We recently had the chance to connect with Cameron Mitchell and have shared our conversation below.
Cameron, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
If I have a slow day or a day off, I like a slow, easy morning. My cat Working Title screams at me until we go out and sit on the porch, so I spend a good chunk of time sitting on the porch with my cat drinking coffee. Not a bad start to things at all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Of course! I am a writer, director, and producer. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some incredible projects over the years, and my own features This Sucks and Driven: The Tony Pearson Story are both out in the world right now for just anyone to watch. I wrote and directed This Sucks and produced Driven. Both films took years of effort from our teams, and it’s still so wild to say we made them happen.
Currently I’m working on a monster movie in the vein of that 70s grindhouse horror. It’s called Last Rest Stop. I can’t say too much about it yet, but it’s going to be a lot of fun. My producers Meg Parker and Matthew Robinson have been incredible throughout this process, and I’m stoked to drag a bunch of really talented filmmakers out into the desert for a few weeks to shoot a horror film.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
It’s hard to pick just one moment, but everything that happened in 2020 and 2021 (and really, since) have crystallized my goals moving forward. When I was younger, I was really apathetic toward things that were happening on the world stage. I just wanted to live my life and write my stories. Now I see how intertwined everything is, and how the fight never stops. I want to do whatever I can to make the world, and our industry, a better place. The movies that I write are all about that, whether I’m being subtle or not. It doesn’t have to be this bad. We can fight for a better world. There are tons of people out there doing what they have to in order to make that happen, and I believe that one day we’ll get there.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I don’t know what I’d do if I gave up! I’ve never had a Plan B, never had a backup plan. I’ve been writing all my life, and in the last twelve years here in LA there’s never been a question of “what if.” I’m lucky that I’ve been able to have as much opportunity as I have had. Each movie gets just a little bit bigger than the last, and I try to make sure every step is a step up from the previous one. Sometimes it really feels like previous generations of filmmakers went out of their way to close the door after themselves, and it’s so hard to knock that door down these days. I’ve said before that we’re in the single worst decade to get involved in the film industry. There’s just zero opportunity for anyone who isn’t already in it, or born into it. I want to change that. There are so many creative people in this city (and not just in this city) who deserve the chance to tell their stories. We shouldn’t all be drowning in day jobs just to pay rent and do nothing outside that.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
My grandpa passed away earlier this year. Before he did, he gave me his collection of John Steinbeck books. He had every one the man had ever written; Steinbeck was his favorite author. I’d already read a few of them over the years, but now that he’s gone every few months I pick up another. And Stieinbeck knew what was up! Reading The Moon Is Down or Grapes of Wrath, you can see so many issues we’re facing today were issues sixty or seventy years ago. I took down so many quotes as I was reading because I was shocked at how applicable they are to today’s troubles. But Steinbeck wrote about these things from a place of empathy, and understanding. It’s not hard to tell what he thought about capitalism or fascism. My grandpa was always progressive. He and I talked a lot over the years about how he didn’t understand things like racism or transphobia, how he just saw people as people, and for a white dude raised in 1940s Memphis I always thought that was impressive. Now, reading through some of these books, I’m starting to get it. Grampy was a good man, a decent man, and maybe when he was younger he deliberately sought out stories that helped reinforce that decency, or maybe those stories helped him see the world a little differently than he might have otherwise. Stories have a unique power to reach people, to help them see things from a different perspective. It’s reassuring to get such a close, personal example of how people have been telling them to try and improve the world for longer than we’d think.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Dr Pepper is the best soda. It just is. There’s no subjectivity here. It’s Dr Pepper. It’s always been Dr Pepper.
Contact Info:
- Website: lastreststopfilm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecammunist
Image Credits
Ali Raza
David Barahona
Jacinda Mallari
