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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 23 February 2017
Jordan Peele turns his focus to directing in ‘Get Out’

LINDSEY BAHR “Key & Peele,” the good else may not be,” Peele
AP Film Writer news is that he’s still in the said. “That, to me, became
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jor- business of entertaining. a cool special power and
dan Peele is “kind of done” He’s just taking a seat be- kind of helped justify what
with performing. hind the camera. The bet- would make a horror mov-
While that might be a dag- ter news? He’s really good ie with black people in it
ger in the hearts of fans at it. unique.”
who came to know and His directorial debut, “Get But it was also important
love Peele as an uncan- Out,” in theaters Friday, is to Peele that “Get Out”
nily calm Barack Obama, one of those rare creations wasn’t “just a black mov-
the endlessly annoying that functions both as a ie.”
Meegan or any of the oth- taut psychological thriller “It had to be an inclusive
er characters he played in and as searing social com- film. If it doesn’t work for ev-
the sketch comedy series mentary about racism in erybody then it’s not worth
it There’s this mix of the
In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017 photo, Jordan Peele poses for a movie itself being about
portrait at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles. the fact that there’s never
Associated Press been a movie like this,” he
said. “Part of what’s spe-
the modern era. The prem- pooling his influences and cial about this movie is that
ise is simple: A black man, melting them down to cre- it is about representation.
Chris, (Daniel Kaluuya) ate something new. It’s about giving someone
goes upstate with his white “(Quentin) Tarantino is the like me a chance and a
girlfriend, Rose, (Allison guy who taught me with platform to make a movie
Williams) to meet her par- the most clarity that you from my perspective and
ents (Bradley Whitford and don’t have to be afraid trust that an audience will
Catherine Keener) and of your influences in order come and see it.”
things get weird. It’s been to create something ab- The same theory applied
described as “The Step- solutely new,” Peele said. to casting his lead actor,
ford Wives” meets “Guess “I mean, what is more Kaluuya, a name likely un-
Who’s Coming to Dinner.” unique than ‘Pulp Fiction’ familiar to most audiences.
Peele, who also wrote the and what is also simulta- You might recognize him
film, isn’t necessarily com- neously more derivative? I — he was in the TV show
menting on interracial think that’s something very “Skins,” and in films like
relationships directly. His freeing for artists to realize. “Sicario” and “Kick-Ass 2”
mother is white, as is his There’s no way to escape — but he hasn’t had the
wife, comedian Chelsea that which formed you as chance to stand out on
Peretti — although he met an artist.” his own yet. Peele realized
her after it was written. In- Peele is a lifetime fan of early on that there wasn’t
stead, it’s in part based on horror films and thrillers a large pool of 26-year-old
the experience of being and on one level wanted African-American leading
the only black man at an to make something for the men to drawn from.
event full of mostly older, underserved black audi- “When I was putting this
white people. ence — but not exclusively movie together, the black
“There’s a desire to con- so. actors who are this age
nect that is sweet and en- “The black horror movie that would have been con-
dearing, but I wanted with audience is a very loyal sidered stars of films were
this movie to show how fan base,” Peele said. “We Michael B. Jordan, maybe
you experience it differ- come out and we enjoy Chadwick Boseman and ...
ent from our perspective,” horror movies and there’s you got any more?” Peele
Peele said. “It’s one thing this extreme lack of rep- said. “We very quickly real-
to have one conversation resentation of black char- ized that the only answer
with somebody but when acters, black protagonists, here is somebody who is
every conversation you’re but also the values that a star but who we haven’t
having begins to resemble you see demonstrated in seen get to be a star yet.”
that conversation you be- a theater — people yell- But Peele is optimistic.
gin to realize that you are ing at the screen, ‘get out! He sees a renaissance
being seen as other... it’s Get out of the house!’” happening in Hollywood
at least a reminder that That’s part of the reason where people are finally
we’re not past race.” Peele created the charac- being given chances, ap-
Like “Scream,” ‘’Get Out “ ter of Chris’s friend (played parent in the rise of talents
is a satire with “full thriller by comedian Lil Rel How- like Donald Glover and the
vocabulary.” ery), who serves as the worldwide success of films
Peele was unabashed in voice of reason and cau- like “Straight Outta Comp-
referencing his influences tion. He’s warns his friend ton.”
during filming — often tell- not to go and demands he “That’s why it’s cool to be
ing his production designer leave when things seem in the industry right now,”
that he wanted one thing off. he said. “You see the
to feel very David Lynch “There’s an element to emergence of people who
and another to have more being African-American should have been in the
of a David Cronenberg where you are perceptive picture the whole time.”q
vibe. He described it as to things that somebody