Exclusive Profile: DIRECTOR TIM COX GETS WOOLY WITH MAMMOTH

"I'll say it proudly, I love this movie," beams Cox. "It's a love letter to all the fans of B-Movies everywhere and there's a lot of us! I just hope all my cohorts out there laugh as hard as we did while making it."

 

Getting his start as a storyboard artist, Cox has certainly risen up the ranks and turned into one of SCI FI Channel’s star directors and he recently spoke with iF about MAMMOTH, his upcoming projects which include a remake of that '80s cult classic C.H.U.D. and advice he has for up and coming filmmakers.

 

iF MAGAZINE: Where did you get the idea to have a Mammoth as a bad guy?

 

TIM COX: Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the Mammoth as antagonist. During a visit to New York with my producing partners, [SCI FI Channel’s] Chris Regina, Tom Vitale and Ray Cannella all said to us, "If you can come up with a movie about a Mammoth, we'll greenlight it." My wheels started turning, but I was stumped. So, I called an old friend, Don Guarisco, and told him about the dilemma. He stopped me mid-sentence, "Mind if I take a crack at this one?" By this point, we had already been out to several writers with no possible takers in sight. So I shrugged -- Why not? Nobody else seems to be able to come up with a suitable take. Less than a week later, Don came back with an adorable pitch that made us all laugh and we went to the gang in New York and announced, "Here's your movie. It's a comedy!"

 

iF: What were some of the "critter flicks" of the past that have inspired you?

 

COX: I love the old school. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE BLOB [with McQueen, of course], IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE -- which I firmly believe inspired the original ALIEN. All things Harryhausen. As well as all things Hammer Horror and those super-cheese 1970s made-for-television flicks like KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS. My grandfather would keep all of the above rolling on Saturday mornings after the cartoons finished. Then we'd get into Kung-Fu Theater and by the end of the day, it was nothing but John Wayne, Sergio Leone or Hitchcock festivals on TNT. Gotta love AMC and TNT! For today's continuing legacy, I'm the biggest Del Toro fan! He's a god among mortals when it comes to making the modern day creature feature. And I really hold stead-fast with some of the work you see going on in animation, especially the great stuff on Cartoon Network. Absolutely bizarre, weird worlds that are completely inspired -- by what I don't know. Just check out SAUL OF THE MOLE MEN or ROBOT CHICKEN and you'll get the digs.

 

iF: You have assembled quite a cast with sci-fi backgrounds…how were they to work with?

 

COX: Fantastic! We lucked out with this ensemble troop; absolute dedication. I mean, we took a trip around the world together. And I can honestly say that I am good friends with all of them. They have my undying praise, love and gratitude. They dug the script, got my quirky sense of humor and enjoyed a romp in the fantastically silly sandbox we provided. Tom Skerritt was a gem, embracing the insanity. Vince Ventresca never wavered when paying homage to Cary Grant in BRINGING UP BABY (his idea, I might add). Summer Glau has to be one of the most versatile young actresses around. Comedy. Drama. You name it; she can do it. Besides...there's the "Woah!" factor that cannot be dismissed. Leila Arcieri does a stupendous job of bringing her naturally comic attributes to the straight-man "MIB" role. Cole Williams breathes emotion and heart into his character, Squirrelly, which the story hinges on. And there are many others. Charles Carroll as the Sheriff, David Kallaway and Mark Irvingsen as the two bumbling deputies, Bud and Dino. Marcus Lyle Brown playing Leila's agent counterpart. Good peeps, I tell you.

 

iF: You had several writers on the project how collaborative was the zaniness of the script?

 

COX: Very. First, there was Don Guarisco. As mentioned earlier, Don came up with the idea and wrote the treatment. He's a walking Lexicon of film and music history. If you ever need a life-line of Pop Culture knowledge; call Don -- he's the brother from another mother, I tell you. Anyway, we went through several incarnations until we came up with a structure similar to what is now on the screen. Then there was Sean Keller, a dear friend and close colleague. We dove into the first draft together, writing non-stop. I'm sure it was madness because I kept pushing us toward making a Warner Bros. cartoon with live action players on a shoe-string budget. There was a lot of craziness in the draft - a lot! And it was fun stuff, too. If we make a MAMMOTH TOO we'll be sure to mine that script for all it's buried treasures. Seriously, we went through two drafts and then turned it over to Brook Durham who helped me drive it home, coming up with a majority of the funniest lines in the movie. Everybody contributed to the process, even when they weren't physically working on the script. The unnamed contributor here would be Jeff Steele. He had a strong hand in the early development of the characters and dialogue -- always slipping in the political angle. It became a thread that each one of us latched on to -- and though I can't remember the specifics, Jeff was great with the one-line zingers.

 

iF: Your sense of humor comes out both with LARVA and MAMMOTH – do you build all the humor into the scripts or do you bring more humor out on set when you’re working with the actors?

 

COX: LARVA was a movie made out of improv with the actors contributing mountains to the material between action and cut. MAMMOTH, however, was on the page for the most part. That's not to say we didn't do a lot of improvisation, because we did. The difference is that when we went off book, we knew exactly when to head back home to the written word. What's great about comedy is that you have the freedom to explore avenues through character and design. At its best, you get a tightly woven tapestry between the technicians and artists working behind the camera, overlapping seamlessly with the artists in front of the camera. I love our cast. I adore our crew, both the Pod Squad and the Invasion -- Production and Post, respectively --  and what I appreciate most about all of them is that everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, contributed to the very best of their ability, laying it all out on the line, and shouting in a voice to be heard from here to Timbuktu, "Let's put on our silly pants and dance the tango!" What I'm getting at, is that improvisation on a budget of this size -- think microscopic -- is a given -- from beginning to end. And in the words of Steven Spielberg, "Spontaneity is your bunk mate."

 

iF: Do you have plans to do a straight comedy one day?

 

COX: Absolutely. RESURECTIONISTS; a Rosencrantz & Guildenstern inspired tale. And KILLINGTON; an action-comedy.

iF: This movie has a very loose ‘50s drive-in movie type of feel, was that the intention?

 

COX: From the beginning. And it's specifically late 50's, early 60's. If you watch the color timing throughout the movie, you'll notice a subtle shift, taking the viewer from the early 60's (Technicolor) to the late 60's (EASY RIDER grit).

 

iF: Did you ever want to just unleash Summer Glau and let her kick ass?

 

COX: Did I ever! At the rave, G [Summer] was supposed to have a much larger fight scene. However, like all low-budget productions, we ran out of time to shoot the elaborate choreography, so we settled for a down and dirty street fight, keeping us on target with the rampaging Mammoth. There are sacrifices, and man, that was a hard one to make. But with that said, I am glad to see the other side of Summer on screen in MAMMOTH. The vulnerable, free-spirited character she inhabits as Jack. I think for her die-hard fans, they'll appreciate the emotional chops she displays in the film, which is a nice counter-balance to her tormented-action-hero roles in SERENITY and FIREFLY. However, I will tell you a secret. if I could do a big budget version of GHOST IN THE SHELL starring Summer Glau -- you better believe there'd be some kickin' ass and takin' names!

iF: What were some of the biggest challenges working with a CGI mammoth?

 

COX: He was always late. [Laugh] Just kidding. When it comes to the CGI characters, the actors and I spend a lot of time talking about their interaction, their responses and their connections. It sounds corny, but it's true. These discussions go on to influence the animators. Vinnie, Summer, Cole and Leila will tell you, when it came to the Mammoth, we all chipped in and did our part to make its presence as real as possible. That kind of commitment to such an absurd scenario translates, making the animation in Post-Production a lot simpler.

 

iF: What was the most fun you had making this film?

 

COX: Oh, geez...that's a tough one. I'll be straight up and honest with you, this is the hardest, most painful undertaking to date, but it also is the most rewarding and exhilarating experience I have had throughout the movie making process. My fondest memories are those from the set. The interaction between the actors and myself generated an energy that forced our crew to keep up with us. Seriously, we made this movie at a break-neck pace. Action sequences were done in the course of a day, two if we were lucky. Pages of dialogue were shot using single camera, one long move in a master shot to get all the needed coverage, and then pounding out take after take after take. It was brutal. But the beautiful thing about the process was the persistence and perseverance everyone involved displayed. Down to the wire of handing the final film over to SCI FI Channel.

 

iF: Were there any particular homage moments in the movie that you put in the script or while you were filming that fans should look for?

 

COX: There are a lot of homage moments and I do mean a lot. Don, Sean, Brook and I are all dorks. Geek certified. So, starting from frame one, you can just rack up the count and go...and yes, we would love MST 3000 to do a DVD commentary!

 

iF: Is it hard to do such big sci-fi movies, with big effects with a budget that wouldn’t even cover catering on a big studio movie?

 

COX: [Laugh] It's the hardest thing in the world. And to quote my dear friend, and assistant director David Caine [put on the British accent] "If it were easy, Timmy, then everyone would do it." Seriously, a lot of people busted a hump to get this movie made, starting with our financial backers, my producing partners...and the VFX. Thank god for Armen Kevorkian! That man pulled tricks out of his keister you wouldn't believe. 325 VFX shots with nothing but a dime in his pocket! Eden VFX rocked the house with a winner on every take as did all our other vendors and participants.

 

iF: This is the second time you’ve worked with Vincent Ventresca – what do you like about him as an actor and how is it easier working with an actor in the lead role a second time around? Did you develop the script with him in mind? He really shows off a comedic side we haven’t seen from him before – and totally nails it..

 

COX: Well, funny you would ask this question. Let's start backwards. Yes, my writing partners and I tailored Frank Abernathy from the get-go with Vince in mind. When I told him about the project, he thought we were nuts. After reading a draft, he called the next morning and said, "This is the silliest thing anyone has ever given me. Of course I'm in!" Then there was a hesitant pause before, "...Um, this is a comedy, right?" I couldn't stop laughing, because I knew he understood the whimsical nature of this live-action Warner Bros. cartoon. Now, this being my second time around working with Vinnie, I knew characteristics about him from LARVA that I wouldn't have been able to convey otherwise. While filming LARVA we were both constantly fighting our instincts to make it a complete comedy, mainly because that's not what the Producers or Channel would have wanted out of that particular movie, and we were very respectful of that. However, there were moments where we just couldn't resist, and in those moments our "goof factor" would shine through. Needless to say, we both left the experience as good friends, exclaiming, "If we ever have a chance to make a comedy..." and the result is MAMMOTH.

 

iF: How did you get your start in film?

 

COX: Two short films and an aggressive lawyer. [Chuckle] All jokes aside, my thesis film, a World War I drama entitled, TYGER! TYGER! And long before that, an animation some friends of mine and I drew, entitled THE GUNSLINGER. Those experiences solidified my desire to direct, for sure.

 

iF: How did you land your first big break?

COX: A preliminary trial run through Sci Fi Channel's Exposure Studios entitled, THE MAN WITH NO EYES. It sling-shot Tavin [Titus, my producing partner] and I on to the helm of ALIEN LOCKDOWN. Right after that, LARVA dropped out of the sky. And now, MAMMOTH. Having started off as a storyboard artist and illustrator, I feel very luck and very blessed. That's for sure.

 

iF: What best advice you can give to fledgling young directors out there still working their way through film school that you wish someone gave to you before you got into this business?

 

COX: Learn business. That's no joke. Get smart with what it takes to look at the Film Industry as both a place for artistic expression and a means of supporting all your other habits. If I am ever fortunate enough to survive the maelstrom of Hollywood and the Global Filmmaking community at large, then I will definitely put pen to paper and write a book entitled, DIRECTING IS A BLUE COLLAR JOB: HOW TO PAY THE RENT WHILE MAKING MOVIES.

 

iF: What future projects do you have on the horizon?

 

COX: There's a few. And I'll be as open as I think I'm allowed. Aside from the above mentioned passion projects (RESURRECTIONISTS and KILLINGTON) there is a potential television series that I am currently attached to direct the pilot for, which was created by a supremely talented visionary, Grant Calof. And then Brook Durham and I are in the process of penning the treatment for a remake of a one of 1984's craziest horror films [C.H.U.D.], which deals with monstrous, mutated, subterranean carnivores. On the latter, we can hopefully pull it off as well as recent revisions such as DAWN OF THE DEAD and THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Our version is much darker, grittier and down-right surrealistic compared to the original film, but we think fans will appreciate the fresh approach...it's classic, no holds barred horror.
 

iF: When did you form Plinyminor and what are the plans for the company beyond the films you’re doing for Sci Fi? Do you have bigger studio films in the pipeline?

 

COX: Plinyminor was actually formed by my producing partners, Tavin and Richard Titus. They brought me in after we had done several projects together, and the fit just made sense. Currently, we have a five-picture deal with Sci Fi Channel, which are in the writing phase. The first will be KING ARTHUR & THE ORDER OF THE DRAGON with more fun to follow. We're lucky that everyone's allowing Brook and I to inject our demented sense of humor into each story, paying homage to both classic fantasy films we love as well as the unavoidable Monty Python references. And as for bigger studio films, the company just produced WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? with Dean Devlin. It's a wonderful documentary that I hope everyone will go out and see in June. It's being released by Sony Pictures Classics and I have to tell you, it really packs a wallop; makes you think about technological innovations, our country's politics and the people that pull the strings. If you believe in making the world a cleaner, more environmentally friendly place -- go check out this film. Your world view, whether Democrat or Republican, will be ignited to unite for healthier living, future generations and pragmatic purposes, considering the current socio-political climate.

 

iF: Will there be a MAMMOTH 2 and if so, where will you take the story?

 

COX: [Laugh] They say so. And we've turned in a treatment. I'll give you some hints: think BACK TO THE FUTURE -- the story takes place during the exact same time frame as MAMMOTH; think about the "MIB-types" as clones, sent to protect Earth from an all-out invasion by a race of creatures known as Z-29; and think about the fact that there were wild hillbillies, a bizarre crew of reality show wanna-bees, led by a fallen actor, turned show-host cut out of the first draft, which we desperately would like to bring back; and finally, here's the title -- MAMMOTH TOO: THE INVASION. 'Nuff said. Very fun, very funny and out of this world - with action and horror to boot!