Huck Botko: The Interview

There are two film makers who in my mind can do no wrong, Kevin Smith and Huck Botko, here is an interview with Huck for your enjoyment.

LATEST FILM:
Mail Order Wife

A documentarian funds a NYC doorman's Asian mail order bride in exchange for the right to film the experience.

FILMOGRAPHY:
Botko: "Mail Order Wife," "Broken Condom," "Gramaglia," "The Dessert-u-mentaries," "Until There Are None"
Gurland: "Mail Order Wife," "Broken Condom," "Gramaglia," "Cheats," "Frat House," "Screwed"

FIND OUT MORE:

Wife has been described as a "Dark Comedy." The term is getting a bit watered down, could you give a better blurb to describe your film?

Gurland: One critic called it a "simple minded circle jerk". I think that's our favorite.

You had some heavy-hitters like Doug Linman (The Bourne Supremacy, Swingers) produce the film. How did you hook up with him?

Gurland: Doug had seen a short film of ours "Julie" that featured me trying to give a lady a venereal disease.

Why the topic? Have either of you dabbled? Did you do much research?

Botko: There is a real life connection. After my real mom died my father married a woman from the Philippines. Although I don't care for her personality, she's young and beautiful and I often fantasize being with her.

What is the most expensive part of making a small-budget movie?

Gurland: That really depends on the movie. In the case of this film, getting it into the can was fairly inexpensive. Two-thirds of our budget was post.

Andrew, in the film you play a documentary filmmaker who is surprisingly unlikable. How dare you! Aren't all documentarians supposed to be sensitive and heroic?

Gurland: A lot of doc-makers think they're doing great things. Most of them are just annoying — especially the ones that put themselves in their own films. It's easy to make yourself look heroic, when you're the one with final cut.

Huck, you've been described as evil and horrifying and are infamous for poisoning family members in film in the most demonic fashion. Is there a soft, cuddly side to Huck Botko? Please give examples.

Botko: I'm definitely more sensitive now than I used to be. I decided to stop hurting my dog recently (kicking and what not). I thought he'd had enough.

I don't want to give anything away, but you have a timely cameo in the film from a very big and newsworthy star. Are his eyes as dreamy blue in real life or just colored contacts?

Gurland: Assuming we're talking about the same person, his eyes turn colors depending upon the race of the person he's talking to.

Please end the heated debate you started in Mail Order Wife. What's cuter, a puppy or a piglet?

Gurland: It is our position that engaging in intercourse with either pigs or dogs is in bad taste.

Huck Botko & Andrew Gurland

Together, you've written and directed films about exacting brutal revenge (Gramaglia) and badgering a pregnant woman (Broken Condom). Is there any chance of a romantic comedy for your next film?

Gurland: Some people have called MOW a romantic comedy. Some have called it a "no-mantic comedy". Others (most) have called it "shit."

Is it difficult having two people direct a film? How do you settle disputes?

Gurland: The magic eight ball really is magic.

Will you work together again?

Gurland: Will we work again period? That's the real question.

You are both NYU film school grads. Is there any overt competitiveness with West coast film school grads? Any trash talk?

Gurland: Haven't we learned anything from Biggie and Tupac?

Andrew, you made the controversial film Frat House with director Todd Phillips (Old School, Road Trip) back in 1998. Is it legally available? I keep searching for it online and I just get porn flicks with similar titles.

Gurland: The film is only available through illegal channels. But I feel that fact adds to its charm.

Huck, you've been to your fair share of film fests. What's the best and worst thing about hawking your movies at these ubiquitous events?

Botko: The best is the free booze. There is no bad part. Festivals really are the best part of being a filmmaker.

You become mega-famous and can choose any artist or band to do all the music in one of your films. Who would it be and why?

Botko: Someone else picks all the music for our movies. We're pretty much tone deaf.

Still mega-famous, which actors would you love to cast and put in extremely embarrassing roles?

Botko: We can't name the actress, but there's a horse-hair butt plug involved.

Do you have any advice to the old, angry, unsuccessful filmmakers out there?

Gurland: Kill (or fuck) somebody famous and film it.

Any people in the biz you'd like to give props (suck up to) or dis (our readers promise not to tell)?

Botko: Props: Andy Kaufman, Peter Sellers. Dis: Conchita Delgado. (She knows why.)

Gurland: Props: Andy Kaufman, Nick Broomfield, Ross McElwee

Favorite film made in the past 5 years?

Gurland: The best (and funniest) has to be "Capturing the Freidmans."

Botko: "Problem Child."

What's next for Andrew and Huck?

Botko: We're trying to raise money to make Smallie Biggs — It's the story of a black man with a small penis.