Well Anonymous, I guess I just could connect with you. Might have something to do with not knowing who you are.
Beyond that, I did recently crop down my Facebook friends list to people that I actually know in real life.
Why are we no longer friends on facebook Neil? I thought we had a connection.
How would you solve film piracy?
By making the penalty for torrenting a movie the chopping off of the offender’s arms…
In all honesty, I’m not sure. Digital distribution is the key. That’s what the music industry learned the hard way. Studios and distributors need to embrace iTunes, Netflix, Hulu and other similar services. And they can’t be afraid to take risks in that space.
The other thing that helps eliminate piracy is to make movies that are special experiences in-theater. 3D and IMAX are two avenues, but they need to be done right. Films like Avatar and Inception are movies that demand being seen in a theater because they are unique cinematic experiences. Give people a reason to go to the theater and they won’t download your movie.
That, and I will continue to hope that my generation will get over itself, stop with this rampant entitlement complex and realize that if they don’t support the art forms they love, that those artists will starve. People say that they love movies, but they aren’t willing to support them properly. Then they complain when Hollywood takes the easy road to squeeze money out of moviegoers (i.e. remakes, cheap and dirty 3D conversions, unnecessary sequels, etc.) We’ve given Hollywood no choice — we don’t get off our asses enough to support fresh and original filmmaking. It’s a vicious cycle that is dictated by the masses. Hollywood can only react to what keeps their businesses growing.
And the arm chopping thing. I think that would help a lot.
what are you looking forward to the most at comic con this year? GIVE A DETAILED ANSWER FOOOOO!
I’m not actually going to Comic-Con, myself. I’ve got other responsibilities here in Austin to which I must attend next week.
That said, I’m looking forward to the coverage that Cole Abaius, Robert Fure and Jack Giroux will be providing. Can’t wait to hear what comes out of the Marvel panel. I would expect to hear footage reactions from Captain America and Thor, two projects that feel as if they are really hanging in the balance right now. I’m jealous that Con attendees will get to see footage from both RED and Drive Angry, Summit Entertainment’s two films. I visited both sets and they sound like they’re both going to be a blast.
Everything Tron is hot right now, and I’ve got a feeling that Joseph Kosinski is once again going to blow people away with the visuals he’s created for that flick. Wish that I could see Scott Pilgrim. In Edgar Wright, I do trust.
Green Lantern footage makes me giddy. I feel like one of the few people who actually likes the look of his suit (except for the face-paint mask). Lantern’s one of my favorite DC heroes.
Beyond that, I love the surprises that come out of Comic-Con. I’m wondering what trailer will do what Tron Legacy did two years ago. What film will be everywhere like District 9 in 2008, only to come back two years later and be a smash hit. And I love the people. Walking the Comic-Con floor is a special experience, if you can get over the fact that people are everywhere. There is so much to see on the show floor that I wish I could go just to walk around.
Oh, and there are a few parties that I will miss. The next day headache, I could do without, but the parties and the blogger mafia gossip parade are always worth the late nights.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at Comic-Con?
Perhaps it was when Frosty from Collider nearly got impaled by some of the scaffolding in Hall H. I was right there and it wasn’t too pretty.
I’ve also seen plenty of drunken shenanigans, including come very fun (and totally untellable) stories that involve celebrities you know. And others that involve Alex Billington.
But perhaps the craziest thing — not just that I’ve seen — was the year that Brian Gibson and I snuck into the LucasFilm party with David Arquette and Pee-Wee Herman. No joke, they got us in and we hobnobbed a bit with some of the most talented people I’ve ever been around. We scared the shit out of Frank Miller (Brian wanted a picture, Frank Miller looked like he was about to be raped). I still couldn’t tell you how it all came to be, much of the before and after was a haze, but it was certainly one of the most insane nights of my life.
What are 5 movies where you were like, “I hate my job, I hate that I have to review this and I hate that I’ll never get that time back”?
I don’t ever think that I’ve said “I hate this job,” as that would be some serious bad Karma. But I have seen a few movies knowing that I had to review them and wanted to scratch my eyes out afterwards. There have been a few this year.
Furry Vengeance comes to mind as the most recent. Absolute waste of time. Or perhaps Robin Hood. That left me wanting a chunk of my life back.
There have been a great deal of movies I’ve seen at festivals that I would rather not have had to see. It’s salt in the wound really, as you know you could’ve seen something else in that time slot instead. Especially with bigger fests like Sundance. In recent years, I’ve had films like Blind Date (directed by Stanley Tucci), Funny Games, Downloading Nancy, Daddy Longlegs, Holy Rollers. All movies that, for good reason, you may never hear of again.
But perhaps the greatest blight against my world was struck by The Informers at Sundance 2009. And there’s a story to it. I was at the Eccles Theater with Peter Sciretta from /Film having just seen a movie (can’t remember which one, but I don’t remember it being bad — might have been I Love You Philip Morris or something) and we had about 20 minutes to get to the Yarrow theater, which was about a 5 minute cab ride, 15 minute bus ride, or 15 minute walk. With buses full and running extra slow that year, we chose the walking. Not a good idea. It was an unusually sunny and warm day in Park City and when combined with the fact that we were dressed for cold, both way out of shape and hustling through the thin mountain air, it was torture. We made it just in time to see the film start, but by then the theater was pitch black. Absolute black.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever gone directly from a bright and sunny environment into one that’s pitch black, but it renders you essentially blind. It took about 5-6 minutes of bumbling and stumbling to find a seat way in the back of the packed press screening room. I was hot, sweaty, dying for a drink of water and seated in a terrible spot. So yea, I went into the movie in the best possible mood. Then it terrible. Objectively terrible. Critical consensus.
So you can imagine how we felt, having nearly killed ourselves to get over to that screening, only to have the much-anticipated movie turn out to be pond-scum on the cinematic landscape. It was perhaps the worst moviegoing experience of my life.
Luckily that was Sundance ‘09, where we discovered Mystery Team, Moon, Bronson, Cold Souls, World’s Greatest Dad, Precious, An Education, 500 Days of Summer and Black Dynamite. So it turned out to be for the best.
Could you talk about Kermit? Why he’s your twitter avatar and your life inspiration?
The Twitter avatar is a combination of two things. One being that it’s Kermit. The other being the expression on his face. That expression perfectly matches my current outlook on the world. I’ll leave you to translate from there.
As for why Kermit — he’s the ultimate nice guy who finishes first, an inspiration to us all. And an easy-going green dude who never lets anything get him down. Who wouldn’t want to live their life like that?
What’s your biggest fear for FRS? Like, what scares you the most when it comes to your website?
Biggest fears about the site? Probably that readership is an illusion and that no one is really listening…
Kidding. Most of my fears revolve around it never reaching it’s potential. A great number of people have put untold amounts of effort into making it what it is today, and they’ve done so with the hope that it will become something truly great. The promise made to those people is that if they stick with it long enough, they will be able to make it into a real job, a real version of their dream job. And my greatest fear is not being able to come through on that dream.
Also spiders. I hate spiders.
So, at what point did you give up trying to be a filmmaker? Come on, you know you had to give up on your dreams because you didn’t have what it takes.
I never really wanted to be a filmmaker. There was a moment in my life when it sounded like a fun gig, but in the end I’m not the type. As you know if you read my work, I lack the ability to put imagination to work. So no, I wouldn’t say that I’ve given up on my dreams. I certainly never had what it takes, but that didn’t mean there was some grand submission to the will of fate.
What dreams I had are much closer to being a journalist. Or a gigolo. Both of which I’ve lived. So I guess you could say that I’ve succeeded in reaching my stars.
What dreams have you had to give up on because you weren’t good enough?
How did you come up with the name Film School Rejects and how well was the name received at first?
I believe I’ve answered the first part of this question before, so I will attach that answer below. As for how it’s been received, I don’t know how to gauge such a thing. Everyone I speak to, celebrity or otherwise, seems to think it’s funny or clever. Haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like it. Doesn’t mean they’re not out there, just that they aren’t expressing their displeasure about our name with me. I’m not convinced that anyone really cares either way.
As for the first part of your question:
It came to me in a dream.
Not really, but wouldn’t that be a nice story. It’s really based on the notion that you don’t need to go through the system to be successful. You can make it on your own. Whether you want to make films or write about them, you can break through if you’re willing to work hard and accept that you’ll never know it all. Yes, that explanation is part of my “two cliches for one price” discount.
It also has something to do with Kevin Smith. The old Kevin Smith. When he was telling his own stories and making films with his friends.
Now that you’ve seen a full season of Matt Smith, do you like him or Tennant better and why?
These two are two sides of the same coin to me. Equal in their ability to make that character fascinating at every turn. Tennant, believe it or not, seemed more of a controlled and calm Doctor. Whereas Smith is more wild, mystical and playful. I’ve enjoyed time with both of them and if Matt Smith lasts as long as Tennant did, you won’t get a peep of complaint from me.
