Q&A: Marvin Young (aka Young MC) Discusses Making His Directorial Debut with JUSTICE SERVED

One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is when John Candy walks through the house party in Uncle Buck while Young MC's "Bust a Move" is blasting out of the speakers, so it was an absolute thrill for me to catch up with Young MC himself, Marvin Young, to discuss his directorial debut Justice Served, a new "what if?" horror thriller that co-stars Lance Henriksen and is out now on DVD and VOD from Breaking Glass Pictures.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Marvin, and congratulations on your new film, Justice Served. How and when did you come up with the idea for the movie?

Marvin Young: It's my pleasure to talk to you. I came up with the concept for Justice Served from watching literally hundreds of movies in preview screenings with critics and live audiences. I got the chance to see what worked and what didn't work with an audience. I got hooked on the idea of creating tension throughout the entire story and keeping people guessing. Hopefully I've pulled that off.

Many fans know you from your successful music career as Young MC, including “Bust a Move” (one of my all-time favorite tunes). What made you want to get into filmmaking?

Marvin Young: I have been writing scripts for 20 years. Writing overall is my biggest strength. I wanted to sell one of my screenplays to a studio and get into the business that way, but (like most people) that didn't work out for me. Justice Served was the seventh script I wrote, and I went into it thinking if I couldn't sell it, I wanted to be able to make it myself. Initially, I wasn't thinking of directing, but during the development process it became obvious that I should direct. And I'm glad I made that choice. I definitely want to do it again.

Justice Served has one of those great “what if?” plot points, putting people face-to-face with those who may have wronged them in the past, and giving the victims the opportunity to get their ultimate revenge. Do you hope that viewers who watch Justice Served find themselves wondering how they would react if they were the characters in the film?

Marvin Young:  Most definitely. The three "trials" involve different plaintiffs with unique tragic stories. My goal was to have audience members identify with one of the plaintiffs and say, "What would I do if that was me?" I think that's the coolest thing, to create fiction real enough for people to honestly identify with it. Also, there are some qualities in the defendants that audience members can relate to as well. Human beings on both sides of a tense story. I think it makes the film more thought-provoking that way.

Do you have any favorite movies that inspired or influenced you while making Justice Served?

Marvin Young: I watched a lot of "in the box" movies that were set in a single location or confined spaces. One of my favorites was a film called Exam, where job candidates were locked in a room together and subjected to increasingly uncomfortable tests as part of the evaluation for the job. I liked Wrecked, where Adrian Brody wakes up trapped in a crashed car and he struggles to get himself free as he tries to remember how he got there. And I enjoyed Brake, where Stephen Dorff plays a government agent who gets trapped in a plexiglass coffin-sized box and is tortured for sensitive information.

Justice Served co-stars the great Lance Henriksen. What was it like for you to work with Lance? Were you a fan of his previous work before directing the film?

Marvin Young: It was a true pleasure to work with Lance Henriksen. I learned so much from him in a short time. He is a kind man who trusted this first-time director with a difficult role and a tough shoot for both of us. I will always be grateful to him for that. I've been a fan of his since Aliens and even before. He's done around 250 films. Having the chance to work with that level of talent and experience is priceless. His involvement took Justice Served to a higher level for sure.

Looking back at your time on set, is there a funny or memorable moment in particular that stands out?

Marvin Young: Two moments on set stood out to me, and they're related. On the first day of shooting, I said "action" too soon. I only made that mistake the one time, but it was the first of a long list of learning experiences I would have on set. About two-thirds of the way through shooting, we came to the climactic scene in the bedroom where the story is pulled together. It was our longest day, we had actors on deadlines, and I had to get this scene right. I had the most confidence and clarity on set that day. I got it done. Even people that weren't on the clock hung around to watch. It was a defining moment for me, and showed that I'd come a long way from saying "action" too soon on day 1.

What was the most challenging or rewarding scene to shoot?

Marvin Young: That bedroom scene was the most rewarding scene for the reasons I stated in my previous answer. The most challenging scene for me was the Astrid-Callas climax scene in the Justice Room. Christina Rose did a wonderful job and Lance Henriksen was simply brilliant. There was so much tension and drama in that scene that people on the set were crying. We shot it during the first few days of filming, and the challenge for me was whether I wanted my film to be so emotionally heavy. I could've yelled "cut!" several times, but I let it keep going to see what the actors gave me. In the end, it was the most powerful scene in my movie.

What did you learn behind the camera on your first feature film that you might apply to future projects?

Marvin Young: The biggest thing I learned behind the camera was that my decades of experience of working in the music business is more of an asset than I was led to believe. Each day I would use a different element of my music business experience to help me get through the filmmaking process. The best example was when I was directing Lance Henriksen. I thought back to when I was produced by Dr. Dre for the "All In the Same Gang" song. Dre knew what he wanted from me, asked for it clearly, and I gave it to him. Lance and I had discussed ideas for his character. He made the role his own while still giving me what I needed to tell the story effectively.

With Justice Served now out on DVD and VOD from Breaking Glass Pictures, what projects do you have on deck that you can tease? Do you plan to write and direct another film? Also, where can our readers find you online?

Marvin Young: I definitely want to write and direct another film. I have several ideas on deck. I can definitely say that they all have deep elements of tension. I love the idea of a thriller, even if it's a blend with another genre. You can find me online at www.youngmc.com on my Young MC Facebook page and on Twitter @officialyoungmc. Thanks very much for the opportunity to talk to you.

Photo credit: Above photo courtesy of Brian Colkitt.