I’ve been very lucky to have known filmmaker Rod Davis Lurie since 2007, after seeing Resurrecting the Champ at Sundance and getting a nice note from him about my review. My first encounter with his films goes back further to his third feature, 2001’s The Last Castle, which was one of the very first movies I ever reviewed. (No, I have not been able to find a link to that review, so you’re spared!)
Oddly, it’s been over 15 years since I actually did an official interview with Rod and was glad to be able to talk to him about his latest movie, Lucky Strike, which he co-wrote with his long-time production collaborator, Marc Frydman, based on a script Frydman had first conceived back in high school after interviewing a WWII survivor. (You’ll need to watch the interview to hear the full story.)
Lucky Strike stars Scott Eastwood (The Outpost, Suicide Squad) as Captain John Castle, an officer leading a small engineering battalion that’s wiped out by ruthless SS officers, leaving Castle on his own behind enemy lines. It features what could be the younger Eastwood’s career-best performances, and it also features appearances by Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard) and another well-known acting progeny in Colin Hanks. They’re both small roles, as most of the film’s attention lies front and center on Eastwood trying to survive as Castle.
Rod Davis Lurie joined the Weekend Warrior Show for the interview you can watch above, in which we discuss how Lucky Strike came about, reuniting with Eastwood after The Outpost, how it’s possible to make a “war movie” on a smaller budget, and more.
We also spoke a little about music, as I learned something new about Lurie I never knew, after seeing his name as a co-composer in the credits. Apparently, he has been co-writing songs for his movies for many years, including Lucky Strike’s terrific closing song, “Have Mercy on the Hero.” Honestly, Roadside should make an effort to ensure it gets into the long list of original songs qualifying for the Oscars this year, since it’s every bit as good as any of the songs written by Diane Warren and deserves to be considered.
(Note: Apparently, this video interview has the same out-of-syncness as my Leviticus interview, and I have to try to figure out why that was happening. My apologies!)
Lucky Strike opens nationwide on Friday, June 26.
Oh, and as an added bonus, here’s my 2025 interview with Michael Chiklis talking about Lurie’s previous movie, The Senior!
