The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #2053 - Danny & Michael Philippou
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:14
Meeting the Philippou twins & the breakout horror film Joe discovered
Joe welcomes Danny and Michael Philippou, who introduce themselves as identical “mirror image” twins with chaotic energy. Joe explains how he stumbled on their debut feature and praises it as genuinely original and terrifying.
- 1:14 – 3:13
Childhood obsession: homemade movies, violent drawings, and backyard wrestling
The twins trace their creative drive back to early childhood—acting out full-length “movies,” drawing covers, and pushing their friends into film shoots. They describe a mix of filmmaking experiments and rough-and-tumble wrestling that shaped their taste for stunts and intensity.
- 3:13 – 4:31
Early series and the reality of pursuing film in Australia
They discuss producing a long-running homemade ‘TV show’ and the friction that came as friends grew up and moved on. Danny explains how Australia can feel like an impossible place to break into entertainment, with adults pushing trades over filmmaking.
- 4:31 – 5:25
Free work on sets, learning departments, and building a crew network
Danny details working for free on film sets to learn every department and meet motivated professionals. He emphasizes how crew morale and choosing the right collaborators can make or break a production.
- 5:25 – 13:09
The wild detour: Danny’s years as a drug-trial ‘guinea pig’
Danny recounts doing paid medical trials from ages 18–20, often not even knowing what he was taking. He describes frequent blood draws, scary side effects, and Joe’s disbelief at the risks for relatively modest pay.
- 13:09 – 18:33
Stunts as identity: car hits, accreditation, and practical action ambition
Michael explains his stunt background and the formal accreditation process in Australia. They show and discuss car-hit videos, debate practicality vs CGI, and reveal they’re attached to a Street Fighter film with a strong practical-stunts vision.
- 18:33 – 24:58
From viral fake-fail clips to YouTube fame—and the algorithm trap
They describe accidentally blowing up online with prank/fake-fail videos and hitting a million subscribers quickly. The conversation turns to how algorithm incentives discourage slower, more character-driven storytelling and push creators toward constant escalation.
- 24:58 – 26:12
UFC connections: Israel Adesanya friendship and fighter talk detours
Danny shares how they met and bonded with Israel Adesanya through the film world, praising his charisma and suggesting he could act and do his own stunts. The segment highlights their genuine obsession with combat sports and crossover casting ideas.
- 26:12 – 27:10
Origin of Talk To Me: real-life drug incident, the possession ‘party’ concept, and writing sprint
Danny explains the core inspiration: teens filming a friend convulsing instead of helping—an image that stuck. He describes reworking an existing short-film concept into a full script, then collaborating with co-writer Bill Hinzman to develop it.
- 27:10 – 33:59
Hollywood rejection, YouTuber stigma, and choosing the independent route
After moving to LA expecting a long grind, they’re met with universal ‘no’s and a stigma against YouTubers directing features. A connection to Causeway Films (Babadook producers) opens the door, but they ultimately avoid a more conventional studio approach to preserve creative control.
- 33:59 – 36:49
Production under pressure: budget cuts, COVID chaos, and Sophie Wilde’s commitment
They describe the shoot shrinking from eight weeks to five and losing additional budget due to casting choices. Amid COVID testing and crew losses, they reinvest fees and push through intense schedules—highlighting Sophie Wilde’s extreme dedication to performance authenticity.
- 36:49 – 45:02
Sundance breakout to A24 deal: hype, anxiety, and realizing it was a hit
The film’s Sundance selection creates immediate industry buzz—hundreds of emails daily, attention from major filmmakers, and intense pressure at the premiere. Danny recounts assuming the screening was going poorly until reactions (and the A24 offer) made it clear they’d broken through.
- 45:02 – 55:07
Release strategy, worldwide performance, and sequel/spinoff ambitions
They explain how word-of-mouth screenings and festival momentum fueled the release, with especially aggressive marketing in parts of Latin America. With the film crossing major box office milestones, they discuss sequel plans and the idea of culturally distinct spinoffs (including Japanese horror influences).
- 55:07 – 1:06:14
Craft deep-dive: practical possession looks, prosthetics, ‘uncanny valley,’ and ultra-violence roots
They detail how they designed possession visuals with practical contact lenses, corpse references, and prosthetics—favoring brief flashes over lingering effects. Joe and the twins riff on the uncanny valley (including model cars), then connect their YouTube Mortal Kombat gore work to building believable horror violence.
- 1:06:14 – 1:14:10
Personal influences, trauma themes, and the obsessive writing headspace
The discussion turns introspective: childhood fear, family mental health history, and how trauma and real memories (like CPR details) get woven into scenes. Danny describes how he intentionally enters unsettling states—sleep deprivation, nighttime drives, role conversations—to write authentically, while acknowledging the mental cost.
- 1:14:10 – 1:26:21
Supernatural research: psychics, haunted locations, Houdini’s code, and skepticism
They compare interviews with psychics/kinesiologists and haunted-place experiences, focusing on suggestion and belief. Joe stresses the lack of scientific proof, referencing famous debunking challenges and Houdini’s code-based test for mediums.
- 1:26:21 – 1:37:05
Post-production reality: editing chaos, test screenings, and the score crisis
They describe editing during production due to tight locations, then the challenge of evaluating the film objectively. The biggest near-disaster comes from music: a temp-score mismatch leads to a late composer change, frantic note sessions, and lessons about communication and starting music earlier.
- 1:37:05 – 1:53:00
Deathmatch wrestling documentary: barbed wire, psychology of risk, and performance violence
They introduce an A24-backed documentary on deathmatch wrestling—an extreme, low-paid, niche form involving glass, barbed wire, and severe injuries. Joe calls it unnecessary and ‘dumb,’ while Danny argues for a deeper ‘presence’ motive and frames it as dangerous performance art distinct from real fighting.
- 1:53:00 – 2:10:54
Martial arts ties, influencer boxing crossover, and Danny’s undercard fight story
They explain their connections to fighters and influencer boxing, claiming involvement in the Logan Paul vs KSI decision and describing Danny’s own undercard bout. The segment ends with talk of oversized sparring partners, tournament footage of a friend, and their broader obsession with fight culture.
