This “Herbie” versus the Original “Love Bug” Movies: Disney first introduced the lovable Volkswagen back in 1968 in “The Love Bug.” The studio’s revamping the old “Love Bug” series for a whole new generation of fans with the 2005 release of “Herbie: Fully Loaded.” Long stars alongside Lindsay Lohan and Breckin Meyer as Herbie enters the competitive world of NASCAR. “’Herbie’ was a lot of fun. It’s going to be like a big, fun kids movie. I got to work with Matt Dillon, who is my favorite actor. Lindsay [Lohan] was great. It was just fun.
I think it keeps a lot of the simplicity of the original. Like even the green screen looks kind of fun and old-fashioned. They used the old-fashioned car. But it’s got the energy of a newer movie, [with] the editing and a lot of fun montages. Of course, Lindsay wasn’t even born when the first ones were made (laughing). Just the fact that she’s in it [brings] sort of a freshness to it. But I think it does retain a lot of the old fashioned simplicity, which I like to see. Not a lot of CGI, not a lot of that. They did animatronics whenever they could. So I’m excited for it,” said Long.
Studying the Old Disney Movies and Starring Opposite a Car: “I studied. I took notes. I drove around in nothing but a Volkswagen Bug for six months… No, I watched them after I started working on it just to kind of get the [tone]. Because you feel really absurd interacting with this car as though it were a human being. And then you watch those and you sort of think there’s an attitude that you just need to accept. And Matt Dillon accepted it. Michael Keaton did it. So I thought if those guys can do it, I can suck it up and talk to the car (laughing)...”
Long’s Role in Mike Judge’s Comedy, “3001”: “It’s a very small part but I play a doctor in it. It takes place in the future and the plot is basically that it posits that everyone in the future has devolved intellectually to the point where they’re all kind of like Beavis and Butt-Heads.”
So We All Devolve in the Future?: “Yeah, intellectually because of what’s going on now with pop culture and the McDonalds-ization of society has sort of been so pervasive that now everyone’s kind of drooling Beavis and Butt-Heads, so that’s what I play. I play basically a Beavis and Butt-Head type character.”
Taking Direction from the Creator of “Beavis and Butt-Head:” “He’s hilarious just to listen to. I grew up on ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ and he sounds kind of like a cross between Hank Hill and Butt-Head. It’s hilarious to listen to him so I had a hard time just taking his direction. But he’s very laidback and very down to earth. Like disarmingly down to earth. He’s so cool. I had a great time.”
”Waiting” and “Dreamland” News: “I have ’Waiting’ with Ryan in October, which should be fun. Ryan and I sort of play best friends who are kind of waiting for our lives to begin. It’s got a great, young cast. John Francis Daley, Anna Faris, Just a fun, good cast. Luis Guzman. It’s funny. I’m excited for it.”
Justin Long also just wrapped production on “Dreamland” for first-time feature film director Jason Matzner. “Dreamland’s” described as a love triangle set in New Mexico and according to Long, the film’s a “fun little indie drama” that takes place in a trailer park. “Dreamland” also stars Agnes Bruckner (“Blue Car”), Kelli Garner (“Man of the House”) and John Corbett (“Raising Helen”).
