Director Larry Charles of the indie film Dicks: The Musical recently shared his disdain for big-budget blockbuster projects during an episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. Charles, best known for directing Borat, expressed his frustration with the current Hollywood system.
Charles explained, “I try to make things like Dangerous Comedy or this movie [Dicks: The Musical]. This movie is a very low-budget movie. Politically and ethically, I find it offensive when movies cost $250 million while the world is in the state that it’s in. So I’m also looking to make a statement in the way these things are made.”
Through his travels for his Netflix docuseries Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy, Charles has witnessed how comedy and media are distributed worldwide. This exposure has made him particularly critical of what he calls a “media monopoly system” in the United States.
“They’ve figured out over the years that they don’t have to make you, they don’t have to scare you. They have to seduce you,” the Seinfeld producer stated. “We’re all seduced by great TV shows and great movies, and we’re distracted by those things. We’re then indulging in that same capitalist system, and there’s no way it’s going to change as long as we do that. I struggle with that.”
Despite the challenges posed by the current industry climate and the constantly evolving media landscape, Charles is grateful to have found a way to create his “radical work.”
“The way I can make radical work is by saying that I could do it for a little money,” Charles explained. “Producers and directors say yes to it because they think, ‘Oh, that radical little work that’s not going to cost any money is going to make money.’ Absolutely. That is the system.”
However, Charles admitted that breaking free from this system is challenging. He has been exploring platforms like YouTube to share his work but recognizes the difficulties involved. “It’s very, very difficult to do. Because YouTube is owned by somebody, Instagram is owned by somebody. Everything, you know, it’s very hard to get your word out, your thoughts out,” he lamented.
Charles’ latest project, Dicks: The Musical from A24, features a star-studded cast including Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, and Bowen Yang. The film is currently screening in theaters.
