Ep310 - Justin Long & Christian Long, Writer Directors ‘Lady of the Manor’

Creative Principles

"We were thinking about a comedic version of Psycho,” said Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard, Dodgeball), about his latest project, Lady of the Manor, which he co-wrote and co-directed with his brother, Christian Long (Hop, Accepted). This idea morphed into more of a buddy comedy, involving a ne’er-do-well played by Melanie Lynskey and the ghost of a mansion, played by Judy Greer. The two meet when Lynskey’s character ends up working as a tour guide in the historic estate Greer’s character haunts. The brothers were inspired by movies like What About Bob? and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and wanted to put a spin on the buddy comedy, the obnoxious character being a modern pot-head ne’er-do-well and the straight man being a proper woman from the 1870s. In addition to Melanie Lynskey and Judy Greer, the comedy also features Ryan Phillippe, Patrick Duffy, Angela Alise, Luis Guzmán, and Justin Long stars in a supporting role as Max. In this interview, the brothers talk their love of the Marx Brothers, why comedies need to be specific in their humor, how to ground heightened stories, and why Judy Greer referred to the movie as a “fart-warming comedy.” If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!