Ep. 219: Mean Boys, Fentanyl, and the Gay Hierarchy: Director Justin Alexander Gets Candid

This week, Zach sits down with Justin Alexander — writer, director, and producer — for a wide-ranging conversation about his debut feature film Mean Boys and the raw personal experience behind it. Justin shares how growing up as an outsider, being bullied, and looking up to popular jocks in school became the foundation for a story that's part bisexual love triangle, part cautionary tale about fentanyl addiction. He opens up about losing a friend to fentanyl — a friend who didn't even know what he was taking — and why he felt compelled to tell that story. The conversation gets into the realities of indie filmmaking: shooting Mean Boys in two parts years apart, writing a sudden 60-pound weight gain into the script to explain a returning actor's transformation, and what it actually feels like when your movie comes out and there's no Hollywood Reporter moment waiting for you. From there, Zach and Justin dig into something both of them know well — where you fit in (or don't) in the gay community. They talk about mean gays in West Hollywood and Boston, body image pressure, and the unspoken hierarchies that show up whether you're 17 in high school or 35 at Equinox. Justin also previews two upcoming projects: Video Essay, a parody about the indie film festival circuit shot in New York; and Drive Me to Rap, a motion-capture film about two gay rappers co-starring Melanie Halfkenny from Queen & Slim. Plus: his dream of working with Jodie Foster, his love of Pedro Almodóvar, and Zach's very serious plan to find him a husband in Boston.  Follow Justin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjustingonzales 🎬 Watch Mean Boys now:  Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/mean-boys/umc.cmc.40dfrljemlixdzx3gubnsy8qf Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100049337/mean-boys And available on Roku and Here TV  Topics covered:  • Mean Boys — the film, its origins, and what it's about  • Bisexuality, bisexual erasure, and queer representation in film  • Fentanyl addiction and the dangers of contaminated drugs  • Gay hierarchies, body image, and outsider identity  • What it's really like to make micro-budget indie films • Justin's upcoming films: Video Essay and Drive Me to Rap  • Pedro Almodóvar, Jodie Foster, and Justin's filmmaking inspirations  • The gay community in West Hollywood vs. Boston Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.