FormerWWE super star Phil " CM Punk " Brooksmakes his feature of speech film launching inGirl on the Third Floor , a provocative novel horror moviefrom acclaim producer Travis Stevens , in his first picture as music director . This unsettling slow - burn psychological shrieker sees Brooks wizard as a man working to renovate his new house while awaiting the arriver of his pregnant married woman . They ’ve been through some issues in the past , and the new house is supposed to pock the start of a novel chapter in their marriage . But the house has other plans .

Far from a distinctive haunted house movie , Girl on the Third Flooris more about the privileged psyche of its deeply blemished characters than it is about bloodline and gore ( but there ’s plentitude of that to lay eyes on , as well ) . It ’s like an expert point by Stevens , who shows off his inborn intellect of the musical style by allowing the characters to bounce off one another in a natural and sinister way . Despite being Brooks ' first cinematic role , he has a sinewy command of the CRT screen , and carry much of the movie ’s drama on his own liberal shoulders , without the aid of a supporting cast of veteran soldier actors or a embarrassment of CGI ; it ’s just one humanity , alone , with only his quickly - deteriorating sanity to keep him company .

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While promotingGirl on the Third Floor , Brooks spoke to Screen Rant about his theatrical role in the repugnance film , as well the stresses and pressures of flirt the lead function in a movie . He talk over how working with Bobcat Goldthwait and Marc Maron helped him get the role , and portion out his newfound mania for the wiliness of acting . He also takes a here and now to offer encouragement and advice to All Elite Wrestling , thefirst major competitor to WWE in 20 years .

Girl on the Third Floorhits field of operations and VOD on October 25 .

I was surprised to learn this is your feature of speech moving picture debut .

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Yeah .

You did such a great job , I was honestly shocked to read this is your first flick . It ’s not your first prison term act , which I know since I ’m a bad Maron rooter . Can you talk a piece about how this script came to you and how you chose to make this your moving-picture show , your statement ?

Great head . Well , a couple of thing . They were making a very Chicago - centric pic , so they wanted Chicago - based actors . I ’m not even certain if anybody else was in the running play for this thing . They were dead dress on get me . Because I had done Maron , Bobcat Goldthwait was trying to get a postponement of me . I have a friend of a admirer who works in the MPI office ( MPI Media Group which owns Dark Sky Films ) , so I have an einsteinium - ring mail from a longtime friend of mine , and I also got an due east - mail from Marc Maron saying that Bobcat wanted to get my information . Both of those roads conduct me here . I started tocopherol - mailing with Greg Newman from MPI , and before I even interpret the playscript , I made my mind up that I was doing it , just found on the names attached . Travis Stevens … And Steve Albini was already attached to provide the account , which really shock me . If you know anything about Steve Albini , I mean , he has n’t done anything in music in a very longsighted time . It just verbalize my language . They were making a Chicago haunted firm motion picture ! I did n’t have to journey . I could flow out with my firedog and my wife every sidereal day , before and after piece of work . And then I read the book , and it was really really estimable ! So I was just passing excited to be a part of it . It was an promiscuous answer , and the answer was yes .

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This being your feature launching , and also Travis ' directorial unveiling – even though he has many plume in his cap as a producer – did you ever feel like you were both learn the ropes together ? Did he have it away exactly everything that he desire , and you had to kind of count on out how to pilot his worldly concern ?

I think we both feel like we were a team doing this . In directing for the first time , and me being directed in a characteristic for the first time , I think that just kind of helped the vibraharp and it really strengthen it . I have in mind , we really murder it off right away . I just let him do his job , you recognise ? We talked a short morsel about the character , about the motion picture , and the shade , and what we were trying to reach , but I almost did n’t want to overthink and over - dissect my type . I want it to live free-base on his direction . I suppose we were partners in law-breaking . It was a fun learnedness experience for both of us .

I desire to back up for a sec . You said you were recommended by Bobcat . I love his pic . God Bless America is one of the greats . How did that connector follow through ?

Phil Brooks CM Punk Girl on the Third Floor

He directed the episode of Maron that I was in .

Oh , okay !

I venture he was raving about me , he was like , " Oh , Phil ’s your guy , you ’ve got ta get Phil . " And then , ya know , I wait at that as a compliment , so hopefully , somewhere down the line , I ’ll be able-bodied to figure out with Bobcat again .

Phil Brooks CM Punk Girl on the Third Floor Close Up

That would be awful . I do n’t desire to give away too much about the narration , because I feelGirl on the Third Flooris one of those flick where you should go in as blind as you perhaps can . But I have pitched it to my friends as " The Shining meets Evil Dead . "

I ’ll back that !

These special effect … I do n’t think there ’s a single CGI moment in this flick , as far as I can see . It all seems like it ’s in camera . Was that a challenge as an histrion ? Is the music director like , " Okay , I require you to get inside of this wall , " what is that shooting process like ?

CM Punk Phil Brooks Girl on the Third Floor Header Image

All the stuff with the paries , that was just a lot of fun . That just go to show you the quality of the people we were work with . Dan Martin did all the special effects . I think he ’s the best kept secret in movies right now . His work is wonderful . His piece of work is very real , to the point where it ’s disturbing . You do n’t really know if what you ’re watching is effect or if it ’s real , and I love stuff and nonsense like that . I bring me back to stuff like John Carpenter’sThe Thing , Rob Bottin doing sick practical personal effects . I guess you could get by with doing CGI , but there ’s something about pragmatic consequence that just , you know , speaks to the horror fans .

Absolutely . It ’s the difference between imagining something and being able-bodied to reach out and touch it with your hands .

Yeah , that ’s a salutary point .

Girl on the Third Floor Monster Girl

Do you cogitate you desire to pursue acting as a full time gig ? Or are you keeping your options exposed ?

I always keep my options undetermined ( laugh ) , but I consider this is it . I think this is my new drug . I was addicted to showing up on set and being safe than I was the Clarence Day before , so my goal now is , whatever projection is next , I desire to learn more . I require to become a better worker , and I require to keep my options open . If I get a good script and I ’m working with great , quality people , chances are I ’m pop off to seek to do as many of these as I perchance can . I had , like , outright playfulness . I ca n’t stress enough how everybody was amazing to form with , even on the hardest shoot twenty-four hour period when it was stressful . Everybody move up everybody else up . Hopefully , I ’ll be in a bunch more of these !

There ’s a little moment I have sex so much in this movie . You rend the doorway off of a cupboard and throw it off screen and then it take a hop back towards you . Was that script , or an chance event they left in ?

CM Punk

That ’s the elbow room it was suppose to materialize . That was Travis , off - projection screen , throwing another cupboard room access at me .

That was awful . I think that ’s such a great second in the moving picture , but I do n’t know if it was script or not .

I love the fashion that come off , because it really look like it just fly right back . But no , that was Travis , radiate me right in the face with it !

From what I see , you ’re over wrestling . Is it alright if I ask you a wrestling doubtfulness ?

Of course !

I was at New York Comic Con and I got to meet a lot of the AEW gang . Chris Jericho , Jon Moxley , Nyla Rose … Moxley , in particular , had no mercy for the WWE . My newspaper headline was that he saidit was like being in pokey . Do you have any belief on the AEW / WWE kinship ?

Yeah . I thinkAEW need to focus on themselvesand stop speak about WWE . Cody and The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega , Jon Moxley , all those guys have something enceinte going on . I just recollect it lessen and cheapen what they are doing when they always attack WWE . Therehasn’t been an option to WWEin so very long , and I reckon they do a disservice to themselves when they ’re try out to be the option but constantly bring up WWE . But I translate , when multitude enquire you the doubt during the interview you have to serve them . But that ’s just part of liveliness . You have to get wind how to navigate that . I would care them to just endeavor to center on their product and building it up and make it respectable . I mean that would gain all the fans .

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