David Cross and The End of the World

david crossActor and comedian David Cross is especially well-known for his roles in smart, funny  tv comedies like “Mr. Show”, “Arrested Development” and “The Increasing Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret”.  He’s also appeared in dozens of movies, released three comedy albums and is also loved for his stand up.  Recently David stopped by the SiriusXM studios to talk with Ron Bennington about his latest project, the film “It’s a Disaster.”  Excerpts of the interviews appear below.

* * *

Ron Bennington:  Last time I talked to you, I’m like – (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of) “Todd Margaret” is so funny.  Now, “It’s a Disaster” which I caught a couple of weeks ago, like 3 weeks ago.  

David Cross:  Okay.  Did you demand it on video?

Ron Bennington:  I did.  I went On Demand – did not even know…hadn’t even heard about this.  

David Cross:  Oh really?

Ron Bennington:  I think the first night it popped out, it was like – this is fucking great.  So I put it on.  I can’t believe how funny this is.  It’s definitely the funniest movie this year.  

David Cross:  It’s good, yeah.  I’m really really happy with it.

* * *

David Cross Talks About Director Todd Berger

Ron Bennington:  The weird thing about it is – the writing and the directing…I’m not familiar with the guy.

David Cross:  Todd Berger.  Yeah.  He’s great.

Ron Bennington:  So funny.  

David Cross:  Yeah, great job.  He has a real ear for dialogue.  I mean that’s how people sound.  And the jokes in there are – there not like shoehorned in. It’s like a sitcom or whatever.

Ron Bennington:  Right.  Well, the weird thing is – like now, we’re so used to like – everybody is going to absurd.  So when you get back to that real dialogue driven comedy, it’s almost a shocker because you’re sitting there and you’re like – I feel like I’m Noel Coward.  You know what I mean?  

David Cross:  Yeah.  There’s nothing bombastic.  There’s no crazy arch character.  There’s no special effects.  I mean comedy doesn’t, and shouldn’t have a big budget.  It usually suffers, I think, when you see $30 million on screen.

Ron Bennington:  Because then they wonder – what can we do with the the CGI?  How do we make…?  Suddenly, the last 15 minutes is a giant monster that comes out.  And we’re so fucking…like probably post “Ghostbusters” – we’re so used to that now.  

David Cross:  Yeah.  When I think of like those big $30 million comedies and the idea…and I’ve been on a million of those sets, and the idea that – wow, they took an hour and 20 minutes to light that scene.  An hour and 20 minutes of your shooting day is to light that scene, so that guy could come in and say that joke.  What a waste.

Ron Bennington:  And this thing could have just as easily been a play.  It’s set up where…

David Cross:  Yeah, very much so.  The reason…every thing you’re describing was a necessity from having such a low budget.  And Todd Berger, the writer – director, wrote it so that he could shoot it.  And the way he was going to shoot it was to make it very very cheaply.  And it’s well under a million dollars, the whole budget.  And so, he has a limited amount of characters and he has…it’s basically one setting.  You’re occasionally outside of the house, but it’s basically in this house.

* * *

David Cross Talks About the Premise of “It’s a Disaster”

Ron Bennington:  The thing that’s really kind of cool about it – is you know everybody in the film pretty quickly.  And yet, as it’s moving on – just like with your actual friends, you’re going – yeah, that’s right.  How well do I know you?  

David Cross:  Yeah.  And things are revealed.  Yeah.  We should explain to the listeners in their car probably, what’s going on.  The basic premise of the movie is these 4 couples in various stages of their relationship…of a relationship.  Julia Stiles and I are on our 3rd date and then, we’re going to this house for brunch where these 4 couples are coming together.  And yeah, one couple’s been engaged forever and one couple is about to get divorced and whatever, but while they’re in this house having their dumb brunch – unbeknownst to them, but the audience knows that something terrible has happened.  And then, they find out that dirty bombs have been set off in some unknown downtown area and that they have to seal the house and they basically come to the conclusion that they’ve got about 3 hours left to live and how do they deal with it.  But it’s very realistic.

* * *

David Cross Talks About the Cast of “It’s a Disaster”  

Ron Bennington:  Well, I think now we’ve figured out that flashbacks were really just panic attacks.  But when you’re having one and enough people have told you about a flashback, you went – this is a flashback.  I’m fucking having a bad trip without doing any acid whatsoever.  You know what else is great about this comedy – is like you don’t have to be a comedian to be in this kind of comedy.  Julia Stiles, not known for her comedy, just played it straight and the lines are just hysterical.  

David Cross:  Oh yeah, the cast is amazing.  The 4 of those guys are part of a…not a sketch group, but a comedy group that made short films and then a feature length film.  They’re called The Vacationeers.  I think they met at a…I think they met at U.T. in Austin, I believe.  But had kind of that background and the 4 guys in the film, not myself…and yeah, none of the other actors are known for their comedy.  Julia and Rachel Boston and America Ferrera.  And Erinn Hayes is actually really funny and known for comedy, I suppose.  Yeah, it’s not a comedy-centric cast.  And I was the only stand up as far as I know.  Maybe Jeff (Grace) might do some stand up.  I’m not sure.

Ron Bennington:  But that’s what happens when you have the right beats to this thing.  

its a disasterDavid Cross:  Yeah.  Again, the writer – director who’s very familiar with a lot of those guys and as I mentioned, has a great ear for dialogue and the direction of it wasn’t forced or heavy handed.  It’s really natural – kind of that roving camera that sort of catches stuff.  And I know it was difficult for them to cut it sound wise, but the way that everyone’s talking and talks over each other – not all the time of course, but in the way that people do when they’re having…you know, most people are sitting at a table eating and nobody just sits and waits for people, they talk over each other.  And you have sort of focus on what…because these guys are over in the corner having a conversation that’s also has some important information for later, but you sort of have to half catch that while listening to this other thing.  So yeah, that is part of how it works too.

Ron Bennington:  Your character, the odd man out, which is always the weird thing to do.  Like when you’re with in-laws and cousins.

David Cross:  Absolutely.  In real life, we’ve all been there.  My character is meeting all these people for the first time and through his date, played by Julia Stiles – and they’re only on their 3rd date, so he barely knows her.  But yeah, it’s that awkward trying to fit in.

Ron Bennington:  Like a job interview that goes on for 5 hours.  

David Cross:  Yeah, in somebody’s house while the dirty bombs have gone off.

Ron Bennington:  While the dirty bombs are going off and you’re just commenting on glasses – oh, these are nice.  All the shit that you would never say in real life.  

David Cross:  Yeah and you try to ignore some of the more obvious weird…and the tension you pick up on – or my character picks up on like – oh wow, obviously something is going on with these two, I probably shouldn’t mention.  Yeah.

Ron Bennington:  But you love that kind of awkward thing, right?  

David Cross:  Well, one of the reasons I did the movie was because I rarely get a chance to play this kind of character who is way more grounded and pragmatic than the other people.  I mean as the movie goes on, you reveal more about my character and his back story which we won’t give away, but…

Ron Bennington:  History teacher.  

David Cross:  Yeah.  Put that in quotes.  (laughs)  But not to give anything away, but he’s clearly the most kind of mature and grounded person.  I mean, yeah, my character’s not broad in any way, which was that, coupled with how strong the script was.  Because I did not want to do…not that I didn’t want to do this movie, I just didn’t want to work…I just literally 48 hours ago prior to getting that script had come back from 8 months in London – where I just wanted to be home in New York.  I wanted to go upstate.  I just wanted to be here.  And I had to go to L.A. for this thing my wife was doing and America Ferrera who’s good friends with my wife called me said – I’ve got this script.  It’s great.  I’m like – don’t even send it.  I don’t want to see it.  She’s like – no, it shoots here in 10 days.  You’re perfect for it.  It’s going to be really fun.  I’m like – America, no thank you.  And she’s – just read it.  And she sent it.  I read it in one sitting.  I called up and said like – yeah, I’m in.

* * *

David Cross Talks About How He Chooses Projects

Ron Bennington:  Isn’t that the weird thing too of all these things that you either go for, try for, think about – some things just come to you.

David Cross:  Yeah.  I mean, yeah, I probably don’t get half the things that I want to, that I reach out and try to be a part of.  And a lot of these good things just as you said – just sort of pop up and fall in your lap.  Especially how mercurial this job is…or not job, but what I want to do, what I’ve chosen to do as an actor – when something like that comes along which is fairly rare, you take it.

Ron Bennington:  Just boom.  

David Cross:  It doesn’t matter if you want to go home and you haven’t been home and you miss your dog – you just take that opportunity because there’s just…

Ron Bennington:  So, it started shooting no long after, I guess.  

David Cross:  Oh yeah, I think like a week.  Less than a week and a half.

its a disaster posterRon Bennington: Wow.  

David Cross:  Yeah.

Ron Bennington:  So they were on their way whether you were in or not.  They were going to have to do something.  

David Cross:  Yeah.  Everyone was set, except for my character.  Yeah.  Then I met with…I read the script. I loved it.  And I liked the idea of being able to work with America and Julia who was already in, but Julia brought America on.  And then meeting Todd, the writer – director, and meeting like those other guys and what a great, fun, cool bunch of people and we got very close.  We still all hang out.

Ron Bennington:  Well, I think things are really going to open up for all those folks too.  Because I wasn’t familiar…

David Cross:  They’re so good.  I mean everyone’s good.  That scene…I don’t want to talk too much because this would be boring for the listeners, but the scene with Blaise (Miller) and Erinn, you know, Pete and Emma, in the car is great.

Ron Bennington:  Yeah, it’s fantastic.  

David Cross:  I mean they’re really good actors.

* * *

David Cross On Why You Should Try to  See “It’s a Disaster” in a Theater

Ron Bennington:  So boom.  The whole thing goes out the same day.  And then maybe a movie after that.  Well, the movie you’ve got to see is “It’s a Disaster”, On Demand right now or L.A. and New York this Friday.  

David Cross:  This Friday.  Yeah.

Ron Bennington:  Which I might run out just to see it in the theater anyway after already seeing it once because…

David Cross:  If you do, like listen for things because of the sound.  Like I was saying, the sound editing is interesting.

Ron Bennington:  That’s always the best kind of movies too – when you’re watching it and you’re like – how come I didn’t catch that the first time through?  

David Cross:  I’ve seen it twice and I definitely caught a bunch of stuff that I didn’t catch the first time.

Ron Bennington:  And you’re in it.  David Cross, good to see you again, buddy.  Congratulations.   And I’ll see you next time coming through.  

David Cross:  Alright.  Thanks.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA9S6NgzNYE]

============================================================

Find out more about the film at itsadisastermovie.com.

.

You can hear this interview in its entirety exclusively on SiriusXM satellite radio.  Not yet a subscriber?  Click here for a free trial subscription.

.

You can learn more about Ron Bennington’s two interview shows, Unmasked and Ron Bennington Interviews atRonBenningtonInterviews.com.