You’ve probably seen the trailers—we certainly have. And after a long and relentless French Oscar season, now seems a better time than ever for a good party flick. Enter Project X, a faux documentary-style take on a larger-than-life house party. Recess’ Dan Fishman spoke with stars Jonathan Daniel Brown, Thomas Mann and Oliver Cooper about auditions, filming party montages and what sets Project X apart.
Recess: There are a lot of films nowadays about extraordinary parties—Superbad and The Hangover come to mind. What makes Project X different?
JDB: The movie stands on the chemistry between the three of us. And then the party becomes a beast—its own organism.
TM: The movie also has its own very distinct style. Director Nima Nourizada—famous from Nike commercials and music videos—gives it a very music video-style feel that’s never been presented in this format. It works perfectly for a party. It really captures the raw aspects of a party. At one point, there’s this girl peeing in the driveway—that’s the real stuff you have to deal with at parties.
OC: Project X isn’t like Superbad at all. I mean, there’s always buddy comedies. But Project X grounds its ridiculousness. It’s not cliché. The three of us behave the way real people would behave, in really weird situations.
R: The three of you were selected from an extensive, nationwide audition. What was that experience like?
JDB: It was crazy and brutal, but it was extremely rewarding. There were nine auditions—which is really long for this sort of thing. The whole time, I’m thinking I’m probably going to work at Walmart until I die. And then when it worked out…it was an unique experience, kind of like getting into a first-choice college.
TM: They were trying to find the best chemistry between all of us reading. One day it was just the three of us, and we were like, “Is this it?” The next day they told us, and it felt like a weight was lifted.
R: What was your favorite moment on the set?
TM: It’s hard to pick. It was a party environment on the set for five weeks straight. But if I had to choose—the first time after the cops leave, and all the partygoers are corralled, and I raise my hand and say, “To the break of dawn!” The energy on the set right then was unreal.
JDB: My favorite parts were when we filmed the montages. They would tell us, “Go have fun!” and we’d run around doing whatever. Sometimes we didn’t even know where the camera was.
R: Why should Duke students see the movie?
OC: This is a one-of-a-kind film. The marketing does not really make it seem original. But, the way it’s directed, the awesome soundtrack—it’s an experience. And then it’s just a really fun movie. It’s funny. There are plenty of explosions. There’s lots of nudity.
TM: There are some good looking dudes, too.
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