If you really want to know what’s happening on any film or TV set, the last people you should ask are the executives. We know nothing of value. We may have a pretty good fix on where the budget is, but we have no idea who’s sleeping with whom. Film and TV sets are emotionally overwrought places where people form intense bonds for short periods of time. Very conducive to creativity and having affairs, terrible for sustaining actual grown up relationships. If you really want to know who’s forming intense bonds, having affairs and sleeping around, you have to go ask “the pretties” – hair and makeup or, alternately, wardrobe. These are the people on any movie set who really know what’s happening to whom and why. If it’s dirty laundry you want, you’ve come to the right place.

Hurry Up And Wait

“Hurry up and wait” perfectly sums up life on a film or TV set. Lots of mad rushing about, lots of sitting around waiting. That equals time to talk, gossip, shoot the shit and confess even. One of the wardrobe department’s jobs on any set is to do actual dirty laundry. Whether people know it or not, their dirty laundry tells on them.

In today’s episode of the podcast, we welcome Randall Thropp. Listeners to season one of the How Not To Make A Movie Podcast remember Randall. He was Crypt’s wardrobe supervisor. He told the story in season one about working on the Bordello of Blood reshoots in Los Angeles. The experience was so awful that Randall briefly quit the movie biz.

Spoiler alert: he came back.

Dream Projects & Dream Jobs

We’ll also talk about our mutual friend the award winning documentary filmmaker Greg Shuker. Randall has stories from the set of the “Who’s Afraid of Baby Jane” remake starring the Redgrave sisters, Lynn and Vanessa. He has stories about working on “Tony & Tina’s Wedding”, Mick Garris’ remake of “The Shining” and, of course, “Tales From The Crypt”.

Randall will discuss his current work with Paramount Pictures Wardrobe Archive. It’s his dream job come to life! Randall’s working with the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Museum (it’s awesome!) on an exhibit featuring The Godfather movies.     

Along the way? We’ll talk plenty of dirty laundry.