If I had two crazy neighbors yelling back and forth at each other at all hours of the night, I likely wouldn’t appreciate it. However, two rowdy drunks throwing tantrums next door to Mitch Deprey and Eddie Lee Sausage? Now that’s kind of fun.
The good pals moved into their San Francisco apartment, dubbed the “Pepto Bismol Palace,” back in 1987. Soon there after, Mitch and Eddie were introduced to their neighbors, Peter and Ray. No, Peter and Ray didn’t show up with a housewarming gift, rather kept the newcomers awake via their derogatory back and fourths which often included the taunt, “Shut up little man!” Well, when life gives you lemons, or, in this case, noisy neighbors, record them and share the absurdity with the world.
Mitch and Eddie collected hours and hours of audio, they passed a cassette along to a friend, who gave it to another friend and before they knew it, there were Shut Up Little Man comics, plays, as well as three potential feature films. None of those movies made it past the development stage, but when director Matthew Bate approached Mitch and Eddie with the idea of making a documentary, Shut Up Little Man finally got some well-deserved big screen attention.
In honor of Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure’s New York and LA release, Mitch and Eddie sat down to talk about everything from their initial encounters with Ray and Peter to the copyright troubles, experience working with Bate and much more. Don’t live in New York or LA? Shut Up Little Man is currently available On Demand and will hit additional cities over the next few weeks. You can also check out the Shut Up Little Man website, which rocks anecdotes, images, audio and much more. But, for now, check out the video interview with Mitch and Eddie below.
