A lot of first-time filmmakers play it safe, or trade in cutesy, emo-stamped, indie-friendly clichés, seeking to woo audiences (and critics) with witty and slightly canted takes on extraordinarily familiar material, and then trade on that to-scale success for a call-up to big-league, studio filmmaking. For his feature film debut, Spencer Susser did no such thing. Hesher, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a gonzo turn in the title role, and featuring engaging supporting performances by Natalie Portman, Piper Laurie and Rainn Wilson, is a weird little thing — a warped, seriocomic effort about a sociopathic burnout who intrudes on the life of a shy, gangly teenager who has just lost his mother. It may not be for all tastes, but it’s definitely not boring or safe. I had a chance to chat one-on-one with Susser recently, and the excerpted conversation, complete with details about his new project, is available over at ShockYa. For more, click here.