Throwing Fits – The Alex Russell Interview

Date: October 6, 2025
Guest: Alex Russell (Writer/Director of Lurker, Writer on The Bear, Beef and more)
Hosts: Lawrence & James

Episode Overview

In this lively and irreverent episode, the Throwing Fits dirtbags reunite with longtime friend Alex Russell, currently in the spotlight for his feature directorial debut Lurker. The conversation dives into his journey from digital-content years and early music journalism to making sneaky, critically acclaimed films, all while bantering about LA-Hollywood clout games, NYC media survival, friendships, authenticity, and, of course, fit checks. It’s a hilarious and sincere meditation on ambition, creative integrity, hustling in the zeitgeist, and what it means to want proximity to the glow.

Table of Contents

1. Meet Alex & Award Talk
2. Directing Fits and Uniforms
3. Early Days: Complex Journalism Hazing and Going Viral
4. On Constraints in Filmmaking and the Making of Lurker
5. Industry Reflections: Hollywood, Clout, and Festival Circuits
6. Lurker as a Critique of Clout Culture
7. Directing Style & Set Vibes
8. Casting, Collaboration, and the Tallest Crew Ever
9. Media Consumption, Letterboxd, and Criticism
10. Hollywood vs. NYC Hustle
11. Future Projects, Inspirations & The Half-Asian Rushmore
12. Fashion, Watches, Cars, and Splurges
13. Memorable Quotes

Meet Alex & Award Talk

• Fit Check and Trophy Placement

  • Alex jokes about hiding his Emmy and Golden Globe in a “sort of under-corner area.” He’s low-key but concedes, “You’ll see it, but you’ll also know... I wasn’t trying to show” (00:43).
  • Hosts roast him for not having a Grammy, riffing on his musical supervision work and Complex-era antics (01:15).

• Fit Details

  • Hanes tee, black eBay jeans “Cam Hicks bought... in 2021,” and all-black New Balance sneakers—ultimate laidoff-movie-editor steeze.
  • “I probably owe [Cam] like thousands of dollars.” (03:29)

• Director’s Uniform

  • On evolving from techwear (Valence) to “softer” Orslow & Margaret Howell fits: “I was big into that [techwear]... then became a thing...but I wanted to seem softer.” (05:48)
  • Aiming for a “director’s uniform” that conveys “serious” but not “too serious,” laughs about Greta Gerwig’s onesie and utility suits (06:32).

Early Days: Complex Journalism Hazing and Going Viral

• All-Day Kanye Closet Article (Complex Era)

  • Alex describes “locking himself in a closet listening to Kanye on repeat” for 24 hours. "I was really just hoping other people in the office would notice me," he admits, half-mocking his own clout chase (11:09).
  • “It was also, like, content Jackass...At Complex we're locking interns in the closet and torturing them.” (12:15)

• Looking Back on Stunts

  • “I don’t regret anything. Everything is cringe looking back, but I don’t regret anything.” (12:48)
  • Opens the piece with Clockwork Orange reference—Ludovico technique—proving the early, film-obsessed brain.

On Constraints in Filmmaking and the Making of Lurker

• Resourcefulness Is Everything

  • On indie vs. blockbuster scale: “I’ve really benefited from having constraints in general and...smaller boundaries...You have to figure out the exact kind of story you can tell.” (16:03)
  • “If you have to figure out...what’s the simplest way to tell this moment of the story...that would be my kryptonite, like, overthinking.” (16:56)

• Making Lurker

  • VHS camcorder solutions, real-party scenes, on-location tricks: “Because of the lack of resources, I think ended up being a more clever solution...we made all our days and actually shot the London sequence.” (17:19, 18:03)
  • Budget: "I can’t say. It was that small." Admits it was in the millions, after prodding (29:37).

• On Going Over/Under Budget?

  • “Did you go over budget?”
    “No.”
    “Did you go under budget?”
    “...That’d be so funny if it went to me.” (17:55)

Industry Reflections: Hollywood, Clout, and Festival Circuits

• On the Festival Hustle

  • “You go raw to Sundance, and hopefully you leave...you could leave with less than you brought...or you could leave, like, people hated your movie.” (34:01)
  • Describes watching Entourage’s Sundance episode dozens of times in prep: “I watched it probably 35 times leading up to the festival.” (31:11)

• Deals, Politics, and Selling the Film

  • “Going and selling the movie...is one of the most fun parts...You’re getting calls, meeting other directors. I have friends from Sundance still.” (34:32)

Lurker as a Critique of Clout Culture

• Personal Experience & Access Paranoia

  • “One of the reasons critics like this movie is they can relate to the boundaries of access...If you’re a music journalist—it’s almost famous. Will these people be friends with me after this?” (38:22, 38:39)

• Hollywood Parallels

  • “In Hollywood, it’s the best liars.” (40:39)
  • On the necessity of clout in art: “You can’t have entertainment without clout chasing.” (48:51)

• On NYC vs. LA’s Games

  • “In NY, there seem like there’s artists who don’t care about being famous...But maybe they just want you to think that.” (49:05, 49:10)

• Does LA Twists You?

  • “I do...becoming complacent in that environment is my fear, so I really want to be somewhere else.” (49:39)
  • On competitive friendships: “I think the thing I want the most is to avoid the next shiny opportunity and do the thing...” (50:58)

Directing Style & Set Vibes

• How Alex Runs Set
  • “It’s very important to me to at least appear to be having a good time...that kind of energy is infectious.” (23:04)
  • “Everyone is looking to me to decide how to feel about what’s going on." (23:16)
  • Fears: “My worst fear was I’d seem sort of unsure and...pathetic.” (24:09)
    But writing the script himself anchored his vision.

Casting, Collaboration, and the Tallest Crew Ever

• Casting, Improvisation, & On-Set Chemistry
  • Zach Fox had to “sort of” audition, mainly to check if he aged out of the role.
    • “The only thing I was concerned about was if he was going to age out...” (28:34)
  • 20% of what’s in the film wasn’t in the script: “We had a lot of fun doing alts...we would both be thinking of stuff to try. It was very off the cuff.” (27:32, 28:03)
  • Chemistry: “It was instant and I was very lucky with that.” (47:18)
  • Archie (“is he hotter than you?”): “He’s very attractive to me...he’s 6’5”, Cam is 6’5”, Kenny is 6’7”—the tallest movie of all time?” (47:40)

Media Consumption, Letterboxd, and Criticism

• Watching Movies on Planes (and Writing There)

  • Alex does most of his writing on airplanes: “It’s my happy place...I typically don’t get WiFi.” (19:15)
  • On catching up with classics vs. slop: “I love watching movies on planes. People say it's easier to cry on planes.” (21:13)

• Letterboxd Feedback Spiral

  • “You see 100 glowing reviews and then one that’s like ‘this guy should fucking kill himself’ and you’re like, I need to kill myself or change this person’s mind.” (61:07)
  • “Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of [reviews], and it's like a pathological problem I'm having.” (61:55)
  • “The way I think about it: I wanted to be in the arena.” (62:49)
  • “Star counts...half of the people in the crowd are actively rooting for you to lose.” (63:08)
  • “On my worst days...I will become preoccupied with some stupid thing someone says.” (62:13)
  • On interpretation: “There are just going to be different tiers of what people get out of it...I hope it’s within the realm the movie’s going for.” (64:22, 64:36)

Hollywood vs. NYC Hustle

• Which is harder—getting a movie greenlit or surviving as a NYC music journalist?

  • “Now or 12 years ago, the answer’s the same...It’s the second one. Making a living in NYC as a music journalist is harder.” (36:25)

• Journo/Media Pivot

  • “You’re kind of the last guy on the Titanic, and you’re like, am I gonna just sink with this or do I need to pivot?” (55:57)
  • “Even Hollywood, in a way, feels like that. As soon as I’ve gotten into it, everyone’s like, ‘it’s over.’” (55:57)
  • “Podcasts are just beginning,” jokes the hosts. (57:57)

Future Projects, Inspirations & The Half-Asian Rushmore

• On What’s Next

  • “The next one’s about a man and a woman. A love story, go hetero. It’s time for me to evolve and mature as a writer.” (76:32)
  • Would love to work with Steven Yeun—“my favorite actor," praises his style and talent. (77:58)

• Dream IP Projects

  • “I would want to do the Robin movie...Batman’s number one fan, the number two guy.” (52:04)
  • Pitches “Lord of the Golem...on a hyper low budget: no CGI, one costume.” (52:32)

• The Half-Asian Rushmore

  • Spirited (and comic) quest for who belongs—Keanu Reeves, Maya Erskine, James Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Olivia Rodrigo, H.E.R., etc.
  • “We got work to do. That’s why you gotta platform half-Asian actors, bro.” (106:24)

Fashion, Watches, Cars, and Splurges

• Fit Preferences:

  • From Valence/techwear in NYC to “softer natural fibers” like Orslow, Margaret Howell in LA. (05:48)
  • Underwear talk: Calvin Klein today, but Gore-Tex panties are floated. (08:43)

• New Splurges

  • “Dumbest purchase?”
    “It would probably be the watch—a vintage Rolex Datejust 2000, to celebrate getting into Sundance.” (107:16-108:03)

• Car Talk

  • Drives a Tesla (“before he went crazy”). Fantasizes about Urus, Cybertruck, vintage Bronco, but admits, “Cybertruck[s] are like the ultimate douchebag mobile right now in LA.” (111:12)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

On Set & Success

“Whether or not I know what I’m doing, everyone’s looking to me to decide how to feel about what’s going on.”
— Alex Russell (23:16)

“Directing movies is easy.”
— Host 1 (26:22)

On Festival Circuits

“You go raw to Sundance, and hopefully you leave... you could leave with less than you brought.” — Alex Russell (34:01)

On Criticism & Letterboxd

“You see 100 glowing reviews and then one that’s like ‘this guy should f***ing kill himself’ and you’re like, I need to kill myself or change this person’s mind.” — Alex Russell (61:07)

“I wanted to be in the arena...if you play sports, half the people in the crowd are actively rooting for you to lose.”
— Alex Russell (63:08)

On Clout & Industry

“It’s the best liars [in Hollywood].” — Alex Russell (40:39)

“Entertainment—you can’t have entertainment without clout chasing.” — Alex Russell (48:51)

On Contrasts Between NYC & LA

“In NY, there seem like there’s artists who don’t care about being famous...But maybe they just want you to think that.”
— Alex Russell (49:05)

Fun Segments & Timestamps

• 00:43 — Emmy and Globe concealment, clout jokes
• 02:30 — The real fit check, Cam Hicks eBay stories
• 10:40 — Launch into Lurker & legacy: movie vs. Kanye closet
• 16:03 — The creativity of constraints in filmmaking
• 23:04 — Directing energy on set
• 28:34 — Zach Fox, casting, improvisation on set
• 34:01 — Festival horror/gamble and Entourage as prep
• 38:22 — “Boundaries of access” and relatability for critics
• 47:40 — The “tallest movie ever” roster
• 61:07 — The Letterboxd/feedback spiral
• 70:30 — Theatrical vs. streaming: “I can sneak into an AMC and see real people watching it.”
• 76:32 — “Next is about a man and a woman. A love story, go hetero.”
• 107:16 — Splurge: “A vintage Rolex Datejust.”
• 113:05 — Constructive criticism about the pod: “Add some kind of hot wing element. Make it crazier…”

Notable Topics Skewered or Celebrated

• The “director’s uniform” as image and time-saver
• Complex/NYC digital media in the 2010s: self-hazing, “content Jackass”
• Filmmaking with constraints as a “superpower”—and big-budget Marvel temptations
• “Cloud-chasing as the fuel for all entertainment”
• Friendship, jealousy, and competition in LA creative circles
• The sick thrill of seeing a stranger laugh at your film, in a theater, with real snacks
• The addictive nature of feedback, the letterboxd doom scroll, and the emotional rollercoaster it brings to creators
• Splurge culture: buying watches with TV money but for movie milestones

Final Plugs

• Lurker—in theaters and streaming now. “Honestly, if you listen to this podcast, you will like the movie.” (118:30)
• Follow Alex:
  • Jokes about not caring about the Hollywood game but loving the ride
  • Throws love to The Bear, Beef S2, Kenny Beats, etc.

Overall Tone

Playfully caustic, self-aware, fiercely loyal to their journo roots, Throwing Fits’ irreverent hosts coax out the real Alex Russell—anxious, ambitious, funny as hell, and always doing it for the vibe. Even as Hollywood glitters, “nothing is serious, but everything is.” If you love inside-baseball about the business, the limits of taste, the specter of failure, and why clout is simply the human fuel of LA, this episode is your Canon event.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is packed with inside jokes, Hollywood lore, and film-biz cringe/camaraderie. But if you want to understand the new wave of “zeitgeist navigators” in pop culture—where ambition, taste, and cloud-chasing all blend—there’s no better, funnier, or more honest glimpse behind the curtain.

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