By In late September 2019, a group banded together around a Facebook event and breached the heavily guarded gates surrounding the mysterious structure known as Area 51. Among those in attendance was comedian, writer and director Brian Moreno, who had hired the cast. A crew member capturing footage of the experience.
in his new movie Dreamland: Storming Area 51 stories starring Moreno with fellow comedians Andy Kozel, Giff PippinWhen natasha pearl hensonMoreno reveals the origin of the event and what really happened on that mysterious autumn day in Nevada.
Connected by phone, Brian was optimistic that the film would be well received, explaining his filmmaking process, his affinity for the word “alien,” and how being on stage and making a film resembled gardening cannabis. He gave me reasons why he thinks he does.
High Times: You’ve spent most of your professional career as a comedian. Where did the urge to become a filmmaker come from?
Brian Moreno: My first desire in the entertainment industry was to become a filmmaker.Comedians are actually secondary.
Like most young people, at first I thought I was going to be a famous and groundbreaking actor. When it didn’t work out as fast as in your head, I started spreading my wings and getting into comedy, and comedy took over. It’s hard.
I had some success making short videos and knew that the only way to earn respect as a filmmaker was to actually make a film.something like Dreamland— a run-and-gun type of shoot — a story that was only in my head can’t be funded without some kind of proof of concept. So I had an idea and it snowballed from idea to film.
You say in the trailer that you made a movie you didn’t mean to make. Do you feel the same about the finished product?
It’s a movie line that I always think about.When I cried during that scene, it was overwhelmed because I knew [the footage] I had, I could make a movie.I didn’t know if it would be my movie envisioned Because this is a feel-good documentary. It’s comedy and documentary, and it’s feel-good documentary at the same time, and you won’t find many of those.
It’s a comedy, so I think it’s going to look different for different people, but I think telling a story like the one we did is not about raids on Area 51, it’s about a rainbow of different colors coming together. The raid on Area 51 is just the vehicle that drives the story.
In that sense, Area-51 is more of a backdrop than anything else.
So, if you’re into aliens, ufology, or Area 51, or none of that, this movie has something for you.
Aliens have long been associated with your persona. How did you become fascinated by aliens?
I always try to explain this to people. My fascination with aliens was never caused by aliens. I was fascinated by the word “alien” and why I always associate it with “alien” because it means “foreign” or “different”. I always felt alien or different compared to my surroundings, hence the nickname “Alien”.
Alien themes and subjects have come up again and again as our knowledge of the mysteries of our universe has grown. A lot of people think I started out as an alien enthusiast. morning Alien head and UFO enthusiast. It all started with the word “alien” which means “different”. That’s what I felt most related to.
Having said that, Dreamland I believe it is one of the most comprehensive UFO documentaries ever produced. A lot of the information I try to cram in under the guise of comedy or within the storyline was done on purpose so that the individual characters could represent the colors of the rainbow in ufology.
Some don’t believe in it completely, some dabble a little, some think there may be a little bit of life in the world, but don’t know exactly what it is. There is also The parallel that I’m trying to make with this film is that there are similarities to UFOs and aliens and people who believe in the existence of the universe, what they do and people who are religious. It doesn’t matter what you believe, but when you put your faith in a religion, you put your faith in something you can’t see, understand, or explain. Much of it is just superstition, as many of these UFO enthusiasts believe. Wherever you stand in the alien or his UFO, there should be a character that is relevant to your point of view.
So for most people the path to cinema is through the characters and not out of all the alienness.
No doubt people will pick it up right away because of the Blair Witchan way I open the movie.
however, Man and there is criticAll test viewers who showed the film seem to understand that [and get the humor] But are critics going to get it? Do not know. That’s a really great question.
I love movies, and genre-wise, this movie is cinema verite. It’s basically the art of making a film that makes the audience feel like a fly. This is what I came up with.
As much as it’s anxiety-inducing not knowing how the movie will be received, it also has to feel pretty cool that it’s in its final form.
That being said, maybe this is what made me a decent comic, but I’m always thinking about what’s next or what I can do better. teeth Very important. I don’t know if that’s enough.
Regarding those moments, talk a little more about the moments when you realized you actually had something of value.
It was the last night before we finished filming and I found out that there was an interesting movie.But if I add a news video [the edit]I knew for sure [the film] It was worth distributing.
This story has three elements: road trips, news footage, and interviews. Layer it properly and you’ve got a real movie that tells a complete story. It only took two years to get there.
How similar is the movie “Brian Moreno” to the real-life Brian Moreno?
I think the best way to describe it is to compare the “Brian” on stage as a comedian to the actual “Brian”.
I’m on stage and who I’m playing in the film is pretty close to reality, but when the cameras are on and the stage lights are on, it tends to be emphasized or suppressed. I have my own side.There is also the character aspect, but I think a lot of it is just mine acting If, like me, it makes sense.
One of the things I really had to think about for this to be a true documentary was that it had no script and was not actually coaching the players. I let players play within the framework of a universe that I built. Whoever you see in the movies, the cameras are on, so they’re playing their own characters. Do not know.
Regarding “reality”, what role did psychedelics and cannabis play in your creative process and the making of this film, and how were they both referenced? internal the movie itself?
I have long believed in what cannabis can do for the creative process. However, the film relied a little more on the mushrooms shot on the final night of filming.
This movie was a very run and gun type shoot where the crew didn’t know what to do until I told them. [to Area 51] It was very hard and we got there very late. Then we filmed the whole next day, all sober except for a few people I had to hide the booze from. I brought weed and mushrooms because I knew that if I could bond with the entire crew, the testimonials they would give on days one and two would make a 180 degree difference.
The crew believed I had a movie, so it was enough for them to relax. [cannabis and mushroom-fueled] What we all went through together…I don’t speak to some of the cast and crew anymore, but I know it’s a memory they’ll never forget. You can really see the difference in not only the perspective you think, but also the way you talk about failed events.
Let me be clear, a lot of people will say, “Oh, that event was a failure.”yes this teeth Speaking of failures, there are many small successes among the overall failures.
I think Mushrooms and Weeds were responsible for the cast and crew coming together not just as a family, but as one cohesive unit. is. Looking at the testimonials from the cast and crew from day 1 to day 2, the biggest difference is the removal of ego. is part of
Filmmaking aside, you’re also the father of the cannabis plant these days, is that accurate?
Jeez. I’ve been trying to grow weed ever since I picked up tiny stems and seeds in college. There were many obstacles that had to be met.
In states where it is now legal, this is one of the reasons Amazon is pushing for legalization. There is a huge market for all grow equipment and gear.I love gardening and horticulture and believe anyone who enjoys participating [in weed] It’s a really cool plant to watch grow, so try growing a plant or two in the summer.
Is there a correlation between growing buds, comedy acting, and the skills needed to make a movie? Are there inheritable skills?
absolutely. When it comes to biology and growth, just like comedy and filmmaking, you have to remember that there can be so many factors out of your control. There is no choice but to leave it to the course of the universe. You have to be able to let go of the reins and trust. Trust your instincts and trust others. always Learn from your mistakes.
There are only a few things in this world that I consider myself good at: telling stories, cultivating things, and making jokes. All of these things take a lot of thought, time and effort and are very much like planting seeds. You water it, you leave it, and you go back to it. Pick some leaves and fertilize. Then you have to leave it alone for a little while too. Seed gestation is very much like an idea, a joke, or a movie gestation.
Check it out by following Brian Moreno @morenothealien https://www.dreamlandarea51movie.com For details on how to watch Dreamland: Storming Area 51 stories From September 13th.
