S2E7: “Dirty Laundry”

11/02/22 • 49 min

Let’s talk dirty laundry!

If you really want to know what’s happening on any film or TV set, the last people you should ask are the executives. We know nothing of value. We may have a pretty good fix on where the budget is, but we have no idea who’s sleeping with whom. Film and TV sets are emotionally overwrought places where people form intense bonds for short periods of time. Very conducive to creativity and having affairs. Terrible for sustaining actual grown up relationships. If you really want to know who’s forming intense bonds, having affairs and sleeping around, go ask “the pretties” – hair and makeup or, alternately, wardrobe. These are the people on any movie set who really know what’s happening to whom and why. If it’s dirty laundry you want, you’ve come to the right place!

When Things Get “Intimate”

“Hurry up and wait” perfectly sums up life on a film or TV set. Lots of mad rushing about, lots of sitting around waiting. That equals time to talk, gossip, shoot the shit and confess even. One of the wardrobe department’s jobs on any set is to do actual dirty laundry. Whether people know it or not, their dirty laundry tells on them.

In today’s episode of the podcast, we welcome Randall Thropp. Listeners to season one of the How Not To Make A Movie Podcast remember Randall’s stories about Crypt. He also worked on the Bordello reshoots when we returned to Los Angeles.

As you’ll hear (and see), Randall tells a lot of great stories. We’ll talk about a mutual mentor, the under-appreciated documentary filmmaker Greg Shuker (he pretty much invented cinema verite single handedly). And, we’ll talk about “Who’s Afraid Of Baby Jane” (Randall worked on the remake)... “The Strip”... “Tony & Tina’s Wedding”... “The Brady Bunch” movies and “The Shining” (Mick Garris’s remake). Also, we’ll talk about Randall’s work with the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Museum. It’s awesome – and well worth a visit, maybe even several!.

And we will talk actual dirty laundry.

Let’s talk dirty laundry!

When Things Get “Intimate”

And we will talk actual dirty laundry.

Previous Episode

S2E7: Dirty Laundry

If you really want to know what’s happening on any film or TV set, the last people you should ask are the executives. We know nothing of value. We may have a pretty good fix on where the budget is, but we have no idea who’s sleeping with whom. Film and TV sets are emotionally overwrought places where people form intense bonds for short periods of time. Very conducive to creativity and having affairs, terrible for sustaining actual grown up relationships. If you really want to know who’s forming intense bonds, having affairs and sleeping around, you have to go ask “the pretties” – hair and makeup or, alternately, wardrobe. These are the people on any movie set who really know what’s happening to whom and why. If it’s dirty laundry you want, you’ve come to the right place.

Hurry Up And Wait

In today’s episode of the podcast, we welcome Randall Thropp. Listeners to season one of the How Not To Make A Movie Podcast remember Randall. He was Crypt’s wardrobe supervisor. He told the story in season one about working on the Bordello of Blood reshoots in Los Angeles. The experience was so awful that Randall briefly quit the movie biz.

Spoiler alert: he came back.

Dream Projects & Dream Jobs

We’ll also talk about our mutual friend the award winning documentary filmmaker Greg Shuker. Randall has stories from the set of the “Who’s Afraid of Baby Jane” remake starring the Redgrave sisters, Lynn and Vanessa. He has stories about working on “Tony & Tina’s Wedding”, Mick Garris’ remake of “The Shining” and, of course, “Tales From The Crypt”.

Randall will discuss his current work with Paramount Pictures Wardrobe Archive. It’s his dream job come to life! Randall’s working with the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Museum (it’s awesome!) on an exhibit featuring The Godfather movies.

Along the way? We’ll talk plenty of dirty laundry.

Next Episode

S2E8: Bill Sadler Is A Really Nice Guy

Even when he’s playing a villain, Bill Sadler is a really nice guy.

We say this a lot around here at the How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast: one of the real big pleasures of working in film and TV is that you get to work with some terrific people. Our guest today is one of those terrific people. It’s just a stone cold fact: Bill Sadler is a really nice guy. Hell, he’s nice in the extreme.

He’s also super talented.

Bill’s Bio

Aside from doing both “Tales From The Crypt” feature films (Bill stars as the hero of “Demon Knight” and acts as the Mummy opposite the Crypt Keeper in “Bordello Of Blood“) and appearing in multiple episodes of “Tales From The Crypt“, Bill has been part of some truly iconic movies. He played Death in the “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” and “Bill & Ted Face The Music”, Colonel Stuart in “Die Hard 2”, and President Matthew Ellis in “Iron Man 3” and the “Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.” movies.

He also played the inmate Heywood in “The Shawshank Redemption“. Ironically, Shawshank wasn’t a hit when it opened. In fact, it bombed – probably because the title’s not very good. Video resurrected Shawshank from obscurity and gave it the second chance it needed.

“Shawshank” is very definitely a classic. Horror fans now consider “Demon Knight” a classic horror movie, too. In time, the Bill and Ted movies may achieve some kind of minor classic status. Certainly Bill’s work as Death in the movies deserves classic status.

He turns Death into a kind of vaguely lovable loser with a hilarious accent.

Talking Craft

We talk a lot about craft in the interview. Acting craft, writing craft, moviemaking craft. We talk about the challenges that produce great work. And, we’ll talk a lot about passion. What makes anyone a great collaborator? Passion for collaboration.

Bill’s collaborated with everyone from Morgan Freeman to Walter Hill (one of Crypt’s executive producers), to Bill Condon (Bill’s favorite director), to Claire Danes and Dennis Quaid (they all just worked together on Steven Soderbergh’s “Full Circle” for HBOMax.

This conversation feels like a pair of comfortable slippers. It’s that warm and familiar. Bill Sadler isn’t just a very, very nice guy. He also happens to be an amazing actor and a superb collaborator.

And, boy, does he have some great stories to tell!

The How NOT To Make A Movie S2E8: “Bill Sadler Is A Really Nice Guy”