Humor and horror have an important relationship in cinema. They exist on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, but that's why they can be so effective when used together. A funny moment can lower an audiences defenses in preparation for a great scare, and it can also diffuse tension after an extended streak of terror. Recently, we've seen this tonal balance used expertly by writer/director Zach Cregger in his new movie Weapons, and a perfect example is Josh Brolin's literal "What the fuck?" moment in the aftermath of experiencing a shocking nightmare.
When I first saw Weapons earlier this summer, the theater absolutely erupted with laughter when Brolin delivered his exhausted and confused exclamation (since declared by the great David Fincher as "the greatest line in R-rated history"), and I felt compelled to ask the actor about it when I interviewed him during the film's Los Angeles press day. It goes without saying that more than just a great delivery is needed to make the beat in the movie work, as the editor has to perfectly time it with the end of the film's dream sequence, but Brolin explained how it also took multiple takes with little changes:
We did it a few times… I'm glad that he chose the one that he chose. We laughed every time we did it… You try different ones and he would, again, he gets in there and he tweaks things and he's like, you know, when I think maybe it's the right one... But I've been around long enough to know that the right one is never necessarily the right one. Something that feels the best may not be right tonally for him in the editing room. So we did, I don't know, maybe we did six of 'em. Five of 'em. Six of 'em. I like the one that he chose though. It's just off enough…
When it comes to filmmakers who make a habit of always getting multiple takes (the aforementioned David Fincher actually being a prime example), I've frequently seen the argument that it's indicative of a director not being entirely sure what they want – but I think this story effectively illustrates why that may be an oversimplification. Just because a certain take feels right on set doesn't mean that it's going to be exactly what a sequence needs when that footage is taken to an editing suite and cut together.
I'll also say this: just as I am hopeful that the footage of Josh Brolin sleeping on set in the middle of a take will be on the Weapons home video release, I also hope that there is some kind of quick super cut edited together with all five/six versions of the actor screaming, "What the fuck?!"
Weapons – co-starring the great talents of Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenhreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, Cary Christopher and Amy Madigan – will be entering its fourth weekend at the box office this coming Friday, and despite being an August release, it has been one of the most exciting hits of the summer. It's an amazing big screen experience, and if you haven't heard Josh Brolin's epic "What the fuck?!" with a crowd yet, you should try to make that a priority soon.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
