In any given hive, 20,000 to 60,000 bees swarm, going about their daily lives. In this particular hive, there are just as many bees, but the difference is, none of them are alive! ZOMBEES follows the daily antics of a group of undead bees and the hilarious (and gory) comedy that ensues.
RETURN TO THE HIVE NEXT WEEK FOR MORE FROM ZOMBEES!
Chilling Out is where TrunkSpace talks all things horror and genre with those who work in the projects that give us the thrills and chills to keep coming back for more. This time out we’re talking with director Kevin Greutert about his latest film, the thriller “Jackals” starring Deborah Kara Unger, Stephen Dorff, and Jonathon Schaech.
We sat down with Greutert to discuss the process of working on a large moneymaking franchise like “Saw,” how he was the only creative person to contribute to all eight films, and why he always edits the projects he directs.
TrunkSpace: You have worked on big franchises and with original content that no one has ever been exposed to before. Does each offer a different kind of excitement throughout the production process and prior to an audience seeing them?
Greutert: The movie series I’m most closely associated with is “Saw” and during the main run we were blessed with a large and ardent fan following, people who closely followed the complex storyline and did their best to make predictions about upcoming sequels. Naturally those of us on the inside tried to anticipate and satisfy these expectations, though this wasn’t always a smooth process because producers, actors, directors and writers often have very different views of the best way forward with a story. So the creative team (writers and directors) often had to struggle for a long time to convince the producers and studio that our way forward was the best. And naturally each director had different opinions from the others about what to do as the series developed. The directors had a lot more power over these kinds of decisions in the early years, and by the time we got to the seventh, well… things got pretty tough for me. I didn’t think I’d ever see another “Saw” set after leaving Toronto in 2010, but they managed to figure out a way to get me to return to at least the editing room for the latest, “Jigsaw,” so I guess miracles can
happen. I think there’s some audience excitement to see this new installment, but not nearly on the level of the previous films, though this is difficult to gauge since the cruel removal of the message boards from IMDb, as well as the erasure of House Of Jigsaw, the main “Saw” series forum.
TrunkSpace: In addition to that, does each have a different set of storytelling hurdles? For instance, with a long-running franchise like “Saw,” does continuity become a focus?
Greutert: I did everything in my power to make sure the “Saw” films made consistent sense from one to the next, and even used “Saw VI” to clean up some messy business from the earlier installments, such as the notorious letter that Amanda reads in “Saw III,” that was shot for the sake of creating intrigue without any plan for where it would go. All franchise film and TV series creators have the same kinds of hurdles, and sometimes you have to let some errors go and just hope that nobody notices. It also makes sense to maintain the cinematic style set early on, despite an individual director’s desire to set his or her own mark on a project. You have to find ways to do that while staying true to what has come before you.
TrunkSpace: You are wearing multiple hats on your new film “Jackals,” tackling both directing and editing. Does editing a project that you also directed help to further cement your cinematic vision on any given project? Are you giving away control on a project when someone else is serving as editor?
Greutert: I have edited or co-edited all of my films. I would lose my mind if I didn’t have the opportunity to go through all the footage and feel my way through the scenes. It is absolutely essential to me – if I don’t look under every stone, I’ll feel I did a disservice to my project. I wish I could be less of a control freak about this, but I can’t.
TrunkSpace: “Jackals” has been circulating throughout festivals before officially releasing on September 1. Have you been able to sit in on any of the screenings and what is it like absorbing an audience’s reaction in real time?
Greutert: I’ve been working on a film in China since June, so unfortunately I have not been in any audience screenings. Even while I was editing the film, we only had one test screening and I was out of the country at the time. It’s sad to never see your film with an audience, but that was my unfortunate reality with this project.
TrunkSpace: One of the things we always hear is how some of the best moments in horror cinema came about through happy accidents or because there was a need, either due to financial means or creative failures, to adjust on the fly. Were there any moments like that in the filming of “Jackals” where you had to alter the game plan, but actually preferred the outcome?
Greutert: Well… not really. This film was shot in 15 days on a budget of under a million dollars. That is already such a severe constraint that it’s hard to think of any further restrictions that might have yielded a happy outcome. I had a lot of creative ideas I would have liked to have pursued with the script and storytelling, but was blocked from these for political reasons rather than physical ones. That said, we did make a lot of adjustments to the dialogue on the fly, but that’s pretty standard for me.
TrunkSpace: You’ve been involved with the “Saw” franchise in various capacities since it kicked off in 2004. You’re back as editor for the upcoming “Jigsaw.” What is it like from the inside seeing a franchise grow and evolve over such a long period of time, particularly from the mindset of an editor who has probably seen more of the footage than anyone else ever will?
Greutert: It was pretty exciting, I have to tell you. From the first day of footage on “Saw” 1, which happened to be the opening of the movie, it felt like we had something special on our hands. Even so, I never dreamed it would be such a success, though I joked about it a lot with the writer and director. I was the only member of the creative team to work on all eight films, and for this reason I felt like I always wanted to have some involvement, if for no other reason than to try to be a kind of gatekeeper for the through lines. I’m pretty sure I have more close knowledge of all the details of the story and characters than anything else, so the series is like an unruly child to me, a child that has the potential to turn out very, very wrong if you don’t give it lots of guidance. That said, the only installment where I had much true creative control was “Saw VI.”
TrunkSpace: When you were cutting together that first film, did you have any idea that you’d be here today nearly 15 years later, still talking about it?
Greutert: No. Not even close. That franchise made my career as both editor and director. I truly don’t think I’d be working in film anymore if I hadn’t gotten that lucky break back in 2003.
TrunkSpace: Your career has spanned a wide variety of genres, but in recent years you have spent most of your time in the horror/thriller world. Is that by design? Do those particular projects have a greater pull on you than other genres?
Greutert: Getting the “Saw” editor gig was a freak accident. I’ve always loved the great horror films of the past, but didn’t have deep knowledge of the genre as a whole, though my artistic tastes in general run very dark. I’ve tried hard to get films off the ground in other genres, but I’ve been pretty severely pigeonholed as a Horror Guy. That’s why I’m so excited to be doing a science fiction film here in Beijing.
TrunkSpace: Horror continues to be a popular genre in film, and while a handful of horror series have succeeded on television, most fail or never get produced. Why does horror have such a hard time finding its niche in the world of TV?
Greutert: I’ve never worked in television, so I don’t have strong opinions about that. So much of horror is about pushing the audience to imagine the worst in order to create a sense of dread. Sooner or later this anticipation has to pay off. Suspending it for even ten consecutive minutes in a feature film is insanely difficult, however, so how you might prolong this over whole seasons of television is a daunting thought for me.
TrunkSpace: As you look back over your career, what project do you feel you learned the most on in terms of how a production works and how to keep things running smoothly?
Greutert: Prior to directing “Saw VI,” I had spent almost no time on any film sets. So it was a real trial by fire, and I had to learn a huge amount about the process of guiding a film both creatively and physically. Fortunately I had a great assistant director, production designer, and line producer to help me out. With each film I learn a huge amount more. Every project is different, and you learn to anticipate what aspects are going to be most challenging. Now that I’m working in a country where the methods are radically different, I’m much more conscious of what I have learned, and how it can be applied in new situations.
TrunkSpace: Do you feel like you’re still learning “on the job” due to every production having its own set of needs and unexpected difficulties?
Greutert: I’ll never know half of what I feel I need to be a great film maker! It’s one of the hardest undertakings you can embark on, making a film, and there are so very few people who have really mastered it. I’m just grateful I’ve been able to have my shots at it.
TrunkSpace: When you look at your career moving forward, what would you like to accomplish? Do you have bucket list items that you want to check off in your career?
Greutert: I’ve got several projects I’d still like to make, most of them outside the horror genre. One is a historical sea adventure, one is a comedy about a Russian spy in the 1950s, and in general I’d like to do as much science fiction as possible – that’s my favorite genre.
Even though it’s a throwback without a purposeful throw, you don’t need to be riding the wave of 90s nostalgia to enjoy “The Lower Side of Uptown,” the latest album from the Toadies. Finding mainstream success amid the golden age of alternative rock, the Texas-quartet exploded onto the scene in 1994 with the hit album “Rubberneck,” and although the band dispersed in 2001, they reunited with a different lineup five years later and have been writing and performing ever since.
We recently sat down with guitarist Clark Vogeler to discuss the creative conception of the new album, how the band continues to pull in a young audience, and why performing “Possum Kingdom” never gets old.
TrunkSpace: The new album is due out on Friday. Where do you rank it in terms of your overall career, and not even necessarily from the viewpoint of the music but as the experience itself?
Vogeler: I would say that the experience of this album was interesting because if you put it in the context of all the other albums, basically coming off the last album, which was pretty much an acoustic album, it was a much quieter album for us. What happened was, when we got together, we basically just had a pile of riffs that we’d written on the road, in soundcheck, on the bus, or at home. They were just a bunch of little pieces and then it came together. It became a real loud, heavy album… kind of much different than I think we all expected it to be going into it.
What we have been doing for our albums is going in and not really knowing what is going to happen. Going back to the 90s, by the time we got to the studio, we knew exactly what happened in every song because we’d been working them to death. We’re kind of having a better time these days not knowing everything and making decisions on the fly. This album was the most productive recording session I think we ever had because we went in with a pile of riffs and all we needed was like 10 or 11 songs to finish the album, but we got 16 or 17 songs kind of fleshed out.
So, if you put it in the context of our whole career, I think we’re just getting better at being the Toadies, or we can trust ourselves more to be the Toadies and do what the Toadies do without second-guessing ourselves. I think that in the end, it makes for a better music.
TrunkSpace: You mentioned that you guys go into the studio not necessarily knowing what will happen when you do. Does that help to not put expectations on things and allow the creativity to
just be creative?
Vogeler: Exactly, yeah. You kind of have to get out of your own way too. If I go back to 1998… we spent all year in the rehearsal space, going over and over and over and over again on these songs we just kind of beat to death. In the end, those songs, I think they suffered for that. They got too much attention. If you think about a song like “Tyler” from the Toadies’ first record, which is a big fan favorite, that song came together in like five minutes.
When you’re in the studio and the clock is running and we’ve only got X number of days left, the pressure is on a little bit, but what that did was just allow us to run with it. There’s a couple moments on the record, which if we had spent a month in the rehearsal space, they probably wouldn’t have turned up on the record like that. It requires you getting the band to be able to move fast. We kind of trust ourselves. It goes back to trusting ourselves to do what we could do and really getting out of our own way and not thinking, “That sounds dumb,” or, “That’s too catchy,” or, “Too metal,” or whatever. Whatever voice would pop up in your head, you kind secondguess it. You kind of have to flush all that away and trust yourself. That’s basically what that session was like.
TrunkSpace: But that’s what’s beautiful about music… the imperfections. If you listen to some of the great records of the 60s and 70s, you can always pick out the things that would never exist on a record today, but they are so perfect for being imperfect.
Vogeler: I think you’re right. I think early on, when I was younger, I spent a lot of time in the studio trying to get it exactly right. I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do in the studio. I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, really what you’re supposed to capture is a feeling in the studio. You’re not supposed to capture perfection unless that’s the feeling you’re going for, but the Toadies is not about perfection. It’s more loose and kind of ragtag where none of us are like super amazing players. Our bass player’s really good. Our drummer’s good. Of course, our vocalist can sing, but it’s kind of like a sum of the parts thing. None of us with the exception of our singer are going to fill a room full of people who want to hear us play, but when we can get together, we know our limitations and we kind of stretch out within that realm.
TrunkSpace: A lot has changed within the industry over the years. Has the way the band interacts with fans changed? Have the fans themselves changed?
Vogeler: We stopped playing together for five or six years. When we came back together and started touring, we found that there’s actually a lot of young Toadies fans out there. Certainly, there’s the people our age out there and some of them are bringing their kids, but there are also these 18-year-old kids with long hair and Nirvana shirts that never got to see Nirvana, but they’re stoked to see the Toadies play. That was a real surprise, that basically our audience these days is very mixed. I think that speaks to the… well, I’m not sure how to frame this, but when we were 20, you listened to this kind of music that, to a larger extent, represented you. The kids these days, they don’t have that. They’re not loyal to any genre. They just mix it up. They’ll like hip-hop. They’ll like some pop. They’ll like some black metal. I think that benefits us as an older band to have some young fans like that.
We are really lucky to have had some radio success in the 90s that has somehow managed to stay. Our music still finds a lot of radio time and that translates into still having an audience and still having a career. I think without the radio support, it would be a little different. So, we’re in a really lucky position to have that 90s radio still happening.
TrunkSpace: If you guys were starting out today, how different would the journey have been?
Vogeler: Gosh. That’s a tricky question. I’m not sure I know how to answer that one. Let me think…
It would be an entirely different path as far I can tell. The industry is 100 percent, wholly different than it was in 1995 when “Rubberneck” was selling lots of records. That came off the back of huge support at radio and support at MTV. Now, both of those things are… I can’t even imagine what struggle it would be if we were just starting out. Not to mention the fact that in a bigger picture, rock and roll is not really everybody’s favorite these days. It’s really slinked to the background if you look at the charts in mainstream media, but when you go to rock shows, you can see there’s obviously still a lot of people that love rock and roll. It’s just not selling records like it used to. I think it’ll eventually come around, but we need some young band with a fresh sound that can catch you with their songs to do it up again.
TrunkSpace: After all of these years in the industry, what still excites you most about having a career in music?
Vogeler: Well, I’ll tell you what… the best part of being in a band for me is playing the live show. That never gets old. There are nights when you’re on tour for six and a half weeks and then you have a Tuesday night show in wherever, and maybe you’re not feeling it that night, but 99 times out of 100, that is the best part of going on tour… just being a musician. People ask us if we get tired of playing “Possum Kingdom.” When we start that song and you see 500 or 2,000 or 10,000 people shout and stand up and start getting into it and smiling and singing along… there is no better feeling as a musician than to see a room full of people do that.
“The Lower Side of Uptown” is available September 8 on Kirtland Records.
Nadia Gray is not yet a household name, and although she would prefer to remain somewhat anonymous as she ventures forward in her career, the self-described “hardcore introvert” is going to find it difficult to maintain separation between her professional and personal lives following the release of her upcoming film “Bright.” Directed by David Ayer (“Fury,” “Suicide Squad”) and starring Will Smith (no credits needed), the Netflix original film is not only building a steady fanboy buzz leading up to its December premiere, but it could single-handedly change the way we consume big budget tentpole features.
We recently sat down with Gray to discuss working with one of the most sought after directors in Hollywood, how the film helped to change her professional focus, and why learning an elvish language had her feeling like she had left the planet.
TrunkSpace: “Bright” seems like the kind of movie that could be a real game changer in terms of how the industry operates, particularly at the theatrical level. Did it feel a bit revolutionary while you were filming it?
Gray: Yeah, I think right away I knew. I mean, with David Ayer in general, you’re just like, “Holy shit!” He’s the best at what he does.
TrunkSpace: And that’s just it… the caliber of talent involved should even further define its game changer status.
Gray: Yeah, I think it’ll be really interesting to see how it plays out. I personally can’t speak about what they’ll end up doing ultimately because I don’t even know if they figured it out yet. I just know that they’re really pro consumer choice and they’re totally changing the movie watching experience. It’s happening.
TrunkSpace: What about for you and your career? Does “Bright” feel like a personal game changer?
Gray: Oh yeah, absolutely. When I moved to Los Angeles, I didn’t know anyone, or anything really, about the business. As I kind
of learned, I initially thought, “Sitcoms, oh my God, this is where I want to be!” Because you kind of have a little bit of stability at some point and a schedule. And a lot of those actors are able to fly under the radar still. Then I met David Ayer and he totally ruined my life, because now this is all I want to do. (Laughter) I’ve had the best time, so now I feel so spoiled. I just want more of this and that’s it.
TrunkSpace: You mentioned being drawn to sitcoms because of the possibility of being able to fly under the radar. This is a huge, high profile project. Are you worried what that could mean in terms of how the public starts to perceive you?
Gray: Oh yeah, I am terrified, which is why I think I’m so uncomfortable right now even. (Laughter) I’m a hardcore introvert to begin with and I’m super private. Even just the notion of having to be active on social media in a way that matters toward my career is stressful.
TrunkSpace: And in a lot of ways, you’re sort of contractually obligated to be active on social media with a lot of projects these days, right?
Gray: I think. I haven’t been hit with that yet, knock on wood, but I also want to participate in a way that shows that I’m a game player for the production and that I’m supportive of the project that I did. Of course, I want to promote the job that I was lucky enough to be a part of, but as a human, as Nadia, I don’t really.
I also feel like, who cares even? (Laughter) I have a hard time even rationalizing that in my mind, but I of course want to participate, and talk incessantly about this film I’m so excited about. That part is easy, but the personal stuff is…
TrunkSpace: It’s a slippery slope in the social media age. Even if you don’t want to put yourself out there, people will put you out there regardless.
Gray: Isn’t that weird? I feel like the age of the movie star doesn’t really exist anymore because you didn’t know anything about these people. They were these mysterious aliens and you were so consumed by whatever character they did because you knew nothing about them personally. I don’t think that exists anymore sadly.
TrunkSpace: Speaking of character, can you give us a little insight into Larika, your character from the film?
Gray: Yeah, without saying too much, she ends up doing a lot of bad shit that causes trouble for everybody. I know that’s so vague, but yeah. (Laughter)
TrunkSpace: So is she the catalyst that kicks off some of the story elements?
Gray: Yeah, totally. Where she fails is what kicks off a lot of the storyline… in terms of the repercussions of that.
TrunkSpace: And you’re playing an elf, which nowadays, people love to play for free at comic conventions, so to get paid for that… epic!
Gray: Right? (Laughter) It is the coolest.
I don’t know that I was attempting to play an elf. I think she is just a complicated person, like anyone else with her motives and her drives. So, I think that was kind of at the forefront, but of course learning Elvish from David Peterson, who created language for “Game of Thrones,” was like, “Holy shit, I am literally on another planet right now.” It was way cool.
TrunkSpace: But like you said, you approached her as a complicated human, which sort of speaks to how grounded in reality it is, right?
Gray: Absolutely. Very grounded, very realistic, and just, really, kind of this warped version of LA… this warped version of the world. It’s the gritty LA streets and the dirty cop world, which David Ayer just nails. He just takes you there and he makes it so authentic for you to be immersed in that.
TrunkSpace: You have mentioned David Ayer a few times now. What did you take from him and his direction that will stay with you and that you’ll apply to your acting and career moving forward?
Gray: Oh wow, so many things. I have to concentrate on just one thing?
Everything. He just is so impressive. Somebody with a name like his, he just is really approachable, cool, calm, a collected guy who treats his crew, his actors, every single person with respect. He just really took his time. Without even going too much into it, he just really cares, and I so appreciate that. He really gives a shit, and he talks to you on your level.
I can’t say enough about him. He’s wonderful. He’s like an evil genius. I’ve never seen anyone with attention to detail like his. Even small detail on my wardrobe… he would personally come and adjust, or give me a note about it. It’s just crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like that on set before.
TrunkSpace: It sounds like future directors you work with are going to have a lot to live up to!
Gray: I swear, I’m totally ruined now. It’s all his fault. (Laughter)
“Bright” premieres December 22 on Netflix.
Featured image by: Julio Duffoo
If you were to print Spencer Garrett’s filmography, you would need an entire ream of paper. With dozens upon dozens of interesting and brilliantly-performed roles under his belt, he consistently elevates every project he is a part of. Whereas many character actors help to round out the world in which they inhabit, Garrett becomes the world, blending into the cracks and crevices of the storytelling like performance putty.
Currently starring in the latest season of HBO’s “Insecure” while also prepping for the role of famed investigative journalist Bob Woodward in the upcoming film “The Front Runner,” the Los Angeles native, who has been acting professionally for nearly 30 years, feels like he is just now getting into his groove.
We recently sat down with the Garrett to discuss an abundance of political roles, the part that changed everything, and why he had to walk around on set with half of a Christmas tree sticking out of his stomach.
TrunkSpace: You’ve taken on so many roles in so many projects, which has us wondering, have you ever sat down and figured out just how many characters you’ve played over the course of your career?
Garrett: You know, I never have. I should probably sit down one day and do an algorithm. Jake Tapper, the wonderful CNN news anchor, is an old pal and I was with him not too long ago and he said, “How many people have you played in political films over the years?” And I did a count and I think it was something like 25, which is kind of a lot.
TrunkSpace: Wow. Yeah, that is impressive.
Garrett: I’m doing Jason Reitman’s new movie playing Bob Woodward, so we’re up to 26. (Laughter) I think I’m gonna bail out of political films at 30.
TrunkSpace: And like you said, that is only the political roles. Seeing all of them together is even more impressive.
Garrett: I haven’t really counted, but it’s been a helluva lot of fun, I can tell you that. And I feel like I’m kind of just getting my groove.
TrunkSpace: What is so fascinating is that you’re able in inhabit multiple characters within multiple projects across a relatively
short period of time. Is that a sign of the times with there being so much content now… that there’s just more available to actors to be able to spread their talents across multiple projects?
Garrett: I don’t know… I still chase the same gigs that my colleagues do. I went in and read for something last week and saw 12 pals in the room that I’ve known for 25 years. We’re all kind of going after the same part sometimes and sometimes you get lucky and sometimes somebody else gets the long straw. I’ve just been fortunate. Sometimes there’s a little bit of overlap and I get two, three, four gigs that happen to go all at the same times. I haven’t run into the problem yet of being on so many things at once that I say the lines from one show in another show. Although…
One time I did. I was doing a movie called “Casino Jack” with the great Kevin Spacey that I was shooting in Toronto and then a little, kind of passion project thing that I produced called “Below the Beltway,” another political film. They were both political films, oddly enough, and I was shooting them at the same time, jumping back and forth from Toronto to DC. In one I was playing a Congressman, the other playing a Senator, both kind of morally questionable guys in expensive suits. And I did say the lines of Congressman Tom DeLay once in the other movie that I was in. And the director said, “Hang on, hang on. What are you doing?” And I said, “Oh sorry, that’s from the other movie.” That’s what you call champagne problems, I guess. (Laughter) But that’s the only time it’s ever happened.
TrunkSpace: You’ve done all of these fictional political roles, but these days, political truths really are stranger than fiction!
Garrett: Sadly, that’s true. It has become a little bit of a political theater, as it used to be called, and is now truly political theater. I feel like sometimes we’re living in a reality show that I don’t want to be a part of.
TrunkSpace: And your friend Jake can probably attest to this, but the anchors and news people are becoming pop culture icons now.
Garrett: They’re becoming pop culture icons and still maintaining their journalistic integrity and doing their job as best they can while getting epithets hurled at you and being called “fake news” and all that. They have to keep their hands on the rudder and do a good job. It’s tough, it’s a tough time to be a journalist and a really challenging time. So my hat’s off to all of those guys that are doing the work that they were trained to do.
TrunkSpace: There is so much amazing content being produced these days and almost all of it is so character-driven. Have you noticed a difference in the types of roles you’ve been taking in recent years as opposed to when you started your career?
Garrett: Definitely. I’ve gotten to play roles and characters that really wouldn’t have been thought of 10 years ago. People are seeing me in a different light as I’m getting older in my career and more established, I guess. People are allowing me to take more chances and push the envelope a little bit, which is thrilling for an actor. So when I get a chance to work on a show like “Insecure” on HBO, which is not something that I would have thought I would have been a part of, it’s an actor’s dream. You get to play in a different sandbox every week and work with really, really talented people.
TrunkSpace: And they’re so diverse. From “Insecure” to “Aquarius” to “Bosch,” the projects truly are different sandboxes.
Garrett: Absolutely. “Bosch” was a real treat. I’ve been a fan of Michael Connelly’s books for a long, long time. And Titus Welliver, who is a buddy of mine for 30 years, I love him as a guy and a pal, but as an actor I’ve always held him in very high esteem. And he’s a character guy. He’s a journeyman character guy who’s gone from one project to the next for years and years. And so as a journeyman character guy myself, it’s always such a buzz when you see somebody get to be the number one on the call sheet slot and get to be THE guy. And he fills that role so beautifully and is so great.
So getting to be a part of “Bosch” last year, I was so jazzed to be a part of that thing because I was a huge fan of season 1 and season 2. Every time I’d see Titus, we’d go out for a beer or whatever, and I’d kind of give him a little elbow like, “Hey man, I’m kind of free. I’ll be available.” (Laughter) It came right off of the heels of a really extraordinary experience with “Aquarius,” which is a great show that didn’t really catch fire the way we thought it would but I had such a great role on that. I thought, “I’ll never get a chance to have a role as juicy as that” and then a couple months later “Bosch” came along. So it was quite a gift.
TrunkSpace: Are there any characters that you wished you had more time to spend with?
Garrett: I wish I hadn’t gotten shot on page 42 of “Public Enemies.” (Laughter) That was a bummer. It was an extraordinary film to be a part of and it kind of changed my life in a lot of regards, but yeah, I would have liked to have seen a little more Tommy Carroll throughout the two hours of that movie. It was an experience playing that particular guy. I hope I’m talking to the seven people that saw the movie. (Laughter)
When I auditioned for that role for Michael Mann, it was my first experience with Michael and there have been now several, but going to read for that role, I said to the casting director, “I’m never going to get cast as this kind of gangster, thuggy guy. Can I come in and read for the FBI guy or the lawyer or guys that were more in my comfort zone?” And the casting director, to her great credit and vision, she said, “Spencer, I’ve followed your career for 20 years. I know what you can do and I’ve seen you play 8,000 lawyers. I want to see you do something different.” So she had me come back the next day and read for this other role and I got it and it kind of changed everything, which was really extraordinary.
I was playing a lot of pricks in suits, kind of one right after the other and getting pigeonholed and working consistently, but not feeling challenged. And I kind of got put in this box. And I said, “All right, maybe I’m not gonna take as many of these kinds of roles and try to find other things to do. Try to find other avenues, other characters.” And then after a while, because you’re in this for the long haul, I thought, “What am I complaining about? If this is how they see me, I’m gonna take every role I can get.” To a certain extent it’s difficult being pigeonholed and feeling like you’re put in a box, but at the end of the day, we want to work and we want to keep going. And right around that time, that’s when I got “Public Enemies” and it gave a sort of a Vitamin B-12 shot to the film opportunities that I was being given and it sort of changed everything.
TrunkSpace: One of our favorite things that you ever done was the sort of 1950s-inspired sitcom dad from the “Supernatural” episode, “A Very Supernatural Christmas.”
Garrett: Yes! I love that guy! That was a blast. Not so much walking around for half of the day with half of a Christmas tree stuck out of my stomach. (Laughter) They had this kind of tree branch that was sort of nailed to a board and then the board was strapped to the top half of my body and I was walking around with that all day. And that’s when I thought, “Man, they don’t teach you this at Juilliard. They don’t teach you this at the Neighborhood Playhouse.” Laughter)
I went to my first “Star Trek” convention a couple weeks ago… the 30th anniversary of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” I always wanted to go and meet the fans. I brought some pictures from the “Supernatural” episode and it was staggering to see how many people were coming up and saying that was their favorite “Supernatural” episode. When I did the episode, I had no idea what a massive show that is. And those two guys, they’re in season 13 or something now, and they go all over the world to these conventions and the fans just adore them and they’re great to the fans. It’s a cool thing to be a part of when somebody comes up to me at an airport and says, “Hey you’re the crazy guy with the pipe who was killing babies in the basement with your wife.”
“That’s me!”
Follow Spencer Garrett on Twitter (@1spencergarrett) and on Instagram (@spencergarrett1)!
Artist/Band: Henry Hall
Website: https://henryhallmusic.com
Hometown: Los Angeles
Latest Album/Release: “Love for Serious” and “Kid” (coming out in September)
Influences: The Smiths, Prince, Young Thug, Frank Ocean, Paul Simon, “What Are Those?!” Memes
TrunkSpace: How would you describe your music?
Hall: I think my music is anxiety-driven both lyrically and melodically. My own anxieties and insecurities are where the majority of my inspiration comes from so I hope that that comes across in my music in a sort of cathartic way for whoever is listening. Contrary to a number of recent reviews, though, I am NOT, I repeat, NOT an up-and-coming steam punk accordionist!
TrunkSpace: Where did your musical journey begin? Did it start with a love for listening to music and then turn into a love for writing/performing?
Hall: Honestly, I think my love for music started when I was about five and I wrote a song called “Broken Boy.” I was barely out of preschool and I was already a solid Stage 12 emo guy. I’ve always been the kind
of person who needs music to be playing constantly and I think writing/performing just came out of that naturally. I’ve been playing in bands since I was like 10 years old so I think I just gravitated towards playing music instinctively.
TrunkSpace: We fell for your music long before ever realizing where your entertainment industry roots stemmed from. How important is it for you to establish yourself as an artist separate from what those in your family have accomplished before you?
Hall: Choosing music as a career path is probably some form of an indication that I subconsciously wanted to make my own way for sure — I’m extremely proud of my parents and what they’ve accomplished in their careers, though. I look to them for inspiration and they’re great to bounce ideas off of — they’re both incredibly creative and I feel so lucky to be as close to them as I am.
TrunkSpace: With that being said, is it difficult to keep that separation in the social media age and have people focus only on Henry Hall and the music? It seems hard to pave a path for yourself in 2017 when everyone else does the paving for you via social media.
Hall: Yeah, social media is a double-edged sword. It’s a great tool to get your music out there, but it can also feel overwhelming at times. That’s why I try to stick to posting all of my music exclusively on Minecraft messaging boards. Goddamn is that working out well so far!
TrunkSpace: When it comes to songwriting, what is your lyrical approach? Are you writing from experience or are you writing more as a storyteller?
Hall: I almost never write lyrics first — it’s pretty much always melody and chords first and then lyrics just sort of pop into my head depending on how they fit into the melody I’ve written. I wanna have a sense of humor to some degree in my lyrics — lyrics that are dark and ironic have been appealing to me a lot lately, so I’ve been trying to veer in that direction when I can.
TrunkSpace: Is a song ever truly finished or are you constantly tweaking and retweaking? If a song does receive its curtain call, how do you know when it’s time to move on to the next one?
Hall: I pretty much never go back to songs. If I don’t finish a tune within a day or two, I know that it’s not good, so I tend to abandon ideas halfway through writing them a lot of the time. Usually, though, I can just plug a song into the SongMaker 4000 and it’ll tell me if it’s done or not. God bless Steve Jobs for inventing that machine. God bless ALL machines, in fact!
TrunkSpace: You recently released the single “Love for Serious.” Where do you see growth as a songwriter with that track when comparing it against some of your earlier writing?
Hall: “Love for Serious” is a bit of a departure for me both melodically and production-wise. It’s very lo-fi and intimate, I think, and the melody and lyrics just kind of float on top of the instrumentation… it has more of a spontaneous flow to it while other tunes I’ve written and produced have had an airtight kind of vibe. I think there’s kind of a middle ground between the loose feel of “Love for Serious” and a concise, taut song like “Company” on the My Friends Don’t Like Me EP that I’m probably gonna end up searching for in my writing in the near future.
TrunkSpace: You recently launched the short film “What’s Up YouTube” on, well, YouTube. Is the content creator/filmmaker side a separate focus or do you see it all tying together with your musical career? If handed the keys to the career of your choice, what would that look like?
Hall: I know that there’s definitely a similarity in tone between my music and “What’s Up YouTube” — kind of this humorous hopelessness to it all. Music is definitely my first priority, but I loved making “What’s Up YouTube” and collaborating on it with two incredibly talented directors, Jack Coyne and Jack Pearce. My dream is really to just be able to be creative in whatever way I want to — and, of course, like all Americans, to own a small stake in the Kansas City Chiefs.
TrunkSpace: Where are you hardest on yourself as an artist/songwriter?
Hall: I always want to push myself in my live performances… that’s probably where I’m the hardest on myself because that’s really my first music-related love — performing music live. I can always find something to nit-pick from every single performance. I’m trying to incorporate some more on-stage cereal-eating at my shows these days. Horrible reviews of that so far.
TrunkSpace: You grew up with an insider’s perspective on how the entertainment business works. Has that point of view influenced how you’re approaching your career at all? Has it forced you to zag where you
may have zigged had you not had that peek behind the curtain?
Hall: Honestly, I don’t think anyone really knows how to navigate the entertainment industry perfectly. It’s insanely weird and counterintuitive sometimes. As long as you don’t get in a fist fight with Oprah or David Letterman on live television, though, I think you’ll be alright.
TrunkSpace: You’re based in Los Angeles, a city steeped in incredible musical history and constantly swarming with talented musicians of all flavors. Is that an intimidating thing or is it inspiring to be surrounded by other creatives? How much does a city influence an artist?
Hall: I love living in LA. I grew up here so I have a deep connection to the place and I find it very inspiring. I want to get Mayor Eric Garcetti to produce my next album, but he won’t pick up his phone for some reason. Eric, if you’re reading this, PLEASE call me back! Let’s get in the lab, dude!
TrunkSpace: What can fans expect from Henry Hall for the rest of 2017 and beyond?
Hall: I’m gonna be putting out a new song called “Kid” very soon along with a couple of other new singles too, I’m playing a show at Soho House in Chicago on September 17th, hopefully doing some touring of the West Coast, and stay tuned for a full-length record hopefully coming by the end of the year or early 2018. Also, I want to learn how to do a standing backflip before January 1st, 2018. Mazel tov, everybody!
Featured Image By: Hannah Baker
