Colin Powers is the writer and director of Toilet Bowl Confessions, a film that explores the simple premise: if our assholes could talk, what would they say? I had lunch with Colin at Spago in Hollywood --- o.k., fine, we interviewed by email.

Where did the idea for Toilet Bowl Confessions come from?

Believe it or not, the idea of the movie was born from the Olivia Newton John hit song of the early eighties, "Physical." There's one line in the chorus of the song that says "Let me hear your body talk," and as a curious eleven year-old at that time, it got me thinking about the different ways the body communicates.

Scenes from Toilet Bowl Confessions, written and directed by Colin Powers.

Though there are a handful of orifices on the human body, there are really only three that can be said to communicate. We all know about the mouth, but I feel that is more of the mind talking than the body. And the nose, well, it's more about senses than anything else. That leaves the asshole as the lone, true voice of the body.

How has the response been so far?

Very good. In terms of simply getting a reaction out of people, the movie has managed to disgust and offend many viewers. At the same time, for those more connected to their "inner-selves," I've been toldâ Toilet Bowl Confessions is highly entertaining on a variety of levels. The movie was recently accepted into the Lausanne Underground Film Festival, and won the People's Choice Award at the prestigious Sick Puppy Film Festival in San Francisco.

You seem to be part of a sort of film collective. How did your associates react to the idea for this film?

The collective you speak of, Come And Get It Films (www.comeandgetitfilms.com), is a group of filmmakers not being led down either the Hollywood or "Indie" paths, but instead discovering film for themselves, on their own terms. In this regard, âToilet Bowl Confessions fits perfectly into the Come And Get It Films program.

Did you have any trouble finding actors and crew members?

Fortunately, no. I am blessed to be surrounded by an eclectic group of filmmakers and actors willing to subvert themselves in the name of art, and in this case, poop.

How did you find funding for your film?

I looked to major financial institutions interested in funding independent art. In other words, I charged everything on my credit card. Thank you, CitiBank.

Is poop usually such a prominent influence in your work? Do you have any other poop-movies?

I never really thought about myself as a poop filmmaker, but I do get a lot of "what's with you and shit" comments. This is because my last short film, though not limited to poop, also dealt with bowel movements. It's called â'PIMENTO' and is a spoof of the film â'MEMENTO'. It can currently be found at www.ifilm.com (keyword search: pimento, or by following this link: http://www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_info/0,3699,1265339,00.html)

Do you plan to release the movie on video? In the theaters?

I plan on putting the movie on the next Come And Get It Films DVD compilation. The current DVD, available on the website, contains over 4 hours of films along with fully animated menus, interviews, and extras. Though there aren't any poop movies on this DVD, there are some incredible, highly original short films that I invite your readers to check out. Then, look for Toilet Bowl Confessions on the next DVD coming soon.

It seems that the idea of talking assholes could go a long way... and there certainly is a much wider variety of asshole experiences than we've been introduced to. Can we expect a sequel? Or a feature-length documentary?

Definitely look for several sequels. As you stated, there are many more asshole experiences to explore, especially when you factor in races, religions, ethnicities, body types, etc. I'm planning on going the George Lucas route and shooting the next few TBC's at the same time, and releasing one on the internet every couple of months.