The weekends on All Things Considered series Movies I've Seen A Million Times features filmmakers, actors, writers and directors talking about the movies that they never get tired of watching.
The movie that actor-writer-director Alex Karpovsky, whose credits include the television show "Girls," and the films' "Rubberneck" and "Red Flag" — currently in theaters and on VOD — could watch a million times is Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love.
Interview Highlights
On why he loves Punch Drunk Love
"It was really, really funny, but a lot of movies are funny. There was just something so unique about it. It was doing so many things at once, and it felt so daring and ambitious because of that."
On why he relates to the character of Barry Egan in the movie
"It's not easy for me to express my emotions. There's a lot of issues and fears that I haven't fully come to terms with, and that's exactly what Barry is going through through most of this film. He's trying to overcome all of these walls and the way that they come down in these very lyrical, surreal ways is not only really funny, but I can completely relate to all of them."
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Transcript
CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:
We've been asking filmmakers about the movies they never get tired of watching, including this one from one of the stars of the TV show "Girls."
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ALEX KARPOVSKY: My name is Alex Karpovsky. I'm an actor and filmmaker. And the movie I've seen a million times is "Punch-Drunk Love," written and directed by P. T. Anderson, starring Adam Sandler.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
LUIS GUZMAN: (as Lance) You OK?
ADAM SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) Yes.
GUZMAN: (as Lance) Why are you wearing a suit?
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) I bought one. I thought it would be nice to get dressed for work, and I'm not exactly sure why.
KARPOVSKY: I saw it with a friend of mine, and we both absolutely loved it and immediately started quoting it as we were walking out of the movie theater through the lobby. It just - it immediately had a huge effect on us.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) Yes, I'm still on hold.
KARPOVSKY: It was really, really funny. But a lot of movies are funny. There was just something so unique about it. It's doing so many things at once. And it felt so daring and ambitious because of that.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) Do you realize that the monetary value of this promotion and the prize is potentially worth more than the purchases?
GUZMAN: (as Lance) I don't know.
KARPOVSKY: It's about this character called Barry Egan, who's played by Adam Sandler, who is a very shy and introverted salesman of novelty toilet plungers.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) Been working on this, and we have a nonbreakable handle, finally. Let me demonstrate for you. OK. This is one of the old ones. Oh, do we have a new one around, Lance?
KARPOVSKY: And he's very angry, and a lot of his anger seems to be rooted to unresolved issues. He's got seven sisters, which are very concerned about his welfare - as probably they should be - and one of them introduces Barry to one of her friends.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
MARY LYNN RAJSKUB: (as Elizabeth) This is Lena. She's a good friend of mine from work. We were in the neighborhood, and she had to pick up her car. And we're getting breakfast before we go in. So do you want to go? We're going to go eat. Let's go.
KARPOVSKY: After a few stumping blocks, they begin to sort of nurture a romance.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
EMILY WATSON: (as Lena Leonard) How's your business going? You sell all that pudding.
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) The pudding is not a sales item.
KARPOVSKY: On top of that, seeing him navigate down this road of love while simultaneously dodging four blond brothers from Utah, these menacing gang, led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, that are trying to distort him for cash....
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN: (as Dean Trumbell) All right. When can you leave? Well, I want you to go right away.
KARPOVSKY: ...whilst also simultaneously collecting a heroic amount of pudding in hopes that it will lead him to a million frequent-flyer miles.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
WATSON: (as Lena Leonard) That's insane.
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) I guess it was a mistake.
KARPOVSKY: It just seems so playful and absurd and moving and funny and pretty magical.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
KARPOVSKY: There's a scene about a third of the way through the film. Most of it occurs over this very abrasive, intense percussive rhythm.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
KARPOVSKY: One of Barry Egan's sisters storms into his warehouse, and she's talking a million miles a minute.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-LOVE DRUNK")
RAJSKUB: (as Elizabeth) I can't find that thing in my car. I can't find it, but I can get it and give it to you later.
KARPOVSKY: There's this beautiful schizophrenic cacophony of events and dialog happening, but it's not disorienting. It's actually very seductive and engaging. And it's one of my favorite sequences in movies ever.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE")
RAJSKUB: (as Elizabeth) What is this pudding?
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) I don't know.
RAJSKUB: (as Elizabeth) Why are they here?
WATSON: (as Lena Leonard) Are you ready?
SANDLER: (as Barry Egan) I have no idea.
KARPOVSKY: It's not easy for me to express my emotions. There's a lot of issues and fears that I haven't fully come to terms with. And that's exactly what Barry is going through through most of this film. He's trying to overcome all of these walls. And the way that they come down in very lyrical, surreal ways is not only really funny, but I can completely relate to all of them.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
HEADLEE: That's actor Alex Karpovsky talking about the movie that he could watch a million times, "Punch-Drunk Love." Karpovsky currently stars on the hit HBO show "Girls" and the new film "Red Flag," which he also wrote and directed.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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