[SXSW Interview] John Karna and Dan Beers (Premature)
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
Dan Beers' (FCU: Fact Checkers Unit) feature-length directorial debut, Premature, put a spin on the typical raunchy high school sex comedy. Equal parts Groundhog Day and American Pie, the comedy was about a high school Senior having to re-live the most important day of his life until he ultimately gets it right. If a misstep is taken, all he needs to do to escape is a trigger in the form of physical stimulation... I think we all know what that means.
Following my interviews with Adam Riegler and Alan Tudyk, I had individual talks with Premature's lead actor John Karna and writer/director Dan Beers. John and I talked about the film being his first paid film role, being filmed in his underwear, and the intricacies of having an artificial wet spot applied to said underwear. Dan and I talked about some of his inspirations behind the film, working with the cast, and also the intricacies of having an artificial wet spot applied to John's underwear. As was the theme of the day, I also discussed Alan Tudyk's mustache with each of them. Enjoy!
[SXSW Interview] Adam Riegler and Alan Tudyk (Premature)
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
Dan Beers' (FCU: Fact Checkers Unit) feature-length directorial debut, Premature, put a spin on the typical raunchy high school sex comedy. Equal parts Groundhog Day and American Pie, the comedy was about a high school Senior having to re-live the most important day of his life until he ultimately gets it right. If a misstep is taken, all he needs to do to escape is a trigger in the form of physical stimulation... I think we all know what that means.
During SXSW this year, I was able to sit down with some of the cast and Beers himself to discuss Premature. In this first part of a two-part feature, you can read my interviews with actors Adam Riegler and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) as we separately discussed their roles in the film, interactions with the rest of the cast, and in the case of Tudyk, the outstanding mustache he himself (!!!) grew for the role. Enjoy, and keep an eye out for the second part with lead actor John Karna and writer/director Dan Beers later this week!
[SXSW Review] Premature
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
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Premature
Director: Dan Beers
Rating: R
Release Date: March 7, 2014 (SXSW)
High school comedies have always followed the same basic formula: everyman protagonist, a group of friends, parties, sex, and shenanigans to bring everything together. Looking at the successes and failures of other high school comedies over the years, it takes more than just an outlandish premise and a talented cast - there needs to be that extra element that can help a film separate itself from its brethren. Does Premature possess that special touch that helps it be more than just "another high school comedy"? Read on and find out.
On the most important day of his young life, Rob (John Karna) has to ace an interview with a Georgetown recruiter, lose his virginity to one of the hottest girls in the school, Angela Yearwood (Carlson Young), and cap it all off with a night spent with his best friend, Gabrielle (Katie Findlay). However, the interview goes terribly, he cancels his plans with Gabrielle, and he prematurely ejaculates during his hook up with Angela. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a wet spot... at the beginning of the day. Before long, Rob realizes that he's stuck in a loop of the day's events until he can make them all right... or be forced to trigger the Groundhog Day events with his own hands. Pun intended.
Premature follows in a long line of high school comedies. However, the added time travel/Groundhog Day element adds a wrinkle to the film that not only becomes an essential plot device, but one that's inherently funny. Every time Rob ejaculates, the day resets. It's a blessing and a curse, this gift Rob has been granted from the gods. Of course, with a trigger such as this, it's hard not to let writer/director Dan Beers go full-on with it, allowing Premature to have fun while also steering the film from going too far off from the path. Unfortunately, I don't think Premature went as far as it could have with the ability to turn back time so easily. In saying that, for it to veer off into more outlandish situations would have alienated the tone of the film, so it's a mixed bag of sorts.
Premature is a fitting ode to Groundhog Day and John Hughes films (including a Glenbrook High School reference to Hughes' own alma mater, Glenbrook North), right down to the film's tone that leans more towards youthful naivety instead of raunchy sex shenanigans. However, I think this both helped and hurt Premature; I would have liked more risks to benefit more from the trigger plot device. While the jokes won't always hit, what will is the heart and character-focused priority over easy sex jokes typical of the high school comedy genre. If you're expecting Premature to be the next Superbad, your expectations aren't going to be met. Go into Premature expecting more John Hughes and less Judd Apatow, and I think you'll have a better reaction to the film.
[SXSW] 10 Films You Should See at SXSW 2014
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
With this year marking my third visit to the famed South by Southwest Festival, I've become a bit of a veteran when it comes to the film side of the festival. While Sundance and CIFF have their perks and vibes, but SXSW has always been consistent with their film selections. With such a large amount of films screening at SXSW this year, I figured I'd help guide you along in which films are sure to be festival favorites. While I'm only suggesting 10 films, any and all of you SXSW Film attendees should try to catch as many films as you can. Some of my best and favorite SXSW films in years past have been the ones I've caught on a whim, which serves as a testament to the amazing programming the SXSW people have shown throughout the years. Nevertheless, read on to find out which 10 films are my most anticipated of South by Southwest 2014.