[IMG:L]Originally a musician who played in bands signed to major labels, Dito Montiel happened upon his current cinematic success almost by accident. Not one to embrace the elitist attitude of Hollywood, Dito’s passion for his art and gift for expression permeated the tone of the shoot that Hollywood.com had the pleasure to attend.
Fighting producer Kevin Misher credits Dito with bringing the gritty realism he known for to this film, as well as “a sense of the unexpected. This is a great commercial movie with great actors. It’s a big step up for him, but he’s equal to the task.” In addition, Dito is putting his original stamp on “the New York genre film” by depicting the city as it’s seen by its inhabitants, not from an outsider’s point of view. Shooting has taken Dito’s crew to all of the five bouroughs to capture elements of the city that have never been immortalized on celluloid.
[IMG:R]Dito Montiel’s directing style is fully hands-on. When the cameras weren’t rolling, he was always engaging his willing actors Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard. Although he spoke in a hushed tone, his energy was overwhelming. Dito never stopped moving, rarely staying in the same spot for more than a few seconds.
On a quick break during a strenuous, rainy Friday night shoot, buoyant Dito took some time to sit down with Hollywood.com at a Midtown diner to discuss his latest film, currently in production, Fighting.
Hollywood.com: This is your second ‘New York City street’ film. Is this a direction you plan to continue?
Dito Montiel: It’s really funny ‘cause the other movie Saints [A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints], I never really cared about being a “New York film.” It’s a story that takes place anywhere that just happens to be in New York. This is a lot more specifically New York, we actually get to come into Manhattan and hang out, run around the city.
HW: At one point you had an old man in a Spider-Man outfit just randomly run by the camera, and the producer said that you’ve been featuring little bits like that all the time.
DM: Of course! Someone shows up [near the set] in a Spider-Man outfit–they’re in my movie. I’m not sayin’ no.
[IMG:R]HW: Are you trying to capture that wacked-out, Scorsese After Hours vibe?
DM: I love After Hours! I was always in New York, when I was 11 … I was selling fresh-squeezed orange juice and peanuts on 43rd and 7th, so every recollection I have of the city had something like that going on; it’s beautiful and exciting. When we were looking for locations we were at Gray’s Papaya one night and some guy walked up dressed as Superman, for real. Just came in and sat down. Someone goes, “can’t put that in, no one will believe it.” I said, “No, you can you just have to hire him.” You just can’t put that outfit on ‘somebody,’ this guy actually wears Superman outfits.
HW: Your last movie was very autobiographical–the lead character was actually named “Dito.” This one seems like much more of a straight-up Hollywood type story. Does that give you more room to play?
DM: You get to play with either one. No one’s gonna tell me not to play, they can try and they’ll learn really quick that they can’t. Makin’ movies is fun, watching them is fun and exciting–and every bit of it should always be like that. I hate nothing more than Hollywood jokes, when someone says, “Hey, didn’t we all get into this to be mediocre?” I wanna take a f*ckin’ gun and blow their f*ckin’ head off for saying it on the set of a movie. You can always have fun with it and that’s why we do it, at least that’s why I do it.
[IMG:L]HW: How did you get involved with this project?
DM: It was something they were talking about making over at Universal. At first it sounded kinda horrible, you know everybody’s broke but they have Hummers, and it’s like, ‘Oh no, I don’t know if that sounds good to me.’ But then something sounded exciting about the idea of two people meeting who should find each other. New York City seemed a really good place for it, and a guy named Harvey sounded kinda’ fun to walk around with–and Terrence really seemed to find that guy. Channing is really blowing me away with how good he is.
HW: Do you think you want to stay here and be the next ‘New York director’?
DM: I’m from here; I’m from Queens and I live in Queens. As long as I feel familiar with a subject I will do it. At first, I didn’t feel familiar with the idea of this film. People fighting or things blowing up or people talking about money doesn’t appeal to me, unless there’s a way to find it. We were shooting the other day and I saw this guy who still takes pictures of people on the street, Polaroids, and when I was a kid I used to see him–and he’s still there by the Marriot; and we’re actually gonna go [shoot] there tomorrow. That’s a way to find yourself in something.
[IMG:R]HW: Channing said you guys have a kind of silent shorthand now–the way you communicate as actor and director…
DM: I don’t even think about him much anymore [with concern]. In Saints I did nothing but monitor him. It was like: “No no! This this!” There isn’t a take that I don’t run out and say something annoyingly repetitive. It’s funny, ‘cause I hear them talk, sometimes they don’t know I have the cans on, they’re always talking and they say, “Well if he isn’t saying anything that means you’re doing good,” and sometimes that’s not the case. I’m like ‘naw naw, you’re f*cking up, I just don’t want to tell you for the 50th time.’ It’s a tough thing. Before we made the movie I was like, ‘You just never know … it’s a thin line between Marlon Brando and Dolph Lundgren.’
HW: Watching the monitors during the scene tonight, you had the actors talking right into the camera, which took me back to Saints. What sort of stylistic ideas are you bringing to this one that are out of the ordinary?
DM: Everyday I just look for things, there’s no plan. There’s a script that’s loose and there’s an idea that’s loose; and everyday you sit around and that’s what you’re looking for–you’re looking for gold. Today they were talking and Terrence was talking off-the-cuff, and there was a moment when he was talking about himself when he was talking about the character Sean. Maybe he should look at himself [his own reflection] when he says that? You try 40 crazy ideas and the whole crew laughs at you and it’s humiliating. You go into the editing room and you’re like, ‘Oh God, no wonder they were laughing, this is ridiculous!’ But one of them is something special and you’re like, ‘I’m glad I had the guts to try that.’
HW: Where do you draw inspiration? What are your film influences?
DM: I have pretty bad taste in movies. Actually, I like some really great films, but I go see junk, man. I go see Ashley Judd, a black guy and a serial killer. Morgan Freeman and a white girl, just switch ‘em in and out … And I go, and I complain about it for hours afterwards: “This is ridiculous–the car flipped 40 times!” But I love junk like that–and I love reality TV … But of course I love After Hours. I love that film, and I thought about it a lot in this film [Fighting].
HW: What other works inspire you?
DM: Spike Lee’s, 25th Hour is one of my favorite movies ever. I think it’s beautiful … And Carlito’s Way! [Laughs] I dunno, I’m all over the place.
[IMG:L]HW: Did you watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on Spike TV at all as research for Channing‘s story?
DM: My friend Nerf, who’s nuts, he used to send me all the UFC stuff before it was big, with like Tank Abbott and all those people–and I used to think it was fake but I would look at it so carefully and I’d be like, ‘these people are really doing this, this is insane.’ What excited me about this movie was the idea of two people meeting, and the fights are fun and crazy and a little more exciting than just Van Damme!
HW: Are you going for a “PG-13” or an “R” rating? Are the fights realistic? Is there a lot of blood?
DM: At first I kept getting this note: “We really want this to be PG-13.” At first it was like, ‘Oh this is ridiculous, you want me to make a realistic movie about New York City hustlers that are fighting, but I can’t say “f*ck?'” Then I started looking into all the rules, and it’s like: “No spurting blood.” OK, who cares? I don’t need spurting blood. I don’t think I would use that if you gave me the allowance to make an “X.” But the “f*cks” got me freaked out. At first I said, “Let me see if this is possible, because if it’s not I don’t want to make the movie.”
HW: How was that for the film’s menacing hustlers?
DM: We took all the curses away from them. I don’t think anything is sacrificed. It’s every bit as violent as I want it to be … They’re being honest and real.
Click here: ‘Fighting’ Set Visit Q&A with Channing Tatum
Click here: ‘Fighting’ Set Visit Interview with Terrence Howard
