Category: Cody’s Interviews

An Interview with Molly Bernstein, Director of ‘Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay’

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Molly Bernstein, Alan Edelstein, Ricky Jay, and Scott Foundas at The New York Film Festival world premiere of Deceptive Practice. Photo by Joe Holmes.

I’ve been a fan of Ricky Jay’s since I was a kid, when I saw his TV special, Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants. I remember being taken by how different he was from anyone I’d ever seen perform magic—stern, with no bombast. He made magic this manly, intimidating thing, like a cigar or something. I’ve been scared and mesmerized by him ever since.

As I grew older, he and his inimitable voice turned up in some of my favorite movies, such as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Homicide, and Things Change—and of course, my favorite TV show of all time, Deadwood. And now he’s the subject of one of my favorite documentaries of last year—Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Molly Bernstein, the director of this wonderful film:
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An Interview with Zachary Levy, Director of ‘Strongman’

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Zachary Levy’s film, Strongman, is one of the rawest and best cinematic portraits in recent history. In it, he follows Stanley ‘Stanless Steel’ Pleskun, the self-proclaimed ‘strongest man in the world at bending steel’. Over the course of the film, we intimately see Stan’s ups and downs, which are at times comedic, at times tragic, and at times, that perfect, indescribable mix of both. This is a film one watches and never forgets, and thinking back on it later, you almost feel as though you’re thinking back to a chapter of your own life, even though you may have nothing in common with Stan’s experiences and surroundings. It’s that vivid.

I reviewed Strongman a few weeks ago, and I recently had a chance to sit down with Zach and chat about his film. The interview is spoiler-free, so if you haven’t seen the film yet, no worries. But do yourself a favor and see it soon. It’s currently available on iTunes and on DVD.
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An Interview With Gavin McInnes of ‘The Brotherhood of the Traveling Rants’

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Gavin McInnes is often referred to as “The Godfather of Hipsterdom”, having co-founded the seminal international publication VICE in 1994. But as bold as that moniker may be, it doesn’t tell the whole story, as it was but one chapter in his bizarre legacy of a life. He’s been a cartoonist, played in punk bands, taught English to kindergarteners in China—and since leaving VICE in 2008, this modern day renaissance man has carved a niche as an essayist, an actor, a comedian, a musician, a pundit, and recently, a feature-length filmmaker. His docu-dramedy road movie, The Brotherhood of the Traveling Rants, received a glowing review from yours truly a few weeks ago. His next film, How To Be A Man, is already in the can, and he is currently shooting a third. All this, while juggling a job as the creative director of ad agency Rooster New York. Not to mention, he’s also a husband, and a father of three kids. To say his days are full is an understatement, and I’m honored he found the time to chat with us here at Smug Film.
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‘Very Little’: Another Interview with John D’Amico

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If you’re a fan of us here at Smug Film, you already know John D’Amico. We became fast friends when I interviewed him months ago about his treasure trove of a website, Shot Context, and he’s been contributing to the site ever since. But what you might not know is that beyond writing reviews and essays, he’s also a filmmaker and a screenwriter and a playwright. His latest one-act, Very Little, was recently accepted to the NYC Fringe Festival for 2013, and its run begins this August the 14th. If you’ll be in town, definitely come check it out. (Here are the dates.)  And do consider contributing to his IndieGoGo campaign for the project, to help cover production costs. This play is an out-of-pocket labor of love, and every bit helps.
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An Interview with Brendan Mitchell, aka, WetMovie1

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Brendan Mitchell, known on YouTube as WetMovie1, is a self-proclaimed movie hoarder—and quite proud of it. He has over 5,000 VHS, DVD’s and Blu-rays in his ever-growing personal collection, and posts weekly updates on his channel discussing his latest purchases. He also posts reviews of new movies, as well as ‘Hoarding Up’ videos, in which he films himself and his friends as they travel to big box stores to stock up on new releases and sale items. One could definitely say he’s certifiably obsessed with movies, and his attitude is infectious—he’s a very friendly and personable guy, and when you watch his videos, his completely unpretentious disposition towards cinema, and awe for all that it has to offer, rubs off on you.
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