SXSW Interviews: In Conversation with ‘Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break’ Director/Co-Writer Nick Gillespie and Star Tom Meeten

For this episode of our series of video interviews at this year’s SXSW film festival, I was able to conduct an interview of one of my favourite films out of the festival, and that was for “Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break.” I was able to talk with Director/Co-Writer Nick Gillespie and star Tom Meeten, who plays the titular Paul Dood.

The film’s about Paul, a well-meaning charity shop worker who dreams of winning the national ‘Talent Ladder’ talent competition. When the day comes for his big audition, five people derail him and make him late. Dreaming of vengeance, Paul fulfills his fantasies by trying to murder them all on one very eventful lunch break in this dark comedy/action hybrid. My review can be found here. 

Just a note, there are mild spoilers in this conversation as we touch on one of the deaths (but also talk around it). This conversation goes from 7:35-9:30. If you want to avoid the spoiler, skip past this part (though it’s good fun if you don’t mind spoilers). During the rest of the interview, we discuss wardrobe, steamrollers, some of the SFX, Paul’s audition, what it was like maintaining Paul’s likability throughout the film, as well as the debate of Paul being anti-hero or underdog, and what genre they think best suits the film.

The Interview

You can watch the video interview below. I’ve included a sample of a question and answer from our conversation, edited for clarity.

(A bit of context, we were talking about the sound effects of the steamroller used for one scene in the film. Nick  Gillespie points out that Tom was able to drive the steamroller.)

Tom Meeten: Yeah, I did get to drive it. It was sort-of slow-moving but terrifying, as you’d imagine. We all know what a steamroller is but the enormous weight… It’s like, if you did veer, I felt like I would crush cars, buildings, people, entire society. [laughs]I could crush. It just felt like this unstoppable force. Quite a thrill, actually. Quite thrilling! [laughs]You can never get them particularly fast, but I felt like I could slip like a sequin if I got caught on the gear stick and I would plow into the church we were filming next to, that’s what was going through my head as I was driving it. Quite a thrill, recommended. 10/10. 9/10.

Stay tuned for more SXSW interviews.