Sharknado producer David Latt on how the B-movie sausage gets made

“Go forward, have strength in your own convictions, enjoy what you’re doing, and you’ll be fine.” – David Latt

David Latt (@DavidMLatt) is the co-founder of The Asylum, which is the most prolific independent film studio in Hollywood.

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf speaks with David about his path into B-Movies and the beginnings of The Asylum (8:30); independent filmmaking and “mockbusters” (28:00); the Sharknado franchise (43:15); the future of entertainment (1:02:00); and lessons learned throughout his career (1:07:00).

For more information on The Asylum, you can visit their website, www.theasylum.cc

Notable films and TV shows mentioned:

• Sorority House Party (Rock and Roll Fantasy) (film)
• Sharknado (film)
• Killers (film)
• Jane White Is Sick & Twisted (film)
• Transmorphers (film)
• Giant Shark Versus Mega Octopus (film)
• Z Nation (film)
• The Walking Dead (television show)
• Leprechaun 4 (film)
• Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (movie)
• Pulp Fiction (movie)

Notable people mentioned:

• Larry Cohen (B-movie director)
• Henry Hathaway (B-movie director)
• Roger Corman (B-movie director)
• Jeff Kanew (Revenge of the Nerds director)
• Mia Farrow (actress)
• Patton Oswalt (comedian)
• Anthony Ferrante (film director)
• Craig Engler (Z Nation writer)

Other links:

• Mockbuster (movie genre)
• Rolf Potts, “Humor Doesn’t Translate Internationally,” from The Believer
• Tom Shone, “The Glorious Bullshit of “Reservoir Dogs,” from The New Yorker
• Spike, Mike, Slackers, and Dykes, by John Pierson
• C5LA (charity)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Mean Tweets – President Obama Edition
• SyFy (TV network)
• Sharknado: The Musical

This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].