Director Neil LaBute of Death at a Funeral
Photograph: Teri Pengilley 

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Director, screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, Your Friends & Neighbors, Nurse Betty, The Wicker Man, Lakeview Terrace) is known for being the voice of the raw human psyche. He hangs our dirty laundry front and center on the screen and on stage, exposing dysfunctional families, individual perversions and social depravity.

This time LaBute does it in the form of directing the American remake of the 2007 British dark comedy Death at a Funeral. A mournful funeral ceremony turns comically chaotic when dysfunctional family dynamics take over and a perversive twist is revealed. It stars an ensemble cast including Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Regina Hall, Tracy Morgan, Zoë Saldaña, James Marsden, Columbus Short, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Danny Glover, Peter Dinklage, Luke Wilson and Kevin Hart.

To help promote the DVD and Blu-ray release of Death at a Funeral on August 10, 2010 at all major retailers,  LaBute spent some time sharing his Death at a Funeral experience and even recommending some of his own film favorites!

Annie Chu: How did you become involved in DEATH AT A FUNERAL? What was it that attracted you most about this project?

Neil LaBute: I came to the project through Chris Rock, whom I'd worked with previously, and the company Screen Gems, whom I'd just finished doing a film with (LAKEVIEW TERRACE)--it was a lucky break that they were working together on this.

AC: How was it to reunite with Chris Rock since NURSE BETTY?

NL: Great! It's always nice to work with someone again whom you like and respect--Chris and I have similar sensibilities and taste in films; we also admire each other's work so that's nice, too--it's a job where you're constantly moving and working with new people so it feels good to see a familiar face once in a while.

Copyright © Screen Gems

AC: What was it like working with other established actors such as Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan and Danny Glover?

NL: It's exciting and it also makes my job easier--these guys know what they're doing, what makes them look good, etc. You have to be willing to listen and understand what everybody needs and what they're bringing you in the film. I appreciated all the help
and good ideas they brought not just to their own characters but the film as a whole.

AC: How do you feel about remakes, especially directing the American version of the original British version of DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2007)? What kind of changes did you make and why?

NL: Maybe it's because I started in the theater, but I have no problem with 'remakes' as an idea--I see people do versions of HAMLET or DEATH OF A SALESMAN
all the time--what's important is what you bring to it and how you interpret the piece--we made DEATH AT A FUNERAL a new experience but also one that you could recognize if you'd seen the original; it's a whole different kind of family you're dealing with and their reactions are going to be unique to that world.

AC: Did you encounter any challenges working on DEATH AT A FUNERAL?

NL: Movies are a challenge--they're exciting to work on but also tricky and expensive and constantly in motion--they can be very stressful and I have to keep my head in the game all the time, not let myself get caught up in how big the production is or figure out how I'll ever get it done; you take it a step at a time and slowly piece it all together--films are giant puzzles waiting to reveal themselves to you.

AC: How did you feel about the final product of DEATH AT A FUNERAL? Is there anything you wanted to change, but didn't have time? In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently?

NL: I'm very proud of the final film; it's supposed to be a comedy and it's funny--there's a lot of just choreography of people involved and it was fun to map out all that detail and make it work--I've watched it with many audiences (including international ones) and that's the true pleasure, in the moment of it playing and watching an audience sit there and enjoy themselves--I could always find something to change (from one shot or joke to certain pieces of music) but overall I'm happy with what we accomplished with the film.

Copyright © Screen Gems

AC: Have you gained any new knowledge from working on DEATH AT A FUNERAL that you will apply to future projects? How about anything you will never do again?

NL: It was the first time that I shot on video--we used the Sony 'Genesis' system--and it was a godsend in terms of working with actors; it allowed them to work and work and never be slowed down by the crew--we never had a rollout (end of a roll of film) or other technical problems that you can run into with film--I've become a big advocate of that kind of shooting--it feels like you never get enough rehearsal so that's something I would fight for next time; as much time as possible to work with actors, get to know them, work on scenes, etc., before we actually begin shooting. It always helps to be prepared.

AC: How did you get into filmmaking?

NL: I got into directing film by writing (plays mostly but things that attracted film producers) and by directing theater--all of what I knew about working with actors and placing a camera came either from what I'd done in the theater or from watching a lot of other films.

AC: Who were your mentors and how did they help you shape your unique style?

NL: Nice of you to say that i have a style! Some people would disagree. I didn't have film school mentors (I didn't go to film school) but I loved the work of various directors and learned as much from their work as I could--I love Eric Rohmer (French director) and his very simple, still approach to capturing relationships on film; I love Woody Allen, his scripts and his approach to the camera and actors; Ingmar Bergman (beautiful photography and intense relationships captured on film)--I'm a big fan of people out there working right now, too, and I go to the cinema all the time just as a fan but now I feel like I'm learning at the same time, too.

AC: In your films and plays, you focus on the cynical dark side of humanity and dysfunctional relationships. Do you relate more closely to them personally? In what ways is DEATH AT A FUNERAL similar to your past works? In what ways is it different?

NL: I relate to that side of my work in that I'm constantly curious about what makes people tick and how/why they are able to live together, turn on each other, etc. As a writer I'm a great observer so I'm constantly watching, remembering, studying. DEATH AT A FUNERAL was a more complete comedy than anything else I'd worked on and that made me happy to work more completely in that genre; It shares a closeness to my other work in that it still features a group of men acting foolishly around other people. I'm big on the 'boy/man' character and how he operates in today's world.

Copyright © Screen Gems

AC: What challenges do you face as a film director versus theater director? Where does your heart lie, film or theater?

NL: The money involved in film creates far more pressure than I ever feel in the theater. I enjoy it but the way we do the process--in a non-linear way based on economics--makes me long for the simple process in theater of working from process to product. I think my heart is honestly in both worlds and I don't want to choose between them but theater is my first love--it's where I started.

AC: Can you tell us a bit about your next upcoming projects?

NL: Right now I'm writing and reading various film projects--the next creative projects up for me will be theater; a new play in NYC in the fall and a new play in London at the start of the new year.

AC: Are there any films you wish you could have directed?

NL: I'll give you a quick handful, all of which I've previously expressed admiration for: I wish I directed LA DOLCE VITA, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, CONTEMPT, MANHATTAN, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, CLAIRE'S KNEE, THE SEARCHERS and BLACK NARCISSUS (along with probably a few hundred others).

AC: What are some of your favorite films you would recommend?

NL: I would start with the list above--if you haven't seen all of those movies (a few times each) then turn off your T.V., run out to Blockbuster or log on to Netflix and start purchasing them immediately. You'll be glad you did.

No one will rest in peace.

Go to

August 10, 2010 DVD & Blu-ray: Death at a Funeral is a laughing matter

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