Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 22 May 2018
A31

Jay and Mark Duplass reveal the secret to their success

By MARK KENNEDY, AP En- dentally discovered that
tertainment Writer fighting and yelling at
NEW YORK (AP) — When each other isn't necessary
the filmmaking Duplass because when you fail as
brothers sat down to list long as Jay and I did as art-
their top 10 movies of all ists, your ego is beaten out
time, one cinematic mas- of you," says Mark.
terpiece didn't make the Their advice, which is just
cut. as applicable to marriages,
Jay and Mark Duplass includes listening without
made room for "Dumb and interruption to the other's
Dumber," ''Tootsie" and side, agreeing not to argue
"Raising Arizona." But "The after bedtime and, if all
Godfather," often topping else fails, doing "the Porky
lists of all-time great films, Pig," in which both sides
was left off. take off their pants like the
Why it was says a lot about cartoon character and try
these off-beat indie dar- to reassess the debate with
lings, who rose to fame in a straight face.
2005 with their $10,000 film, "You just make it work.
"The Puffy Chair," and then You do whatever it takes
went on create a mini-em- to make it work," says Jay.
pire, with deals at Netflix "We're never getting di-
and HBO. They've always vorced. This is never going
led with their gut. to end. Even if we don't
"Jay and I don't approach work together, we're still in
things in any way intellectu- the same family. We're tied
ally whenever we're making FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2017 file photo, Indie filmmakers Jay Duplass, left, and Mark Duplass arrive at together forever."
something because when the HBO Golden Globes afterparty in Beverly Hills, Calif. Lately, the brothers are tak-
we do, it tends to be bad," ing a page from their own
says Mark Duplass. "We just typical best-of candidates cano" and "The Horse Boy." The Duplass brothers fell advice and helping other
let whatever comes out of like "The Godfather" or "Citi- Like their projects, it was a into moviemaking when young filmmakers. They
our stomach be the thing." zen Kane," but quirky ones highly personal decision. their father brought home produced the Netflix docu-
So their films weren't the like "Joe Versus the Vol- "I think the more that you a clunky video camera in mentary series "Wild Wild
acknowledge that and get 1984. Unsure how to use it, Country" for Maclain and
out of your head about he gave it to his boys, then Chapman Way — another
what you think you like or 8 and 12. One key detail filmmaking sibling team —
should like, that's where was that it was so big, it and currently have backed
the joy comes," says Jay needed a second person the new docuseries "Evil
Duplass, the older by four to carry the tape deck. A Genius" on the streaming
years. brotherly union was born. service. They admit they
Their final top-10 film list They've written, directed didn't know how to di-
is included in the siblings' and produced films and TV rect those projects but still
deeply personal memoir, shows together, including wanted to help. "You know
"Like Brothers," which mixes the HBO anthology series what we know how to do?"
autobiography, movie- "Room 104" and the films asks Mark. "Use our name,
making advice, observa- "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" influence and money to
tional comedy, old scripts and "Cyrus." They've also fund, creatively protect
and emails and tips on acted (Jay in HBO's "Trans- and usher these filmmakers
keeping friendships healthy parent" and Mark in "The who are better documen-
while also being business League") and were behind tary filmmakers than us and
partners. and in front of the camera give them that thing and
They advise budding film- for the HBO series "Togeth- share it with them. It's the
makers to start making erness." greatest thing."q
5-minute shorts on their Along the way, they be-
iPhones, buy cheap cars came accidental icons,
with good warranties, save inspiration for people who
money by living with room- like small, deeply felt proj-
mates, enter festivals, ask ects over soulless big Hol-
peers to be critics, pay it lywood fare. "We are B-
forward and urge artists to minuses that made it. And
just keep plunging forward that's really no false mod-
in a chapter titled "The esty," says Mark.
Cavalry Isn't Coming." Amid the book's film advice
"The book is a simple prod- and life lessons — as well as
uct of survivor's guilt," says defense of dicey pop cul-
Mark Duplass. His brother ture items such as "Karate
agrees: "We do want to Kid Part II" and Air Supply

This cover image released by Ballantine Books shows "Like help people avoid a de- — are practical lessons for
Brothers," by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass. (Ballantine cade of suffering, if at all keeping creative friend-
Books via AP) possible, because it was ships alive.
hard." "I guess we kind of acci-