Ash Avildsen | Wrestling The Story

I find myself calling the front desk.

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Can you bring me the real remote?

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I try to explain to them

why I need the real remote.

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The maintenance guy comes

other times, no one's working.

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So I'm just like, I'm just going to

play it on my computer or my phone.

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Announcer: Welcome to story and craft.

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Now here's your host, Marc Preston.

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Marc Preston: All right, here we go.

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Another episode of story and craft.

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Welcome back.

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Good to have you.

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I'm Marc Preston.

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If this is your first episode,

welcome, glad to have you along.

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Uh, today sitting down with director

Ash Avildsen, uh, now he's not only

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a director, he has a record label.

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He's a kind of a Renaissance

guy doing a lot of different

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things, but a new film out.

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His first big one.

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It is called queen of the ring.

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Uh, it is out today, Friday, March 7th.

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It's with Emily Bette Rickards.

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Also Josh Lucas, Martin Cove,

who is in Cobra Kai, as well as

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the original Karate Kid movies.

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Which is kind of cool because Ash's

father, John Avildsen, who was also a very

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well known director, directed the Karate

Kid movies as well as the Rocky movies.

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Lean on me and a whole lot more.

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Great conversation.

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Enjoyed sitting down with Ash.

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And, uh, don't forget, if you

would, stop on by our website,

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smallrequeststoryandcraftpod.

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Dot com slash rate head there, rate,

uh, an episode, rate the show, leave

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some stars, leave a review, uh,

make sure you on your podcast app,

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whichever one you use, follow the show.

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That way you get notified every

time we have a new episode.

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All right.

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So, uh, tell you what, let's

jump right into it today.

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Ash Avildsen day right

here on story and craft.

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So, uh, where are you

joining me from today?

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Ash Avildsen: I am at the

Santa Monica Proper Hotel.

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Marc Preston: How did you

fare during the fires?

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Ash Avildsen: I was out of town.

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Uh, my home here is for sale.

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So I didn't really, uh, very fortunate.

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It didn't really affect me at all.

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Um, I wasn't here for any of it.

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Marc Preston: But yeah,

that's good to hear.

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You're okay though.

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So glad we had a chance to connect it.

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You know, I was checking out your

stuff and kind of seeing your,

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your sort of a, I don't want to say

renaissance guy, but you've kind of,

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you've, you've, you've done more than

just dabble in a few things here.

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Is this the first big kind of release,

uh, you know, queen of the ring, is

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this the kind of the first big one?

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No, you've done some other

projects, but is this kind of,

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Ash Avildsen: This is

the first big one for

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Marc Preston: sure.

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You got a great cast and I've seen the

previews, it all looks just fantastic.

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But I got to know how this even got

to you, this project, uh, was this

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something that, you know, you'd kind

of been tied in with, let's say,

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the writer or did they come to you?

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How did this come together for you?

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Ash Avildsen: Oh, I've always been a

big fan of pro wrestling and I wanted

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to make a fictional Story that was

kind of like a love letter to all my

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favorite, um, stories from the eighties.

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And I felt that there wasn't really

a, um, I felt like at the time there

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wasn't that movie that took place in

the world of pro wrestling that had a

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great, you know, inspirational ending.

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Uh, I loved the wrestler by Aronofsky,

but that's obviously about, Oh yeah.

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So I called Jim Ross, who, uh, is

a legendary WWE executive and hall

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of famer and commentator and asked

if he'd, he'd work on developing

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it with me because he's lived it.

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I want it to be as, um,

as authentic as possible.

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And he said, sure.

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By the way, have you ever

heard of Mildred Burke?

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And I said, no, who's that?

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He said, you should check out

this book, Queen of the Ring.

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So that weekend I read the

Queen of the Ring book.

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I found out all about Mildred Burke.

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I got, I became completely enchanted.

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with her story and I called him back

Monday morning and I said, forget

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about the eighties fictional thing.

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We have to tell this woman's story.

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This is incredible.

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And uh, and I was, you know, I was,

I was both upset and sad that, um,

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I didn't know who Mildred Burke

was, nor did any of my friends who

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were also big pro wrestling fans.

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We just had never heard.

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Her story or heard of her at all.

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So, uh, like what,

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Marc Preston: what era was

she wrestling in though?

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Because, uh, looking at the previews,

this is going back sixties, fifties ish.

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Is that about right?

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Ash Avildsen: Thirties to fifties, yeah.

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Marc Preston: Oh, okay.

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Ash Avildsen: Mid thirties to mid fifties.

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Marc Preston: Yeah.

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'cause the, you know, when I was

growing up, I, I wasn't really big into

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wrestling, but wrestling was sort of kind.

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omnipresent growing up in

Dallas and the von eric family.

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And that was, you know, it was, you

know, because there wasn't time and

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they were, they were doing like pizza

hut commercials, you know, they were

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like, it was, it was mainstream enough.

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And so everybody knew who they were,

you know, just even if you weren't

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necessarily into it, but what kind

of grabbed you about wrestling?

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Ash Avildsen: I, I was just so entertained

by it, you know, uh, as a little kid,

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I got into it at a very young age and

I just found it wildly entertaining

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the characters and the personas

and all of the drama and theatrics.

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And I just fell in love with the world.

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I found it very, very entertaining,

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Marc Preston: you know, even

watching the, uh, uh, What was it?

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I iron claw was at the movie with about

about the von Erichs and you look at it,

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it was, it was, it felt like a little

bit, it just kind of felt different.

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It felt kind of like a little bit

of the wild West, a little bit,

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you know, like I said, being in

Dallas, it was kind of mainstream.

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We, I mean, we knew what it was all about,

but, and then you kind of came into the

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WWE and there's a big spectacles and,

uh, you know, it just seemed like it

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really grew and just kind of ballooned.

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Was wrestling a big thing back in the day

or was it if you knew about it, you knew

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about it You know going back to when you

know the era that the movie takes place in

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Ash Avildsen: uh, it became

a big deal for women.

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Um, Mainly because mildred burke

broke through and became a superstar

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The men's side didn't really explode

into big pop culture until a gorgeous

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georgian age of television Gorgeous

George is actually credited with

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selling a massive amount of TVs.

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They were even calling him Georgie

boxes because back in the fifties,

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people were just so entertained by him.

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Um, and he does play a part in in

the film and in Mildred story and was

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in the book, The Queen of the Ring.

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Um, but the men were definitely drawing

tickets and they were drawing more

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tickets up until Uh, when Mildred broke

and once Mildred really broke through,

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she started headlining over men.

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She was, uh, you know, the

first woman to do that in this

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world of sports entertainment,

to actually headline over men.

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Um, but it was definitely bad.

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I mean, they were selling out arenas.

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Uh, she was, we didn't go into

so much of her international.

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Um, impact in, in, in the film, but yeah,

she became an international superstar.

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And at the time she was the highest

paid female athlete in the world.

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And I believe the first ever female

athlete to make a million dollars.

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And it was really the first to

do combat sports and become, you

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know, a household name at the time.

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But because The peak of her career was

prior to the television era of wrestling.

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She's been very forgotten about.

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Um, I grew up knowing Mae Young and the

fabulous Moolah cause they were still

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in WWE and in their older years, but

Mildred was, was never part of that.

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So she's, she was really

forgotten about by most.

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Marc Preston: The casting, like with,

uh, Emily, but, uh, uh, Rickards

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and, um, Josh Lucas was casting, did

you kind of know where you wanted

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to go with it or now you've got this

story, you've got a screenplay like.

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Was it a challenge to find just

the right folks or did you kind

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of land on them pretty quick?

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Ash Avildsen: It was a challenge.

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I mean, first and foremost, it was

a challenge just because it's an

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ambitious film for an independent

production and I'm not a name director.

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So, you know, getting, getting name

actors in roles, uh, is very hard.

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Um, but we were fortunate to get Emily

and Josh and they, they were terrific.

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We're really fortunate to get

Walton, uh, God, this is Jack.

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But, uh, yeah, it was definitely,

it was definitely a challenge.

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I mean, it's just hard.

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Indie film, unless you have a really

big studio or a big, you know,

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named director on a project like

this, um, you know, getting very

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recognizable actors who are having

good, you know, runs in their career.

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It's tough.

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It's not easy.

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Marc Preston: you know, just kind of

hit rewind a little bit of, uh, uh, you

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know, your musician, you have the record

label, which I'm kind of fascinated by,

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you know, the whole record label thing,

because I came up, uh, in radio, uh,

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for many years and I was in my thirties,

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Ash Avildsen: you got the radio voice.

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Marc Preston: Yeah.

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I've been accused of that once or twice.

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Um, it's been kind of a tectonic

shift in the way things are done.

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Like I look at my kids, you

know, they're, you know, 19.

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How old are my kids?

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19, 20, 21, and how they

discover music is different now.

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They got Spotify at well, primarily,

but I guess like when we were coming

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up, you discovered music on the radio.

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You know, some people just hung out like

a, you know, what we have it like growing

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up in sound warehouse, you know, and all

the different music stores just go hang

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out there and, you know, see what's up.

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How do you define, uh, right now,

how the music industry is shifting?

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Because I wonder how record

labels pull it together.

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Ash Avildsen: Yeah.

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Well, it's never been easier to discover

new music because there's no longer

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really like gatekeepers of distribution.

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Anyone can, you know, uh, record a

song and get it on Spotify and Apple.

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Uh, And all of those places, but

there's also so much music that comes

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out every week that it's, it's an

incredible amount of new music weekly.

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So, uh, there's more competition

and more, you know, noise, if

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you will, to break through.

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So that's kind of like the double edged

sword of the digital era, but, uh,

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yeah, you know, there's no, there's no.

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There's no magic formula, you know,

um, everything plays a part, uh, uh,

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whether, you know, you, you tour music

videos, social media, radio, word of

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mouth, if, if the internet just kind of

embraces you, if you, if you just kind of.

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Click into what's happening

week to week with culture, but

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there's no, there's no magic wand.

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Um, and you know, most of the artists

that end up having real careers that

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sustain it's a combination of all of it.

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You know, it's playing live.

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It's touring.

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It's press.

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It's music videos.

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It is play listing, which is

kind of a new form of radio.

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Um, yeah.

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Uh, it's all of it.

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You know, there's no, no, when you say

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Marc Preston: playlist thing, is that

like notable folks put out, Hey, this

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is my playlist to what I'm listening to.

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Uh, is that kind of what

you mean by playlisting?

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There are like, you know, human.

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Ash Avildsen: Well, there, there,

there's like, I don't want to call it

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an influencer, but there are playlists

that have like a face to them, like a,

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like a, like a human, like an ambassador.

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Um, but a lot of the big playlists

on Spotify, you don't really

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know who's running it, but,

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Marc Preston: Oh, Oh, I

see what you're saying.

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Yeah.

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You're like, if you're looking for

like EDM, like a specific genre

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or something like that, somebody

is curating that to some degree.

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Ash Avildsen: Fridays and things that are

very like week to week, but yeah, there's

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a lot, you know, Um, depending on the

genre or sub genre that you're listening

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to, you're looking for the playlists help,

but, um, playlists don't break artists.

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You know, the only thing that really

breaks an artist is that people

225

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just falling in love with them.

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Marc Preston: Yeah, that's

what happened with my daughter.

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And, uh, I'm forgetting the country

artist name, but he, you know, there's

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some folks who just like, especially

during COVID, we're just cranking out

229

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videos, YouTube or, uh, like Instagram.

230

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And the next thing, you know, they've got

a bazillion downloads and a record deal.

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You know, coming up in radio, it was,

it was kind of, in a way, kind of fun.

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It was a little different because you

always have the, the, the folks coming

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from record label, Hey, let's take you

out to a really expensive dinner and

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let's, you know, it was always them

schmoozing the DJs, which the DJs rarely

235

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had any input on it was really music

director and program director, you know.

236

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But there was always this kind of

relationship and everybody knew

237

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who the record label folks were.

238

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And is it still, do you still

have to work radio kind of the

239

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same way you did back in the day?

240

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Or is it just a small piece

of what you're doing now?

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Ash Avildsen: I wasn't around, you know,

I started my label in 2006 and I, I was in

242

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a band that was signed to a label in 2004.

243

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So I was, I was all on this side

of the two thousands prior to that.

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There was a lot of like payola, um, which,

you know, they made illegal, which is

245

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basically, you know, the labels were like

buying their way onto the radio stations

246

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and bribing people and all of that.

247

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So that I've never experienced

that I've been a part of that.

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Um, thankfully it's changed and

it's more based on, on merit now,

249

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but there's still a lot of, um, you

know, a lot of it's relationships and

250

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a lot of it's just how a song does

once it comes out and how people are

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Marc Preston: reacting to it.

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And if my kids don't buy albums, I'm just,

it's the whole, like, even how you make

253

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money in the music business seems to be.

254

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The whole different dynamic because

they'll just kick on Spotify when

255

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you were coming up as a young guy.

256

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What were you listening to?

257

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What was, uh, what was your jam?

258

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Ash Avildsen: I always gravitated towards

rock and alternative music at a young age.

259

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So, um, it was, I mean, I loved a

lot of the classic rock, even when

260

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I was a kid, Zeppelin and the doors.

261

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Um, yeah.

262

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I was born in 81.

263

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So really I was like, as a young

kid, like even before puberty, it was

264

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guns at roses and metallic skid row.

265

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I loved, um, the first sandwich

266

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Marc Preston: right in there.

267

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You're right on the cusp.

268

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You're like right in between

Gen X and kind of millennial.

269

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Bureau, what they call

it, older millennial.

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Yeah.

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Ash Avildsen: I mean, I feel like I'm very

grateful to have experienced the eighties

272

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and the nineties prior to everything

becoming cell phones and like the early,

273

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early days of the internet with internet

relay chat, IRC and BBS and all that.

274

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And that even like growing up without

a remote control for a television to

275

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now like, you know, having an iPhone.

276

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And so I, I, I'm fortunate,

um, in, in the time.

277

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That I've lived in the different decades.

278

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Um, and then, and you know, it

went more into the nineties.

279

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I loved alternative rock.

280

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I loved grunge.

281

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I love new metal.

282

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Uh, man, the eighties and nineties

were just, there was just so much

283

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great music, but I really just found,

and I just got into it going to

284

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like Tower Records and Sam Goody and

reading the magazines, watching MTV.

285

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Marc Preston: Oh

286

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Ash Avildsen: yeah.

287

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Marc Preston: Yeah.

288

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Did you grow up in the LA area?

289

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Ash Avildsen: No, I grew up.

290

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I was born here.

291

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I lived here.

292

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So I was about.

293

00:14:25,365 --> 00:14:27,365

I grew up in D. C. Maryland in Virginia.

294

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Marc Preston: You know, your

dad, of course, director.

295

00:14:30,025 --> 00:14:32,115

But what did your mom, what was she up to?

296

00:14:32,515 --> 00:14:34,485

Ash Avildsen: My mom was a model.

297

00:14:34,495 --> 00:14:40,835

She was part of the Art Deco kind

of, you know, this, uh, specific

298

00:14:40,845 --> 00:14:44,175

gypsy look her and her sister did.

299

00:14:44,185 --> 00:14:46,904

So she was, uh, quite a successful model.

300

00:14:47,314 --> 00:14:49,005

1969 London, that

301

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Marc Preston: whole scene.

302

00:14:49,894 --> 00:14:50,344

So.

303

00:14:50,730 --> 00:14:53,840

She was doing that, but you, how

was that growing up with a mother?

304

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Who was a model?

305

00:14:54,910 --> 00:14:56,890

It was like 35 when

306

00:14:56,950 --> 00:14:58,080

Ash Avildsen: she had me.

307

00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:04,359

So she wasn't actively still modeling, you

know, he was already into her forties, but

308

00:15:04,359 --> 00:15:09,409

she was like running, um, modeling agent.

309

00:15:09,469 --> 00:15:11,350

She had like a modeling business.

310

00:15:11,350 --> 00:15:12,380

I vaguely remember.

311

00:15:12,380 --> 00:15:13,720

And she was still doing like.

312

00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:19,330

So like, you know, things that models

at that age would, would do like some

313

00:15:19,330 --> 00:15:23,500

wedding books and things, but it wasn't

like when she was in her twenties, you

314

00:15:23,500 --> 00:15:28,319

know, going around with her sister and all

the big, you know, events and all that.

315

00:15:28,379 --> 00:15:28,579

So

316

00:15:28,829 --> 00:15:29,860

Marc Preston: as far as.

317

00:15:30,125 --> 00:15:35,125

Your dad directing, how aware of his

work were you when you were younger?

318

00:15:35,295 --> 00:15:38,485

Ash Avildsen: It was, uh, you

know, it's, it was a challenging,

319

00:15:38,615 --> 00:15:42,025

uh, situation because I knew who

he was and I had his last name.

320

00:15:42,294 --> 00:15:44,665

He was not in my life,

but I did love his movies.

321

00:15:44,855 --> 00:15:48,854

Um, and karate kid, you know, when I

was in elementary school, it was like

322

00:15:48,854 --> 00:15:50,285

one of the biggest things in America.

323

00:15:50,455 --> 00:15:54,475

So it was constantly around

and I loved lean on me as well.

324

00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,379

Um, so I, I loved his work,

but I didn't know him.

325

00:15:57,380 --> 00:15:59,110

So it was, it was a head fuck, you know?

326

00:15:59,180 --> 00:16:03,340

Um, yeah, no, no easy way to describe.

327

00:16:03,450 --> 00:16:05,880

Marc Preston: So you kind of made a

connection a little bit later on, but

328

00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:10,079

how old were you when you kind of, kind

of dialed into in your thirties, which

329

00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,019

you've got a lot of miles into your wheels

by the time you get into your thirties,

330

00:16:13,020 --> 00:16:15,320

what was, um, what were you curious about?

331

00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,230

What were you, you know, as you're

developing, I don't mean necessarily the

332

00:16:18,230 --> 00:16:22,120

relationship as much, but maybe were, were

you looking at things like professionally,

333

00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:23,800

were you curious about what he had done?

334

00:16:24,305 --> 00:16:27,345

You had that bug that maybe it was

taking you in the direction that.

335

00:16:27,785 --> 00:16:28,525

That he had gone.

336

00:16:28,735 --> 00:16:30,755

Ash Avildsen: I always loved storytelling.

337

00:16:30,755 --> 00:16:33,225

I mean, I loved film and I loved music.

338

00:16:33,225 --> 00:16:39,285

I just decided to focus on music

first because, uh, well, one, I

339

00:16:39,655 --> 00:16:41,194

was growing up on the East Coast.

340

00:16:41,205 --> 00:16:45,854

So it's not like, uh, at the time, at

least not in DC, Virginia, there was,

341

00:16:45,955 --> 00:16:49,715

there was a movie business, but I just

had music and I started playing in a

342

00:16:49,715 --> 00:16:51,564

band in high school with my best friends.

343

00:16:51,564 --> 00:16:57,579

And then I just really, um, you know,

fully, fully committed to, to, you know,

344

00:16:57,930 --> 00:17:03,060

Music in general, um, and I didn't I

didn't focus on film until I was older

345

00:17:03,060 --> 00:17:09,470

and I had established myself at a certain

level on the music business and had

346

00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:14,920

a level of success and freedom that I

could then diversify into film without.

347

00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:19,440

Kind of risking my whole,

uh, everything to try.

348

00:17:19,460 --> 00:17:22,829

Cause it's obviously very,

very difficult business.

349

00:17:22,859 --> 00:17:27,210

Um, a lot of people in it and not a

lot of seats at the table, so to speak.

350

00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,809

So, uh, and I also didn't want people

to think that I was in any way trying

351

00:17:32,809 --> 00:17:37,079

to like cash in on my last name or

emulating my father or misconstrue.

352

00:17:38,139 --> 00:17:42,360

You know, my success because of some

type of nepotism or something, because

353

00:17:42,389 --> 00:17:43,960

obviously that was not the case at all.

354

00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:44,810

I didn't even know him.

355

00:17:45,220 --> 00:17:49,659

Um, but yeah, I just naturally

gravitated towards music and then,

356

00:17:49,679 --> 00:17:52,290

um, crossed over into the movie world.

357

00:17:52,340 --> 00:17:54,869

And there's definitely a lot of

similarities between the two businesses.

358

00:17:54,919 --> 00:17:55,379

That's for sure.

359

00:17:55,659 --> 00:17:57,360

Marc Preston: I think by the time you

get into your thirties, you've kind

360

00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:00,760

of built a foundation for like who it

is you are, you know, more or less.

361

00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,649

And so that, that point it's,

you know, whatever creatively

362

00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:05,029

that's already flowing.

363

00:18:05,030 --> 00:18:05,550

So.

364

00:18:06,490 --> 00:18:11,219

You know, were you big into picking your

dad's brain on on directing and style

365

00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,149

and technique and all that kind of stuff?

366

00:18:13,149 --> 00:18:16,620

Or were you just kind of osmotically

just picking up on things?

367

00:18:16,959 --> 00:18:19,379

Ash Avildsen: Once we became,

you know, great friends.

368

00:18:19,379 --> 00:18:19,530

Yeah.

369

00:18:19,530 --> 00:18:23,899

I loved, I loved learning from him

and talking to him and hearing stories

370

00:18:23,899 --> 00:18:29,349

and getting his perspective and his,

you know, taste and, um, yeah, it

371

00:18:29,350 --> 00:18:32,870

was, it was really beautiful that the

time we got to share together and I

372

00:18:32,870 --> 00:18:36,770

definitely learned a lot from him and,

uh, I'm, I'm very grateful for that.

373

00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:40,500

Marc Preston: Have you had an opportunity

to work with, uh, any of the, let's

374

00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:44,880

say, cinematographers, sound, any of the

people that maybe had a chance to work

375

00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,639

with him on sets, have you been able

to kind of tap into that for, uh, this

376

00:18:48,649 --> 00:18:50,870

project or anything else you've worked on?

377

00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,069

Ash Avildsen: Just with an actor,

uh, Marty Kove, who's in Queen of the

378

00:18:54,070 --> 00:18:55,919

Ring, who was, you know Okay, yeah.

379

00:18:56,330 --> 00:18:58,790

for his role in the Karate

Kid and now in Cobra Kai.

380

00:18:59,270 --> 00:19:02,800

Um, I believe he's the only

actor to my knowledge that has

381

00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,399

worked with both me and my dad.

382

00:19:04,419 --> 00:19:06,379

Um, but Marty's been fantastic.

383

00:19:06,399 --> 00:19:07,840

He's, he's a really great guy.

384

00:19:07,850 --> 00:19:10,759

I, I, uh, puts me in the best mood

when I'm hanging out with him.

385

00:19:10,759 --> 00:19:12,090

Just totally lovely.

386

00:19:12,129 --> 00:19:14,249

I can't say enough good

things about Marty Kove.

387

00:19:14,769 --> 00:19:17,420

Marc Preston: Yeah, it's kind of cool

to see him show back up in Cobra Kai.

388

00:19:17,510 --> 00:19:19,640

Uh, it's something I usually

was watching with the kids,

389

00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:20,820

but now they're off at college.

390

00:19:20,820 --> 00:19:23,190

So I guess, you know, whenever

they get back into town and we kind

391

00:19:23,190 --> 00:19:24,610

of catch up on all of his shows.

392

00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:24,730

But.

393

00:19:25,005 --> 00:19:28,745

Just looking at the preview of the movie,

did you come in with an idea of kind of

394

00:19:28,755 --> 00:19:32,035

how you wanted the, the, the, the tone,

the feeling, the vibe of the movie?

395

00:19:32,065 --> 00:19:35,845

Did you already know where you wanted to

go with, uh, with it when you started off?

396

00:19:35,845 --> 00:19:39,915

Or was this more of a, just kind

of feel your way through it?

397

00:19:40,115 --> 00:19:43,584

Ash Avildsen: You, you should always have

some type of idea of, of what you want

398

00:19:43,584 --> 00:19:45,384

to create before you start creating it.

399

00:19:45,434 --> 00:19:49,415

You've obviously learned so much

on the day and all that, but, uh,

400

00:19:49,435 --> 00:19:52,574

you know, a big part of it also

is like all my department heads.

401

00:19:52,689 --> 00:19:56,379

that were brilliant in, in, in

the worlds that they were in, the

402

00:19:56,470 --> 00:19:59,560

production designer, cinematographer,

of course, I'm very grateful to work

403

00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:04,639

with Andy Stran, um, you know, hair

and makeup, costume and all, they all

404

00:20:04,649 --> 00:20:06,470

are just build the world together.

405

00:20:06,479 --> 00:20:09,899

I mean, it's such a, it's one

thing I really, I just love so

406

00:20:09,899 --> 00:20:13,459

much about, uh, filmmaking is

that it's such a collaborative

407

00:20:13,540 --> 00:20:15,050

team sport, you know, that's just.

408

00:20:15,269 --> 00:20:20,379

Everyone is doing their part music,

you know, you have the producer

409

00:20:20,379 --> 00:20:21,730

and then you have the band members.

410

00:20:21,730 --> 00:20:29,635

It's it's a much smaller Um, creative

process, which is still a lot of fun

411

00:20:29,635 --> 00:20:35,304

as well, but, um, the filmmaking, it's

just so wonderful where there's so

412

00:20:35,305 --> 00:20:38,965

many different departments and so many

moving pieces and everyone is just

413

00:20:38,965 --> 00:20:43,454

collaborating, working towards this common

goal to, uh, you know, to tell a story.

414

00:20:44,899 --> 00:20:45,820

through pictures.

415

00:20:45,889 --> 00:20:51,399

Uh, and uh, it's, it's really

just a very gratifying experience.

416

00:20:58,629 --> 00:21:01,270

Marc Preston: Given that you had the music

background, did you get involved at all

417

00:21:01,270 --> 00:21:04,519

in the, uh, in the scoring of the movie

or just kind of leave that up to your guy?

418

00:21:05,139 --> 00:21:06,649

Ash Avildsen: Very, very deeply.

419

00:21:06,649 --> 00:21:09,139

I mean, our composer,

Aaron, who's brilliant, he's

420

00:21:09,429 --> 00:21:10,970

written the original score.

421

00:21:10,970 --> 00:21:18,520

I give course feedback and notes and

You know, um, direction on, on where

422

00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:22,460

we wanted to go and how we wanted to

feel, uh, and then for the original

423

00:21:22,460 --> 00:21:24,440

mute or for the, like the songs in it.

424

00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:24,730

Yeah.

425

00:21:24,740 --> 00:21:25,810

All the needle drops.

426

00:21:25,810 --> 00:21:26,690

That's all me.

427

00:21:27,079 --> 00:21:31,480

That's all my, you know, just kind of

taste and, um, what I think is going to

428

00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:33,850

be best for each scene and each character.

429

00:21:34,190 --> 00:21:38,430

Um, but the original score is,

uh, Aaron Gilhouse, who's just,

430

00:21:38,450 --> 00:21:40,190

uh, he's been, um, so wonderful.

431

00:21:40,210 --> 00:21:41,090

He's really a gem.

432

00:21:41,340 --> 00:21:42,760

I think he's gonna have a

big career ahead of him.

433

00:21:43,740 --> 00:21:46,340

Marc Preston: So given it takes place

in the thirties, were you staying

434

00:21:46,340 --> 00:21:47,860

true to kind of the era of music?

435

00:21:47,890 --> 00:21:50,290

Or did you kind of play with music at all?

436

00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:54,030

Maybe put some contemporary

side tracks in there.

437

00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:55,650

Ash Avildsen: Yeah, to a degree.

438

00:21:55,700 --> 00:22:00,740

Um, you know, the nice thing about

doing a story that not everyone knows

439

00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:05,120

so specifically, because most people

don't know this story is that you can

440

00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:07,879

take a lot more creative liberties

with how you tell it, you know,

441

00:22:07,879 --> 00:22:13,445

combining characters Um, just, you know,

creative license on certain moments,

442

00:22:13,445 --> 00:22:16,035

but on musically, I didn't want to.

443

00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,400

I didn't want it to be like,

okay, right now we're in 1952.

444

00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:25,050

So we have to play a song

that's between 50 and 52.

445

00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:29,760

I definitely just, I stuck to the decade

for a lot of it, not for all of it.

446

00:22:29,790 --> 00:22:33,399

There is some modern artists in

it that still have a vintage.

447

00:22:34,315 --> 00:22:38,665

Feel to their sound, but it's modern

production and, and modern recordings.

448

00:22:38,695 --> 00:22:42,325

Um, but there's a lot of period music in

it as well from the forties and fifties.

449

00:22:42,715 --> 00:22:46,645

But I didn't do it, um,

very specific to the year.

450

00:22:46,645 --> 00:22:50,185

I just did it more for the feeling I,

there was too many, frankly, there's

451

00:22:50,185 --> 00:22:52,575

just a lot of great music that came out.

452

00:22:53,195 --> 00:22:57,198

you know, slightly after the movie ends.

453

00:22:57,198 --> 00:23:07,144

So I defi the timeline a bit, but un

uh, forties and fifties m I don't think

454

00:23:07,144 --> 00:23:13,540

most people You know, it's not like

you're, you're watching a, a 1960s,

455

00:23:13,620 --> 00:23:18,410

uh, period and all of a sudden Nirvana

starts playing like, what is that?

456

00:23:18,410 --> 00:23:19,450

You know, there's nothing like that.

457

00:23:19,459 --> 00:23:21,120

That's not polarizing at all.

458

00:23:21,170 --> 00:23:25,039

At least in my opinion, in my opinion,

it, all the music and it blends

459

00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:26,660

well with the scene that it plays.

460

00:23:27,230 --> 00:23:29,650

Marc Preston: For your record label,

what kind of music or genre do you

461

00:23:29,660 --> 00:23:33,120

have a specific focus or do you

kind of play with different genres?

462

00:23:33,470 --> 00:23:35,230

in terms of who you'd

like to have on the label.

463

00:23:35,300 --> 00:23:37,629

Ash Avildsen: I mean, the core of

it is, I call it, you know, all the

464

00:23:37,629 --> 00:23:41,270

different colors of the rock and roll

rainbow, but it's, it's rock music,

465

00:23:41,270 --> 00:23:47,859

it's alternative, it's metal, it's

emo, hardcore, prog, um, but it's

466

00:23:47,870 --> 00:23:50,629

predominantly, yeah, all these different

kind of flavors of rock and roll.

467

00:23:51,649 --> 00:23:53,960

Marc Preston: Yeah, one of the,

the, you know, the people that I

468

00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:56,700

kind of came up with in the 90s

working in radio, a lot of them, uh,

469

00:23:56,899 --> 00:23:58,050

for those who don't work in radio.

470

00:23:58,380 --> 00:24:01,500

Even some who still are, they're

like, Oh yeah, rock and roll's dead.

471

00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:02,390

Oh man, it's dying.

472

00:24:02,390 --> 00:24:04,680

And there's the sounding that alarm.

473

00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:08,170

It seems like every few years always has a

way of coming back, you know, traditional,

474

00:24:08,180 --> 00:24:10,760

like rock and roll the way we perceive it.

475

00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,760

But as a music guy, what

do you think is kind of.

476

00:24:14,095 --> 00:24:17,365

Emerging now, is it like a, uh, a

genre or something that you think

477

00:24:17,365 --> 00:24:20,995

is going to be as far as genre

goes or style or whatever have you

478

00:24:21,545 --> 00:24:24,785

Ash Avildsen: People really like,

um, hybrids and, and juxtaposition.

479

00:24:24,785 --> 00:24:28,025

Mm-hmm . For the combination

of different genres being put

480

00:24:28,025 --> 00:24:32,030

together, I think is still very

popular and that's always evolving.

481

00:24:33,690 --> 00:24:34,030

I think that's

482

00:24:34,030 --> 00:24:35,170

Marc Preston: happening in country music

483

00:24:35,210 --> 00:24:37,210

Ash Avildsen: a bit

where it's, it's, yeah,

484

00:24:37,250 --> 00:24:37,620

Marc Preston: yeah.

485

00:24:38,460 --> 00:24:41,530

Ash Avildsen: There's a lot of fusion

and crossover happening in country.

486

00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:42,479

Uh, yeah.

487

00:24:42,479 --> 00:24:45,430

Modern countries really just

popped into pop culture.

488

00:24:45,430 --> 00:24:46,819

Like it's never has before.

489

00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:50,499

In my opinion, I never found myself

listening to much, much country,

490

00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:54,359

but nowadays it's become so much

more just inventive and fresh.

491

00:24:54,935 --> 00:24:58,335

that, uh, that I actually

do really enjoy a lot of it.

492

00:24:58,365 --> 00:25:01,774

And then it makes me go back and

listen to some of the classic era

493

00:25:01,784 --> 00:25:05,324

stuff and like outlaw country and

things that I didn't really know.

494

00:25:05,324 --> 00:25:09,524

Actually, I'm liking a lot of this

classic, you know, the classic rock of

495

00:25:09,524 --> 00:25:13,555

country, but, uh, the modern stuff is

what kind of, you know, was the gateway

496

00:25:13,555 --> 00:25:17,185

drug into it, but yeah, that's definitely

a genre that's really reinvented itself.

497

00:25:17,655 --> 00:25:18,155

Marc Preston: Yeah, it's funny.

498

00:25:18,155 --> 00:25:21,854

I know a guy who runs a radio network

out of Nashville and he was telling

499

00:25:21,854 --> 00:25:26,474

me that what's popular right now with

my kids age, you know, Gen Z kids,

500

00:25:26,475 --> 00:25:29,445

there's a lot of the 90s country, you

know, the Brooks and Dunn and all that.

501

00:25:29,445 --> 00:25:32,975

And it is crazy because I

remember my daughter, I think

502

00:25:33,004 --> 00:25:34,754

Neon Moon was on in the car.

503

00:25:35,175 --> 00:25:36,534

And so she just starts singing.

504

00:25:36,534 --> 00:25:37,945

I'm like, how the hell

do you know this song?

505

00:25:37,985 --> 00:25:38,835

She's like TikTok.

506

00:25:38,935 --> 00:25:41,254

So the discovery of music, we

were talking about that before.

507

00:25:42,055 --> 00:25:45,125

The things you never would have

thought like, okay, there's this whole

508

00:25:45,135 --> 00:25:48,725

genre that these kids are discovering

through some random channel, you

509

00:25:48,725 --> 00:25:52,545

know, going back to the film of

the filmmaking is you're coming in.

510

00:25:52,545 --> 00:25:57,275

Did you say I want to do film like

theatrical release or were you like a TV

511

00:25:57,275 --> 00:26:01,285

school or did you have or do you have any

preference on what you like to work on?

512

00:26:02,024 --> 00:26:06,004

Ash Avildsen: You know, I mean, the

one thing it's the thing that's great

513

00:26:06,004 --> 00:26:07,695

about TV is that you get to keep it.

514

00:26:07,695 --> 00:26:07,704

Yeah.

515

00:26:08,524 --> 00:26:10,845

expanding the story and the characters.

516

00:26:11,245 --> 00:26:18,155

Um, and TV is, is, you know, you're

essentially asking questions to create

517

00:26:18,155 --> 00:26:19,955

more and more episodes and seasons.

518

00:26:20,345 --> 00:26:24,104

And then with film, you're supposed to

answer all the questions by the end.

519

00:26:24,195 --> 00:26:26,464

Um, so it really.

520

00:26:27,020 --> 00:26:31,310

You know, it's kind of two different

directions of current flowing of, of

521

00:26:31,650 --> 00:26:34,950

storytelling, but they're both great.

522

00:26:34,950 --> 00:26:36,740

I mean, it's like apple pie,

cherry pie or something.

523

00:26:36,750 --> 00:26:41,929

They're, they're both great, but, um,

film obviously is exciting because

524

00:26:42,050 --> 00:26:46,880

it plays in movie theaters and it,

uh, you know, you have to tell.

525

00:26:47,295 --> 00:26:51,425

For most movies anyway, like within

two hours ish, give or take, you

526

00:26:51,425 --> 00:26:54,415

need to like have a beginning,

middle, and end to the story.

527

00:26:54,865 --> 00:27:00,674

Um, television, you have, you know,

the creative liberty to just keep

528

00:27:00,675 --> 00:27:02,714

going and going if people like it.

529

00:27:03,384 --> 00:27:10,885

So, I love them both, um, but making

an independent film is a bit more, um,

530

00:27:11,655 --> 00:27:17,915

psychologically like, you know, easier

because you're like, okay, it's done.

531

00:27:18,490 --> 00:27:24,670

Towards television, uh, you got, you

know, you, it's just a lot more, but

532

00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,510

at the same time, you can bring on

different directors and writers, of

533

00:27:27,510 --> 00:27:32,259

course, and it becomes more of a, you

know, a writing team, showrunners, all

534

00:27:32,259 --> 00:27:36,879

that, um, but I love them both, but I

think right now, and this is thanks to

535

00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:42,135

things like Letterboxd, there is, I think

like a resurgence happening with young

536

00:27:42,135 --> 00:27:46,865

people being excited about cinema and

going to the movies and watching a lot

537

00:27:46,865 --> 00:27:51,694

of movies, you know, writing reviews,

critiquing, having a conversation with

538

00:27:51,694 --> 00:27:55,844

people online and offline and, and just,

you know, going into a dark room for two

539

00:27:55,844 --> 00:27:59,974

hours and escaping, you know, our daily

lives, um, which was kind of lost for

540

00:27:59,975 --> 00:28:04,715

for a while between the Netflix era, then

COVID and everyone being on the couch.

541

00:28:04,715 --> 00:28:07,065

I think now there's this kind

of renewed sense of excitement

542

00:28:07,065 --> 00:28:07,695

to go out to the movie.

543

00:28:09,195 --> 00:28:10,785

Marc Preston: But I think there

is something kind of cool.

544

00:28:10,785 --> 00:28:13,265

Like if you want to see the movie

now, you got to get to a theater,

545

00:28:13,335 --> 00:28:14,885

you know, you got to go see it.

546

00:28:14,915 --> 00:28:19,814

Um, and I imagine that this, you know,

especially the fight sequence or the

547

00:28:19,815 --> 00:28:23,165

wrestling sequences, those probably

are just meant for a bigger screen.

548

00:28:23,275 --> 00:28:23,865

Ash Avildsen: They are.

549

00:28:23,895 --> 00:28:24,585

I mean, it's a much

550

00:28:24,585 --> 00:28:25,455

Marc Preston: different experience.

551

00:28:25,455 --> 00:28:28,935

Ash Avildsen: I don't, for, for

most, I mean, for any film, I think

552

00:28:28,935 --> 00:28:30,065

it's a much different experience.

553

00:28:30,955 --> 00:28:36,814

And it really is for films that

were specifically put together to be

554

00:28:36,814 --> 00:28:38,604

played in a theater, which this is.

555

00:28:38,604 --> 00:28:42,394

I mean, there's no comparison

seeing it on a screen like that.

556

00:28:42,425 --> 00:28:44,784

Then, you know, watching

it on your laptop or.

557

00:28:45,274 --> 00:28:47,415

You know, on a normal television.

558

00:28:47,465 --> 00:28:51,955

Um, there's just, you can't, you

know, you can't really compare it.

559

00:28:51,985 --> 00:28:53,825

It's just not really comparable

560

00:28:53,855 --> 00:28:55,435

Marc Preston: because you

know, one's a movie theater.

561

00:28:55,515 --> 00:28:56,475

The other one's a living room.

562

00:28:56,925 --> 00:28:57,084

Yeah.

563

00:28:57,084 --> 00:28:59,595

My kid, well, my kids generation, some

of them watch movies on their phone.

564

00:28:59,615 --> 00:29:00,905

I'm like, I can't do that.

565

00:29:01,595 --> 00:29:03,644

Some kids will sit there and just

watch a whole movie on their phone.

566

00:29:03,644 --> 00:29:06,655

And I got to, I don't know, maybe,

uh, I mean, I don't know if this is

567

00:29:06,655 --> 00:29:09,125

a sign of age or, so I don't know.

568

00:29:09,125 --> 00:29:10,074

I just can't do that.

569

00:29:10,514 --> 00:29:12,875

Ash Avildsen: There's certain

movies that if I'm like.

570

00:29:13,219 --> 00:29:20,100

you know, actually funny movies on

my phone someti because the hotel

571

00:29:20,460 --> 00:29:23,670

televis on my laptop, the hotel T

572

00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:26,500

remote to it.

573

00:29:26,510 --> 00:29:28,310

So you can't turn off these settings.

574

00:29:28,310 --> 00:29:29,840

It's called the soap opera effect.

575

00:29:30,050 --> 00:29:31,040

It drives me insane.

576

00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:36,499

But most of these new TVs have a factory

setting that's good for like reality

577

00:29:36,499 --> 00:29:40,769

tv or live sports or news, but it's

terrible for scripted entertainment

578

00:29:40,770 --> 00:29:42,289

because of the interpolation.

579

00:29:42,300 --> 00:29:46,640

So it essentially makes everything

look like it was, it's a soap opera.

580

00:29:47,185 --> 00:29:47,725

Marc Preston: Oh, yeah.

581

00:29:47,725 --> 00:29:47,965

Yeah.

582

00:29:47,965 --> 00:29:48,744

Yeah.

583

00:29:48,745 --> 00:29:51,345

Ash Avildsen: Well, he's the

look of a movie or a script.

584

00:29:51,925 --> 00:29:52,075

Exactly

585

00:29:52,075 --> 00:29:52,485

Marc Preston: what you mean.

586

00:29:52,485 --> 00:29:52,865

Yeah.

587

00:29:53,075 --> 00:29:55,895

Ash Avildsen: And I find

myself calling the front desk.

588

00:29:55,925 --> 00:29:57,255

Can you bring me the real remote?

589

00:29:57,255 --> 00:29:59,255

I try to explain to them

why I need the real remote.

590

00:29:59,305 --> 00:30:01,244

The maintenance guy comes other times.

591

00:30:01,244 --> 00:30:01,954

No one's working.

592

00:30:01,954 --> 00:30:02,704

So I'm just like, fuck it.

593

00:30:02,704 --> 00:30:04,485

I'm just going to play it

on my computer or my phone.

594

00:30:05,045 --> 00:30:06,065

For that reason.

595

00:30:06,125 --> 00:30:10,335

Um, but I think a lot, I think

a lot of young people or just

596

00:30:10,335 --> 00:30:12,465

people in general that, that do

watch movies on their phones.

597

00:30:12,465 --> 00:30:14,355

I think it's just out of convenience.

598

00:30:14,355 --> 00:30:15,465

If they don't, if they're

laying Yeah, I think so.

599

00:30:15,705 --> 00:30:20,655

In bed and, you know, um, but with that

said, and look, so I, I never really

600

00:30:20,655 --> 00:30:22,215

got into watching movies on the plane.

601

00:30:22,215 --> 00:30:24,375

I'd rather like, kind of

like work on my computer.

602

00:30:24,435 --> 00:30:24,735

Um.

603

00:30:25,455 --> 00:30:29,415

But I get it because it helps pass

the time and sometimes you're like,

604

00:30:29,415 --> 00:30:31,225

Oh, I'm not going to be distracted.

605

00:30:31,475 --> 00:30:32,695

I'm just going to watch it on the plane.

606

00:30:32,695 --> 00:30:37,225

But you know, anytime you can go

into a world and, and, and see a

607

00:30:37,225 --> 00:30:41,084

story, like just do it with phone

plane, it's better than not at all.

608

00:30:42,615 --> 00:30:42,885

Yeah,

609

00:30:43,205 --> 00:30:46,975

Marc Preston: whatever I travel, I always,

uh, we bring our Roku stick, you know,

610

00:30:46,975 --> 00:30:49,905

and just plop that into the TV so we

can watch whatever, you know, without,

611

00:30:50,314 --> 00:30:51,974

and pause it and whatever have you.

612

00:30:52,035 --> 00:30:54,824

Um, well, when you were coming up, what

were you watching when you were a kid?

613

00:30:54,894 --> 00:30:58,025

Uh, movie wise, TV, what was grabbing you?

614

00:30:59,035 --> 00:31:06,345

Ash Avildsen: I mean, as I, when I was

a kid, kid TV, you know, TV prior to

615

00:31:06,345 --> 00:31:12,354

like the Sopranos and HBO really kind

of reinventing what television was TV.

616

00:31:12,355 --> 00:31:14,304

This was not nearly as compelling.

617

00:31:14,305 --> 00:31:17,325

In my opinion, like, when I was a

kid, there were still cool shows,

618

00:31:17,334 --> 00:31:18,465

but it wasn't like it is now.

619

00:31:18,465 --> 00:31:24,345

So I watched, I mean, I, I loved all

of these, you know, all the stuff when

620

00:31:24,345 --> 00:31:28,375

I stand by me, the goonies, all the

coming of age stuff when I was a kid.

621

00:31:28,835 --> 00:31:29,505

Um, yeah.

622

00:31:29,565 --> 00:31:34,445

to, as I got older, you know, the people

versus Larry Flynn, a time to kill casino.

623

00:31:34,805 --> 00:31:42,765

Um, you know, just, uh, I do have,

I do, I do love, uh, true stories.

624

00:31:43,095 --> 00:31:46,175

I've always been drawn to them, especially

ones that aren't very well known.

625

00:31:46,685 --> 00:31:51,705

Um, cause it's, I feel like it's easier

to watch it without being like as.

626

00:31:52,930 --> 00:31:59,890

you already have, like in it should

or shouldn't be nice when you know

627

00:31:59,890 --> 00:32:06,309

that i not that familiar with it

to kind of just ride the the moon.

628

00:32:06,990 --> 00:32:09,869

Marc Preston: Uh, we like kill moon.

629

00:32:09,870 --> 00:32:11,670

I was like, I didn existed.

630

00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:17,425

But yeah, that's their directors

that you Whose style you dug?

631

00:32:17,485 --> 00:32:19,045

I loved Oliver Stone,

632

00:32:19,285 --> 00:32:22,795

Ash Avildsen: um, who actually I recently

met and he watched Queen of the Ring and

633

00:32:22,795 --> 00:32:29,395

wrote me a really wonderful, uh, email,

uh, review, which, uh, was pretty awesome.

634

00:32:29,455 --> 00:32:32,125

Uh, that was a very full circle

moment for me 'cause he's been

635

00:32:32,185 --> 00:32:33,985

one of the, my biggest influences.

636

00:32:34,045 --> 00:32:36,845

Um, but yeah, Oliver Stone's definitely

637

00:32:36,845 --> 00:32:37,625

Marc Preston: a top, uh,

638

00:32:37,655 --> 00:32:38,645

Ash Avildsen: top five for me.

639

00:32:38,705 --> 00:32:39,605

Top three even.

640

00:32:40,270 --> 00:32:41,980

Marc Preston: How would you

define your directing style?

641

00:32:41,980 --> 00:32:45,400

Is it kind of, do you like to have a lot

of intensity or are you kind of laid back?

642

00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,040

It depends what the scene is.

643

00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:51,279

Ash Avildsen: I always think the

energy on the set should be conducive

644

00:32:51,279 --> 00:32:57,570

to what the emotion is of the scene.

645

00:32:57,700 --> 00:33:04,540

Um, so, you know, it's a very

intimate, dramatic, two person, you

646

00:33:04,540 --> 00:33:08,040

know, just a one on one, small room.

647

00:33:08,690 --> 00:33:13,760

Soft spoken, you want that energy

around you to help the actors give

648

00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,650

that performance and go to the

place that their characters are in.

649

00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:21,890

Um, but you know, if you're like

when we shot the finale, which is 360

650

00:33:21,890 --> 00:33:26,329

people everywhere in this auditorium

and they're doing moves and the actors

651

00:33:26,329 --> 00:33:29,470

are putting their bodies through,

you know, these stunts and this

652

00:33:29,790 --> 00:33:33,100

intensity, we want the crowd to go.

653

00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:35,760

So we want everyone kind of rallying them.

654

00:33:35,770 --> 00:33:41,490

So I always just try and Take the approach

of like, what are we trying to accomplish

655

00:33:41,490 --> 00:33:42,710

in the scene that we're shooting?

656

00:33:42,710 --> 00:33:46,740

What, what do we want the characters

to be feeling and what the

657

00:33:47,555 --> 00:33:48,675

Emotions that we're expressing.

658

00:33:48,675 --> 00:33:51,265

And what do we want the audience

that's watching to take from it?

659

00:33:51,275 --> 00:33:57,175

And so, um, it's very specific to

whatever is being shot of like the style

660

00:33:57,545 --> 00:34:02,575

of, as far as like the energy on the

set and, and how we're interacting with

661

00:34:03,605 --> 00:34:06,315

Marc Preston: the actors, um,

I mean, this is a big one.

662

00:34:06,395 --> 00:34:08,345

I mean, looking at, you know,

all the wrestling and stuff,

663

00:34:08,355 --> 00:34:09,635

there's choreography involved.

664

00:34:09,805 --> 00:34:13,725

Did you get a case of, uh, I need

a case of nerves or, or like.

665

00:34:14,045 --> 00:34:18,035

That it kind of bringing extra anxiety,

like, okay, it's not just actors acting.

666

00:34:18,335 --> 00:34:20,625

You've got choreography, you've

got camera movements and all

667

00:34:20,625 --> 00:34:21,555

kinds of stuff happening.

668

00:34:21,555 --> 00:34:23,335

Was that intimidating at all?

669

00:34:23,335 --> 00:34:25,805

I mean, it was just kind of the first

time you've encountered that kind of

670

00:34:25,805 --> 00:34:27,264

a, or approach this kind of a shoot.

671

00:34:27,785 --> 00:34:28,884

Uh, it's definitely the most

672

00:34:28,884 --> 00:34:30,064

Ash Avildsen: on like the stunt side.

673

00:34:30,065 --> 00:34:30,315

Yeah.

674

00:34:30,315 --> 00:34:34,605

And I've, yeah, I've never done

a wrestling, you know, this was

675

00:34:34,645 --> 00:34:39,205

the first time I've done pro

wrestling, uh, on, on camera.

676

00:34:39,225 --> 00:34:39,795

So.

677

00:34:40,540 --> 00:34:45,420

It's one of the reasons we stunt casted

two real wrestlers for the two roles

678

00:34:45,420 --> 00:34:51,430

that have the most in ring action because

I just wanted, um, actors to be able

679

00:34:51,430 --> 00:34:56,329

to do their own stunts repeatedly and

get all the coverage we need, uh, and

680

00:34:56,329 --> 00:35:00,400

that was going to be on our timeline

much harder to do without people that

681

00:35:00,460 --> 00:35:02,030

do it professionally for a living.

682

00:35:02,470 --> 00:35:08,070

And so I'm very grateful that the two

women we got were so great, uh, in the

683

00:35:08,070 --> 00:35:13,890

roles, both as pro wrestlers, but also

as, uh, actors, I thought, um, Kaylee

684

00:35:13,890 --> 00:35:18,239

Latimer and, and Tony Rizal, who both,

uh, just knocked it out of the park.

685

00:35:18,379 --> 00:35:21,799

Marc Preston: Going back to your dad's

work with Karate Kid, of course, that's,

686

00:35:21,919 --> 00:35:26,880

I mean, I don't think, I think my kids

is trying to explain to them when Kai,

687

00:35:26,890 --> 00:35:31,465

how big karate A kid was, you know, when

it, when it came out and the whole story

688

00:35:31,465 --> 00:35:35,345

and, uh, but that was a big film for

your dad and that had that same kind of,

689

00:35:35,345 --> 00:35:41,425

there was choreography that Do you ever

peek into your dad's films and just see

690

00:35:41,425 --> 00:35:45,025

how they inform you that, you know, or

do you ever go back and watch something

691

00:35:45,025 --> 00:35:49,605

and just try to deconstruct maybe what he

was thinking about, or maybe what he was

692

00:35:49,605 --> 00:35:53,125

trying to accomplish and maybe integrate

that a little bit in what you do?

693

00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:54,540

Ash Avildsen: Yeah.

694

00:35:54,570 --> 00:35:58,910

Um, I mean, from a, from a visual, I

mean, he was so great with montages, um,

695

00:35:58,950 --> 00:36:03,690

and just getting the audience to feel

part of the, you know, the protagonist's,

696

00:36:03,869 --> 00:36:07,370

uh, underdog quest, if you will.

697

00:36:07,690 --> 00:36:11,899

But one thing that I think people will

see in Queen of the Ring, uh, that's

698

00:36:11,909 --> 00:36:16,960

something I, you know, was kind of

instilled with my father is he, he

699

00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,020

always, he was a big believer with

like, okay, and what happens next?

700

00:36:21,390 --> 00:36:26,160

In the sense that let's keep these

people interested, especially now,

701

00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,560

he'd always joke, you know, they

got a million things going on.

702

00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:30,300

They have all these things they

can do in their pocket on their

703

00:36:30,300 --> 00:36:32,070

phone, like what happens next?

704

00:36:32,070 --> 00:36:33,840

Keep them in the story.

705

00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:35,790

Marc Preston: Kinda like a

forward momentum kind of a thing.

706

00:36:35,820 --> 00:36:36,360

Ash Avildsen: Yeah.

707

00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:41,430

And so we have a lot of scenes in Queen

of the Ring, and I, I don't, I don't, I

708

00:36:41,430 --> 00:36:45,710

mean, I don't think we move too fast, but

I think we move at a pace because you have

709

00:36:45,710 --> 00:36:49,310

to, you know, we're, we're, we're going

20 plus years in two hours and change.

710

00:36:49,310 --> 00:36:49,550

Right.

711

00:36:49,555 --> 00:36:49,565

Right.

712

00:36:50,505 --> 00:36:55,615

We get to the main event, uh, before

the two hour Marc, there's a level of,

713

00:36:56,185 --> 00:37:01,025

you know, having to cover as much ground

as you can, but still have it flow and,

714

00:37:01,034 --> 00:37:05,834

uh, and keep the audience engaged and on

an emotional, you know, ride with you.

715

00:37:05,845 --> 00:37:11,089

So he would always, you know, talk about

that because, you know, a lot of movies.

716

00:37:11,380 --> 00:37:16,640

Um, are out there that are

purposely, um, you know, by design,

717

00:37:16,950 --> 00:37:18,950

not to say that it's good or bad.

718

00:37:18,950 --> 00:37:22,490

It's all just your opinion and

your taste, but like it purposely

719

00:37:22,490 --> 00:37:25,599

goes slow and they're slow burn.

720

00:37:25,620 --> 00:37:30,460

And a lot of times the ones that are

paced very slow can also be more kind

721

00:37:30,460 --> 00:37:32,569

of dark and depressing in the end.

722

00:37:32,570 --> 00:37:33,880

Um, and that's.

723

00:37:34,780 --> 00:37:35,730

Not this.

724

00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:36,900

Uh, right, right.

725

00:37:36,950 --> 00:37:37,590

It's not much.

726

00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,600

My dad did have some movies

that that lean more on that.

727

00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,300

But, um, you know, he

liked to keep it moving.

728

00:37:44,310 --> 00:37:48,939

He liked the momentum of scene

to scene and just keeping the

729

00:37:48,939 --> 00:37:51,100

audience engaged in that regard.

730

00:37:51,100 --> 00:37:57,410

So I think that's definitely the style of

of Queen of the Ring, um, in the sense of.

731

00:37:58,485 --> 00:38:03,205

Um, you know, each scene is, uh, is

hopefully making the audience feel

732

00:38:03,205 --> 00:38:07,134

like, oh, I can't go take a pee right

now because I'm going to miss it.

733

00:38:07,135 --> 00:38:08,685

Other movies, sometimes you're

just like, you know what?

734

00:38:08,685 --> 00:38:09,015

I'm good.

735

00:38:09,015 --> 00:38:10,914

I'm going to go, uh, go to the restroom.

736

00:38:10,914 --> 00:38:11,955

I'll be back in a few minutes.

737

00:38:11,955 --> 00:38:13,364

Yeah,

738

00:38:13,365 --> 00:38:14,494

Marc Preston: you know,

it's only slow enough.

739

00:38:14,494 --> 00:38:16,665

You can go knock that out

and whoever stayed, you know,

740

00:38:16,665 --> 00:38:17,845

like, catch me up real quick.

741

00:38:17,845 --> 00:38:18,115

Yeah.

742

00:38:19,265 --> 00:38:21,935

Going forward, what do you have

that you're working on now?

743

00:38:21,935 --> 00:38:23,925

Or are you, do you have something in mind?

744

00:38:23,935 --> 00:38:28,355

Like, okay, this is where I want

to get to next, be a TV film, even

745

00:38:28,365 --> 00:38:29,975

musically, what do you have going on?

746

00:38:30,195 --> 00:38:33,035

Ash Avildsen: I have a few different

scripts I'm deciding between.

747

00:38:33,065 --> 00:38:35,215

Some are, some are original.

748

00:38:35,565 --> 00:38:38,375

Some are also true stories

that aren't very well known.

749

00:38:38,900 --> 00:38:45,620

Um, I feel like it's opening up a,

uh, it's going to open up a whole

750

00:38:45,630 --> 00:38:47,210

box for me to start going into them.

751

00:38:47,210 --> 00:38:52,039

But, um, yeah, I definitely want

to keep, you know, the momentum as

752

00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:54,509

a, as a filmmaker that hopefully

queen of the ring brings me.

753

00:38:54,510 --> 00:39:00,289

And also, I just want to get back on

set, you know, post production process.

754

00:39:00,725 --> 00:39:05,115

You spend, you know, four or five

weeks, eight weeks prepping the movie.

755

00:39:05,115 --> 00:39:09,625

You shoot it for four or five, six weeks,

and then you work on it for a year plus.

756

00:39:10,335 --> 00:39:15,295

And, uh, you know, the post production

process on most movies is so much longer

757

00:39:15,305 --> 00:39:16,904

than the actual production itself.

758

00:39:16,904 --> 00:39:17,374

So.

759

00:39:18,105 --> 00:39:19,265

You really, it's the

760

00:39:19,265 --> 00:39:21,425

Marc Preston: additional, it's

the final telling of the story.

761

00:39:21,425 --> 00:39:22,675

You know, how are you cutting it together?

762

00:39:22,675 --> 00:39:23,275

We're at music.

763

00:39:23,275 --> 00:39:26,605

I mean, it's, it's a whole, there,

there's an ever going process,

764

00:39:26,605 --> 00:39:29,364

which would drive me nuts because I

would be like, okay, am I done yet?

765

00:39:29,645 --> 00:39:32,024

Do you ever get to the point of going,

okay, there's something else I can

766

00:39:32,025 --> 00:39:34,265

do, but I think, I think we're good.

767

00:39:35,255 --> 00:39:38,285

Ash Avildsen: I mean, there's still,

even right now, I'm still tweaking

768

00:39:38,285 --> 00:39:43,090

certain, uh, You know, musical

moments and I still watch it now.

769

00:39:43,090 --> 00:39:43,650

I'm like, you know what?

770

00:39:43,650 --> 00:39:44,670

I could tweak this scene.

771

00:39:44,670 --> 00:39:45,640

I could change this.

772

00:39:45,990 --> 00:39:49,659

We were, I mean, my, my

dad said something great.

773

00:39:49,670 --> 00:39:52,859

He was like, you know, I went as

far as the post production process.

774

00:39:52,860 --> 00:39:55,639

He's like, just keep working on it

until they take it away from you.

775

00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:57,820

And then eventually you have a date.

776

00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:01,670

And for us, we basically picked a

date that we felt, Okay, this is,

777

00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:06,940

this gives the movie the best shot,

Theatrically, based upon the time

778

00:40:06,940 --> 00:40:13,669

of the year, What other movies are

close to it, Um, and then anything

779

00:40:13,669 --> 00:40:15,469

that, like, helps people remember it.

780

00:40:15,470 --> 00:40:18,930

So we're in March, it's, it's, uh,

Women's History Month and then March

781

00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,320

8th, Which is our opening Saturday,

is International Women's Day.

782

00:40:22,570 --> 00:40:25,089

And there's not anything really

else in, like, the sports.

783

00:40:25,595 --> 00:40:30,945

underdogs, specifically female

world of things around our date.

784

00:40:30,945 --> 00:40:35,045

So I think March 7th is hopefully one

of the best dates we could have picked.

785

00:40:35,405 --> 00:40:38,474

So we basically had to set the

deadline that, okay, we can't really

786

00:40:38,475 --> 00:40:40,154

make any more changes up till now.

787

00:40:40,155 --> 00:40:44,254

So tomorrow, you know, we do the final

mix and then that's essentially it.

788

00:40:44,354 --> 00:40:50,224

Um, but yeah, you can keep, I mean,

you can always continue to tweak

789

00:40:50,224 --> 00:40:52,984

and change and also just try out

other ideas, you know, I mean,

790

00:40:52,984 --> 00:40:54,504

that's the thing it's, there's.

791

00:40:55,055 --> 00:40:58,345

Only so many hours in the day, but there's

always a new idea to try, but eventually

792

00:40:58,345 --> 00:40:59,515

you just got to say it's enough.

793

00:40:59,555 --> 00:41:03,295

And also your desire to go

tell a new story because.

794

00:41:03,500 --> 00:41:06,849

And so you've been working

on one for a while.

795

00:41:06,850 --> 00:41:07,020

Well,

796

00:41:07,020 --> 00:41:09,240

Marc Preston: that's the thing I, I've

mentioned it a number of times in the

797

00:41:09,240 --> 00:41:13,430

show that, uh, the times have acted

nothing big at all, but it's like

798

00:41:13,430 --> 00:41:14,909

you show up and it's its own work.

799

00:41:14,909 --> 00:41:17,150

Don't get me wrong, you know,

but you show up and you get to

800

00:41:17,180 --> 00:41:20,909

go home and you've invested, you

know, however much time in it.

801

00:41:20,909 --> 00:41:25,610

And, but as a director, you're, you You're

locking in well before in pre production

802

00:41:25,620 --> 00:41:28,580

and doing the thing and then the post

production you got a year to two years

803

00:41:28,580 --> 00:41:30,490

of your life dedicated to this one thing.

804

00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:34,360

So I guess that makes choosing that

thing ultra important for you because

805

00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:35,730

you're married to something for a while.

806

00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,650

Like where did y'all shoot this film?

807

00:41:38,710 --> 00:41:38,770

It

808

00:41:39,260 --> 00:41:40,520

Ash Avildsen: not in Louisville, Kentucky.

809

00:41:40,910 --> 00:41:42,500

Marc Preston: Do, is that

a, like a turn on for you?

810

00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:45,680

Like, okay, well I get to go here

to do this thing, or you do You like

811

00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:47,545

going out, traveling to get a, I,

812

00:41:47,665 --> 00:41:52,160

Ash Avildsen: I do love, uh, I do love

shooting outside of wherever I'm living

813

00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:57,620

because it, it, it forces you to go live

in a new city for enough time where you

814

00:41:57,620 --> 00:41:58,845

can actually really get a feel for the.

815

00:41:59,565 --> 00:42:03,535

You know, it's one thing to go to a

city for, like, three, five days a week

816

00:42:03,535 --> 00:42:07,435

vacation, or if you're on tour, you know,

we'd only be in a city for a day or two.

817

00:42:07,465 --> 00:42:08,674

So it's hard to really experience it.

818

00:42:08,685 --> 00:42:12,455

When you're living in a city for

months, you actually at least can

819

00:42:12,455 --> 00:42:16,449

really get the, you know, a much more

real experience of what it's like.

820

00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:18,490

that city is and how and how it is.

821

00:42:18,530 --> 00:42:22,340

Um, so I, you know, I can proudly say

I lived in Louisville, Kentucky because

822

00:42:22,340 --> 00:42:26,670

I was there for several months between

scouting and then prep and then shooting.

823

00:42:27,050 --> 00:42:31,370

Um, but yeah, that's part of the magic

of, of, of the adventure of making

824

00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:36,410

films is just going to a place that

you've never been and just putting the

825

00:42:36,410 --> 00:42:38,070

flag in the ground and getting to work.

826

00:42:38,380 --> 00:42:40,940

Marc Preston: When you're just kind

of having your own time, you know,

827

00:42:40,950 --> 00:42:45,250

how you like I'd say hobby But you

know, what is it that you're enjoying

828

00:42:45,260 --> 00:42:48,120

doing that kind of lets you clear

your head just kind of decompress

829

00:42:48,925 --> 00:42:51,635

Ash Avildsen: Uh, well, I mean,

on a physical side, I do, you

830

00:42:51,635 --> 00:42:53,775

know, hot sauna, cold plunge.

831

00:42:53,805 --> 00:42:56,575

I try and exercise and walk a lot.

832

00:42:56,585 --> 00:43:00,634

But on a personal level, you know,

I'm a father for the first time.

833

00:43:00,645 --> 00:43:05,994

So spending as much time as I can with

my little two and a half year old boy,

834

00:43:06,095 --> 00:43:08,745

um, I didn't have this growing up.

835

00:43:08,755 --> 00:43:12,165

So it's been a very cathartic,

incredible experience.

836

00:43:12,305 --> 00:43:12,675

Yeah.

837

00:43:12,755 --> 00:43:13,725

Being a father.

838

00:43:14,750 --> 00:43:20,510

all, you know, having all I never

experienced with like hyper sensitive

839

00:43:20,530 --> 00:43:24,870

to j and specifically father t

840

00:43:26,970 --> 00:43:30,500

hope, hopefully we have

a to have a little girl.

841

00:43:30,919 --> 00:43:31,639

Um

842

00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:37,500

Just a huge part ever since he was born.

843

00:43:37,500 --> 00:43:41,430

I mean, it's just, I'm so grateful

that I have him and that I get to

844

00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,609

be in his life and he's in my life

and he's actually in the movie.

845

00:43:44,620 --> 00:43:45,749

He plays a little baby.

846

00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:51,239

Marc Preston: Did you grow up as an only

kid or did you have a siblings around?

847

00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:54,550

Ash Avildsen: I had an older brother,

a different father, older brother.

848

00:43:54,550 --> 00:43:56,770

I mean, we're technically half

brothers, but he's my brother.

849

00:43:56,770 --> 00:44:01,560

I mean, I, we'd never thought of, and

then I have, I have two half brothers

850

00:44:01,609 --> 00:44:06,050

on my dad's side that I didn't know

at all that I still today barely know.

851

00:44:06,150 --> 00:44:11,950

Uh, and then, um, I have a half sister

on my dad's side who actually I've become

852

00:44:11,989 --> 00:44:14,040

pretty close with and I love her to death.

853

00:44:14,450 --> 00:44:18,500

Uh, but yeah, I grew up, I had one older

brother that would always beat my ass.

854

00:44:20,665 --> 00:44:21,525

Marc Preston: Now, now it's

855

00:44:21,905 --> 00:44:22,405

Ash Avildsen: grown up.

856

00:44:22,515 --> 00:44:24,235

Marc Preston: Yeah, I

grew up as an only child.

857

00:44:24,395 --> 00:44:25,975

I'm living vicariously through my kids.

858

00:44:25,975 --> 00:44:29,114

You know, it's like to have siblings,

you know, and I'm kind of disturbing.

859

00:44:29,324 --> 00:44:30,255

Ash Avildsen: They're out of college now?

860

00:44:30,324 --> 00:44:32,094

Marc Preston: Yeah, no, my

daughter Lily just graduated.

861

00:44:32,095 --> 00:44:32,974

She's 21.

862

00:44:32,985 --> 00:44:34,445

She's graduated from Loyola.

863

00:44:34,505 --> 00:44:36,614

Uh, and then my son is still there.

864

00:44:36,614 --> 00:44:37,215

He's 20.

865

00:44:37,215 --> 00:44:40,705

And my youngest is down

at Boca Raton at school.

866

00:44:40,715 --> 00:44:41,445

She's 19.

867

00:44:41,905 --> 00:44:43,105

Ash Avildsen: You were a young dad.

868

00:44:43,125 --> 00:44:43,465

Marc Preston: Yeah.

869

00:44:43,465 --> 00:44:43,655

Yeah.

870

00:44:43,655 --> 00:44:43,845

Yeah.

871

00:44:43,855 --> 00:44:48,225

No, I was 30 the when I had,

uh, when I had my first.

872

00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:52,650

Uh, which was, you know, a little later

than some, but earlier than others.

873

00:44:52,660 --> 00:44:54,010

I was a pretty good age to have

874

00:44:54,720 --> 00:44:57,350

Ash Avildsen: and gosh, I,

yeah, I had mine when I was 40.

875

00:44:57,350 --> 00:45:02,119

So

876

00:45:04,699 --> 00:45:06,820

Marc Preston: before we get going

here, I always have my seven.

877

00:45:07,340 --> 00:45:10,150

Questions like to throw in on

the back end little extra fun.

878

00:45:10,180 --> 00:45:11,420

Uh, just extra good to know.

879

00:45:11,420 --> 00:45:11,630

Yeah.

880

00:45:11,710 --> 00:45:16,130

Uh, first one I always ask is what

is your favorite comfort food?

881

00:45:16,140 --> 00:45:19,649

Something you just love best

day, worst day, just love to,

882

00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:21,180

you know, grab ahold of it.

883

00:45:23,210 --> 00:45:27,499

Ash Avildsen: Uh, I mean, my guilty

pleasure, although I have kind

884

00:45:27,499 --> 00:45:30,020

of had a high cholesterol, so I'm

not eating these anytime soon.

885

00:45:30,030 --> 00:45:33,150

I love a real Philly cheesesteak,

although with like provolone,

886

00:45:33,150 --> 00:45:34,110

I don't do the cheese whiz.

887

00:45:34,180 --> 00:45:37,340

So that's like my guilty pleasure.

888

00:45:37,410 --> 00:45:41,250

And then other than that, I mean,

pizza, Popeye's fried chicken.

889

00:45:41,250 --> 00:45:42,790

But again, this is stuff

I'm really not eating.

890

00:45:43,049 --> 00:45:44,119

Marc Preston: I felt like I have Liberty.

891

00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:46,990

I'm taking a stat now and

I think it's more genetic.

892

00:45:46,990 --> 00:45:48,440

I have a little bit of

a cholesterol thing.

893

00:45:48,679 --> 00:45:52,520

Not bad, but you know, now

I'm going, I'm down in Texas.

894

00:45:52,530 --> 00:45:54,130

So I'm like, can I have

that chicken fried steak?

895

00:45:54,130 --> 00:45:54,690

Yeah, I'll do that.

896

00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:55,940

I'm like, I like,

897

00:45:57,220 --> 00:45:59,220

Ash Avildsen: I'm a big, uh, I love frozen

898

00:45:59,220 --> 00:45:59,730

Marc Preston: yogurt.

899

00:46:00,315 --> 00:46:03,545

Ash Avildsen: That's my, my

guilty pleasure for dessert.

900

00:46:03,845 --> 00:46:06,665

Marc Preston: Now, the next question I

got for you is if you were to sit down

901

00:46:06,665 --> 00:46:10,214

with three people, living or not, you're

going to have a cup of coffee, sit down,

902

00:46:10,534 --> 00:46:12,314

uh, for a few hours and talk story.

903

00:46:12,534 --> 00:46:15,275

Who would those three people be that

you would like to sit down with?

904

00:46:15,725 --> 00:46:17,844

Ash Avildsen: Well, just because

she's so fresh on my mind, I'd

905

00:46:17,845 --> 00:46:19,595

love to sit with Mildred Burke.

906

00:46:20,195 --> 00:46:24,715

Uh, I've always, uh, you know, it'd

probably be maybe Mildred Burke,

907

00:46:24,725 --> 00:46:26,375

John F. Kennedy and Bob Marley.

908

00:46:26,935 --> 00:46:27,605

I think I would.

909

00:46:28,490 --> 00:46:29,710

That would be a great hang.

910

00:46:30,650 --> 00:46:31,270

Marc Preston: Very cool.

911

00:46:31,270 --> 00:46:31,450

Yeah.

912

00:46:31,450 --> 00:46:33,360

I was just, uh, Bob Marley just came up.

913

00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:37,200

I was speaking with Jimmy Buffett's

daughter Delaney and, uh, uh, Katie

914

00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:41,179

Corwin, they have a film coming out

and, uh, Bob Marley came up and I was

915

00:46:41,179 --> 00:46:44,469

like, Oh, you know, it's funny because

I always listen to your dad's music.

916

00:46:44,469 --> 00:46:45,309

There's a through line.

917

00:46:45,310 --> 00:46:45,960

I heard Bob Marley.

918

00:46:46,150 --> 00:46:48,340

I said, was your dad really,

really into Bob Marley?

919

00:46:48,340 --> 00:46:50,140

She's like, yeah, my brother's

middle name is Marley.

920

00:46:50,230 --> 00:46:51,360

I was like, apparently so.

921

00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:53,820

So I think he's only come

up once before and that was.

922

00:46:54,035 --> 00:46:54,765

Last week.

923

00:46:54,765 --> 00:46:58,805

So very good now going back when you

were young, uh, who was your first

924

00:46:58,815 --> 00:47:01,415

celebrity crush when you were a young guy?

925

00:47:03,465 --> 00:47:06,545

Ash Avildsen: Well, the first, I mean, she

wasn't, I don't know if she's a celebrity,

926

00:47:06,545 --> 00:47:12,774

but the first time I got like aroused

was, uh, the girl in, um, the rock, the

927

00:47:12,775 --> 00:47:15,435

cradle of love, Billy Idol music video.

928

00:47:15,805 --> 00:47:19,295

Marc Preston: Oh, well, we're old enough

to remember the videos, you know, like

929

00:47:19,305 --> 00:47:22,565

Tony contained, you know, but as far as

930

00:47:22,725 --> 00:47:25,065

Ash Avildsen: like, I mean, the

first, the first time I remember

931

00:47:25,065 --> 00:47:29,160

like putting like, A girl is like the

wallpaper on my computer and stuff.

932

00:47:29,160 --> 00:47:32,480

That probably was, uh, when

Sandra Bullock first came out.

933

00:47:32,550 --> 00:47:40,300

Um, I was like a teen, um, that was

like the, that was the first one

934

00:47:40,300 --> 00:47:44,449

I remember really just, yeah, like

the wallpaper, that whole thing.

935

00:47:44,470 --> 00:47:44,920

Yeah.

936

00:47:45,190 --> 00:47:46,770

Marc Preston: It's the first

time anybody's mentioned that.

937

00:47:46,770 --> 00:47:51,259

I forgot that people used to put

wallpaper of like a model or something.

938

00:47:51,260 --> 00:47:54,540

I think, uh, but when I was a

kid, it was posters and I think

939

00:47:54,550 --> 00:47:56,470

like Kathy Ireland was a big one.

940

00:47:57,110 --> 00:48:00,129

Cindy Crawford, I think the Mike was

941

00:48:00,130 --> 00:48:00,540

Ash Avildsen: up there.

942

00:48:00,540 --> 00:48:01,330

That's a big one.

943

00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:02,810

Definitely.

944

00:48:02,820 --> 00:48:03,000

Yes.

945

00:48:03,010 --> 00:48:03,600

Cindy Crawford.

946

00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:04,530

I had some wallpapers.

947

00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:06,439

Marc Preston: You're the

first person's mentioned that.

948

00:48:06,439 --> 00:48:10,500

And I literally forgotten about,

uh, wallpapers on your, and

949

00:48:10,510 --> 00:48:13,140

downloading and trying to like, you

know, you got your dial up mode.

950

00:48:13,140 --> 00:48:15,450

I'm trying to get that stuff

downloaded took forever, you know,

951

00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:18,790

just, and you always got yourself a

nice, healthy virus out of the deal.

952

00:48:19,210 --> 00:48:21,050

Um, Now, next question.

953

00:48:21,050 --> 00:48:24,520

If you're going to be living on an exotic

island somewhere for a whole year now,

954

00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:26,100

somewhere you want to be, it's a resort.

955

00:48:26,100 --> 00:48:26,550

It's nice.

956

00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:30,179

You know, it's not like you're cast

away, but you don't have streaming.

957

00:48:30,180 --> 00:48:33,129

So you have to bring a movie.

958

00:48:33,129 --> 00:48:36,960

You can watch over and over again, a

DVD and an album, or it could even be

959

00:48:36,960 --> 00:48:40,350

a box set if you want, but something

you could listen to all year long.

960

00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:42,300

What would that DVD and the music?

961

00:48:42,300 --> 00:48:43,400

What would the CD be?

962

00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:47,910

Ash Avildsen: The album would be

Florence and the machine ceremonials.

963

00:48:48,420 --> 00:48:52,600

I got stranded on an island, so I have

to think, I'm not gonna, I'm gonna

964

00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,650

want the right ending to lift me up.

965

00:48:55,960 --> 00:48:59,420

Thinking if I'm on an island,

am I, I mean, am I celebrating?

966

00:48:59,429 --> 00:49:02,190

Am I, is this like a castaway

scenario where I'm stranded

967

00:49:02,190 --> 00:49:03,440

and I hope someone finds me?

968

00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:05,360

Marc Preston: It's a year of chill.

969

00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:06,690

Yeah, a year of chill.

970

00:49:06,690 --> 00:49:07,150

Okay,

971

00:49:07,190 --> 00:49:07,760

Ash Avildsen: um.

972

00:49:08,460 --> 00:49:09,040

What would it be?

973

00:49:09,140 --> 00:49:10,250

That's a great question.

974

00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,220

Um, gosh, I don't know.

975

00:49:12,710 --> 00:49:15,619

I will say, I mean, I always find

myself going back to the People vs.

976

00:49:15,650 --> 00:49:16,269

Larry Flint.

977

00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:21,875

I really, really love, uh, That

movie is just a really fun ride.

978

00:49:22,675 --> 00:49:23,325

Um,

979

00:49:23,765 --> 00:49:25,585

Marc Preston: and Woody

Harrelson is just so underrated.

980

00:49:25,605 --> 00:49:26,865

I think he's just such a great.

981

00:49:26,955 --> 00:49:27,455

Oh yeah.

982

00:49:27,505 --> 00:49:28,595

The way he gets into stuff.

983

00:49:28,875 --> 00:49:29,305

Ash Avildsen: Yeah.

984

00:49:29,835 --> 00:49:31,095

Um, fuck it.

985

00:49:31,175 --> 00:49:32,245

The people virtual area plan.

986

00:49:32,255 --> 00:49:32,664

There you go.

987

00:49:32,885 --> 00:49:36,545

Marc Preston: Now, if you were to go stem

to stern beginning to the end of the day

988

00:49:36,554 --> 00:49:38,175

from time you wake up, I'm gonna sleep.

989

00:49:38,705 --> 00:49:40,825

If you were to define it Perfect day.

990

00:49:40,825 --> 00:49:45,085

What would the component parts be of a

perfect day beginning to end for you?

991

00:49:45,865 --> 00:49:47,835

So the key, the key parts,

992

00:49:49,245 --> 00:49:49,395

Ash Avildsen: I

993

00:49:49,395 --> 00:49:49,705

Marc Preston: mean,

994

00:49:50,625 --> 00:49:54,325

Ash Avildsen: the key parts, well,

it would be, you know, waking up

995

00:49:54,645 --> 00:50:01,914

and going to sleep with my family,

um, having a good, uh, moment of

996

00:50:01,914 --> 00:50:07,564

exercise, uh, ideally outside and

good weather, getting a great sweat.

997

00:50:07,844 --> 00:50:11,475

Um, great sauna, some time to write.

998

00:50:12,555 --> 00:50:16,375

Time to eat some clean, organic

food, time to catch up with a friend,

999

00:50:17,075 --> 00:50:22,394

um, listen to some music, watch

a great movie, yeah, a massage,

00:50:23,095 --> 00:50:23,355

Marc Preston: I'm a big

00:50:23,744 --> 00:50:28,854

Ash Avildsen: fan of massages, and uh,

I need to get back into yoga, but you

00:50:28,855 --> 00:50:32,905

know, self care, it's easy, it's easy

to put ourselves last, especially when

00:50:32,905 --> 00:50:36,655

you're trying to accomplish all these

things, you have all this kind of self

00:50:36,655 --> 00:50:38,964

induced pressure, so I try and take it in.

00:50:39,605 --> 00:50:42,555

Remember to unplug as much

as I can, but it's very hard.

00:50:42,785 --> 00:50:44,035

You really have to practice it.

00:50:44,035 --> 00:50:48,265

It has to become a practice of

like self care and not because

00:50:48,465 --> 00:50:51,275

Marc Preston: it's too easy for the back

of your brain to be processing going,

00:50:51,275 --> 00:50:54,244

you could be getting this done now, and

you could be getting that done now and

00:50:54,255 --> 00:50:56,684

you forget, okay, I need to take care of.

00:50:57,455 --> 00:50:58,645

just doing nothing.

00:50:58,885 --> 00:51:01,465

You know, that's something

I'm trying to work on as well.

00:51:01,495 --> 00:51:01,835

Yeah,

00:51:02,145 --> 00:51:05,555

Ash Avildsen: it's really hard, especially

if you're like, you know, running your own

00:51:05,555 --> 00:51:08,095

company or working on your own project.

00:51:08,095 --> 00:51:12,544

There's never like an end until you

just say, okay, I'm done for now.

00:51:12,915 --> 00:51:17,904

You know, it's not like you're, you know,

I used to wait tables and deliver pizzas

00:51:17,904 --> 00:51:22,985

and all these, you know, you know, just

normal hourly jobs when I was growing up

00:51:22,985 --> 00:51:25,965

and like, you know, you deliver the pizzas

for eight hours, you go home, you're done.

00:51:26,020 --> 00:51:30,250

Yeah, you're not like thinking

about, oh, I wonder what my first

00:51:30,250 --> 00:51:31,340

address is going to be here.

00:51:31,350 --> 00:51:33,810

What the order is going to

use out of sight out of mind.

00:51:33,810 --> 00:51:37,790

But with, you know, a lot of

the things in other worlds,

00:51:37,919 --> 00:51:39,060

it's like, it's never ending.

00:51:39,060 --> 00:51:40,679

It's like, there's a

million things right now.

00:51:40,680 --> 00:51:42,199

I need to be doing to.

00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:45,080

Make sure the film is

getting Marceted right.

00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:49,260

And, you know, coordinating everything

with the cast and the press and

00:51:49,270 --> 00:51:51,960

the theater, you know, it's just

never ending and it's, well, it's

00:51:51,960 --> 00:51:54,699

Marc Preston: a matter of delegation,

you know, that's my biggest problem

00:51:54,699 --> 00:51:57,460

is like, I'm not that I don't

trust somebody can do a good job.

00:51:57,460 --> 00:51:59,079

It's sometimes like, Oh, I gotta get this.

00:51:59,399 --> 00:52:02,630

There's a certain thing I'm looking for

in the time it takes me to explain it.

00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:03,620

Maybe go through a first.

00:52:04,110 --> 00:52:06,730

You know, I'll just get it done and

do it myself, you know, and I know

00:52:06,730 --> 00:52:10,260

that's probably not optimal, but

delegation is something I'm working on.

00:52:10,310 --> 00:52:12,290

Ash Avildsen: It's hard, yeah,

letting go and, and letting,

00:52:13,180 --> 00:52:15,490

you know, just kind of trust in

someone else to handle that stuff.

00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:18,610

Marc Preston: Now, the next question I

got for you is if you weren't doing this,

00:52:18,620 --> 00:52:24,940

if this was not an option for you, uh, as

a vocation, what would be the next thing

00:52:24,940 --> 00:52:27,840

that you would do that you thought that

you feel like you would find joy doing?

00:52:29,049 --> 00:52:33,910

Ash Avildsen: I mean, I always

either wanted to be a, uh, I

00:52:34,040 --> 00:52:38,140

was really in, I mean, I grew up

in D. C. So I, I loved history.

00:52:38,140 --> 00:52:43,130

I always, you know, as I mentioned,

meeting JFK and Bob Marley, these are

00:52:43,130 --> 00:52:48,770

people that really Helped fight for

truth and honor and for world peace.

00:52:48,780 --> 00:52:54,470

And so I did have a passion, um,

for trying to make the world better.

00:52:54,470 --> 00:52:57,739

And a lot of times it has to come

through politics and leaders.

00:52:58,069 --> 00:53:01,699

I also was, you know,

considered being an attorney.

00:53:02,110 --> 00:53:07,940

Um, specifically for either criminal

defense to try and, you know, find people

00:53:07,940 --> 00:53:13,559

that I believe was innocent and get them

acquitted or, um, you know, an attorney

00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:16,499

to, to help, you know, pass better laws.

00:53:18,589 --> 00:53:21,589

So, yeah, I mean, professor attorney.

00:53:22,175 --> 00:53:23,855

Politician, probably something like that.

00:53:23,855 --> 00:53:25,395

If I wasn't into music and film.

00:53:25,885 --> 00:53:28,275

Marc Preston: Now, the last question

I got for you, if you could jump into

00:53:28,275 --> 00:53:31,594

that DeLorean travel back to when

you're 16 years old and you have a

00:53:31,595 --> 00:53:35,065

piece of advice to offer yourself

either to make that moment a little

00:53:35,065 --> 00:53:37,885

bit better, or to put yourself on

a little bit different trajectory.

00:53:37,885 --> 00:53:41,134

What would that piece of advice be

that you would offer to yourself?

00:53:42,005 --> 00:53:48,255

Ash Avildsen: Probably to exercise

more, um, patience and gratitude for

00:53:48,255 --> 00:53:56,124

just the gift of life and, um, not,

uh, not letting, you know, myself get

00:53:56,124 --> 00:54:02,174

worked up because of how other people

are treating me, um, how my luck of the

00:54:02,175 --> 00:54:04,465

draw is with the world, all those things.

00:54:04,515 --> 00:54:06,785

I think I really just try and instill.

00:54:07,710 --> 00:54:11,440

Gratitude for, you know, being

able to even have the gift of life.

00:54:11,460 --> 00:54:13,070

I mean, life is so fragile every day.

00:54:13,070 --> 00:54:16,480

Now I'm at that age where I just,

there's constantly people dying that

00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:18,679

I've known or getting falling ill.

00:54:18,730 --> 00:54:22,040

And, um, that would probably

be it to just really enjoy.

00:54:22,050 --> 00:54:25,749

And also, I know, I mean, it's a

cliche, but to really enjoy the moment.

00:54:25,770 --> 00:54:27,670

The present is just that it's a present.

00:54:27,670 --> 00:54:30,700

It's a gift that you're alive

and it's very easy to focus.

00:54:32,005 --> 00:54:35,815

You know, fixate on the future

and, and, or, you know, focus on

00:54:35,815 --> 00:54:39,815

the future, fixate on the past

versus like, you know, still really

00:54:40,075 --> 00:54:42,545

enjoying, you know, living the moment.

00:54:42,665 --> 00:54:43,285

Marc Preston: Yeah, that's

00:54:43,495 --> 00:54:43,764

Ash Avildsen: it.

00:54:43,764 --> 00:54:43,914

You

00:54:43,915 --> 00:54:47,185

Marc Preston: know, I think it's one of

the things, as you get older, you start

00:54:47,264 --> 00:54:51,954

appreciating your time a little bit more

and, and how you're investing it and.

00:54:52,255 --> 00:54:53,175

Trying to live in the moment.

00:54:53,175 --> 00:54:55,065

It'd be so wonderful if I had that.

00:54:55,105 --> 00:54:58,955

Uh, if you had that as a kid when

you're young You know, but man, I so

00:54:58,955 --> 00:55:00,594

appreciate you spending some time with me.

00:55:00,595 --> 00:55:02,995

I am so jazzed, uh to see the film

00:55:03,295 --> 00:55:04,335

Ash Avildsen: We were

just talking about you.

00:55:04,335 --> 00:55:05,745

Is he oh, there's my son

00:55:08,144 --> 00:55:09,005

Marc Preston: He's like who is this

00:55:09,445 --> 00:55:11,475

Ash Avildsen: one day when you're

all grown up researching your

00:55:11,475 --> 00:55:15,480

dad This is going to be you

seeing yourself on the FaceTime.

00:55:15,740 --> 00:55:18,200

Marc Preston: Well my friend, you

take care, uh, go talk to your

00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:21,000

little one, enjoy that time, but

uh, hopefully uh, down the line

00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:22,030

we'll have a chance to connect.

00:55:22,080 --> 00:55:22,450

Awesome.

00:55:22,450 --> 00:55:23,500

Thank you so much, Marc.

00:55:23,509 --> 00:55:24,070

Great to meet

00:55:24,070 --> 00:55:24,270

Ash Avildsen: you.

00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:28,460

Marc Preston: All right,

there you go, Ash Avildsen.

00:55:28,719 --> 00:55:31,540

The new film is called Queen of the Ring.

00:55:31,550 --> 00:55:35,200

It is out today, Friday,

March 7th, uh, in theaters.

00:55:35,225 --> 00:55:35,855

Check it out.

00:55:35,885 --> 00:55:37,365

Emily Bette Rickards is in it.

00:55:37,395 --> 00:55:40,915

Uh, Josh Lucas, Martin Cove, who

was in the Karate Kid movies.

00:55:40,925 --> 00:55:45,135

So it's kind of a cool connection

as we discussed that he's directing

00:55:45,135 --> 00:55:47,705

Martin Cove, just like his father did.

00:55:47,945 --> 00:55:50,345

John Avildsen in the Karate Kid movies.

00:55:50,460 --> 00:55:50,770

Okay.

00:55:50,770 --> 00:55:51,520

So do me a favor.

00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:56,440

If you would, I ask every week, small

request pop over to story and craft pod.

00:55:56,710 --> 00:55:59,080

com forward slash rate.

00:55:59,350 --> 00:56:02,959

Uh, or of course, just open up

your podcast app, whichever one you

00:56:02,959 --> 00:56:05,119

use, make sure to follow the show.

00:56:05,119 --> 00:56:07,529

You get notified every

time there's a new episode.

00:56:07,939 --> 00:56:09,550

Also leave a review.

00:56:09,550 --> 00:56:12,940

If you would drop some stars,

rate an episode or the show or

00:56:13,350 --> 00:56:14,420

whatever you would like to do.

00:56:14,420 --> 00:56:15,040

It's always.

00:56:15,235 --> 00:56:18,885

Appreciate it because it

helps people to find the show.

00:56:19,245 --> 00:56:20,365

I'm going to get on out of here.

00:56:20,535 --> 00:56:23,975

Do me a favor, have a wonderful

weekend or let's say you're

00:56:23,975 --> 00:56:25,185

listening to this during the week.

00:56:25,185 --> 00:56:25,904

Have a great week.

00:56:26,275 --> 00:56:27,445

We'll be back in a few days.

00:56:27,455 --> 00:56:28,964

Another fun conversation for you.

00:56:29,055 --> 00:56:31,995

And of course, as always, I

want to thank you again for

00:56:31,995 --> 00:56:33,624

making what I got going on here.

00:56:33,624 --> 00:56:35,615

Part of whatever you've got going on.

00:56:35,890 --> 00:56:37,840

I will chat with you in a few days.

00:56:37,850 --> 00:56:41,790

Another great conversation coming

up right here on story and craft.

00:56:42,110 --> 00:56:44,709

Announcer: That's it for this

episode of story and craft.

00:56:44,950 --> 00:56:48,840

Join Marc next week for more

conversation right here on story

00:56:48,840 --> 00:56:53,150

and craft story and craft is a

presentation of Marc Preston productions

00:56:53,469 --> 00:56:56,369

LLC executive producer is Marc.

00:56:56,370 --> 00:56:59,820

Preston Associate Producer

is Zachary Holden.

00:57:00,150 --> 00:57:03,720

Please rate and review story

and craft on Apple Podcasts.

00:57:03,720 --> 00:57:07,950

Don't forget to subscribe to the

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or your favorite podcast app.

00:57:09,870 --> 00:57:12,840

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00:57:12,960 --> 00:57:17,100

Just head to story and craft pod.com

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00:57:17,660 --> 00:57:18,590

I'm Emma Dylan.

00:57:18,830 --> 00:57:19,790

See you next time.

00:57:19,970 --> 00:57:22,280

And remember, keep telling your story.

00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:23,030

Come help.