Yes, I am, lovely PR person, is my instant reply.
Yes, I am.
Although that second half is me adding poetic license here.
Im too British to go full-out on the compliments this early into a relationship.
That exchange of pleasantries heralds a welcome interview with directors Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson.
Theyre in town to talk about their documentaryMilius, charting the incredible life and career of filmmaker John Milius.
Its a very good documentary.
So good that Im not concerned at having to share them with three other interviewers.
Because theres no table.
Just a semi-circle of four seats surrounding Joey and Zak.
So its essentially a round interview.
So much enthusiasm, in fact, that we over-shoot our allotted 30 minute time slot by 15 minutes.
And it still feels like weve barely scratched the surface of great John Milius stories.
Here are just a few of them…
Why did you focus on John Milius as your documentary debut?
And if this is directed towards young people, why him?
Joey Figueroa:Its a combination of both.
They all look up to John Milius as the ultimate storyteller.
We look to them as the ultimate storytellers.
But John Milius isnt a name thats household.
You cant walk down the street and say, Hey, you know who John Milius is?
and have everybody say Of course!
But everyone has been influenced by John Milius in pop culture in one way or another.
Whether its through knowing the lines that he wrote forApocalypse Nowif youre a movie nerd.
But also having helped create the MMA, which is the fastest growing sport in the world.
It was some of those things and knowing the fact that John isnt that known, and should be.
JF:We would ask people, Do you know who John Milius is?
And I would say eight out of 10 people would say no.
And they know movies, so how can they not know this person?
So that was part of the idea also, to bring him back into the limelight.
The Spielbergs and the Lucas that everybody knows globally.
And also to know this character, this artist, that he is.
ZK:And they dont really exist in Hollywood any more.
Characters dont exist any more.
But out of Johns generation there was a lot of them.
And Johns kinda the last one.
And John was the craziest of them all.
JF:And it wasnt just about trying to find the gossip of the craziness.
That was just a cherry on top.
So how did those phone calls go when you were trying to get people on board?
Because its a dream list of contributors in this film.
Were they Yeah, Ill talk!?
Theres the sense that they all love him.
Did anyone say no?
JF:Well, you know, that process took a while.
ZK:The younger guys said no.
JF:Yeah, I think the younger guys were a little more intimidated.
Especially further along in the process when we did have all these names.
I think the younger guys were like Whoa, I dont know!
It was intimidating for them.
And then when finally we got some help financially, we really put the pedal to the medal.
But before that it was really like pulling teeth trying to get people to commit to an interview.
And so we had to come up with a strategy.
Like, how do we do this?
Which is really what it was!
They wanted to see to it it was real.
People like Scorsese, it took us up to two years.
Coppola the same amount of time.
Well, hes just started pre-production.
Okay, well how about Clint now?
Oh, hes in post.
Okay, how about now?
Hes back in pre-production!
[laughs]
What stage did you get finance?
And then we had already accumulated so many interviews by that point we were going to need hard drives.
We were going to need to grow.
Hes written all these things and you dont know who he is!
And we kinda did our whole thing.
And they said Were in!
We never expected any of this.
We were just going to be happy to sell it.
The fact were going to SXSW, Telluride, London Film Festival.
Its like, This is awesome!
What makes you celebrate him now?
Was this a project you wanted to do for a long time?
ZK:It wasnt something wed been wanting to do for a long time.
I think its still out there.
You pop in in John Milius on Google and its like the first thing that comes up.
And within that interview was the blueprint for the documentary.
And thats the first thing that got me, in my self-centred movie nerd head of mine.
And if a lot of people dont know about this stuff that could be a fascinating documentary.
And Ken kept in touch with John.
So thats when we set up the meeting and met with him.
Usually a lot of people will do a biog documentary and they dont have their subject fully on board.
We had John Milius on board from the get-go.
And we were like, Wow!
This man can speak.
Originally Milius was going to be our driving force in this picture and that totally got derailed.
And we had to find this voice now, because we have to hear him speak, obviously.
Thats what made it a bit more difficult.
Do you think his new Hollywood emerging style that was so popular in the 70s still holds today?
Do you think he still has a place today?
ZK:I do, actually.
And the other thing that goes along with that is I think that pendulum has started to swing back.
Audiences want to go back to something, I think, and that all ties in with John.
Because I think John does still hold a place.
JF: But I dont know how much his personality would be accepted in todays Hollywood.
ZK:Corporate Hollywood would not take him.
JF:That personality is a throwback.
Its when directors were looked at in a different light.
They were looked at as the artists.
Its not like that any more.
Its always been a business, but even more so today.
Hed have to change, in my opinion, and I dont think John Milius will change his personality.
And that doesnt mean he wont ever work, it just means he will have that many more battles.
Which I think he would like.
Put that gun away, John, knock that shit off!
[all laugh] And hed go, Okay, fine.
The new guys are terrified.
And you know what, rightfully so.
[laughs]
JF:Theyd be like, Johns a terrorist!
ZK:He pulled a gun, the son of a bitch!
Did you see his gun collection?
JF:He showed us quite a few.
ZK:Everyones like Oh, Johns got a cabin the woods!
And you picture this log cabin with a rifle above the door, a big mangy dog.
Its a fucking condo!
And his dog, its a half-blind, tiny little poodle thing.
And then he goes Let me show you something.
And then he goes behind a door and theres another one!
And he goes Lets go down to the garage.
And then we go and have lunch with some friends of his at the gun store!
When we first pitched the project to John, he had two stipulations.
He said, One, you have to tell the truth.
And were like, Okay, thats awesome.
And he says, Two, no guns.
You cant show me with any guns.
Now at that time, we were like, Okay, we can do that.
But as we dove in, we realised it was an impossibility, this is ridiculous!
And then we looked at each other, like, He was fucking with us, right?.
And I could just hear him laughing.
[laughs]
But its typical John.
Everything he does is for effect, for the story.
ZK:He knows that storys being told right now, and laughing.
JF:And thats the great thing about Milius.
Its like he told us, its always about the story.
Do you get the sense that he manufactured that image though?
JF:Its almost like his detriment.
Some people would say that.
I think John was very calculating in the things that he did and the things that he said.
He stuck to what he said.
Even if it was to his detriment.
And it didnt matter that he might get some backlash for it.
To him I think he fed off that.
And I think sometimes he said things just for that, for the effect, just for the response.
Because he liked to mess with people.
Youve got to take a lot of the things he said with a grain of salt.
You either get it or you dont.
And hes perceived a certain way, but I feel that everything hes done is kind of calculated.
And it is sad.
Because you feel it did hinder him.
He did shoot himself in the foot.
I keep using these gun references.
And everybody said no.
Its part of the reason we have Man, Myth, Legend on the poster.
Its mentioned in the film that he represents what the 70s were.
Do you agree with that?
What do you think the 70s were about?
JF:Well I think it represents a time when there was a change in movie-making and Hollywood.
They needed something fresh, they needed new stories.
Hollywood was kind of in a rut.
So people like the Coppolas and the Lucases and Spielbergs, they were kind of revitalising Hollywood.
ZK:They werent makingSeven Brides For Seven BrothersorPaint Your Wagon.
They didnt want to do massive musicals.
They wanted to tell very intimate stories but they wanted audiences to see those stories.
They werent out to just, Im going to make my art and damn the world!
That was a failure to them.
They wanted butts in the seats.
John used to joke about wanting to run a studio.
And Francis was like, No, were going to make movies with the studios.
I think those guys did a lot for that time period.
Now, the argument that could be made is the monster they created ended up killing the creator.
Because they ended up having things likeHeavens Gate.
And studios were like, We cant do that any more.
First he looks at himself as an artist, more than anything.
He wants to be seen as an artist.
And the other thing is collaboration.
And thats definitely true with Coppola doingAmerican Zoetropeand all those guys.
John constantly helped out Steven, whether that wasSaving Private Ryanor even going back toClose Encounters.
Hed call John up and need something.
So those guys were always sharing and helping each other out.
And I think thats what the 70s represented.
Do you have a favourite project of his?
JF:I actually like one of his earliest movies,Dillinger.
Im a huge fan of gangster movies and I think he did it justice.
Because its that good.
You look at it now and it still holds up.
ZK:Mine shifts.
It used to beBig Wednesday, because I was a surfer as a kid.
Ones calledDodge City, and the others calledSaigon Bureau.
Its about the AIP Bureau in Vietnam, all the photographers.
Brilliant scripts, and God I just want to see them made, especially from the guy who createdRome.
ZK:You have to say it… Because he is a man.
So I was just curious who this documentary is for.
Can it be for everyone?
Can it be for an audience that includes a lot of women?
And I dont care whether youre male or female, I dont think that really matters.
I think it can just both.
But I think women shouldnt be offended.
ZK:I gotta say this too about the female characters.
Very strong female character.
Shes out there, Im going to go rob this guy, you wanna come with?
Shes a very strong female character.
I think John gets a bad rap because his male characters are so fucking macho, you know?
But I think anyone can watch the movie and appreciate it.
What do you think characterises manliness in this film?
ZK:I think his characters have a theme which is Johns theme.
Which is, My word is worth more than anything.
I dont have a team of lawyers and I dont have a team of people.
I can survive on my own.
I will take care of my own problems, and if I cant my friends will help me.
But ultimately, I think what says everything about John is a handshake.
I would be smoking cigars with him, and shooting the shit.
I would be in that mix because Im drawn to that kind of character.
But then it made me wonder if we could get a real John Milius film nowadays.
Whether hed be allowed to make the key in of film hed actually want to make.
So do you think TV would be the best medium for him now?
Go make it like they did withBand Of Brothers.
Just go make it, tell the story, because its really kind of awesome and epic.
Its David Lean but at the same time its Quentin Tarantino, you know?
I love that script.
And if you get the chance to read a John Milius script, its really different than most scripts.
Youll read a normal script and itll say, Exterior, day, a man walks through field.
I totally forgot what the question was.
[laughs] I kinda got wrapped up in that…
It was that tantalising aspect of the documentary.
There seemed to be so many projects he never got to make.
Is TV the right home for those now?
JF:We still wonder, whats the hold up?
How come some of these things havent been developed?
Thats the million dollar question.
What happened with it?
But nobodys going to get in there and say, This is why we didnt make the show.
Theyre just not going to.
But hopefully one day those shows will get made.
A large part of this documentary is that he didnt get to go to Vietnam.
He says himself I didnt get to go to my war.
Do you think thats a big part of him?
Is that how he explains his films?
ZK:Oh yeah, John surrounds himself with military guys, hes fascinated with it.
If John could change anything about himself it would be that he would be able to join the military.
JF:He wanted to be a general.
ZK:He wanted to be MacArthur!
He wanted to be one of the greats.
ZK:That would be interesting.
Knowing he wouldnt have the gun collection he does now.
[laughs]
What was the most surprising fact about John Milius that you discovered when making this documentary?
ZK:To me its how much his friends love the guy.
John and he couldnt be more diverse politically.
Oliver Stone loves John.
And then all of Johns friends just love the guy.
Harrison Ford doesnt do documentaries.
He doesnt do them.
Within 48 hours of calling his manager he was, Ill do it, no problem.
Because a long time ago, he was on a press tour for eitherBlade RunnerorStar Wars.
John was on a press tour for something else.
Those kids have never forgotten that.
They think John Milius is the coolest guy ever.
And everybody felt that way.
We tried to find the people who were like, Fuck John Milius, hes an asshole!
The executive he pulled a gun on.
But he wouldnt go on camera.
Because the only person Ive got telling me this is John.
And we all know John can go a little big at times.
And I was like, Thats fine, but literally confirm or deny.
He said, You want a quote?
John Milius is a fucking asshole!
Click, he hangs up the phone.
I look over to Joey and say, He fucking did it!
He pulled a gun!
[laughs]
JF:That was enough confirmation!
ZK:I was like, thats enough.
Anyone that pulls a gun, thats what you get!
Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson, thank you very much.
Miliusis released in selected cinemas on Friday 1st November, and on DVD/Blu-ray on 15th November.
