We’re in the season of template movies, studio product churned out by a predictable blueprint, guaranteeing lots of cinematic stormy and fury, but little imagination. So thank goodness for Ana Lily Amirpour‘s “The Bad Batch,” a post-apocalyptic vision that’s completely her own, utterly unique, and truly unlike anything you’ll see in theatres this summer. It’s a big step forward for the director who broke out with “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” and the buzz of that film, allowed her to get meetings with folks like Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves for “The Bad Batch.” Both actors took roles in the film, but to convince them, Amirpour had to get creative.
In an interview with LA Weekly, the filmmaker reveals that custom pillowcases and t-shirts were the key for landing Carrey and Reeves.
“When he opened the door, he had this full beard like the character, and I had goose bumps,” Amirpour said about meeting Carrey. “Right away, I gave him a pillowcase with a happy face, and said, ‘Just put this on because you’re Jim Carrey and I need to acclimate.’ We both had these pillowcases on and we just talked.”
Worried that he might get typecast, Amirpour sealed the deal by telling Carrey she wanted him for a unique role. “I said, ‘Wait, before you say another word, forget [the quirky doctor] character. He’s not even in the movie. I want you to be the hermit,’ and he had this big wide smile and said, ‘Yeeeeeeeeaaaaah.’ ”
As for Reeves, who Amirpour wanted to play the cult leader known as The Dream, she had a big plan to get him on board, but initially bailed on it.
“Keanu came over to my house, and I had gotten this airbrush artist to put a picture of him with long hair on this shirt, and it said, ‘The Dream.’ And I’m thinking, I’m just gonna wear it when he comes over. And then he’s minutes away, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is kind of aggressive,'” she said. Amirpour took off the shirt. “He came in and he’s so humble and kind and gentle and benevolent. We talk about this character, and it’s crazy for him to play, but he’s excited.”
After a bottle of wine, Amirpour worked up the courage to show Reeves the shirt. “I was like, ‘Dude, you wanna understand how fully my commitment to you is?’ I went and got the shirt, brought it out, and then he put it on,” she said. “I have an awesome picture of him wearing that shirt.”
Pretty amazing stuff. “The Bad Batch” opens on June 23rd.