Report on film: “THE KINGS OF SUMMER” = Q&A with STARS of the film: MOISES, NICK & GABE

2013, 05-06:

Report on film:  “THE KINGS OF SUMMER” = Q&A with STARS of the film:  MOISES, NICK & GABE

Lately, I’ve been speaking of how there’s been a bunch of films recently that have shown an unusual profusion of EXCELLENTLY- ACTED film work by young and / or comparatively “unfamiliar” actors (in all the films mentioned above) -- people who I feel may well become some of the "UP-&-COMING" STARS of TOMORROW...

 …  Previously, I provided Reviews on such films, such as re “DISCONNECT” [which can be found at =  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-disconnect-mentions-of.html ] & re “MUD” [which can be found at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-mud-mentions-of.html ]…

…  And, the last one I covered was “THE KINGS OF SUMMER”, detailed at =

http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-kings-of-summer-q-with.html …

…  Earlier this year, that latter film (under its original title of “TOY’S HOUSE”) became one of the “darlings” of the SUNDANCE Film Festival, being one of the audience favorites…

…  On May 1^st, there was an advance screening of the film at Chicago’s COLUMBIA COLLEGE…

…  Before the film started, “Capone” of AICN (“Ain’t It Cool News”) came out & introduced 3 of the STARS of the film who were there in person (as shown in photos below):

…  MOISES ARIAS (the character “Rico” in “HANNAH MONTANA”) who plays short “off-kilter” Biaggio;  tall dark-haired NICK ROBINSON (“Ryder Scanlon” in the TV series “MELISSA & JOEY”) who plays Joe Toy in this;   and Nick’s best friend Patrick Keenan, portrayed by red-headed GABRIEL BASSO (who’s played “Adam Jamison” on TV’s “THE BIG C” series)…

…  As they came out from a room behind the screen, Capone commented that MOISES was the one you have to sort of “watch-out” for, despite his short stature!…  

…  MOISES said, they’d worked really HARD in making the movie in just 23 days, & he hoped we’d really LIKE what we’d be seeing…

 …  NICK said, it was really HOT when they filmed it around Chagrin Falls, Ohio [last summer], & he very much ENJOYED working on it!…

…  MOISES stated at one point that, they’d be back to take QUESTIONS AFTER the film…  Capone said, the director, JORDAN VOGT-ROBERTS, had ATTENDED the college where we were--  but, unfortunately, he was unable to JOIN the others that nite, being busy working in California…

…  GABE spoke a bit, indicating they’d been PLEASED to work with Jordan, & he personally was PROUD of what they’d achieved…  Nick said he hoped the audience would ENJOY the film, & they’d see us afterwards for a Q&A session…

…  After the guys had left the auditorium, the film brought forth loads of LAUGHS from the crowd, & got very hearty APPLAUSE from the audience when it ended…

…  Moises, Nick & Gabe then came out again, & sat on chairs that’d been set-up in the front of the auditorium.  Moises, sort of in-“character”, SQUATTED on his seat initially (as seen in the exclusive photo below)…

…  Capone asked a bunch of QUESTIONS initially, & the guys were quite “RELAXED” in answering them…

…  Capone asked about the “PIPELINE” activities by the guys, which became the “signature” scene of the film.  MOISES said, when they had their 1^st day OFF of work, there wasn’t much for them to “DO” in that area of Ohio--  especially in that they were living in a RETIREMENT home there (as their “headquarters”--  & periodically that also was used as a FILMING location, as was the local high school)!… 

…  So, the director decided to take him, Nick, Gabe, writer Chris Gallata & the DP (Director of Photography) into some WOODS outside Chagrin Falls…  

…  As the guys started walking around, by “ACCIDENT”, they chanced to find the PIPELINE above ground…  They loved the area--  but Director Jordan couldn’t find any real “REASON” to FILM there…

…  Jordan always tended to encourage them to IMPROVISE, & so, when Moises saw the pipeline, he jumped on TOP of it, which made “clanging” sounds… 

… GABE & NICK then “joined-in” & started BEATING the pipeline with TREE LIMBS, thus turning it even more into a sort of “DRUM”…  They just KEPT that UP, & [as seen in photos in my Review], a choice was made to FILM their playing-around with that, since it was so refreshing…

…  As Moises commented, that originally-UNscripted action turned out so well, it “became the ‘BACKBONE’ of the film!…”

…  Capone commented, “I love the way the drumming becomes PART of the SOUNDTRACK” of the film!…”  People laughed when Gabe smiled & good-naturedly took “CREDIT” for all that, by kiddingly spreading out his arms & saying, “THANK you!…”  (as seen below)…

…  Capone asked the guys about the AUDITIONING process that got them their roles:

…  MOISES said, he was in the midst of working on ANOTHER acting project in New Orleans when he got the script for the new film.  He decided to look at the “BIAGGIO” character proposed for him, & it seemed so strange, he said to himself, “What the HELL?!  What IS this?!…” … 

…  He then read the entire script, found it “brilliant…  and just LOVED it!…” & decided he just had to DO it…  He auditioned for the role via a TAPE he sent in…  He got the role, went to L.A., & then soon was sent off to Chagrin Falls, Ohio to FILM the script…

…  NICK said, how he got his role was “pretty standard”:  He also got a script [seemingly thru his agent], & felt “The writer – CHRIS [GALLATA ]— did a GREAT job”,  he loved it -- liking how it covered a sort of “NO MAN’S land between childhood and ADULTHOOD”--, & indicated he was INTERESTED in doing it…

…  But then, “I didn’t HEAR anything for a LONG time”…  Finally, all of a sudden, he was called in to audition for some scenes with GABE & others…

…  Shortly after that, he was contacted & told he HAD the role, & was told to go to OHIO for the filming!  In response to Capone’s comment, he said yes, his reaction to the news was “YAY!” (& throwing up his hands in the air with happiness, as shown below)…

…  GABE said, his situation was sort of the same as Nick’s:  He got the script, & tho, “I rarely LAUGH out LOUD” at things he reads, “I did with THIS” script, & decided, he also very much wanted to DO the movie (stated as he looked up at the audience, as shown below)…

…  So, he got to Ohio, “met THIS guy” (gesturing to NICK, as seen below), & started working with him & Moises for 23 or so long but enjoyable days…

…  At one point, Nick spoke of how he was impressed with the “crazy [quality of] IMAGINATIONS” of the director & writer…

…  GABE said (to a question) that, he felt his character goes WITH Nick into the woods in part to “PROTECT  [him] from HURTING himself”, besides [Gabe’s] trying to get AWAY from his own PARENTS [who’d been driving him “up a wall” to the point of giving him physical problems]…

…  Gabe added that, he personally remembers how, when HE was actually 14-15 (3 or so years ago), he at times ALSO wanted to get AWAY from his parents a bit [yearning to be more INDEPENDENT, as the guys are doing in the film]…

…  Gabe commented that, he was also really like his character in the film in the way he’d normally view “Biaggio” as being “WEIRD”…   

...  He added that, his character of Patrick “probably looks at things MORE OBJECTIVELY than I do—” in real life…
 

   …  Capone commented that, he’d been surprised by the way the male-female RELATIONSHIPS were handled in the film, saying, he found those “handled really WELL…  within the teenage framework”…

…  Continuing, he said, such “coming-of-age” relationships in films are “usually ‘DUMBED-down’ to a certain degree.  But here, it’s more MATURE…”

…  He asked Nick, were such relationship scenes TOUGH to do?  Nick responded, NO – adding that, he’d even auditioned with ERIN MORIARITY who plays his love interest “Kelly” in the film, & stated (as seen below) that “She’s a LOVELY person!”… 

…  Capone asked whether scenes with her were “easy to do”, & Nick said, all the actors were wonderful to work with, “They were GREAT!”… 

…  He later detailed how wonderful it was to work with NICK OFFERMAN--  how, tho he may appear to be outwardly very “gruff”, he’s really very EASY-GOING & kind, & very FUNNY-- as were [Offerman’s real-life wife] MEGAN MULLALLY & her film hubby [as Gabe’s father] MARC EVAN JACKSON…

…  GABE heartily agreed with Nick, & all agreed they’d been privileged to LEARN a LOT from the veteran actors they were with…

…  To an inquiry from Capone, Nick said no no, he & Erin were NOT “DATING” at all in real life, & added there was NO “dating” between any of the people on the set…

…  Nick said, to him, when the guys go off into the WOODS, it was seen (& best acted) as if they were “boys trying so HARD to be MEN…  ‘Boys-To-Men’!…” (which brought laughs from the audience)…

…  GABE indicated that he & the other 2 guys “connected” well with each other…  He spoke of the “game” they’d played during “down” time --  something called "chicken" (tho they’d called it “darro” or the like), wherein guys take turns punching each other on the arms (which you can see being played during one “exaggerated” slow-motion scene IN the film, as seen below)…

…  To that, Nick commented about Gabe (as seen in the top-most FIRST photo of this Report) that, “He’s the INSTIGATOR!…”

…  At one point, Capone asked the AUDIENCE for questions…

…  One young lady in the back of the auditorium stood up to start-off that segment, & said, SHE had a question.  Pointing to GABE, she said, “What is your NAME?…”

…  GABE responded by saying, it’s GABE BASSO.  Nick chimed in to say, that’s short for “GABRIEL—”, & then kiddingly gave it a French pronounciation, “Gah-briel!”, which brought some laughs…

…  The young lady then said, “OK. Thank you!”, & promptly SAT DOWN.  Feeling she’d been “flustered” in front of the audience & forgotten what she’d wanted to ASK, Nick thoughtfully worked to remind her, “So— WHAT was your QUESTION--?” for him…

…  The lady said about her inquiry concerning Gabe’s name, “THAT was IT!…”

…  Her response was so unexpected, the guys on the stage & people in the audience broke out LAUGHING in appreciation for the simplicity of the unanticipated situation…  

… Regarding another question from the audience as to what he’d taken AWAY from the experience of making “THE KINGS OF SUMMER”, MOISES said, he was impressed watching director JORDAN & seeing how people WORK & collaborate together to construct a film--  the “work ethic” they had & all…

…  He was very IMPRESSED with how Jordan handled things, & he himself would like to DO some directing in the FUTURE…

…  Also, Moises (gesturing to his co-stars to his left) said he was impressed “seeing these 2 guys.  They’re very TALENTED young artists…” (to which Nick said, “Thank you!”)…

…  Referring to the “game” of "chicken" the 3 guys played during “down” time (where  guys took turns punching each other on the arms to see who could take the most hits without calling off the game), NICK half-kiddingly said, he took away some “PHYSICAL injuries” from making the film!…

…  Continuing, Nick said (as he gestured to his co-stars), “outside” of that, he took away

“FRIENDSHIPS, obviously…”  He was sincere— but, not wanting to sound “cheesy” in the face of some “Aww!” murmurs, he kidded, “No, I HATE these guys--!”, which brought laughs from the audience (& smiles from his co-stars)…

…  During the talk, Nick mentioned he grew up with 6 siblings (so he, in effect, learned how to “get along” with other people & the like)…

…  At one point, Moises mentioned, one thing he found difficult concerned their jumping off the cliff into the WATER:  it was great FUN initially, & they each tried to keep “outdoing” themselves in further takes of the scene… 
 

…  But, the more he did it with his “swan dive”, the more he realized it was UNWISE to jump in that way, as he ended up HURTING himself.  Nick added, what he means is, he ended up BELLY-FLOPPING into the water STOMACH first, rather than go in FEET first as he & Gabe did, which is far less painful!  Moises agreed with him…

…  All the guys spoke at times about  how GOOD it was to work with director JORDAN, very much appreciating how “OPEN” he was to ideas THEY had about their characters, allowing them to at times AD-LIB lines --  a number of which eventually ended up in the FINAL film cut, etc…

…  Nick commented about how he & Gabe often didn’t know just what nutty things MOISES might say or do at certain times-- so it was EASY to give NATURAL “REACTIONS” to him & his unexpected words & actions…

…  The guys commented how they’d been TRAVELING AROUND to a LOT of cities promoting the film [i.e., San Fancisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia, etc.], & --  tho it had been HECTIC at times --, they’d ENJOYED it, especially the INTERACTIONS with the audience as they’d had today…

…  At the end of the talk, the guys said they hoped the people in the audience had ENJOYED the film & would RECOMMEND it to their FRIENDS & FAMILIES, as it’s opening in many markets on June 7th!…  To applause, they then left the stage into a back room, & the appreciative audience departed…

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      After that, the film had a number of other advance screenings in the Chicago area, often at comparatively SMALL / “INDEPENDENT” venues such as the MUSIC BOX theater and the GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER affiliated with the ART INSTITUTE of Chicago…

…  In the past, I have spoken of the MIDWEST FILM FESTIVAL held the first Tuesday of virtually every month in Chicago, such as:

  

…  In the 02-07-13 Review of film: “BE GOOD”, + PRODUCER’S PANEL on SHORT films, + Q&A with Dir TODD LOOBY, @ MIDWEST FILM FESTIVAL ”, seen at:  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-of-film-be-good-producers-panel.html …

…  In the 06-01-12 Report on:  HOW to be an “EXTRA” in FILMS & commercials in Chicago”, seen at: http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2012/06/report-on-how-to-be-extra-in-films.html ...

…  In the 03-07-12 “Review of film: “LAC DE FLAMBEAU” + Q&A”, seen at:

http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-of-film-lac-de-flambeau-at.html …

…  In the 08-08-11 “Review of film:  “MEET MONICA VELOUR”  + PANEL DISCUSSION ON “AUDITION NIGHTMARES” + Q&A with director KEITH BEARDEN & star DUSTIN INGRAM”, seen at: http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-of-film-meet-monica-velour-panel.html …

…  In the 05-14-11 “Report on Q&A Talk with “EASY RIDER” cinematographer LASZLO KOVACS”, seen at: http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/05/report-on-q-talk-with-easy-rider.html …

…  In the 10-09-10 “Review of film “CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE” + Q&A with DIRECTOR” BRIAN MILLER, seen at:  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-of-film-caught-in-crossfire-q.html …

…  And in the 10-09-10 writeup “A PANEL discussion on FILM DISTRIBUTION [held] at the Midwest Film Festival...”, seen at:  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2010/10/panel-discussion-on-film-distribution.html …

…  The above is mentioned because, on June 4, the DIRECTOR of “THE KINGS OF SUMMER” film, JORDAN  VOGT-ROBERTS, appeared at the Midwest Film Festival, in a PRODUCER’S PANEL Discussion and at a Q&A after the advance screening there of his soon-to-be released new film…

…  He spoke, in part, of how he feels “THE KINGS OF SUMMER”  is a film of the “HEART”, & he hopes that “WORD-OF-MOUTH” will help promote the film so it can STAY in theaters long enough to be appreciated by a wider public that most “indie” films are unable to reach…

…  I hope to have a more detailed REPORT on that Panel & Q&A event (with more exclusive PHOTOS) that I can share with you LATER…

...  You can see the Review of "THE WAY, WAY BACK" at = 
http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-of-film-way-way-back.html ...

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