A Producer on Red Rocket
Film Genre: Comedy. Released Jan 2022.
What film inspired you to do what you do?
The film that inspired me to make social realism movies is “The Idiots” by Lars Von Trier, one of the “Dogme 95” films. And the Dogme 95 filmmaking movement made me realise filmmaking can be candid, pure, and true to life.
What is your favourite movie or TV show and why?
I love “Dirty Dancing”! The first time I watched it was in junior high school with a bunch of classmates. It was such a fun movie, we even attempted to learn all the dances! “Dirty Dancing” brings me down memory lane, I feel like I am 12 years old every time I watch it!
Where is the most interesting place that work has taken you?
The Second movie we made, “Starlet” brought us to Istanbul (International Film Festival). We visited the beautiful Mosques, bustling bazaars selling spices, fabrics, and traditional desserts, hookah/tea lounges… This ancient city bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally. It’s a city full of history and amazing architecture!
What is something on your bucket list?
To see the northern light from the Ice hotel one day!
Who is a fictional character that you relate to and why?
I would say “Mulan”. I read about her in history class when I was very young. In the story/fable, she is willing to sacrifice her own life for her father to disguise as a man and join the army. She is brave, intelligent, adapts easily, determined, and unconventional. She is in full control of her own destiny, and isn’t dependent on gender stereotypes.
What is your favourite movie snack?
Hands down Dippin’ Dots! It is so hard to find them, I only see them in movie theatres these days.
What is one thing you couldn’t live without?
I cannot live without imagination! With imagination, we can better understand other people's perspectives, to solve problems, to create and interact with artistic works.
What is your most used emoji?
Since the beginning of release of “Red Rocket”, the rocket emoji has been appearing everywhere on my social media posts and messages.
Which band/artist would compose the soundtrack of your life?
The British band - Suede
Describe Red Rocket in 1 word.
Hilarious!
Stay tuned, our next featured edition of The Production Files, as we chat to Zoe Terakes, actor from the drama series, Wentworth.
It’s T-minus three weeks until the hottest indie film of the summer, Red Rocket launches into Australian cinemas. It follows the escapades of down-and-out former adult film star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) who returns to his hometown in Texas to try to get back on his feet before leaving for L.A. again. The problem is that no one from his hometown – especially his ex-wife and her mother – feels particularly eager to welcome Mikey back.
A silver-tongued and opportunistic hustler, Mikey turns on the charm and smooth talks his way into crashing at his ex-wife’s house for a while. But just as they’re getting their relationship back on track, his attention turns towards the bright-eyed 17-year-old named Strawberry who works at a local donut shop, the Donut Hole.
Red Rocket was directed and co-written by Sean Baker, the resourceful indie filmmaker behind Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017). He earned acclaim for keeping things low-budget on Tangerine by shooting the film with three iPhone 5S smartphones.
Baker’s films are renowned for their radical empathy and depiction of characters on the margins of society. He routinely casts first-time actors in his films, imbuing them with a grounded authenticity that wouldn’t exist were the cast filled with A-list actors.
While Simon Rex, the lead actor who plays Mikey in Red Rocket, isn’t a first-time actor (you might remember him from the Scary Movie franchise), his casting in the film is a case of art-imitating-life since Rex got his start in the entertainment industry as a porn actor. His performance in Red Rocket fizzes with a manic energy, which is impossible to look away from. He lends his character of Mikey with such an endearing naivety and dogged positivity that we can’t help but root for him, even when he’s getting himself into deeper and deeper trouble.
After leaving the cinema, you’re guaranteed to be gleefully singing the *NSYNC song ‘Bye Bye Bye’ over and over in your head. Red Rocket’s opening scene introduces Mikey riding into Texas on a bus as the song plays, and then it re-appears at several other key points in the story, becoming the film’s unofficial anthem.
Since the film’s premiere at Cannes Film Festival earlier in 2021 (where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or), Red Rocket has gone on to earn several other nominations for the Gotham Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards, among others. Let’s see if it gets a nod at the Oscars when the nominations are announced in early February 2022.
We're thrilled you're the first we're sharing this with Roadie
From Director Guy Ritchie, Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre is on it's way Down Under in Jan 2022. A superstar cast leads the way with Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone and Hugh Grant in a thriller, truly made for the big screen.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem!
Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit odit aut fugit!
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam!
"Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio!"
"Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi."
"Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis!"