S2E7: “Dirty Laundry”

If you really want to know what’s happening on any film or TV set, the last people you should ask are the executives. We know nothing of value. We may have a pretty good fix on where the budget is, but we have no idea who’s sleeping with whom. Film and TV sets are emotionally overwrought places where people form intense bonds for short periods of time. Very conducive to creativity and having affairs. Terrible for sustaining actual grown up relationships. If you really want to know who’s forming intense bonds, having affairs and sleeping around, go ask “the pretties” – hair and makeup or, alternately, wardrobe. These are the people on any movie set who really know what’s happening to whom and why. If it’s dirty laundry you want, you’ve come to the right place!

When Things Get “Intimate”

“Hurry up and wait” perfectly sums up life on a film or TV set. Lots of mad rushing about, lots of sitting around waiting. That equals time to talk, gossip, shoot the shit and confess even. One of the wardrobe department’s jobs on any set is to do actual dirty laundry. Whether people know it or not, their dirty laundry tells on them.

In today’s episode of the podcast, we welcome Randall Thropp. Listeners to season one of the How Not To Make A Movie Podcast remember Randall’s stories about Crypt. He also worked on the Bordello reshoots when we returned to Los Angeles.

As you’ll hear (and see), Randall tells a lot of great stories. We’ll talk about a mutual mentor, the under-appreciated documentary filmmaker Greg Shuker (he pretty much invented cinema verite single handedly). And, we’ll talk about “Who’s Afraid Of Baby Jane” (Randall worked on the remake)… “The Strip”… “Tony & Tina’s Wedding”… “The Brady Bunch” movies and “The Shining” (Mick Garris’s remake). Also, we’ll talk about Randall’s work with the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Museum. It’s awesome – and well worth a visit, maybe even several!.     

And we will talk actual dirty laundry.