Bambi’s dusting off the keyboard for a special treat. While Ira took a breather with the great rerun of Kid Politics (which we previously reviewed), we caught up with the star of Act 1 of another episode, Right to Remain Silent, Joe Lipari, whose short starring Dave Hill is making its rounds on the film fest circuit this year.
Trailer: Dream Job from Joe Lipari on Vimeo.
Back when we found LA comedian Joe Lipari on his stint chez Ira Glass as the Facebook Terrorist, here’s what we had to say:
In this act, Ben Calhoon interviews sarcastic jerk Joe Lipari with no filter screwed hard first by the Geniuses at the big Apple store post-iPhone malfunction, as well as the cops of the Big Apple. Lipari will make you pant, not just with his big mouth, but also with the unwavering self-awareness he exudes as he is tried as a terrorist for mimicking the following cinematic rant à la classic Fight Club everyman Edward Norton on Facebook.
“If you understand I’m just a shmuck who doesn’t know how to keep his mouth closed, why are we here?” asks Lipari. Calhoon comments on that mindset that said offender refuses to surrender: that lack of reevaluation that would mean altered loyalties and altered self. Ultimately, he asks what only the wise motherfuckers consider: “Why am I going to worry about the people who hate me, and not the people who love me?” Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal: that’s lawspeak for Hannah Montana-style-pending-breakups. Mark my words.
Why are we here? The answer this time around is even more exciting than Palahniuk-esque terrorism against corporations. Today, it’s collaborating with Dave Hill on a short film, Dream Job, in which an unemployed filmmaker seems to hit it big with the most out-of-this-world opportunity: working for George Lucas. A distant, toothless cousin to Bored to Death in its commiserative yet ruthless plotline surrounding the unemployed pothead creative professional in New York, it’s a pretty hilarious first film that’s impressive–especially for someone who’s mastered DIY No Budget Filmmaking. In a brief Q&A between porn shoots (not really, but really), Lipari gave us the lowdown:
Who did you have to screw to make Dream Job a reality?
I guess I had to screw myself. Let me explain; at virtually every step of the way, I was told Dream Job wouldn’t become a reality. The story used to be part of my stand-up routine, one night Greg Giraldo saw me at Comix in NYC and told me the story was more than a stand up, I should write a script. So, I planned to use it for my thesis project at film school. The school basically told me it was impossible to shoot the 35 page script in the allotted 6 days. I went ahead anyway, not using their equipment and shot it, plus a lot of improv, in 3 to 5 days. Not before several stages of development hell, of course. So, I had to screw myself, beefing up my ego to do the “impossible.”
Unemployment, porn, pot, nerds, a Playboy bombshell, and Dave Hill. With so many hot perks, what kind of scandal would have to go down for you not to win a prize in Maryland?
Well, I’m less concerned with the awards and accolades as I should be. But, I guess the real scandal would be to not get in to the major festivals. My friends and I know we’re not famous enough to be taken very seriously in the arty-farty film circles, especially given all the nerdy references. But, my cast and crew are amazingly talented… Everything came together better than I hoped, especially given the number of things that went wrong in pre-production. I couldn’t be more proud of the final product, anyone who’s ever made a film of any kind knows how hard it is.
First we stumbled upon you was through our obsessive weekly Ira Glass infatuation post. Does he give you the hots?
Ira’s an amazing person who takes every opportunity to stand up for the little guy… What’s not to love?
How autobiographical is this pipe dream of working for George Lucas?
Fairly…. The real pipe dream is to be like George Lucas with better abs.
Did you meet Dave Hill through your mutual degrees of separation with This American Life?
Actually, my friendship with Dave predates our one degree of This American Life separation. I met him while he was the reigning king of Miami and we’ve worked together on a number of occasions.
Do you aspire to be a Jew running the media too?
When I first started my venture in the world of comedy, I vowed to be the most powerful in the business. My dreams are a bit less maniacal these days, but yes… I plan to run media, like a silly/ better looking version of Rupert Murdoch with a conscience.