gonna be sort of completely different in a way. Like you can keep the themes and maybe have a guy with powers of, but God, so many, like you were saying, so many things that wouldn't work that you would have to kind of to work out. So then I started watching it and, you know, right from the start, you know, it said in 1976. I mean, the colors, like you said, that Brian DePaulma sort of color palette, and it's just perfect. And I didn't realize, I think subconsciously, how nervous I was about seeing it modernized until I saw it was 1976 and I sort of felt a sense of relief. Like, okay, this is gonna be really good. Like this is the perfect sort of era to set it in 'cause that story just works so well in that era. So were there challenges though, as a filmmaker, like visually, and you mentioned having the magazine and what have you? I imagine it has to be a little tougher going back. I mean, God, 50 years. Filming something in the past got to make sure there's no modern cars or there's no cell phones, digital watches, that sort of thing. Was that a little more of a challenge? - No, it actually is not that. I mean, a lot of the stuff that you see in that dorm room is from my house. So I just kind of shipped it there. That is what kind of what my house looks like. You know, it was a lot of fun with the costumes and the makeup. And I gave everybody who worked on them very specific. You noticed the blue eyeshadow right away. - Blue eyeshadow, you know, we had the hair bump. Like, I was like very specific about the kind of look I was going for. But then I also met a wonderful guy named Gus, who lives in Bangor, who happens to own a 1970s VW bus, who said we could use it and put on 1974 plates for us and like that was just kind of fortuitous. And because the story is so small and takes place in such kind of remote locations, it was totally not that, it was fine. And you know, but the beauty of it is Panavision gave us a camera package with very gorgeous 70s lenses. And that's really why you're seeing the gorgeousness that you're seeing. So thank you to Panavision, also my cinematographer, Alex Simon, and my editor, Rick Domenicus, for making it look as I really wanted it to look like it was from 1976 as much as I possibly could and look like it was on film. Because if, you know, if the world was my oyster, I would have shot it in 16 millimeter and I feel like I wanted it to make it look like it was a film strip that you could have been seeing in class. - Yeah, I mean, a hundred percent, especially seeing that special presentation, little animated in the front. And then the other thing that it did with you kind of making that a priority, making it feel like it was shot on film and of its time is it sort of has this instant classic feel. Like even though, you know, if you're not familiar with the story, I think you're still gonna get a sense like, okay, this is something I'm gonna be from, at least those of us of our generation, right, who remember those corny after-schools specials and what have you from the late '70s, early '80s. - Thank you very much. - So we'll talk a little bit about the story too, 'cause it kind of ties in with what we're talking about in terms of either setting it modern day or setting it as it originally was in 1976, '77. This idea of love and wanting to be wanted and how that can become toxic if you push it too far or what have you. I think the ideas and the themes that King is exploring in this story are like universal. They're university relatable, which I think is why the subtle horror, the feeling of being terrified that somebody could be controlling you. I think that's why this story works. And it would work regardless of what time period you set it in, but, you know, obviously, for some of the reasons that we said it, it's good to keep it in the '70s. But would you agree with that that these are sort of timeless themes and infinitely relatable? - Definitely. And I think the thing about the story that's so interesting is you have, if you met somebody who really knew everything that you wanted all of the time, there's no way you could resist that. It would everybody, it would get everybody because this is what humans have built for this. And, you know, but the thing that makes Edward so fascinating as a character is that he's a squirrel who doesn't think far ahead. He doesn't really, you know, he's, if he does succeed and get to stay with Elizabeth Robert, now he's trapped in this kind of hell of his own making where he has to act like this person that he isn't because he's just going against what he wants and doing everything she wants. So even if he wins, he kind of loses. And I feel like he doesn't even think about that. So to have somebody have this tremendous mental power who can't handle it, that he's just not an organized human being. That's just not his nature. And so that's why I think he's so interesting is you know, you give this power to Alice or her roommate, like she's got to rule the world. And like, Edward, she's like, but the patheticness of I have this power that could do anything. You can think about dead zone or fire starter where they have these like mental powers that are ginormous. Now, I feel like Edward has those powers. He just wants to make one girl fall in love with them if it's all he wants. And so I feel like that kind of lonely patheticness is something that everybody could see. But like, oh, but what if I could just make this one person fall in love with me? My life would be okay. I feel like it's very universal and it's something that everybody can relate to. - Yeah, well, I mean, Elizabeth herself says it, right? In the climax of the film, which said, you know, you're just like drunk and child. He's like a kid. He's gonna, he can't plan out ahead of time. Everything is impulsive decision, you know? It's like, what do I want self-gratification right now? To your point, like, is this really what you want? Spend the rest of your, I mean, for Elizabeth from one aspect of it, like great. Is this necessarily a bad thing to have somebody who, you know, kind of is your not sleeve, that's not the right word, but their existence is to satisfy you, to, you know, make you happy. But then at the same time, it's also like, well, if you're that person, you're always taken and you're never giving. And I think there's, you know, something to be said, give and take in a relationship as well. But yeah, so interesting that he just can't think far enough ahead to realize this is probably not the best thing to do. And also you put in the film where she says, why did you do this? I kind of loved you without all this. He didn't even get enough of a chance. - Well, I don't know if you noticed. So the end, at the end in the story, he gives her his big speech about, you'll never be satisfied with the everyone after me. And she says nothing. She actually just walks away. And I really wanted her to be able to say something back to him. And so I basically wrote, you know, and that was the pressure of his like, can people tell, oh, Stephen King wrote this line, but Julia wrote this line, like, do they seem different? And so this response that she has to him was the response that I would have that would be like, why would you not think that I could just love you? Why would you try to push me for something you don't need to do that? And so that's slightly altered. And then in the book, as you know, as you know, it's in the story, he finds the Necronomicon in his closet. But in 1976, the Necronomicon is an obscure Lovecraft reference. But in 2024, it is now an evil dead reference. And so I felt like that would be very confusing to people. So I altered it to have him have the push power that Ed McGeek has in Firestarter, which is why he has the nosebleeds. So to keep it in the Stephen King universe. And I feel like the power he has mentally is the same. It's just the reason behind it is slightly altered. - Yeah. And there's lots of Easter eggs like that. I love like Edward said he was working at the mid world theater, mid world cinema or whatever. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Fantastic. - And if the first, the first thing you'll notice is Elizabeth drinking nozzle a cola was if you're a dark tower fan, like myself, you know, that means they're not in Keystone Earth, but they're actually on a level of the tower. So it's not even taking place in this universe, this whole thing. - Yeah, just fantastic. Well, I want to talk a little bit about your choice, right? So you could have, you know, pitched anything to this dollar baby program. And certainly Stephen King has books that are a little more horrific. This is the horror aspect of this story is a little more subtle. I think it's a little more how you relate to it and kind of putting yourselves in Elizabeth's shoes or putting yourself in Edward's shoes and thinking about being in a relationship like that and how things could go, you know, terribly wrong. But I think it's something more like the shining, now we're talking, you know, blood and gore and true terror or different kind of terror. Talk a little bit about your decision to do this one where things are a little more subtle as opposed to doing something. I mean, it probably couldn't do anything dark, I mean, God, it's so big, hard to do in 45 minutes. - Yeah, no, the dollar baby program, which ended in December, 2023, I should mention. So this is, it's not running anymore. This is one of the last ones. But it did have a prescribed list of stories to choose from. This story though, who is off list. So they did give me a story that normally they don't give out. So I'm very grateful for that. I liked the story for, one of the reasons is it's very small. I liked how small it was because my favorite kind of movies are people talking in rooms. So something like "The Breakfast Club" or "My Dinner with Andre" or "12 Angry Men" where it's just characters interacting, which is really what the story is. But also when you first meet Edward and they describe Edward as, you know, his hair is on chem, his glasses are dirty, his jacket's too big, his socks are on mount, she's offering you strawberry ice cream. I feel like I would fall for that 100%. And I would be, so when I read the story for the first time, I was going along with Elizabeth being like, "Oh, but yeah, I really like this guy." But like, "Oh, he's something terrible is gonna happen." But like, "How bad is it gonna be?" And then we find out that it's terrible. But there was this sense of this kind of, you know, cute boy killer, I call them my podcast horror movie, "Survivor Guide." We talk about this a lot, like a Norman Bates type where they're very cute, they're very adorable and they lure you in only to switch at the very end. And I feel like this is this character. And so there was a sense of me being fascinated with Edward and his romantic patheticness, but also his viciousness and his, you know, he's a psychopath who doesn't even realize how he's just killing people and not even thinking about it. Like it doesn't even, you know, and so what a fascinating character. And we had so many, the cast and I had such great conversations on set about his character and about these characters, what happens after the story, what, you know, what happens to him, what happens to the girls. And like, I feel like there's so much more you could really do with the story. And I, you know, I would love to do it as a feature. That would be amazing because I feel like there's so much here that you would just need to expand slightly to really only to get to a feature lake. - Yeah, that's one of the things about this. Like when I finished reading the short story again recently and same feeling when I watched your film, it would be fascinating to jump forward like 10 or 15 years. - Yeah, where are these characters? - Yeah. - No, I can't even tell you, man. Like, you know, it just like even Edward at the end, like what happens to him literally after she walks out? Don't know. - Yeah. - You know, does he kill himself? Does he go on to like, you know, are his powers gone? Does he go on to a bigger life of crime? Like, you know, you can go any way you like with it. I think that's kind of the fun of the story as it ends in a very, the spot where you want more, which I feel like is a good spot to end. - Yeah, always leave him wanting more. Well, again, the film is absolutely fantastic. Let's, as we're winding down here, let me pick your brain on some other questions here. So our audience can get to know you a little bit. So as a lifelong Stephen King fan, you've read everything that he's done. It might be putting you on the spot. What is your favorite? Do you have a favorite Stephen King story? Can you pick just one? - I can give you a few. I can give you top five. How about that? It will always be in the very, very top because I was on the first ones I've read and I wanted to be in the Losers Club my whole life. And now I'm actually on the Losers Club podcast. So I've achieved the dream, which is pretty awesome. The Dark Tower series, I can't split into books. So I'm just going to say the Dark Tower series. I really love the Long Walk by Richard Walk Bachmann, which I think is a fantastic story. A really, really cool one that'll allow people read. So that one, if you haven't read that, be the Long Walk. The Firestarter, Kerry, you know, a lot of, I tend to like the earlier stuff, Pet Semitarian kind of backwards, but I will read, you know, as I said, I've read it all. And so, you know, there's, it's something for everybody. And sometimes I say I like one and that person, somebody else thinks that's the worst one. And you're like, okay, there's something for everyone. I think that's so cool is that people think he does one thing over and over, but he doesn't. He does, you know, so many different worlds and different kinds of variations and what he does. - Yeah, 100%. Mine, yeah, Dark Tower series, 'cause like you said, he can't separate him. - And I got my, I got my car, my car pendant on right now. I wear every day. So call us a wheel, you know? - Yeah. My second pick would probably be the stand. I love the stand. - Oh, I just got to do the, they just showed the stand mini series that Mick Garris directed at the, the Arrow Theater here in LA that they showed the entire mini series in one go in the theater. So it was seven hours and Mick Garris was there and Mike Flanagan was there and it was Stephen King dreams. It was so good. - Cool. Well, let's just over to your film career, favorite director. - Of all time. Oh, goodness, that is pretty me on the spot. I'm gonna just start naming off some. - All right, go ahead. John Waters, Basil Lerman, Russ Meyer, Cameron Crowe, John Hughes, William Friedkin, Brian DePaulma, man, I could keep going. Joe Dourowski, I have a podcast called Joe Dourowski that's all about under, all 100 Joe Dourowski. So I clearly love that man quite, quite a bit. I am a cinephile to the, to the very fiber of my being and horror and musicals are my two favorite genres, but I will, I will do them all. It's cinema gives me such joy. - Yeah, well, that was actually my next question being that so much of your film career has sort of revolved around horror, where you've been involved with horror projects. Do you have a favorite horror movie or horror franchise? - My favorite horror movie is "A Nightmare on Elm Street" from 1984, the just by itself. I think that movie is incredible. I think the special effects are so beautiful. It's so smart and scary and perfect. And yeah, we say what you will about the sequels, but you take that movie by itself and I go, okay, this is what horror is, it's so good. - Well, last question, I wasn't planning on asking you this, but since you brought it up, favorite musical. - Oh man, favorite musical. Oh, I'll give you a few. Mulan Rouge, Xanadu, the Apple, Sweeney Todd. I love musicals and I love horror musicals, right? You give me a Sweeney Todd where you get your and musicals together and like that's, that's the key, that's the pinnacle. - You're in heaven, huh? - I am. - Yeah, you did mention, really liking that the type of movies that are sort of talking, people talking in a room. You mentioned "12 Angry Men." I take every opportunity I can audience to recommend that you all watch "12 Angry Men" city limit. That is in my top three favorite movies of all time. That movie is just absolutely fantastic. - Well, I obviously second that recommendation. - Yeah, that's so good. - I was a kid too when I was young. My mom would watch classic movies and I was like, anything in black and white. I was like, that must be terrible, it's in black and white. You know, we have color TVs, why would it be? Like I was just so, you know, lack of knowledge when I was eight years old saying no. - That's all right, you live and you learn and now you know. - No, I know, yeah, I watched that movie probably three or four times a year. Anyway, everybody, San Diego Comic Con, if you're there this year, I know what you need from Julia is part of the San Diego Comic Con Film Festival. It's going to be screened on Friday, July 26th at 1.45 p.m. in Grand Ballroom Six at the Marriott Marquis. So if you're there, I definitely recommend that you check it out. If you're not able to make it a Comic Con, you still wanna check it out. The short film is also streaming on an arrow play and that started last Friday. So have you gotten any feedback yet, Julia, on how it's been doing or people been enjoying it on? - Yeah, I have. You know, as a anybody of any very strict fandom knows, putting out a fan movie is nerve-wracking because of the response and how people are going to interpret how you interpret the work. But I have gotten nothing with positive responses back. Everybody has really responded to this movie and I'm so grateful. And I will be there for Comic Con. Also, my lead actor and actress will be there. So I would love to see you there and, you know, the movies are meant to be seen on the big screen. And this movie is gonna be great with so many Stephen King fans in the house. - Is this the first time you and your two leads are going to be at a screening with people watching it? - It is because that's gonna be really interesting to see audience reaction. - It'll be fantastic. I mean, really watching movies with an audience makes such a big difference. And I think that, you know, this one, I've seen it play at a couple of film festivals and it's really fun to hear the audience. And because of this, you know, because it is set in the 70s, it is a bit of a slower pace. And so having people take their time and kind of slow down with it. And I feel like that's a different feeling as well. But I think it's cool. - The audience will be watching your movie and you'll be watching the audience to see this one. - That's what I do. That's what I do. And to hear the noises, like that's the best. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, just, yeah. - My favorite is going to see a horror movie and the noise of joyous disgust from an audience when there's a really good gore. I fact I never goes, oh, like that's, that is my favorite. It makes it so good. - Well, if anybody wants to follow along online, follow your work. No, you know, when you have things coming up, where's the best place where are you most active? - So I'm on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok as Julia C. Marquesi. And then I have three podcasts, horror movies, Survival Guide, The Loser's Club, and Johto Wowsky. And I'm online talking about movies all the time. So please come say hi and talk about Stephen King with me, please, I love it. - I'll put some links to Julia's social media in the show notes everybody. So if you're having trouble finding her, you can go and click there. So any last thoughts for our audience, Julia, as we're winding down here? - I would say long days and pleasant nights. - Fair enough. - Well, to the audience, I want to extend our thanks. Thanks for joining us. Again, if you're going to be at Comic-Con, highly recommend going and checking out this film, it's definitely worth your time. So Julia, enjoy Comic-Con. - Thank you so much. - Yep. And to our audience, thanks for joining us. And we'll talk to you next time. - You can find the Comic Source podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Titcher, Google Play, or whichever podcasting app you prefer. Please tell all your friends about us subscribe and orate us. The ratings really help with our visibility and our ability to reach new listeners, especially five-star reviews on Apple. Also be sure to visit us at lrmonline.com to join the conversation, access the show notes, and discover all our other great pop culture content. If you want to email us, the email address is thecomicsourceblog@gmail.com, or you can follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/thecomicsource. Do a search for the comic source on Facebook and Instagram to follow us on those social platforms. All three spots are great places to find out when we release new episodes, as well as follow all our convention coverage. So once again, we want to thank everyone for listening and we'll talk to you next time. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
