“In which Jack and Cohen welcome guest Christopher Rice, for a chat about novels, New Orleans and so much more.”
Guests: Jack Morrissey, Matt Cohen and Christopher Rice @chrisricewriter and christopherricebooks.com
Annotated by Kathleen @kaybeevee
10:00 Jack and Christopher recently had dinner at Sunset Plaza, close to where Christopher lives.
According to Jack, Chris almost never leaves his neighborhood. They ate at Cafe Med:
13:00 Christopher Rice bio. Novelist, writer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Chris and Eric:
Great photo of Chris:
17:30
Title discussions. Chris and Jack’s origin story. Bill and Jack were
going to New Orleans for Christmas and asked Chris for suggestions on
where to go. He was actually living in LA so they got together for
dinner.
19:50
Jack asks Chris his opinion on the best cinematic modern representation
of New Orleans-movie, not tv (other than Bill’s Candyman 2, Farewell to
the Flesh of course). Movies set in New Orleans from the 80’s are too
stylized, too “high southern,” “plantation.” He thinks movies these days
are more accurate.
Jack brings up new Bruce Willis/Joseph Gordon Levitt movie set in New Orleans that is coming out soon “Looper”
22:50 Christopher was born in 1978 and is the son of “Interview with the Vampire” author Anne Rice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
26:20 Matt Cohen used to masturbate to “The Witching Hour.” His first porn. Hey yo!
Photo of Chris with mom Anne Rice:
27:18
Moved from San Francisco to New Orleans in 1988 when his mom’s book
“Queen of the Damned” was released. Anne Rice wanted to get back to her
roots and they lived in the Castro at a grim time when AIDS was
epidemic. Also, his six year old sister Michele had died of cancer
before he was born and he thinks that was part of the move.
Touching video tribute to Michele: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Claudia from Interview with the Vampire was partly based on Michele:
28:49 When did Chris know he was gay? Assless chaps in The Castro maybe?
30:00
Discussion of movie version of “Interview with the Vampire” directed by
Neil Jordan. Chris thought Cruise was ok for Lestat “did the best that
he could do” but thinks of Lestat as more of a Chris Hemsworth type.
Over 6 feet tall, lean blonde.
Interviewer role was supposed to be played by River Phoenix but he passed away before production began.
35:33
Best memory for Chris of the film was when they watched a very rough
VHS tape of it before release. Anne Rice then took an ad out in Variety
praising the movie and Cruise (she had been very critical of the casting
previously):
Quote Before:
"I was particularly stunned by the casting of Cruise, who is no more my Vampire Lestat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett Butler."
- Anne Rice, The Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1993
Quote After:
"The
charm, the humor and the invincible innocence which I cherish in my
beloved hero Lestat are all alive in Tom Cruise's courageous
performance;"
- Anne Rice, ad in Daily Variety September 23, 1994
36:20
Anne Rice rented out the Canal Place theater for the entire cast and
crew to screen the movie. At the time it wasn’t as common for movies to
be filmed in New Orleans.
Highest rated opening for an R movies. Experience ended really well for Christopher.
37:30
Anything new planned for The Vampire Chronicles etc? Reboots? Quick
discussion of Queen of the Damned DIRECTED BY Australian Michael Rymer
of Jack’s favorite BATTLESTAR GALACTICA miniseries fame. http://www.imdb.com/name/
Chris says Queen of the Damned movie took too many liberties with the source material.
38:28
Chris says there are “exciting things happening” with regards to a
possible reboot! Too soon to talk about...HBO or studio reboot? “Tale of
the Body Thief” has never been produced in movie form. Next book in the
series that features Lestat and is a vampire thriller that could
relaunch character.
39:50 The Witching Hour novels may be headed for tv.
40:50
When did Chris start writing? Was living in LA and wanting to be a
screenwriter when his mom was diagnosed as diabetic and went into a coma
so he left to be with her in New Orleans in 1998. While in New Orleans
at 21 he started to write a short story which became his debut novel “A
Density of Souls.” Book release was a huge media blitz/NY Times
bestseller and he wishes he would have handled it better, been more
grateful and grown up. A good experience overall.
44:10
Discussion of NY Times Bestseller criteria list, remains most
important. USA Today means you are #1, regardless of genre, so authors
really like it.
46:10
“Food deserts” discussion-no fresh produce available, people in
Crenshaw district of LA have to travel far for produce. Newspaper and
book store deserts. Disintegration of Borders.
47:40
Do you trust sales figures from publishers or Amazon? The studios have
no tracking of DVD sales/digital downloads, on purpose. They just stiff
you even though these things are negotiated-no proof in court. Amazon
needs competitors. An Ebook for $23.00?!?!? Publishers are now getting
in the game, colluding to keep prices high? Dept. of Justice lawsuit,
publishers accused of behaving as a cartel. “The Big Six.” http://www.macworld.co.uk/
52:20
Chris has written five novels, the sixth (“The Heavens Rise”) is coming
out soon. He has also written half a dozen screenplays that have not
been produced but he has used parts of them in some of his novels. Chris
used to write for The Advocate, now hard to find a copy of it. Magazine
publishing going digital.
Christopher’s interview with his mom for The Advocate (2011): http://www.advocate.com/arts-
55:45 Discussion of Andy Towle of the blog Towleroad, http://www.towleroad.com/ “A site with homosexual tendencies” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Andy
was former Editor in Chief of Genre Magazine where Christopher was
employed as the fiction editor (briefly). Genre was sexier/fashion
driven. Andy started a blog while there and Chris really had no clue
about it but guest blogged for him, his first exposure to vicious
anonymous content/comments.
57:00
Jack recently saw Perez Hilton while jogging and he had “between a 6
and 8 pack!” Jack says “We both used to be big fat fatties!”
Perez (Mario) Before and After:
DANG! Better view of 8 pack:
58:34
Matt discusses how he saw a “famous Disney Channel couple” smoking weed
at a Phish concert the night before. Check out Hollywood Reporter.com
for who was at the Phish concert. *No comment*
1:00
Listener Questions! Chris had a question from Debbie Prins (Matt Cohen
twitter fan!) that he liked: “What movie would you want to say remade?”
Chris would want Jaws remade by Spielberg frame by frame, using the
technology we have today.
3D Jaws Reboot?
BAD 3D. BAD (scene from Jaws 3). Is that supposed to be a shark?
1:04:29
Deep Blue Sea? Cohen liked it more than any of the Jaws sequels. Chris
actually kind of likes Jaws 2, Jack agrees. Chris familiar with where
some of it was filmed.
1:05:54
Jack’s good friend Marc Gilpin (former TJ podcast guest) played the
youngest Brody child in Jaws 2! Young Sean Brody/Marc:
1:06 John Williams score from Jaws discussed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
1:07:20
Jack gets “hyper nerdy here.” Comparison of Death Stars, Jack prefers
the Return of the Jedi half made version. Just like the half burned face
version of Jaws in Jaws 2. Makes it more interesting? Draws your eye
in...
Death Star comparison:
Half burned shark in Jaws 2:
1:08:30 Mike Schultz-incredible Jaws reproductions/models. Story: http://titansterrorstoys.
His website/product line: http://www.sharkcityozark.com/
1:09:15 “Jaws Fest” Jaws conventions in Martha’s Vineyard every year.
1:10:10
Another hugely popular romance made by Universal with a large and
thriving female fan base like Twilight? “Somewhere in Time” 1980. They
have a convention every five years or so. (KBV note-LOVE this movie and
score).
Photo from the 19th annual Somewhere in Time weekend at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island:
1:11:30 Jack’s pick for movie that should be remade? Logan’s Run. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Remake with Warner Brothers and Ryan Gosling in the works?
1:13:15
Remake of Ant movie? Night of the Lepus? Attack of killer rabbits?
Still not as scary as Watership Down! All agree *nods* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
1:14:33 Matt Cohen’s pick for Movie to be remade. Akiro Kurosawa’s “High and Low” http://www.imdb.com/title/
1:16:12
Question from Allison Smith (Erik Odom Fan/podcast listener) wants to
know Chris Rice’s favorite movie. Answer: Jaws or Empire of the Sun.
Allen Daviau is Chris’ cousin and was the cinematographer for Empire of
the Sun, among many others! http://www.imdb.com/name/
Another
question from Allison: Does Chris use an outline for writing? He
answers that he does outline to a point, but mostly obsessively
rewrites.
1:22:20
Discussion of Bret Easton Ellis (of Less Than Zero and American Psycho
fame) campaign to be screenwriter for 50 Shades of Gray.
Matt Bomer controversy-Ellis spit on at a grocery store by angry gays? Chris said it may have been a crazy homeless dude. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Reportedly
now dropped from shortlist to write 50 Shades of Gray, anti-gay
comments. "Likes to attract attention though incendiary words." Ellis
does not care about response to his comments.
Discussion of controversial tweets here: http://www.tvguide.com/News/
Matt Bomer. Hubba hubba:
1:25:00
Kickstarter project with Ellis and screenwriter Paul Schrader to get an
independent film financed "The Canyons." Story and video here: http://www.thewrap.com/movies/
Also discussed his novel/movie "The Informers" that Jack really likes, unbelievably bleak ending. http://www.imdb.com/title/
1:28:50
Brief Glee discussion. Chris still watches. Ryan Murphy left to do
American Horror Story but is back and now starting to write even another
show.
OUT!