LUBBOCK, Texas — You don’t mess with Texas — unless you’re BJ Novak.
Comedy and true crime collide in Novak’s directorial debut, “Vengeance,” a new dark comedy set in West Texas.
Fans of “The Office” will recognize the director and the star.
Novak plays Ben, a cocky New York podcaster looking for his next big story. But when an old adventurer is found dead in a West Texas oilfield, he thinks it’s the real crime story to make his career.
He comes here to investigate, befriends his ex’s eccentric family along the way, and then finds himself at the heart of a mystery the size of Texas.
KAMC’s Laura Laughead spoke with Novak and co-star Boyd Holbrook who said they did a lot of research to capture the mindset of Lone Star.
LL: Why West Texas? Of all the places in the world, why us?
BJN: Because I didn’t know it at all, and I found it interesting — to explore a place that I didn’t know at all, and two, you’re all intimidating! And so I thought, okay, what’s a place that someone like me, who’s from Boston, only lived in the big cities on the coast, would look and say, ‘ok c ‘is a difficult place, it’s a different culture.’
LL: I was blown away by how the West Texans were represented and how accurate they were. So I have to ask, what did you do to prepare yourself to do it so well?
BJN: Well, I really cared, that in itself is an important first step. I really cared. I didn’t want anyone to be the butt of the joke in the movie. Look, every character has a comedic side, that’s true in real life, but I really wanted to do the place right, and I didn’t want to get my ass kicked coming to Lubbock either.
Novak went to West Texas rodeos, football games and, of course, Whataburger on his multiple research trips. However, the film was only partially shot in Texas. The rest was shot in New Mexico because Novak said they got better tax breaks there.
“Revenge” is on the border between making jokes and doing it right. Novak stressed he just wanted the Texans to feel seen and do for the Lone Star State what “The Office” did for Scranton — something echoed by co-star Boyd Holbrook.
“We really aren’t that different after all. We all still have the same issues and we still try to work them out,” Holbrook said.
The film is about connecting people from all walks of life, from Brooklyn to Barstow.
“Just because you drive a big truck and wear big wrangler jeans and everything is bigger in Texas doesn’t mean you’re not a deep, sensitive person,” Novak said.
And now that Novak is a real “Tex-pert”, we had to ask one last question.
LL: Would you like to move here?
BJN: I’ve certainly thought about it now that I’ve been treated so warmly…but I know you guys are so sick of Californians moving to Texas, so I don’t want to impose on you.
“Vengeance” hits theaters Friday.
Use the video player above to watch the full interview. Pictures ccourtesy debugging features.
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