Tony Kaye Returns: After ‘American History X’ and Hollywood Exile, His New ‘Punk Marvel Film’ About a Celebrity Trainer Puts Him Back in the Ring (EXCLUSIVE)

"Eccentric" is a word we throw around a lot in Hollywood. We use it for financiers from faraway places with deep pockets and no real connection to show business. Or for actors that exist on different planes of consciousness and, perhaps, speak of cow birthing in their Oscar speeches. It's a polite way of saying one is nutty.

But there are times when the word applies with a sort of affection, and holds appreciation for the fruits that eccentricity bears. Such is the case with Tony Kaye , the long-lost director of the cinephile favorite 1999 film "American History X." Upon my rescheduling our original interview earlier this week, Kaye responded that he now had time to "drink my vegetable soup in peace." When we do connect on Zoom, he spends a period muting his microphone and strumming a guitar before spitting out lyrical answers to questions. His mane of shock white hair and a chest-length beard suggest he's been in a bunker – emotionally, or quite literally – for some time. But he's ready to share his new fever dream with the world.

Kaye returns to the global film stage with this weekend's Rome Film Festival premiere "The Trainer," a satirical Los Angeles fairytale about a deluded (and absolutely shredded) fitness hustler. While Kaye produced an Oscar shortlisted doc and a festival darling drama starring Adrien Brody in the 25 years since he was drummed out of the studio system, largely due to self-admitted nightmarish behavior with executives like Michael De Luca, "The Trainer" represents a bold return to form for Kaye on the screen — not behind the scenes, where he's been known to make a splash. There are notorious stories, like when he hired a priest, a rabbi and a monk to attend a meeting with him on the Warner Bros. lot. Or dressed as Osama bin Laden for an acting masterclass with Marlon Brando.

In step with his leading man and the film's co-writer and producer, Vito Schnabel , Kaye takes us into the cultish world of gym communities in L.A., where name-dropping and eight pack abs are as prevalent as the "I will conquer and thrive" motivational slogans one would find on the Facebook feed of a wine mom. It's a world ripe for story mining, Kaye and Schnabel said. "My main intention is to find new actors to work with. I'm all about the humanity and the performance," said the director.

Two years ago, "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" star Schnabel barreled through the gate of Kaye's home to pitch him "The Trainer." It follows Jack Flex, the inventor of a weighted hat that promises to "increase the flow of hope molecules to the brain." The device, of course, is a death trap and a sham. But it represents a way to the good life for Flex and his mother (Beverly D'Angelo). Soon, Flex finds a connection with a hungry assistant ( Julia Fox ) at a home shopping network who wants to bring his device to the masses. Over the course of a scheming, incessantly awkward week in La La Land, Flex connects with an army of celebrities and power brokers who might make his dreams come true.

"Vito presented himself as the person I was looking for: an actor with a story in his head. I begged him to allow me to direct him and turn him into an actor. He's become one now, and a fantastic one," said Kaye.

Indeed, Schnabel does a noble job keeping up with the dreamlike pace of "The Trainer," where his shirtless prophet vies for the attention of John McEnroe, Lenny Kravitz and Paris Hilton. Each time he pitches his invention "The Heavy Hat," and somehow holds the attention of guarded and dubious celebrities, he becomes more likable and less tethered to reality.

"I think what we made is a punk Marvel film," said Kaye when asked about his Hollywood return. "But it's not necessarily 'Hollywood.' It's got all the dynamics of the firing missiles and spaceships, but it's all internal. It's all from the neurons of the body."

Furrowing his brow, Kaye suddenly seems uncomfortable having made the comparison.

"There's a line I got from Lenny," Kaye says, referring to musician Kravitz. "Self-praise is no recommendation." He clarifies further: "In my mind, I was making the movie for a 14-year-old kid hanging on a bus rail, watching it on their iPad or iPhone. To me, this is not a meditative piece of cinema. It's about a shopping channel."

His cast is rounded out by compelling appearances from Gina Gershon, Taylour Paige, Stephen Dorff and Coleen Camp, but Kaye is most enamored by the dynamic between Schnabel and Fox. He likens them to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

"Julia has Fellini's kind of Italian romanticism thing going on, but also brings something futuristic,' Schnabel, whose script was inspired by a spectrum of movies including "The Deer Hunter" and "Tropic Thunder, said. "She really glows in the movie, and fits in with this idea of the American dream ... what does it mean when you make it? Does that really make you feel good inside?"

Kaye and Schnabel will ask the same of the Rome audience this weekend. "The Trainer" is currently seeking worldwide distribution.