146. Nostalgia 101: Behind the Scenes of The Last Deal w/ Director Jonathan Salemi

Dan, Manny, & Billy welcome writer and director Jonathan Salemi to talk all about filming the indie action drama film The Last Deal. “A couple places ran with the headline, [The Last Deal] is the biggest guerrilla film in the last two decades. I have no proof of that or against it, but I'd say we're definitely in the running.” -Jonathan Salemi This episode of Nostalgia 101 is a detailed lesson from writer and director Jonathan Salemi on what it takes to make an indie film in the recent state of the movie industry. Jonathan starts with his experience interning at Sony Pictures to field producing for major networks like Lifetime and History Channel. He talks about the many stories behind filming The Last Deal guerrilla style in LA during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the true story that inspired the movie, and his experience shooting in various LA locations without permits. Jonathan answers the guys’ questions about specific scenes in the movie, he shares some behind-the-scenes anecdotes and what went into casting. They end the episode with Jonathan’s upcoming project and his ranking of the Rocky movies. There’s so much more! Email us ([email protected]) your thoughts and opinions about this episode and we'll talk about them on a future episode.   WATCH EP. 146 ON YOUTUBE!   Jonathan Salemi is a feature film director, writer and producer. The complete filmmaker. His recent feature THE LAST DEAL screened in theaters across the U.S. in 2023 and was picked up by Starz and Encore. The film was featured in The New York Times “5 Action Films to Stream Now”. Previously, Jonathan hasproduced for network television ("Married at First Sight" on LIFETIME), directed three Academy Award qualifying short films including a short-listed Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards, and he’s directed three feature documentaries.   He got his start as an intern at Sony Picture Studios for Academy Award winning producer Douglas Wick. During that time, Jonathan directed his first feature film via a grant from Panavision and Kodak and four walled the film for a week on Sunset Blvd.     The Last Deal on Tubi and Amazon.  www.TheLastDealMovie.com   The Last Deal Socials IG: @TheLastDealMovie FB: @TheLastDealMovie Twitter: @TheLastDealFilm TikTok: @TheLastDealMovie           APPROXIMATE RUN OF SHOW: 00:00 Introduction and Welcoming the Guest 01:28 Discussing the Movie 'The Last Deal' 03:12 Jonathan's Background and Filmmaking Journey 09:15 Making a Movie During COVID-19 14:40 Gorilla Filmmaking Techniques 17:31 Behind the Scenes and Challenges 23:15 Character and Scene Insights 35:04 Discussing the Hitman Scene 36:16 Writing and Filmmaking Insights 36:52 Alternate Movie Universes 37:20 Unexpected Plot Twists 38:12 Casting and Character Roles 39:07 Challenges During Filming 40:28 Budget and Distribution Success 41:41 Industry Recognition and Opportunities 45:59 Future Projects and Exciting Plans 53:15 Rocky Movie Rankings 58:59 Final Thoughts and Farewell   Book The Nostalgia Test Podcast Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!  The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We are the most dedicated guests! We bring it 100% of the time! Email us at [email protected] or fill out the form at this link. LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!     Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on Instagram | Substack | Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook   The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic. The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected