It’s not every day you get to inform someone that they killed Michael Myers. It’s not any day, really, for numerous reasons. But on this day, talking to Paul Rudd, this did happen. We’ll get to that.
In John Carney’s terrific new film “Power Ballad,” Rudd plays Rick Power, a Kansas City native (as is Rudd) and former rocker who lives in Ireland with his wife and daughter and spends his time playing in a wedding cover band. (This is a John Carney movie, so of course we get a rocking montage of perennial wedding song staples sung by a gleeful Rudd.)
Famous pop singer Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) is a guest at one of these weddings, and he eventually joins the band onstage and later invites Rick back to his room for a late night jam session. Rick plays Danny one of his original songs, which, unfortunately for Rick, becomes a massive hit for Danny a few months later (with no attribution for Rick). Also unfortunate for Rick? He can’t find any proof that he recorded the song before Danny did. All of this slowly drives Rick mad as his song became a worldwide sensation and no one believes he wrote it.
Rudd has sung in movies before, but, as he explains, not quite like this. OK, the Michael Myers part: there’s a weird quirk in the “Halloween” movie franchise where, after the sixth installment, “The Curse of Michael Myers,” which stars Rudd, the series reboots with “Halloween H2O,” which only recognizes the first two “Halloween” movies as part of its universe. Which means in “The Curse of Michael Myers,” Rudd’s Tommy Doyle defeats Michael Myers … and that’s it. That’s the end of that particular timeline. Does Rudd think about this? Does Rudd take pride in this? Does Rudd even realize this? We find out.
Rudd will also be appearing in this fall’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” Of course, there’s not much he can say about it, but that doesn’t prevent us from asking. Also, in last year’s “Friendship,” Rudd coined a new catchphrase, “Stay curious.” Has this caught on enough for people to say this to him on the street? (Speaking of, after this interview took place, there’s a coda that will not make any sense until after you read this interview, so we will save that for below.)
‘Power Ballad‘©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection
When I met Rudd at a midtown Manhattan hotel last week, I was wearing a “Kansas City” shirt that I got the last time I was at the airport. I was going to mention I wore it in honor of Rick Power being from Kansas City, then jokingly ask if Rudd has ever been (Rudd is famously from Kansas City to anyone who is also from Kansas City, like me). But as soon as I walked into the room, Rudd pointed at the shirt and says, “I know that shirt, that’s from the airport.” (Rudd and I are from the same city, but different states and rival colleges. Over the years he has given some ribbing about this during interviews, which does play a role ahead.)
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
IndieWire: I wore a Kansas City shirt in honor of Rick Power being from there.
Paul Rudd: Yeah, that’s right!
I was going to do a little bit and ask if you’ve ever been there, but you ruined it.
Yeah, I fucked it up. Sorry! Good bit!
You sing quite a bit in “Power Ballad.” What did you enjoy singing in this movie?
They were all pretty fun to sing, I gotta say. There are some that are not in the movie. Singing “Mr. Blue Sky” was great. Actually, singing the Thin Lizzy song, in Ireland, was kind of cool. That first original song … I was feeling a little vulnerable and nervous about it, because I’ve sung in some movies before, but that’s all silly. When you’re doing something silly, you’re given a lot of leeway.
Speaking of, on the way over here I rewatched the trailer on YouTube and the highlighted comment was, “I wonder if Paul Rudd is gonna slap the bass.” He’s going to be disappointed.
No, no slappin’ of the bass in this one.
I wanted to clear that up for that gentleman.
I appreciate it.
Is there anything you performed that isn’t in the movie that you wish people would get to see?
One that I thought for sure that would make its way in there was “Lady in Red,” which we recorded and had a whole thing…
By Chris de… barge? That’s not right…
Chris de Burgh. And we had this amazing actress that was playing a drunk wedding guest and was really getting into the song. It was so funny. But, for pacing or whatever, you choose what you choose. But that seemed like a good standard wedding song. But it was fun going down the list, because we were throwing out songs, what would you hear at a wedding? And “Celebration,” you have to have that.
Kool & the Gang.
Every wedding has that song. And that’s what kicks off the movie.
‘Power Ballad’©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection
Have you ever been in a position where you created something and didn’t get credit?
Well … I mean. Maybe? But not in the way it happened to Rick Power. I never wrote a song that got completely hijacked.
It’s happened to me for minor things, but I do very much get what he’s feeling.
It’s one of those things you come to peace with. In a sense, that’s even what John is suggesting in this film. In the grand scheme of things, as time goes on, nobody cares who gets credit for what but our own satisfaction.
But it drives Rick nuts and I totally understand it. This makes a lot of sense.
It’s a very weird sensation, for sure. And a very human reaction. I was watching, literally last night, “Antiques Roadshow.” A guy came in with three photographs that he had taken. He was a White House photographer. He was taking pictures of Kennedy and he was in Dallas the day Kennedy was shot. And he was called onto the plane because they needed to swear in Lyndon Johnson.
Oh, so the famous photo we’ve all seen…
Yeah, where he’s standing next to Jackie Kennedy. He took it. When he submitted it, he did include his name, he was credited. But when it went out in the AP and different wires, he got lost, in a way, to history. He took the photo. And he brought it in to be appraised. And while the value was very high, as well as another family photo of the Kennedys, but I sensed, to him — and certainly the appraiser — the real value was the acknowledgment that “I took this.” And you could see it on his face how happy he was that the appraiser was pleased to meet the guy who took it because he grew up his whole life looking at that photo.
I’ll be vague about the ending, but I do have a question. Was the final scene shot later?
It was added, yes.
I really like that shot. I needed a resolution.
That is why it was added. I think audiences wanted that, too — especially American audiences.
Why American audiences?
Americans want to know, “Wait, no, we need to see what’s going to happen.”
I’d say it’s still vague enough we still don’t know what exactly happens but we know something happened.
Something where you can see how it possibly played out.
‘Power Ballad’©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection
It’s just enough.
Right, it’s a way of telling that, giving it some kind of resolution, but not adding another 10 minutes to the movie.
The dynamic between you and Nick Jonas is great. I love that his character feels bad about stealing the song, but also isn’t going to do anything about it. Which is very realistic.
It’s a very tricky part and he handled it beautifully.
I don’t hate him, but I am mad at him.
We understand him and we understand his dilemma. I think he’s an empathetic figure caught up in a machine and industry and he’s in a place where he’s lacking the moral courage to really say something. He wants it so bad. These are two people who want something so badly. And when you want something so badly and you’re that close, it can scramble your brain a little bit. I don’t think it’s so uncommon, like you said.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. And keep in mind how many Liquor, Guns and Ammo store jokes I’ve endured from you over the years about going to Mizzou…
[Laughs] I love that you are pulling it back.
But this is a real question.
OK.
In “Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers,” your character defeats Michael Myers and then that series ends. It’s the last movie before the reboots happen. How often do you think about the fact you beat Michael Myers? Because I would think about it all the time.
I’ve never thought about it once. You’re the one telling me this. I had no idea!
‘Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers’Courtesy Everett Collection
After that movie is “Halloween H2O,” which is a direct sequel to “Halloween II,” where the other movies didn’t happen. In the original timeline, Tommy beats Michael and that’s it.
By the way, this can change on a dime … as we’ve seen in the “Halloween” franchise.
I don’t think they are going to go back and make “Halloween 7.”
You know, maybe!
They’ll just reboot it again.
Maybe he’s not dead! His track record is pretty good for not being dead.
But I’d take pride in this fact.
Well … I will now. I had no idea! Thanks for filling me in.
See, this will give you cred with horror fans. You hit Michael Myers in the head with a lead pipe and took care of business.
To think that’s all it took. This entire time. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble and a lot of bodybags. Just take a lead pipe to his head.
Thank you for indulging me on that.
Thank you for filling me in!
Last year, with “Friendship,” you got a new catchphrase. Are people saying “stay curious” to you on the street?
Oh, no one.
No one? In my friend group, we text it all the time.
Really?
‘Friendship’Courtesy Everett Collection
I just assumed it was immensely popular.
Nobody has ever said that to me, “Stay curious.” I should hang out with you and your friends!
You should. “Hey, this guy killed Michael Myers and said stay curious.”
“He’s got catchphrases!”
We’d make you feel really good about yourself. It would be a lot of positivity. Plus we are from Kansas City and you represent Chiefs fandom…
Well, there are a couple of other people now associated with Chiefs fandom that might beat me in the pecking order.
Oh, you’re talking about Taylor Swift.
Yeah.
Did you text Travis, “Come back to play again”?
You know, I was really, really hoping he was going to. I just had a feeling.
I agree. I just couldn’t see him going out on that last season.
Yeah, I had a feeling, too.
I know you can’t say much about “Avengers: Doomsday”…
Right…
But how does it end?
[Laughs] How does it end? Well… it’s a great question.
People want to know.
[Laughs] I know they want to know. I know lots of things that happen. I have filmed some things in it…
I feel bad you’re actually trying to answer this.
Yeah, you were doing a bit.
You have your “Mac and Me” bit with Conan, I have this…
It’s a good one.
Only it’s not famous or known at all.
I should have known better and not even replied and just laughed. Because that would have been better.
I’m out of time, but congratulations again on the Michael Myers thing.
You know what? Thank you for filling me in on that.
(The day after this interview, Paul Rudd asked the film’s publicist for my phone number. He sent me a gif that reads, “Stay Curious.”)
Lionsgate will release “Power Ballad” in limited theaters on Friday, May 29 and in wide release on Friday, June 5.