Paul Feig uncovers his secrets behind 'Spy,' funny women and 'Ghostbusters'
Paul Feig has made a habit out of taking an old-hat movie genre -- the rom-com, the buddy-cop movie, the spy movie -- and turning it into a hilariously original comedy. But don't give all the credit him, he's only there because of the funny women in front of and behind the camera.
Feig talked to Paste BN about Spy, released in theaters in June and soon coming to Blu-Ray/DVD, and how his love for genre movies has led him to take on his next movie: Ghostbusters.
On genre movies:
I kind of get bored with regular movies, like there's a lot of talking and that's fun -- but at the same time I want to make a movie that let's me play with it. What the genres do is they let you be a filmmaker, let you play with scope and suspense. I like playing with genre, I like working with funny women, it gives me just a million ideas versus just going into it with only one.
On Melissa McCarthy:
Speaking of funny women, Spy was the third time he worked with his frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy, who arguably broke out as Hollywood's funniest woman in his hit film Bridesmaids. And Spy won't be the last time he's working with her, as she is one of the famed female Ghostbusters.
(Melissa McCarthy) is great, she's a friend too. It’s hard in comedy to find someone who finds the same things funny as you do. We both guard each other from doing something we don’t normally do, it’s like a system of checks and balances. We just have so much fun on set. I’m not a director who derives on tension, so it’s a bit selfish.
On 'Ghostbusters'
Feig has been teasing out tons of hints about Ghostbusters, including photos of the Proton Packs and the ECTO-1 car -- which look almost exactly like the originals. But, he promises, it's not going to be a shot-for-shot remake of the 1984 cult classic.
We're mostly forging our own path (with Ghostbusters'). Some of the guys think we’re just shooting the original script again just changing the lead roles -- no, it’s the trappings and concepts of funny people fighting with technology. That’s what I find exciting. It goes back to Abbot and Costello going up against Frankestein. I think funny people in scary situations is really funny. Comedy is funny when emotions are high.
Spy is being released on Blu-Ray and DVD Sept. 29 by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.