Why? Episode 339- Naked Filmmaking with JP Riley

·37 min·3 clips

A drunk-driving porn star ran over filmmaker JP Riley, killing him twice and shattering 26 bones on his way to South by Southwest.

The episode begins with hosts Heidi Hedquist and Luke Poling discussing Kiss merchandise before introducing guest JP Riley. Riley talks about completing his film 'Act Supernaturally', which had a successful screening. He describes his family's involvement in nudist resorts, starting with his great uncle's resort in Indiana that his parents later managed. Riley discovered this side of the family as a teenager, defying warnings to find a welcoming community. His father now runs Sanibel Dangerous, the first sanctioned privately owned nude beach on Florida's east coast. Riley based his screenplay on his uncle Fred, who saved his father's life. The first film 'Act Naturally' premiered in 2011 and was distributed in 2013. Riley started the sequel soon after but faced a major setback in 2014 when a drunk-driving porn star ran him over on his way to South by Southwest. He died twice, broke 26 bones, and contracted a deadly E. coli infection in the hospital. Further tragedies included his cinematographer dying from colon cancer, an investor dying on set, his wife passing from cancer in 2020, and his own terminal brain cancer diagnosis in 2022. Despite this, Riley continued filmmaking. He explains the plot of 'Act Supernaturally' as a chaotic Memorial Day weekend at a nudist resort. Casting involved working with producer Christine Sheeks to get actors comfortable with nudity, though some backed out. The film has a twist ending hinted by the title. Distribution was affected by the writers' strike, but they have North American streaming through Utopia's Alt VOD and DVD/Blu-ray deals. Riley also formed a band called Naked Lion that performs nudist parody songs at events. Recent challenges include his house burning in wildfires and upcoming brain surgery. He reflects on his streak of extreme highs and lows as 'JP luck' but now desires a period of quiet.

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