Hi Reddit! We're the Film Reroll, a podcast where we remake your favorite movies as role playing games and totally ruin them. Ask us anything!

What is the dumbest thing Pitr has done on the podcast so far? I need more things to make fun of him for.

- Diana (Pitr’s co-worker)

I'm still kicking myself for trying to jump that ravine in Summerspell...

--Pitr

That's like asking us to quantify infinity. It's too vast to contemplate. -Scott

Hi I love you all dearly but will save that for an email, but my friends and I really want to know, how did you all meet? What did that dark stormy night long ago look like?

I met Andy and Jon in college doing theater. And everyone else doing New York theater. Everyone on the show are among my dearest friends and people who's improv skill I desperately needed to harness for my own nefarious ends. - Paulo

At some point Paulo or another DM mentioned hiding the "One Ring" from Lord of the Rings as an "Easter Egg" in each campaign. Did that happen? Either way, what would have been/ was your favorite place it was hidden?

Yeah, actually for the most part it's in there in some film-appropriate form. Usually hidden really far off the beaten path. I don't even always know how or why the players would ever wind up where I put it, but it's become part of the world-building process for me. Something that cool has to be hidden deeeeep. They've never gotten really even that close to it, but if it ever does happen, it's going to be amazing.

Favorite place I've hidden it is on this storm planet in E.T. it was half-way across the galaxy from them, but I was picturing the location and it was super metal. I really wanted them to get there, but they barely left Earth in that game. sigh . . .

• Paulo

Huge fan, love the podcast! In one early episode, you mentioned that you had recorded a few movies that just didn’t work in the format.

Can you share what those were, and why you felt they didn’t work out?

Our third episode we recorded was Die Hard. And it was all maps and tactics, and it was just me and Pitr. And we had fun, but I realized midway through the game that it wouldn't be very fun to listen to, just a lot of poking heads around corners and tactically sneaking up on people.

Now I think we could make most movies work. It was more a function of not having figured out the format very well at that early point. - Paulo

Interesting. Thanks for sharing and engaging the community like this!

Our pleasure! The fact that there's been a community like this to engage with has been, hands down, the most exciting thing about doing the show.

--Pitr

Hey guys, huge fan of the podcast!

I’m really curious as to what was the process that led to the inception of the podcast, and how did each actor make it into it? I feel that the diverse backgrounds and personalities of each member makes the podcast so appealing and am intrigued as to how you guys all met and formed what is now one of the best podcasts out there!

Thanks! It was literally a thought that occurred to me one day. I was right at the start of a period where my agent convinced me to turn down all theater to focus on tv, and consequently I suddenly had a bunch of free time to come up with my own projects. Reroll just happened to be the one that took off. Everyone in it were already my friends prior to starting the show and I knew they were all geniuses and would have good chemistry. At the time I thought of it as bringing in a writer (Andy), a director (Pitr), an actor (Joz), and an RPG expert (Jon) to make something that was somewhere in between all those. - Paulo

And I told Paulo I thought no one would listen to us being idiots. Glad he didn't listen... - Joz

Another question: how did you decide on GURPs for the system you use? I imagine it has to do with the flexibility, but were there any other options you looked at?

Jon here - GURPS entered our group through me. I was frustrated with D&D (and the more setting-specific systems in general) because I wanted to tell my own stories, in my own worlds, without having to break the game I was playing to do that. A flexible system let me do that easily... I remembered hearing about GURPS from a friend (and GURPS partisan) in high school, though I'd never played it myself. I was immediately drawn to the power and flexibility, as well as all the simulationist crunch. It's not the perfect system for everyone, but it definitely hit the right notes for me.

The other major selling point for me as a GM running multiple campaigns is that there's only one system to learn. It was hard enough convincing my players to learn the rules to D&D (even 4th ed, which is pretty bland...), let alone a new system for each game. It's nice to have the same basic mechanic no matter what you're doing.

I introduced Paulo to GURPS during an Old West-meets-Lovecraft campaign I ran, and we discussed the benefits of the system to GMs... When he hit upon the idea for Film Reroll I think it seemed like a natural system to use, exactly because we'd be playing in a brand new universe each movie. Since the GMs do the up-front work of making the character sheets for all the players (which is the most labor-intensive part of GURPS, and the part that turns most prospective players off), the rules learning is pretty manageable for new players.

I know there are equally flexible, less fiddly systems out there (Fate, etc)… truth is we didn't know about them until we'd already learned GURPS. And while they're great storytelling tools, I still have a soft spot for GURPS' mechanistic crunch... so I'm glad we're still using that!

-Jon

Awesome. I had never seen GURPS before the podcast, but I’m now very interested in giving it a test run in one of my games.

What edition do you play? Any special sourcebooks you use?

We play the most recent edition (4th). There are an absolute ton of books available, but aside from the core 2 they're mostly just extensions of rules already presented in their bare forms. We play pretty rules-light on the show (rule 0 is in full effect), so we rarely go too far beyond the Characters and Campaigns core books.

First, I'd like to say that your podcast is one of my absolute favourites. I've listened to every episode at least twice, and often more.

I guess my main question is more for Paulo and Tim; what elements make a movie prime for rerolling? And what elements make it too difficult to do properly?

For everyone; if you could trade your casting with someone else's in any released episode, who would you switch with and why?

Scott here. If I could, I would recast any role Pitr Strait is in in any past episode with an irritable badger. To prove that no one would notice the difference.

Hehehe, not sure if guys are listeners of the podcast Hello From the Magic Tavern, but it sounds like you need to talk to Adal Rafai! ;)

I've never listened to this, but I've heard such good things! Officially on my list now. -Tim

At this point I feel comfortable taking on most movies. But unity of time is one thing I really like in a movie to reroll. Something like Harry Potter, where it takes place over the course of a year is kind of unnatural for our show. I like to give the players the power to drive the story. But if the movie has lots of time jumps, then it becomes me who drives the action by deciding when we're cutting to. There's ways around that, but in general I prefer a movie that take place continuously. - Paulo

This is going to sound so cheesy, but I wouldn't trade my castings with anyone else's. I know that sometimes, before we actually record something, I'll get jealous if I'm not in a certain movie (recording this show is one of my favorite things to do), but after everything's recorded and released, it's just... perfect the way it is. As Paulo often says, "Whatever happens on the show, that's the show." It's really stopped being about casting envy in any real way for me, it's just about whatever insane performances come out of where we started.

--Pitr

First, I'd like to say that your podcast is one of my absolute favourites. I've listened to every episode at least twice, and often more.

I guess my main question is more for Paulo and Tim; what elements make a movie prime for rerolling? And what elements make it too difficult to do properly?

For everyone; if you could trade your casting with someone else's in any released episode, who would you switch with and why?

Tim here.

You know, I think my idea of what elements go into a good reroll have changed a lot over my time working on the show. Mostly I've been impressed by how amazing our performers are; there have been shows where I think "I have no idea if this is going to work or not", but then the improvisers just run with it and make it gold. So a good reroll is basically any movie or concept we have that will let the players have a great time.

There are a few things I look out for re: tough rerolls. Gag comedies are often structurally very random, and it can be tough to keep the story coherent. And huge cast movies are really tough to record.

-Tim

Hi all! I'd like to play all of Paulo's minor characters. He's like a one man variety show. So much fun. Also requires a lot of creativity/spontinaity. <3 Carolyn

At what point did everyone realize Summerspell wasn't real? What was that moment like for everyone?

At what point did everyone realize Summerspell wasn't real? What was that moment like for everyone?

It took me a WHILE. I mean, I had an idea there was some sort of Tim/Paulo scheme afoot early on, but the actual reveal still shocked me. I loved it, even if part of the fun was sort of hating it at the same time. The moment was just very joyful, somehow, and I loved how bleakly things resolved from there. - Andy

Yeah I had some serious doubts about it earlier on- I think you can kind of hear me work through it a bit- but the moment I walked outside and had the suggestion of going down to the dock planted I thought, "Shit. This is it. I don't think I have anything on my sheet that can save me, but here I go..." and then when Paulo had me roll perception, my brain said something frantically about "maybe kick with boots? Seaweed lasso? Rip up a board from the dock? Bobby pin?" And then just stalled out. Definitely cheers to Paulo on that one. - Joz

Have you considered a live show? I expect this would be a big lift in many ways, but it would be pretty awesome if you could pull it off.

We've been talking about this since the show started! When we started out, though, recording sessions were much, much longer than the released episode. There was a lot of boring mechanics stuff to cut around, more heming and hawing, and just more filler in general. If we'd tried a live show then, it would've been a million hours long and probably not very much fun. As time has gone on, though, we cut less and less, meaning we're getting a lot closer to real-time play. I know I would love to do a live show sometime, and personally I think we're getting close to being able to pull it off. It'd take some wizardry from Paulo to pick the perfect material, but that's the kind of magic he does daily, so I'm not worried.

--Pitr

We have considered live shows. We wanted to get everyone practiced and more familiar with the format before attempting that (there's a whole cut scene where we just ramble across rooftops that we cut because we literally went nowhere. Like nowhere. Ended up where we started with nothing to show for it.) But I think we're getting to a point where that might be possible. Stay tuned! -Joz

What are the dream movies/characters each of you would love to rp?

Personally I would love if y'all did a romcom, my choice being 10 Things I hate about you, with Jon and Pitr as the main characters. I just want to see how quickly it would become a psychological thriller.

I want to play Bale's Batman and just fucking fail my ass off

--Pitr

I want to play Imperator Furiosa. - Joz

This concept is currently being discussed in an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors.

Hello all, super fan here, my question is for Scott Aiello, how does it feel to finally be called a Regular Cast Member and not just the old guy?

Scott here. You mind your elders, Young Man. Also- being a regular cast member is glorious. And getting to play "the old dudes" means getting most of the best parts. Wait till we do LOTR. "Yooooooooou shalll not PAAAAAAAASSSS!!!" strikes Pitr with staff

Been excited about this for a while now, thanks for doing this. I have a few questions feel free to answer whatever you want.

1. What's your white whale movie, the one you desperately want to do but is either impractical or otherwise out of reach.

2. Paulo, has the one ring been hidden in all of your films? I feel like it was discussed early on and after Wizard of Oz spiraled delightfully out of the film and into the Wonderful Land of Oz I always hope that a film just gets taken totally off the rails.

3. How hard is it to find films to reroll that the ayers are unaware of? How do you get to that information, I would be hard pressed to name films I haven't seen, so is it more that someone wants to GM a film and it might work better if people haven't seen it?

4. Are casting decisions made around whether Pitr will have an opportunity to attempt an accent or not?

1. Probably the Thing. I have a great concept for it, but I would want to do it with like 12 people, and it's impractical to mic; I don't even have a table big enough. And it would just be confusing to listen to that many people.

2. Yup, pretty much. Always somewhat movie appropriate. So not necessarily Sauron flavored, but always ring-shaped and game-changing. I want everyone to forget about it, and then when they stumble upon it in like episode 350, it'll be all the more epic.

3. It's hard, my players watch a lot of movies. We do a lot of asking around, and telling people not to watch things. The problem is that when you tell a player not to watch, they spend the whole time expecting a twist. That's why I came up with the whole secret system for Summerspell, to try to give them an alternate explanation for why they shouldn't watch it.

4. Haha, I make my life decisions around it.

• Paulo

Scott here. Man, I really wanna do a PVP "Untouchables." One room for Elliot Ness and the Gang and one room for Capone. I'd love to do Capone with Jon Miller as Netti. Put Andy as Elliot Ness, with Joz as Stone and Pitr as that nervous accountant dude and you've got gold, baby. Are you reading this, Paulo? ;-)

At any given time, how many games have been started and are waiting for the right combination of players to get back together?

Usually 2 - 5. Currently we have four open games iirc. - Paulo

Oh lord. At one point I think I was scheduling the whole crew for six film campaigns? It's a lot. - Joz

Paulo no doubt knows off the top of his head, but for me it always seems to be [(however many I think there are) + 2].

-Tim

So when's Galaxy Quest happening?

Also am I the only one who saw Gennaro as Ted from Scrubs?

So when's Galaxy Quest happening?

Also am I the only one who saw Gennaro as Ted from Scrubs?

Ooh Galaxy Quest, interesting...

And you may have been the only one, but now there are two of us.

-Tim

Fantastic.

Please inform Pitr that I use his Sassy voice for my giant cat

Done.

-Tim

Ooh also, I'm GMing a reroll of Coraline with my friends (which keeps getting pushed forward) and it's my first time GMing anything, do you have any pointers? Andy said keeping it contained to one area/goal is helpful so they're mostly gonna be inside the pink palace anyway but anything on top of that?

Oh god I LOVE this movie and have wanted to Reroll it for a LONG time- same with Kubo and the Two Strings! I'll let our actual GMs give some tips, but as a player, I would say what I love most about our GMs is how they don't cramp our creativity by dangling things obviously in front of our faces. It might be clear where the most juicy story line is, but they let us get there on our own terms. I think that's a big part of the whimsy of our show and why it's so fun to play and listen to! It's truly collaborative storytelling! - Joz

What Movie will y'all do for what I assume will be The 100th Episode SPECTACULAR?

It is impossible with this show to aim for specific numbers, because we don't know how many episodes any movie is going to go. But we try to make every episode SPECTACULAR. I imagine we'll do some kind of special anniversary episode eventually. Nothing in the works right now. - Paulo

Hey! Andy, Carolyn, Jon, another Jon?, Joz, Paulo, Pitr, Scott, and Tim! And Jeff?

Question: Rewind for a moment, way before the reroll... How did you all meet up for the first time?

Does it go back to when yall were just a bunch of young punk kids? Hanging out your treehouse. Getting into mischief. Walking the train tracks in search of a dead body. Etc.

Or was there a specific more recent event -- a mystical weather-based phenomenon perhaps -- that brought you all, and your little dog too, together?

(...There wasn't a Sun God and Moon Guy involved, I trust...)

Congrats on the crit success!

Hey gang- Scott here. Paulo, Andy, and Jon went to college together. I know Paulo and Joz through NY theater (we met through a friend). Pitr was found on the doorstep of Paulo’s apartment in a diaper and an upside down crucifix hanging above his head. Paulo took pity.

Although Scott is, as always, absolutely hilarious and clever and nice and fun, IN CASE ANYONE WANTED AN ACTUAL ANSWER ON THIS PART, a friend of Paulo's from college played one of the leads in Pitr's college thesis play, which is how Pitr met Paulo.

--Pitr

Follow up: How long have you all been friends? or acquaintances/nemesis/strangers?

I met Paulo, Jon, and Andy around 2007/2008? I met Joz maybe... 2010? Joz, is that right? I met Tim and Scott when they joined the show, I cast Carolyn in a show I directed in 2016, and Jonathan I met on a fateful Halloween night around the same time.

--Pitr

I met Joz maybe... 2010? Joz, is that right?

You asked me who either Batman or Superman's worst enemy was, and I said "Himself."

I don't remember which, but I do think either works. -Joz

I met Joz, Paulo and Pitr working on a play in NY 4 years ago. Pitr directed, Joz and I kissed on stage, Paulo played a lot of kooky characters, and people fed each other apple sauce. <3 Carolyn

I worked with Joz on a short film in which she rocked a dodgeball court with DBZ-esque super powers. She introduced me to the rest of this crazy bunch!

-Tim

First of all, thank you for this podcast. I’ve been a listener and Patreon supporter since 2017, and while I listen to many podcasts, yours is the only one where I stop what I’m doing to listen the second I get the notification. I’m sure you get a million messages of this nature, but I hope you guys really grasp how positive of an impact you have on your listener’s lives - seriously, thank you. No pressure though, right?

• At any rate, a question for Tim: I really enjoyed your presence on From Dusk Til Dawn. I know it has been stated that you don’t really like to be on mic, but do you have any plans to be on the show again?

• I also have a question for the team as a whole: I know you guys probably don’t have a set-in-stone action plan, but I think the whole community is curious what your plans are for the future. We’ve all noticed that you’ve been working towards more frequent episodes, but do you have a goal in mind?

• Episode frequency aside, have you started to consider the possibility of having live sessions? I know the nature of the show makes it difficult to do it live, but I would definitely make the trek up to NY to see you guys.

Tim here!

Oh thank you, that's incredibly kind! I had a lot of fun on that one, especially the strangely deep and real internal struggle I was feeling when Pitr tried to convince me to help the vampires...

I'm not an actor like the rest of this talented cast, so I get a tad nervous when I find the mic looming in front of me. But watching them work has brought me a little more out of my shell, so I might pop up behind the mic in a future game!

And yes, the idea of live sessions comes up from time to time. I'm for it, but more team discussion is needed!

-Tim

Hi! Thanks for so much great entertainment!

Is Die Hard the only lost episode? Also, how long into the recording did you realize that it wasn't going to work out as an episode?

​

Hi! Thanks for so much great entertainment!

Is Die Hard the only lost episode? Also, how long into the recording did you realize that it wasn't going to work out as an episode?

There are a couple other episodes that we haven't released, all of them fairly early on in the show's lifetime. Like Paulo mentioned in another answer, it was usually a function of not having perfected the format yet.

In regards to Die Hard, we actually played the whole movie! If there's one moment from that episode that I loved, which I still talk about conversationally when explaining the show to people, it's the very end. McClane, through some risky decisions and unlucky rolls, got himself under the barrel of Hans Gruber's gun, and there was just no way out. Paulo said, and I'll never forget this:

"I... I'm sorry, I have to kill you!"

Even though Paulo wants us to succeed, he always plays fair. And that's how John McClane died.

--Pitr

Hey yall, its Jasper from twitter (Pitr is used to me popping up by now) and I reeeeally wanted to know what your favorite roles you've played on the show were, as well as your favorites for other folks at the table? Love the show and all yall 💖 bear hugs

Hi Jasper! I hope everyone else will chime in on this one, but I'll start. My favorite roles of mine are probably Sassy from Homeward Bound, Alan Parish from Jumanji, and Rich Parker from Weekend at Bernie's. Oh and the BARRY Corps from E.T.!

I wish I could give away my real favorite from someone else's roles, but that movie hasn't come out yet! Others definitely include Andy's Hooper from Jaws, Jon's Doc Brown from Back to the Future II, Carolyn's Thelma and Joz's Louise, Scott's Vern from Stand by Me, and Paulo's everything ever.

--Pitr

My favorite role was probably Quint, but there was something about the challenge of playing Ulysses that I found weirdly rewarding. The Lion's up there too... I'd say those are my top three.

Scott's Loomis, Joz's Louise, Pitr's Richard Parker, Paulo's Various Jeffs, Jon's Brody, Carolyn's Sam, and of course J. West's Alan Grant; that's my super-team. - Andy

Favorite roles were definitely Ted from B&T and Cassian Andor from Rogue. I LOVE Jon Miller's Will Wheaton in Stand by Me, Andy's cowardly Lion, Joz as Dorothy, and (begrudgingly) Pitr's Sassy the Cat. Also ant NPC Paulo has ever done. EVER. -Scott

Aww I just saw this and wanted to answer!

Carolyn - Thelma. Eye rollin, snickers eatin, police avoidin, all-round awesome sister in crime!

(JWest will be back, but for now, his Grant was hilarious and stern and whimsical at the same time. Ellie was ALL about that Dr. Grant!)

Tim - Resident challenge-maker. I live for the moment that Tim cackles to himself in the background because I know it's about to get reaaaaally interesting...

Scott - Loomis and Ted tie. Scott is not only an incredibly generous fellow player, but he has incredible timing and both roles showcase that beautifully in different ways.

Paulo - His Labyrinth voices were flawless, but his Pete Hogwallop had me in stitches. "Brooding Paulo" is amazing. Mostly though, just constantly in awe of his GMing.

Pitr - Sassy. He really stretched out in this role in such a fun way. It's like watching a dear friend step onstage and nail a character- you see them, but you also see this whole other person they've created.

Jon - I know it's an early one, but Doc Brown still makes me dissolve in giggles. Omg. The taser scene alone, but then his fury at the world ending, at slowly losing his grip on fate... it was absolutely hilarious, and informed a lot of what I was up to.

Andy - I was floored by his Ulysses. Such fast thinking! Andy seriously, that role was a behemoth and you sailed through it sweet as sugar. I still don't know how you did that. You must be a... no... couldn't possibly be a...

EDIT: This is Joz.

Hey Film Reroll! I just want to start by saying how much I love you guys, you're so much fun to listen to.

​

A few short questions:

​

1. What are your favourite snacks to eat during recording sessions?
2. If you could do a Reroll of a television programme, which would you choose and why?
3. When are you going to do The Goonies? It seems like a really good candidate for a reroll

1. I know Jon's favorite snacks are the ones that are the crunchiest and have the loudest packaging, because he doesn't understand how microphones work. My favorite snack is beer.

2. This is tough, because TV shows are often open-ended by design, which makes rerolling a little tricky. I think rerolling that one scene from Doctor Who worked out really well, there are probably a lot of one-off Doctor Who episodes that would be fun. That being said, I'd love to play in a long-form campaign of The Sopranos, DMed by Andy with Scott as Dr. Melfi.

3. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

--Pitr

1. I like healthy snacks. This show takes a lot of mental energy, so I can't get sluggish.

2. Game of Thrones, I have a lot of GRRM lore downloaded in my brain. My first GM'ing experience was a now-legendary game called "A Song of Dice and Fire."

3. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

• Paulo

Jon here - I'm still waiting for Dice and Fire to come back. I was so deep into my character. I taught myself heraldry to design my house's crest. I had a whole backstory cooked up. I was SO READY TO CONQUER WESTEROS. Oh well.

Jon here. In order:

1. Beers, obvs. Anything not too crunchy (for audio reasons). I have a terrible sweet tooth, so I'm always looking for chocolates or candies.
2. Television would be fun, but it's so long-form... part of the fun of the reroll is the ability to move on to the next movie quickly. But if I had a longer-running campaign to do I would love one of those episodic-cop-dramas-with-a-twist... Like, a detective and his partner solve crimes in the big city, but the partner is also a vampire/immortal/wizard/mad scientist/the slayer.
3. Hmn, interesting.

Thank you Soo all much for doing the show, for being who you are, and for sharing it all with us. You're a true joy to behold.

To everyone who would like to answer:
- How in the world do you handle Pitr? (Love you, Pitr)
- What is your preferred drink of choice to get the mood flowing?
- Who has been your favorite character to play?
- How do you all fill your time outside of Reroll, and regular work? What makes you tick?

Thank you so much, again, for doing this. I wish you all nothing but the best!

-Jon

Pitr's actually a really lovable cat-squirrel stuck inside a grumpy old man. Once you know this, it's all golden.

I'm a beer gal.

Fave character was Marion Ravenwood and of course nothing went right.

I have so many interests. I love discovering new things. One thing, one thing... um.. I'm currently training at a HEMA-style Longsword competition studio. - Joz

Hey Jon, it's Jon here - I used to get frustrated by Pitr. Now I mitigate that by doing things guaranteed to make him upset... unfortunately, I think he uses the same strategy on me.

Favorite character so far... maybe ET, Galactic Overlord? That went super well. But there have been a bunch. In general I like the characters I can twist into being super OP by abusing Paulo's character sheets, or talking him into giving me new skills... "I really should have Biochemistry at 17, I think."

Outside of work and podcast... geez. Not much? I'm pretty busy, I guess. I like the outdoors, hiking and camping and rock climbing, but I haven't had as much time for it as I'd like recently. Ditto running ex-Film Reroll games, which I used to spend way more time doing.

-Jon

Scott Here. -The first question answers itself. We handle Pitr through drinking (my personal choice is Guinness). -Favorite character is Ted from B&T. -Full time artist, so writing, acting, general attitude of not trying to take life too seriously.

Pitr is a joy! :-)

Beer!

Scott Fuller is my one character so far, and is thus the default favorite. But I liked him plenty!

As a day job I'm an editor, but writing my own stuff accounts for a lot of my outside 9-5 time. Mostly I hole myself in coffee shops and write all day; I just finished a novel about an adding machine that gets possessed by a Lovecrafty demon! Now I'm in the looking for a literary agent phase, so mostly writing letters to people.

-Tim

I have no strategies for how I deal with Pitr. It's touch-and-go from day to day, tbh.

--Pitr

I saw a poll recently of audience favorite episodes, and it showed Wizard of Oz as #1 without any real competition. That episode notably went off the rails quite a bit and had multiple plot lines all occurring at once, many of which weren't present at all in the original movie, and many of which didn't really get resolved. I think since then the creative team has done a much better job of keeping the party together and keeping a more concise single story.

I think my question is, how do you feel about Oz still being the most popular episode over your later episodes, which were made with much more experience? Does the popularity of Oz say something about what the podcast is/should be?

I think this one will always been a listener favorite, it was the movie that really kicked our show onto a new level. Bigger world, took real advantage of the concept, and introduced the inimitable Andy Hoover. I definitely think we've learned a ton since then, but Oz will always be a coming-of-age moment for the Reroll, and I think you can hear that even if you're just finding the show now.

I think what the podcast is/should be is, by definition, a pretty fluid thing, but Oz definitely showed off how fun it is to try and peek behind the curtain (as it were) of your favorite movies to see what vast, terrifying secrets are waiting there. It's also a great opportunity to test the flexibility of genres! Like, how much does it really take to turn "road movie with supernatural elements" into "sprawling fantasy war epic"?

--Pitr

Jon here - don't speak too soon about the party staying together... We recorded two different episodes this past weekend which each split the party almost down to individual characters...

And Oz really was so good... It was our first time really discovering how far we could push the setting boundaries as players, and Paulo was at the top of his game with the improv GM-ing… The results were good, so I certainly don't feel bad about the enduring popularity of the episode. I guess creators are always doomed to have their fans like the early stuff better!

DMs, has there ever been something you really really really wish your players had done because you had planned out something really cool?

Players, if you were going to play a different roll in a movie, what would you do?

I wanted to play Jaws in Jaws. -Joz

Jon here - as a GM, this happens basically all the time. I can only imagine how Paulo feels, but something similar has happened to me for literally every episode I've run.

Frozen: I had this whole geopolitical drama for control of the region as an option (riffing on Paulo's incredible work with Wizard of Oz)... but we basically just did the movie, except with even more whining from Elsa.

Oh Brother: Tim and I made up a whole set of really excellent encounters drawn from the Odyssey, but we only actually did a couple of them... that's a one-shot I'd run again with a new batch of players, actually. Maybe if I ever starting running games with a new group I'd never played with before, it'd be a good first round. So much potential!

Home Alone: I think Joz got really into playing her bloodthirsty-version of Kevin, and didn't pick up on the fact that I was going to buff her character every time she did something different until it was too late. There were a ton of things she could have done in town, people she could have met, that would have changed the tone of the encounter in really interesting ways. As it turned out, we mostly just had stuff get burned down. Now that I think about it, though... that may be just the way Joz likes to play...

&@^#*(&: Oh, I just remembered this one hasn't been released yet... I'll save commentary for later, then. Spoiler warning: we recorded the first session for this almost 1.5 years ago, and just managed to get back to it recently. It'll be a fun one, I think, though I may have given Joz a little too much power for the universe's safety... it's ok. She's got some pretty strict rules on how she can use it...

No fair! Not even a hint of what the last one is?!

Jon here - I'll say this. I didn't tell the players what movie we were doing, I wanted to hand out the character sheets on mic, because I had stuck Pitr with a really good one and I wanted his reaction preserved for all you listeners.

My plan was to start narrating the opening scene (which is lyrical and very recognizable...), and pass out sheets as soon as someone recognized it. I didn't even get that far, because Joz guessed it basically immediately, in a bit of witchery I'm still a little unnerved by.

I would have LOVED for the players to figure out the "elevator" in Rogue One. Without saying too much, there were characters, quests, and planets written that did not make it into the game.

Then Pitr punched it with his robot arms.

-Tim

DMs, has there ever been something you really really really wish your players had done because you had planned out something really cool?

Players, if you were going to play a different roll in a movie, what would you do?

When I was DMing Alien, I was really hoping that we would get a Xenomorph with multiple, er, attributes. But alas! My players played too well and rolled too lucky.

On the player side, I would love someday (decades from now) to re-re-roll Weekend at Bernie's with the roles reversed. Make it sort of a Groundhog Day thing, really play up the what is the meaning of life/death angle. I'm joking (mostly.) - Andy

I often get excited about stuff I come up with, but my process is to come up with a whole lot of geography for them to play in, and then step back and follow them, so I can't be too excited about any one idea or I'll start trying to drive. - Paulo

Scotty here. I really would've liked to play Hooper in Jaws. Mainly, cuz I love that movie. Also, my Dreyfus is spot-on.

Having a podcast that, beyond being very successful, has developed somewhat of a cult following, how often does it come up in your life outside of the actual recording sessions and planning? Particularly interested in Jon’s answer since I believe he’s the only one who isn’t in the entertainment industry as a full time job.

Have there been talks in doing any live events? Like a con? I figure this being a side-gig a tour would be too far-fetched.

It's gotten big enough that I've encountered fans in the wild, which is always a surreal but rewarding experience.

Definitely cons and events will be in our future. Like everything on the business side, it takes a while for us to get to stuff: The show is run by very overworked actors. - Paulo

I won't call them out by name, but I found out over the summer that one of my favorite theater collaborators wrangled their invite to me because they were a fan of the show. Blew my mind.

--Pitr

Jon here - it was weird asking my main gig for permission to have a side gig. My boss keeps bringing up the podcast now when he's trying to make fun of me in front of clients. Doesn't work so well, frankly, since I'm quite proud of the show...

I've run into fans a few times, and it is definitely odd, but it's also a real joy. I have so much fun recording the show, but there's only so much you can share that with the people in the room - we're all there together, having a great time. Running into fans I get to geek out a little with them, and sharing the joy is made fresh again, which is something I really value.

Oddest happenings have been friends-of-friends who recommend the show to friends (odd way to phrase that...). "Wait, you know THE Jon Miller?" hehehehehehe

Which of the movies you've done was your favorite movie and which was your favorite Reroll?

Scott here, Gang. My favorite movie of the ones we've done is Jaws. Which, sadly, I was not a part of. Favorite Reroll was Bill and Ted. Hands down the most fun I've had playing this game. Paulo's time app was incredible.

Agreed on Bill and Ted as an ep fave. (Why aren't Scott and I doing more buddy comedies, Paulo?) That one was a blast and that mechanic blew all of us away. I think my favorite movie of what we have done so far is Jurassic Park, though. -Joz

Jaws has to be my favorite too, although Alien is tight for that race too. I think Weekend at Bernie's might be my favorite Reroll, locked in a riff-cage with Andy all day is one of the most sublimely joyful experiences I can ever have. Although! That might just be because it's the most recent I've been in. I like this show more and more every time.

--Pitr

The "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure" campaign with all the possibilities of the phone booth gave a really unique story where the phone-booth mechanic really aided in developing new plot points. Do you have any movies in mind that mix player agency with a roll-able plot generator of sorts? "Cabin in The Woods" feels like a natural fit.

Cabin in the Woods is definitely on our list.

Cube is another that would fit this sort of scenario. Same with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. - Joz

What film has been the biggest challange to turn into a Reroll?

What film has been the biggest challange to turn into a Reroll?

Hmm, let's see. The first one that comes to mind is Rogue One. Turned into a great episode, and I love that they fell into the giant Jedi labyrinth that we put together, but dang it turns out that hidden temples can take a long time to navigate in-game...

BUT I STAND BY THE JEDI TEMPLE!!

-Tim

Was the ring hidden in that temple or no?

To make sure I don't reveal anything I shouldn't, I'm citing a tweet that Paulo sent out about how close the players got to the one ring:

"Closest they got was Rogue1; the “elevator” in the tunnels contained some cool story possibilities: among them a map to the first Jedi temple on Ilum which hid a powerful force relic in the shape of a gold ring."

So not in the temple the players were in, per se, but there was a quest path that started there that would have taken them closer.

-Tim

So Film Reroll crew- how do you like your eggs?

At this point? Frozen. I'm not sure I should be passing on my human ballistic missile tendencies...

On Saturday mornings, however, goat cheese and chive omelette.

That was Joz, by the way.

Soft-boiled, although technically I steam my eggs, way more precise control and ease of mass-production. Gooey, jammy yolks. Either that or fried sunny-side up on top of argula, prosciutto, and avocado on a crusty toasted sourdough.

--Pitr

Scrambled but you've got to be careful not to overdo them. It's stressful if you're among the cooking-challenged. So I usually just hard-boil them and congratulate myself on the wisdom of taking the easy way out. - Andy

EDIT: I have since read Pitr's answer and have abandoned my idle hard-boiled way of life in order to apprentice with him.

Jon here - I prefer over-easy, but if you've got a sous-vide it opens up a wonderful world of possibilities...

Over easy. Also- I love that ALL of us answered this.

-Scott

Benedictine - Paulo

Are there any films you want to reroll but are hesitant to because they are too obscure?

Absolutely! The Duelists and Margin Call especially. They're not super-obscure, but they're more obscure than our usual picks. There are some others I'm keeping closer to the vest that I've pitched/am hoping to pitch, but those two are my long-term "someday-I'll-DM" this favorites. They're close to my heart. -Andy

We’re all waiting for a Gritty film, Andy

It would win so many Oscars they'd henceforth call the Academy Award statuettes "Gritty's Children." - Andy (as if anyone else would sign their name to this)

What is something that you would describe as orgasmic but isn’t sexual?

Every time Pitr Crit-Fails. -Scott

The carrot crepe with littleneck clams at Olmsted in Brooklyn.

--Pitr

You wonderful performers and artists have really taken the roleplaying podcast to the next level. Ya'll blend the characters and game mechanics so delightfully. I am always excited and ready to settle into a long gym session when you guys release a new episode.

Even though I would listen to a new episode every day if you released them, I appreciate the crew taking your time to craft them. As someone who plans to voraciously listen to the podcast until it ends, thank you for not just making episodes to have content available. Respecting the medium and the talents of all the people involved.

Finally, a question. When have each of you individual actors found your character in a game? I mean, Pitr was immediately the cat in Homeward Bound. Have there been movies where you all played a character the same from start to finish, or you realized the character motivations changed due to the dice rolling differently.

I think I realized, playing Jennifer, how much agency I suddenly had. I realized how underinformed female characters often are, and often how tangential their existence is. Suddenly I felt empowered and validated to tell stories with as much chaos and change as I wanted and I think a lot of pent up need for different actions than women are so often given (our palette is, historically, abysmally small) sort of spilled out. I finally realized what I am: a little ball of chaos. It was a beautiful moment for me. -Joz

Hey guys! Loved the ending to Wizard of Oz, thought it was beautifully done and a definite wonderful demonstration of not just role-playing, but the storytelling art itself. Have you considered returning to that world or maybe Grapes of Wrath? (Trying to think of good 1930s-timeframe movies)

I would love to go back to that world! I was heartbroken at the choice to end either side of it, and while Joz really wanted to stay, Dorothy is made of different stuff. Paulo seems to be pretty confident it could make a re-appearance though, so let's keep our fingers, toes, and eyes crossed... - Joz

I LOOOOOOVE this idea. But I have no power :-( -Scott

Will the Summer Spell mechanics for love and sex be used in another reroll?

Yeah, I liked them. Though I would want to give them some tweaks. - Paulo

First of all, just want to say that I love the podcast and all of you who work on it. You guys get me through the best and the worst of times.

I’ve just got a couple of quick questions: When doing gm prep for a movie how many times do you rewatch a movie before you feel like you’ve got a good grasp of it?

How much prep do you think is just enough prep for a movie? Do you write down every idea for one day or do you leave a lot of it just in your head?

Lastly, what is something current you would tell yourself(past you) before recording the first episode of the show you did?

Trust your instincts because no one is going to know what to do with you and that's ok, and just keep talking. - Joz

Aww thank you! That means a lot to us :-)

When I'm prepping for a movie, I usually do two run-throughs, but the second takes a long time because I write up notes, rewind, and pause to try to find all the little secrets and easter eggs that we can leverage for the show. Ends up doubling the runtime of the movie usually.

It's interesting; I'm a very "write everything down" kind of guy, so I usually create these behemoth encyclopedic manuscripts that I send over to Paulo (I included pictures for the Jurassic Park one...). But I found out really quickly that Paulo's memory is SPECTACULAR, and a lot of what he does involves tons of plans that he holds in his mind + reacting in the moment to unexpected decisions.

So I guess the answer is: It depends on your DM style! I do think, though, that Paulo and I have struck a good balance of differing prep methods.

Let's see, what would I tell myself? Probably "Just jump in and have fun!"

-Tim

Jon here - when I GM, I try to watch the movie at least 3-5 times, taking notes on advantages and skills the characters demonstrate. In terms of actual physical prep, though, I find having too much on paper actually hurts my ability to keep up with the wackiness - and I think Paulo must be the same way, because he's always very light on notes at the table. So I spend time brainstorming and contemplating the world of the movie and the characters, but I try not to get too bogged down in details...

And if I could go back to BTTF2... I don't know. Listening to that episode again feels like a whole different show. I think we were still all figuring out the format, and that's ok! I'm not sure we could have side-stepped any of that work without experience, even with really good advice.

Absolutely love you guys! If you could do an episode with any actor, comedian, etc. who would you choose and what movie would you want to do with them?

I would love to do Sherlock Holmes with Pete Holmes. - Joz

The Dark Tower as performed by the cast of 'You're the Worst.' - Andy

Two Questions:

1. Which Reroll do you think would make the most watchable movie if it were adapted into a screenplay?

2. Do you do any editing to tighten up the speed of your improv or is Pitr really just that fast?

1. Jaws, maybe? Or weekend at Bernie's?

2. Improv doesn't really get cut down, it's more action, where there's a lot of dice rolling that we cut mechanical stuff, but that definitely helps the pacing of the episodes. But that's back when I was editing. We've hired editors now, so I'm not totally sure what they're cutting, but the final episode sounds pretty similar to what's in the room.

• Paulo

For the players, which characters would you like to pick up again for a new game?

For the sake of this question, assume the character is as we left them at the end of the last reroll. i.e. Kate Fuller, vampire princess.

Please oh please oh please can I keep going with Cassian Andor? Can't WAIT to be interrogated by the Empire. They will get nothing, do you hear?! NOTHING!

-- Scott

Jon here - ANABELLE!!!! For a random character that Paulo literally made up at the table (I watched him do it!), I became super attached to her. I am gonna figure out that demon game if it's the last thin I(she) do(does).

Danny Hodges. It's like playing a guy who is very slowly becoming a superhero but doesn't know it yet. Can't wait to get back to him. - Andy

I mean, you said it, I want to follow Kate Fuller to the end of time. See what happens to her accent as the years drag on. Although Sassy, Queen of the Wolves does call to me, too...

--Pitr

Oh man I'd love to go back to Bill and Ted. Pretty sure more fun could be had there... - Joz

You guys are all awesome and I want to thank you all for being such an amazing group and talking to your fans. My question is what happened to Jon? He was out for a while and recently you posted a picture on the twitter where you were recording with him. Sorry I am rambling

My real question is who decides on who plays who? Does Paulo go of personality? Or does each person goes by dibs?

I'll let Jon answer for himself, but to your second question:
Paulo rules the Reroll with Absolute Authoritarian Power. He makes us beg. He accepts all kinds of bribes and favour. He cultivates dissension and distrust amongst us. I've tried to murder Pitr three times, but his clones keep popping up (one day, I'll find that facility). I lie awake at night in constant fear that, one day... he might come to REAL POWER. God help us all. ---Scott

I decide, though I take input from the players. - Paulo

Jon here - I'm back, I'm back! I'm the most boring of the regular cast, and I have a regular, boring job (which I'm slacking off at right now, actually), so sometimes schedules are a bit tough. But it's good to be back recording!

Hey guys, big fan of the podcast here! Just wanted to ask two quick questions:

1) How do you choose what movies you play for a campaign (and how much do you take into account various kinds of systems like psychic powers or romance into it)?

2) Have you considered doing any anime films for a campaign? Me and my other friends that listen to the Film Reroll think that Akira would be a great campaign.

LET'S DO AKIRA PLZ

(I would also play the hell out of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)

--Pitr

Love the show, and have turned all of my role-playing and movie nerd friends on to it (which is the majority of my friends...)

You've done some Star Wars with Rogue One. Have you ever thought of doing any Star Trek? I'd love to see Wrath of Khan rerolled...

Dibs on Khan. -Scott "I'll chase him round the Antares Maelstrom and round the moons of Vega and round perditions flames before I give him up"

Love all that you have done, first of all. More than the stories you tell and the insanity crossed with real pathos, the amount of work you clearly put into this, for me, the cameraderie and genuine love you all seem to have for each other has meant a lot to me. So thank you for all of that!

My biggest question has been about simply how you all ended up together. So how did you all meet?

Thank you so much. I think the question of how we met's been answered in the thread, but basically new york theater. - Paulo

Hey there I'll! I just want to say that I absolutely love the podcast! I wait with bated breaths for every new episode.

My question is, what gave you the reason to make this into a podcast, and not something that you just do as friends over a couple of beers or vodka or tequila or something? At what point did you decide to put this out there into the world? And what keeps you coming back and making more and more?

I am so happy y'all decided to do this.this is incredible! I look forward to reading all of the responses, even if you don't choose my own. I am looking forward to a new episode soon! Thank you!

I was looking to create some new projects and this idea popped into my head. I'd played some RPG's with performers before (in fact, some of the people in the show.) And I was really fascinated by its possibilities as a form of storytelling. So I wanted to try recording it, and seeing what it was like as a show. I honestly did not expect it to take off the way it did. - Paulo

Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?

Am I allowed to have a shovel?

--Pitr

Roll for it

Okay I got a 9, which I think is a success on scrounging. Gimme them duck-sized horses and I'ma start swinging.

--Pitr

One horse-sized duck. One object at scale is usually way easier to deal with than numbers. - Joz

No way, Joz - a horse-sized duck can kill you with a single vicious peck. But duck-sized horses are both much less aggressive, and much easier to punt!

Of course, I'm assuming melee, without the benefit of weapons.

-Jon

Obviously the duck-sized horses. Does anyone ever answer this question the other way? A horse-sized duck would be TERRIFYING.

Have you guys changed up how you go about the show after the Speed incident with Joz? It theoretically could have happened again in Jumanji. Is that just a risk of giving Pitr free will?

We have discovered that the "inciting incident" from the film, or the thing that kicks the story off, needs to happen, and occasionally that can be buried a little ways in under a bunch of exposition. In the case of Speed, the elevator scene is what jumpstarts that story. I LOVED that they solved that problem and changed the events that followed so drastically. It's one of the wonders of working with dice to decide your fate. In Jumanji, however, Paulo very smartly gave Pitr some advantages and disadvantages that caused him to behave in certain ways. As players, if we respect these, the story usually feels authentic and gets going like it does in the film, no matter how different the events wind up being. - Joz

Hey all! Thanks for the podcast!!

What’s the hardest part of recording/editing the podcast? Are there certain things that routinely get edited out and/or do you generally know in the moment that something is going to get cut?

We often have to stop and figure out rules things, do dice math and all that. That gets cut. We take bathroom breaks and obviously that gets cut. In the early days of the show I would cut scenes that went too long as we were figuring out the format, but now I just have an editor, so actual story content doesn't really get removed anymore.

• Paulo

Hi, everyone. I guess I have two questions for you:

Out of all the "new" stories you have crated on this show, which ones have been your favorites?

Are there any Film Reroll roles you really wanted to play, but didn't, for whatever reason? (Scheduling issues? Someone else calling dips on it?)

My personal favorite "new" story is the Weekend At Bernie's plot, I think, but that's mainly just because I had so much fun doing it. I think the most interesting "off-the-rails" new plotlines for me were those in E.T. and Wizard of Oz. Speed's "twist" is fun, too (My explanations to people of what the podcast is almost always lean heavily on our episode of Speed.)

I had a long answer to your second question, but it was getting kind of cheesy and maudlin, so short answer: not really (for me.) By the time I'm five minutes into an episode (either recording or listening) I'm wholly convinced everyone is exactly who they need to be. We've been lucky that way, or maybe I'm just easy to please. -Andy

Any plans for a west coast meet up for those of us who couldn't make it to New York?

Yes! Actually, we are looking at jumping into some cons! Hope to join one out there soon! - Joz

Hey Reroll crew! Film reroll is hands down my favorite podcast. I genuinely feel upset when one member isnt in a episode because i begin to miss them lol Pitr has the most contagious laugh! I have an easy question, what is your favorite video games?

Favorite video games!

• The Binding of Isaac (top-down roguelike, endlessly replayable)
• Bastion (fucking beautiful art, music, smooth-ass gameplay, really touching story, and dynamic narration that responds to whatever you do, when you do it)
• Half-Life 2 (the god-game, the best story-telling there's ever been in a game)
• Super Metroid (perfect platforming, genre-defining)

I could go on. SO I WILL

• Monster Hunter (4 and Generations, but I haven't played the others)
• Crystalis (forgotten NES RPG that breaks my heart every time and I've never been able to quite explain why)

Okay there's more but that's my list for now.

--Pitr

My taste in games is quite distinct from Pitr's, so I'll add:

• Horizon: Zero Dawn. Just gorgeous. Plus, you get to hunt giant robot dinosaurs with a bow and arrow. How can you get better than that?

• the Witcher series (esp. 3). Great lore, great immersion, satisfying characters and plots... Plus, you get to hunt a crazy variety of monsters with swordplay and toxic potions. How can you get better than that?

• Journey. The music! The atmosphere! The non-toxic online gameplay (turns out, all you need to do is take away players' ability to talk to each other)! Sigh. What I wouldn't give to play it through for the first time again... Plus, flying carpet-creatures. How can you get better than that?

• Portal. I'm a big fan of puzzle platformers, but with many platformers I feel like the difficulty comes from the controller, rather than the game world... Portal is one of the few I've felt dialed that in appropriately. Once I figured out the puzzle, I rarely had to fight with the controller to do what I wanted. Plus, the humor and world-building are particularly joyous! How can you get better than that?

Not as hipster a list as Pitr's, I guess, but those are some off the top.

-Jon

Hi guys, discovered your podcast a month ago, love it. Whenever we play tabletop RPG with my friends I tend to take the mantle of DM, as I really enjoy creating worlds, characters and scenarios and watch the players interact. What I hate is railroading so if the players kill/ignore a quest hook NPC for instance I have no problem going along with the new narrative. However, being DM also means you should be able to offer the players a rich and layered environment; making up a whole new quest with new characters on the fly can be demanding.

I know how you do your research before running a game, reading scripts and such, but clearly the main appaeal of the podcast is when the players go off the rails as far as the original plot is concerned.

My question is, as a Film Reroll DM how many contingency plans do you need? Like in a John Wick run how much of New York is needed to be mapped out; do you account for a possible New Jersey trip with matching NPCs; is there a limit to this when players should be led back to the general area where the movie happens?

I realize these all depend heavily on the situation and how much fun everyone is having but as a popular podcast I would imagine you guys need to have some rules and guidelines for the sake of entertainment. What I'm trying ask is: during the actual podcast how much of all the possible story hooks/NPCs/events/venues are explored?

I don't think of it as contingency plans. I try not to pre-write a story, although the movie has usually given me a good template. I create geography, and backstory and populate the world with interesting characters. But then I try to react to the players and let the story emerge from their actions. And yeah, I often create a whole lot that doesn't get seen. But that really doesn't bother me, a show of me describing landscapes and characters and mythology would be boring, it's how they play with them that's interesting. - Paulo

In the Home Alone Reroll you plug a tub faucet with a towel and it causes the plumbing to explode.

Are you aware that this is not how pipes work? What do you think closing a valve (eg. turning off a faucet) normally does?

It works great in the episode because Home Alone is basically cartoon physics anyway (maybe less so in the Joz version...). Everyone just seemed super matter of fact "yeah that's what would happen" about it.

Is it because the group's real world main source of plumbing/water pressure knowledge is bad 80s comedies?

Is it because the group's real world main source of plumbing/water pressure knowledge is bad 80s comedies?

This.