Quentin Dupieux is one of my favorite filmmakers. Rubber was my favorite movie of 2011 for its abstract meta approach to commenting on the viewing experience. Wrong was a surreal extension of that so Wrong Cops was one of my must-see movies of Sundance earlier this year, even though they didn’t show the whole movie. Sundance screened the first three chapters of Dupieux’s latest movie, about a future where the crime rate is so low that police are bored and angry. Mark Burnham, Eric Wareheim and Arden Myrin ARE the Wrong Cops. The film is complete now, available on VOD and playing in theaters. We got to interview Dupieux at Sundance for the first half, and he messed with us just like he messes with the audiences for his movies.
Quentin Dupieux: Hello again. I know you.
CraveOnline: Yes, this is our third interview. Is it just like Quentin Dupieux to show half a movie at Sundance?
[Laughs] What do you mean?
You’re always breaking traditions and conventions, so you don’t even need to show a whole movie.
Yeah, it’s a fun way to get people excited about it. It’s also because we can’t wait. We want to show this to the world.
Are you exploring new avenues of making content, whether it’s a different format like chapters, or even playing it in different venues, like online or streaming?
Yeah, I just came up with this idea, the Wrong Cops first chapter. Then we loved it so we said we could make more of it. We still don’t know what it is. To me it’s a movie. I want to see this, the seven chapters, all together in a theater. Then, yes, we can put it online as standalones. We’ll see. We don’t know.
Was Mark Burnham the first one you cast?
I wrote the part for him. I decided to make this movie because I love this character. When we did Wrong, he was playing in Wrong and I just fell in love with this terrible cop. I wanted more.
Is Wrong Cops set in the world of Wrong?
Mmm, yeah, somewhere around.
Is he the same guy?
No, he’s almost the same guy but when you watch Wrong now, he’s a different guy. It’s like what you never see in a cop movie. When they go to the bathroom, they cut it. You don’t see it, but we do the reverse. We don’t show them working or arresting [people]. They’re not working. We just see what’s off camera.
Is all of the music Mr. Oizo?
Yes. I’m mixing new stuff and very old stuff which is super exciting for me.
Did you stop Twitter? I tweeted something at @MrOizo and it wasn’t there anymore.
No, maybe you had the wrong address because I’m quite active.
Oh, it’s @oizo3000, not @MrOizo.
We just lost a minute.
I wouldn’t call it a loss. It’s very Wrong-esque.
[Laughs]
Why did you want to have characters watch Rubber in Wrong Cops?
It’s because I like to suck my own dick.
I was wondering if it was also “no reason” like in Rubber.
I mean, they’re watching a movie so it’s easier to put my movie. Instead of paying the rights to another movie, it’s better to put mine. Easier.
You don’t have to pay rights to Magnolia who released it?
No.
Where did you find the awesome purple tights that Agnes Bruckner wore in chapter three?
That’s mine. I don’t know, but yeah. They look cool, right?
They’re fabulous. How did you cast Marilyn Manson?
He casted himself. He wanted to because he’s a big fan of Rubber. He got in contact with me and he said, “Write a part for me” so I did it.
What funny stuff is coming up in chapters four and five?
It’s getting worse and worse and worse and at the end it makes sense in a way.
Is it supposed to make sense?
No. But obviously yes. There is something at the end.
Does that mean Wrong Cops may ultimately make the most sense of any of your films?
Probably. Yeah, because there’s something obvious about it. I don’t want to reveal the end but there is something interesting at the end.
Is Wrong Cops less of an absurd comedy and more in the genre of awkward, uncomfortable comedy?
I think I know what you mean. We never decided, “Yeah, let’s try to be awkward here.”
Do you write in French or English?
I write in French, someone translates and then I make it mine. I try to work on it and also they [the actors] are helping a lot when something sounds wrong or bad.
Was the whole “no reason” speech from Rubber written that way too?
Yeah, but that was super precise. My English is bad but I knew the translation was perfect. It’s exactly what I wrote and was supposed to be like this.
What are you doing after you finish Wrong Cops?
I have another movie to edit because I’ve shot another movie, Realite, Reality if you prefer. I shot it in September/October so it’s in the computer. When I’m done with Wrong Cops, I have to edit the new one.
You’re like Steven Soderbergh!
No, I don’t like your reference, but yeah. But after this, I would love to make new Wrong Cops material.
Could Wrong Cops be a TV series?
We are talking about Wrong Cops: Hawaii. We have Wrong Cops: Palm Springs.
What’s Realite about?
I can’t tell you. It’s an old project. I’ve been working on this for three or four years. It’s a bigger script, more complicated. Eric [Wareheim]’s in it, Mark [Burnham]’s in it.
Were you shooting Realite and Wrong Cops at the same time?
No, just one after the other.
Well, thank you.
Are you high?
I got sick here, so maybe that’s why I seem high.
Okay.
What did I say that seems high to you?
It’s the pace.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Best Episode Ever and The Shelf Space Awards. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
