Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538125
THE LAST RESORT JOHN M. VALERIO ON HOW 'THE WHITE LOTUS' KEEPS SERVING UP A HEADY MIX OF SUNSHINE AND DREAD 28 C I N E M O N T A G E F E A T U R E By A.J. Catoline T uning into HBO's "The White Lotus" is like checking into a luxury resort where every fruity cocktail is served up with a chaser of dread. The series about the weird goings- on at a fictional luxury hotel chain etches sharp social commentary into stories about affluent vacationers in exotic locales (Hawaii, Sicily, and most recently, Thailand). The creeping drama and sometimes wince-worthy comedy keep audiences captivated as they wait for something terrible to happen by the final episode. This is a tribute to the mind of creator Mike White who collaborates with his editor John M. Valerio, ACE in untraditional ways. Valerio is hired during pre-production, long before he gets into the cutting room located somewhere near White's home on the lush island of Kauai. It's a rare workflow for an editor to be so trusted by his director that he's not just welcome on set but also asked to direct second unit shoots (yes, he's also a card-carrying member of the DGA). This allows Valerio to become intimately familiar with the footage, a key factor in his successful work that has won him an Emmy and ACE Eddie for picture editing. Photo by Niklas Weikert (FACING PAGE) TOXIC DAD: Jason Isaacs in "The White Lotus." P H OT O : H B O