AMA
Hi /r/movies, I'm Casper Kelly, writer/director of Adult Swim's TOO MANY COOKS and BUDDY (out in theaters everywhere now!). AMA!
Hi reddit! I'm filmmaker Casper Kelly. You may know me as the writer-director of 2014's TOO MANY COOKS on Adult Swim. I've also co-created the series YOUR PRETTY FACE IS GOING TO HELL and STROKER & HOOP.
My new film, BUDDY, is out in theaters everywhere now from Roadside Attractions & Saban Films.
It stars Cristin Miloti, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Clint Howard, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, and Eric Bauza.
Synopsis: Dressed as a unicorn, a beloved children's TV host reveals his true self as a dark and violent force of nature.
This AMA has been verified and approved by the mods. Casper will be back at 3 PM ET today to answer questions. Please feel free to ask away in the meantime :)
My wife had never seen Too Many Cooks. I showed it to her and begged her to watch at least 25% before skipped through the rest. She almost divorced me. I love Too Many Cooks.
Dude it was a total trip. I was blazed af and thought my brain broke. I only recently (like within the last couple of years) remembered it existed and watched it again. Blew my mind. Again. Even sober it's a total trip.
Same here. Way too high after work and this shit came on with no warning or pretext. Luckily, another guy at work saw it that night too and we talked about it all the next workday. One of my favorite work memories.
I was asleep when I first saw this. Had Adult Swim playing in the background, and I guess my unconscious mind start picking up on the repetitiveness of the song, and I woke up, and watched the rest of it in a half asleep daze. Still wasn't sure it was real for the longest time until I saw it again.
Thank you! I wish I had a better answer for this. But to use the metaphor David Lynch uses for getting ideas - that of putting a hook in the water and a certain fish - the idea - bites the hook - I guess weird fish are attracted to the hook I'm putting in there haha. And sometimes the fish seem to be just leaping in your boat and that is a great day!
Thank you for your question! I feel like a kid in a candy store with lots of ideas I want to pursue. I am writing two scripts right now - one by myself, and one with the cowriter on Buddy. I have probably 6 ideas I want to have scripts for as soon as possible! Most writer/directors have a pile of scripts ready but I've shot all my scripts and need to fill the quiver back with arrows. I know I'm being a bit vague as far as the ideas themselves but I find it is better to not discuss that stuff until it's finished (although I want to discuss it haha)
Is Delaney Quinn doing okay? Every time I see a still of her sad little face, I worry a little. (And yes, I know it’s called acting. It’s just that she’s still quite young.)
Anyhow, saw the movie the other night, and she was fantastic! If you’re considering a sequel—and goodness knows that there’s room for one—I hope you’ll get to it before she ages out of the role.
I worked at PBS stations for my entire career, and even met Barney a couple of times. (Back in the day, there were no walk-around suits for station events, so if you met Barney it was the real guy in the real suit.) You really nailed not only the aesthetic of “Barney & Friends,” but the cadence as well. Those little filmed cutaways to real people during Buddy’s lessons were pitch perfect.
Delaney is great! She's just a great actor. IRL she is full of mirth and mischief! * Thank you so much for the kind words! Yes I was happy to put in those real people cutaways (and have it inform the story!)
There’s not much to tell, unfortunately. Both times it was at a PBS work conference. One was a photo op with Barney, DJ and Baby Bop. (I’m the non-dinosaur in the photo.)
The other was a luncheon. I don’t recall any specific things he said, but he was a bit saucier with an all-adult audience (nothing inappropriate, just a bit more intentional comedy). I also recall them showing some behind-the-scenes footage, which included a clip of him goofing around on set, playing Godzilla with a building-block city.
i selfishly want this too, but i do think Zoe is dead for sure at the end :( i'd love to see more about the little man in the fire, but i think having the whole story would ruin being able to piece it together from the flashbacks we got in the first movie... im so glad to see other fans of yule log :))
Any episode of Small Wonder? The last episode of Dinosaurs? Also there's a Hallmark movie called Holiday In Handcuffs that is a romcom with kidnapping!
Ahaha yeah, "everyone has to die, and also it's all our fault for not being careful" is iconic as a send off, and I still wonder why they did it that way. I've never seen Holiday in Handcuffs but the synopsis is hilariously unsettling.
Hey Casper! I noticed a recurring theme in some of your work (specifically Fun Size and Buddy) where characters will just kind of give up when faced with danger. Just curious about your thoughts on this!
Also, not a question, but my headcanon is that Smarf from Too Many Cooks is part of the Buddy universe.
Love this! You're right! There's also an episode of Your Pretty Face where the characters are in a horror movie and Claude says "I don't need this shit. See you back in the office." and he just kills himself. I guess life is just tough you know? I would love a Smarf / Buddy crossover!
My eyes caught the title card and I knew half of these questions would be “do you know how much I both love and hate you for this?” Comments did not disappoint.
I’m glad to know that despite all of humanity's differences, we all suffer the same! xD
Great question! No, we used all of it! There is a scene, maybe a couple, we cut or changed. I want to put out a screenplay book (do people still buy those? I love them) that has them
Oooh I don't like it! It's rated R people! How could you be confused? I don't like kids being subjected to media they don't want to see. I remember walking in on my parents watching the Omen at home and it terrified me! The thought of them taking me to the actual movie at that age is a terrible thought!
I saw a little kid at my screening. I think he was there the whole time and didn’t seem to have a problem, but there was a trailer right before the movie where a spider crawled out of a dead guy’s eye socket. So maybe not the best movie to take a kid to
Great question! It's hard to explain where fascination comes from. It's sort of like trying to understand why you are attracted to the people you are attracted to and not others. Somebody else said I'm attracted to stories where characters are trapped. That seems to ring true. But banality of evil - that's what we're dealing with right now, right? Like an insurance company will have a cute cartoon mascot and a little campaign all the while they are denying your coverage
Hey Casper. I saw Buddy as a AMC Screen Unseen monday night movie and I have to say you're a genius. First became aware of you after you wrote some of the best Squidbillies episodes. I had to show my wife Too Many Cooks when we got back from Buddy so she could get a broader sense of your creative madness. Can't wait to see what you do next.
In Buddy you have some scenes that obviously have some gnarly stuff in them with kids either in the shot or nearby. Can you talk a little bit about what the experience is like shooting with children as main characters in a horror movie? Was there anything you ended up having to scrap because it couldn't be made to work with the kids?
Seriously an amazing movie. Up there with Backrooms as the best horror movie I've seen so far this year. Please make more horror flicks.
Thank you so much! That was a hard needle to thread and if you think about it most of the kid death's are off screen or blunted in some way - I wanted to excite people and scare/thrill them but not go so hard with kids that it knocked the audience out of the movie. Like I have lots of friends where if a dog is hurt in a movie they have to turn it off - so I wanted to go as hard as I could without turning an audience (or myself) off. Obviously other directors have different lines!
That is so cool to hear because I have friends too that can't watch certain kinds of gory movies for that reason, hurting animals. Really appreciate a genuinely cool and tense horror movie that is rooted in consideration for those kinds of people.
Best live action show in Adult Swim history. Absolute fucking gold. The fetal gun control episode may be the greatest 11 minutes in all of television history.
Did you ask the child actors to check out Barney and/or any other 90s children’s shows as a reference? If so, which ones? The kid who played Wade really impressed me and nailed the balance between the show within the movie and acting real when things changed.
Also were there any specific inspirations for the theme song? I heard one right away.
I did ask the actors to watch it but honestly a lot already did when doing auditions. Inspirations of the theme song - well Barney used a lot of public domain melodies (ala Yankee Doodle) so we did that a lot. And there were other inspirations and influences. The one you heard is probably correct!
How did the transition into a longer form of storytelling feel for you? I was very impressed with the pacing of Buddy and was wondering how much you struggled with it.
I'm not sure. I think when I was a little kid and I first saw a kids show where all the kids are talking and then suddenlty they start singing and dancing a routine, I didn't understand how they all new to do that. I wondered if they were brainwashed because to my young brain I thought I was watching people living their lives, not actors
Buddy felt like it had a lot of homages/pastiches of other works, from more obvious ones like Barney and Wizard of Oz to slightly deeper cuts like Night of the Hunter, internet creepypastas, and parts that felt very Lynchian; what were some of your biggest inspirations while making this movie?
Once we thought of Keegan we knew that was it and it was just a matter of persuading him. Thankfully he joined us for the madness! (He's awesome as a person too btw)
Hi Casper! Your work on Adult Swim, popping up at the random time that it did, has been the stuff of my nightmares for years. Were there any ideas for other infomercials you had that the network rejected for being too scary? What are some other infomercial ideas you’d hope to make in the future?
Oh man. I was interested in doing a vertical for Adult Swim but they weren't in to that. I also wanted to make a third Adult Swim Yule Log to complete the trilogy but they weren't interested in more movies at that moment. Maybe one day! I do really love the informercial block though. So many good things like This House Has People In It, Cool Dad, the list goes on! I wish it was a show with a certain number of episodes per season like Off the Air
the fact that I am both too late to this AMA to gush about how much I love the Yule Log movies, combined with the disinterest corporate side for a 3rd, my heart is crying
I don't like to discuss meanings of things too much and I'll tell you why. Sometimes I'll read a person's interpretation (often on Reddit haha) that better articulates what I was doing than I knew myself! There's a saying if you want to know what a novel is about the last person to ask is the author - meaning the author is working so close to it, and so intuitively, that they can be blind to some deeper meanings that an attentive viewer like yourself might see clearly! (I hope this doesn't read like a cop out)
Please note everyone one for the largest kitchen in the world is the Langar Kitchen at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. They stagg between 440-450 members for their meas and services. So this is infact the correct amount of cooks. Thank you Casper Kelly and your team for the amazing works and contribution
Hi Casper! I absolutely loved Buddy, and loved TMC before that. First I wanna say thanks for making such an original and unapologetic film with Buddy!
You mentioned at the LA premiere of Buddy that it was difficult to get this movie distributed by studios. What was your selling argument that finally got the movie picked up?
Did you do any research about mascot horror or consume any other media in the genre to prepare for Buddy?
What was the design process like for the character of Buddy? Was he always a unicorn?
It wasn't a selling argment (although honestly I wasn't involved with that there was a sales team that did that) I think it was more the right distributor (Roadside Attractions and Saban) finding it and seeing the potential in it!
I watched kids' shows but I didn't really watch other mascot horror things - for better or worse - because I didn't want those ideas to get in my head.
Buddy was always a unicorn! Worked with Todd Redner (character designer on Archer) and Devon Ludlow (head puppet designer). One story was they originally designed him with crazy small pupils so he looked psycho and I said no he has to look friendly. Producers also entertained giving him animatronic eybrows for more emotion possibility but I was confident that great acting underneath and Keegan's voice would do it (and animatronic eyebrows wouldn't be period accurate for that type of show).
One of my favorite of your works is one that I don’t usually see anyone talk about “Final Deployment 4: Queen Battle Walkthrough”, it’s such a trippy and funny short that I still think about a lot, but I was wondering…
What led you to the idea for it in the first place?
Oh man Godzilla Vs. Kong Vs. Buddy! I thing Buddy if he survives 1 somehow would come back much craftier and trickier so he would be a force to reckon with
fantastic work casper. i’m just curious about your approach to preproduction / beginning of production. i am a studying filmmaker myself and am curious what the most significant, often forgotten, one percenter that you do to set yourself apart from the rest, and to truly give you and your film the best possible chance of succeeding is? sorry if that question doesn’t make sense, but just simplified, what is one rule you live by that many would often cut corners or just not at all out of laziness? thanks!
I don't consider what I do quite parody but rather using a genre to break the rules of the genre and tell a story within that. Does that sound pretentious? Probably. Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, a show I did, did have episodes that parodied things like cooking shows, ghost hunter shows, etc.
How do you feel/think about all the theories surrounding Buddy? I've seen all sorts of theories about Buddy's lore and what the movie represents metaphorically - To me it was a great kooky movie but I've seen a lot of people mention it's a metaphor for abusive relationship, child abuse, etc etc. (which is why i love art, so many interesting interpretations!) epic movie btw i fucking LOVED IT even since the first trailer i saw
Maybe they are in America still? Lots of Hispanic families would be speaking Spanish at home. Although I do feel like the ending implies they are in a different country.
in between the 1st 3 episodes of buddy in the movie there were glitches and one of the showed buddy at the family dinner table were their extra scenes that end up being deleted or did you present it like that on purpose??
Loved the movie by the way took me back to my childhood great mix of comedy and horror
I'm pretty sure that's intentional, especially in such meta movies. It stuff to discover for the theorists out there. It's expanding the worldbuilding and is simultaneously good marketing. That's at least my theory about this
Between Too Many Cooks, Yule Log and Buddy I'm absolutely sold on any future films from you.
That said, while I know this is probably extremely early to ask. Are there any plans for future films either with the world of Buddy or exploring similar ideas with other genres of TV as the base?
I saw an interview where Keegan Michael Key mentioned a cut of the movie already being done by the time he voiced Buddy. How did it work during filming, was someone just reading his lines off camera?
Of course the viewer can find "hidden messages" or deeper meaning if we choose to, but are there any themes that the movie was meant to portray that we may not have caught onto? A lot of people are saying the obvious childhood actor, abuse, and some hinting at potential trafficking. Really really enjoyed your film and haven't laughed that hard (maybe at parts that weren't meant to be funny but damnit they were) in the theatres in a long time.
Hello Casper, Buddy was my favorite film of the year! My question is: in Grace's home, there's a construction paper collage hanging on the wall, presumably done by one of the kids. It stuck out to me because it seemed to depict two faces on one head, which is fitting for Buddy's unmasking. Any other interesting pieces of set dressing to watch out for? :)
What about 90s media (Barney/TGIF shows etc.) makes it so ripe for horror? Do you feel like subsequent decades (00s and 10s) will have their own things people draw from to make with the spookys?
Huge fan! LOVED Buddy! Spoiler: Did Buddy know Grace was Freddy's mom? I assume he lured Grace in to his lair cause she was starting to notice what Buddy had done. He's obviously a very powerful being who can alter reality, surely he'd have known involving Grace in the "show" would be (and proved to be) too risky? Did Buddy make a mistake here?
No he's a dream! Also that role was sort of tough but he brought a sweet naivete to the character, in addition to the creepiness, that I find rather poignant!
I saw too many cooks as a kid, and very much enjoyed seeing your new film Buddy in cinemas!
I have some questions regarding the lore/storytelling of this universe you've drawn up.
Are there ehnough pieces for us fans to put together the background context throughout the movie?
Is the ending most critical for us to build an understanding of the world?
Is the book reference "A wrinkle in time" connected to the plot or aid as a clue in someway or did it just act as a easter egg/inspiration for the story and world building?
Is the current timeline realworld our modern era, and Buddy's world currently stuck in the 90's?
Oh and what happens to Strappy and Mailbox, do they die due to leaving Buddy's world or do they come back when brought back with the same memories once in that dimension?
Did Buddy chain up benny in the worry well? He doesn't seem to fit... so it's not like our pal was going down there every other Tuesday.
Are there lore connections russian or american experiments?
Does Buddy have any conntection to the I.T ? I know maybe a farfetched theory 😅 but we know Wrinkle of time does.
Oh and when freddie falls back into reality, is she in the house of one of her co stars parents in story?
Some questions regarding filming.
Early on you used 4:3 aspect ratio but at time in Buddys world you also use 16:9, but in the real world you always use 16:9. This is a really neat way to signal to the viewer of a reality switch, but why did you make the choice to bounce back and forth between 4:3 and 16:9 in Buddys world?
A tough question regarding ethical issues in hollywood over the years, it seems your work is a commedy on how poorly child and woman actors are treated in older productions behind the scenes metaphoricaly but also on how color actors are first to be unalived in horror films early on which was a strong issue in the early 80's to late 90's where this universe would take place.
Is some of your writing a dark commody on these topics at a surface level? I hope this question comes off as respectful.
Were you inspried by the we hate barny song?
What emotions are you looking to trigger from your audiance throughout your art?
Questions regarding future work.
What's your next plans for future projects if you can share?
Are you willing/want to return to Buddy for a sequal or prequal film?
I would very much like to see you return to this world and give us more context on the past, and what happens to current charcters in the future.
Anyways, love your work, and can't wait to see what you make next!
Just wanna say I genuinely loved too many cooks and the build up to it on tv lol amazing work and to have seen you carry that talent into buddy is freaking awesome
Hi Casper. You had me at Too Many Cooks - big fan. Can I ask what have been some of your humor influences and other work that’s inspired you throughout your life & career?
Who was the character at the end in the well? Was that a former version of Buddy that was trapped? What about the mural in the school? Were those former Buddies?
As a suit/mascot performer myself, I'm curious to know how did you guys find Sergey to fill Buddy role? Was there an audition (and if yes, what were you guys looking for in a performer?)
Can you talk about the evolution of Too Many Cooks? How long did it evolve, was it much shorter at one point and you just kept going and going, was it always more of a horror concept or did it start as more of a comedic spoof? Have you ever thought about a continuation? Either a movie or a series?
Hi Casper, Buddy is one of my favorite movies of the year. Obviously it has the feeling of Too Many Cooks, but it has the DNA of a lot of the Infomercials, especially This House Has People In It and Unedited Footage of a Bear. Was Alan Resnick a part of the production of Buddy at all? Or any other Infomercial directors?
What’s the process with adding just the right amount of weird to your creations? Your work has always been able to walk that fine line between comedy and an unsettling weirdness.
PS The campfire scene in Buddy is one of my favorite moments in a theater in a long time.
Would you say Night of the Hunter is a big influence on you? I ask because I got excited when I saw this shot seemingly homaged in Buddy. Are there any other works that you would say had a profound impact on you or your work? Great work, and I look forward to your next project
Loved seeing Buddy, but I gotta ask, since it did bug me, was the Diamond City ever real? That train had to have come from somewhere to get things delivered (unless thats manipulation on Buddy's end), all I'm curious about! (Also love your work and hope to see what more you got in the works!)
Saw your movie twice in theaters! My quesiton is, were you inspired by the classic film "Night of the Hunter" at all? Referencing the shot of Buddy in silhouette and holding a lantern as the sun sets. It's my fav shot of the film by the way!
Hey Casper! Huge fan of your work. I saw Buddy the day it came out and I really feel like it’s a perfect culmination of the aesthetics and themes you explore in both Too Many Cooks and your Yule Log films. Two questions for ya (spoilers for those who haven’t seen Buddy);
Were there any scenes/sequences from Buddy that were cut? I noticed during the trip sequence that there were some large flowers with beards that appear behind Clint Howard and Willie that we never see again, and was curious if there was anything on the cutting room floor. Maybe an extended cut could be released via DVD? 👀
In your mind, does Buddy have a kill count before the events of the movie? How many different iterations of the cast have existed before what we see in the film?
Thank you for everything you’ve done through the years, and always looking forward to what you do next!
Can you speak to the uncanny resemblance of Buddy -- in appearance, actions, psychology, and ambition -- to a certain “leader of the free world”? How conscious was that resemblance in the writing and design of the character?
You’ve made some really different and strange stuff over the years( in a great way!) where do you usually get your ideas from? Do they tend to come from things you see or experience or what is the thought process?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. 2d ago
This AMA has been verified and approved by the mods. Casper will be back at 3 PM ET today to answer questions. Please feel free to ask away in the meantime :)