Clem Franek
Clem is a serial entrepreneur who served as 'President of West Coast Productions' for Conundrum Entertainment (Farrelly Brothers) from 1999 to 2010.during which time the production company r ...Show More
[on his your biggest blunder as a producer] There have been so many! I passed on numerous scripts th Show more
[on his your biggest blunder as a producer] There have been so many! I passed on numerous scripts that turned in to hits. One that certainly cost me and the company millions does stick out. I was sitting in my office way back around 1999 when a secretary handed me a package from one of the agencies. I think it was CAA. Anyway, inside was a VHS tape with little else as far as explanation or information. The script I was reading was so terrible that I decided to watch it. What was on the tape was very grainy and primitively shot in what was clearly someone's backyard and basement with a cheap hand held camera. The content of the tape was some very raw footage of some young hillbilly looking dude tazing himself, trying to jump on a bull and eating cockroaches and other acts of insanity. Despite it's grade school simplicity there was something actually captivating and funny about it. While it had me laughing I had no idea where to go with it. Certainly there was no place for this vile insanity on TV and the idea that it could be the basis for a string of mega-hit movies was preposterous. So I did the only logical thing. I finished watching it had my yuks before promptly throwing it into the trash. As you might have guessed by now this was a copy of the initial home video version of Johnny Knoxville and what turned out to be one of the most profitable franchises ever. The 'Jackass' TV series and the subsequent string of blockbuster box office movies I'm sure have grossed something approaching a billion dollars of revenue. Now who was the real Jackass? Moi! Hide
[on punching up scripts for Owen Wilson] Undeniably the easiest job in Hollywood. The process involv Show more
[on punching up scripts for Owen Wilson] Undeniably the easiest job in Hollywood. The process involves sitting down in Owen's living room, usually for a several hours on 2 afternoons often with his brother Andrew (who's very funny) as well as one or two other comedians/ writers. You sip at a beverage of one's choosing, as long as it has tequila in it, and read aloud Owen's new project aloud with the aspiration of tweaking a few extra laughs or two. Every one takes a role to read as you go through the script. But that's not the easy part. The easy part is when you give a suggestion of a line. Your suggested line might be okay but nothing stellar. Maybe a B minus tops. But once Owen gets a hold of it and says it aloud he turns it into comedic gold. There's something about his unique intonation and cadences. Let me give you an example. I think it was in the script for 'You, Me and Dupre'. Owen's character is interviewing for a job but rather than focusing on what he might bring to the company he is fixated on what holidays he will get days off on. His character rattles of a series of holidays such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving. My thought was rather than going with traditional holidays, using more obscure holidays such as Columbus Day and Victory Over Japan Day. Clearly nothing ground breaking. Something you or anyone might have suggested. Besides both were actual holidays that were observed in Rhode Island as I was growing up. Well Owen spins this tidbit into some very funny lines. When the interviewer hesitates about giving Columbus Day off Owen's character responds along the line of "You DO realize that he discovered the New World. No small thing. And I have to be honest. Your hesitation makes me reticent about even broaching a holiday very dear to me, Victory Over Japan Day". Anyway you get the point. Owen's incredible at turning nothing into something. That little nothing suggestion actually made it into the trailer for the movie. He did the magic and I got the credit. Hide
Clem Franek's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (4)