Tony DuShane, Writer/Podcaster/Teacher: I don't think there's a lot of originality in
the stories. There's originality in how they're told.
Film Courage:
Would you say filmmakers today are more concerned with forcing a message than telling a good story?
Tony: I see it a lot and I think people are concerned about how they're portrayed instead
of the what the story's talking about and which is the people do what they need to do that's not how
I work I have no problem eating crow if I have to as long as I'm telling the story as as truthfully
and from the heart as possible but yeah I mean I see it a lot where people are people are trying to
steer their stories in a marketing way it's like oh this is fresh and they're like well I'm writing
fresh and I should never ever do that because it just it reeks of inauthenticity but what there's
80 percent in in authentic films out there that are making a ton of money so I'm
not right on that a few very successful careers are being made it's just not how I do it so
it's it's not how I approach it and it's not how I want to consume it I don't want,
I never…I preached door-to-door knocking on doors with the word of Jehovah for 20 years of my life
the last thing I ever want to do is preach even if I believe in something I don't want
my belief system to to find its way into the story and push it on the viewer I always want the viewer
or the reader to have their own questions and come up with and go oh that's interesting I'm
not sure if that blank I'm not sure if blank I don't I don't want them to know the most
beautiful compliment I got when Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk came out the film
was they people thought I was still the Jehovah's Witness and I was just like yeah I did it right
because yeah I do not believe in that belief system at all it's very corrupt and it's not good
but when I'm telling the story my message can't be in there I could tell I could tell the world of
but I love it that people aren't sure if I'm still affiliated with
the religion or not that's the greatest compliment and I feel like that should be
I would love that to be across the board where someone I don't want to know their
political affiliation I don't want to I don't want the film or the story to tell me
where they are I want I want them to explore the human condition because that's what we all got so
you said something to the effect of 80 of movies nowadays do seem to fall into
a category of a message they're doing quite well who do you think the audience is for those films
I mean it's interesting because I don't I don't think the audience this is why Hollywood
is a weird business because I don't think the audience is too critical of certain things
because the general audience is there just to be entertained
what are we doing on Saturday night honey we're going to the cinema cineplex well who's what's
there I don't know but that cute guy in that films in this film well great let's go
and they go and then they enjoy it and then they go home they're they're and their enjoyment of it
is great well great that's that's that's what it's for what even if it has a message what a great
gift that those filmmakers gave to those people who got to go on a date and then got to go home
and cuddle and just come together because they saw a movie that I wouldn't necessarily care to see so
the viewership is just so vast that I I don't want to make a judgment on those people I just I'm just
I and those people do not want to see my movie I mean and they've been vocal about it on the
internet so it's just like I turned that off after five minutes because what this this and this and
I'm like yeah it's not for you that's fine I because I don't write for everybody I never want
to write for everybody I want that I want people to not like me and I'll feel like I'm doing a
I want people to like me of course but I do want a certain population to not like what I'm doing
because then it then I know I'm then I know I'm hitting the authenticity and I'm hitting the truth
and there's and and sometimes I disgust myself I'm just I'm just like it's probably it's probably why
I can't read my old work or watch old stuff is it's just too much because I'm it's just too much
not that it's bad not that I don't know that I don't think it's good it's just
it's too much to consume on my own as like a reader or a writer or as a viewer it's weird yeah
the like familiarity breeds contempt so you're you're too much of your s how we all see ourselves
in a different light not not not contempt I think it's just that was a point in time and
and that's and that's all that and that's what it was and how lucky am I but I’d rather watch
a new episode of money heist on Netflix it's yeah I don't know I don't even know why I said that I
have therapy at 10 am tomorrow I could talk to my therapist about it okay no I mean I get it I
mean some people after a while they're like okay I'm glad I've passed this phase I don't want to
live here anymore in this like mindset so I can understand that yeah it's yeah yeah
with so many remakes and reboots being made today how can creators truly tell original stories
well yeah I don't I get the franchise thing oh Aquaman worked and people know what Aquaman
is a whopper works they're gonna go buy a whopper instead of the hamburger at the local
mom paw joint because they don't know what that is I think I don't think there's a lot of originality
in the stories there's originality in how they're told and the originality of how
we're bringing our unique voice and to what a story that's already been told over and over again
and then we get and then we get together with the actors who have their own unique
ways of working and then the directors have their unique ways of working and that's where
the beauty comes or that's where it totally flops and dies but yeah I mean for the reboots
they got to make reboots so they can give money to the stuff that maybe someone cares about I guess
and actors even got to do it too I don't think any of these actors that work in superhero movies
I don't think they really want to but that paycheck's really good and it's just like I'm
going to get in that cost them again and it's and I would get in the costume too because who
wouldn't want to buy a house in Los Feliz sure The Palisades all right private schools and yeah
exactly it's great decision making so yeah I don't think I'm getting hired on any of
those as a writer but may maybe maybe they want someone contrarian to come in so sure
have you seen any remakes that were actually better than the originals well Ocean's 11 for sure
was just way better than the train wreck that was the Frank Sinatra
rat pack Ocean's 11. let me try to think of some arrays some remakes that were better
than the originals I don't know it does happen sometimes I think it's a it's there's a there's
a narrative where they try to take great films from the past and remake them now
I think they should go for the crappy films in the past and remake them I would love to see
remakes of terrible films like what how I don't know maybe a hard R version a Parent Trap no
I don't know why was Ccean's 11 why was the first one so horrible
I well I've only seen it once I don't know if have you seen it
not not the you said the one with Frank Sinatra yeah yeah yeah the rat packs are yeah it's they
didn't care I don't think there was any care taken in it it's like we got these stars let's
put them together when it got to Sodenberg seems like there was care taken you can tell there's
there's it's it's a blockbuster film but you look at the frame by frame and you and you look at
the decisions that were made and it's just like every decision is a great decision is it's
the the there's a lot of little elements in there too I can't remember who wrote the screenplay but
the the beautiful little elements and little choices that are made that's it's it's what
just brings it all together yeah what classic film it would be a
travesty if they tried to remake it today it would just be insulting oh I don't know
i don't know I think everything should be given a try I mean
Gus Van Sant did a try on psycho which was just awful it's like Vince Vaughn was yeah I know it's
nobody remembers it there's a reason it's because it was terrible and I think they used the exact
same script and it was yeah but give it a try why not I mean hey people it's if someone's gonna
hey I'll write a remake of something I’ll write a remake of a great movie
and hope I can do better and then everyone can just dirt on it and I yeah it's I say have fun
with it I say I say ruin great films why ruin them well I mean if you're going to remake them
yes it's it's a canvas it's like it's it's why why not go ahead and try to re-sketch it
and and I hate this word intellectual property but it's all about oh we have this property
let's renew this property and let's make money on it and I understand the business sense of it
so not that I'm going to run out and be excited that they remake a a certain film like the bicycle
thief or whatever is it's like let's remake it in modern day los angeles what go ahead actually it's
yeah it's there's so there's so much crap being made it doesn't matter if more crap's made I guess
okay yeah what if I take music though which I know is near and dear to your heart as well
some some like you said was it on camera or off camera public image limited was one of
your first concerts that you went to okay so PIL [Public Image Ltd] what if there was a
band that was trying to remake all those songs and there was a Johnny Rotten that
was the new the new guy wasn't Johnny Rotten but it was like this new influencer guy they kind of
looked like Johnny Rotten and had sort of the same sensibility Justin Timberlake can remake
it I'll be like oh let's see if it's good okay yeah I guess I guess I'm not nostalgic about it
I've already had my experience with the the either the original film or seeing the original band and
yeah so I don't say I'm realizing now that I'm not really nostalgic if somebody tries to remake
something I'm like go ahead do it they can remake Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk and make it a
superhero film and just send me the check okay why do you think people though are so precious
about some of these films or adaptations of certain books well like why are
why are some people so adamant that it shouldn't be done that it
because there are fans that would that are that are angry that the original work
yeah I guess they attribute meaning to it and meaning to it in their own lives but it's I
don't know if they if they work in film or if they are writers they could be and and with writing and
film is it's meant to be critiqued it's meant to be just ripped apart that's what everyone's
supposed to do that's the that's the beauty of of all of it it's you're having a conversation
about it great it's creates continuing the conversation so yeah I mean it's it's um
there was like what was that Rock 'n' Roll High School The Ramones were in
Rock 'n' Roll High School then they had Rock 'n' Roll High School II [Forever].
Corey Feldman was the band, it was the band of Rock 'n' Roll High School II
and people hate it but I get a kick out of it I'm like there's Corey Feldman pretending like
he's Michael Jackson it's just like it I'm not upset about it because there's the first one that
meant a lot to me as a kid and the second one is Corey Feldman pretending like he's Michael Jackson
sure and The Ramones were at the height of their stardom when that
I think they gained more stardom I think after that movie came out I think that's yeah I think
they I don't think they realized that was going to put them to a new level but I don't know I can't
remember because I can't remember exactly when the movie came out why I saw it on VHS oh nice.