Episode #11 - Nashville native Shonali Bhowmik graces us with her humor and interesting stories as the appointed contributor. As an Actress, Director and Producer, she’s one of the most charismatic people you will ever meet and is always working on various artistic endeavors. She’s incredibly thoughtful. She also has an incredible network of friends and collaborators that surround her at all times.
She’s a frequent collaborator with us for the live podcast she hosts with Christian Felix called We Don’t Even Know, and is the director, lead actor, writer and producer of Sardines Out of a Can, a short movie Fourwind helped create before Fourwind was even a company.
Shonali is also well known in the internet comedy world for the group Variety SHAC which began as a comedic quartet consisting of Shonali, Heather Lawless, Andrea Rosen, and Chelsea Peretti. Our screening took place in Bushwick at Fourwind Films’ headquarters where for her short picture, Shonali presented the SHAC’s latest release, The Hike (2018), which explores the SHAC members meeting up to go on a hike after not seeing each other in a while. During the discussion Shonali celebrates women in film, and sheds light on Variety SHAC’s influences on various comedians in the industry.
For the feature, Shonali presented the Martha Coolidge film Valley Girl (1983). She discusses the casting process for the film that lead to Nicolas Cage playing the lead male. During the film, we had American food which included hot dogs, corn dogs, sushi with peanut butter, and we topped it all off with some prom punch. The episode is a laugh riot and full of references to movie inspired snacks.
Episode hosted by Justin Joseph Hall.
Shonali Bhowmik - Actress/Director/Producer
Credits:
Host - Justin Joseph Hall
Location & Production Company - Fourwind Films
Soundtrack - Salitros Ridin’ Rainbow
Transcript:
00;00;07;25 - 00;01;02;28
Justin Joseph Hall:
Welcome to Season 3 of Feature & a short, where an appointed contributor presents their chosen feature motion picture and a short movie. There's only one condition for the screening, presenter must have been directly involved with one picture, but not the other. This is Justin Joseph Hall, owner of Fourwind Films.
To kick the season off, our presenter is Shonali Bhowmik, someone who Fourwind Films works with a lot, specifically on the other podcast that we're involved with called We Don’t Even Know that we also have done monthly and for a much longer time. Listeners here, if you guys enjoy this, you should definitely check that out.
On top of that, before Fourwind was a company, Shonali created a movie that she happily let us be a part of called Sardines Out Of A Can. So we were overjoyed to have her here to talk about some of her other amazing accomplishments, including Variety SHAC for her short picture. And so she decided to present The Hike.
00;01;03;01 - 00;01;38;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
You guys, this is a short film by my comedy group. The SHAC is Shonali, Heather, Andrea, Chelsea. Shonali Bhowmik, Heather Lawless, Andrea Rosen, Chelsea Peretti. The three of them are amazing stand-ups and talents in their own right. Together, we are Variety SHAC. I mean a few years after I moved to New York City, I remember noticing that they always would have one-woman show which is actually good by today's standards even. But I noticed there wasn't a gathering where women were leading the evening, and we used to actually just dance together at the end of the night. It started as a dance group, actually.
00;01;38;00 - 00;01;40;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;01;38;00 - 00;02;15;26
Shonali Bhowmik:
And then, we just started to make short films.
In the New York City comedy scene, we did really well. We won like a Village Voice award, we were in Time Out and we eventually got some TV pilots. But they live in California, in L.A. I live here. So this past November, after like 5 or 6 years of not making shorts, we got together because we realized we missed each other and still to this day, we don't feel like anyone's making what we made. And um, um, but the main reason I'm sharing this film is because I want to encourage everyone to, to make films on your own. And this was like very DIY,
00;02;15;26 - 00;03;00;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
we got friends to shoot, friends to edit. Um, another thing that I think is important about this group and it needs to be made clear, these are four women that have now been doing comedy and music and film for a long time. But I think one of the biggest and most important things about sharing our work is that we still keep continuously honoring men and their talent, and there is no part of me that believes there weren't amazing women throughout history that were also leaders in all of these movements of art, and we need to start celebrating these women. So I'm celebrating even though I'm, I'm a member, I'm going to celebrate Variety SHAC with you guys. That's a big reason why I wanted to bring this to you. Yeah. Go ladies!
00;03;00;00 - 00;03;02;00
Audience:
(claps and cheers)
00;03;03;05 - 00;03;08;00
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
After watching The Hike, which easily got the most laughs of any showing
00;03;08;00 - 00;03;11;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;03;09;00 - 00;03;13;29
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
that we've had here on Feature & a short, we had a quick discussion about it.
00;03;14;04 - 00;03;19;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
This only took, really only took an hour and a half.
00;03;20;00
Audience:
Wow.
00;03;20;00 - 00;03;26;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
To me, that's what's crazy is just like the headspace of like, oh, we're just going to go and get it done and whatever happens, happens.
00;03;27;00
Audience:
Yeah.
00;03;27;00 - 00;03;40;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And that in a way, lack of pressure is why it's so fun, you know? You're not overthinking. We stop and we evaluate what we just did. And then we, we might do it over to get reaction shots or whatever, right?
00;03;40;00
Justin Joseph Hall:
Okay.
00;03;40;00 - 00;03;51;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
But there's a lot of jump cuts and, like, obvious, like, moments where Heather took off her jacket and, like, she has on a different ja- that’s like, who care- like, it's not about continuity and being perfect
00;03;51;00
Audience:
Yeah.
00;03;51;00 - 00;03;55;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
where the placement of, it's about having fun with your friends.
00;03;54;00
Audience:
Yeah.
00;03;56;00 - 00;04;00;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
The editing process is tough, but it's only, like most of our shorts were six minutes.
00;04;01;04 - 00;04;03;00
Audience:
Sorry, how did the four of you edit it together?
00;04;03;00 - 00;05;19;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
So there's such a learning curve with this. When it first started, we all four would be in a room with an editor, and that was so intense to have four, five editors? Like, I can't believe now that the editors let us do that. Then, then, then we started getting one lead person from us to sit with the editor and that person would pick clips that were the best and then the other three would come in, and then finally it was each one of us would take turns, then we would write notes. You know, and, and at the time we were making a short a month and we would share a new short at every one of our live shows at the UCB.
So we were not just having a live show we had to prepare for, we were also doing this. I mean, that's a lot. We wouldn't even write a script, we would just do beats. But the thing that's so beautiful about working with them is we know each other so well, who precisely is not going to be comfortable, who's going to be angry, who's- it just happens. Even though we're all very uniquely different, we do come from the same place of silliness, absurdist, sort of take, and also like, real talk. So, that's what I'm so proud of, uh, the Variety SHAC for.
00;05;19;00 - 00;05;26;00
Maggie Adeleye:
Uh, you mentioned Fred Armisen and part of some of the like, like y’all’s deadpan and how that, it would like just drop really quickly, really reminded me of Portlandia (chuckles)
00;05;27;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Yeah!
00;05;27;00
Audience:
So (laughs).
00;05;28;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Yes!
00;05;28;00 - 00;05;29;00
Audience:
I really, I really liked that.
00;05;29;00 - 00;06;13;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Thank you. And he, he literally uh texted me months ago and said, you know I'm binge- I'm binge-watching Variety SHAC videos this weekend and I realize how much your work is influenced Portlandia. And I'm like, yeah! Um, and then Michael Luciano, he’s put this on Twitter recently. He's like, I just wish everyone could see this DVD.
He goes, I was a kid. I think he was a teenager at that time. And he said, I would go to their shows and they really taught me everything about how to make art and to do comedy shows. I started doing it with my friends and now he has an animated show on HBO called Animals.
00;06;14;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Paul…
00;06;14;00
Audience:
Paul Scheer?
00;06;15;00 - 00;06;16;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Paul Scheer.
00;06;16;00
Audience:
Yeah.
00;06;16;26 - 00;06;25;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
So Paul Scheer, I just found an email from Paul Scheer, uh, trying to buy Variety SHAC V- DVD, VD, DVD
00;06;25;00
Audience:
Oh, really?
00;06;26;00 - 00;06;28;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
like, five times and I didn't see it.
00;06;28;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;06;29;00 - 00;06;30;00
Audience:
Oh, really?
00;06;30;00 - 00;06;36;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And I, he had to get his money back, I felt so bad. I haven't talked- I mean, this is years. Like, I just noticed this now.
00;06;35;00 - 00;06;36;00
Audience:
Oh, wow.
00;06;36;00 - 00;06;39;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
He tried to purchase it like five years ago.
00;06;39;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;06;39;25 - 00;06;42;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And I kept seeing, that's Paul Scheer! He’s trying to buy…
00;06;43;00
Justin Joseph Hall:
He really needs…
00;06;43;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Variety-
00;06;43;00 - 00;06;44;00
Justin Joseph Hall:
He really needs the money back.
00;06;44;00 - 00;06;45;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
SHAC DVD.
00;06;45;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;06;46;00 - 00;06;53;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
He got his money back, like they’ll instantly give it to you like, he never got it. But I was like, oh my god we're not even, not even able to, like, sell DVDs
00;06;52;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;06;53;00 - 00;07;19;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
to like famous comedians and movie stars. But um there's only a few people today that, that will celebrate us to the world out like John Early, Kate Berlant, they always, they will say to the world, you guys are our influences. And, and the thing is we don't, you know, we just put it on YouTube and that's the beauty of social media. Like right away, it was like, oh my god, you're back! Thank God,
00;07;19;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;07;19;00 - 00;07;44;25
Shonali Bhowmik:
this is my best day. This is my- the SHAC is back! You know, it was like, so beautiful to see this build of a fanbase that hasn't seen us do something new in five years, you know? That's the beauty of, of making films on your own, of being around good people that have good energy that want to make something. It's, that’s what's beautiful about art. It’s so beautiful. Guys, I'm gonna cry.
00;07;44;28 - 00;07;49;25
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
After, we got to watch Valley Girl, a romantic comedy from 1983.
00;07;49;29 - 00;07;57;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
I'm so excited to watch this with you guys. This is one of my favorite movies and if you don't like it, just don't tell me. Um,
00;07;57;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;07;58;00 - 00;08;01;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
because I seem to only like people that like this movie.
00;08;01;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;08;02;00 - 00;09;29;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Um, this is done in 1983 and at the time Frank Zappa had just released his song with his daughter called Valley Girl. And this script came into the hands of this director, Martha Coolidge. So she is a female director who went to art school here in New York and this script was called Valley Girl and Frank Zappa did not want it to be produced without his approval, but it didn’t work out. Valley Girl got made. This movie also was the launching pad for Nicolas Cage’s career, and quick story about that because it's so cool, is that when she was casting this movie, she was like, I'm so tired of seeing all the pretty boys.
So she went to the rejection pile headshots. And side note is that Martha Coolidge had been for three years working with Francis Ford Coppola. Uh, he had a film production company called Zoe, Zoetrope, so she knew him well. She finds this one, it says Nic Cage, and she goes, we need somebody like this please, like just get him to come in. And so she says the minute she saw him, you know, she was like, oh my god, he's got to be it. When she asked him to be the lead of this movie, he said, no, I'm sorry, I can't do it, I'm doing this other film named Rumble Fish, I have this small part in this other film. And uh she, she was like, listen Nic, I'm going to make you a star.
00;09;30;03 - 00;09;55;00
You need to be the lead in my movie, I actually am friends with Francis Ford Coppola and I could call him. So she calls Francis Ford Coppola’s production company and she's saying, do you know that you have this guy, Nic Cage? I need to work out his schedule, I want him to be in my movie. She calls a casting person and he's like, we don't have a Nic Cage in Rumble Fish. And uh, and then finally the guy goes, well we have a Nicolas Coppola.
00;09;56;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;09;56;00 - 00;09;57;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And she was like, what?
00;09;58;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;09;58;00 - 00;10;33;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And she goes, oh that's Francis’s nephew, you didn't know that? So that was the first time he had sent out Nic Cage to just try to avoid being known as Francis Ford Coppola's nephew and so he got cast without that being known. And this is the launchpad for his career. But this is such a sweet movie. Captures the 80’s, like, so beautifully. And the music, I think, the reason Modern English’s I Melt With You is a song we all know it’s because of this movie. She had no budget, she had $300,000 and they made $18 million off of this movie.
00;10;33;00
Audience:
Wow.
00;10;34;00 - 00;10;37;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Ugh, the clothes, the music, young love, it's just like.
00;10;37;00 - 00;10;38;00
Audience:
Let’s we just watch it?
00;10;38;19 - 00;10;40;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Yes, let's watch it!
00;10;40;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;10;41;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Let’s watch it…
00;10;41;00 - 00;10;50;00
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
As we've been doing this, we are now on our 11th episode. And as we review the films beforehand, I've never seen a film with so much food in it.
00;10;51;00 - 00;10;56;00
Audience:
Did you watch the Valley Girl prepped with like a notepad and like, they take like food and snacks?
00;10;56;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Yeah.
00;10;56;00 - 10;57;00
Audience:
That's amazing you did that!
00;10;58;00
Audience:
It was like a very…
00;10;58;00 - 00;10;59;00
Audience:
If you watched it
00;10;59;00
Audience
No, I just guessed.
00;11;00;00 - 00;11;01;00
Audience:
Yeah, but you watched it.
00;11;01;00
Audience:
Like.
00;11;01;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;11;03;10 - 00;11;15;00
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
So, we have a ton of American food. Hot dogs, corn dogs, sushi with peanut butter, and we topped it all off with some prom punch in order to imbibe a little bit during the screening.
00;11;15;00 - 00;11;18;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Even like the second round, I was like okay, that’s done, they’re done. And then you’re just like, wait…
00;11;19;00
Audience:
Yeah!
00;11;19;00 - 00;11;21;00
Audience:
I would never have noticed how much food they ate.
00;11;21;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;11;22;00 - 00;11;23;00
Audience:
Right in front of me at the same time-
11;23;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
I’m probably… I noticed…
00;11;25;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
In movies…
00;11;26;00 - 00;11;28;00
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
After, we talked a little bit more about Valley Girl.
00;11;28;00 - 00;11;33;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Guys, thank you for this. This was amazing to realize there was all this food in this…
00;11;33;00
Audience:
Yeah, guys…
00;11;34;00 - 00;11;35;00
Audience:
I’ve never seen it.
00;11;35;10 - 00;11;36;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
Can you take a picture of this?
00;11;37;00 - 00;11;38;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And we ate the sushi!
00;11;38;00 - 00;11;39;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
That was so awesome.
00;11;40;00 - 00;11;42;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
And now we need to spike this.
00;11;42;00
Audience:
(chatter)
00;11;43;00
Audience:
(laughter)
00;11;48;00 - 00;11;50;00
Shonali Bhowmik:
It’s so dumb, it’s so great.
00;11;50;25 - 00;12;13;08
Justin Joseph Hall (as narrator):
So thanks again for listening to Feature & a short. If you want to attend or be a part of the podcast, please just go to our website and shoot us an email. Otherwise, follow us on social media and you can on any social media platform @fourwindfilms, that's at f-o-u-r-w-i-n-d-f-i-l-m-s. I'll talk to you soon. Peace!