What's the camera for?
I bought a film camera. I thought there might be some nice light up here to document some memories with friends. It might be the last time... Well, not the last time, but... I mean, it's cool that we filmed this movie like a year ago. It's a really short turnaround for an indie. So because of Sundance and because of this, as a group, we all like each other and we get to hang out a bit. I'm not saying this is the last hurrah or anything, but it is the last official gathering.
Is it bittersweet?
Yeah! Yeah it is. On one hand, yeah, it's totally bittersweet because it's such a fun group. On the other hand, it's so nice to have that fast turnaround given the size movie that it is. For an indie like this to be in theaters in under a year isn't unheard of, but it's rare.
I remember when I read about this film coming together, and it just kept adding cast members, I thought, "Wow." At what point did The Romantics come to you?
I had involvement from sort of early on, actually. I had met with Galt and Daniela [Taplin Lundberg], the producer, early on, and we all really liked each other. I was sort of in it for a while assuming the cast was good. Obviously it was. I don't know if I was the first, but I was on board very early.
What struck you about it and made you want to do it?
I know this isn't the most artistic answer, but first it seemed like a lot of fun. But that's what the movie is, too. First and foremost, it's fun. But they make quality pictures at Plum Pictures. I wanted to be in business with them. And as all of these actors signed on, I was a fan of all of their work, so it just just got more exciting. But I think a nice generational movie about a bunch of friends who are around 30 seemed like a blast.
As a 30-year-old making it, what about that generational theme did you want to explore?
Everyone's very idealistic, but with my character I kind of found the cynicism. My character more than most has... I mean, you leave college -- not that I went to college -- but you've got a bunch of dreams, and once you hit 30, you might be taking stock of a more realistic picture of what's happening. What I like about my guy is that he's dealing with the fact not as far along as he might like to be -- nor might he really like whatever exists for him. He wants to be an author, but I like the idea that he wants to be, but he's not. It's not that he's good enough but he's afraid to try, which never feels organic to me. It's that he tried, but he might not be good enough. It's more depressing, but it's more true.
It seems like everyone in this group is facing their last chance at something. Is this his last chance at accomplishing this? Or at least the faith that he can accomplish it?
Well, I think that's often in the background. He's got to get married, but the one thing he does is have a quick romantic tryst -- totally morally objectionable, or not a big deal, depending on the viewer. Regardless, he has -- pre-marriage, anyway -- his last romantic fling. So I'd say that's what that is.
You've worked in several ensembles previously. What's that dynamic like, and what do you do to try and fit in? How do you develop relationships?
It's really fun. It's like going to a new school every time. You check in, and... It's great. It's weird. You kind of check everyone out and more often than not, I've become friends with most people I've worked with. I've worked with an overwhelmingly high percentage of good people in the ensembles I've done, and in this one there's really not a bad apple in the bunch. But it's like school -- they're just small, selective schools, and I like the kids who go there.
I know you've historically brought some improv chops to your roles as well; how does an ensemble influence that part of your performance -- that looseness?
Some of it was looseness because they just kept rolling: "I don't even want to go on, but I guess I have to because they're not cutting." So there's that. Some of that is in there, though I haven't seen the newest version. And then we talked about it a little, and a little, little, tiny bit was written out beforehand. Galt and I were tweaking lines, perhaps; she was so receptive to that. And I always bring it up in everything I do. I always have specific dialogue thoughts -- every actor does. And Galt was receptive to that. I mean, she wrote the book, she wrote the adaptation, and part of the reason I was on board early on was because from the get-go, she was so open creatively with it and so open to any ideas or dialogue tweaks I had. I was kind of blown away by it.
What about your sick dance moves?
That came from watching House Party a lot. I was a big, big House Party fan. That came when they weren't cutting, so I kept going. Yeah. I was not good that day.
Now, you're from San Diego originally, and you spent a lot of time on the beach growing up. The beach in this film just looked cold.
Weirdly, that makes the movie for me. The way it reads is that it doesn't take place in the fall; it's a summer wedding. It's beautiful, it's calm, it's idyllic, this summer wedding looking out over the ocean. And I think metaphorically, it's like, "Here's this wedding that's kind of doomed." It's like winter's coming! The storm is coming, it's going to rain. You're staring out at the roiling sea... And also, it just made it so much better not just thematically but also the idea of...
It's weird. It seems very lonely out there, like it's gray and it's just these guys. But we were sort of isolated out there, and that's what made it such a memorable shoot as well. I don't know if it's a tourist town or not, but I do know they do a lot of their business in summer, and we were there not in summer. So to have this place to ourselves -- and this beach to ourselves, and the one good open restaurant in town to ourselves -- was such a funny experience. It made it really special to me -- and the movie, too. I love the idea that we're in these dark colors, and we're at the beach, but it's gray and almost more like a ski chalet party or something.
So in the end, how often were you all together?
Well, the whole movie takes place in this one house. Then there are two holding houses nearby, so that's where we were with our trailers and this house we share. Everyone was kind of going back and forth. We all stayed at the one good hotel in town; we all ate at the one restaurant in town. And there were a couple field trips on ferries to different beaches. But again, we just had this town to ourselves every night! I wasn't experienced with oysters before I went there, but now I love them. I can't think of one activity that was really crystallizing; we really did just do a whole lot of hanging out. There was very little distraction. It was great. Night shoots are bonding, too.
How so?
Well, it's 4 in the morning, and you're the only ones up. Everyone else in the town was sleeping. And what's really great about this movie is that, for me, it's like a really great yearbook snapshot of that time. I'm glad it's on film. I saw the movie and was kind of nostalgic. I think it was like that for everyone.
Are there reunions planned?
Yeah! I'm certainly not the one to organize them, because I'm lazy. But I'd love to see that happen. I'll be friends with these kids for a long time.
So you're playing a detective in Scream 4--
It's a deputy, really. Deputy to now-Sheriff Dewey.
How did that go?
It was fun! It's also a funny one where it's all night shoots. It was cool and kind of surreal -- not just to see Ghostface, but there was one night where Wes [Craven] was directing Ghostface in his mask. He's like, "Ghostface, you're over there..." It was just surreal: "God, I wish I had my camera." But to do the scenes not only in "Woodsboro," or do them with Ghostface, but to do them with David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell was weird. It's cool, but it truly is a surreal experience, just because I remember walking into the movie theater when I was 16 and...
You were a Scream fan?
Yeah, absolutely. How could you not be? Totally enjoyed the movie.
There was a conversation recently about the levels of meta that Scream and other contemporary films draw from -- that Scream 4 draws from Scream, and Scream itself called out the conventions of a whole genre -- and how self-awareness just kind of trickles down. And--
Well, this one's like meta on meta on meta. Self-referencing on self-referencing. But again, because the first one is about movies, and this one's about movies and all the murders that have taken place onscreen over the years. This one's all about commenting on itself. And I like that. It's part of the fun. But that's right: I think everything is more meta and self-referential now. I think people are more plugged-in, communication works faster, people are more educated about it -- how it did or whatever. Even Apatow -- there's nothing "meta" about it, but it references events. People are doing more of that in movies and pop culture in the moment.
Well, Jennifer's Body was a perfect example of that. By the time it came out, it already seemed lost, and I thought it was grossly underrated.
Thank you! I did, too.
Here we are a year later: What the hell happened with that?
I don't know. I don't know what happened, and I don't know if anything could have changed anything, or if that was the path it was going down no matter what, but I'm happy people are finding it on cable or wherever they're finding it. But I do think it should win a Razzie for Worst Ad Campaign Ever. Seriously. They couldn't have done a worse poster or trailer if that's what they f*cking set out to do. I don't know. It was such a good opportunity for a cool trailer or poster, and it was like a Goosebumps/R.L. Stine poster.
Ha! That's what you'd compare it to?
Yeah! It was crazy. And even the idea that it was marketed to... I mean, to me, it was a totally girl-centric movie; it was for girls first and about girls first. Yet it was marketed to Maxim only. "Megan Fox! This is for you!" I think it scared off its main audience. And I think Megan's great in the movie.
She is!
She is! And she is a man-eater. Again, I don't know. I think there's a more sisterly point of view to approach it from.
Just the point of view of the writing and the direction alone suggests that.
I thought Karyn [Kusama] did such a good job. I look at it and I'm like, "How could you not like every frame?" It's so good-looking, and that world she created was so appealing. I'm instantly drawn in every time I see it. I really like that movie.
[Adam Brody photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images]