Behind The Scenes With the Boondock Saints

Posted on | October 21, 2009 | No Comments

By: Rich Bergeron

A stone’s throw from the Custom House clock tower in downtown Boston, The Black Rose Irish Restaurant and Bar became the temporary media hideout of the Boondock Saints II cast and its Director Troy Duffy on Monday, October 19, 2009. Thanks to some lucky connections, I wound up there on the second floor and sat down for a one-on-one interview with the brother Saints themselves: Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus. A special thanks to the great PR lady for arranging my time with the cast (you can see her buzzing about in the background of the first interview video below).

The 2nd floor space at the Black Rose is cozy and accommodating, and it was the perfect backdrop for generating some buzz about the upcoming sequel’s release on October 30th. Billy Connolly was in attendance at the session to complete the McManus family trio. Connolly took a few cat-naps on a corner bench seat between tapings and interviews with local press. His natural Scottish brogue and booming voice cultivated through so many years of doing great stand up comedy permeated the interview I watched before my own. That sit down session was done pool style, and the reporters and interviewees were seated across a couple small tables from each other. The whole crowd spent the time firing questions and answers back and forth and letting everyone get an opportunity to talk or inquire about the film making process and more.

Connolly’s comedy was a topic of the general conversation at one point, and the cast all agreed there was a laughter overload during the scenes Billy took part in or generally whenever Billy was around on set. I didn’t catch the question, but Connolly also went off on a funny tangent about both the dangers and draws of being adept at gun fighting. Spotted with Flanery and Reedus out and about in Boston by a fan of the movie, he told the reporters he mockingly drew imaginary weapons from his vest on them to their delight. He confessed he’s always wanted to pull a pistol out from the small of his back on somebody, just to do it. He lamented the fact that he didn’t get to do that in the sequel. Though the Della Rocco character gets “The Funny Man” label in the first film, it is Connolly who is the real funny man playing a maniacal assassin on screen. The irony of that fact alone is funny.

As Connolly passed by me later he looked to me for instructions, but I’d just been told Flanery and Reedus were going to sit with me and everyone else was going to shoot a video with some other media folks on the other side of the floor. You can actually hear the director of the film crew yelling for quiet at the beginning of my 70s style surveillance video below (sorry about the quality, it was dark, and I need a new camera).

Before I even arrived I started hearing the buzz about the Boondock Saints team doing an interview on Fox News that morning. All the press had to wait downstairs for about 20 minutes before being invited up to their media enclave (they were in the middle of filming something we were told).

Being the ever-patient person I am and content with being the fly on the wall for a while, I waited my turn and agreed to interview just two of the actors instead of everyone when the timing got tight. Just when Norman Reedus reached for his pack of Parliament Lights and put one in his mouth, halfway out the door the PR lady hailed him back. It was time for my questions, she told him. He begrudgingly came back. I had to laugh when the beginning of the video showed Norman motioning to opt out of the interview as I looked at my sheet of questions. I was asking Flanery a question about his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Reedus clearly thinks the interview is going to be all about fighting. You can tell he still wants to bail out for a smoke until I start asking him questions. It was funny to see him at the end of the session when he realized I taped our time, albeit badly.

You can see Meghan in the background jostling her two cell phones and keeping everything else in line and as on schedule as she can. Flanery is on the left of the screen, and Reedus is on the right. I tried for the life of me and couldn’t get any real color in the videos or any better detail through the editing process. My Film Noir adaptations will have to do. I’m releasing the first two videos with this story and will release a third audio-only portion of the end of the interview with my review after the release of the film. Stay tuned for more.

It’s been 10 years since the first movie skipped the box office and became a simmering video sensation. Boondock Saints gave fans the best Troy Duffy and the whole crew had to offer, and the best compliment I’ve heard for the original is that there is absolutely no wasted time in it. Every instance of that film in which you start to wonder why something is being shown or why some action is going on, an answer soon follows in the natural flow of the movie. For instance, one may wonder what’s up with Della Rocco’s cat getting a close-up until it gets blown to a pulp against the wall a few moments later by Rocco’s own accidental pistol shot. Although some feline fans may be revolted, most people laugh knowing no cat has actually been harmed. It is these moments of twisted humor and some additional anti-Hollywood type tweaks that make the original so unique and so raw.

Some things in the original are done on purpose in a reverse juxtaposition. We see the aftermath of murder scenes first, the day after the carnage. Only after the scene is analyzed do we see the actual “crime” play out. It is a movie that breaks all the rules for all the right reasons and comes out as a real independent triumph. Duffy wrote the screenplay during breaks and off time from touring with his band. The plot and the concept came from the writer/director living right across the hall from a crime scene where a woman was murdered by a known drug dealer and justice was apparently not so swift.

I watched “Capitalism: A Love Story” Before attending a special screening of “All Saints Day.” I can’t get into detail about the Saints sequel just yet, but I can tell you I could see a lot of characters in that Michael Moore documentary who could use some real life Saints sent after them to set things straight. There looks to be indications that some more Saints films will follow, especially if the original’s cult following and plenty of new fans flock to the theaters to see this one. Though there were no Oscars or real critical acclaim for the first film, it is a true study in film making and provides an example of what a driven person can do with a great team. Troy Duffy was able to write and direct that project, and he proved himself worthy of wearing both hats and created a gem that now lives on with the sequel which he also wrote and directed.

Although not by any means meant to motivate people to engage in more vigilante behavior, the series sends a message. Reedus hits on that when asked about the similarities between his real persona and the character he plays. He points to how he stands up for his friends just like Murphy does in the movies. Society has a tendency to blur right and wrong, and the Boondock Saints were created to try to remind us the line between the two should not be crossed. Even if the righteous Saints don’t actually exist, these movies remind the viewer that Karma can really be a bitch and crime really doesn’t pay.

The first film’s courtroom scene really hit a nerve with me considering all my troubles having to be my own vigilante lawyer against Xyience and the Fertitta Brothers after my investigative reporting hit a nerve. I actually used an online clip of that courtroom scene to market my “XyienceSucks.Com” page at one point. In reality I’ve never had to set foot in a courtroom for my own case, but I’ve been able to participate by phone. The case has been going on for two years already, and I’m doing fairly well considering I don’t have a lick of formal legal training. Uncovering the mess that led to the lawsuit and building my case over these past couple of years made me feel sort of like a civil vigilante. The work needed to be done, the message needed to be sent to these financial crooks, and the real lawyers wouldn’t do it unless they could have a hefty paycheck up front.

I first saw Boondock Saints during the first year of my case. My cousin Donny, the perennial film buff, insisted I watch it and that I would really appreciate it. I was an instant fan. The sequel did not let me down. We’ll have more on that later. As a native Bostonian, it was flattering to know Duffy decided to make the McManus brothers the adopted sons of Beantown. I was really surprised to find out that neither actor playing the brothers has any real direct connection to the Boston area. Both professed that they are true fans of the city, though. Thanks to both Reedus and Flanery for taking time to talk with me, and I hope they get a chance to have another reunion for part three, but this time let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 10 years.

Our Boondock Saints II Bonanza will continue once we get beyond the release date. For now you can enjoy the above video and part two of our sit-down session in Boston below: