00:00We're alive, we're alive!
00:02Hello, I am Elements of Madness founder Douglas Davidson, and welcome to another episode of EOM Presents.
00:09Today, April 8th, writer-director Tyler Cornick's horror comedy Mermaid releases into select theaters after having premiered at South by
00:17Southwest 2025.
00:20Led by Johnny Pemberton and featuring Robert Patrick, Kevin Nealon, and Avery Protimeri, their film is an ode to Florida
00:27Man.
00:28On this particular episode of EOM Presents, EOM contributor A.J. Fryer chats with Cornick about the inspiration for the
00:35film, gathering the cast, the various challenges of both shooting in Florida, but more importantly, of making a small movie
00:42that involves ocean shoots.
00:45Enjoy the conversation.
00:53How are you doing today?
00:55Good, how are you, A.J.? Nice to meet you.
00:57Nice to meet you as well. So congratulations on the film Mermaid. How did the concept for this film all
01:02come together?
01:05You know, this came from a lot of different places. I grew up in the town where we shot it,
01:10so it came from that first and foremost.
01:12I grew up going to these beaches, this exact beach actually, and I was just fascinated by the people there,
01:20and it's sort of, that was always in the back of my mind.
01:23And then, you know, we had access, my executive producer of this film, we had access to the location right
01:30on the same beach where I grew up going to, coincidentally.
01:33So it was like, oh, we can practically make a movie here.
01:36So it was kind of like those two things meeting each other, and then, and that's how it happened.
01:43So, yeah.
01:44And how did the casting process for this all come about, too? Because you got Johnny Pemberton, am I saying
01:50that correctly?
01:51Yes, that's correct.
01:53And he gained probably the performance of his career as well in this, and you also got Robert Patrick, Kevin
02:00Newling, and Tom Arnold in this.
02:03So how did getting all of those guys come together, come about?
02:07You know, it really just came from the script. It's like, I got to talk to each of them. I
02:12really wanted those guys to be in the film.
02:14I think I got fortunate because we were going through the strike at the time as well, and I just
02:21got on the phone.
02:21I was able to talk to all of them and told them I really wanted to make this offbeat, strange
02:26Florida tale.
02:28And after we talked, they were just on board, and I was very, very lucky and fortunate.
02:33I loved so much for them, and it was a dream come true because I think it was, for me,
02:38it was a dream come true to watch them.
02:40And also just to have actors like that play a part in such a different sort of tone was interesting
02:46to me.
02:47But, like, Robert was somebody I wanted when I was writing the script, and same with Kevin, and I was
02:53very lucky to get them, so.
02:56And what was the most difficult part you had filming this tale?
03:00Because it's not the mermaid kind of tale we're used to, right?
03:03So there had to be some out-of-the-box thinking to do this.
03:06So what was the most difficult part of filming Mermaid?
03:10Oh, man. There were so many challenges making this.
03:14It was, you know, like day one, we had a hurricane come and had to evacuate the crew and move
03:22them to Orlando,
03:24which ended up being the only real weather problem we had, which I was surprised by because Florida weather, that
03:29could be a whole other movie.
03:30But it's like, it changes like crazy.
03:34We had, I mean, there's so many horror stories, as enjoyable as this movie was, there were so many horror
03:39stories.
03:39And then you're just dealing with boat logistics and being out on the ocean and just the unpredictability of the
03:47ocean.
03:47And, you know, it's a small movie, so cramming 13 people on a small boat for hours at a time
03:53is not easy in the Florida heat.
03:56And you're just rocking back and forth in these waves all day.
03:58And it's like, it's a lot.
04:01But I look, I look back on it all very, very fondly.
04:05And I love the memories as difficult as they were.
04:08So.
04:09And how does it feel having a studio like Utopia backing your film up?
04:12That has to be pretty gratifying for an independent film for having them back this project up as well.
04:19Yeah. I mean, it was amazing.
04:21I love that company.
04:22I felt like it was like the perfect, the perfect fit for it.
04:25And they've just been great.
04:27And, yeah, I mean, it's been another dream come true.
04:32It's really, really great.
04:33And, yeah, when you make weird stuff like this, you never know, right?
04:36It's like, who is going to understand this, understand the humor we're trying to get.
04:42And that's sort of the gamble when you make these sort of offbeat films.
04:45But I'm so happy it was with them.
04:48And it was great.
04:49And what's next for Mermaid?
04:52Well, we're going to be in select Alamo theaters April 8th.
04:57We're doing a Florida tour sort of in the areas we shot the movie and outside of it, which is
05:02coming up, where we're going to go around.
05:04Johnny and I and maybe a few other cast members are going to be just showing the movie to Floridians
05:10because we just want to see how those theaters react and document all that.
05:15And, yeah, there's going to be a lot of different screenings all over the place.
05:21And we're just excited for everybody to see it.
05:25And if you get it and you like it, it will be a word of mouth sort of thing.
05:29And it's doing exactly what we wanted it to do so far.
05:33So it's been really fun and great.
05:35And what has been the most gratifying response that you got from Mermaid as well, from critics, journalists, audience members,
05:44whatever?
05:44What was the most satisfying response that you've gotten so far?
05:50There's been a lot.
05:51I mean, the people that understand what I was sort of trying to do with the movie, that's always a
05:56great thing.
05:58Also, just Floridians that have seen it really reacting to it and having a really great response to it is
06:04really, really cool to see as well.
06:07I think that, you know, I always make my earlier stuff, too.
06:12I always have a pretty polarizing response.
06:14Like, you're either on board or you're not.
06:17And it's been really great to hear just from the people in general that are on board and understand what
06:21I was trying to do with it.
06:23It feels good that it worked for those people.
06:25So, and, you know, I just love making people laugh, too, if you get the humor in it all.
06:30It's, I like making people laugh in a way they're not normally used to laughing, you know?
06:36Yeah.
06:37Well, Tyler, thank you so much for joining us on Elements of Madness today.
06:40And congratulations on Mermaid.
06:43Thank you so much.
06:44I really appreciate it.
06:45Take care.
06:46You too.
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