THINK RIP VAN WINKLE MEETS BACK
TO THE FUTURE BUT IN YIDDISH.
THE DITCH DIGGING LOSER SOON
WOOS THE GIRL OF HIS DREAMS.
IT’S A MOVIE THAT FEELS LIKE IT
STARTS WITH A HAPPY ENDING.
HE AND HIS WIFE COME TO THE
UNITED STATES.
HE GETS A JOB IN THE PICKLE
FACTORY AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
>> HE FALLS IN A PICKLE VAT ONE
DAY AND IS BRINED FOR 100 YEARS.
HE IS UNBRINED 100 YEARS LATER
IN MODERN DAY NEW YORK.
>> YOU WERE BRINED FOR LIKE A
CENTURY AND THERE’S SALT IN
BRINE, RIGHT?
SO YOU MUST BE PRETTY PARCHED.
>> Reporter: ROGAN’S CHARACTER
LEARNS HIS ONLY LIVING RELATIVE
IS A GREAT GRANDSON PLAYED BY
ROGAN.
>> THIS IS NUTS.
>> Reporter: YOU SHOOT IT
SIMULTANEOUSLY?
HOW’D IT WORK?
WE SHOT ALL THE BEARDED STUFF
FIRST AND THEN ALL THE
NON-BEARDED STUFF.
>> Reporter: ROGAN SAID HE HAD
NO CHOICE BUT TO GROW A BEARD
FOR THE ROLE.
>> I WATCHED THE MOST EXPENSIVE
MOVIES ON EARTH AND THEY’RE ABLE
TO DO SPACE BATTLES BUT THEY
LOOK AT A FAKE BEARD AND IT’S
TERRIBLE.
>> Reporter: SO YOU SHAVE OFF
THE BEARD AND DO OTHER SCENES.
WERE THERE EVER MOMENTS WHEN
YOU’RE HAVING ALREADY RECORDED
THE BEARDED STUFF AND YOU’RE
PLAYING AGAINST YOURSELF AND
YOU’RE THINKING, I WISH THE
BEARDED GUY HAD DONE THAT A
LITTLE BETTER?
>> WHAT’S FUNNY IS WE THOUGHT
OF, LIKE, ONE -- LITERALLY MAYBE
15-SECOND THING THAT WE WISHED
WE HAD FILMED.
AND WE WAITED AROUND NINE MONTHS
FOR ME TO GROW THE BEARD BACK SO
WE COULD FILM THAT ONE THING.
THEY WERE LIKE, CAN WE JUST DO A
FAKE BEARD?
IT’S JUST ONE SHOT IT’LL LOOK
EVEN WORSE.
IT’LL BE NUTS IF IT’S JUST ONE
SHOT.
>> Reporter: THE BEARDED SETH
AND HIS LESS BEARDED SELF
CONFRONT A SERIES OF OBSTACLES.
GENERATIONAL, CULTURAL,
FAMILIAL, RELIGIOUS.
>> I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE A
RELIGIOUS PERSON.
BUT I AM NOT.
>> Reporter: AS UNCOMFORTABLE
WITH THINGS AS FAITH AND
COMPLICATED AS THOSE THINGS ARE,
YOU CAN APPLY CERTAIN ELEMENTS
OF RELIGION AND FAITH TO YOUR
LIFE FOR REASONS THAT ARE
HELPFUL TO YOU AS A PERSON, YOU
KNOW?
AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT --
YEAH -- WE WANTED TO EXPLORE IN
THE FILM.
>> Reporter: IN A RECENT
CONVERSATION WITH POD MASTER
MARK MAREN, ROGAN SAID A LOT OF
FUNNY THINGS.
HE ALSO SHARED HIS CANDID
THOUGHTS ON ISRAEL.
>> AS A JEWISH PERSON, I WAS FED
HUGE AMOUNTS OF ISRAEL MY ENTIRE
LIFE.
THEY NEVER TELL YOU THAT, BY THE
WAY, THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE.
THEY MAKE IT SEEM LIKE.
>> Reporter: BOY, DID YOU STIR
UP A YOU KNOW WHAT STORM.
>> A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK ME AND MARK HAD A
CONVERSATION HONESTLY THAT IS
HAPPENING AT JEWISH DINNER
TABLES AROUND THE WORLD.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A
SENSEITIVE SUBJECTS, BUT ELEMENT
OF THAT CONVERSATION HAVE BEEN
CHERRY PICKED AND
DECONTEXTUALIZED, YOU KNOW, IN
VARIOUS NEWS OUTLETS.
I AM A PROUD JEWISH PERSON AND I
AM NOT ASHAMES OF BEING JEWISH.
I TALK ABOUT IT CONSTANTLY.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE
COUNTRY OF ISRAEL SHOULD EXIST.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THE
PALESTINIANS HAVE A RIGHT TO
HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO BE
ACKNOWLEDGED.
>> Reporter: ROGAN IS
UNAPOLOGETICALLY OPEN ABOUT HIS
OPINIONS.
AND WERE THE REAL ROGAN TO TIME
TRAVEL LIKE HIS FILM
COUNTERPART, WELL --
>> IF YOUNG ME MET FUTURE ME
LIKE ME, YOUNG ME WOULD BE SOUP
YOU ARE PSYCHED.
LIKE, OH GOOD.
OLDER ME WOULD BE LIKE, JUST SO
YOU KNOW, YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING
TO -- YOU’RE GOING TO GET IN
SOME TROUBLE OVER THE NEXT
YEARS.
>> Reporter: BE CAREFUL.
>> BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.
>> ROGAN IS PRETTY INTERESTING
ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING.
IRONICALLY THE FILM IS REALLY
ABOUT FINDING FAMILY AND FINDING
YOUR ROOTS AND REALLY GETTING
BACK IN TOUCH WITH ALL OF THOSE
THINGS.
HE SAYS IT’S AS JEWISH AS MAYBE
HAS EVER BEEN MADE.
SO YOU WANT TO FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY, GOOGLE.
YOU CAN SPEND HOURS SIFTING
THROUGH IT ALL.
>> SOUNDS LIKE YOU DID.
>> ONE THING ABOUT SETH, THOUGH,
THAT LAUGH.
HE’S GOT TO ICONIC LAUGH, YOU
KNOW IT’S SETH ROGAN.
>> CAN’T IMITATE IT.