If you’ve been reading A Stern Warning in the past, you’ve seen me mention Who Shot Mamba? — a 12-part full-length feature film, distributed over the internet and including enough basketball references to keep even David Stern happy. The film was written by Brian Spaeth, who also stars in the film, a man who was once a child-prodigy NBA blogger before the industry ruined him forever in a mess of red-tape and controversy (it’s a long story which is undoubtedly totally different from what I’ve just described, but rest assured, Brian was a more-than-hilarious NBA blogger at a previous point in history).
If I could recommend you to watch one 12-part internet distributed film this year, it would be Who Shot Mamba? You can catch all of the instalments via the official site. I mean, the damn thing features Bill Walton and Inflatable Ben Wallace! What more do I need to say? Brian was kind enough to give up some of his time to be interviewed about the film.
I’m loving WSM? so far and can hardly wait for the next instalment. One thing though, personally I would have tried distributing the film at bus shelters on VHS — or possibly BETA — cassettes. So why the odd decision to split it into 12 parts and send it to each of the internets?
Well, this project found its genesis in early 2006, and at the time YouTube was barely alive. The idea of putting a full-length movie online wasn’t even in the public consciousness, but since I can like see the future, I knew this was where everything was going.
The plan was to be somewhat of a trailblazer – unfortunately 2006, 2007, and 2008 passed by and the world caught up with my futurist slant before we could get WSM? out. In truth, it worked out somewhat for the best – the ability to reach people is much better now than it was back then. The social spaces especially have matured as marketing tools.
Plus Ben Wallace is back on the Pistons now.
Having waited for such a long time after filming for the film to come to fruition, have lines from the film etc felt like a huge set of secrets that you wanted to burst out with (like a Christmas present for somebody), or are you simply a very patient character?
Oh yeah, for sure. In truth, the thing was done in mid-2008, and it was really hard not to just throw it out there.
We spent a lot of time negotiating/sparring/romancing with different distributors and sponsors, and then eventually ended up just throwing it out there ourselves anyway, so that shows you how much I know.
Bill Walton. How did you manage to get the great one to take part in the film? How did he react to your choosing him as your choice for him to be chosen? And how was he to work with?
Bill LOVED the “choose your choice about being chosen” lines, and I choose to go to my grave thinking that this dialog subconsciously influenced the end of Bill Simmons book in this manner.
In any case, Bill was amazing to work with both as an actor and a person. Regardless of him being “basketball’s own Bill Walton”, he was the best choice for the part. Merri Sherman’s father needed a certain off-the-norm wisdom and grace, and Bill nailed that. So many times athletes get cast as themselves or versions of themselves, so it was cool to have him in this playing a part that already existed and he just happened to be perfect for. It wasn’t a gimmick casting, y’know?
I’ve said this elsewhere, but he couldn’t have been more generous with his time and such. I called and asked, he said yes. It was pretty simple and straight-forward to put together.
How does it feel to have your living daylights smacked into next Sunday by an inflatable human person? Lasting scars?
One of the PAs asked where I went to stunt school when we were filming in the construction yard. I don’t know if I ruined the movie magic for him or not, but I had to inform him my awesome and realistic falling-down moves were just me throwing myself at the ground without regard for my own safety.
It was the only way to make the fight look real, which of course was essential. From day one on the Ben fight I thought it was key that it never be played like a joke.
Are there any truth to the rumors that Inflatable Ben was not available for the final parts of the film after signing a contract to play with the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association?
I don’t know man, but this lady in Borders is eating an apple louder than anyone has ever eaten anything. She has beautiful cursive handwriting, but I’ma knock that apple out of her hand any second.
Brian Spaeth, the actor, where will we see him next, actoring?
I have a few other projects I’m trying to get set up of my own material, and might be working on some other people’s stuff if the timing works out. I’m not sure – there’s more to the Mamba saga also, and prospects are looking good for that. Stay tuned to my broadband blog website and Twitter.
And of course the end of WSM? is yet to come – our finale is one of the greatest filmic basketball sequences ever, and I am not being hyperbolic. I know it’s all ridiculous stuff, but I’ve witnessed one person cry, and I’m not kidding.
If you could ask any other NBA player — past or present — to join you in another screen project, who would that be?
Horace Grant. I don’t know why – go for the unexpected. Wasn’t his brother in a movie, or was that Karl Malone?
A huge thanks to Brian for his time. Check out the film, Who Shot Mamba? via the official site or the facebook page and you can follow Brian on twitter @BrianSpaeth.
