Introductions were made: Mitch, this is the new kid, Billy Murray…
There was something intense about him, Glazer says.
He could be insanely funny at will, literally for hours at a time.
Credit: Getty Images
He was just insanely on.
It was dazzling actually to be around him.
But also, he was this big, imposing guy.
I remember John leaning over to me and saying, Keep driving, keep driving!
We looped around and went out the other way.
Glazer and Murray (and Lynch) have teamed up again forRock the Kasbah, which opens Friday.
Barry Levinson directed, and Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, and Danny McBride costar.
Glazer spoke to EW in advance of the films world premiere in New York.
MITCH GLAZER: No, this was a leap of faith.
But not hugely because Ive written for him for so long.
Aside from the movies, weve worked together and were friends.
I love writing Bills voice.
But clearly I have.
For good or ill, I hear his voice in my head.
But I wrote it like seven years ago.
Doing a comedy set in the region they were nervous about, I guess.
But times have changed.
That was the reason why I wrote this.
I had the exact same feeling as you did.
He had done three or four fairly somber movies in a row.
But I had the exact same feeling.
I saw him as one of those Western gunfighters who refuses to pull his guns out.
And he knew it.
At one point, he said, I think its time for me to be funny again.
And I was the fortunate beneficiary of that change in career direction.
And he was lit up on set.
He was so happy for the entire seven weeks we were in Morocco.
He ended up staying a week after we left, just because he was having so much fun.
I met him 38 years ago, and weve worked together sinceScrooged, and Ive never seenthisguy on set.
I mean, he was unleashed.
He was just really happy; he had two of his sons with him.
The work experience was really just wonderful.
I imagine you crossed paths with a few Richie Lanztype characters over the years.
I started as a rock journalist forCrawdaddymagazine in the 70s andRolling Stone.
My whole misspent youth was on tours and with these guys.
I was with the Blue Brothers when they played the Winterland New Years show with the Grateful Dead.
That was just memories.
An audience of one who goes, Oh my God, the Bangles tour of 85!
I have no idea who else will get it.
I loved that Billwent to Comic-Con for the film.
Typically, thats the crowd for the superhero and the tentpole franchises.
But Bill Murray turned out being the biggest star there.
I think it rocked him.
I know it did.
He couldnt believe it.
It was like a rock star star entering into an area.
Everybody on their feet and thunderous.
He came up [on stage] in character in the beginning, with the bandana and stuff.
Theres no trying to shape or protect or create an image.
He answered the questions.
I just went, Oh my God.
But he did it, and they were so affectionate, just as he knew it would be.
He wanted to connect, and he had a great time.
Youve directed Bill inPassion Playand you watched up close as others have.
Is there an art to directing Bill?
I dont have a deep well of experience directing him; it was one movie.
Bill likes to get warmed up.
That way, he knows hes done it as written and then can go his own way.
Mickey at the time was one take or two, and he wanted to be spontaneous.
And then Bill would start to feel good with what he was doing after four takes.
So juggling the two was kind of interesting.
Barry just has a lifetime of talent of doing it.
He was so inventive and actor friendly.
They were a great team.
The film is set in Afghanistan and you recently screened it for an Afghan Pashtun immigrant community in California.
How was it received?
you’re able to hear bullets.
So hes familiar with the conflict.
We did a Q&A after, and they have questions.
At least thats what they said to me afterwards.
What was the audiences reaction, in terms of when and what they laughed at?
They laugh at the same places.
As far as the ride of the movie, they seem to be like any audience.
And thats one of the points of the film.
There are things that unite as opposed to divide us.
And I saw it in the screening.
They laughed at all the same places American audiences would.
Bill might be settled into the Wrigley Field bleachers by then.
[Note: This conversation took place before Game 1 of the playoffs against the Mets.]
[Laughs] I see it as fate.
Hes going to be in New York, when theyre playing Game 1 and 2 this weekend.
Our world premiere is Monday, which is a dark night for the games.
So hopefully for him, hell be two-up and in great spirits on the red carpet.
But it must be out of body for him.
He is a lifetime diehard Cubs fan.
So this is just surreal, I think.
Hopefully, itll be a good sign for us, one way or another.
The other thing you guys have coming out is the Netflix Christmas special.
Do you know how it all started?
Yeah, it was my idea.
This was four years ago.
Because Bill, he does sing.
Obviously he did that lounge guy, Nick Winters, over the years.
Ive heard him over the years.He sang Gloria with Eric Clapton, which was hysterical.
So it was something in his head, and we were talking about the shape of it.
Then completely separately, Sofia Coppola called me and said, Hi Mitch, I have this idea.
I keep seeing Bill singing at Bemelmans like Chet Baker.
Do you think we could do something like that?
It was literally synchronicity.
So then, it became the three of us.
And that was the response from anybody that he asked.
Since it was going to be at Bemelmans, its all shot in the Carlyle Hotel.
Its so perfect, and New York kind of elegant.
And it becomes like a family.
I just love it.
But he embraced this.
I mean, its not him.
Its our fantasy version of Bill Murray Big Star kind of thing.
But its got real heart to it, and the music is amazing all the way through it.
Its just a big wall of sound coming from her and Paul Shaffer.
Rashida Jones and Jason Schwartzman play a couple who are trying to get married in the hotel.
At the very least, seems like a great opportunity to just hang with really cool people.
It was five days of work at the Carlyle.
You start singing those great Christmas songs with people you love, and Paul Shaffer is the musical director.
I mean, my God, I would do that daily.
Do you think this could become an annual thing, or is this a one and done?
I was thinking this would be a joy to do again.
I dont know about yearly, but it was a great feeling.
The three of us have actually talked about how cool it would be to do another one.
Bills got some ideas that are great.
Youve known Bill for 30-somethingyears.
Still the same guy or has he mellowed?
I dont know if hes mellowed, if thats the right word.
And thats pretty amazing because he was pretty deep to begin with.
Hes always been one of the smartest, best-read, most curious men Ive ever met.
Thats something Im not sure the world got initially.
I think they donowbecause hes let more of that out.
But anyone that knew him knew he was just wildly smart.
I think hes just really used his life to learn things.
Heisreally spontaneous and hes lived his life consciously in a non-Hollywood Movie Star way.
He says often that thats the best of him, is on a movie set.
He loves what he does.
People come up to him are so affectionate and respectful, and his response is likewise.
you might feel the goodwill.
I was almost going to say theres an art to it, but theres really not.
Its almost just an essence.
Ive been with people who fly with two assistants and only fly private, etc, etc.
Ive picked up Bill at airports on a JetBlue flight from New York to Burbank.
Its not like hes a savant.
He really does concentrate on staying intact.
Its not as easy as you would think.
But he lived that.
He has good friends, and a great supportive family.
I think hes got a real good life.
What are you writing next?
I adapted an Elmore Leonard book calledBanditsfor Bruce Willis.
We have to come up with another name because he actually did another movie calledBanditswith Barry, weirdly.
That would be for the spring, and Im trying to put together the financing for theMagic Cityfilm.
Its taken awhile because things do, but I think its imminent.
That would be a dream.
