WH: Putting something out that’s more quiet?
JE: Yeah, putting something out that’s less, you know, just a commercial product and more like, I don’t know, trying to say something more about the world or in a sensitive way, in a nuanced way. The people give it a moral high ground, which then is, I think, irrelevant; I mean, it’s just a different thing. You know, moral high ground is really helping others.
WH: True.
JE: Moral high ground is to not compare morality. I guess. At least, that’s what my dad says. The moment you start making judgments about morality or being immoral. Except when he’s a making a moral judgment. Then it’s all right.
BM: I just say thanks for not making a movie called Vampireland.
JE: That’s my other joke.
BM: Your character’s afraid of clowns. Does that drum up anything with your mother? [Eisenberg’s mother was a professional party clown when he was growing up.]
JE: Yeah. I have an Oedipal complex.
WH: Why do they call that complex? It seems pretty simple. How hard is that?
JE: Yeah. [Laughs.] I have an Oedipal simple. Doesn’t roll off the tongue in the same way.
WH: [Laughs.] That’s good.
JE: Yeah, we’ll work on it during the break.
WH: Hey, the next guy’s gonna get something funny!
JE: Yeah, I wanna kill my dad, what’s the big deal? And gouge my eyes out. Yeah, my mom, well, she didn’t read the script, but then she saw the movie, so she knew it then. I have a line and a voiceover that I’m scared of clowns, and she nudged me, like, "What the hell?" And then I nudged her with the press notes, where it says it’s written by two other people. So, a lotta nudgin’. Yeah, and the person behind us was like, “Stop nudging, I’m trying to watch the movie!" We said, “Shorty,” because he was behind us, “you’ve already seen it a hundred times!” [Laughs.]
WH: Oh boy.
BM: How was it working with the actor who I don’t really want to name?
WH: You don’t want to spoil it!
JE: Yeah, you could just say that the most amazing movie cameo in the world is in our movie.
BM: Mm-hm. That, and don’t go to IMDb, because it’s front and center.
WH: Oh really?
JE: Yeah, they said somebody printed it on their website.
WH: That’s so stupid.
BM: You’re probably sick of these by now, but Meghan [the publicist] has got a plate full of Twinkies [the treat Woody’s character, Tallahassee, can’t do without] over in the next room.
JE: That’s awesome. I wonder if she’ll ask me about Adventureland, too? Because a lot of people give him [Woody] Twinkies.
BM: Jesus, did I really start off with the whole Adventureland/Zombieland thing?
JE: No, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine.
BM: That’s pretty bad. I should turn in my press card.
JE + WH: [Laughs.]
JE: They’ll collect it at the door.
BM: It’s all right. The job will disappear soon enough anyway!
WH: Right! This’ll all be done on the Internet —
BM: Hey! That’s what’s gonna happen with this interview.
WH: People are not professionals on the Internet…
BM: Right. But the democratizing effect is that the Internet’s making everybody professionals. Really, really terrible professionals.
