268. LIFERS - Joe Swanberg

Joe Swanberg’s feature debut, KISSING ON THE MOUTH, premiered at SXSW in 2005, which turned out to be a real vintage year. It was at that festival that Joe met many of the filmmakers who would become key collaborators and fellow travelers navigating the world of low budget moviemaking. Somebody started calling it “Mumblecore” — and the fairly perjorative moniker stuck. But here’s the thing: That truly DIY movement shifted the trajectory of American independent cinema away from the flashy crime movies that had dominated the previous decade, and towards much more personal films, whose low-res authenticity took advantage of newly affordable digital video cameras and editing gear. Joe is nothing if not productive—he released 6 movies in 2011—so it’s kinda crazy to realize that his 20th feature, the funny and excellent sleeper comedy THE SUN NEVER SETS, is his first in 9 years. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. On this episode we find out what the hell he’s been up to, discuss his constantly moving brick and mortar video store, ask him why he’s editing a porno on 16mm and talk about Alaska, John Waters, Netflix, and watching DAZED AND CONFUSED with his dad. ALSO: We pick the BEST needle drops.