1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Hear's the thing, 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: the Untouchables, casualties of war, the bonfire of the vanities, 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: raising Cain Carlito's way, Mission impossible. Brian de Palma didn't 4 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: just make all those movies. He made all those movies 5 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: in a row. Nobody balances suspense, action and character better 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: than he does. Each film is a master class in 7 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: building tension with tracking shots, disconcerting angles, and split screens, 8 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: and then he releases that tension with the blunt shock 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: of violence. In any DiPalma film, the camera is ultimately 10 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: the star. DePalma is the son of a surgeon, and 11 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: he went to Columbia for physics, but he quickly discovered 12 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: where his true passion lay. You know him as a 13 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: virtuosic v director, but before that he was a fixture 14 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: of the experimental Greenwich Village movie scene of the nineteen sixties. 15 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: That's where he cast a then unknown actor named Bobby 16 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: de Niro. Fitting since DiPalma later became known for working 17 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: with all the greatest actors. His very first Hollywood movie 18 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: starred Orson Welles. Last summer, the Hampton's International Film Festival 19 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: gave Brian de Palma the Lifetime Achievement Award. I was 20 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 1: honored to speak with him in front of a live 21 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 1: audience when he came to accept it. Please welcome, Brian 22 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: de Palma. Um directing as an unbelievably difficult task. When 23 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: did you know you could do that? This is a long, 24 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: funny story. I was head of the Columbia Players, and uh, 25 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: the Varsity Show is a very big thing at Columbia. 26 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: So there were two shows up to be voted for, 27 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: and I was just an apprentice that was going to 28 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: take over the Columbia Players the following year. So in 29 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: these situations, everybody's uh, you know, got their own sort 30 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: of corrupt intent because if you do my play, I 31 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: get to play the lead and you get to direct. Dadada. 32 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: I knew nothing about this. There were two really good scripts, 33 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: one by Steve Rawson, who was uh, one of my 34 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: schoolmates at Columbia, and the other one by Terry McNally, 35 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: a very funny comedy. And they fought for hours and 36 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: they were deadlocked, you know, like six to six, and 37 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: it was getting late and it was about midnight, and 38 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: they said they looked over to me because I had 39 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: read both scripts. And they said, well, well well, let's let 40 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: the kid decide. So I said, all I think that 41 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: Terry mcdally's script is funny. Let's do that one great. 42 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: Everybody leaves. That night, I was shooting my first short, 43 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: which consisted of pan coming out of the tunnel at 44 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: a hundred and sixt Street. I was not the director. 45 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: I was just author and cinematographer. I get to the 46 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: location and my director arrived, Jean Marner I'll never forget 47 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: his name, and he comes with his very Sicilian girl 48 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: frame named Charlie, and she comes over to me and says, 49 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: you fucking idiot. You didn't vote for the rows and play. 50 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Didn't you know that Gene was going to direct it? 51 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: And I go huh? And then they walked off and 52 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: they took the lead actor with them. So here I 53 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: am at a hundred and sixteenth Street at three in 54 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: the morning, staring into an empty tunnel, saying I'm going 55 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: to direct this now and that's it, that's it. And 56 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: you found some waitresses and all my dinner and said 57 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: come with me, you're my lead do you didn't need 58 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: any actors for the shot? No, I had to go 59 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: out and find my own actors. And start all over again. Okay, 60 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: al cruise Travolta, on and on and on. You work 61 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: with stars, I mean big stars at the apex of 62 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: their career. Do you feel you were lucky that you 63 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: got people who weren't only stars, they could play the 64 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,679 Speaker 1: role and meet the demands you had of them. Well, 65 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: I think it was very lucky with that, like, for instance, 66 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: in Blowout, which I wrote after Dressed to Kill, which 67 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: Dressed to Kill was a big hit. So now I 68 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: was a genius and I could do anything. So I 69 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: wrote this really small picture about the sound effects editor, 70 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: and I was thinking it was really low budget and 71 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: it's not huh. And then Travolta called me up and said, 72 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: I want you to read the script. And I read 73 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: it and I didn't wasn't interested. And then he said, well, 74 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: what are you doing? And I said, well, I'm doing 75 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: this film. It's you know, it's about a sound effects editor, 76 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: and let me read it. So he read it and 77 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:19,239 Speaker 1: then he said, hey, I'd like to play that part. 78 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: So now I have drawn Travolta, one of the hottest 79 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: stars there is at that point. And uh, suddenly the 80 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: budget went from like six million to sixteen million, and 81 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 1: everything got bigger. Are their principles of filmmaking that that 82 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: you hold fast too, regardless of the budget, regardless of 83 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: the cast. Or did the way you make films change 84 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,479 Speaker 1: the more money that was at stake? I don't think so. 85 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, making a you know, it's five 86 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: million dollar movie or you know a hundred million dollar movie, 87 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: it's sold more or less the same to me, obviously, 88 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: more people around. And uh, and since I'd like to 89 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: do these elaborate you know, set pieces, you need really 90 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: those great technicians that we're in Hollywood. It's you know, 91 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: the thing they always said about Orson Wells, he lost 92 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: the ability to use all those great technicians and it 93 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: showed in his work, And I think that's quite true. Um, 94 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: when did you start writing on What Felt after Dressed 95 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: to Kill? I mean I had this idea because, uh, 96 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: when I was mixing Dressed to Kill, you know there's 97 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: you know, there's like a scene right at a blowout 98 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: in it. I talked to the sound editor and I noticed, 99 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, this wind effect. And I said to him, 100 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: this wind I've heard this a thousand times. Can't you 101 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: get anything new? And he looked at he says, Okay, 102 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: so he goes out, you know, into the country and 103 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: and and gets his mic up and tries to get 104 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: me some new wind sound. So that so that started 105 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: the idea of the sound effects editor who becomes the 106 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: protagonist in the one of the new wind for Dress 107 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: to Kill. Correct, because remember when the review of Dressed 108 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: to Kill they mentioned that, I said, there's a new 109 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: wind sound achieves a new high and winds sound anyway 110 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: and do and when you write them and someone else 111 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: writes them, which is harder to direct. Well, I think 112 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: it's very important to do both because you have your 113 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: own ideas and your own idiosyncrasies and the set pieces 114 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: I like to do. Uh, but I like working in 115 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: other people's bullparks. And that's why I'm attracted to really 116 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: great writers. And when I read a great script, I go, oh, 117 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: this is something I haven't never done before, like starting 118 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:58,559 Speaker 1: with you know, the gangster pictures or adaptation of a book, 119 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: something like that. And then it enlarges you because now 120 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: you have to tell their story with the techniques you 121 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: developed yourself. Um, you hit a run there where Burham, 122 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: Steve Burham becomes your TP and what was the battery 123 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: between you and him that endured for so long. Your 124 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: first with him was what body Double? When I was 125 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: doing Body Double, I was shooting a lot of tests, 126 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: and I had some of the most beautiful women in 127 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: the world auditioning, and uh. And then I was looking 128 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: at these tests and I'm saying, God, these girls are gorgeous. 129 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: Why do they not look so good on film? Then 130 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,559 Speaker 1: I said to myself, I think I'm going to start 131 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: auditioning some cinematographers. I mean, they spend a lot of 132 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: time putting on makeup. Why don't you like them correctly 133 00:08:55,559 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: so you appreciate all the work that's been done. Yeah. 134 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: So Steve was the best of the auditioning cinematographers. And 135 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: I went on and made many movies to him. And 136 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: what I think is terrible now with all these streaming 137 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,439 Speaker 1: movies where they all shoot digitally and it's all with 138 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: its bounced light and everybody looks like, excuse the expression shit, Uh, 139 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: it's it's very dispiriting. I did this TV series, Dirty Rock, 140 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: and Tina Fey was was compelled by the NBC people 141 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: to cut costs, and they would say to Tina every year, 142 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: let's do camera tests with digital U and she rejected 143 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: and she fought and she won and be shot on 144 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: film for six and a half years, which I think 145 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: they won't even allow you. You don't even have that discussion, 146 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: and everything is digital. What I don't like is because 147 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: they can make the movie faster, the velocity of it 148 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: now doesn't allow you to think as much as you 149 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: used to. You know, now you've basically got an editor 150 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: is cut of them me by the time you had 151 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 1: just done shooting, and it used to be a year 152 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: later in the old days. Do you miss having more 153 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: time to luxury and thinking about what the movie would be. Well, 154 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: when you work with the same editors movie after movie, 155 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: they more or less know what you want. So when 156 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: you get to the end of your shoot, they have 157 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: a pretty good assemblage of what you've done, and plus 158 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: all the elaborate set pieces of all been story boarded, 159 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: and they you know, and they work with me so 160 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: long they know exactly where everything goes, so it's not 161 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: much of a problem for me. Burham didn't do Scarface. 162 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: John Alonso did. How did that happen? Well, he spoke 163 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: Spanish and I'd work with John on Get to Know 164 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: Your Rabbit, my Lost Warner masterpiece, literally Alonso because he 165 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: spoke Spanish. No, he's also he's also a legendary cinematographer. 166 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,599 Speaker 1: It's really a good cinematographer. He's great. But but but 167 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: Burt was it like Burrow wasn't available? Or you want 168 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: to try something different? You thought John was better for 169 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: this material. I don't know. I mean, there are many 170 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: really good cinematographers and sometimes the one you want that 171 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: you work with all the time is not available. And 172 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: you know, I used vilmost a lot. I used John. Um, 173 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: that's the great technicians are working all the time. Where 174 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: did you find Liftgo? How did you come across? Well? 175 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: When I was at Columbia, I was casting my first 176 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: feature and I was looking for a replacement for the 177 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: lead who I didn't think was going to be great. 178 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: And I went to Princeton and Liftgow was in a 179 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: a moli Air play with another actor friend of mine, 180 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: William Finley, and I saw this guy. He was, you know, 181 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 1: just as I think a senior at Harvard at that point, 182 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: and I said, Wow, this guy is fantastic, and I 183 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: recommended him to another director, Paul William, who put him 184 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: in his first film, UH, based on a book by 185 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: Michael Crichton, and then when I did blow Out, that 186 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: was the first time we worked together. The thing about 187 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: leth Cow, especially in this movie, that he reminds you of, 188 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: is he has um such amazing vocal control that he 189 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: will most often find in the theater. He is a 190 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: great stage actor, and he's incredibly intelligent. He's very funny, 191 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: he's great to work with. And uh, whenever I had 192 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: a part for him, I immediately cast him. And in 193 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: Raising Caine, I had him playing like five different personalities, 194 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: including a very deadly woman. You made a couple of 195 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: films with al and uh did you just sit there 196 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: sometimes behind the money and sit there and go, Jesus Christ, 197 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: what am I going to do with this scene? You 198 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: know what I mean? Like, he's so operatic and vivid. 199 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: That never occurred to me. Just let albi al Well. 200 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: I thought that I thought it was important to introduce him. 201 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: I mean, al has a great face, so I was 202 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: gonna introduce these scarface So I was going to introduce 203 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: him with this close up, you know, talking to these 204 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: people interrogating him, because alcan holds the screen, you know, 205 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: with this incredible face and that voice, and you just 206 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: sit there, riveted. Uh, but they'll talk about how operrettic 207 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: it was. Didn't see him opoaretic. To me, you have 208 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: obviously have a very high threshold for the operatic. As 209 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: I told him, I said, my favorite story about Scarface 210 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: because scar Face is obviously one of the most amazing 211 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: movies ever made. It's just so insane what goes on there. 212 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: You know, you know every line. I mean, how many 213 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: times have you, you know, say hello to money, my 214 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: little friend. You know you're going through the toll, you 215 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Or so someone's asking for your 216 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 1: I D. When you show your credit card. You're like, 217 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: say hello to my little friend, say hello over and 218 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: over again. I mean everybody. But my favorite, as I 219 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: told you, was apparently years ago I read where they 220 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: busted these drug dealers in East l A. And they 221 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: and they swooped in the l A. P D on 222 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: a big drug dealing nest the house in some tough 223 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: area of l A of East l A. And they 224 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: went in and the drug dealers here, who had like 225 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: mountains of drugs there and everything, had weapons and money. 226 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: They also had Scarface on on a loop and it 227 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: played all day and they just watched Scarface all day 228 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: I think that's amazing, you know, I mean because like 229 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: only only at a home with children do you loop 230 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: the same thing, like you show home alone all day 231 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: where you show powerpuff Girls all day and drug dealers 232 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: show Scarface all day. Like kids, when you do say 233 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: hello to my little friend, where you behind the monitor 234 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: going oh yeah, baby, this is it. It's a great scene. Well, 235 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: the reason there's so many people being shot and falling 236 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: down steps and eighty thousand killers running up the steps 237 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: is when we first went on to the set to 238 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: start that sequence, first had burned down. The whole set 239 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: burned down. Somebody said it on fire. That was that 240 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: was number one. Number two. When Al was using that 241 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: gun uh to shoot people, he grabbed the gun by 242 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: the barrel and he burned himself severely because it's you know, 243 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: white hot. So Al went to the hospital, I think 244 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: for two weeks. So they said burn Al burn yea 245 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: so here I had had a set, no Al, but 246 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: I had a lot of Colombians to kill. You spent 247 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks killing Columbian dealers, a couple of 248 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: weeks killing Colombians, and you're on the phone, You're like, 249 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: how are you doing now? You still want a lot 250 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: of pain huh, even a lot of pain killers. Okay, 251 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: beat all right, line them out. We're gonna kill the 252 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: rest of these guys. Get him in there. One star 253 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: Brian de Palma has directed his Vigo Mortenson, who turned 254 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: in an exquisite performance has the wheelchair bound informant Laleen 255 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: in Carlito's Way. But Mortenson didn't always get such juicy rolls. 256 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: As a child, he was an introvert who couldn't imagine 257 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: going on stage. Um well, actually I did have one experience. 258 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: I had a junior high A friend of mine was 259 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: really into the idea of becoming an actor. And you 260 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 1: loved musical and you knew everything about the theater in 261 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: New York, and he said, you gotta try it for 262 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: this play. It's great. It's called hellll Dolly. You gotta triumphant. 263 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: And I said, what, No, I can't you imagine me 264 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: trying out for Hella Valley. I went very unwillingly on 265 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,479 Speaker 1: this stage, and I read the first paragraph from David Copperfield, 266 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: or tried to, and I finally just closed the book 267 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: and ran off. And that was my only for a 268 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: other than I think when I was like six, they 269 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,199 Speaker 1: put me in a play George and the Dragon, and 270 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: that was the ass end of the dragon. It was 271 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: just a gray suit. It sounds like my career. My 272 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 1: full conversation with Vigo Mortenson is in our archives at 273 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing, dot Org. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're 274 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: listening to Here's the Thing. Throughout his career, Brian de 275 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: Palma's films have been widely celebrated, but the violence in 276 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: them has also brought him fierce criticism, including from members 277 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: of the m p A. A ratings board and X 278 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: rating could kill a film at the box office. Well, 279 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: it all started with a dressed to kill the master 280 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: aition scene in the shower and Heffner I used to battle. 281 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: You know, you send the film over and you take 282 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: out one of the shots of the breast, and you know, 283 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: is that enough? No, no, no, you gotta take out 284 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 1: that other. They don't say it exactly, but they say, 285 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: maybe you should work on it a little more. Okay. 286 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: Well this this went on from movie to movie until 287 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 1: we got to Scarface. I finished Scarface and I sent 288 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: it to the ratings board. They give me an X 289 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: and I said, okay, well, maybe we'll cut a little here. 290 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: Because I sent it back again version number two. They 291 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: gave me another X, and then I said, okay, I'll 292 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: try it again, and then I sent it. We cut 293 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,679 Speaker 1: a little more out of some of the violent scenes, 294 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: and they gave me an EX and I said what 295 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: and they said, well, the clown, when the clown gets shot, 296 00:18:55,640 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: that's too much. I say, I am not cutting anything else. 297 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: And then you have to go to the whole board 298 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: and plead your case. So they said, well, what version 299 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: do you want to use. I said, I'm going to 300 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 1: use the original version in the head of the studio. 301 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: So no, no, no, you have to use that third 302 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: I said, no, they're all X. I'm taking the first 303 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: version that I didn't cut anything out of. And then 304 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: we went before the board and I vanquished Hefner. We 305 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: won by they voted and they let us he was 306 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: ahead of the ratings board. Was yeah. I thought. I thought, 307 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: you're going into like a room and the guys in 308 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: his pajamas. You gotta pipe And he's like, I'm sorry, Brian, 309 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Brian, shooting the clown is too much. You 310 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: could have all the boobs you want, but shooting the 311 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: clown is too much. Um. I kept when you do 312 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: a scene that you know is violent or not, uh, 313 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: just powerful, you know. I mean, I mean when you 314 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: see the music plays and cruise goes no, no no, 315 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: and he lands like that, and mean a mission. Nobody 316 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 1: there's guys that are up there with you. There's only 317 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: the famous photograph of you and your alums, You and 318 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: Lucas and Marty and Stephen. You're graduating class, and I 319 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: think about that. I think the difference, and needless to say, 320 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: Marty and Stephen are very skilled, uh at these kinds 321 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: of sequences. I think the difference is that Stephen has 322 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:42,239 Speaker 1: always used the same composer, John Williams, great composer, but 323 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: it's always the same composer, and Marty uses rock and 324 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: roll basically. Uh. I've used some of the best film 325 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: composers that we're writing music in my era, and it 326 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,919 Speaker 1: makes a difference. I mean, the the Marconi score for 327 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: Casualties will tear your heart out, uh, and then the 328 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 1: score for Carlito's Way. You know, when Alice dying, it's 329 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: just you know, it's opera time, you know, it's Puccini time. 330 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,400 Speaker 1: You just tears your heart out, and that I think 331 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: is the difference is I used a variety of the 332 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: great composers that we're working and that may be why 333 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,879 Speaker 1: my sequences stick out so much. Well, let's go to 334 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: Mission for a minute. What made you decide you wanted 335 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: to make that as a film. I had made Carlito's Way, 336 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: which I when I saw this picture in Berlin at 337 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:45,479 Speaker 1: the festival, I was literally behind the screen watching it 338 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: and I said to myself, I can't make a better 339 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: picture than this, and it wasn't a big success, and 340 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: I just killed me and I said, I'm going to 341 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: go out and make a big success. Then I my 342 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: agent of many years, sort of went crazy, and Mike 343 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: Ovits wanted to represent me, and he had a problem. 344 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: He had Sydney Pollock, who had been working on Mission 345 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: Impossible with the two writers, and Sydney wanted to get 346 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 1: off of it. You've been working on it for a 347 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: year and it wasn't working out. So Sydney wanted to 348 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 1: make Sabrina and suddenly OVI it's had to Palma and 349 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: he came to me and he said, would you be 350 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: interested in Mission Impossible with Tom Cruise? And I said, 351 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:38,719 Speaker 1: Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible, you bet you cynical bastard, and 352 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 1: I made the biggest hit of my career. That was 353 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 1: the biggest one. Yeah, did you guys like Mission Impossible? 354 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: Number one? I love that movie, and I know and 355 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: I love the other ones, and I'm glad. I was 356 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: so excited to go work with him when I first 357 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: saw that first one. It's like when I saw Jurassic 358 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: you know, there's movies that were like seminal movies to 359 00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: me in terms of putting the piece together, not just 360 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: the helicopter scene, but all that stuff, all that's shooting. 361 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: That scene at the beginning where Christin Scott Thomas dies. Yeah, 362 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: that was our first problem to me. Mission Impossible, the 363 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: television series is about five characters with no personality that 364 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: go and do things. Tom Wicks wants to make a 365 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: movie about him, So what do I do with the 366 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: other five characters? So my first idea is we killed 367 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: them all in the first mission worked out rather well. 368 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 1: If ever, you sent me a script and I'm the 369 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: fourth lead in the movie, I'm gonna pass. I'm not 370 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: gonna come to the movie with you, I mean the 371 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 1: lead or I'm not doing it, And so kept I wrote, 372 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: David kept the great David kept who has written a 373 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: countless great movies, and I can't even mention did you 374 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: write it with you? Or did you just go right 375 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 1: it and hand it to you? Well that's a that's 376 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: say that story. Uh. It started with see once Sydney 377 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: left and I had to I was I was dealing 378 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: with two screenwriters that I knew, Tom didn't like what 379 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: they were doing, and ultimately we had to find another screenwriter. 380 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: And Zalien, the famous Steven's Alien, great screenwriter paramount owed 381 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: him some money, so they said, well why don't you 382 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: two get together and come up with something. So Zalien 383 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,239 Speaker 1: and I sat in his office in Santa Monica and 384 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: ate a lot of peanuts and smoked a lot of cigarettes, 385 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: as I remember, and it took us about six weeks 386 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: to come up with the ten page treatment, which was 387 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: the plot of Mission Impossible. And then Zalien said, I'm 388 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: Addie here, I've had it. So then I ran into David, 389 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: who was about to work on some remake of something. 390 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,959 Speaker 1: I said, Dave, come over and we'll do Mission Impossible. 391 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: So Dave and I, working from the Xalien and my story, 392 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: came up with the script for Mission Impossible. And I 393 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: was having a hard time getting Tom to commit to it. 394 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, Tom, I mean we're building sets. 395 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: Got to commit to this movie now, Tom. But still 396 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: there were things of the script that bothered him. But 397 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: I finally got him to say okay. So then I 398 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,239 Speaker 1: got a call from the producer the next day and 399 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: she says, the good news is your a girl. The 400 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 1: bad news is fired David Cap because Tom wants to 401 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: bring on another writer. And that was a very sad 402 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: moment for me to call up David and say, well, Dave, 403 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: we're making the movie, except we're bringing out a new writer. 404 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,400 Speaker 1: And then what ultimately happened was the new writer did 405 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: not really turn out well, and I brought David back 406 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: in uh, and he rewrote the script once again, and 407 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: that became mission impossible. Who's the actor who you had 408 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: the best communication with, somebody who there's that Well you 409 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: talk about how much you what a great actor Al is, 410 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 1: but he's also he moves so gracefully. And when I 411 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 1: did that very complicated steadicam shot and uh, Carlito's way, 412 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: I mean you have to you know your timing the 413 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,959 Speaker 1: steadicam operator with the way Al moves, and you know 414 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: you're you know he's coming up the steps. He goes 415 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 1: over to the edge and looks down in uh sperience 416 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,479 Speaker 1: Central Station comes back close ups. You watched the guys 417 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: coming across incredibly complicated shot and I'll just you know, 418 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: but there was a really funny story about that. Is 419 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: when we're trying to get the shot from subway train 420 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 1: to subway train, when the guys are chasing him through 421 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: the subway, and I wanted to get a shot from 422 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: one subway to the subway that he's in. So the 423 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,640 Speaker 1: guys have to chase Al through the subway and we're 424 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: going parallel to them, and as you can imagine, there's 425 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: a lot of obstruction of you know, pillars going by 426 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: and are they in the shot? Are they blocked by 427 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: the windows? So we spent all night trying to get 428 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: this shot, and we shot Carlino's way. We started in 429 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: the winter and we ended in the summer, and Al 430 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: was in that black leather coat. So after about I 431 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: can't tell you how, but he takes Suddenly I see 432 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 1: the train going away and I talked to my assistant director. 433 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: I say, what happened? Where's the trade going? And he said, 434 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: Al's taking it home. I did this with the Miami 435 00:27:55,160 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: Blues and Good Party not good. Who didn't like that? 436 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: Well chopping fingers, Well I've didn't. I've done that. As 437 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: a matter of fact. How dare you look down on me? 438 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: You say my films are too violent? Jesus Christ. But 439 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: I don't want to just use the word violence but 440 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,879 Speaker 1: the drama, because the violence all has a purpose. The 441 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: violence is all for storytelling. I've seen violent films, obviously, 442 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: we all have their They're not really much of a 443 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: story behind it. You've got great writing, great characters, and 444 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: a necessary component of violence, But who's who's the performance? 445 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: You watched me? Just oh my god, this is just 446 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 1: mentioning how beautiful this is. Well, I mean, that dying 447 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: scene in Carlto's Way is just unbelievable. I mean, and 448 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: the way I did it was I had them on, 449 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 1: you know, on the ground, and you know, Penelope is 450 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: leaning over him, alves on his back. He's been shot, 451 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: and I knew I was going to have to loop 452 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: it old later anyway, So I played this incredible romantic 453 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: Puccini music, so yeah, on set, probably labom and the 454 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: music just got them going. I mean Penelope, I mean, 455 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: she's tears are coming out of her eyes, and and 456 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 1: then work quite well, which is used what they used 457 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: to do in the silent days, when you had an 458 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: orchestra on the set and they would play music for 459 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: the actors could emote with. Where Brando would have books 460 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: with photographs, not just music, but he had images that 461 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: would kind of arrest him in a certain way, photography 462 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: and paintings and things. I want to talk to you 463 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: about two other things before we finish. What is about 464 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: untouchables When you shoot a film like that. There was 465 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: a suggestion I was once going to work with Eastwood 466 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: on a film years ago, and they came to and 467 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: they said, but you can't get clever with him about 468 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: the schedule. You don't give him any scheduling edicts. Your 469 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: his You belong to him. Don't get date crazy. When 470 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: you did, you got Costner and he got de Niro 471 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: and he got Sean Connery. When you do a movie 472 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: like that, do you get the run of show or 473 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: did you have to kind of do the mode right? Right? Okay, 474 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 1: no way, No, I mean I think we we had 475 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: Bobby for two weeks. While I was shooting the shootout 476 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: in the train station. Bobby was getting in his makeup 477 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: and learning his lines. And after that sequence we shot 478 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: all the scenes. Did he gain all that weight for 479 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: the movie or some of that presenting? You know, he 480 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 1: gained a little weight, but he was wearing some sympathic 481 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: adding to give him some bulk. But he did, you know, 482 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: shade back its head and it's almost impossible to see 483 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: the range of and we manipulate some stuff. But it's 484 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: interesting about de Niro, you know, And I started with 485 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: de Niro. He was in my first three Underground movies. 486 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: I met him in a loft in Greenwich Village when 487 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: he was you know, nineteen Uh. When we got to 488 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 1: do um the Untouchables, I kept on, you know, looking 489 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: at the stuff he was doing, and I was sort of, 490 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: you didn't seem to be doing much. And you know 491 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: it's the thing when you say, well, when balby, but 492 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: you want to do a little more with this scene. 493 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: He said, you'll see it in Rushes. I said, I'll 494 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 1: see it Rushes. Don't worry. And sure enough, because when 495 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: you're watching through the camera or even next to the camera, 496 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: you know, it's like I'm looking at this guy in 497 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: the first row. Well that's that's what how much I 498 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: can see, but when you see it on a huge screen, 499 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: he's doing stuff that's so subtle that you really can't 500 00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: see while you're shooting it. Um what's entertainment for you? Now? 501 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: You go to the movies match, or you stay home, 502 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: you watch some Netflix, or you could you still go 503 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: to the movie see some new movies. You do you 504 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: still like movies watching? Yes, I still go to the movies. 505 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: I like the Quentin Tarantino in a movie. You do 506 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: you didn't like that? And then the Noel Bombeck movie 507 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 1: Marriage Story. Right, we got some really good directors working fantastic. Um. Well, 508 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: in honor of someone who is one of the greatest 509 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 1: directors in the history of the American Center, would you 510 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: please welcome his daughter, Piper DiPalma. Come on out here 511 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: paper tell them what you have. I have this beautiful 512 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: glass lifetime achievement, amore. This is our lifetime achievement honor 513 00:32:49,080 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 1: for nineteen the legendary Brian DePalma. I'm Alec Baldwin and 514 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: you're listening to here's the thing. Oh