Warner Bros. Picks Up SDAFF Film for Distribution
Beginning February 1, Warner Bros. will showcase the world premiere of director Gene Rhee's "The Trouble with Romance" nationwide via On-Demand/Pay-Per-View prior to the film's theatrical release. The film will be available through February via all major Warner Bros. partners (Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, DirectTV, EchoStar, etc.,). Check your cable/dish listings beginning February 1. The film stars cast members from "Sex & the City," "Entourage," "Better Luck Tomorrow," "Two and a Half Men," and other hit movies and TV shows!
Theatrical Release: On February 27, "The Trouble with Romance" will begin its theatrical run, premiering at New York's historic Quad Cinemas theaters. (Check local listings in NYC for showtimes as the release date approaches.)
Trailer:
Interview with Gene Rhee, Director of "The Trouble with Romance"
Lee Ann Kim: Congratulations on getting your film distributed, with Warner Bros. no less! So interesting that your film will be available on-demand, as well getting a theatrical release. In today's economic climate, how hard was it to work out a distribution deal, and what are your expectations?
 Gene Rhee, director of "The Trouble with Romance" |
Gene Rhee: First of all, thanks Lee Ann and SDAFF for being a champion of independent cinema. Regarding your question, you make a great point about today's climate. The independent film market has crashed along with the rest of the economy, and most of the major buyers have less cash, are more risk averse, and are buying less than ever before.
That's why companies have started looking at new approaches to distributing independent films. I think IFC kind of started the whole trend of distributing independent films on Pay-Per-View/VOD as well as theatrically to generate more income. Usually, even the highest profile independent films don't get distributed to places outside of major cities like New York or L.A. But through On Demand/PPV, even indie films can now have wide releases in places like Middle America and the Deep South while at the same time have a theatrical release in major cities.
In my case, Warner Bros saw a viable commercial market for our film. They told us that single women make up one of the largest audiences in the Pay-Per-View market, and since our film is a mainstream romantic comedy, February would be a great time to release it given that Valentines Day is just around the corner. Also, even though we shot it for next to nothing, most distributors thought our budget was far bigger than it really was because we made a concerted effort to really make it look good despite our financial limitations. Warner Bros is grouping our film with their other titles like Sex & the City-extended cut and Vicky Christina Barcelona on PPV, and I can tell that they want movies that look like first-rate productions.
The theatrical release is really a bonus for us. Every filmmaker wants their movie to play in theaters, and since it was being offered to us we gladly took it. Plus, Warner Bros thought even a small theatrical release could help the PPV release because they could say "See It Before It Hits Theaters!" It's all about marketing.
"Trouble" has quite a diverse cast, with four different stories taking place at the same hotel. How did you come up with the concept of the different stories? (Any based on PERSONAL experiences - hahaha)
Honestly, I came up with the concept for this movie because some of the bigger projects I was developing were taking longer than I had hoped, and I thought this would be the cheapest, fastest way to make a feature film - by having it all take place in one location. Then I started thinking about discussions I had with friends about all their past relationships as well as my own, and I thought there were some common issues that all men and women deal with. From there, some ideas popped up that turned into fictional stories. I co-wrote the movie with Sharri Hefner and Mike Su, and none of the stories are autobiographical, however, the bathroom scene where Roger Fan takes a dump is loosely based on a real incident.
I know you had a very limited budget, but were still able to score high profile actors like David Eigenberg (Sex in the City), Jordan Belfi (Entourage), Josie Davis (Two and a Half Men) and Jennifer Siebel (who's S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom's new wife). How did you get them onboard?
Well, Jennifer was one of the producers of the movie so it wasn't very hard getting her to act in it. ; ) All kidding aside, outside of a couple cases, most of the cast came together through grueling rounds of auditions. We saw so many actors before we finalized the cast because this isn't an action film or a horror movie where the pyrotechnics are the show. In our movie, it's all about the performances. Jordan actually came in and read for the part, and I felt early on that his essence just fit the role. Josie read as well, and she's so versatile that she probably could've played a number of different roles in the film. As for David, we got the script to his agent on a whim, not really thinking he'd ever do it, and then to our surprise, his agent called us back and said that David liked the script and wanted to do it. He was an absolute joy to work with. I'm very grateful to the entire cast of this movie for their wonderful work and because it's so obvious that none of them did it for the money. This was a SAG ultra-low budget film.
 Emily Liu and Roger Fan |
Actor Roger Fan (Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis) really tore it up in your movie with a bathroom scene that had me personally rolling on the floor. Were you and the crew just dying behind the scenes when you were shooting this?
Oh yeah. That scene alone is worth the price of admission. It's so outrageous. It was very tough trying not to laugh during those takes because the whole thing was so absurd. Roger got completely naked, and then we did take after take of him taking the biggest, longest crap of all time. There are images from that day's shoot that are still permanently etched in my mind. I probably need to find professional help just to get them removed from my mind. Then again, I should be used to it by now. Afterall, this isn't the first time Roger and I have done zany stuff together. If you remember our Sundance film, The Quest For Length (which also screened at SDAFF), we really pushed the limits in that film too. When he's given the right role, Roger can be one of the funniest actors I've ever seen. It's all about recognizing what works for him and what doesn't.
Along with Roger, co-stars Sheetal Sheth and Emily Liu give great performances (and we love them since they've supported us by attending our festival several times). Was it important to you to have Asian American actors in this film?
Absolutely. I have to be frank though, this movie isn't really an Asian American film. It's a commercial romantic comedy that just happens to have Asians in it – which I think is more in line with the type of films I like to make. My tastes naturally run a little more mainstream – and the issues I like to touch upon are usually things that a lot of people can relate to.
 Jordan Belfi and Sheetal Sheth |
Sheetal and Emily were cast because they were the best actors for those roles, not because they're Asian. They not only give great performances, but they're also terrific to work with. Emily is as dedicated to her craft as anyone I know, and she's very professional. Sheetal's fun because she has this no-nonsense attitude and is very down-to-earth. She definitely speaks her mind and she's one of those actors that just gets along well with the entire crew.
Give us your best pitch for "The Trouble with Romance" and tell us who you think would most enjoy this film?
If want to see a commercial movie that's both heartfelt and hilarious, then this is the movie for you.
At first glance, a lot of people may think this is a "chick-flick", but ask anyone who's seen it and they'll tell you it appeals to men too because there are 4 very different stories that each appeal to a different demographic.
You're a very talented director...hopefully you have a few other projects cookin' in the kitchen. Anything you can share with us?
That's very kind. I have a number of projects I'm developing. One is another romantic comedy that's a little quirkier than Trouble. It's based on a well-reviewed play, and we're currently trying to package the talent and financing. I also have a thriller I'm working on, and a western in the vein of Unforgiven but with an atypical leading man. Those are just a few. If my past is any indication, my next film will probably be none of the ones I've mentioned. It's a crazy business.
Thanks Lee Ann. It's always a pleasure.
Film Links:
Gene Rhee, artist profile
"The Trouble with Romance" on Facebook
"The Trouble with Romance" on MySpace