5 Questions with Sam Marine and Emily Wilson
1) Can you talk briefly about your backgrounds, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
Emily: Sure! I was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and was completely enamored with filmmaking quite early on. I'd constantly make backyard movies using my dad's VHS camera, and force the neighborhood kids to act in them. I eventually went on to attend the SUNY Purchase Film Conservatory (where I met Sam!) and then moved to NYC to work in media and film. The short narrative film I made directly after I Adore Dolores, entitled Danny's Girl, premiered at Sundance and was a selection of SXSW 2020.
Sam: Growing up, I always planned on being a comic book artist, but when I was in high school my dad showed me his favorite film, Apocalypse Now, and then the documentary about making the movie, Hearts of Darkness. I suddenly became obsessed with filmmaking - the ambition, the challenges, the collaboration! I studied film at Purchase, and that's where I met Emily, as well as our producer (and my husband), Michael Borowiec. He and I co-directed a feature film called Man Underground about a year before we started working on I Adore Dolores.
2) What was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?
Sam: A few years ago I invited Jo to a Halloween party, and for her costume she went as Dolores, a bizarre character she'd recently created. Jo's a great improvisor - and she was the only one there on acid - so she really committed, and Dolores was a big hit. Meanwhile, I was dressed as a clown and told people I was the spoiled daughter of Ronald McDonald. I'm not an actor but it was fun messing around in character, and from there I developed a pretty weird obsession with clowns. Anyway. A few weeks later I was in Jo's apartment, looking around at all of her I Love Lucy memorabilia - there was a LOT of it, and I might have been stoned - and I began to imagine a sitcom scenario where Dolores and this spoiled clown lived together, driving each other nuts. Jo and I started seriously talking about turning it into a web series, and one day Emily overheard us and immediately said she wanted in.
Emily: I was just so ready to create something absolutely bonkers, so I asked "can we do this for real?" Then we met every week for years and did the work.
3) What was the biggest challenge in creating this project? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the most, and the least?
Sam: It was the most liberating writing experience I've ever had. The three of us would meet every week, drinking wine, making each other laugh, and dreaming up the weirdest shit we could possibly imagine. The challenge was then turning all of that into a reality on a very tiny budget. Thankfully we had a team of amazingly talented people who helped us along the way - I still can't believe we pulled it off, and I'm extremely proud of it. My least favorite part was building and tearing down the set. It was physically exhausting and I'd be fine never having to walk into another Home Depot for as long as I live.
Emily: This was a very challenging project overall, predominantly because it was very ambitious and we didn't (and don't) have money. We built and furnished the set, had elaborate makeup, practical effects, and a musical number! So we are eternally grateful to everyone who devoted their time and talents to make it happen despite minimal resources. In terms of the creative process, I enjoy the writing and pre-production process the most. Writing can be so personal and healing, but also an act of role-playing. And then meticulously planning out every shot is a fun challenge that I very much enjoy. My least favorite part is the endless notes given in the edit room, which is probably a symptom of being a professional editor for years.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
Emily: I feel like I've been telling everyone and anyone to watch Muriel's Wedding because I somehow just saw it for the first time, and can't say enough good things about it. Strong female lead who is desperate and bonkers and amazing and relatable. And the tone is wonderfully executed with its ability to go very dark places but within the context of a sort of silly, heightened world.
Sam: Dick Tracy! The costumes, the prosthetics, the sets - I was blown away by the attention to detail in every frame of that movie. Visually stunning and totally my vibe. And I've always been a huge fan of practical effects, which you'll see is an integral part of I Adore Dolores.
5) What’s next for you?
Sam: We're trying to put I Adore Dolores out into the world, and see if there's a home for it so we can possibly make more episodes. Separately, Michael and I have been co-writing in the horror-genre space, and have two features we're currently trying to put into development.
Emily: I recently moved to LA to further pursue writing & directing, and I have a feature screenplay I'd love to make soon. Also, we have a full season of I Adore Dolores written, so making more episodes would be incredible.
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IG: @iamsammarine, @emilyannewilson