THURSDAY | 06.16.2016 | EXPRESS | 27
weekendpass
A bromance for the ages STAGE Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are the stars of a play in Bethesda — sort of. “Matt & Ben,” a 2002 satirical fantasy co-written by a then-unknown Mindy Kaling (who also played Ben in the original production), imagines what the two aspiring Hollywood heartthrobs did in 1995, just before writing their Oscar-winning drama “Good Will Hunting.” In the play, being staged by Flying V Theatre at The Writer’s Center, Matt and Ben mostly spend their days writing, eating Doritos and dreaming about Gwyneth Paltrow. Because it’s hard to remember what the BFFs were like before the Jennifers and the Bournes, we asked Matt (played by Tia Shearer) and Ben (Katie Jeffries) to fill us in on what life is like for them in 1995. LORI McCUE (EXPRESS) Tell me about your lives. MATT: We’ve got a couple of writing projects going on. Lots of people don’t realize this but we’re really good writers. We were both in “School Ties” fairly recently — that was pretty cool. BEN: I would say [my] apartment is our HQ, because I don’t live with my mom. MATT: We didn’t have to mention that, but OK. BEN: We’re hoping to pull each other into the scene. Matt’s really, really smart, and I’m fantastic-looking. MATT: You have … other qualities.
You probably recognize Matt Damon (Tia Shearer, left) and Ben Affleck (Katie Jeffries) from their movies.
KRISTEN PAGE-KIRBY FILM RIFFS
What are you so afraid of?
JAMES RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
‘Matt & Ben’ imagines the Damon/Affleck dynamic, circa 1995
Are you guys looking for love? BEN: My plan is for us to be best friends and our wives to be best friends and our kids to be best friends and that just be like a rule for the family. Early on when I’m dating someone, I’ll say, “I don’t know when Matt’s getting married, but you’re going to have to be best friends with her.” MATT: We used to say we would co-coach our kids’ soccer team together. Any directors you’d love to work with? BEN: I really want George Lucas to make more “Star Wars” movies, and then I would be in them. I don’t know how probable that is. MATT: My list is so long. Steven Spielberg for sure. Ridley Scott!
Like a “Lost in Space” odyssey would be amazing. So much time by yourself. BEN: I like how we both want to be in space. Who would win in a space battle? BEN: Me for sure. MATT: Why? Because you’re taller? Let’s move on. Do you guys have dream roles? MATT: Ben wants to play all of the superheroes. BEN: But can you imagine how much it would suck to play a big superhero in a movie and then everybody thinks the movie isn’t good? Well, it is 1995, so “Batman
Forever” is out. What did you think of Val Kilmer as Batman? BEN: I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I mean, I don’t think “superhero” when I see Val Kilmer, that’s all I’m saying. I just think that someone else could do a better job. If you guys become big actors, will you advocate for any causes? MATT: My big cause is junk mail. How much junk mail do you get? No one wants that. Think of how many trees we’re killing to make junk mail. BEN: I want a meatball-sub flavor of Doritos. Is that a cause?
Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda; through Mon. and June 23-26, various times, $20.
‘De Palma’
indies Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW; opens Fri., $9.50-$12. +arties If you like Brian De Palma’s movies (which include “Carrie,” “Scarface”
and “The Untouchables”), you will like “De Palma,” in which Brian De Palma talks about what it’s like to be Brian De Palma and direct Brian De Palma movies. From a film history perspective, it’s fun to see how De Palma came of age with Spielberg and Scorsese, but directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow’s documentary is really just made for those who are already fans of the man. KRISTEN PAGE-KIRBY (EXPRESS)
In “Clown,” out Friday, a dad dresses up as a clown for his kid’s birthday party, but the costume turns out to be cursed and makes the guy evil. Which will come as no surprise to the many people for whom clowns are already evil. Lots of phobia-inducers can be found on the big screen. ‘THE WALK’: Acrophobes should avoid this Robert Zemeckis film, which tells the true story of Philippe Petit’s 1974 walk between the Twin Towers in dizzying, vomit-inducing detail. ‘BURIED’: Ryan Reynolds starred in this 2010 film as a man who is buried alive with only a lighter and a cellphone for help. Unfortunately he runs down the battery playing Words With Friends. ‘FLIGHT’: Zemeckis gets another slot on this list, which makes us wonder what, exactly, he has against audiences who would like a nice, non-terrifying time at the movies. ‘SNAKES ON A PLANE’: This 2006 camp classic combines the fear of snakes (reasonable), the fear of flying (also reasonable) and the fear that Samuel L. Jackson can’t make it through a movie without at least one F-bomb (very reasonable). ‘EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS’:
Chemicals plus spiders never ends up well for anyone. Particularly anyone who would prefer that arachnids not grow to the size of cars. So, everyone.