You may or may not have ever heard of Adam Rifkin, but if you ever meet him, you’ll never forget it. Armed with a slight build and geeky glasses, he’s the last person in a room you would pick out as a hot property in Hollywood, but he is one of those guys. Don’t be fooled by his mild manner and soft-spoken approach, once Adam begins talking, you’ll be hooked. Whether he’s dramatically acting out the plot of his latest film or simply recounting some simple childhood event, he knows how to tell a story and make it matter. ^ As a filmmaker, Adam is kind of psychotic. He’s a successful film director and screenwriter behind mainstream studio faire like Mouse Hunt, Small Soldiers and Detroit Rock City. He’s also the writer/director of cult and independent films like The Invisible Maniac (Paul Verhoeven’s inspiration for Hollow Man), Denial and The Dark Backward. Yet Adam remains “almost famous” in a way – not instantly recognizable on sight, but a known presence in the industry. All that changed when Love and Sex, an independent film made by Adam’s ex-girlfriend Valerie Breiman, debuted to stellar reviews. The film is about their tumultuous relationship and real-life Adam is played by actor Jon Favreau. In the film, Jon strangely looks and acts just like Adam. For her onscreen persona, Valerie cast actress Famke Janssen, so it’s hard to tell who got the better deal, but it’s safe to say the relationship is still somewhat tumultuous. ^ Adam resides in Beverly Hills and I’m in Pasadena, so when I asked him where we should meet to talk he suggested “somewhere halfway.” The first thing that popped into my head was Jumbo’s Clown Room, a real dive on Hollywood Boulevard. This infamous strip bar’s pole once saw action from Courtney Love herself. Adam’s response, “Perfect.” ^ Sitting on bar stools crouched over a table near the stage, I order a light beer and Adam orders water. While a girl in black patent thigh highs grinds for a living, I launch into the first question to ask Adam about how he makes his living…
Get right to the interview in ADAM RIFKIN COMES CLEAN (part 2) >>>
