Interview with Josh Mitchell

Josh Mitchell is an entertainment publicist, and the Chief Executive Officer of Wickid Pissa Publicity; he is also a film producer and director with six titles on his filmography:  Siphoned; Helen Keller Had a Pitbull; The Corruption of Kidiya Kitts, The Sacred Incense of The Drinking Man, Out For Buckner; and Pick N Roll.  Recently, he starred in one of his own productions, which he released on Halloween - a zombie thriller entitled Roid Rage.

WMV:  What would you like to tell the world about Roid Rage?

Josh:  Roid Rage is about Billy Beck, a steroid dealer who gets a designer drug from The U.K. that is equipped with dangerous livestock products that morph bodybuilders into superhuman killer machines.  Jack's Jacked Gym, the place that Beck sells his gear out of, is sponsoring a local amateur bodybuilding contest called "The Mega Muscles Contest" on Depot Island.  Spectators take a ferry out to the island and enjoy shopping at the array of local vendors and sponsors.  It is supposed to be a fun family day.  But things are far from fun when Beck decides to inject the contestants with the experimental drug that he gets from England before the contest.  The handful of pumped-up hopefuls take the stage and strut their boldest and brightest poses.  Everything seems normal but then something happens.  The mad cow disease, mixed with the anabolic steroids, causes the ultimate roid rage and the hulking and angry contestants rush the crowd and begin snapping innocent spectators' spines like twigs.  The D.E.A. [Drug Enforcement Administration] is on the island to make a big bust but they are forced to team with Beck and several rogue survivors to battle a small crowd of mutated muscle monsters.  The film's action scenes and thrashing characters cut and illuminate like hatchet blades, inviting the innocent spectator into a world of truculent, flawed characters who live and die in a place that looks like Oz after dark.


A Roid Rage novel is also for sale here - www.amazon.com/Roid-Rage-Josh-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B005H93FS8

WMV:  Did you star as Billy Beck?

Josh:  Yes. I could afford myself and I knew I would show up on set on time every day. You can watch the trailer here - http://vimeo.com/picknroll/roidrage

WMV:  There are more than a dozen Patrick Ryan's listed on IMDb.com; which one co-directed Roid Rage?

Josh:  The best and blue eyed one - www.facebook.com/blueeyedpatrick

WMV:  Besides directing, producing, writing and acting, what other talents or hobbies would you like to tell us about?

Josh:  I love reading, writing, eating, and hanging out with my girlfriend Kristin and my dog Marty.

WMV:  What is the significance of the name "Wickid Pissa"? 

Josh:  “Wickid Pissa” is an old Boston slang term that basically means “really awesome”.  Because I am the quintessential East Coast guy I thought it would be the ideal term to encapsulate my company and existence.

WMV:  In which city and state do you live?

Josh:  I live in the belly of the beast – Hollywood, California.

WMV:  Where have you traveled, and where would you like to travel that you haven't already visited?

Josh:  I have had the privilege of traveling to some pretty awe-inspiring places – Iceland, Amsterdam, Dominican Republic, London, Paris, South Beach. I have not been to Hawaii yet and it is first on my hit list once I close my next big deal.

WMV:  What do you love most about your work?

Josh:  I love the challenge of breaking new talent and creative ideas into the mainstream.  So much content is force-fed to us by big media and studios who have the deep pockets to bombard us from all directions.

WMV:  What inspires you?

Josh:  I’m inspired by progressive and revolutionary people who lift up stones and show us things we would never see had it not been for their artistic visions.

WMV:  What is the hardest part of your job?

Josh:  The biggest challenge is to continue to find economic ways to survive and excel as an indie creator.  People are not attuned to paying for online content yet and it can be hard to get them to pull out their wallets when there are so many other free options.  My film “Helen Keller Had A Pit Bull” is a gem of a story and only costs $3 here – www.vimeo.com/ondemand/helenkellerhadapitbull

WMV:  What are your specific career goals?

Josh:  In a perfect world I would love to be the Boston Woody Allen.  I want to write, direct, and act in quirky and inventive feature films.

WMV:  What upcoming projects would you like to tell the world about?

Josh:  My latest short film “The Corruption of Kidiya Kitts” is out to all the big festivals.  You can watch the trailer here – www.vimeo.com/picknroll

WMV:  How should potential clients contact you?

Josh:  You can reach me directly here – josh@wickidpissapublicity.com

WMV:  How should potential cast and crew apply to be in your films?

Josh:  Find me on Facebook or email me your best photos and links.

WMV:  What web links would you would like to share?

Josh:  Check out my official website here – www.wickidpissapublicity.com

WMV:  Roid Rage and The Corruption of Kidiya Kitts are about athletes.  Who are your favorite and least favorite athletes?

Josh:  Tom Brady and David Ortiz are my favorite Boston clutch performers.

WMV:  What sports, if any, do you indulge in?

Josh:  Pickup basketball used to be my life but I retired once I moved to Hollywood.  Too busy and too old.  I never had any knee issues and I want to keep it that way.

WMV:  Your website indicates that you launched a viral campaign for Pepsi One.  Do you drink Pepsi?  What are your favorite beverages?

Josh:  “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!” – Ben Franklin.

WMV:  Your website indicates that you specialize in the Sundance Film Festival.  Do you enjoy traveling to Utah?

Josh:  I create a party list and make a lot of money at Sundance.  This year will be my tenth year in a row.  I ensure that people maximize their attendance by hitting the best parties, events, and gifting suites at the festival.  I charge $500 for an action-packed Sundance campaign.

WMV:  How did you celebrate Halloween this year?

Josh:  I had a festive party at my place with good friends and then went to West Hollywood and checked out the craziness on Santa Monica Boulevard.

WMV:  How are you celebrating the holidays this year?

Josh:  We are going to volunteer on Thanksgiving and hopefully reward ourselves by going to Cabo San Lucas for Christmas.

Interview by William Mortensen Vaughan