Where did the idea for HOMO ERECTUS come from?

In February of 2005 I was crab fishing off the coast of the New Siberian Islands when our team made a most unusual discovery. It had been a particularly tumultuous winter and many of my fellow fishermen had lost their lives to the frigid Arctic Ocean. Though we caught very few crabs, tangled in our net was an enormous block of ice. Trapped in the ice was a perfectly preserved specimen of Neolithic man. Convinced we had stumbled upon the discovery of the Century, we headed south for home and guaranteed fame and fortune. Not 50 kilometers out we hit a freak warm front causing the block of ice to melt, thawing the prehistoric man. Much to our shock he woke up and proceeded to tell us an idea he had for a movie. It was a quasi-autobiographical tale about an evolved but neurotic caveman named Ishbo who was convinced that the human race had more to offer than just sticks, stones, and raw meat. The rest of his tribe thought his forward thinking ideas were the ravings of an idiot, rendering him an outcast. My fellow fishermen and I agreed the idea had promise but needed to be further developed. The caveman then cooked us a delicious lunch of deviled eggs and New Orleans-style corn chowder before killing himself by jumping into the icy waters. The rest of my crewmates sadly died of salmonella poisoning in the coming days (I luckily didn’t eat the deviled eggs), and I spent the remainder of the voyage writing Ishbo’s story. I called it HOMO ERECTUS.

Did you write the script with yourself in mind for the role of Ishbo?

No. I wrote the role of Ishbo for Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, Brad was unavailable. I subsequently offered the role to George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Tom Cruise, all of whom said they just didn’t feel they had the chops. With a start date fast approaching I went straight to the bottom of my list and cast myself.

How did shooting in Texas match up with the vision you had for the project?

Luckily for us, Texas has not evolved beyond Neolithic times so shooting a caveman movie there was a perfect fit.

What was the experience of working with the Burnt Orange/UT Film Institute model of student involvement like?

Working with UT Film students was fantastic. Their enthusiasm, dedication, and thirst for knowledge was infectious. Equally as wonderful was the fact that because they were working for credit, we didn’t have to pay them. Every dollar we saved on student labor went directly into my pocket. Each of these talented kids should be proud to know that because of their hard work, I’m putting a pool in my backyard this summer.

How did starring in the film affect your directorial approach? How did directing the film affect your acting?

I must answer this question twice, once as the director and once as the actor.

Rifkin (director): These primadonna actors are all the same. First he won’t come out of his dressing room, then he wants a bigger trailer, then he insists on bathing only in Evian water. God forbid he learn his f#*!!!ing lines! If he wasn’t the damn star, I’d have fired him day one!

Rifkin (actor): Working with Mr. Rifkin was the highlight of my professional life. His attention to detail, ability to listen, and commitment to his craft fathered an atmosphere where I truly could flourish creatively. Thanks to him, I didn’t merely play Ishbo, I became Ishbo!

Copyright © 2008 National Lampoon & Town Lake Films