Interview: THE MAN FROM EARTH Producer Eric D. Wilkinson

If you’ve been reading our blog like a good movie geek, you’ve probably read my favorable review of The Man From Earth, a fascinating dialogue-driven science-fiction film written by the late-great Jerome Bixby. I am now very excited to present to you an interview I was fortunate to have with the producer of The Man From Earth, Mr. Eric Wilkinson …

WAMG: First off, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to talk with us.

WAMG: Before we get into questions dealing directly with Man From Earth, could you tell our readers a little about yourself?

ERIC: I was born, raised and currently reside in New Jersey. I am a veteran of the Home Entertainment industry in sales and marketing having worked at 20th Century Fox, MGM, Sony and currently at Starz / Anchor Bay. I have also worked with several filmmakers designing DVD campaigns and packaging for writer / director Kevin Smith (Drawing Flies) and animator Bill Plympton (PLYMPTOONS) among others. I’m an avid movie buff as well (my DVD collection is up to 4,000 titles).

WAMG: Wow! 4,000 DVD movies? As a movie geek, I suddenly feel inadequate …

WAMG: If its not too clicHE, I’d like to ask the typical movie geek question… which movie and/or film-makers have had the most influence on you and your career?

ERIC: Writer Director Kevin Smith & Producer Scott Mosier & Clerks was certainly a huge influence. I have always loved movies, but everything changed for me when I saw Clerks. Here was a guy in his 20’s from New Jersey that made a movie for $27,000 and sold it to Miramax. After I saw that movie, I knew I would be making a movie someday as well. Other influences include the classic STAR TREK series, which my late mother was a HUGE fan and the original TWILIGHT ZONE, which really drew me to the material. I also have to give credit to producer & author Christine Vachon. Her book, Shooting To Kill, was also a big influence. Both of her books should be required reading for anyone looking to produce an independent film.

WAMG: Man From Earth; let’s talk about the movie that has me thrilled to watch again. I’ve already purchased a copy on DVD and am eagerly awaiting its delivery.

ERIC: Cool. Thanks for your support. Here that folks, he bought an actual DVD!

WAMG: This was the final work of writing from Jerome Bixby before he passed on in 1998. How did you first come across this script and what originally interested you in making Man From Earth?

ERIC: My producing partner and the movie’s director (and one of my best friends), Richard Schenkman was an acquaintance of producer Emerson Bixby (son of Jerome Bixby) and had always talked about what an amazing script The Man from Earth was. When I originally read it (back in 2001, I think), I agreed, but at the time, I just was not ready to produce a movie. The topic came up periodically over the years and in 2005, I was finally ready to commit. Richard had faith in me and my several years of experience in the home entertainment industry proved invaluable. We optioned the property in 2005 and the film was complete in 2007.

WAMG: Jerome Bixby is something of a sci-fi legend, having worked on such classics as Star Trek and The Twilight Zone. Do you feel this was intended as his swan song? Do you know how long ago the script was actually written?

ERIC: Emerson tells me that Mr. Bixby started working on the script in the early 1960s and completed it on his death bed in 1998. I’ll never know for sure if it was intended as his “swan song”, but the subject of immortality was certainly a subject of interest for him as there are many similarities between The Man From Earth and the original STAR TREK episode “Requiem for Methuselah”. I do find it ironic that he was writing a script, a screenplay about a man and his immortality (for lack of a better word) as he lay dying. I wish he was still here with us. I have so many questions I would love to ask him.

WAMG: I am a big fan of Tony Todd, who plays one of the professors, but the entire cast was great. What was it like casting such a smart movie? Do you have any stories about the casting process, or about working with any of the fine actors?

ERIC: Believe it or not, the shooting budget for the film was only $102,000 (which, in 2006, was not unlike trying to make Clerks in 1993 for $27,000). That said, we knew it would be a challenge to cast this film. But we had to have some names in this film in order to get distribution. Richard gets the lion’s share of the credit for casting this film, he did an amazing job. I think the actors signed on based on the strength of the material and because they believed in the project. They all knew they were making something special. They were all amazing actors. They spent a week rehearsing and really got into their characters.

WAMG: Richard Schenkman directed Man From Earth. What was it like working with him?

ERIC: I know this sounds cliche, but working with Richard was really an amazing experience. We have been friends for years and I wouldn’t be here right now speaking with you had he not invited me to join him on this journey. As a movie geek, it was really cool too because I have always been a fan of his first film The Pompatus of Love which I had seen a dozen or so times before I had met him. You should check out his other films! I highly recommend Went To Coney Island on a Mission from God… Be Back By Five.

WAMG: Man From Earth premiered at three different film festivals during the summer of 2007, one of which was the Comic Con Film Festival. What was the initial response to the film like?

ERIC: I was in geek heaven because we were invited to screen at the San Diego Comic Con. If you have ever been to a con, I am sure you know that there are a billion things vying for your attention. There are so many things going on at once… so many BIG events (bigger stars… MUCH bigger movies), that I was worried that our little screening would be lost in the shuffle. The film played to near capacity. The crowd was really receptive and loved the film. Sean Rourke (one of the judges who work in Hollywood as a visual effects editor whose credits include Road To Perdition and Freddy Vs. Jason) pulled Richard and I aside after the festival and told us The Man from Earth is one of the smartest movies I’ve seen in a long time. A thought-provoking script wrapped around a fascinating premise, this is the kind of film I go to the theater hoping to see, and never do. Anchor Bay used the opportunity to announce the acquisition as well and promoted it in their booth. Tony Todd, Richard Riehle, William Katt and Ellen Crawford all attended as well. An amazing experience.

WAMG: I personally consider this movie a prime example of what a good science fiction film has to offer, but we rarely see this kind of movie from Hollywood. Would you say, from the response to Man From Earth, that there’s still a large audience out there for this kind of intelligent film?

ERIC: Absolutely. I read all of the posts and one of the things that people love about the film is that it’s the antithesis of a Hollywood movie. We are closing in on 14,000 votes on the IMDb with an overwhelmingly positive 8.2 rating. I just think films like this need a chance to breath and take it’s time finding an audience. I knew it would be a perfect title as a video premiere (although we did play in a few theaters around the country before the video release)

WAMG: By today’s social and political standards, Man From Earth deals with some potentially controversial subject matter. What were your thoughts about that when you first read the script?

ERIC: I didn’t necessarily agree with it. It was a few years ago but I think I had gotten into a somewhat heated discussion with Richard about the script right after I first read it and some of the things that offended me. At that moment I knew I had to make it. The movie not only makes you think, it provokes discussion.

WAMG: I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to put you on the spot for a moment. After seeing Man From Earth, I was doing some research and found a lot of comments on different forums, both in favor and against this movie. It seems that some viewers felt offended by the story’s conclusion. What might you have to say to someone who felt this reaction to the movie?

ERIC: I would say its only a movie.

WAMG: If there’s one thing you’d like people to know about Man From Earth going into it, what would it be?

ERIC: I think the film is best enjoyed knowing nothing about it. Some of the people see the high IMDb rating with all these rave reviews and it taints the experience. I say watch the film first, then hop online and see what other people have to say about it and join the discussion.

WAMG: Do you have any new projects on the horizon you’d like to share with us?

ERIC: I am an associate producer on a horror / thriller with my friend Robbie Bryan (a co-producer from The Man From Earth) called iMurders and Richard and I have a project we are developing called Jessie’s Girl, a teen comedy that takes place in the mid-1980’s that can best be described as Superbad meets The Wedding Singer.

WAMG: Was there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

ERIC: Thank you SO much for your support. After 6 months of the movie being released, it’s still being talked / blogged about! And who knows, THE MAN FROM EARTH has been around for 14,000 years. There could be more stories to tell. Please check out www.manfromearth.com, www.myspace.com/manfromearth or our IMDb page at www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/

WAMG: Again, thanks for spending some time with us. It’s been great learning more about you and your experience working on Man From Earth. And to all the readers out there, if you haven’t seen this movie yet … what are you waiting for?