Jeff: So, thoughts after
reading each other's lists? Any surprises?
Josh: I knew you would take
issues with me calling 28 Day Later a
zombie film... I guess we should have defined zombie a little better. I just
went with basic man eating other man + virus = zombie.
Jeff: Boyle was fine, and
though there are naysayers, it's one of the best zombie films out there. Boyle
and Snyder are the only major directors with zombies that can run, and Boyle's
I didn't mind.
Emmerich was a find! I
would have never thought of Mr. 10,000 B.C.,
but he works!
Josh: I really just love
the epic scope of all his films. Even smaller ones like Anonymous he makes feel huge.
Jeff: Partially because he
likes to take an intimate story and stages it in an airplane hangar...
Josh: Laughter.
Jeff: What did you think of
mine?
Josh: Let's start with Rain
Johnson... I love Brick (thank you
Jeffrey for introducing me) but I fell asleep during The Brother's Bloom and Looper
doesn't look great. So convince me.
Jeff: Ok... This is like
someone walking up to a Christian and saying "Why is Jesus cool? 10 words,
go!" It takes faith, Josh. His films have a super high standard of
quality, I think we can agree there, and all of his writing has a unique rhythm
and energy to it. Johnson does great things visually on zero budget. If Robert
Rodriguez is rock, Rain Johnson is jazz.
Josh: Yeah, like Kenny G.
Jeff: I still want to see
that film, even if the charm of Johnson's writing sometimes gets in the way of
telling a tight story.
I figured you would be
making fun of my old standards, James Cameron and Ridley Scott.
Josh: I have no issue with
Ridley Scott. I want to see his zombie film, just not the seven director's cuts
that will follow.
As for Cameron.... well,
he makes films the drones love to see over and over and over again. I'll give
him that.
Jeff: I am a happy drone. Join
the hive mind, Josh!
Josh: Have fun on Pandora. I'll have fun being the only person in the
world not seeing Avatar (cough Fern Gully cough) 2 and 3. If James
Cameron doesn't write the script, I think I'd be okay with it.
Jeff: I will admit, the
script is not the high point of that movie, but if you don't see it as a massive
achievement, you are blind sir. Blind.
Plus, Cameron is an auteur.
He can do anything, he's a good writer, a great production designer, a
visionary, and his standard of quality (I would have pointed to True Lies as the weak spot) is insanely high. You put a wall in front
of him; he'll punch through it like bugs bunny, and make billions doing it.
Josh: He is a great visual and
technical director. I give you that. And Yes, Avatar is a massive achievement in film. BUT is that where we want
film to go? All cgi? No real use for actors, expect as voice talent? You know
as soon as the studios can find a way to make that affordable, they will all
try for their own Avatar and cut real
performances out altogether.
Jeff: Cameron’s zombie film
would be as epic as Emmerich's, as rich as Ridley's, as well written as... well
something, and make more money than currently exists on earth.
Josh: Let's just say I'm
going to keep giving my money to Joss in order to knock Mr. Cameron off his
high horse.
Jeff: I love Joss, but he
can't even beat Titanic when he's
flying on the back of The Avengers.
I LOVE him though... He
really is my favorite of the two, and both of our top choices.
Josh: Time will tell, there's
still a lot of money to be made on The
Avengers (I'm pretty sure it's not been released in China yet). Joss is the
best choice because he's a fan and a
fantastic filmmaker. He understands that good visuals also need good characters
and story to stand on.
Jeff: Absolutely. If you
can forgive Cameron for Avatar, I'll
forgive Joss for Alien Resurrection.
Granted the studio probably didn't help him out with that one.
Josh: Let’s get to someone
I know you have issues with, Nicholas Winding Refn.
Jeff: I hated Drive. There, I said it.
I liked what it tried
to do, I liked how stylized it was and the callbacks to the '80s, but Ryan
Goslings character made NO sense to me.
Josh: I'm sitting there
watching Drive with my heart pounding
in my throat! What was bad about Drive?
It's not perfect, I'm not crazy, but there was a clear vision, focus, and style.
Jeff: Who wants to see a
zombie film whose main character is a silent zombie in a scorpion jacket?
Josh: I understood his
motivations at the time. Plus... that actually sounds super entertaining.
Jeff: Ok, granted. To
finish up, what makes a GREAT zombie film, and thus, a great zombie director?
Josh: I would say a great
zombie film has characters that you want to see survive, a story that comments
on society, and an emotional core to the film. A zombie film isn’t about the
zombies for me. It's all about the people.
Jeff: I completely agree.
So beyond looking for directors who are visceral in their use of violence
(which I think is a requirement) we want directors who can build their own
worlds and fill them with human characters. We need directors who understand
that if we care about each person, we'll care about their world, and by doing
we can care about the ghouls who are tearing it apart.
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