by Abhi Parasher
“The characters and stories are kind of endless, right?” ask filmmakers Jake and Sam Lewis aka the Lewis Brothers. “Hollywood folklore and the cast of characters it provides is a gigantic canvas to play with. We’d love to do a Hollywood Anthology TV series. Each episode would explore another fantastical Hollywood legend, featuring Hollywood’s biggest icons. We already have an hour pilot written. Of course, if anybody wanted to make a full length feature of some Hollywood tall tale, we’re open to it all. We’re just passionate about the people that got us into movies in the first place.”
The Lewis Brothers’ first proof of concept short film showcased Jamie Costa as Robin Williams, as he hears about the passing of his friend John Belushi. The scene went viral, as fans around the world called for a feature length film. Costa’s performance was considered ‘uncanny’ by many.
Now comes their new short film, The Cowboy and the Samurai, which follows an old Hollywood legend that takes place in 1978, when Jack Nicholson made his directorial debut Goin’ South. Against the advice of his producers, he cast up and coming comedian, John Belushi in a supporting role. Costa plays Jack Nicholson, whilst comedian Sandy Danto steps into John Belushi’s oversized shoes.
“It’s easy to forget that before these guys were icons, they were explosive and experimental,” say the filmmakers. “They became icons because they were giving everything they had. Robin, John, and Jack do that in their own but equally awesome way.
“When all these actors first became famous, there wasn’t any social media,” they continue. “They were able to keep an air of mystery about themselves. So, they became more like legends than actual people. We don’t know the actual people, we’re more familiar with the legends.”
