*This is a reprint of our 2015 SXSW coverage.

2015 is shaping up to be the year of the great rom-com as Judd Apatow‘s Trainwreck is the third great romantic comedy or romantic comedy drama (or romantic dramedy) that I’ve seen this year – the other two being Adult Beginners and Sleeping With Other People. A portion of our SXSW review states:

Take it from the effervescently crass mouth of Amy Schumer, “The title was always Trainwreck. Trainwreck or Cum Dumpster.” Oh Amy, you are such just so…you. From talk radio appearances to gross-out Twitter posts, the Schum has crafted her image on being unapologetically, oh-so-adorably crude and in the context of Trainwreck, it’s miraculous to take in. At last night’s premiere, when an audience member inundated her with compliments, she barked, “Stop trying to fuck me.” She has swiftly become the epitome of 21st century feminism-as-middle finger; the crème de la crème of vagina jokes and reverse slut shaming that will melt the lipstick off housewives and zap the calories off your finger sandwiches with her gloriously nasty one-liners and hysterically sexual non-sequiturs. (Full review here)

Amy and Judd appeared after the SXSW premiere of what is being referred to as a “work in progress” cut of the film – though in my review, I question how much – or rather how little – change we’ll see before the final cut – to talk about where the film came from, what it was like working together, what makes Amy Schumer Amy Schumer and moving the action from LA to NYC.

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How was it, working with Amy on this?

Judd Apatow: I was just a fan. I heard Amy on the Howard Stern show one day. I had been talking a lot about these things, and I was just sitting in my car in the parking lot, because I didn’t want to miss it. I remember thinking, “I think she has stories to tell.” And I called her and said, “Do you want to meet?”, and she wrote back.

Amy Schumer: I said, “I’m super busy.” Yeah, I was like, “Oh my god!” We met in person, to find out what stories we’d like to tell.

What was one of the most fun parts of making this movie for you?

AS: The most fun part? This is super personal, but this is a personal story, for me. Just getting to do it with my sister there, every step of the way. Being able to play with my sister, Kim, and having her there. She helped me to write it. So getting to go back to my trailer every day, and being like, “Do I have a trailer?” This is my first movie, so getting to be with her, from day one to the last day, when we went back, and started drinking tequila, just the two of us. It was so special to do with her.

Judd most of your films take place in L.A. but this is set in NYC. What compelled you to really write a really classic New York City romance?

AS: I was born and raised in New York City and then we went bankrupt and moved to Long Island. I write everything that I’ve ever written in New York. I can’t imagine having a big kitchen. Judd was nice enough to leave his family for a couple of months and shoot in the ninety-degree New York China Town weather. I write everything in New York.

How close is the story true to real life?

AS: I’m fine! The truth is, I submitted my first script to Judd and he was really nice. He was like, “Why don’t you write about what’s really up?” And I took a look at myself. So this is very much me taking a look at what’s going on with me. I wanted to say, “This poor girl!” But yeah, it’s me.

Where do you get your attitude of empowerment from?

AS: I think I was just very innocent for a long time. I was just visiting my brother last week, in Chicago, and he reminded me that I didn’t lose my two front teeth until fifth grade. But I had just had my first period so I was just this jack o’ lantern with tits, walking around! I just looked like Pinocchio, when he was transitioning into a donkey. Or like Pluto. I just didn’t think anything was possible but polygamy for me until I was 30. So I don’t know. I get super sentimental when I see girls on the Ellen show, just like young girls that feel like everything’s okay, and for some reason, I held on to that for longer than most. I just encourage that kind of being non-apologetic and that you’re allowed to be a human being. Yeah, and I was lucky to meet people like Howard Stern and Judd.

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