BEHIND THE LENS #282: Featuring Cory Wexler Grant

Some sticky gooey fun (turpentine not included) for you on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to writer/director CORY WEXLER GRANT talking PAINTER, while TAR is the watchword of the day for writer/director AARON WOLF.

Take a listen to writer/director CORY WEXLER GRANT who joins us live talking about his debut feature directorial, the exquisitely haunting (and twisted) PAINTER. A portrait of obsession and jealousy, every frame, every word, every look, every movement, is painted with cinematic deliberateness, drawing one ever deeper into this tale of a wealthy matronly patron and a young talented painter who has become the object of her desire on multiple levels. Cory and I dig deep into the construction of this hypnotic work, starting with the story of wealthy matron Joanne who is obsessed with Aldis, a young painter who is obsessed with the success of rival artist Ryan West. Former elementary schoolmates, Ryan bullied Aldis back in the day, something that Aldis has never gotten over and is obsessed with getting even or besting Ryan. But once Cory has his story and characters, casting became king and we talk about his casting of Casey Deidrick, Eric Ladin, and Betsy Randle as Ryan, Aldis, and Joanne, respectively. Dynamic casting choices and in the case of Betsy Randle, a casting outside of the box. Known best for her role as Amy Matthews on Boy Meets Girl, Betsy is anything but that here; she is chameleonic, hypnotic as Joanne, channeling a chilling cross between Gloria Swanson and Shirley MacLaine for an award-worthy performance. And of course, we explore Cory's thoughts and decisions with regard to the cinematic precision of PAINTER, both visually and emotionally, which we see and feel unfold through cinematography, production design, and a score to send shivers up and down your spine with some very key Bernard Herrmann moments.

But before we get to Cory and PAINTER, we get a little dirty with "tar" and our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director/actor AARON WOLF talking his latest film, the thriller TAR. An original premise that stems from the idea of "what if" and the famed La Brea Tar Pits; what if something has survived in the tar or under the tar for the past 40,000 or more years and is now rearing its sticky self amidst all of the underground construction on Wilshire Boulevard? Interesting idea and Aaron brings it to life on screen. Listen as we discuss the script, the casting – including Aaron himself in the lead role, the importance and authenticity that Graham Greene brings to the film, cinematography, production design, creature creation, the making of and use of tar, Conor Jones' score, and the all-important editing and creature reveal. Aaron is nothing if not energetic and passionate about the craft of filmmaking and art of storytelling, and you hear that with every word he says.
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