James Gunn was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri in a large Irish Catholic family. At the age of twelve he began his filmmaking career with an eight-millimeter camera. His first film featured his brother Sean, now an actor on WB’s The Gilmore Girls, being disemboweled by zombies.
While attending Columbia University in New York, Gunn applied for a part-time job filing papers at famed B-movie studios Troma Entertainment, and ended up writing the screenplay for a movie called Tromeo & Juliet instead. He was paid $150 to do so. In 1997, Tromeo became a cult hit, playing in theaters around the world, including over a year of midnight screenings in Los Angeles. Gunn has also acted in the Troma films Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger 4 and the appropriately titled Tales from the Crapper.
Gunn left Troma to write and star (along with Rob Lowe, Thomas Haden-Church, Jamie Kennedy and his own brother, Sean) in the feature film, The Specials, about a group of superheroes on their day off. In the year 2000, literally dozens of people flocked to the theater while it played in LA and New York. However, the film went on to minor-cult status on DVD, and Gunn has twice been accosted by someone dressed as himself in the movie.
Gunn wrote the critically acclaimed novel The Toy Collector, released by Bloomsbury Press in 2000. It’s the story of a hospital orderly who sells drugs to finance his escalating toy collecting addiction. He also wrote, with Lloyd Kaufman, the non-fiction book All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger, which is currently in its fifth printing.
In 2002 the live action Scooby-Doo movie was released into theaters. Gunn wrote the screenplay for the film, the first movie he was involved with that he allowed his mother to see. The film has grossed almost $300 million worldwide.
In March of 2004 Gunn became the first screenwriter in cinema history to write back-to-back #1-for-the-weekend box office hits, with the critically-acclaimed, “re-imagined” Dawn of the Dead on March 19, 2004 and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed on March 26, 2004.
Currently, Gunn’s love for the comedy and horror genres has coalesced in the humorous horror film SLiTHER, to be released by Universal on March 31, 2006. Gunn wrote the film, his feature-film directorial debut, which was produced by Gold Circle and Strike Entertainment, and stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, and Michael Rooker.
Gunn is married to actress Jenna Fischer, who stars in the NBC sitcom The Office. He recently starred in her directorial debut LolliLove, a mockumentary about a Los Angeles couple who try to change the world by handing out lollipops to homeless people. The film has played film festivals around the world and is now available on DVD.
-What is your favorite horror movie?
Rosemary's Baby.
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope with whatever you want me to sign to my info on my web site contact page -- here -- and I will eventually send you a signed whatever back. It may take a while.
I want to be a working screenwriter. What advice do you have for me?
Here are just a few tidbits. There are hundreds more, but this is a start:
Will you read my script/book/watch the movie I made/etc?
Unfortunately, I cannot read/watch your work for two reasons: 1) Legally it's a very shaky thing to read someone's script who you don't know, and who doesn't know all the things you have in the pipeline. I was once sued over a script my agent read (not even me!) that had some passing resemblance to a pitch I made (the suit was dropped because I had email going back for months before my agent read the script concerning the idea luckily). And, more importantly 2) I just don't have the time. I've had my best friend's script on my desk for almost six months, and I'm only through half of it. I can say I would read your stuff, but I just will never get to it. I'm sorry.
Are there any screenwriting books you suggest?
I think it depends upon your personality type. I love THE WRITER'S JOURNEY, by Christopher Vogler. I also think it's great for anyone who wants to be an artist of any type to do THE ARTIST'S WAY, by Julia Cameron. I had to overcome the touchy-feeliness of the text, but if you go through the chapters and do everything as prescribed you are assured an artistic breakthrough. Honestly. And if you don't have the discipline to do what's in the book, it's unlikely you have the discipline to do what you need to do in the industry. The book is good for actors too: my wife credits the book one hundred percent with giving her the insight that got her her role on THE OFFICE. And, no, neither one of us have ever met Julia Cameron.
Can you give your famous wife a message for me?
Jenna reads her email at her MySpace page, www.myspace.com/pambeesley so you can write her there.
Can you get a message to one of your famous brothers?
I'll try. Send me the message on my contact page and I'll forward it. I can't promise they will contact you back, though.
Can you send me a copy of your original DAWN OF THE DEAD/THE SPECIALS/SLiTHER script?
No, sorry. I'd post them online, but I'd run into rights issues. Maybe I'll publish THE SPECIALS or SLiTHER at some point. We'll see.
Can I interview you for my magazine/fanzine/website?
I used to do EVERY interview I was offered. But lately it's become a little overwhelming. I'll give you a maybe on this one. Email me the info and I'll forward it to Annie Jeeves, my publicist, and she'll take it from there.
Why didn't you respond to my email, you piece of shit?
Sorry, man. Sometimes I get a lot of email. I try to respond, but if I don't right away the emails get lost. But, still, I don't think thats a reason to call me a piece of shit. That's kind of harsh.
That's not a question. That's an opinion. A good cure for your opinion would be not to see any movies with running zombies. That's why the DAWN remake had running zombies in the trailer, so anyone who hated running zombies wouldn't have to see the movie. We did it out of respect for you guys. Like a warning outside a roller coaster for pregnant women and people with heart problems. Yet still you spit on us. For shame.
Why DID you make the zombies run in Dawn of the Dead?
Firstly, as far as I know, Mr. Dan O'Bannon invented running zombies in RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, not me. Secondly, in the original DAWN remake script there were both running and slow moving zombies -- it depended on the rate of decomposition. However, as the drafts were written, we decided to simplify the proceedings by making all the zombies fast as hell. Your uber-zombies, if you will.
Are you ever going to write another novel after THE TOY COLLECTOR?
Not in the near future, no. But perhaps someday.
Will you ever let anyone turn THE TOY COLLECTOR into a movie?
Probably not. I've had a number of offers to option the script, but I just never felt right about it. Isn't it okay for a book to just be a book?
Then will YOU ever turn THE TOY COLLECTOR into a movie?
I don't know. Maybe. I've thought about it. But it won't be in the near future.
How much of THE TOY COLLECTOR is true?
I believe all of THE TOY COLLECTOR is emotionally true, however only part of it is based on my real life or people I know. It is, in essence, a work of fiction.
What do you like better, writing or directing?
I actually enjoy directing more, but writing is a part of my life and I'd have a difficult time living without it.
Your wife is hot. What is it like fucking her?
Dude, thats incredibly rude. It's great.
I went to two years undergraduate film school at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. But I was pretty screwed up at the time, and had to leave. Years later I went to graduate school at the Columbia University School of Fine Arts but I studied prose writing, not film writing.
How did you come to work for Troma films?
I was still in school at Columbia in New York, and I needed a summer job. My brother Matt's boss at HBO knew Lloyd Kaufman, the head of Troma, and got me an interview. I thought I would be filing papers or something like that, but instead Lloyd offered me $150 to write Tromeo & Juliet. I took it. Shortly thereafter I started getting paid a weekly amount to work full-time at Troma.
I went to St. Louis U. High and want to be in the film industry. I havent seen any of your movies, but will you help me?
I've actually received emails similar to this at least forty times. Let me give you a little hint: if you want somebody's help in the film industry, at least see his movies. Or take the time to lie and say you like them. Jesus.
Were you surprised by the good reviews for SLiTHER?
Yes. I expected maybe fifty percent of critics to get it, and give it a positive review. I expected true horror fans to get it. So being at 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and being embraced by mainstream publications was quite a shock.
Were you surprised by the low box office for SLiTHER?
By the time the weekend arrived, we knew what had been coming for a little while. However, I would have been surprised a few weeks beforehand if I found out how little money we were going to make theatrically.
Why do you think SLiTHER did so poorly at the box office?
I really do think it was primarily the type of movie. SLiTHER was a mixed genre film, a horror comedy. Traditionally, these movies don't do well at the box office. In addition to this, however, SLiTHER was also very dark, and edgy, and very gross. Those attributes limited it even more than just being a horror comedy. Now, that said, the majority of people who saw the movie enjoyed it once they were in the theater. In fact, in our test screenings the most common comment was: "This was so much better than I thought it was going to be!" You may think that's a good thing, but it's really not. Because it meant people didn't think they were going to like it before they saw it -- i.e., people would be unlikely to buy a ticket.
What was it like working with Nathan Fillion?
Nathan's a great guy, a really close friend, and a terrific actor. However, he could be a little irritating at times because he kept coming on to me. I'd return to my trailer after a hard day, and there Nathan would be, playing with himself through his pants and staring at me with this hypnotized glare, and just saying, "Come on, man, touch it, just a little," over and over again. It was a mite creepy. But, besides that, Nathan Fillion was awesome.
What did George Romero think of the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake?
He said it was better than he expected. Of course, considering he probably expected the biggest piece of shit of all time, that could still make it the second biggest piece of shit of all time.
Is that really you answering your own emails?
No, and this isn't me either. This is a guy I hired to write all this stuff and pretend he's me.
Actually, they're both me, yes. But the great Jason Axinn is my webmaster, so he's the one that has to put all this shit up. If there's something you don't like that I said, it's something he snuck in.
Who sings that "leave me the fuck alone" song at the end of SLiTHER?
That is called "Baby, I Love You", and it's performed by the Yayhoos.
What's the song after that, over the credit scroll?
That would be "The New Kid" by the Old 97s.
What's the song at the beginning of SLiTHER, when the Mayor yells at that guy in the street?
That's "Sad World", by Simon Steadman, and it was written especially for the movie. Simon is a huge horror movie fan, and he read an early draft, and really wanted to write a song for the film. That's what he came up with, and I think it fits the movie fantastically.
Who's the biggest prick youve ever met in Hollywood?
Perry King.
Who's the nicest star youve ever met in Hollywood?
Joe Strummer.
Is there going to be a sequel to SLiTHER?
Uh, probably not. They have this crazy rule in Hollywood that a movie needs to make money to have a sequel made. Of course, with DVD, you never know.
Is there going to be a sequel to THE SPECIALS?
No. Though it has come up a couple times to turn it into a TV series. I'm inspired by what Joss Whedon did with Buffy. The movie didn't fulfill Joss's vision of the idea, so he turned it into a show the way he wanted to see it. Currently, I'm too involved in the film world to do TV, but I'm not entirely closed to the idea.
Is there going to be a sequel to DAWN OF THE DEAD?
A sequel to a remake of a sequel, huh? That's something you guys really want? I get this question a lot. The answer is, there may be, but I won't be writing it. I said no. Zack may or may not do it. Universal and the producers have tried to get something off the ground. But they haven't had any luck whatsoever. Perhaps in the future. I'll let you know here as soon as I find out.
Are you ever going to do a MASTERS OF HORROR episode?
Maybe. I've been asked, but I currently can't commit because I'm concentrating on my next film. But I left the door open, so I may do a future episode if I have the time. Mick Garris is quality people.
Is SLiTHER a remake of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS?
No. There are a lot of similarities, to be sure, but I never saw the film until after I was done shooting SLiTHER. However, Fred Dekker and I were both influenced by many of the same works -- SHIVERS, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and THE BLOB in particular.
In LOLLILOVE, the movie you acted in that your wife directed, how much of the movie was improv?
The situations were pretty much drawn out, but most of the dialogue was improvised.
Jenna said you were a diva on the set of LOLLILOVE. Were you?
Well, diva may not be the right word. I had the same problem with Jenna I've had with most of my directors -- I have a bossy, controlling nature.
Would you work with Jenna again?
I would work with her. I'm not sure she would work with me... Honestly, I think we'll work together again in small ways. But, when you're married, it's sometimes good to keep your business and your personal life separate. Therefore, cameos and small roles with each other are fun, like Jenna's cameo in SLiTHER. But to be attached at the hip like we were on LOLLILOVE you start bringing your home problems to work and your work problems home. But, who knows. We do like acting with each other.
(SLITHER SPOILER...)
No. In SLiTHER there are breeders and there are zombies.
Grant infects people with his tubules, and they become swollen with his parasitic spawn. Those are breeders. That is what happens to Brenda when she becomes the big blob. This is also what's going on with the fat people eating meat in the basement near the end of the film. They are still human, but with an unstoppable hunger for meat. All those people in the basement have swollen bellies because they're in the initial stages of pregnancy. Because Jack is impregnated in the neck, that is where the worms first start growing.
Other people in the movie are infected when the parasites burrow into their brains and begin driving them around. These people are extensions of the Grant monster's consciousness. They cease to be who they formerly were at all (although they maintain those peoples memories, because they have access to their brains).
To me it's all very simple, but a lot of people get confused. I had more explanation in the movie at one point, but it slowed things down, and people don't really seem to care all that much when they don't understand everything. It's an alien disease fucking everyone up -- they seem to be satisfied by that.
What the hell is it that you put in your hair to get that trademark Gunn hairstyle?
Actually, I get asked this once a week or so. I use Rusk Wired, and have for years. However, my hair is very very strange in its natural state. I have what I call a white man's fro - it just sticks up straight like a hedgehog and is full of cowlicks. Rusk makes it so that the strands are thicker. Also, in case you can't tell by the above answer, I am very, very gay.
In your FAQ you said Rosemary's Baby is your favortie horror movie? What is your favorite non-horror movie?
First of all, I get a hell of a lot of mail from the Netherlands and have no idea why. Anyone who knows why the fuck I'm so well-known in the Netherlands, please tell... wait a second. It's the hash, isn't it? Fuck.
Anyway, my favorite movie changes. Traditionally it's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. Recently, I've had a great appreciation for ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.
Will there be a Special Edition DVD of SLiTHER?
So, listen carefully, the DVD edition of SLiTHER being released on Tuesday is THE ONLY EDITION BEING PLANNED. We are not going to pull a sneaky move and release an unrated cut or a special edition in a few months. Initially, some of the marketing people wanted me to make up an "unrated director's cut," but I felt dishonest doing so -- the R-rated version IS my director's cut, and the MPAA okayed it the first time through. If there ever is a special edition with more supplemental material (and there's a hell of a lot on there now), it won't be for years. So I hope that lets you breathe a bit easier regarding your SLiTHER DVD purchase next week.
Have more questions? Bring 'em on!
-Can you send me an autograph?
-I want to be a working screenwriter. What advice do you have for me?
-Will you read my script/book/watch the movie I made/etc?
-Are there any screenwriting books you suggest?
-Can you give your famous wife a message for me?
-Can you get a message to one of your famous brothers?
-Can you send me a copy of your original DAWN OF THE DEAD/THE SPECIALS/SLiTHER script?
-Can I interview you for my magazine/fanzine/website?
-Why didn't you respond to my email, you piece of shit?
-Running zombies suck.
-Why DID you make the zombies run in Dawn of the Dead?
-Are you ever going to write another novel after THE TOY COLLECTOR?
-Will you ever let anyone turn THE TOY COLLECTOR into a movie?
-Then will YOU ever turn THE TOY COLLECTOR into a movie?
-How much of THE TOY COLLECTOR is true?
-What do you like better, writing or directing?
-Your wife is hot. What is it like fucking her?
-Did you go to film school?
-How did you come to work for Troma films?
-I went to St. Louis U. High and want to be in the film industry. I havent seen any of your movies, but will you help me?
-Were you surprised by the good reviews for SLiTHER?
-Were you surprised by the low box office for SLiTHER?
-Why do you think SLiTHER did so poorly at the box office?
-What was it like working with Nathan Fillion?
-What did George Romero think of the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake?
-Is that really you answering your own emails?
-Who sings that "leave me the fuck alone" song at the end of SLiTHER?
-What's the song after that, over the credit scroll?
-What's the song at the beginning of SLiTHER, when the Mayor yells at that guy in the street?
-Who's the biggest prick youve ever met in Hollywood?
-Who's the nicest star youve ever met in Hollywood?
-Is there going to be a sequel to SLiTHER?
-Is there going to be a sequel to THE SPECIALS?
-Is there going to be a sequel to DAWN OF THE DEAD?
-Are you ever going to do a MASTERS OF HORROR episode?
-Is SLiTHER a remake of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS?
-In LOLLILOVE, the movie you acted in that your wife directed, how much of the movie was improv?
-Jenna said you were a diva on the set of LOLLILOVE. Were you?
-Would you work with Jenna again?
-Was Jack a zombie at the end of SLiTHER?
-What the hell is it that you put in your hair to get that trademark Gunn hairstyle?
-In your FAQ you said Rosemary's Baby is your favortie horror movie? What is your favorite non-horror movie?
-Will there be a Special Edition DVD of SLiTHER?
What is your favorite horror movie?
A) Watch thousands of movies. And, even if you want to be a genre screenwriter, watch the classics too.
B) Work your ass off. Write through the pain and doubt. You're competing with thousands of other aspiring screenwriters out there, so it's important you work as hard or harder than they do. Hard work will make you a better writer. A combination of talent and hard work is what gets people into the film business, especially if you want a long career. No matter what people tell you, politics and who you know is a distant second.
C) Have readers whom you can trust, who can give you constructive criticism. Make sure they don't have agendas to please you unnecessarily or to put you down.
D) Beware assholes who just want to cut you down in general. Just lose those people permanently. Nobody needs that kind of thinking around them. This is different from people who think OBJECTIVELY.
E) While you're writing, don't judge it. Just write. Whether it's good or not is not your business.
F) After you're done writing your first draft, or, if you're like me, after your first couple drafts, be as objective about it as you can. Be honest about what works and what doesn't work, both with yourself and with readers you can trust.
G) Don't be precious about your material. Be willing to make major overhauls to your screenplay, and to cut huge sections out that aren't working.
H) As a general rule, write five or six screenplays before you go out to agents or people in the industry. Make sure whatever you go out with is great. People will remember a good screenplay, and want to read what you write next, but they will also remember a piece of crap and toss your next script in the trash, even if it's CASABLANCA.
I) Move to Los Angeles! Or at least New York. It is nearly impossible to make a living as a screenwriter, especially someone starting out, from someplace else. You need to dedicate your life to screenwriting, which means at the very least you should be willing to choose where you live based on that profession.
Was Jack a zombie at the end of SLiTHER?