All right, let's do this. How are you? What the fuckers? What the fuck buddies?
What the fuck's goes? What's happening? I'm Mark Marin. This is WTF, my podcast.
Welcome to all who are listening. Thank you for coming on the show today. Brian Kylie. There's a comedian that I've known literally since I started doing comedy the first time I did open mics.
I think in college, Brian Kylie was there in Boston. He's been a writer on the Conan O'Brien show since about the beginning of the Conan O'Brien show. He's got a book out now. It's a novel, the astounding misadventures of Rory Collins.
And you can get that where you get books. We're talking to him in a couple minutes. Brian Pozane is going to stop by because he's got a new movie out. We're going to talk to him a bit.
I'll tell you about the play in a minute because it was I've been going a lot of theater late. Well, at least three plays in the last six months. And I love it. I just there's an experience available in a theater, in a play, out of play.
If it's good, that is unlike anything else. Like I immediately just ripped open just just by virtue of being in a goddamn theater where people are about to take the stage. There's a there's an expectation there. There's an excitement to it.
There's risk. There's danger to some degree that actual humans are going to be occupying that space up there and moving through something emotionally. I'm just always blown away. Now, obviously, bad theater experiences are bad.
And the experience of that risk and that vulnerability can work against the actual experience that you're supposed to be having if it ain't working. But I went to see a show of the humans by a guy named Stephen Karam and it was devastating. And this is an interesting thing about theater. I mean, I can tell you it was a great play and I can tell you it was bleak in a lot of ways, but incredibly human.
Like bleak in the most human way possible. And it all takes place in one long act, hour and a half or so at a Thanksgiving dinner. And the stuff that was covered, it was so like raw, just the human relationships that were on that stage were so familiar. The way they were set up and the way that it sort of moved through these conversations, there was a bleakness to it.
And this is everyday stuff really. I don't know if I would call it a tragedy because it was all sort of lifted by the fact that that there was a family and there was humanity and there was humility and there was some humor. Like I don't even know if it's like, if it's uplifting, but I get uplifted by weird things. I mean, I thought that shortcuts by Robert Altman was one of the most uplifting films ever made about people.
So I thought it was uplifting in the sort of persistence of these characters and how well defined they were in all their flaws. And sort of what barely sort of held them together was the humanity of it. I don't mean, it's hard for me to even explain it. But it was pretty amazing.
And I didn't really know, I was directed by Joe Montello. I think that's how you say his name. He's done a lot of stuff. The cast was Reed, Bernie, Jane, Howdy, Shell, Casey Beck, Sarah Steele, Lauren, Klein, and Ariane Mowed.
And it was just it was like a daughter who was moving in with her boyfriend in New York in Chinatown. It was the sister who was a gay woman who had recently broken up with her lover for significant other. It was their parents and then the grandmother who has Alzheimer's and it's just sort of mentally incapacitated throughout the show. And it's just sort of the evolution of the dialogue around that family, around who they are and their own personal weaknesses and illnesses and what they endure.
And it's there are funny parts, but it's definitely not a comedy, but it's it's powerful man. It's bleak and beautiful. And the ending is completely theatrical and bizarre. I recommend it highly.
I don't see enough young people when I go to the theater and I think you should engage. I know we've all gotten very acclimated to to seeing sketch or or improv. That's the theatrical experience of the new generation. It's like you can see an improv show, but to see a well-constructed play move through the emotions and the arc of a story, certainly in one setting is pretty profound.
But I guess the message I got is that I hang a lot of my analysis and thoughts around the idea that we're all terrified, existentially terrified of dying. And that's why a lot of our behavior is what it is. And that may be true, but I don't know if it is as powerful as the existential fear of living. And I look, I don't want to get all heavy because we've got fun show here.
You know, I know there's some bad things in the world. There's some bad things in all of us. But this play really sort of handles it well and floats. You know, there is a sort of a buoyancy to the to the pain of this play.
It was called the humans and it's at the it's at the roundabout. So if you're in the New York area, I recommend it. I'm becoming a champion of the theater. So Brian Posain, friend of the show, friend of mine, love him.
Remember when he started back in back in San Francisco, he wanted his new movie coming out. It's exciting for him. He's the lead in the movie. It's called Uncle Nick.
It's produced by documentary film legend Earl Morris. And you can see it in theaters starting tomorrow Friday, December 4th. But right now, let's talk to the very funny Brian Posain about his new movie, Uncle Nick and also about Mr. Show and about comedy and about maybe a little bit about his kid.
Let's see how it goes. Let's make sure I do a right. Brian Posain. That's amazing.
It's right. I let you do something else for 20 years or so. Posain. You always did poo and I never corrected you.
What's happening outside of this movie we're about to talk about. What are you doing? Just got off the road. You did for how many days?
Yesterday I was in DC. I was in DC. Arlington Draft House. Great.
What'd you do? Four shows? Five shows. It's nice.
So like movie theater, it's tiered seating. It's great. Great crowds. They can have a drink.
Yes. But it's not a bar per se and the people there are thrilled to have comedy there. It's one of my favorite places to start. It's great.
We're all there's a handful of places I still like going to. I was in another one before that. It was in Denver the week before. And Arlington Draft House?
Oh yeah. The week before that I was in Denver. Those are two great rooms. You must feel like a fucking rock star right now.
Yeah. Those are great. Yeah. You're only as funny as your last shows and my last shows are pretty good.
Yeah. But in Denver you almost feel like this. I'm wrong. I'm doing so good.
Yeah. I was sick. I was not phoning it in because I don't phoning it in when I'm sick. But like when I wasn't on stage, I was sweating and coughing and just and then I got on stage and I powered through those sets and you know, I get crushed.
Yeah. It's like electric in there. I'm not this funny. But I was just toning it down a little bit.
I don't want to fuck this up just so I feel like I'm at the proper level. Yeah. When I'm in Grand Rapids or wherever else. And how's that kid?
He's awesome, man. He's a six year old little person. Oh really? Yeah.
Funny little dude. Yeah. Went to his first show this year where it took him to see Weird Al. You did?
How do you like it? Yeah. Is he wearing black concertees? Sometimes.
But you know what? He knows the bands. Like if you went up to him and went, yeah, what do you see DC song do you like? He'd tell you.
Which one does he like? He likes a bunch of them. Old ones. Yeah.
Yeah. He's kind of all over the place. But we've done more work on and now rushes the latest thing. Why is Rush seeing this amazing resurgence?
Well, I've loved Rush my whole life. I find. And he I kind of kept it away from him because that's well too much. Like I just felt like I would always play the basics in the car.
I started them off. I mean with the idea of I don't want this kid to like pop music and so far he doesn't. Right. Right.
So a lot of ACDC. Okay. A lot of black Sabbath. Yeah.
Zeppelin. Yeah. Yeah. Beadles.
Yeah. Born of the Beatles. Okay. That's a good choice.
That's kind of it for the beginning on the Ramones. Okay. And then it's got to like a Ramones. And my wife played the cars for him a couple of years ago.
I got into the cars. He really liked that. Yeah. Yeah.
Good stuff. Yeah. And so we're keeping a you know a solid base. And then now he knows that daddy likes these other bands almost more.
Like Metallica. Rush Metallica Pantera. So he asked me about those bands. And it's awesome.
Like he's a little dude. But he knows that this is something that daddy is a lot of passion for. Is that I'm down with 2112? No, you know what I did is he's into the Peanuts movie.
And somebody on the internet took that old Rushlong Xanadu and did it with the Peanuts from old specials. Oh, you're sneaking it in. And he loved it. Right.
And then I'm playing a movie pictures one day and he goes, it ends and he goes, Daddy, I kind of want to hear Xanadu. Can you play Xanadu? That's my favorite Rush song. And I'm like, all right, man.
Without the Peanuts. Yeah, I can definitely play Xanadu for you. And he still dug it. Like he dug it just listening.
I have a nice turntable setup in our little library. And he and I will do Legos in there. And then it's always me playing spinning records while we're building like that. Sweet.
It's dude. I couldn't love it more. It's my favorite part. And wait, Metallica?
Not that much yet. But he knows they're around. I mean, if they're in my office, if you walk out of my door, there's a picture of James headfield flipping everybody off. So he knows about it.
It's a lot for me to wrap my head around. Metallica? Yeah. I was just, you know, I like him.
I threw him in here last week. I love the Jocko movie. He's a great guy. He's played with Ozzy.
He's a great guy. He's a great guy. That's true. He's a really nice dude.
You met him? Oh, yeah. Sweet guy, right? Yeah.
I love that guy. But like, I don't listen to a lot of Metallica. I almost bought a Metallica record today, except they didn't have any. I had a lot of Megadeth, which I can listen to Megadeth.
A little more technical than Metallica's straight ahead and just more kick out. I can feel the weight of it for you. Metallica's the thing, right? Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, man. It's what really it's Rush, Iron Maiden and Metallica, because they all made huge impacts on me when I was a kid. How about Iron Maiden?
He must have liked those covers. The kid? I haven't played much of that. He hears it like, we have serious on when he's in the van.
Yeah. And so it'll come on and Daddy will turn it up a little. Yeah. And he can read, you know, he's reading now.
So he'll read the whole thing and go, Daddy, this Iron Maiden, Eddie, right? Yeah, man. Yeah, man. Is he playing an instrument?
He is. He's playing the piano. Really? And then we got him a little squire.
I'm gonna get him an amp for Christmas because he's been plugging into my amp just recently and loves it. He's got a band. He calls himself organic submarine. Wow.
Interesting. He made that up. Not a metal name. No, not at all.
But I just want my kid to be musical. I mean, that was really kind of important to me. Does he have a sense of it? You feel like?
Absolutely. Yeah. The piano teacher said he had a perfect pitch and my wife can sing and I can't. Wow.
It's all working out. It's going good. Yeah. I go home.
Those parts are awesome. I hope he got it. 14. He doesn't decide like I'm playing football.
Yeah. There's so many things. Yeah. It's not even football.
I don't hate sports, but there's other things like I think if he said Daddy, I like Sublime, I'd be like, fuck you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Move out early. Yeah. Give me back the guitar. Yeah.
We're political things too. If you want a certain way that might piss me a little more. That's going to take longer. A little more than being a jock.
I think you can negotiate that stuff away. I rebelled against my mom in high school. As soon as I was able to vote, I voted for Reagan that year. Why?
Just because my mom was such a liberal and I feel guilty. I mean, I'm telling you because I think it's funny because it was kind of the high school dick of like, yeah, total metal kid. Yeah. Trying to grow my hair.
Yeah. And I knew my mom would hate that I voted for Reagan. So I fucking did. Did you tell her?
Absolutely. In her face. Like came home with the I voted sticker like, yeah. I voted for the dude you hate.
Suck it. Now. Yeah. Have you told this story before?
Is this no, that's new. It's all right. So this is a good action. Yeah, pretty much.
And we're it's not that way of getting out of people. That's your big one. That's a big one for me. It is big.
But it was like rebelling against her because I guess the liberal mom. I get it. She worked for the state. She hated Jerry Brown.
She hated, you know, real lefty. Yeah. So you were mad at her. I was all right.
Well, you okay with her now? Yeah, I love her. Awesome. So how do you want to make up for this mistake?
I think you're doing it already. The kid sounds good. You did good deeds in the world. Sure.
I'll send in her. What are they called the ballots where they were you're not there? Perhaps a tee. Yeah, I'll send that in for Trump.
Well, no, that would make it worse. It would make it worse. How do I undo it? Yeah, I do it.
I don't know. Sorry. I'm going to hear this weekend when she's at my house. She knew that you did.
She does. But I mean, tell me that I feel bad now. Yeah. She knows I didn't give a shit about Reagan.
Right. But now, well, but now I think a lot of people are like, well, it's kind of your fault, right? Yeah. Yeah.
You got that second term. That one that was that one vote. Yeah. You got a joke vote.
Yeah. Fuck you vote. Right. So you're a movie star now.
Is that what's happening? No. Oh, come on. I'm trying to build it up.
Thanks, man. You're the lead guy in a Christmas movie in almost every single scene. Yeah. And so if you like that, like me and you have an hour and a half.
It's called Uncle Nick. Uncle Nick. How was the experience for you? How long did it take to shoot?
We've been in a couple weeks, shot it in Pasadena. Two weeks? Yeah. It was.
What was it? Total indie. Not much. Yeah, but we shot it in one house and kind of made it look like a couple of different houses.
But it's really the whole movie takes place in one night. The whole story is I'm Uncle Nick, to the squirrel. My brother is a total douche. I hate him.
What type of douche? Just pretty boy dick. Just smug. I took on the family business which is and worked my ass off landscaping.
And after my dad passed, my mom passed, I took over everything. He didn't do anything. He was a bartender. I really looked down on him and hate him.
And I have all this animosity. And it was a lot of fun to play because I don't have any siblings, but it was fun to have. But you have the animosity? Oh, yeah.
I could be a total dick. And so it's nice to channel that into somebody. And so he marries Patrick Brewster, our friend, and a hot lady. And she already has two kids.
She has a 16 year old son and a 20 year old daughter, 19 year old daughter. And I get a crush on the daughter at the wedding and the whole time I'm thinking, you're Stephanie's. Yeah. So at Christmas, I'm going to make this shit happen.
I'm going to run Facebook. It's super creepy. It starts off where I don't know if I like this guy. And I love that.
Like reading that. I would have that appeal to me more than anything. That seems honest. Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. So without spoiling much, does it end happily? It does.
It has a good ending. And it's earned, I feel. And there's funny moments and there's some shit where you find out what my character's gone through. I have this kind of drunk rant at the table and kind of, you know, oh, shit.
Some sadness about what my character went through. And it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Did you perform it? Yeah.
Because I had to cry and I had to bring up some dark stuff. Wow. It was a lot of fun though. Really acting.
I was. Yeah. Great, dude. I did the whole thing.
I got an acting coach. Yeah. So how'd you get involved with this movie? Well, these guys wrote it together.
This guy, Mike Demski and Chris Kasich was going to direct it. And they were producing it together. It was Demski's idea. And Chris wanted a direct movie.
And then really early on, they thought of me. And then, you know, Jerry Duggan, my buddy, who I wrote Deadpool with for years, he's seen him in the scene. He's not a comedian, but he's been around. Did he write?
I know Jerry. Yeah. He's a writer, right? Yeah.
He's a writer. Now he's writing Deadpool on his own. He's a good friend of mine. And he talked to them and said that he would produce it with them and try to get me to do it.
And just a total post saying, like, they sent me the script. I didn't read it for a couple of weeks because I was just like, oh, no. And he's like, dude, and finally it took him just going, you asshole. They wrote this with you in mind, man.
They really want you. Doesn't happen that often. Yeah. And never.
Yeah. And dude, do you think I didn't whine? Like, every time one of my friends gets another movie, you know, and I'm like, you know what I mean? Patton's been handed an other.
I didn't say Patton. You motherfucker. But yeah, when Patton did make fan, you know, there was a little bit like, no, I want a big fan. Oh, sure.
Like Oscar thoughts about Patton. No. And then, and then this comes up, it's on my computer for me to very easily read weeks. And it finally was Jerry going, you know, Jerry knows how to talk to me.
He's like, don't be a fucking asshole. Just read it. If you don't like it, read a couple pages. It's weird.
Get back to me. Do this now. It's weird that fundamental insecurity thing. Like, you know, because you want to do something like that, but there's that you're in the last 10 years, like waiting for it.
And then there's that initial instinct. It's like, that's probably not going to, I'm not going to do it. And so I can. Oh, yeah.
And the whole time we were shooting it, I'm like, this is going to blow, you know, you know, no joy. Yeah. Oh, saying no joy. Right.
Yeah. But it was a great experience. It was. I'm super proud of it.
It's nice. The guy was his first movie. Yeah. So everyone's learning.
Everyone's very collaborative. Yeah, for sure. And we got to bring some funny people I was involved in the casting. Like, so I was the first person cast.
And then he was like, who used to use her sister? And we talked about that. And we talked about another friend of ours as my sister didn't happen. Yeah.
And then Missy Pile came up, who was actually my wife going, what about Missy Pile? And I'm like, Oh my God, that's perfect. Yeah. Yeah.
Like, tall. She would be the attractive one in the family, obviously. But the guy playing my brother already is more attractive. So I'm the black sheep.
This guy Bo Ballinger, he was actually Chris's cousin. Okay. But don't let that be good job. He killed it.
Yeah, he did really good. And he played, he's supposed to be I'm unlikable, but he winds up being the biggest douche in the movie. Oh, man. So yeah, he did really well.
So you're you're like an unlikable underdog guy that's not wouldn't be likable in most contexts. Yes. But somehow compared to the situation, other guy and what happened. You'll say I won't give away stuff.
And he does your moral struggle. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
The first time ever, not even in real life or movies, if I had a moral struggle ever, finally, finally. And then Scott adds it, we had come in and play my sister's husband. He's funny. He's all right.
And he's terrible to be around. I don't know if you know him. He's such a dick. No, he's the nicest guy in the world.
But he's told me that Earl Morris produced it, the documentarian. He's an odd guy. How do you get involved? Because he knew Chris.
Chris had done some documentary work for him before. And so they hooked up and Chris, he wanted to see it. And it does have a through line of your baseball guy at all. No, I didn't know it.
But I guess so it takes place in Cleveland. Yeah. And I guess there's a famous Cleveland Indians game in the 70s or 60s, maybe, where it was 10 set beer night. And it turned into a crazy riot.
I think I know that. And so I tell, I narrate that story throughout and it kind of intertwines with the story that I'm going. Sounds like an interesting movie. It's cool, man.
Well, I'm proud of you, man. I'm happy for you. Thanks, buddy. Yeah.
Let's talk about when does it open December what December 4th and 5th that weekend. It's doing some midnight shows in some cities. When does it drop on iTunes and everything else in that place? I think almost right.
If not that same day right. Wild out all happens at the same time. Yeah. Just see the fucking movie.
Right. I would say seeing it in a theater. I think it'd be fun. And it's doing some midnight showings in some cities.
And does that have the potential to be like Christmas cult movie? I don't know. All right. You know, I don't like anything I do.
All right. That was a bad question for you to pretend like something. I love. But I'm always the last guy to fit, you know, to know.
Unless it's stuff like other people's stuff where I've been involved. I'm like, Oh, this is awesome. Yeah. You know, Mr.
Show, Sarah Silverman, those things. I'm over here. Yeah. They're the main people.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I don't make this suck.
I was bob and David. You guys seen him? I just saw them the other day. I posted a little thing with them the other day.
But they had it seem like everyone had good time. We did, man. We had it blast. And you know, fingers crossed.
I think it's, you know, I don't know how numbers work at Netflix and that kind of thing. Yeah. But that one does. Yeah.
Netflix doesn't know. They know. But hopefully they pick us up. And then we go back after Bob finishes better call Saul again.
Yeah. He's out there doing that right now. And then I want to do more because those are, you know, you know, I've talked to you about how I feel about both those guys. Yeah.
Yeah. They help me out a lot. I mean, I owe everything really to them because I stand up and all that other stuff. I was doing it before.
But that was it. Yeah. And they're good. It's still my favorite job.
Yeah. And was it good to see everybody? It absolutely was. And everyone's okay.
Yeah. I mean, well, there's none of the world grownups now. There's a little bit of weirdness, but not like the old days. No pencils were thrown and no fever stomped.
Was Dino there too? Yes. No shit. Of course.
Yeah. Yeah. He has to be. Oh, that's crazy.
I love him. And so do I. I got to watch those fucking things. I got to watch your movie.
I got to watch. I got a lot of things to do. Trying to remember if Dino got on camera. I think he snuck on in one thing or two, but he's buying the scenes through the whole thing.
Like that. Yeah. Yeah. He wrote a thing with Scott as the con sketch.
Oh, it's good. We'll just call it that. You'll know what I mean. Okay.
Well, great man. Good luck with it, Brian. Thanks, buddy. Brian, I wish him the best.
This Christmas season. I'm very excited that he got that part. Sounds like it was fun. He sounds great.
I love talking to him. Now we got another Brian. This is the tale of two Brian's today. Brian Kylie, as I said, we started together.
We genuinely, I mean, we were really doing open mics together. And I look like I've aged. He looks like he is not. This is actually a great conversation.
I've always loved Brian a lot. He's always been a stand up dude and a great stand up comic and it was great to have him in here. I'm full of the greats today. I'm full of the greats today.
His new, his new novel, the Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins. You can get anywhere wherever you get books. But right now, we'll talk to, to novelist Anne Conan O'Brien writer and stand up comedian Brian Kylie. Who's like what president biographies you read?
Well, I love like LBJ and I love Nixon. Oh, really? I can say it from my childhood, you know, but also they're such characters like Truman and Ike and even JFK, whatever. They're still kind of normal guys.
Those guys, you're like, well, no one would do that. Right. Right. They both do, like in totally different ways, but they both do things.
No, no one acts like that. Right. And I just love the way they're such characters. Yeah.
Who LBJ Nixon? Yeah. And they were on the opposite opposite sides. I guess that's right.
They were part of ours. How old do you? I'm 53. I'm going to be 52.
Well, I'll be 54 in a month. Oh, really? You're two years older than me. Yeah.
But we were kids, Nixon was everywhere. Everywhere. Cartoon. Absolutely.
Yeah. Absolutely. And you know, I never found him, I think I was fascinated with him when I was a kid. But I think it was kind of a morbid fascination.
I don't remember finding him impressive. Oh, no, no, I'm not a fan. But I'm fascinated by it. I remember caricatures more than I remember the actual guy.
Sure. Like Mad Magazine and like just seeing the pictures of him with the big nose. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Tricky Dick. So I always, in my mind, even when I was a little kid, he's like, you know, this guy's kind of slimy. Yeah. Well, there was a cartoon, there was like a cartoon show called, like, Wait till it's a, Father Gets Home or something like that.
And the next door neighbor was Nixon. Really? Yes. And I remember seeing as a kid and thinking, this is a really intellectual smart show.
And then I saw it when I was like in my 30s at the Museum of Television. And it was incredibly bad. Really? Oh, yeah.
I was like, Museum of Television. Yeah. So when you lived in New York, you made it. I would go there.
Oh, yeah. I went there frequently. You did? Because well, that's it.
Well, that's an interesting thing. Like you, you've been writing for Conan since almost the beginning, right? Yeah, I started six months in. So 94.
That's amazing. Well, yeah. It's 94. So that's March, March, the Ides of March in 1994.
So in 22 years? Yeah. Yeah. I'll be 22 years in the next March.
Even Conan writer. Yeah. Most of we monologue. Yeah.
I mean, I'll help out with the other stuff, but that's my main focus. Yeah. And the thing is we started together. Yeah.
Right. Right. We really, we've know each other, whatever, almost 30 years or whatever. That's crazy.
No. I know. It's not like we went out to dinner or anything, but we've known each other. No, no, no.
And we were always friendly. We did all kinds of gigs together. Yeah. Of course, we were friends.
And softball and whatever. Yeah. Softball with Boston with the fellas. Yeah.
With, you know, waiting for Matt Graham to lose his shit. When's Matt Graham going to ruin the game? Well, it's interesting because you had a career. I mean, we were both doing, I think I met you at Open Mikes.
I must have been in college. I think the first time I saw you was probably the first time I tried to do comedy, which was probably 19, the summer of 1984, maybe. Yeah. Was that about when you started?