For Tom Rankin, the invasion began with a title. The Day The Boners Landed sounded like something announced by a 1950s narrator, and that imagined voice became the starting point for a horror-comedy built on retro sci-fi style and unapologetically juvenile humor.
The premise interrupts Stephen and Sarah’s romantic encounter with an alien arrival. Behind that absurd setup is the practical work of independent filmmaking: preparing for a five-hour location window, trusting a capable cast and calling on longtime collaborators. A cold email also brought an unexpected addition when Lloyd Kaufman offered to appear in a cameo.
Ahead of the film’s JCIFF Presents: Nightmares screening, Rankin spoke with WAJ Magazine about the cast, Lexi Eve’s visual contributions, Roderick Crane’s editing and the New Jersey identity that runs through his work.
The Interview
Where did this wild alien-invasion premise originate?
It honestly started with the title. I thought to myself “what would that be about?”. I sat down to write it and just let the story unfold. It really started as a sketch that I turned into something longer.
How did you decide on the title and comic tone?
I heard the narrator saying “The Day The Boners Landed” in my head in a ’50s voice and knew it would take the tone of a ‘50s sci-fi movie/’60s Twilight Zone episode.
I knew combining that aesthetic with juvenile humor would at least make me laugh, so I made it.
Why frame the invasion around Stephen and Sarah’s romantic encounter?
It’s a good set-up: quaint couple in an intimate moment gets a shocking surprise.
How did the cast manage the balance of horror and absurd comedy?
They are just that good, that’s why I hired them. I didn’t have to do too much directing. I explained the tone, who the characters were, what they should sound like, and we had it in one day.
Shout out to:
- Mackenzie Shaw — @Macshaw1
- Jeffrey Roth — @Jeffreyfroth
- Paul Green — @Paulgreencomedy
How did Lloyd Kaufman become involved?
Honestly, I was walking back from Dunkin Donuts one morning and thinking of what I could do next with Boners. I was hoping for something beyond just posting it on social media. Pretty quickly, I realized this would be something up Troma’s alley. I cold-pitched it to Lloyd over email, just seeing if they’d be open to it. He replied saying he loved the idea and offered to do a cameo. I said yes right away and wrote an intro/outro for him.
He’s a pioneer of indie film, edgy comedy, and free speech in general. I’ve respected him forever, so it was a real honor to have him offer to be in it.
What did Lexi Eve’s cinematography and Roderick Crane’s editing contribute to the humor?
They are invaluable collaborators. This is the second project I’ve done with Lexi (we also do cat rescue together). She’s done a lot of work in film, mainly in art design. I am not even close to good at that stuff, so her designing the ship & backdrop were key.
And I’ve worked with Roderick since college. We met freshman year and have been doing film projects since then. I did a very rough cut when it was finished but wanted Roderick’s touch when it came to editing. He has a great visual eye and I knew he would elevate the movie.
What’s the funniest or most challenging on-set moment?
The most challenging part was just making sure that we got everything done in the limited amount of time we had. In indie film, everything is limited, especially time and money. The space we shot it in (the VINO Theatre) were great but I could only really afford five hours. So there was a ton of scheduling, prep, and time keeping that we did. We got it though. It was like guerilla filmmaking with a salary.
How has being a New Jersey filmmaker influenced your work?
New Jersey is in my veins, baby.
What does the Nightmares selection mean to you?
It’s a thrill and one that I was not expecting. I was on the Jersey City subreddit reading about a police chase that happened at the tunnel and then just happened to come across a post about Nightmares. It looked great and was obviously made by someone who was invested in it, so I submitted that day.
What projects are you developing next?
A great question. I’m weighing if it will be a sketch show, a one act play, or another short film. I also have two absurd Christmas albums that I recommend! Either way, follow RomTankin on insta to see whatever comes next.
PS – If you want to adopt a cat, I got the hook up.
Follow RomTankin on Instagram for upcoming projects.
An official selection of JCIFF Presents: Nightmares. Explore the festival and viewing details.
