Richard Gabai

The ‘InSight’ Of Father Daddy Bah-Ba

The Mondo Film & Video Guide Interview With Richard Gabai

Conducted By: Mondo Justin
Mondo Film & Video Guide Editor

A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away when late night television was very different, and the B movie had a place within that realm, Richard Gabai rode the airwaves.  As writer, director, producer and star, his films like, VIRGIN HIGH, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS, HOT UNDER THE COLLAR, and ASSAULT OF THE PART NERDS II: THE HEAVY PETTING DETECTIVE were BIG staples in the final years when pay cable DIDN’T suck.

Gabai’s fun and raunchy teen sex comedies have become classics for many today. His sense of humor, timing and concept pre-date NOW typical fare as the dubiously popular AMERICAN PIE films and VAN WILDER series.

Gabai grew up in California. He developed an intense love of music and film at an very early age, eventually starting his own rock band, ‘The Checks’.  In addition to music, Gabai worked as an actor, maintaining that profession while beginning to write, direct and produce his own films.  When Gabai makes a film, he becomes it.  He writes, directs and produces it.  He casts himself in the lead role, and most often contributes music to the film. He does it all, and Gabai’s work has a very distinct feel to it.  You can always tell that what you’re watching is a Richard Gabai film.  His style is his own, and his films are always great fun.

As an actor, perhaps more than any other of his generation, Gabai, is the definition of the everyday man.  The next door man-child that’s just like all of us red blooded Americans.  Gabai, on our behalf, sets out to achieve the essence of the American dream – to be the hero, and to get US laid.

From “Jerry Kaminski” of ‘VIRGIN HIGH to “John Skeemer” in Jim Wynorski’s and Fred Olen Ray’s DINOSAUR ISLAND, Gabai has a unique charm that allows us to accept him as a sort of sex crazed Don Knotts/Groucho Marx offspring, with a hint of Looney Tunes character, ‘Wile E. Coyote.’ In that, he ALWAYS has a plan to get us what he wants. Gabai, playing  these characters throughout his fun career, are all Superman types for all us nerds to admire out here in movieland.

Gabai’s NOW been in the game for over 20 years. He’s worked with everyone from Jim Wynorski, Jennifer Rubin, Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, Dan Golden, Leslie Mann to Christopher Lloyd.

In addition to creating some of the greatest and most financially successful teen sex comedies of all time, Gabai has also expertly directed several – more serious types of films over the years as well.  Films like, CALL OF THE WILD 3D, VIRTUAL GIRL, MIRACLE DOGS TOO, POPSTAR, and MOTOCROSS KIDS, have all proven must see’s as well as being hugely successful in the home video and television markets.

Richard Gabai is a wondrous writer, actor, director and comedian.  A personal favorite here for us at mondo-video.com. Talking with Gabai finds one, experiencing a guy who’s very funny, insightful, interesting, clever, and also at times a little bit mischievous.  As Gabai is close to releasing his new film, ‘InSight’ we think it’s time that everyone took a trip into the yoke of Gabai-dom.

Tell me about how your first film, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS came about into being?

Well, before PARTY NERDS, all I had really done was starred in David DeCoteau’s NIGHTMARE SISTERS, and then I acted in a little known dramatic film, which is actually really great called, THE WHITMORE’S HAVE COMPANY released as NIGHT VISITORS. So after that, I decided I was going to make my own movie.   On THE WHITMORE’s I met Michael Becker and Rob Dorfman.  Michael Becker and I have been working together for the last 22 years, and Rob Dorfman played ‘Chip’ in ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS.  I met him cause he was a production assistant and the guy who drove the actor’s van on THE WHITMORE’S.

ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS is really the film that is responsible for me getting into the movie business as a filmmaker.  As much as some parts of the film make me cringe, I still think it’s a classic entry into genre and into Gabai-dom..laughing

You were born and spent the first few years of your life in New York City, how the heck did you end up out in California?

Well, my dad got transferred.  I was born in New York City, and lived for the first few years of my life in Washington Heights, an area of New York City.   Right before my sixth birthday, we moved to Orange County, California. And after a couple years there, we moved to the San Fernando Valley, and that’s basically were I grew up.

So as a kid, how early did you develop an interest in acting, film and music?

It was pretty early.  I think I’ve always been a performer, but I really didn’t think of myself that way, but the neighbors did.  Our neighbor recommended that I go to  this summer theater program at Cal State Northridge.  It was just a few miles from where I grew up.  I did musical theater there every summer. As a kid, everyone has that thing that you can do – that feels right.  I always liked basketball and football, but I knew I wasn’t gonna be on the school team. So, I knew this was the place for me.  Also, it was a major draw to the girls…laughing   Even as a kid, I wanted to meet the girls.  It was great.  I totally loved the people, and the vibe. It just felt really natural – me being there.

I did a few professional acting gigs as a kid too, but I lost interest in the whole auditioning thing, but it stuck with me.

With the music, you can tie together my desire to make movies, and my desire to play music and write songs to one incident that happened to me when I was like 10 or 11.   I was going to meet some friends to see a movie at the mall, it was about a mile and a half walk from my house. We had planned to all meet at a certain time.  It was in the days of no cell-phones. You couldn’t text anyone.  We got our wires crossed, and no one showed up.  So I sat there and decided that I wasn’t going to just walk back the mile and half.  I looked at the glass case of the theater and I saw this poster of a guy holding an electric guitar.  I said to myself, “this looks cool.”  It was THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY.   I had no idea who Buddy Holly was, but I went anyway.  I dug the music, I loved the movie.  When it ended, I kinda touched my face and realized that I had tears coming down my cheek.  I looked around really quick to make sure that no one in the theater was looking at me.

The whole thing blew me away. Then I went out and bought a Buddy Holly record, and I hated it.  Cause, I really liked the Gary Busey versions of the songs.  I now have the complete recordings of Buddy Holly, and I can’t listen to the film’s soundtrack anymore.  But at the time, you always fall in love with the first one that you hear, right?   So this was important and it excited me because it put the thought in my head that I wanted to someday make films and make music that could effect people in a similar fashion.   Also, it made me wanna play guitar and write songs, and I had to get a Stratocaster as soon as possible, and I did… a couple years down the road.

So do you have like a Top Five favorite musical artists or Top Five favorite albums?

Tough one… I can’t do albums.  But I think I could do artists.  If I really had to give you a number one.  I go with the following in the number one category.  The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison. Then after that would be, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash….that’s enough…that’s almost ten, right?

How did the concept for your film VICE GIRLS come about?

It’s funny. One of the guys I met in the teen drama program that I used to go to was Michael Baldwin.  He is the star of the PHANTASM movies.   So he’s been a lifetime friend, and we always wanted to make a film together, and of course, he’s in VICE GIRLS.  So I pitched to the company that was willing to make the film with me, it’s “PULP FICTION meets CHARLIE’S ANGELS.”  That was the pitch.  They said, sounds great.  So I got together with Michael and developed it, and Michael wrote the screenplay.  If you’re an aficionado of the film, there is a huge subtext of the original Star Trek television series in the film. Very few have picked up on it, but Baldwin infused it in there.    I loved how the film turned out.

What was it like working with ‘Lana Clarkson’ on VICE GIRLS?

She was very dedicated to her craft. She was very serious about what she was doing.  I think it meant a lot of her that she was doing the role, and I think she’s great in the film.

Would you like to comment on the Lana Clarkson and Phil Spector incident?

Well, what can I say?  It’s just so awful.  I don’t think there is anything I can say.  The guy is and was obviously insane. It’s not the first time he had pulled a gun on somebody.  It’s just disgusting.  My heart goes out to her family, friends and fans.   I hadn’t actually seen her in years, but this whole thing really taught me about American culture. Once it happened my phone starting ringing off the hook.  I was getting approached by the National Enquirer, E!, Time,  and Newsweek.

The National Enquirer was ultimately the most respectful. I gave them a quote.  Time and Newsweek pestered and harassed me like crazy.  ‘Do you have any personal photos of Lana?” “Did you date Lana, sometimes the director dates the leading actress…”   One women reporter was calling me asking me to meet her for a drink.  It was a shame.  The television show ‘Inside Edition’ offered me 1500 dollars to do an on camera interview about Lana.  I passed. It was just really interesting how the reporters that you think are gonna be sleazy are actually the most respectful.

You’re making a different caliber of film these days as opposed to what you where you making in the late ’80s and early ’90s, why the jump?

Well, I’ve never jumped to anything.  I’ve just grown up. I’ve changed. I’m not the same guy I was at 29. I directed the PARTY NERDS movies, I acted in Fred Ray’s and Jim Wynorski’s DINOSAUR ISLAND. I love being in Fred Ray’s films.   As a creator of product, you never say never.  This is what I do. I make films to eat, to make a living. I’ve been doing it for 22 years.  I don’t look down on any project, no project is to good for me.  I just have made a conscious decision to move toward something else. I wanna tell more personal stories. I want to move people emotionally.  I’ve been married for 11 years, and I have three kids.  I want to make stuff that I can share with them.   I’m proud of all the work, and when my kids get to the appropriate age, I’ll proudly show and tell them about everything I’ve done.  At this stage in the game, I can’t give a project I don’t relate to the attention it would require anymore, I’m not interested in doing those types of films as a director, my heart’s not “in” it.  But if it came down to it, I’d certainly do it to make a living – and I’d never say “No” to any of my director pals who might call me to play a role in the films they’re making.

On that note, how was your DINOSAUR ISLAND experience?

Loved it.  Loved the girls.  Not ashamed.   It was a blast.   It’s not on DVD, and it should be on Blu-Ray…laughing…From the first day of shooting through to the wrap party…I swear some day I’m gonna write a book called ‘Blue Collar Hollywood: How I Made 1000 Movies In Hollywood And Never Caught The Clap.’   We started the wrap party at the late David Carradine’s house, and somehow and someway I ended up in some girls dorm room at UCLA, and I don’t have any clue or memory of how I got there!  I woke up looking at a poster of the ‘Backstreet Boys’ and I sat up and said, “where the hell am I… oh yeah..”   Again, it was a different time in my life.

Do you think you’ve got another ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS in you?

Yes, that’s one that I do think I have in me.  PARTY NERDS 3D.    Also, I think we should do a remake of the original ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS. That could happen.

With films like ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS and VIRGIN HIGH wouldn’t you say you were really ahead of your time in creating a type of movie, that’s now become so popular today?

We pushed the envelope for sure. The M.P.A.A gave both those films an ‘X’ rating on initial screening when they reviewed them. It didn’t make any sense.  One of the issues they had for example, was that scene in VIRGIN HIGH where I’m standing there with the other guy talking, as we’re taking a leak.  There was another film that year that was put out by a studio and a famous director, and Huey Lewis whips it out, and leeks away.  That they considered ‘art.’.  It was all because we were an independent film.   Look at what’s come since, the AMERICAN PIE movies and the Judd Apatow films.   It’s interesting – and ironically I discovered Leslie Mann on the set of VIRGIN HIGH.  She was an extra and I knew she had something special going on so I wrote that bit for her in the classroom scene.  Now she’s married to Judd and is a big star.

What was the inspiration for you behind making, VIRGIN HIGH?

I developed that with my writer buddy David Fulk.  My pitch was FAST TIMES IN RIDGEMONT HIGH in Catholic school.  That may be our funniest film.  For me the first five minutes of that film really work.  Burt Ward is a riot in that.  He’s a great guy.

How did you get involved with Jim Wynorski’s remake of THE WASP WOMEN?

I was just lucky. I’ll always be grateful to Jim for giving me that role.  I am thrilled to be in that movie. I like that movie a lot.  I was a big fan of Jennifer Rubin too, so it was nice to work with her. How many people can say they shot a love scene with Jennifer Rubin, a body double, and a giant wasp on the same day?

You’ve directed Christopher Lloyd on a few of your most recent films, what’s it like to direct Lloyd? Is it difficult to give direction to an actor of his caliber?

No, it’s incredibly easy.  He’s a professional actor, and he actually respects me as an director. Which is difficult for me to accept.  He takes direction and he wants direction.  He’s become a very good friend.  He’s one of my hero’s.  ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST was one of those films that took me to another planet, and that’s Christopher Lloyd’s first movie.  That’s one of the most interesting things about being in this business.  The fact that you get to meet and work with your heroes, and often it’s not disappointing.

You’re finishing up a new film right now, INSIGHT.  How did you get involved with that?

Scott my DP brought me the script. I read it, and loved it.  We are very excited about it – totally different for me.

What else are you working on?

I just shot a movie for IMAX, TIME: THE FOURTH DIMENSION.  We just finished that. Then, BEAUTIFUL BOY.  I am the Executive Producer. It stars Michael Sheen and Maria Bello. We won the Discovery Award at Toronto in 2010, and this spring, Anchor Bay will be releasing the film theatrically. Visit the film’s website - here.

What’s your favorite movie, that you’ve made.  early career, and later career?

I’m most excited about whatever is coming next, but early on I’d have to say VIRGIN HIGH. Cause it’s just so funny – and we had so much fun making it.   And now, InSIGHT.

What’s your acting process detail?

Well my process is that I try to make the guys watching the movie in the theater or at home think that I’m them.  My goal has always been to humanize the role.   I want people to identify with the character I”m playing.

I’m jealous of the guy’s your playing in your earlier film’s like VIRGIN HIGH….

Yeah, well when I look back at those films, I’m jealous of the guys I’m playing too…laughing