Director/Writer Kevin Smith behind the scenes of the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films launch. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Available on digital starting October 1st is ‘The 4:30 Movie,’ directed by Kevin Smith, and starring Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo, Reed Northrup, Siena Agudong, Jason Lee, Kate Micucci, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, and Ken Jeong.
ECinema News lately had the pleasure of talking over Zoom with ‘Clerks‘ and ‘Chasing Amy‘ author and director Kevin Smith about his new movie “The 4:30 Movie,” a semi-autobiographical, warmly nostalgic take a look at a teen romance that blossoms within the seats of a neighborhood movie theater in the summertime of 1986.
Related Article: Movie Review: ‘The 4:30 Movie’
Director/Writer Kevin Smith behind the scenes of the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films launch. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
ECinema News: To start with, how are you feeling concerning the response to the movie up to now?
Kevin Smith: So good, man, no complaints. It’s a pleasant byproduct when individuals just like the movie. Never the intention however by no means not the intention. It’s by no means like, “I wish to make one thing individuals hate.” But it is good once you make one thing and individuals are like, “Yeah, good on you.”
(L to R) Reed Northrup, Nicholas Cirillo and Austin Zajur in director Kevin Smith’s ‘The 4:30 Movie’. Photo: Saban Films.
ECinema News: Are the occasions of this movie type of ripped proper from the pages of the Kevin Smith biography?
Kevin Smith: Yeah. I imply, look, the occasions of each movie I’ve ever made are just about ripped from the pages of the Kevin Smith biography except ‘Dogma.’ Even components of which are fairly autobiographical. I’m not a really creative storyteller or filmmaker. I crib from actual life all of the time, and this movie is completely no exception. The first scene [in which the teen lead calls the Chinese restaurant where his crush works], that lengthy cellphone dialog, that actually occurred and that is virtually verbatim the issues that I mentioned when it comes to making a giant order after which saying “Six and a half almond cookies and your hand in marriage.” Stuff like that got here proper out of actual life. There are moments the place Brian David, our principal character, is driving round speaking into his tape recorder — I lifted that from recordings of me doing the very same factor. I cribbed liberally from my actual life to make this flick. But to be honest, I try this with all of the flicks.
(L to R) Reed Northrup as Belly, Austin Zajur as Brian David and Nicholas Cirillo as Burny within the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films launch. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
ECinema News: You filmed this within the theater that was your native cineplex as a child — which you ended up shopping for and turning into Smodcastle Cinemas. Was the theater at risk of closing earlier than you jumped in?
Kevin Smith: In reality, the opposite day was the two-year anniversary of us taking on formally and it turning into Smodcastle Cinemas. This was a movie theater I grew up going to in my childhood. My father would take me there, I’d go there with my household, I’d go there with my associates on the weekend. It’s within the neighboring city, Atlantic Highlands [New Jersey], proper subsequent to the place I grew up. Post-COVID, like many movie theaters, they fell on fairly exhausting times. There are multiplexes throughout us with higher seating and greater, higher high quality however this was our area people theater. Me and my associates bought collectively and purchased it to maintain it going. It’s over 100 years outdated so we have been like “Let’s strive it for an additional 100.” But after we purchased it, one of many first issues I spotted is I bought a free set. I could make a whole-ass movie right here. This is a location for heaven’s sakes. Naturally being the man who made ‘Clerks,’ it is like “Do I make a movie about what it is wish to work in a movie theater?” I by no means did that myself so that might be like pretending or stolen valor. So I used to be like “You know what I can do? Tell a narrative about all of the times that I hopped theaters as a child.” Our mother and father would drop us off for the matinee after which come choose us up at 10:00 at night time, and solely give us two bucks to go to the movies, man. You pay for one movie and then you definately snuck into one other and then you definately snuck into one other and also you stored going. So I figured with this location I can inform that story. There’s one thing cheeky about making a movie in a movie theater about movies and stuff. It’s not a lot cheeky as affectionate. Obviously, movies have been a giant a part of my life. So a lot in order that they formed my maturity. Where I noticed them, the place I ingested these movies, that will get the shout-out this time round. I’ve been shouting out movies my entire life and it is time to shout out the place I noticed these movies. At the identical time, it could possibly be a free industrial for Smodcastle Cinemas — two birds, one stone, or two birds, one seed as my child mentioned.
Ken Jeong as Manager Mike within the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films launch. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
ECinema News: Finally, is it your coverage because the proprietor now to look the opposite method if individuals sneak out and in of the auditoriums?
Kevin Smith: 100%. In the tip credit of ‘4:30 Movie’ I inform individuals, “Smodcastle Cinemas, go go to. Pay for one movie, hop round, go see as many movies you need. If you get caught inform Ernie I mentioned it was okay.” As a movie exhibitor I understand how robust it’s to get asses in seats, man. We had ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ open a few weeks in the past, I requested Smodcastle keeper Ernie O’Donnell, the man that runs the place, “How’d we do with ‘Beetlejuice’?” He goes, “Friday we had 50 tickets, Saturday we had 100.” That’s the entire day. That’s good for a brand-new movie for us. Really the stuff that tends to do nicely at our theaters is retro screenings. So like “Hey man, I’m going to indicate ‘Tusk’ and Justin Long’s right here. Hey, we will present ‘Mallrats’ and Jason Lee’s right here.” I might promote out these screenings and stuff. But in the case of simply promoting actual movies on the each day they’re going to favor to go to different movie theaters which have the higher seating and s**t like that. So something to get individuals to move to our theater is an efficient factor. Hopefully, them going, “What, there was a movie shot right here?” is simply another reason for them to come back go to. This is a temple that taught me my craft. The factor that I’d finally spend my life doing, my vocation, was born by sitting in these seats. I sat in these seats with those who I dearly love, a few of whom aren’t even round anymore, like my father. Keeping it alive, man. It began as like, “Hey, I’m a filmmaker, this is smart having a movie theater.” Quentin [Tarantino]‘s bought one. It’s just a little tougher to run a movie theater in suburban New Jersey when it comes to getting expertise to come back out. When you are in Hollywood individuals simply stay right here. But I’ve been capable of carry Hollywood to the theater over the course of the final two years. No extra so than after we introduced cameras in and began rolling. Now for the remainder of my life, or so long as we personal that movie theater, I’ll at all times be capable to play ‘The 4:30 Movie’ there on a Sunday at 4:30 from now till the tip of time. It’ll by no means keep in different movie theaters. Maybe they’re going to do retro or rep home screenings of it someday. But in our theater it would at all times stay. Very not often does a movie theater get to be like, “The entire movie was shot right here.” We’ll showcase that without end.
What is the plot of ‘The 4:30 Movie’?
Three teenage associates (Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo and Reed Northrup) map out a day outing to the native cineplex in the summertime of 1986, however their plans to sneak into a brand new R-rated movie could possibly be disrupted by the irritating theater proprietor and a bunch of different characters — to not point out one of many boys bringing his dream lady to the cinema as nicely.
Who is within the solid of ‘The 4:30 Movie’?
- Austin Zajur as Brian David
- Nicholas Cirillo as Burny
- Reed Northrup as Belly
- Siena Agudong as Melody Barnegat
- Justin Long as Stank
- Jason Lee as Brian’s dad
- Kate Micucci as Melody’s mother
- Genesis Rodriguez as Usher
- Ken Jeong as Manager Mike
(L to R) Siena Agudong as Melody Barnegat and Austin Zajur as Brian David within the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films launch. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Other Kevin Smith Movies:
Buy Tickets: ‘The 4:30 Movie’ Movie Showtimes
Buy Kevin Smith Movies on Amazon
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