Topher Grace, Rich Sommer & Malin Akerman Video Interview On ‘Giant Mechanical Man’

GRACE: Yeah, I thought the tone of the film was a kind of tone that I’ve always loved that are really independent films, and independent cinema is more precious now than it kind of has ever been. There was a huge surge when I was growing up in the 90s, and even now there are films coming out that have a $20 million budget. This is a very independent film, it has the tone necessary to convey what these characters are really thinking and feeling that normal studio films wouldn’t allow. Really, to see it is to understand what that tone is and what it is saying, but it couldn’t exist outside of this, this kind of petri dish. AKERMAN: What I really like about it is the fact that Chris Messina’s character is this giant mechanical man, he’s not willing to give that up because he really believes in it and that’s his creative outlet and that’s who he is and who he loves. I really liked that message of it, that you can find someone who appreciates what you do, instead of trying to conform and become what society wants you to become. And I just thought it was really beautiful that he kind of felt that that was part of him and that’s who he is, and to stick to that within this society is not easy so I liked that.

SOMMER: I didn’t, I mean I, it was a pretty good scene, it was totally pretty clear from the thing. Malin, did you? AKERMAN: I can definitely say that I have met the type before, who is a bit pushy and what not, but having said that, I think that there is this, I have three younger siblings so there are four of us, and you know, I’ve changed their diapers and watched them grow up. You kind of have an idea of who your siblings are, but then they grow up and they change, but you still treat them the same way, so I kind of felt that that was the relationship here with Jill’s and Janice’s, that she’s always worked to try and get Janice and become more social and that has sort of been her problem in her life, until Janice finally says ‘fine, back off. I’m happy, I can do my own thing,” so I think that rang true within the family unit. GRACE: I TiVo'd everything from like three to five a.m. that just said paid programming and it's Tony Robbins, or the” ShamWow!” guy, this is the guy with all the question marks that runs up to the camera. I think it’s a very interesting type of person that pushes himself or herself on people and says, “Not only do I have my entire life figured out, but I’m going to tell you how to figure out your life,” and then the way they speak is very convincing, and one of the things that happened, at the very beginning I was making a mental checklist and I said, 'Ok, I’m going to make fun of them this way, and by the end of the half hour, I’m calling in to try to get the tapes or whatever. They talk to you into submission. You really feel like you need the personal power of the tapes or whatever.

SOMMER: We had a very nice chemistry, the three of us especially, and as much fun as we had shooting it, for me, the most memorable parts were when we weren’t shooting and I just kept playing around with these guys . GRACE: I’ll tell you right now what it was. Ok, Rich and I are going to be honest. We are going to [Benihana's]. We are going to Benihana's with those guys and this girl [Akerman] is going with us, you’ll be seeing us in Maxim Magazine this week, this girl is cool enough to come with us and by the way, the chef, the whole thing, was there a chef? There was a chef right? AKERMAN: It was great. The only thing I will say about Benihana's is, I feel guilty because I don’t want to talk while they’re doing their show, and they kept talking so I was like “guys, shhh!” I think we had such a good time together. SOMMER: We did, it was nice. I have to say, there was one moment that was really memorable. It was when we were shooting, we weren’t even in the scene but Chris Messina’s character is at a train station where Jennifer sees him and kind of just stands there and watches him. It was such a beautiful moment, the scenery, you saw the art of it all, you kind of appreciated what these street performers do and that was just a really really beautiful visual moment that I’ll remember.