Interview
Jones, Braddock tell all there is to know about 'Curdled'
By Jason TaylorStaff Writer
The film
"Curdled," now in limited release, combines the acting talents of Angela
Jones ("Pulp Fiction") and the direction of newcomer Reb Braddock to create
a dark comedy about a deadly obsession--literally. I had the chance to sit
down with Jones and Braddock and discuss their film and other ideals. To
give a little background, Reb Braddock graduated from the Florida State
University film school and took the short film "Curdled," made by him and
John Maass, on the road to film festivals. At the Venice film festival,
another director was in attendance showing his film "Reservoir
Dogs"--Quentin Tarantino. When Tarantino saw the short version of
"Curdled," he contacted Braddock and told him that he would support a
venture to make "Curdled" a full-length feature. Even after the success of
Tarantino's next film, "Pulp Fiction," he never disregarded his promise of
helping to make the feature-length film.Jason Taylor: Where
did you get the original idea?Reb Braddock: When
we were in college, we lived in Sarasota, Fla., where there is a big
retirement community. A lot of elderly people live alone and when they die
they quite often are not found for several weeks and the bodies begin to
decompose. There was a company in Sarasota called United Removal, which
basically specialized in taking those bodies out and cleaning up. John
(Maass) thought it was an interesting idea but what if it was just crime
scenes? And who exactly would want that job?JT: With this role
where did you get your inspiration? From "Pulp Fiction" or the original
"Curdled"?Angela Jones: The
original "Curdled." I knew the character and I read the new script. I did a
lot of research on serial killers, just getting into the
psychology--"Confessions of a Serial Killer."JT: In the original
casting for "Curdled," why did you pick Angela?RB: We were in Miami
and we were looking for an up-and-coming Latin actress who was in
telenovelas or soaps and see if they would want to do our film. We were
down there and we did a bunch of casting, and we met some good actors and
we came back and auditioned some of the actors from the acting conservatory
down the hall. It came down to two girls in the acting conservatory, Angela
and another girl. When we put the camera on Angela, she was just like the
character. It didn't matter if we found anybody in Miami at that point,
because she was the character.JT: What about your
future films?RB: The main thing
we are doing right now is the press for the film and going to some film
festivals like the International Film Festival in Barcelona. I have a
script I'm writing with John right now, another black comedy, more about
Brazilian mobsters and psychoanalysis. Kind of a strange combination.AJ: I have two films
yet to be released. In "Morella" I die and then come back. The other is a
small part in "Underworld."JT: When you first
met Quentin Tarantino, did you have any idea he was going to become a pop
icon and as important as he is today?RB: No, I had no
idea. When I met him, I didn't even know who he was. I hadn't even seen
"Reservoir Dogs"--I barely knew about it. In fact, the first time I met him
he was talking to me about the short; he was just this guy who was really
excited about the short film that I made. It was just a student film and he
was going on and on. No, but we had no idea, but it was really cool in the
beginning when he saw the short, and he was going around then with
"Reservoir Dogs" and just writing "Pulp Fiction." That's where he wrote the
cab driver scene was from the short. Through all that success he still
helped us--never backed away, never lessened his role.JT: Regarding the
"cab scene," the director's cut was just released of "Pulp Fiction" showing
an extended version. Were you disappointed that the full scene did not make
it into the feature film?AJ: No, not at all.
It was kind of a slow scene anyway. It was cool that I got on the
director's cut.JT: Do you have any
other interests than film?RB: Well I like
going to movies. I enjoy watching them just about as much as I do making
them. I have a comic book collection. No obsessions with serial killers
myself.AJ: I like to
eavesdrop. (laughs) And of course movies.RB: The movie
becomes your hobby; if you're lucky, I think you're obsessed with that one
thing.JT: What
actors/actresses/directors do you admire or aspire to be like?RB: Right now,
contemporary directors that I really love are the Coen brothers. I think
that they are awesome. I've loved everything that they have done. When I
saw "Blood Simple" that was just like the coolest movie. I love the way
they change their style for each film. You have "Fargo," which is such a
simple story, camera and set, but it's unique and cool and different. I
love Peter Jackson--go back to "Brain Dead" and "Heavenly Creatures." I
really love Danny Boyle from "Trainspotting" and "Shallow Grave." So those
are guys that I think are real cool. I like their sense of humor and the
worlds that they make are really believable and real. It's darkly funny and
absurd but it's really real and you believe it, you know? It's not like
you're watching something; you're actually into their world.JT: What, as well,
is your favorite film?RB: "Willy Wonka and
the Chocolate Factory," as a black comedy. Willy Wonka is a pretty
diabolical individual if you look at him.AJ: Oh my God, my
favorite movie.RB: "Grease."AJ: "Grease"...
(laughs) I really don't have one, but I know what I don't like. "Grease" is
a fun movie. Good action movies. We (Reb and I) were discussing it on the
plane, and I said I didn't really have one but finally came down to
"Grease."JT: What made you
choose to go into film school?RB: When I was in
sixth grade, I picked up my dad's super 8 camera. I knew as soon as I
started that that is what I wanted to do.AJ: I went into
(the) theater program in high school and that just changed it all. I didn't
know what I was doing. Then I continued on to undergraduate and graduate
study.JT: You both worked
closely in the production of "Curdled." What was your most memorable
moment?RB: A new
question...AJ: Yeah, wow.RB: For me it was a
shot in the very late part of the film--that's sort of the punch line of
the movie. Two shots actually. When Billy (William Baldwin) and Angela walk
in and are talking about the heads. It's a full shot about 4 1/2 minutes.
It had to be perfect; it was like four pages of the script. It was a
crucial element. Directing that and directing Angela, watching her, no
other shots, no close ups, we just did it until it worked.AJ: Gosh... Well, I
guess that whole dance thing. I was very nervous about it and I wasn't
formally trained and the choreographic stuff, and just to see that it
worked.JT: The soundtrack
of "Curdled" is odd and unusual; what do you have to say about it?RB: It's all Latin,
but it is actually based in Cumbia, which was a Colombian folk music. It's
really got a cool feel. It's the kind of music you won't usually hear
anywhere else. And Slash did a couple of songs for us. They were cool--you
know, hybrid songs that were part Spanish, part pop, part rock and roll. So
I recommend the album.JT: Which do you
prefer--the short or long version of "Curdled"?RB: The story is
basically the same except we extended the ideas. I feel the feature is a
better film than the short. The short has an energy that maybe is different
from the feature. The thing that bugs me is when people say, "It would have
been better as a short.". I don't know what exactly that means, because
short films don't get seen by anybody. We made it into a feature because it
is a cool idea; it's unique."Curdled" is now playing in limited release.