Interview by Chris Summerfield
In this “Under The Spotlight” interview, I sit down with Morgan Pehme and Dylan Bank, the writers and directors behind the award-winning movie, “Nightmare” and the exciting new fantasy horror film, “Nothing Sacred”. Thank you to the both of you for taking the time to complete this interview.
CS: My first questions is for Morgan. When were you inspired to pursue a career in the movie industry and how did it all begin?
My first experience with the silver screen came from being portrayed as a side character in the film “Searching for Bobby Fischer”, but I never seriously considered becoming a filmmaker until a chance encounter at a party back in 2002 with the acclaimed director Esther Bell, who had recently completed the terrific indie film “Godass” for Showtime. At the time, Esther was looking to raise money for her follow-up feature, “Exist”, and I was intrigued by going a different direction in my career, so I set about putting together the financing she needed and formed a production company as the vehicle to do so. Shortly thereafter, I started searching for the first project my company could produce from concept to distribution, which ended up being “Nightmare”.
CS: What brought you guys together and what was the first project you worked on together?
(Dylan) I met Morgan when I was first working in New York out of college. I was staying on the couch of a friend of mine from Vassar, and he was roommates with her. My gig at the time was holding a boom mic over “Elimidate”, a long-cancelled reality dating show that I can still recite endless, trashy stories about, after working a single season on it. One weekend Morgan and his roommate had a party and late that night after everyone had left, I told Morgan an idea I had for a movie about a filmmaker who wakes up to find videos of himself killing people, but has no memory of it, called “Nightmare”. A few months later he got into making movies himself, and that was the idea that really excited him, and so we got serious about making it.
CS: Morgan, “Nothing Sacred”, which you co-directed with Dylan, is your directorial debut. How did you find the challenge?
Making this movie was a tremendous life experience for me on so many levels. Since we knew our budget would be tiny, Dylan and I conceived of “Nothing Sacred” to take advantage of every resource at our disposal. We had met the terrific team at the Brussels-based Uncut Films when we were doing the festival circuit with our film “Nightmare”, so we decided to partner with them, write Belgium and France into the movie, and dramatically expand the scope of our story while still operating on a shoestring. Filming in places like the Catacombs in Paris and working with some of France’s top actors, like Thierry Lhermitte and Philippe Nahon, are opportunities I will never forget. Then there was the whole Oklahoma chapter of our adventure. When we found out that one of our two lead actors, Alan Barnes Netherton, spoke the Native American language of Mvskoke and had deep ties to the Creek people near where he grew up in Tulsa, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to incorporate that into his character. Over one hundred amazing members of the Muscogee Nation welcomed us into their homes and their sacred rites and enabled us to capture something truly unique on screen for the mere price of round-trip tickets from New York to Oklahoma for me, Alan and Dylan.
CS: Dylan, what inspired you to chase a career in the movie industry and please do let us know where it all began?
I guess “Edward Scissorhands” was the first movie where it was really obvious to me that the director was the star, and in a larger sense I realized that was true of most movies, even if they weren’t so stylized. And then Kubrick sealed it in my mind, specifically “A Clockwork Orange”. In the overall highs of his career, like “2001” and “Dr. Strangelove”, he married nearly all types of art—music, drama, photography, politics, architecture, science, comedy—into a beloved international artistic statement. That’s what I aim to ultimately achieve. I like to think I’m clawing my way in that direction.
CS: Your first collaboration with Morgan, “Nightmare”, won awards across the USA, as well as in Europe. How did actually making the movie come about and could you tell us a little about it?
(Dylan) Like every aspiring filmmaker, we sat down on our own dime and wrote out the screenplay, agonizing over every line, and when we were finished we said, “Ok, who will give us the money to make this?” Though a combination of the screenplay being really tight and beginner’s luck, Morgan raised over one hundred grand in starting funds within a month after we finished the script. It’s always good to have a writing partner who can do that. I’d recommend it, in fact.
CS: With “Nothing Sacred”, your follow-up to “Nightmare”, you again worked alongside one another. Whose idea was the film and how was the creative process? Did you both come up with ideas and throw them at each other? Did you feel pressure after the success of “Nightmare”?
(Dylan) There’s always a ton of pressure when you’re making a movie. People are putting money and time and countless energy into your vision, and the fact that a great company like IFC Films had released “Nightmare” set the bar high for us with “Nothing Sacred”. But Morgan and I work really well together, and while we argue about lines and details, we both have enough ideas to just come up with something new until we discover a resolution that sparks in both our minds. We kind of have an overall philosophy when we write and direct together that if both of us don’t love it, how can we expect a million strangers to love it?
CS: What other insights can you give us into “Nothing Sacred”?
(Morgan) I hope that anyone who enjoys and supports true indie filmmaking will root for this movie and spread the word about it to their friends. Most so-called “indie” films these days are multi-million dollar projects funded by mega-companies that only masquerade as “indies” for the street cred. To be honest, “Nothing Sacred” was largely made by two people, me and Dylan (with a major assist from our producer, Katia Olivier), and the only reason it is now available on Amazon for your readers to buy is because we poured our blood, sweat, tears and own money into completing it. Movie-making might seem like an effortless art from the perspective of people sitting on the couch, but, trust me, the end product always belies the enormous challenges every indie filmmaker faces to turn their dreams into an actual motion picture. I have the utmost respect for anyone who succeeds in doing so.
CS: Dylan, what is your current project you are working upon?
Morgan and I are coming into the final stretch of production on our first feature-length documentary, which is about dirty tricks in politics, told through the life of Roger Stone, America’s most notorious political dirty trickster, and, until recently, a top advisor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. It’s an amazing story that political junkies and people who hate politics alike will enjoy. Also, on October 18, a drama of mine called “Rock Story” comes out, which stars Joyce DeWitt of “Three’s Company” fame, the great Eric Roberts and newcomer Mandy Bruno. It’ll be everywhere On Demand and streaming.
CS: Morgan, who are the people who have given you the most support in your career?
My whole life revolves around my incredible wife, Patricia, and my darling daughter, Fiona, so I would be remiss in not mentioning them first. As for my career as a filmmaker, I have to heap endless praise upon my producing partner and stepfather, Ed Gregory, our miraculously kind executive producer, Dominic Masi, and, of course, Dylan, who over the years has become my creative soulmate.
CS: Morgan, who have been the biggest influences upon you as a filmmaker and who do you most admire within the industry?
There are so many filmmakers who humble me with the quality of their work and the depth of their vision, but it’s great, inspiring directors like Eugene Jarecki, the executive producer of our forthcoming documentary, and my dear friend Lynn Hamrick, who is in pre-production on a terrific film called “I’m Your Man”, who have had the most weighty impact on my films, through the kindness of taking me under the wing and mentoring me.
CS: And Dylan, who has been your greatest influence within the industry?
These days Christopher Nolan is the gold standard for me of a filmmaker making unique and original movies that still are international hits.
CS: And who has been the most supportive of your career so far?
Of course, Morgan has helped me immensely just by choosing to work with me, and also Kenneth Del Vecchio, the co-author and producer of “Rock Story”, the movie I just mentioned. He and I have made five feature films together, and just shot a comedy pilot. Then my dad, who is my easiest critic, so if he doesn’t like something I wrote, I’m screwed. Filmmaking is often a feast-or-famine type industry, so whenever I need to, I head down to my dad’s place in Philly and eat all his food and smoke all his weed. Now that’s true support.
CS: Thank you again for taking the time to complete this interview. I wish you guys the best of luck with your careers.
