'Dreamz' director explains 'z' in title

NEW YORK, April 16 (UPI) -- "American Dreamz" filmmaker Paul Weitz says the title of his new satire on U.S. politics and culture isn't just about odd spelling -- it has a deeper meaning.

"In cartoons, when someone is sleeping, they'll have a 'Z-z-z-z' in a bubble and so the theme of this was whether our dreams actually make us narcotized to reality," Weitz told reporters in New York recently.

Noting how hard it is to make a good satire -- much less one that pokes fun at a current U.S. president, terrorism and a beloved TV talent show -- the "In Good Company" and "About a Boy" filmmaker credited his cast and Universal Pictures for how well he thinks "American Dreamz" turned out.

"I have to thank (the cast) because they were extremely generous and nice in joining me and doing it," Weitz said. "And, honestly, I don't know if they were worried about other things or something, but I didn't catch any flak from the studio. They kind of knew what I was doing and let me do it."

"American Dreamz" opens in theaters April 21.