WWTW Interview: ‘Extract’ writer/director Mike Judge

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Mike Judge once considered making a sequel to his 1999 cult hit “Office Space.“

Then along came the British and American versions of “The Office,” and suddenly another trip down cubicle lane made less sense.

So he swapped out copy machines for conveyor belts to make the new workplace comedy “Extract.”

“I kind of feel like this movie is sort of a follow up to ‘Office Space,’” says Judge during a virtual roundtable to promote “Extract,” out on DVD and Blu-ray Dec. 22.

The film, starring Jason Bateman as a stressed out factory owner, reflects his personal transition from a working stiff to the guy overseeing the working stiff.

“I based a lot of [‘Extract’] on my experience being a boss and running what was basically an animation factory on ‘Beavis and Butt-Head,’” he says. “I think when you go from complaining about the man keeping you down, to becoming the man, you realize that being the man is no picnic either.”

Judge made“Extract” on a tight budget, shooting scenes in an actual working factory.

“A lot of the background that you see in the movie is actually real people working — not extras,” he says.

The R-rated “Extract” isn’t as crude as, say, “Superbad.” The film blends standard groin kick humor with observational bits on marriage and the workplace. But Judge applauds the rise of R-rated comedies all the same.

He just doesn’t feel the need to make an R-rated film to fit some pre-approved demographic.

“For me it’s not ever about edgy or not edgy. Something is either funny or interesting or it’s not, and sometimes something funny falls into the R rated territory, but not always,” he says. “I think anytime anyone has ever tried to be deliberately edgy, or to ‘push the envelope,’ it’s usually sucked and lost money.”

Creating a workplace comedy during economically trying times might seem a good fit for a filmmaker, or at least give a director the chance to stand atop a soapbox for 90-odd minutes.

Not Judge, who says he’s not a fan of symbolism of subtext in his films.

“I try to avoid that sort of thing,” he says.