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It wasn't really a comedy show, but someone had a production deal through [Comedy Central], and so we got financing and a deal through them. At one point, they [network executives] actually said, "Well, it needs to be funnier." Well, it wasn't meant to be a comedy show. The idea was to make a video magazine, and we had access to people -- we could get Martin Scorsese to come on and talk to us about his favorite films. On talk shows people are promoting things, but we just wanted to have a video magazine of stuff that we were interested in. Around that time, you and Zoe Cassavetes were into the '70s thing. And that seems to have rubbed off into your movie. Why the '70s? I kind of lost my interest in the '70s because I did costumes on the movie "The Spirit of '76" back in '89. And back then it was really funny to us. You know, people dressing outlandishly. But for this story, the book took place in the '70s and I wanted to be accurate. And because of the memory aspect, I didn't want to make it contemporary. But I tried to -- I wanted the whole '70s style to be in the backdrop and more subtle -- as opposed to, you know, that joke about orange bellbottoms that's been done a million times. And I thought that the story had a kind of timeless quality that I wanted to work with. I loved using all that stadium rock. Yeah. The band 10cc was choice. It was really mesmerizing in that while it seemed to defy "period," at the same time, it took me back under the bleachers in 1976. It also doesn't isolate it to a period that other generations can't identify with. I think that even the kids in the movie identified with it. You were obviously compelled by the book. What other books are on your top shelf? "Lolita" was one of my favorite books. That was one of the books that I read when I was younger that made me want to read. It was so funny and great. I love Nabokov. And then, you know -- "Madame Bovary," "Of Human Bondage" ... I always liked the classics. I like classics and epic love stories. And then when I read "The Virgin Suicides," it was a classic, and you don't read that many contemporary ones that feel like that. You design clothing now? Yeah. I have a company with some friends. We make clothes, and I did costume design when I was younger. Does the "daddy's girl" stigma surrounding this project bother you? Of course I suspect that, and it concerns me how I'm going to be seen. I can't pay too much attention to that, but I hope people see the film for what it is outside of that. I was hearing things like "Hey. Look for Spike's fingerprints all over that film." That's stupid. Well, maybe people think if you're a girl -- well, I don't want to make a statement like that. Look, we were making different films at the same time. Your father visited the set. Was he helpful, or was he just a proud father? He was just a proud father, and beforehand he was helpful. I mean, we talked a lot about filmmaking. He gave me tips beforehand. He emphasized not using a video assist. Instead, he suggested that I stand by the camera. He does that. Were there any frightening moments during production? Yeah, when I saw my first rough cut. Given the overt subject matter of suicide and using glamorous girls, do you worry about how troubled youth might respond to the film? Well, the story is not really an exploration of suicide. It's not really about that. It's using it as a metaphor for these boys, you know? Confusion, and the loss of innocence, and growing up. It's not in a realistic style. I think it's clear that it's not real, and that we tried to make it abstract. But it's unfortunate that so many teenagers today live in, and live out, dangerous fantasies. Yeah, I think that's a big problem in our country today. But I don't think the movie is about that, and I think that kids know it's metaphorical. Do you think that there's a moral responsibility in making even a fictional film like
that? Sure. Of course I would never want to make anything that I thought would be harmful. But they say that the biggest problem with suicide is that nobody talks about it. It's a taboo subject. So, you know, maybe if people start talking about it, it won't be such an under-the-table topic. My emphasis wasn't to make it about that. And I liked that the book left it unanswered, because there are so many things in life that you can't explain. No matter how hard you look, you can't find an explanation for it. And I think that's what I liked about the story. Tell me if this is true or not. Tell me straight. Are you doing a documentary on [actor/director/underwear model] Vincent Gallo's love life and his lovers? Male and female? Um ... C'mon ... Um, not officially. I don't want to say anything right now, but I'm talking to him about doing a portrait. It's such a wild idea though. Have you shot anything? I don't want to talk about it. I would if you weren't a reporter.
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