Bernie flew under the radar this past Spring, but those who caught the film know that comedian Jack Black’s performance as a small town mortician is one of the best of the year. Director Richard Linklater (Before Sunset, Dazed and Confused) reteamed with his School of Rock star to investigate the weird story of Bernhardt “Bernie” Tiede, a much-loved citizen of Carthage, Texas who befriended a heinous millionaire widower (Shirley MacLaine) only to be trapped in an abusive relationship that led him to murder. Before the violent act, no one in Carthage had a bad word to say about Bernie. Afterward, they still didn’t.
Black provides the movie version of Bernie with necessary layers: on the outside he’s a wholesome do-gooder. Underneath, he possesses a dark spirit capable of lashing out. It’s a challenging (and often funny) portrayal and one that lives up to the award buzz Black has been earning.
In this exclusive clip from the Q&A conducted for EPIX and LA Times’ Envelope Screening Series for Bernie, Black discusses meeting the real life Bernie Tiede in prison and describing the experience of picking the criminal’s brain to get to his core. Watch the video below then check out Bernie, a must-see that’s out now on Blu-ray and Netflix Watch Instantly:
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[Photo Credit: Millennium Entertainment]
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