Table of Contents
Some films are born of ambition. NEXT was born of writer's block β and a Purim video. Directed by Adam Peltier, written by Neil LaBute, and starring Mark Feuerstein and Michael Rapaport (with Lloyd Kaufman featured), it's a lean, mean two-hander about former classmates who meet again on opposite sides of an audition, only now the stakes are pride, nerves, and survival.
Peltier is a West Point dropout and a former employee of the Piqua Paper Box Factory, where he made paper boxes. He never went to film school. He also, by his own admission, "had no business" directing something written by one of our great American playwrights and starring two famous guys. And yet here he is, at HollyShorts, having done exactly that.
Key Takeaways
- NEXT came together out of writer's block, a synagogue video, and a lot of nerve β Peltier cold-asked Neil LaBute to write it before Feuerstein and Rapaport had even agreed to work with him again.
- Hi8 camcorder footage, first pitched as a prop, ended up shaping the finished film.
- Peltier's ethos, inherited from mentor Lloyd Kaufman: don't wait for permission. Make the damn movie.
Here's Peltier on how it all happened.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
This movie exists because I had writer's block. Let me explain.
I was part of a Sundance Collab, trying to write my next short, and everything felt painfully slooooow. I felt like Jack Torrance in The Shining... minus all the murdering. And the writing. I couldn't write anything.
A couple months earlier I got roped into doing a Purim video for my synagogue. Boring. I didn't want to do it, but I figured it was a mitzvah and I needed some good karma. Fortunately I got paired with Mark Feuerstein (he is now my ride or die for life) and Michael Rapaport (I love him too... just not as much as Mark. Sorry Michael). They had a good time working with me and β I had their emails now.
Around the same time I met Neil LaBute at the Summer Shorts Film Festival in New Paltz, NY, and I think he kinda liked my short. He's one of my favorite playwrights, and his movie In the Company of Men holds a special place deep in my dark heart.
So I reached out to the guys that knew Neil. I showed them the synagogue video and said that Mark, Michael, and myself wanted to make something else together. I asked if Neil would be interested in writing an original short for us. This was a baller move.
But there was one tiny problem. I didn't know Mark or Michael outside of the one afternoon of filming. And I hadn't actually asked them if they even wanted to work with me again. To my surprise, Neil said yes. I immediately emailed Mark and Michael and said Neil LaBute wanted to write us a short film. Their response: "Who are you?" Thankfully, after I reminded them of the synagogue video, they eventually relented and said they were in. And look at us now. HollyShorts, bay-beeeeeeee.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically?
Hi8 camcorders rule. I didn't tell the producers about it, and they originally just thought it was going to be a prop. We ended up using more Hi8 in the final product than I expected. Kudos to them for seeing the vision and being so open to it.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
I'm not that original. I'm a blender. I take my influences, filter them through my shitty hands, and vomit it onto the screen. Anyone could have done what I did β but I'm the one who did it.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
I had to learn to let go and remind myself that this isn't just mine. It's also a Neil LaBute project. He's a legend, and I can't thank him enough for making it happen and working with me on this.
What is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and what lesson would you share with others?
You don't need permission. Be bold. Be brave. Be a little crazy. Nobody is coming to rescue you. Nobody is going to hand you the career you want. I never went to film school. I had no industry connections. I had no business directing something written by one of our great American playwrights and starring two famous guys β but here I am talking about this short film. Since filming NEXT I've already made a feature film, and I'm in preproduction on my next feature. I made it happen and I wasn't going to let anyone stop me.
One of my earliest mentors was none other than indie film legend Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger. And he's also in NEXT. Our films have very little in common, but I inherited his refusal to wait. If you want to make a movie, make the damn movie. End of story.
How has this film shaped the kinds of stories you want to tell next?
It hasn't. I already made a feature film called Better Than Words, produced by and starring Mark Feuerstein. It's definitely another "men in crisis" project from me. I love seeing men at their worst and seeing if they can change. I enjoy challenging masculinity in all of its forms, so I'm clearly doubling down. I want to remake In the Company of Men next with Mark Feuerstein and Michael Rapaport. This is breaking news. Come on Neil. Are you in or are you out? Big hugs. Tiny kisses.
What does it mean to have your film selected for HollyShorts?
"Top of the world, ma!" β Andrew Dice Clay... and, originally, James Cagney... but I like the way the Diceman says it. Sue me.
Main Cast & Crew
- Directed by Adam Peltier
- Written by Neil LaBute
- Starring Mark Feuerstein and Michael Rapaport
- Featuring Lloyd Kaufman
- Presented by Stage to Screen NYC, in association with DENIZEN Theatre
- Filmed on location at DENIZEN Theatre, New Paltz, New York
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