Interview: Miles Teller, Paul Reiser, and Damien Chazelle Talk 'Whiplash'

Right now it's really good to be Miles Teller. He's been dubbed the next big thing at two consecutive Sundance Film Festivals, starting with last year's powerful teen romance, The Spectacular Now, for which he and Shailene Woodley shared dramatic acting awards. This year he came back swinging in Whiplash, playing a jazz drumming protege at the mercy of his ruthless instructor, played by J.K. Simmons. And since then, things have only gotten better with major roles in Fantastic Four and the boxing biopic, Bleed for This.

In my opinion, it'll be Whiplash that pushes him to the next level. He gives a commanding, physical performance and the intense interactions he has with Simmons are amazing. I had a chance to take part in a roundtable interview with Teller, co-stars Paul Reiser and Austin Stowell, and writer/director Damien Chazelle about Whiplash. Sine first seeing the film at Sundance I've been expecting that it would be a fall season powerhouse, but often the gap of time in-between causes the festival buzz to die out. That hasn't happened in this case and the anticipation for it has only gotten greater. Check out the interview below, and my review of Whiplash here.

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Review: 'Whiplash' starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons

 NOTE: This is an edited reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival. Whiplash opens on Oct. 10th.

The story goes that in 1937 legendary saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, at the ripe young age of 16, dared to improvise while in a jam with drummer Jo Jones. At first his ambitious gamble seemed to pay off, but Parker got ahead of himself and lost the beat, causing Jones to hurl a cymbal at him. Rather than discouraging him, Parker left the club saying "I'll be back", and after a year of intense practice he returned and the rest is jazz music history. That story of Parker's perseverance is the engine that drives Whiplash, a film that has affectionately been called "Full Metal Jacket at Juilliard". It's a nickname that fits.

Miles Teller, who scored at last year's Sundance with The Spectacular Now, returns to Park City in his most physically demanding role yet as Andrew, a first-year student at a prominent New York City conservatory. He has a dream of not only being a great jazz drummer, but the greatest drummer ever, and when we meet him he's practicing late into the night. That's when he catches the eye of Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the school's tough-as-shoe leather instructor. Andrew wants a spot on Fletcher's top notch jazz ensemble, a place where careers can be made.

Taping up his fingers like a boxer tapes his fists; Andrew works his hands to the bloody bone to gain Fletcher's favor. Gaining a spot on his team thanks to Fletcher's mind games, Andrew comes to learn that he can lose his spot just as easily. Enduring incredible physical and mental abuse at Fletcher's hands, Andrew is put through a brutal baptism by fire. To be the best he'll have to endure the worst, or be just another one of the many who have crumbled when pushed beyond their limits. At the same time, Andrew must contend with a skeptical father (Paul Reiser), a family that doesn't respect his career, and a girlfriend who may be too much of a distraction. If he's ever going to be one of the greats, like his idol Buddy Rich, there can be no outside life. There can only be the drums; there can only be the type of dedication that drove Charlie Parker, whose story is repeated often by Fletcher as a motivating tool. When he's not berating his pupils, that is.

Whiplash has had quite the journey to the big screen, beginning as a Black List script by writer/director Damien Chazelle, that was turned into a short film that took home the Jury Award at last year's Sundance. The feature version plays with your emotions like a conductor leading his band, steering away from the typical "overcoming the odds" crowd-pleaser. Chazelle never sticks to the sheet music, adding a moral quandary that threatens the already-tense relationship between mentor and student.

Playing the drums has never been depicted quite like this, showing just how physically demanding it can be. Dripping with sweat, muscles quivering with every strike; if Teller didn't do all the drumming himself it would be a shock, that's how convincing he is. Andrew's motivations are a little underdeveloped, but Teller is given plenty to work evolving from fresh-faced newbie to someone who can master the incredible pacing required for a jazz drummer. Simmons hasn't had a role this good in a very long time, and it's easy to forget just how intimidating he can be when in full a--hole mode. It's too early to start talking about Oscars and things of that nature, but it's safe to say that Teller and Simmons are in top form.

A number of classic jazz standards (you'll be hearing "Whiplash" in your head for hours after) make for a rousing soundtrack fans of the genre will be dying for, and the film moves at a brisk rhythm Count Basie would be proud of. Whiplash begins and ends on a high note, building to an exciting, brilliantly executed moment that will have audiences cheering and begging for an encore.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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J.K. Simmons Demands Perfection from Miles Teller in Trailer for 'Whiplash'

Here's the thing about Damien Chazelle's Sundance hit, Whiplash: it's about jazz drumming. Excited? Probably not, and that was one of the core issues the young writer/director had to face when developing this story about a drumming prodigy and his mentor. The music doesn't immediately lend itself to the cinematic experience. So what was the solution he landed upon? First he gave much of the music more of an upbeat edge, like with the central track, Bob Ellis' "Whiplash"; he crafted a true underdog story audiences can related to; and finally the casting of Miles Teller and JK Simmons in the most dynamic performances of their careers.

All of these factors are prevalent in the first Whiplash trailer, which should give you an idea why many say it was the breakout film in Park City. Teller plays Andrew, a first-year student at a prestigious NYC conservatory, with dreams of being the greatest jazz drummer ever. But to do it he'll have to survive tough-as-leather instructor Terence Fletcher (Simmons) and the perfection he demands of his students. The "Full Metal Jacket at Juilliard" descriptors are more than accurate, but also is the praise heaped on Teller and Simmons. Teller played his own drums throughout and his performance is one I compared to the physical demands of athletes. Obviously, you get the idea this is a personal favorite of mine. It's certainly a crowd pleaser and "will have audiences cheering and begging for an encore."

Whiplash hits theaters on October 10th, and I'm calling it now that Simmons is going to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination out of it. If you're interested in more, check out my interview with Chazelle, Teller, and the rest of Whiplash's cast.

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First Trailer and Posters for Zombie Comedy 'Life After Beth' with Aubrey Plaza and Dane DeHaan

Zombie movies have been a largely overused facet of the horror genre for decades without much deviation, but lately we've started to see filmmakers take the idea in some fun new directions. Of course there was Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland which played up the familiar aspects of zombie movies in a comedic way, and last year's Warm Bodies gave us a romantic twist on the formula. Following a similar path is Jeff Baena's zombie rom-com Life After Beth, which debuted at Sundance and has now just released its first trailer.

Aubrey Plaza and Dane DeHaan play the couple at the center of this one, with him as a guy who desperately wants to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Beth. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, he gets that opportunity when she is killed and returns as a slowly deteriorating zombie with total amnesia. Baena has pulled together a great supporting cast with Paul Reiser, John C. Reilly, Anna Kendrick, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, and Matthew Gray Gubler, but it's Plaza who really steals the show in what I believe is her finest work since Safety Not Guaranteed. Overall the film was too inconsistent to make the best use of such a fun idea, saying in my review it "lies somewhere in the unimpressive middle" of the growing zom-com genre.

Life After Beth hits theaters on August 15th.

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Watch: Miles Teller, Paul Reiser, Damien Chazelle Talk 'Whiplash'

Right now it's really good to be Miles Teller. He's been dubbed the next big thing at two consecutive Sundance Film Festivals, starting with last year's powerful teen romance, The Spectacular Now, for which he and Shailene Woodley shared dramatic acting awards. This year he came back swinging in Whiplash, playing a jazz drumming protege at the mercy of his ruthless instructor, played by J.K. Simmons. And since then, things have only gotten better with major roles in Fantastic Four and the boxing biopic, Bleed for This.

In my opinion, it'll be Whiplash that pushes him to the next level. He gives a commanding, physical performance and the intense interactions he has with Simmons are amazing. While at Sundance, I had a chance to take part in a roundtable interview with Teller, co-stars Paul Reiser and Austin Stowell, and writer/director Damien Chazelle about Whiplash. The interview aired some weeks ago as part of my show, Cinema Royale, but now it's available for you to watch online.

Look for Whiplash to hit theaters later this year as Sony Pictures Classics has picked it up for distribution.

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Sundance Review: 'Life After Beth' Starring Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza

It seems like so long ago that zombie movies were cool, but eventually the market became so flooded with the undead that they became as stale as their rotted flesh. That's led to a number of twists on the zombie genre designed to give it a fresh look; make them funny (thank you Shaun of the Dead), make them romantic parodies (lookin' at you Warm Bodies), make them something other than scary flesh-eaters. And already we've seen so many of these films that the update is in dire need of an update, best evidenced by Life After Beth, an indistinguishable and messy zombie comedy with a lot of talent but not a lot of laughs.

Written and directed by Jeff Baena, co-writer of David O. Russell's wonky I Heart Huckabees, Life After Beth is just as scattered tonally, and doesn't seem to have a clear point to make about relationships. An ominous shot of a girl hiking through the woods introduces us very briefly to Beth (Aubrey Plaza), who had just recently dumped her ex-boyfriend Zach (Dane DeHaan) to "see other people". When she dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances, Zach is understandably broken up and reaches out for any connection to her he can find. That means spending a lot of time with her parents (John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon), and pining for a second chance to do things over.

Miraculously, he gets his wish when Beth shows up at her home with zero recollection of anything that had happened. She doesn't remember the break-up or any of the problems that led up to it; all she recalls are the happy times. At first Zach comes to believe she's a zombie, but is unable to convince Beth's parents who want to act as if their daughter's return is perfectly normal. Eventually Zach just decides to go with it and take this opportunity to fix their relationship. It's like a really screwed up version of The Vow as they go out to their favorite spots and even have sex (ewwwww), while her fractured memory continues to deteriorate. But when she starts to decompose and give in to fits of rage, not even Zach is able to ignore it for long.

Ostensibly about our need to hold on to an ugly but comfortable past rather than moving on to something new, the Baena never takes this idea seriously enough for it to hold any significance. Nor is there any consistency to Zach's reaction to Beth's return. At first shocked and a little horrified, he goes in a flash to loving her again, only to fall out of love just as quickly. As he attempts to move on with an old acquaintance (Anna Kendrick), Zach just looks like a jerk, and a wish-washy one at that. No wonder Beth dumped him in the first place.

With a supporting cast that also includes Paul Reiser and Cheryl Hines, there a number of funny comic touches, but laughs never come consistently. The best gags come as Beth begins to exhibit zombie behavior for the first time, subtly snapping her jaws and growing more feral. The film makes the most out of zombie indestructibility, and sight gags involving a car and a giant weight strapped to Beth's back are truly inspired. It's unclear whether we're supposed to take this zombie threat (yes there are other undead walking around) seriously or just brush it off as genre silliness. If Baena wants us to take something meaningful from this story it's not readily apparent.

Safety Not Guaranteed offered a small glimpse of the sweeter side of Aubrey Plaza, but we see it fully on display here. She actually gets to cover the entire spectrum as Beth goes from Zach's excitable lover to drenched in blood and screaming at the top of her lungs in anger, confusion, and ultimately hunger. DeHaan is perhaps too cerebral of an actor for a role that requires him to be lighter on his feet comedically, and we get some solid work from the reliable John C. Reilly. Life After Beth doesn't compare to the best the zom-com genre has to offer, but nor is it the absolute worst. It lies somewhere in the unimpressive middle, and maybe it's time for other movies such as this to stay buried for awhile.

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Dane DeHaan Joins 'Life After Beth'; Kevin Costner In 'Midnight Delivery'; 'Veronica Mars' Adds Gaby Hoffmann

* After a lengthy delay, the horror comedy Life after Beth finally began rolling. John C. Reilly and Aubrey Plaza have been attached since the beginning, and now as production begins we're learning of one more big addition. Dane DeHaan has joined the cast, fresh off wrapping up his Harry Osborn role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Coming along with him is Paul Reiser (Mad About You), who will be playing DeHaan's father. The story, written and directed by Jeff Baena (I Heart Huckabees), has DeHaan as a young man who tries to continue his relationship with his girlfriend after she returns from the dead. [THR]

* Continuing the roll he's been on since playing Pa Kent in Man of Steel, Kevin Costner has now joined Midnight Delivery, co-written and by produced by Guillermo Del Toro. The film sounds an awful lot like Dwayne Johnson's Snitch, and has Costner as a father who must become a drug mule for a Colombian druglord in order to save his daughter. Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) had been in line to direct, but he jumped ship to helm Passengers with Keanu Reeves. Neil Cross (Luther) co-wrote the script, and could be a solid candidate to step in before filming begins in the fall. [THR]

* As the Veronica Mars film heads to Comic-Con for what should be one raucous panel, show creator Rob Thomas is steady adding new faces to the cast. We already learned that James Franco would be appearing as himself, and now we can expect to see Gaby Hoffmann as new character Ruby Jetson. Hoffmann, who I'll always be fond of for movies like Uncle Buck and 200 Cigarettes, can be seen right now starring with Michael Cera in Crystal Fairy. Thomas has done a pretty good job getting all of the show's cast together, but unfortunately he couldn't work out the schedule with Leighton Meester, who played pop star Carrie Bishop for a couple of episodes. So her role has been filled by Twin Sister lead singer, Andrea Estella.

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