Zak Penn's Cultural Census

Questionnaires have been a part of our world going back to at least Marcel Proust, if not to the Phoenicians, or at least the Greeks. Questionnaires are what enables us as a species to find out the fun parts of what people are like, without having to do too much heavy slogging through long blocks of words. Repopularized by Vanity Fair, Questionnaires are now a staple of old media and new media alike, and who are we to be left aside. Here then, to be put to some – but not all – of the most interesting people I know is my Cultural Census – my shot to really see where they stand in the tumultuous cultural deathmatch in which we live today.

Writer, director, producer Zak Penn has been part of some of Hollywood’s most interesting projects for over 30 years now. After bursting into the big leagues in his early 20’s with a spec script that became Last Action Hero, he has been involved with some of Hollywood’s biggest tentpole projects including Free Guy, Ready Player One, The Avengers and The X-Men. At the other end of the spectrum, he has written and directed some fascinating indie projects including Incident at Loch Ness – starring Werner Herzog - and one of my very favorite documentaries of recent times – Atari: Game Over. Last weekend, he was out and about at San Diego Comic-Con with the team from the new HBO comedy, of the Big Bang family – Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, which he created alongside Chuck Lorre.

So what drives the soul of a profilic and varied creator like Zak Penn? We put the Cultural Census to him to find out.

Where did you grow up?
NYC

Where do you sit on the political spectrum?
On a bench. I guess in the middle, wherever that is.

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert?
Extrovert

What are some of your favorite movies?
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The Conversation. This is Spinal Tap. Mad Max Fury Road. Raging Bull.

What are some of your favorite TV shows?
Very unsurprising: Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Simpsons, Barry, Game of Thrones

What movies/show you would force everyone who works in Hollywood to watch?
Incident at Loch Ness

What was the last movie you saw in the theaters?
The Odyssey

What is your moviegoing ritual?
Get there on time to see the trailers, despite all the commercials.

When was the last time you walked out on a movie?
It’s been a while, probably the 90’s.

What shows are you currently watching?
Rewatching Deadwood. Just finished Scavenger’s Reign, which I loved. DTF. The Agency. Widows BayName a few things (people, shows, movies) that in the past year you think have been genuinely funny?
Anything with Tim Robinson makes me laugh, so Chair Company and Friendship. Dicks the Musical. The Odyssey.

What is a show or film you love that people around you hate?
David Lynch’s Dune.

What is a show or film that upsets you to think about? (The news doesn’t count)
Sirat. (its great, just upsetting)

When was the last time you cried in a movie or watching TV?
Hamnet, according to my wife.

Biggest all-time Oscar travesty?
Hoop Dreams not getting nominated? Something in the Doc branch. Your favorite albums of all times
Aladdin Sane/Bowie. London Calling/ The Clash. Master of Puppets/Metallica. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back/Public Enemy. The Head on the Door/Cure. Pleased to Meet Me/ Replacements. crawler/Idles. Skag Heaven/Squirrel Bait. Factus 8/New Order. Nuggets Box Set. Box Fan Sounds.

The group or singer that you would give a huge amount of your life savings to reunite/resurrect to see a concert by?
Bowie

What is playing in your car/Spotify right now?
LCD Soundsystem

What was your most listened to song of last year?
It’s a Mirror. Perfume Genius

What’s your karaoke song?
Don’t do a lot, but probably some Bowie song

What songs make you cry?
One by Metallica (not really, but close)

What do you listen to to pick yourself up?
Alex Chilton by the Replacements, Age of Consent by New Order

What song(s) would you ban from being played in your presence?
We Built This City. Anything by the Dead

What are your favorite Broadway plays?
Amadeus. Book of Mormon. Anything by Christopher Durang

Describe your look.
Bald. Bearded. Todd Snyder with some band t-shirts and various sneakers. If you couldn’t do what you do now, what would you do?
Rock Star. Advertising. Agent.What are your favorite books?
City of Nets. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Traffic (a book about traffic.)

Favorite non-chain restaurant?
Jar

Movie snack?
Peanut Mnms

Favorite food from youth?
Captain Crunch with Crunchberries

What food is your mortal enemy?
Mackerel. Fugu.

Favorite TV chef or food personality
Jon Shook

What is a phrase or colloquialism that makes you shudder when you hear someone use it?
You’re a dead man.

Please rank the following:

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin

Love em all but currently:
The Who
Beatles
Stones
Zeppelin
Kinks

Comedy, drama, horror, romance, mystery, sci-fi

Comedy
Sci Fi
Drama
Horror
Mystery
Romance

Rank the following tickets: The Superbowl, the Oscars, the first concert of the next Taylor Swift tour, the Grammys, the next Presidential inauguration.

The Oscars
Super Bowl
Taylor Swift
Grammys
Inauguration

Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan
Aretha Franklin
Hank Williams
Michael Jackson
Elvis

Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX

Charli
Olivia
Billie
Taylor

Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Lily Tomlin, George Carlin

Martin
Pryor
Murphy
Carlin
Tomlin

Would you rather be photographed in full regalia at the Met Gala or the Renaissance Faire?
Met Gala, I guess

What sites/apps do you visit every day?
Times Games Wordle, Spelling Bee. Mail. Waze

Name your top 3 news sources.
The Ankler. Times. What are your necessities, horrors, habits and rules about flying?
Have a few drinks. Fly direct. Who is the oldest person you actively follow on social media?
My friend’s MomWho is the youngest person you actively follow?
Friends of my kidsHow much and which sports do you consume?
A lot. Basketball, Baseball, Football, Tennis

Do you believe in ghosts?
No

Do you believe aliens visit the earth?
No

Do you believe in an afterlife?
No, unfortunately

Does learning that someone else believes in any of the three above, make you view that person differently?
YesWhat would you like on your tombstone?
Father, Husband, Died in his Sleep

Who do you nominate to take this census next?
I nominate Werner Herzog, only because I’m interested to see how he ranks Taylor, Billie, Charlie and Olivia.

Who will be submitting to the inquisition next week? Will it be Herzog himself? Come back next Monday and find out!