What began in 1997 as a game from Running With Scissors quickly morphed into something far bigger in the public imagination, a symbol of “what video games were becoming” at the turn of the millennium. By the time “Postal 2” arrived in 2003, the series had fully embraced its identity as a provocative satire of America, less interested in realism than pushing every possible button of controversy at once. The series has since expanded, producing various spin-offs, with one of the latest entries, “Postal: Brain Damaged,” finding a positive reception.
That same controversy found a mirror in the career of Uwe Boll, a filmmaker whose name became synonymous online with defiance, even facing critics with a boxing glove. When Boll adapted “Postal” into a 2007 film, it felt inevitable: two reputations forged in outrage, colliding into one deliberately chaotic project. Over time, “Postal” has reached a second life online as a cult classic, constantly being discovered by new audiences.
I recently spoke with director Uwe Boll about the making of Postal:
Sebastian: How would you rank ‘Postal’ in your filmography? What was your shooting experience like?
Uwe Boll: For me, it was great to shoot that film, to write it, and in a way, to break free from the past. As far as production, the shoot was flawless. I was so happy with all the actors, from J.K. Simmons to Seymour Cassel. A lot of the higher-end actors had fun and wanted to be in the movie. I bet that they would not want to be in the movie if we were shooting it now. But at that time, everybody was really into it.
Sebastian: Do you think this is because of the way that the Internet has shaped the industry?
Uwe Boll: I mean, in my case, I think a lot of people online celebrate “Postal.” The internet has made it a cult movie over the years, and I’ve seen a lot of little videos circulating on TikTok. But I think the film critics basically made that decision about me after “House of the Dead,” “Alone in the Dark,” “Dungeon Siege,” and “Far Cry.” They felt that Boll couldn’t make a good movie, that it would be impossible.
And then when “Postal” came out, they were offended because they were, let’s say, already infiltrated by this idea. You cannot do this. I think that was the reason the mainstream reviewers refused to review the film. And then Universal and Vivendi, who brought it out, had planned for a thousand screens and then only got to ten or twenty because all the theaters, the exhibitors said, we’re not playing this movie. So all of this stuff happened at that time already.
But I mean, in today’s time, you would not even be able to. Basically, you would be canceled forever. You know, the actors or the agents of the actors would say, ” You cannot be in that movie, you will never work again. So stuff like that would 100% happen in today’s time. That’s the reason there are no more comedies like this. The hardest stuff in humor now is some of the stand-ups who go for it when they’re on stage, and they don’t care what people think, and then go for it. But in movies, to get a script through and get the financing for a whole feature film, to me, it becomes a form of reduced comedy. But I think “Postal” was really my favorite movie to shoot and to write. And I have only great memories making that film.
Sebastian: I was wondering about that scene where you make a cameo, and there are all these kinds of technical effects going on. What was it like to wrangle that?
Uwe Boll: All of the kids in that scene were stunt people’s kids, actually; they brought their own children. Because other people would be like, ” How can you script a kid with an explosive or whatever? But there should be no censorship, in my opinion. That is what movies are for. To break the boundaries of normal life. It makes me really proud of the movie. More than 20 years later. It’s still relevant. People are still discovering it and are still amazed by it. I was doing a podcast and talking to people, and I feel like “Rampage” and “Postal” have kind of turned into cult classics. “Rampage” was almost foreshadowing for what is happening now on the planet.
Sebastian: I would 100% agree. Was there any improvisation during the making of “Postal,” or was it all scripted?
Uwe Boll: Yeah, it was all scripted. Everybody knows what is happening in the scenes. That’s because the plot was kind of tight. But you have a lot of people who just wing it a little – like Dave Foley, for example. All of the comedians who played their parts were free to go a little off the charts. So I would say it’s 85% scripted, 15% improvisation on top, you know.
Sebastian: How do you feel about using practical effects versus CGI?
Uwe Boll: I like to do it all real. At the time of making “Postal,” CGI was also way more expensive than it is today. So all the explosions were real. The shooting, the fights, the stunts, they were all real. I think this adds to the movie’s longevity. But I also recently said, look, if independent filmmakers are having less and less money, you cannot think that they will just drop AI. They will use AI because it’s the only way to survive. So I’m not against AI. If nobody gives you money and all the studios and streamers only work with the same people, shooting the same thing, basically 24/7. And if you want to make it big, you might need to use AI. I think it’s a tool that can be used.
Sebastian: Both in “Postal” and in “Rampage,” there are funny interactions with a barista at a coffee shop. Is this based on personal experience?
Uwe Boll: It actually comes from something very real. I remember ordering coffee at an airport, and they couldn’t understand what I was asking. I kept asking them to redo the coffee order, and they kept making it wrong. The whole exchange became awkward and kind of absurd. It stuck with me because it felt like this small, everyday moment had its own built-in comedy. That experience turned into a recurring idea that I played with, and it eventually became a kind of trademark in those films.
Sebastian: Is there anything coming up for the twentieth anniversary?
Uwe Boll: Yes, we’re planning a physical release of the film to mark the anniversary, something for collectors and longtime fans who have supported it over the years. I also have a new film coming out called “Citizen Vigilante.” Stay tuned for that.
