There are filmmakers whose work is undeniably singular, even if you look at a single frame of the film. Wes Anderson is one of those directors. But another would be French filmmaker, Quentin Dupieux. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Quentin Dupieux joins to talk about his new film, “Smoking Causes Coughing,” which might be his wildest, most Dupieux-iest film yet.
Now, if you have any experience with Dupieux’s films, you probably won’t be shocked to learn the filmmaker has returned with yet another batshit crazy feature. This time, “Smoking Causes Coughing,” tells the story of a group of superheroes, called the Tobacco Force, as they take a sabbatical from saving the world to go camping and reconnect to build their teamwork. While on vacation, they tell creepy stories about a woman trapped inside a thinking helmet and a young man who has a horrific accident while on a worksite. This might not sound like the funniest film ever, but believe me, there’s a wicked sense of humor and absurdity seen throughout this film. It really is a blast.
Unfortunately, there are many folks out there, especially in the U.S., who probably haven’t watched any of Dupieux’s previous films. This is a guy who broke out with “Rubber,” a film about a homicidal tire. Most recently, he’s worked on great movies such as “Mandibles,” about a giant fly, and “Deerskin,” about a man who speaks to his jacket.
In our discussion, we talk about what led him to create a film about literal cancer-causing superheroes telling creepy stories.
“I was interested in creepy stories, but on a different level,” he explained. “It’s not about a monster. It’s not about the usual stuff you find in these types of creepy movies. I was looking at more creepy vibes.”
Those creepy vibes come from the campfire stories retold by the superheroes. And while the film has a number of those vignettes, there is at least one that didn’t make it past the script stage.
“The script had another big section, which was about a guy, basically, transforming into a sheep,” Dupieux said. “Just like a werewolf thing, but with a sheep. It was a great scene, but it was also the most expensive bit of the movie. So, at some point, I had to get rid of it.”
Then we wrap up by talking about what he has coming next, including his upcoming film about Salvador Dali, titled “Daaaaaali!”
“It’s more of an homage to surrealists,” he said. “It’s an homage to Dali, but it’s also an homage to Luis Buñuel. Because, to me, these two guys were heavily connected… It’s an incredible movie where you can’t really predict what’s going to happen in the next minute.”
Also on the horizon is a new project that will see the filmmaker return to English-language filmmaking.
“I’m going to say just one thing—I’m going back to an English-speaking movie,” he teased about the new project. He added that production will begin “not soon, soon, but in a few months.”
“Smoking Causes Coughing” hits theaters and on-demand on March 31. You can hear our full discussion, as well as check out an exclusive clip from the film, below:
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