Actress, WGA writer and director, Sadie Katz starred in the popular horror franchise “Wrong Turn 6” playing the twisted, sexy Sally Hillicker and has appeared in “Chavez: Cage of Glory.” She also starred in the thriller “House of Bad” for which she received rave reviews. Most recently, Katz starred in Lifetime’s “The Haunting of Deanna Simpson.” Later this year, Sadie plays The Goddess Ishtar in a remake of the classic horror film “Blood Feast.” Katz also penned the screenplay “Scorned” starring Anna Lynn McCord and Billy Zane. In directing and starring in the documentary feature “The Bill Murray Experience,” Katz was awarded Best Documentary at the Hollywood Florida Film Festival. In this one-on-one interview, Katz reveals the challenges she faced and how she brought her unique Bill Murray project to fruition.
What possessed you to make this documentary?
Sadie Katz: One of my favorite phrases is “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” I started about three and a half years ago. Bill’s always been known for doing crazy, quirky things. He was having this huge viral sensation among younger people who were recognizing him more for this individual living this crazy irreverent life. I started to read more about him just having fun with people, playing kickball games and going on wild chases at bars. He kind of became this guru icon of a living party legend. So I was inspired and I thought there was something fun and exciting about that. To me, it was a kind of spiritual way of connecting with people.
How difficult was the research phase?
SK: I am so bad at research. A lot of the stories we were tracking down about Bill were all over the map. I couldn’t tell what was legend and what was true. This was my first documentary as a director. But I got better as I went along.
What’s your favorite Bill Murray film?
SK: I love “Lost in Translation” and “Broken Flowers.” Of course, “Stripes” is classic Bill Murray. I think “Broken Flowers” is interesting because Bill is very choosy about his scripts and that film is underrated. There’s a startling truth and empathy toward the women he’s dated.
Bill Murray’s brother offered some unique insights. What did you find most interesting?
SK: One of the things we didn’t include in the documentary is the stuff about the Murray family. But you meet Joel and he’s this versatile writer-director-actor in his own right. All the Murray brothers are into acting. They even have a sister who is a nun who is also involved in the arts. Joel said that when they get together as a family, they don’t talk about business at all and don’t compare what they’re working on.
You lost your friends, your boyfriend, and your home. What kept you going?
SK: Once I set out to do it and got into it, I felt like I was meant to do it and to finish what I started. It became this thing, that as long as I continue on this journey, I felt like I needed to do. I’m not a quitter. Some people said it was ridiculous, but I held on to the fact that all these other people said it was a great idea. People kept saying how much they loved to meet Bill. So I felt I was on to something truly amazing.
What did you glean from P.J. Soles who did “Halloween” and “Stripes” with Bill?
SK: She’s something special. She told me that she was dying to get in touch with Bill. There’s something that happens when people talk about Bill Murray. They get kind of mystical about it. In talking to P.J., she was excited about the project. She’s a very giving, open woman and really kind and talented. Being in her presence, you understand why she and Bill connected so much because she has a little bit of magic in her.
So what went through your head when you saw Bill singing on stage?
SK: It was very hard to explain that in the documentary. One of the big things was that all of Bill’s family was there. I hung with them at parties all weekend but I didn’t put them on camera out of respect for the charity event. They were raising all this money for veterans who had lost the use of their legs. There was a part of me that was really enjoying myself but there was also an understanding and acceptance of this is what this is. I didn’t want to intrude on Bill and I wanted to show respect. As an actor, I know that there can be something uncomfortable about someone who is overly pushy. I was excited about accomplishing what I came to accomplish on some level.
Are you still waiting for that Bill Murray Experience?
SK: It’s so funny. I’m actually putting in money for a charity event to be Bill Murray’s caddy. I went to go see Bill where he was doing a spoken word poetry reading with music. In the end, I knew that he would go out into the audience and give out flowers. But I actually left before they did that because I couldn’t handle just getting a flower. I’m not star-struck. I’ve been to the Oscars and met Meryl Streep, Ethan Hawk, Tom Cruise. But something about this Bill thing was like I was chasing Big Foot. I felt that if I had that magical moment with Bill, it would make my documentary even better and that it would open up doors for me. So I wasn’t sure how much of this was being with Bill vs. just finishing what I started and saving face with everyone.
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
