https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg5sEpbcFn0
A new movie in theaters this Friday features 2003 Lake Highlands High School grad and Bell Boy Kirk Johnson. Yeah, yeah, you have to scan down on the Balls Out movie poster past names like Jake Lacy (The Office), Nikki Reed (Twilight), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), Beck Bennett (SNL) and Jay Pharoah (SNL), but that’s him, our boy Kirk.
You’ll remember Kirk from his Big Red commercials (“Don’t tell mom we’re doing experiments in the garage”), his Doritos commercials and his comedy website Beef & Sage. He also wrote and starred in the feature film Austin High.
In Balls Out, Lacy stars as Caleb Fuller, a fifth year senior. As he faces graduation, marriage and the uncertain real world, Fuller seeks to revive his former glory days by getting the old flag football team back together. Kirk is on the rival team, and bad blood has been brewing between the two groups since freshman year.
I asked Kirk about the experience.
You do a lot of writing (commercials, Austin High). Did you do any writing for Balls Out?
My contribution to Balls Out was strictly as an actor. I’ve been friends with Bradley Jackson, the writer of the film, since college though. He showed me the first draft of the script when we were freshmen at UT. It’s gone through many, many versions since. I don’t think that either of us thought that we’d be here about 10 years later with the film about to come out in theaters, but like they say, life is pain or something like that.
So, the project was initially called Intramural, then it was released as Balls Out. What’s up?
The film is indeed called Intramural. It did its festival run under that title, then got picked up by a distributor, who decided to change the name for marketing reasons. Luckily, that’s the only thing they changed. The cut is the exact same, and that’s the biggest thing. One of the stars of the film, Nick Kocher, who is way more eloquent than I, wrote this post about the re-naming of the movie, and he explains how the majority of us feel about the title, Balls Out.
Those of us who follow your stuff and who’ve seen the Balls Out trailer know it’s not for the easily offended. How do you describe the movie’s humor? Does it have a “target market”?
Despite what the trailer may lead you to believe, it’s a very clever and funny film! It’s an absurd spoof of sports movies, like Rocky, Remember the Titans and countless other underdog stories. As far as a target market goes, I wouldn’t shy from telling anyone to go see it. It’s hilarious. It’s Anchorman meets Hot Rod meets Blazing Saddles meets Little Giants. Bring the kids! (But probably only kids who can cuss.)
What makes you laugh? What are you watching?
I watch a lot of comedy TV shows. My favorites right now are Tim & Eric, Last Man On Earth, Nathan For You, Silicon Valley, Kroll Show and Key & Peele. Also, internet memes are basically the highest form of comedic art right now.
I know you live in Austin now. How often do you get back to LH? Where is your first stop (other than Momma Debbie’s)?
I have a niece and nephew in LH now [children of sister Courtney and her husband Mac Harrison, both LHHS grads], so I try to get back as often as I can in order to imprint on them like a baby duckling. So that’s usually my first stop, followed soon after by reliving my high school glory days at Wingstop, Golden Chick and other fine eateries.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a feature script with my Beef & Sage filmmaking partner, Will Elliott, and the aforementioned star of Balls Out, Jake Lacy. It’s a sci-fi comedy that we’re almost done writing and very excited about. I also acted in another feature comedy called Lazer Team that should be coming out very soon. In July I’m part of a live, theatrical re-enactment of the film Jaws down in Austin. In the past we did a version of Jurassic Park in Dallas as well as 13 other cities around the US. If you were looking for an excuse to eat BBQ and watch sweaty, grown men battle a giant, cardboard shark onstage, here you go.
Can you explain that cool Facebook pic with you, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck?
That photo was from the most recent iteration of Project Greenlight on HBO, a docu-series where 10 filmmakers compete to direct a feature film. I was one of these top 10 finalists. I stand before ye a loser, but it was a great experience and if you tune into the show this summer, you’ll be able to watch me flounder through a pitch in front of Mattfleck as well as the Farrelly Brothers and a room full of HBO execs.
Anything else?
Yes! Please go see Balls Out! I promise that if you have a pulse and enjoy comedy or sports films, you will find yourself smiling at least once. We are underdogs. It is very important to get butts in seats on the opening weekend. We are a really small film going up against the giant marketing goliaths and word of mouth is so dang important. So please, please, please wait and Inside Out next Wednesday and take yourself and as many friends/family/enemies as you can to see Balls Out on opening weekend. If you see it and leave the theater pissed off, I will personally come to your house and mow your yard. Yea, that’s right. That’s the Kirk Johnson guarantee.
In Dallas, you can see Balls Out at Look Cinemas Prestonwood on Beltline between Preston and Montfort (it’s a great place to watch a movie, with power recliners, and delicious food). You can purchase tickets here. If you can’t make it to North Dallas, you’ll find Balls Out on VOD (video on demand).