By C.G. Hilliard
And when the show ended, Matthiew came up to me and Paolo, who wrote and played the characters, and we did a short. That went really well and then we thought it was done, but Matthiew badgered us about doing a feature. We fought him tooth and nail, but we finally caved and we made it. It’s smart comedy. It’s not just a broad, Will Ferrell-type of comedy. I like comedy that goes a little dark sometimes so you can have fun exploring the human side of characters. That’s my favorite kind of movie to watch or to make. But for this movie, I really wasn’t inspired by him. I had seen the movie Punch Drunk Love just before I shot this film, and that was probably my biggest inspiration. And that’s the way that we wanted to go with the Easter Bunny as well. We were looking for people who were actually characters, who were playing themselves in the film. And I think we found a great cast. I think as long as it’s done in a fun way when the women are in on the joke, it can be a lot fun. When I was a young teenager I used to ski every day and that’s probably what motivated me to keep skiing. I wanted to be in a hot tub with naked girls and in ski competitions.
Canadian director Matthiew Klinck twisted comedy Hank and Mike stars Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini as the titular pair of laid-off Easter Bunnies.
Although Hank is a Hell-raising womanizer and Mike is an anxiety-ridden introvert, the two have to overcome their differences to deal with the consequences of their unemployment.
Aniela Kurylo shows TA as one of Hank’s one-night stands, and Talia Russo bares all three B’s as an artist’s nude model.
Michael and Thomas recently spoke to C.G. Hilliard about their new movie.
Can you first just say who you are and what you did in the film?
Matthiew Klinck: I’m Matthiew Klinck and I’m the director of this movie.
Thomas Michael: I’m Thomas Michael and I co-wrote the film, produced it, and played Hank.
Is this the first film you guys have done together?
TM: No, it’s the second feature and the one millionth short.
Where did the idea for this movie come from?
TM: We started out by having a television comedy series in Canada and the Easter bunny characters of Hank and Mike were the most popular characters on the show.
What’s the relationship between these two characters like?
TM: It’s like an exaggerated version of the real-life relationship between me and Paolo. In real life, Paolo is a little shyer than I am and a little quieter. I’m a little more ambitious, I guess, or cocky, or something like that. And we kind of stretch those personas as far as we can go.
What was the biggest difference between making this as a full-length feature and making it as a sketch on a TV show?
MK: The biggest difference was probably working with Hollywood stars. In this one, we got to work with Joe Mantegna and Chris Klein. We also had some money, and some toys, some cranes, so we could get some good production values. The feature was more fun.
Is comedy your favorite genre to work in?
TM: Absolutely.MK: For me, definitely. It’s the one I’m the most comfortable with. It’s the one I discovered when I was young.
What comic actors or directors were your biggest influences doing this project?
MK: In my life, the biggest influence on my directing has been Terry Gilliam, who does a lot of dark comedy and fantasy-type movies.
TM: I have been hugely inspired by standup comedians who went on to be dramatic actors like Robin Williams and Andy Kaufmann. For me it was like, “We’re already in a bunny suit, so let’s just try to be as real as possible all the time.”
How did having an R-rating change the direction of the movie?
MK: The point of this movie was to make an R-rated comedy. We’re huge fans of movies like Bad Santa where you take a concept like Santa Claus or some nice family holiday and you twist it until it’s full of drugs and sex and all the things that make up a debauched life.
TM: These guys were always R-rated bunnies. The point was that here are some guys in bunny suits that are going to do some dirty, dirty stuff.
When you were casting the actresses who were going to be nude, what were you looking for?
MK: Ah, good, good! We were looking for people who were going to be real. As Thomas mentioned, he and Paolo played the characters absolutely straight, not trying to go for laughs.
TM: Certainly for the live nude who’s being painted by Joe Mantegna’s character, we knew we didn’t want a modern, skinny little girl. We wanted somebody voluptuous and somebody real, too.
We auditioned a lot of people for the role of Estress, and when Aniela [Kurylo] came in, we knew that she was it. She really had fun with it.
How important is it for an R-rated comedy to have nudity in it?MK: Interesting question. I’ll put it this way: If you’re going to have an R-rating anyway, why hold back with the nudity? Isn’t the nudity part of the fun of watching a film?
TM: I remember movies like Porky's being so much fun for an audience of 14 or 15 year-old boys. They all had nudity, but it was fun nudity.
What’s your favorite R-rated comedy of all time?
MK: If Punch Drunk Love was R-rated, then I would say Punch Drunk Love. If it’s not R-rated, I would say Bad Santa.
TM: I have to say Bad Santa and maybe Old School.What was the first nude scene you remember seeing?
TM: I think it was probably A Nightmare on Elm Street. Isn’t there a scene in that where Freddy kills a girl in the shower?
You mean Heather Langenkamp in the bubble bath?
TM: That might have been it. Now I’m always on the lookout for a murderer whenever I see boobies.
MK: I don’t remember the title of the film. I think it was Ski School. Is that the one with all the hot tubs and nudity?
That’s actually a Canadian movie.
MK: Yes it was. It was Damian Lee that made that. And it almost motivated me to be a pro skier.If you were making a sex comedy today, what Hollywood actress that hasn’t been naked yet would you most like to cast in a hot tub nude scene?
MK: Megan Fox.
TM: If there’s a hot tub, why limit it to one? How about Megan Fox Salma Hayek.
MK: Tom, Salma Hayek has already been naked. But she can be in the scene, too. I’m not against that.
TM: Okay, well Salma Hayek and Carla Gugino are just there.
Anything else you guys want to add?
MK: Hank and Mike is awesome.
