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Your new movie American
Trash - in a few words, what's it about?
It is the story of world gone mad
in the mind of a man who has lost the love of his life.
It is a social commentary about
the wars we fight overseas and the wars we wage within ourselves.
It is the cracking of santiy in a
society that buries its morals under the same trash it has become.
Finally it is lesson in consequence for those who love beyond what mortality can promise.
What were your sources of inspiration when writing American
Trash, and is any of it based on personal experiences?
I've listened to countless uncensored interviews
with Charles Manson simply talking. I immediately Identifed with a mind
trapped in a circumstance that suggested something other than a monster.
Manson's detailed account of burning up tractor
equipment in the Mojave desert to stall corporate contamination of the
natural well spring got me thinking. His environmental phiphilosophy
regarding the preservation of the air, trees, water and animals
resonated with me. I was able to absorb his message without prejudice
and observe a quality overlooked by many. It seemed appropriate to
employ a paradox to drive my narrative about a man with a similar
duality I could relate to.
Now how did the project come into being in the first
place, and what made you choose this story for your directorial debut?
It came into being by efforts to free myself as an artist. I've read
many scripts over the years and started to recognize a redundancy
in the material that was limiting and crippling me creatively.
The subject of my story was chosen for a
couple of reasons. An important one being my military service. I spent
four years in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in 1985. As
convincing as it seemed to many that I remain the perennial convict, I
felt it to be an inaccurate observation.
Secondly, the years I served weren't without
experiences that have shaped me for better or worse. I looked in the
mirror and it was easy for me to see a lot of past trauma and draw from
that. I also looked at the world I'd been living in within the city of
Los Angeles. This disturbing landscape of despair and homeless people.
Instances of social crisis that I could relate to. I had been homeless
for about five years and living in a motel on and off. So it was easy
for me to construct the Milles character. A man cloistered in a delimma
and at odds with the world around him.
What were the challenges of bringing American
Trash to the screen from a producer's point of view?
Money. American
Trash was self produced. I didn't
want to wait indefinitely for an opportunity to demonstrate the artistry
I'd been denied. So I created it myself with my own financial resource.
Not everyone I employed realized what was at stake. My job was to
motivate my cast and crew by any means necessary. I needed to take them
to the edge of what I was doing that they might feel the gravity of
where we were standing and take it seriously.
In the end the biggest challenge I faced was not
to become enamored by my own creation or lose objective reason.
Ultimately the audience isn't concerned about what it took to get there.
Only that you arrive effectively. A
few words about your directorial approach to your story at hand?
I rehearsed a lot with the actors who were willing. I sent them
Charles Manson interviews I felt it would give them a deeper
understanding of my story. I kept everyone as focused as I could prior to
"action" and then set
them free. You also play the lead in American
Trash - so what can you tell us about your character, what did you
draw upon to bring him to life, and have you written Milles with yourself
in mind from the get--go?
Milles was devised as a way to converse with
myself in various forms. Each character appears in the film with a
specific function of philosophy to challenge Milles pessimism. The dual
nature of man and the universe has always intrigued me. I used a
circumstancial event to examine the human spirit and its potential in
dealing with crisis. Milles' response to tragedy is crucial in how it
reveals his character. I didn't want there to be any heroics to mislead
the audience away from his natural frailty. It was important for me to
explore the PTSD element within myself and with respect to my fellow
veterans. Do talk about the rest of your
cast, and why exactly these people?
I had an instinctive feel about the people I chose. They possessed
inherent characteristics that I knew would manifest realistically in
their portrayals.
Tom Sizemore: I've worked with Tom and have shared scenes
with him on numerous projects. So I had sense of his method and process.
It was just about navigating Tom and focusing him in so that we could
have the best of what he could offer. I always knew he had an
extraordinary ability. I just wanted to make sure that despite our
friendship, he would understand the importance of bringing his A game. So
we sat down and it was kind of a wrestling match for a minute regarding
the scene & material. But ultimately because of his trust in me we
were able to have fun with it and he did a great job.
Lorelei Linklater: Lorelei is the embodiment of the Melissa
character. This free spirited hippie type that I've always fancied
growing up in the 60s. A friend of mine had read my script and told me that
he knew of an actress he felt was the living embodiment of what I had
written. After speaking with Lorelei on the phone for a couple of hours
and discussing the project, I realized my friends intuition about her
was dead on - minus some of the Charlie Manson ideology I toy with in
the film. That clearly is the fictional element she carries as the
Melissa character, but very realistically I must add. There's nothing
contrived or sinister in her portrayal as the free-spirited
environmentalist that has an affection for Charles Manson's ecological
idealogy. There's a vulnerability and innocence that Lorelei possesses
that translates well on screen. Her mysterious presence helps shape the
narrative through the atmospheric imagery of American
Trash.
Costas Mandylor: Costas has quite the intensity, so I didn't
have to maneuver him much into the detective role. I just kinda sat back
and let him do his thing. It was basically, '"his is the scene Costas,
here is your dialogue and here is mine. Now let's dig in deep" - and thats
exactly what we did. The result I feel was effective and strong. And we
played well off each other.
Gigi Gustin: Gigi is a natural in terms of her ability to
inhabit the character space with grace and realism. Her portrayal of
Mandy is sublime and exactly what I needed to dispel the murky
disposition of Milles. It was vital to the story that her character
could love Milles so convincingly that the audience might share her
empathy. A few words about
the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
The shoot was challenging in terms of locations. Filming on the
streets of Venice California required a detailed plan and swift
execution. Pedestrian interference was constant, and the vehicles that
would suddenly appear and distrupt the atmospheric sound necessary for
coherent dialogue. In less volatile locations such as the coastal
beaches of Malibu or the natural settings of a park in Chatsworth
California things were easier. I was able to initiate a meditative mindset for
actors to communicate without intrusion.
Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of American
Trash? The response has varied based on the audience's
ability to entertain a subject that requires introspective observation.
The story is expressed through a lense of melancholy that for some may
be a bit heavy. Others have expressed a kinship to the hardships I
explore with a sentiment that suggests empathy. Any future projects you'd like to share?
And based on your experiences with American
Trash, could you ever be persuaded to direct another movie?
I'm co-staring with RJ Mitte and Dove Cameron in an upcoming thriller entitled
Love Me Dead. Directed by Josh Webber and scheduled for theatrical release in February 2025.
Directing? Maybe. It would depend
on the script and who is involved. What
got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal
training on the subject?
An English teacher in junior high school that taught drama as an
elective was convinced I should audition for the high school of
performing arts in NYC. I auditioned and was accepted. I spent three
years studying Lee Strasburg's method. Two months after I graduated high
school I enlisted in the Navy. I wasn't ready to pursue a career. I
needed to find something first. After four years of searching I was
discharged and returned to New York with a purpose.
I reacquainted myself with and old friend.
Anthony Abeson. He was my primary acting teacher in high school and
never me let forget my potential. He insisted and I listened. I auditioned
in New York City for a solid year after the military. I booked my first
studio contract with Warner Brothers soon after that. Shortly after I
found myself playing opposite Richard Pryor and Randy Quaid in a comedy
called Moving. According to my information,
your first movie role was in Abel Ferrara's China Girl - so do talk
about your involvement in that movie for a bit?
It was more about appearances at that stage. Abel
needed to dress his set with a traditional mafia motif. My face worked
more as a background sketch than anything else. He hid the tattoos
because he believed they weren't consistent with the traditional Italian
wise guy thing. I think he was right given the cultural geography that
would ultimately define my career
on television as the Malo Latino. Fast forward to CSI Miami where, as
Memmo Fierro, I would be reunited with Mercury (David Caruso), now
Haratio Caine. If anything, working with David on prime time television
would ultimately lend nostalgia to China Girl and humble beginnings. Given
that film's history, you just have to talk about your work on Waterworld!
I remember auditoning for a significant role in Waterworld
and not getting the part. It was a tough blow knowing I
missed an opportunity to work with Kevin Costner. You learn to live with
rejection in this business. And then the agent called a few weeks
later. Director Kevin Reynolds wanted me for a different role and the
producer's were prepared to make an offer. 10K for 4 days work in Hawaii.
Kona to be exact. I took the job with pleasure. It was more of a
vacation than a job. I arrived on the island, met Kevin Costner and was
quickly introduced to the special effects department. They spent many
hours constructing a body cast to build a replica of me. Including
tattoos. If you blink you'll miss my debut as Smitty the gate guard
that gets smashed by a jet ski drivin by the man himself, Kevin Costner.
It took a day to shoot that
scene. The rest of my time on Kona was spent on the beach enjoying the
scenery. Any
other past films of yours you'd like to mention?
Moving (Richard Pryor), Death Race (Jason Statham), The Mule (Clint Eastwood), Junkie (Adam Mason),
Anarchy Parlor (Devon Downs, Kenny Gage), Hope for the Holidays (Sally Kirkland). Having
been working in the filmworld for quite some time now, how do you feel the
business has changed over the years?
The editorial technique has changed the way audiences experience
movies. The pace in which a story moves these days is rapid and indicates
a decrease in attention span. When a movie
functions more as a thrill ride it can over-stimulate audiences and
reduce the human element. The atmospheric element that can potentially
lend nuance to a film is generally not tolerated by the mainstream if it
lingers for even a second. There are obviously certain genres that
require an adrenaline formula for mindless escapism. There have always
been movies like this.
The influence of cinema has always revealed the impact it can make on
society. With a oversaturated market one might wonder if movies merely
serve an addiction to trend, or do they still inspire introspection? How would you
describe yourself as an actor, and some of your techniques to bring your
characters to life?
Silence is how I would describe my method. Others would describe it as
serious and intense. What I've noticed on set these days is a great deal
of chatter and hyper enthusiasm to counter the anxiety. It can be a
tedious affair waiting to perform. Not everyone can deal with that time
quietly. I see it as an opportunity to be absorbed by the imagination so
that my work might be rich with possibility. There is a freedom in
losing oneself in preparation. It is crucial that I find a quiet space
to dissappear into that character. Actors, filmmakers, writers, whoever
else who inspire you?
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Actors: Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, James Cagney, Paul Scofield, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Russel Crowe,
Mel Gibson, Ben Gazzara, John Cassavetes, Vincent Gallo, Tim Roth, Burt Lancaster, Burt Reynolds.
Filmmakers: Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, Vincent Gallo, John Cassavetes, Mel Gibson, Oliver Stone,
Terrence Malick, Martin Scorsese, Guy Ritchie.
Writers: Charles Bukowski.
Your favourite movies?
Apocalypse Now (Marlon Brando), Badlands (Martin Sheen),
Hard Times (Charles Bronson),American Graffiti (Ron Howard),
The Poseidon Adventure (Gene Hackman),
The Excorcist (Ellen Burstyn), Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood),
Full Metal Jacket (Stanley ubrick), Little Odessa (Tim Roth), The
Gambler (James Caan), Gladiator (Russell Crowe), A Man For All Seasons (Paul Scofield),
Excalibur (Nicol Williamson), Gotti (Armand Asante), Rumble Fish (Matt Dillon),
Save the Tiger (Jack Lemmon),
Manson (Robert Hendrickson), Birdman (Michael Keaton),
Deliverance (Burt Reynolds),
The Last Movie Star (Burt Reynolds),
10 (Dudley Moore), The Shining (Stanley Kubrick), Flashback (Maika Monroe),
Birdman of Alcatraz (Burt Lancaster), White Heat (James Cagney), Gilda (Rita Hayworth), Key Largo (Edward G.
Robinson), To Have And Have Not (Humphrey Bogart), The Best Years of Our Lives (Teresa Wright). ...
and of course, films you really deplore?
Any film that is conceived as a device to soley sell depravity for
profit to encourage the degradation of humanity as fundamental. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0489436/
https://www.facebook.com/robert.lasardo/
https://www.instagram.com/lasardo.robert/
Thanks for the interview!
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