When we spoke to Alia Shawkat about her Sundance Labs experience, we couldn’t let her get away without asking her about the two most curious things people are buzzing about: the Arrested Development movie, and that odd, poorly-synched viral video where she sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” with her Whip It! costars Ellen Page and Har Mar Superstar. Read on for her thoughts on both.
OK, Alia, you gotta let us know: What was up with the “Don’t Stop Believin’” video? Was that viral marketing for Whip it! or what?
I can’t believe it’s got to this point! Ellen’s mother is retiring, so she was having a party in Nova Scotia, but Ellen was working in LA. So Ellen said, “I want to make a video for my mom that they can show at her retirement party,” so we were thinking of ideas and we just thought, “Oh, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.’ We should do a music video!” And literally that day we shot it in my apartment and around the Silver Lake area.
Obviously, it was supposed to be a joke. The synching doesn’t match up at all because we used a karaoke version when we filmed it, and then when we edited it, we used a karaoke version. So it’s just this thrown-together thing we did in twenty minutes. The only reason it was on YouTube is because Ellen couldn’t email it because the format was too big. So she put it up on YouTube and was like, “Go check it out,” and I thought she was going to take it down right afterwards but it was too late and it spread.
Also, what’s up with the Arrested Development movie? Have you seen any pages? Do you have a start date yet?
They’re still writing the script, but supposedly we’re going to be shooting in December this year, maybe even September. I’m working on it, so hopefully I’ll get a copy soon! But you never know with these kinds of things. It looks good, and it’s exciting that so many people care about it, because nobody seemed to when it was on the air. [Laughs] But you never know until you’re actually on the set, you know what I mean? ♦
Posted 02 Jul 2009, 3:11 AM
I thought that "Don't Stop Believing" video was great! Anyone familiar with Alia and Ellen knows that they sing a lot better than they did in the video...and that the DSB video was supposed to be humorous. OK...maybe (no pun intended) not as funny as Alia singing "Afternoon Delight" in that Arrested Development episode....or Ellen's "Zub Zub" from the omitted scene in "Juno"....but still that DSB was funny and great.
I can't wait to see Alia and Ellen in "Whip It"....so good that two talented young actresses are going to have big roles in the same movie. Definitely a movie everyone should see.
And, it would be so awesome if Alia could use her experience as a "Studio Executive" and find a role for Ellen in the upcoming Arrested Development movie.....
Posted 02 Jul 2009, 3:19 PM
I enjoyed the video too but it was clear they made it for Ellen's mom. It looked like they had a lot of fun making it. It was probably just on u-tube a short time but somebody picked it up.
I believe Alia is still going out with the band Steel Train member Jack Antonoff - if they had wanted it more professional they probably would have involved him.
I think Whip It is going to surprise a lot of people. Hope it premiers at the Toronto film festival.