Can't wait to see Once Upon A Time in Mexico.
that's it?
thanks for sharing. gee if ever there was an expression that defined 99% of xixaxers, it's "can't wait".
spoiled brats the lot of ya.
Quote from: metroshaneCan't wait to see Once Upon A Time in Mexico.
Yes, but how many times can one draw from the well before it's dry?
I'll let you know once I see it.
Or we could just ask Woody Allen...or George Lucas. Let's see, how many Star Trek's, Friday the 13ths, or Police Acedemy's are there.
Quote from: metroshaneCan't wait to see Once Upon A Time in Mexico.
Could have just put that here:
http://xixax.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=458
Quote from: metroshaneI'll let you know once I see it.
Or we could just ask Woody Allen...or George Lucas. Let's see, how many Star Trek's, Friday the 13ths, or Police Acedemy's are there.
umm...huh?
Quote from: ©bradQuote from: metroshaneI'll let you know once I see it.
Or we could just ask Woody Allen...or George Lucas. Let's see, how many Star Trek's, Friday the 13ths, or Police Acedemy's are there.
umm...huh?
he's saying they all draw from the same well over and over. but woody has had much success, he just improves almost each time in my opinion.
Except that most of those people do sequels to their work. I was referring to Rodriguez's filming El Mariachi then expounding on it with Desperado. It's basically the same movie, just with different budgets. I know Once Upon a Time in Mexico is finally a different story, but merely raising a question as to how many times you can create a story from the same source material.
A comparison would be Raimi's Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2.
How is El Mariachi and Desperado the same movie?
They're both about a guy that carries guns in a guitar case, but that's where this similarity ends.
Mariachi - mistaken Identity
Desperado - revenge
Mariachi- looking for work
Desperado - looking for bucho
Mariachi - carries a guitar in a guitar case
Desperado - carries guns in a guitar case
Besides, the intent all along was to do an homage to the Sergio Leon Speghetti westerns...so it's sort of fitting.
And Robert's movies are getting better everytime too. Not sure I agree about Woody.
I absolutely hate robert rodriguez. he's a great director in his early stuff, but he's gotten so commercial and that pisses me off. His last movies have been high-budget, sequeled garbage. What ever happened to the $7,000 El Mariachi? There's just not as much spirit in his movies as there use to be. From Dusk Till Dawn was a good effort but was lacking. When he had his chance to do a high budget movie he does a sequel. ARGGGGGGGGG!
Quote from: magnoliacI absolutely hate robert rodriguez. he's a great director in his early stuff, but he's gotten so commercial and that pisses me off. His last movies have been high-budget, sequeled garbage. What ever happened to the $7,000 El Mariachi? There's just not as much spirit in his movies as there use to be. From Dusk Till Dawn was a good effort but was lacking. When he had his chance to do a high budget movie he does a sequel. ARGGGGGGGGG!
oh welcome :roll:
Quote from: phil marloweoh welcome :roll:
just gettin my opinion out there
Quote from: magnoliacQuote from: phil marloweoh welcome :roll:
just gettin my opinion out there
ohhh really ?? then i'm sorry i took you for a fucking phony.
my dislike for robert rodriguez has nothing to do with the integrity of hsi choices ( i hate people who use the phrase "sell out" -- my stance on that subject matter is; when you're in a position to "sell out" and choose not to, then you can ccall one a sell out -- its very safe to sit in your dorm room and ridicule people) back to my original intention -- my dislike for rodriguez comes from the quality of his films -- i just dont like them. with that said, good day.
fair enough, never said he sold out, but he's definitely spiraling downward like downward spiral.
i dont care what any of you say - the spy kids movies kick ass.
tho i havent seen 3 yet - not sure if i want to............
Quote from: IHeartPTAI absolutely hate robert rodriguez. he's a great director in his early stuff, but he's gotten so commercial and that pisses me off. His last movies have been high-budget, sequeled garbage. What ever happened to the $7,000 El Mariachi? There's just not as much spirit in his movies as there use to be. From Dusk Till Dawn was a good effort but was lacking. When he had his chance to do a high budget movie he does a sequel. ARGGGGGGGGG!
Rodriguez is well known for keeping his budgets low and his schedules short. Each of the Spy Kids movies cost about $35 million, when other filmmakers would have easily spent more than that on the same material.
I hope Spy Kids 3 and OUATIM will be the last films of their respective series. I would like to see him move on.
once upon a time in mexico is the last i know that for a fact, rodriguez is finishing the trilogy.
i'm not a fan of series that goes above 3 (exception: star wars and james bond, prolly another, but i can't think of one) and i'm hoping he stops spy kids where it is.
i'm hoping robert rodriguez settles down and works on some new material.
Quote from: IHeartPTAi'm not a fan of series that goes above 3 (exception: star wars and james bond, prolly another, but i can't think of one) and i'm hoping he stops spy kids where it is.
Saying that you are "not a fan of series that goes above 3" means you don't mind sequels. And, since you are opposed to sequels and deem them unnecessary, how you have been a fan of those you listed had they not spawned sequels or another film in a series in the first place?
earlier, i had said, unnecessary sequels
in robert rodriguez's case, he made el mariachi with $7,000. desperado was a way to do the movie he wanted to do with el mariachi, but didn't have the money.
a lot of sequels, you know, are made just to milk some more profit made from their previous movie, and are completely unnecessary. i think sequels that are part of a planned trilogy or a planned sequel, aren't necessarily sequels, but should almost be considered one whole movie just cut up (kill bill for instance).
sequels are a flaky situation.
i also contradict myself a lot.
Quote from: IHeartPTAearlier, i had said, unnecessary sequels
in robert rodriguez's case, he made el mariachi with $7,000. desperado was a way to do the movie he wanted to do with el mariachi, but didn't have the money.
a lot of sequels, you know, are made just to milk some more profit made from their previous movie, and are completely unnecessary. i think sequels that are part of a planned trilogy or a planned sequel, aren't necessarily sequels, but should almost be considered one whole movie just cut up (kill bill for instance).
sequels are a flaky situation.
i also contradict myself a lot.
maybe you shouldnt be so rooted in those foolish statements then. if you dont really know what you're talking about, be more flexible.
who does like "unneccesary sequels"? everybody likes a sequel when its good and hates it when it sucks. so, what else is new?
umm, i doubt this is a big money sequel. as entertainment weekly pointed out, audiencecs didnt exactly flock in droves to desperado. so, whether or not anyones actually going to care about this one is still unknown. so this sequel, is probably roberts reward for earning miramax tons of dough for the spy kids flicks, and like he has said the good/bad/ugly of his trilogy.
planned trilogy? everythings a 'planned trilogy' now. everybody has to sign on for three movies before hte first one comes out just in case it makes any money. does that really change things? was the godfather a 'planned trilogy'? no, they made movie that did welll, so two more came out. now its the "trilogy". its going to be the rush hour "trilogy". a blade "trilogy" a "pitch black" trilogy. i think audiences are more comfortable about sequels if they are under the impression that its part of a plan, and they're not just suckers for seeing legally blonde 2 if its the all important middle section in this great "elle woods" trilogy.
yea, well said, i think i sorted myself last night though
sequels come in all shapes in sizes, some fans of a movie are proud to see it continuing on, but sometimes not so. ewan mcgregor was not interested in making a sequel to trainspotting (book came out recently) because he'd rather have the trainspotting universe, if you will, be remembered as a good movie and not the possibility of a bad sequel. sometimes sequels surprise us, where they turn out better than the previous movie, sometimes they suck hard. a lot of times companies are milking the profits from the previous movie to make more money.
whatever the case may be, sequels are still sequels, nothing we can do about it.
Quote from: IHeartPTAewan mcgregor was not interested in making a sequel to trainspotting (book came out recently) because he'd rather have the trainspotting universe, if you will, be remembered as a good movie and not the possibility of a bad sequel.
That's the PR answer. The real reason is that Ewan is still pissed at Danny Boyle for making "The Beach" with Leonardo DeCaprio instead of him.
i've heard mixed, whether mcgregor is still pissed or just plain doesn't like the material.
this article says that he's not ruling out a reunion with Boyle (probably said it in an interview, and they skimmed it down, i'd like to see if he actually did say that):
http://us.imdb.com/WN?20030509#8
my opinion (on the book) i was not impressed.
(if this conversation should continue, might as well make a new thread, since this is robert rodriguez)
Quote from: metroshaneCan't wait to see Once Upon A Time in Mexico.
the trailer for that film wow if i had a pussy it would be wet, we need this film
this was a weak summer however i just saw swat tonight and loved it
i cant wait for once upon a time in mexico
and then Kill bill
more of those and less dicky roberts
allthough i have said in the past i will never pre judge a film before i see it, i just hate spade, and to keep my word i will watch dicky roberts on the first night, and i hope its great
but i think it will be shit
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.digitalcity.com%2Fmff_takefive%2Ftoprodriguez&hash=67d188da9eaf34c74a86d4925f12085e15beba20)
There's no question that the film-school generation -- directors like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee -- transformed Hollywood. They pried open an industry that had been virtually inaccessible to inexperienced outsiders, and suddenly, anyone could sit in a classroom and learn how to be a director. Well, almost anyone. What about the kids who couldn't get into film school?
That was the problem facing Robert Rodriguez. His grades were just too low. But unlike his academically advantaged peers, he grew up with a video camera around the house. By the time he reached college, Rodriguez had already helmed dozens of backyard epics and small-scale action movies (fortune also supplied him with 10 siblings, so he was never without a willing cast).
So when film school didn't pan out, Rodriguez decided to make his own movie. Armed with an award-winning short, Bedhead, he appealed the decision and earned his film-school admission. The rest -- how he sold his body to science to finance his $7,000 debut, El Mariachi, then went on to make Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn and the Spy Kids trilogy -- has long been the stuff of legend to indie fans. Rodriguez may be an original in his approach, but his style is clearly influenced by the movies he loves. Here, in his own words, are five movies that shaped the director's style.
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The Godfather
(1972; dir: Francis Ford Coppola, starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino)
Family has always been a big thing for me. I cast my brothers and sisters in my first home movies, and any family saga has always been really cool. Even though the Spy Kids movies are nothing like the Godfather trilogy, in a different way, they are family sagas based on my own family. Instead of making them gangsters, I made them spies. I wasn't really interested in making another James Bond. I just wanted to make a movie about my family, and I thought that was an interesting way to go about it. But the heart of it is still about a family who just happen to be spies, not spies who happen to be related to each other. That's what I love about the Godfather movies. They were really about a family who just happened to be gangsters. They were more realistically portrayed than something I would do. I love watching those movies, but I wouldn't make a movie like that. Every movie I've done has always been a fantasy world. I think I always respond to things that are far-fetched and more about imagination. I don't think I would want to recreate reality. That feels more like work to me.
The Road Warrior
(1982, dir: George Miller, starring: Mel Gibson, Virginia Hey)
People have compared my Mariachi movies to the Sergio Leone movies, but I hadn't seen those when I first made El Mariachi. I was more influenced by The Road Warrior, which in turn was influenced by the Sergio Leone movies, so my stuff is really twice removed. Road Warrior was a big, visceral, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of movie. It just had this relentless energy. It was made by an Australian industry that didn't know much about moviemaking at the time, and you could tell people were really getting hurt making it. They know what they're doing now, but back then, it was just crash and burn. I saw the Leone movies later, and I understood why people thought my Mariachi movies looked like that because I, too, had to rely mostly on closeups and angles to tell the story, probably for the same reason. Those movies weren't very expensive, and they were more interested in someone's face than in an elaborate set piece. I like stories with that singular sort of character, the Messiah figure who comes in to save everybody and deliver them to the Promised Land. Road Warrior is just such a great iconic hero's journey, and it has all the mythological beats in it. It's minimalist moviemaking. There wasn't a whole lot of dialogue, and it was extremely visual with a great score. It was almost like a silent film. It was pure visceral cinema. When that came out, I was just blown away by it.
John Carpenter's The Thing
(1982, dir: John Carpenter, starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley)
I've always loved John Carpenter movies, especially Escape from New York and The Thing (I did a horror movie called The Faculty mainly because it reminded me of The Thing). He influenced me, not just with his movies, which were always cool fantastical stories, but also in his methodology. I loved photography, artwork and music, and I would see his name several times on the credits. I thought, "Gosh, movies seem like the way to combine all my favorite hobbies into one." I think that's what got me thinking about being a moviemaker, seeing movies by Sam Raimi and John Carpenter, guys who did more than one job themselves. It just seemed like a giant playground. On the Spy Kids movies, I'm the editor as well as the cameraman; I'm doing the costumes, the production design, the lighting, as well as writing, directing and producing, mixing the sound and composing the score. Plus, I'm also the visual effects guy, so basically everything that there is to do. Each job is so much fun, and with the kind of schedules we have, it's just easier that way. We have to strip ourselves down to a commando unit, where everyone has to do multiple jobs. To get a big crew and a lot of time would just kill us. We'd still be shooting now. It's like the equivalent of gaining 500 pounds and trying to run a race. You've got to strip it down to the bare essentials. It's just easier and more fun, and nothing makes you feel more alive than when you're creating.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
(1971; dir: Mel Stuart, starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum)
Movies from that time period are the ones that influenced me. Like Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc?. He didn't invent the screwball comedy, but he did bring it back. It just came out on DVD, and I was reminded how much we watched that as a kid. I think maybe Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory would be a better choice because it's along the lines of what I did with the Spy Kids movies. It made me want to be the guy who made chocolate. Making movies that kids can go gobble up, you really do get to be a Wonka-type character. It's really kind of fun. A lot of the style came from my first home-movie experiences, trying to make movies like the ones I saw in the cinema. I had a video camera when I was 12 or 13, and I would go try to make my own action movies. I would end up being as close to the actor as I could get so they could hear me telling them what to do next, and that's still how I shoot my movies, doing most of those things in closeup. I ended up basing all my other movies on a lot of the experimentation with a video camera that went on in those years.
The Killer
(1989, dir: John Woo, starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee)
John Woo really was a huge influence. I saw The Killer back when I was in college at the University of Texas, and it made me want to be Chinese. I realized that if I did the same thing with Mexicans, it would make people want to be Latin, so that's what I did with Desperado. The way John Woo shot his movies made his characters look so heroic, and he shot the action himself. It wasn't like that in the States. In the '80s and early '90s, we were used to movies where directors had nothing to do with the action. They let the second-unit guy or the stunt coordinator go direct it, so all the action movies we did all look the same. All the action beats were the same, with the same fist fights, the same gun battles, the same car chases. It all looked really boring, but there in Hong Kong, the directors committed to the action and delivered stuff that was just unbelievable, just really great stuff, and that changed how we made movies in this country. Chinese cinema just really got to me. Now it's been done to death, but back then it was just really new.
Interview with DVDFile about the "Once Upon A Time In Mexico" DVD, digital filmmaking and more:
I enjoyed the "Film is Dead" featurette, where you gave a more convincing argument than George Lucas did, point by point, about why you really think digital filmmaking is the future?
I'm really excited. In fact, I just got the new cameras that came out, and we're going to shoot this weekend already. I'm starting to get into doing projects that just aren't even possible on a film. That's what's so great about the new technology. It allows you to dream about things that weren't even possible before.
In this next one, once people see it, they'll know there's no way to have even shot it had it not been for the new technology. And that's great. When you can conceive of movies that are not possible with the current, you know, older technology, then that's when the technology is really revolutionary because that allows you to tell new stories in different ways, and it really opens up the art form.
Will you ever work in film again?
Can't go back, not at all. It's like giving up -- that's like saying OK, enough of this computer stuff, I'm going back to my typewriter. Yes, you can't go back. It just doesn't make any sense. They can do everything the film can do but plus so much more.
You talked in your commentary about how the success of the "Desperado" DVD helped create interest in making the sequel. Do you see the DVDs as becoming a more powerful influence?
Well yes, I think especially when people didn't get a chance to see a movie in a theater for whatever reason, whether it was the marketing or the timing of the movie or they weren't sure if that was the movie they wanted to see. I know "Desperado" was, ahead of its time. People hadn't seen that kind of action movie before, the trailers, and it just didn't seem like it was what it was. And they discovered it later, you know, through other media.
That's what's really valuable to a filmmaker, so I put a lot of importance on a DVD. Because if people didn't see it in a theater, which a lot of people don't get to see it in a theater, if they want to see a movie at any other time, any other year, that's how they're going to see it.
So I try to make the packaging and the materials that go with it really definitive, sort of, your final statement on your movie because that's how people are going to enjoy it. So I've always tried to put a lot of importance on the DVD release, sometimes even more than a theatrical release because that's really where the life of the movie will be.
There was an awful lot of really good commentary, and the features I thought were splendid. "10-Minute Cooking School" was fun. I thought if someone stays all the way to the end, they'll get a laugh.
I was doing 10-minute film schools on all the other DVDs. And so for those people who had seen them, you know, the past four or five I'd done, I thought it would fun to just send them up a little bit with a cooking school and then also the last commentary one.
What is your feeling about the multiple repackaging of DVDs lately? We're seeing a lot of multiple versions of titles, including Desperado and Spy Kids...
I remember "Desperado" came out, it was one of the first DVDs that Sony had put out. And I think it just had a "10-Minute Film School" and the commentary that was on there. I think they started to repackage after several years. So when the new movie was going to come out, they repackaged it so that people would see something knew who may have not had it already and weren't really enticed to buying the fully-loaded version, or were maybe thinking the quality wasn't as good. Because a lot of the earlier DVDs weren't done at a higher bit rate. And so sometimes there's improvements. And I like when they do things like put out a Superbit or if you don't really care for the movie you don't have to go buy all those versions.
But I buy everything because sometimes they don't get the filmmakers involved the first time, or because they didn't even know the thing was getting released. I think they've gotten away from doing what they used to do when they first started, which was right away putting out a bare bones one with nothing on it and then later putting out a full one so that you were, in fact, having to buy two.
I was successful in convincing them not to do that on my movies where when I've put something out that would be definitive. That's why the "Spy Kids 1" DVD didn't come out with anything because they put it out while I was shooting "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." And I beat them up pretty good over that. Then "Spy Kids 2" came out jam packed and "Spy Kids 3" will come jam packed, and there'll be a special edition "Spy Kids" that'll come out that'll have everything on it and that'll be it.
So you have found that the studios are more open now to letting you be involved and help make the decisions?
Oh, yes. I think they're much more savvy into that now knowing that that's what people want. They don't want to see multiple lame versions. They want to see something good right out the gate.
What is the magic number with "10 Minutes"?
In the first book I wrote called "A Rebel Without a Crew, Making Mariachi," I put a little chapter at the end called "10-Minute Film School." I had read a comment where Woody Allen had said anything you need to learn about making movies you can learn in a weekend -- and I said he was being generous. You could learn it in 10 minutes. I said here you go and I went through it really quickly.
It was just a way to get the readers to think simply, that they didn't have to have all this knowledge before they went out and tried making a movie, just to get them realizing a few basics and really learn by doing.
That was the idea. And so, when I came to making these little video versions, it made even more sense to put them in 10 minutes because a lot of times, there's only about 10 good minutes in them anyway. They're just spread out with fluff. And, you know, there never really should be more than 10 minutes I find. Once I've cut them down and taken out the spaces and the pauses, they're always under 10 minutes.
Are there any other filmmakers that you've been watching in the last couple of years that you think are as progressive as you?
Wow. I don't really know actually. I don't know of anyone who's kept up that much. I don't get to meet a lot of them because I live in Texas, so I'm out of the loop. But a lot of them have no idea what I'm even talking about.
But a lot of it is also because I jump from job to job. Because I do so many jobs - the music, the sound, picture, every area, all making leaps and bounds in technology. So that's how I was able to keep up with them. But that's why the room suddenly grew. My room suddenly turned into something that looked like it was about to explode there's so many things plugged into.
On past DVDs by other directors, has that material influenced you, and do you hope that the bonus material you create will influence the future filmmakers?
When I was first collecting laserdiscs, Criterion would put out most special editions. And I remember watching the "Taxi Driver" one and really beginning to hear what Scorsese was thinking while he was putting the movie together during the commentary. I thought well this is a great record to have. You know, if someone never even listens to it, it's fine, but it's there.
And it's connected to the movie. It's not in a book somewhere. So from then on, when I got into movies, I wanted to have all that extra stuff just so people would know what you were thinking. And you yourself, years from now, are going to look back and go what was I thinking when I made that wacky movie, you know?
When I wrote a book called "A Rebel Without a Crew and the Making of Mariachi," so many film students still bring me that book today to sign, saying they read it and they went out and made a movie. And so that always keeps me going too. Because I know there's a lot of people they know that my DVDs will probably have supplementary material that's really pertinent to them in breaking into the industry. So I try to jam pack that stuff in there.
How do you navigate the boundary between what the film aficionados would enjoy and the average viewer?
I make the "10-Minute Film Schools" for both. I figure if someone's going to go listen to a commentary, they're really interested in methodology in one of my movies. It's not really actor commentaries or the other kind of commentaries on there.
Are any DVDs that you've seen that have commentaries or other features on them that you've found instructive?
I always like the Ridley Scott ones. He's very informative. His commentaries are really dead on, and he's very studied and speaks very articulately about his films. Gosh, there's several -- there's several that I jump around on.
How did you come to choose Charlie de Lauzirika to do the supplementary material for Once Upon a Time in Mexico?
Sony called and said we needed to hire someone on the outside rather than Sony themselves. They have an internal person who does it, but I do my own things. And I liked his stuff, and what they do over at Scott Free. I liked their layout and how they did things. It seemed very thorough.
And I figured they'd put some extra special things together while I did my own. I usually do some of my own anyway and add it to whomever else is putting some things together. So I did "10-Minute Film School" and the "Inside Troublemaker Studios" and the "10-Minute Cooking School" and the commentary. I took care of those bits, and then they did the other ones. And they did a great job.
Did you find the collaborative process to be something that you'd be like to try again?
That's a hard one to answer. Usually there is someone that you're working with putting things together because you have to do them quickly. But yes, absolutely. When you have people that are imaginative and so into it, that's great because they come up with great ideas. And usually I try to top them with, well, "10-Minute Cooking School."
Have you seen anything recently on video or DVD that you were particularly taken by surprise, that you just loved, whether it's old or new?
"Zoot Suit," they finally released. It's a Luis Valdez movie. That's an amazing movie. It's very much a stage play, in the style of "Chicago," only this was years before. This was an '81 I think. And Edward James was almost unbelievable in that movie. That's like the best role he ever played. It's just a really great movie, great music and very, very stylized, and you can tell he just didn't have any money. And they shot it on the stage.
They shot it in a theater, you know. That was a real lesson even back then when I saw it in high school. You can make a movie even there in the theater room if you have to. So there's no excuse. You can be very creative just with some paper sets. It was really a great movie.
Do you think lower-cost CGI and digital equipment will change the face of independent, low-budget filmmaking?
I think it just opens up the possibilities, where they don't have to think of their movies as just having to be two people sitting across the dinner table anymore. It can be anything they want it to be, and it opens up much more possibilities for surprising people.
Because theaters today aren't really equipped to project in digital, is that going to have an effect on your shooting in the format?
Not really, because the number of theaters will be growing. And it really makes sense. Just how you capture the images changes how you work and what you can do with the actors on the set. Creatively it's just a huge boost. So even if no one ever gets to see what it looks like digitally, which a lot of people do when they get the high definition satellite and DVDs, I would still shoot with it.
I think you can make a better movie with it, actually. You can really see what you're doing while you're shooting it. And that changes things. I remember I was doing all my sound mixes in 5.1 even back before most people had the capability. It was only in very few theaters. But I did my "Desperados" and "From Dusk till Dawn" in 5.1. So when DVD finally came around to including it, I already had those soundtracks ready.
So I always try to use the very latest in technology even if it's not readily available to the public because someday they will catch up and then it'll be there.
As many converts to the digital cause as there are, there are also these people, say Roger Ebert, for example, who are very, very vociferous and angry almost. And there are filmmakers too who will say I will never abandon film. Do you think they misunderstand the technology?
Absolutely. I mean film is a technology, too. People seem to think film is more organic, and it's like that doesn't grow on trees. You forget, it's such an old technology that that too is a technology, and we tend to forget that. It was just the best technology we could come up with at the time. And it's really just outdated at this point. But people who have a real love for nostalgia just don't want to hear that sort of thing. But I did get some great reviews from Roger Ebert on "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." He wrote actually the movie looks really great. So I was like, Yes, I finally broke him! That was cool.
When George Lucas showed me some early footage from "Star Wars," I was like, Hey, I didn't know it was that far along. I hadn't heard a thing about it. I was actually angry that people had been hiding all that great information. So I went out and shot a test, and I went, Oh my God, people obviously don't even know what they're talking about it. That's been the case mostly.
I saw that 10 years ago with editing. They didn't want anything to do with an Avid or a computer. So this was not real. You weren't touching the film. But the technology isn't the art form. Touching the film on a flat bed isn't editing. Editing is manipulating images. Whether you use a computer or not it's the same art form. So that's what I think Ebert needs to shift to, is to what is the art form truly? Story telling by moving images, but that's not tied to celluloid.
On "Spy Kids 3-D", why did you choose to shoot 3-D in red and blue as opposed to doing the full color polarized method?
Once you shoot in 3-D, you're shooting it with two cameras. You can put it out in any version. In fact, we have a polarized version that's really, really amazing. It comes out way off screen. But there's only a handful of theaters that can show polarized. You need two projectors like an IMAX or a special silver screen or an over/under system, which is a special projector that can play two images coming off the same negative at the same time.
So it was just wasn't viable to go into a bunch of theaters with that process even though it looks really great because you get full color saturation. There's some things that actually work better. For instance, you can turn your head from side to side and not lose the 3-D. Where if you're watching a polarized one, as soon as you start leaning your head to the side, the 3-D goes away. You have to sit perfectly with your head still, but it looks really great.
So the only way to get in that many theaters was to go with red and blue. And that was cool. And I did some tests on the computer, and when you see the DVD, it looks really great on a home computer screen or on a TV. You really can see the 3-D working, and I thought, you know, that will be fun. That's how I remember 3-D being anyway. So I think kids and parents would have a kick out of putting on the red and blue glasses and getting a nice big headache from it.
Are you going to shoot anything else in 3-D?
Yes, I'd love to. We're working on another family film, a different kind of family film, for 3-D.
Because you're so used to doing your own films on your own terms, do you ever see yourself directing a project you didn't originate yourself?
Oh yes. I mean I like switching back and forth. It's, kind of, different when you - when it's something that you've written. You find that you know the material so well, it makes a little more sense to do more of the jobs. When it's someone else's script, well then it's much more open to interpretation and -- or adapting a book or something.
In fact, part of the next couple of projects are going to be things I didn't particularly write at all. And so, I like to jump back and forth and try different things and learn a lot from other writers and other filmmakers.
And in this case, it was really experimental. I was trying out new technology, the digital cameras. And I wanted to learn as much as possible, so that's why I did several sequels in a row because you can experiment more that way because with sequels, there's already a built in audience.
So the studio feels very safe, and no matter what wacky thing you do, people will still show up just because it's a sequel. So it gave me lot of freedom to try composing, to try the digital technology, to try 3-D, you know, just kind of, go out and learn as much as I could.
We've all heard about how heavily Johnny Depp was involved in creating his character for "Pirates of the Caribbean." Did you give him the same level of free rein in Once Upon a Time in Mexico?
In the commentary I pointed out places where he brought his own ideas and then things that seemed like they might have been his ideas but were actually in the script but he just does in such a fresh way it seems like he's making it up on the spot. That's part of what's great about what he does.
But yes, absolutely, when you hire someone like Johnny, you're hoping they'll bring, you know, everything he -- all is imagination to the table.
He's just always been that way. So it was one of my favorite written parts -- someone came in and just did it off the page. I mean he had three arms, he killed the cook, he lost his eyes. He was already a really interesting character. But I thought God, I can't wait to see how Johnny takes this to the next level. And he did. He was great. He just come is and it's just very free. I mean I gave him that kind of freedom as a director because I wanted to be an audience as a director watching him.
How many projects are you working on in various stages at any given moment?
When I first started out, I was always like a one-project-at-a-time guy. But I was going, "This sucks." Everyone else had development going on, you know, so I should really get involved with other writers and have them all working on material. I like self-generating things.
But over the years, suddenly I had a whole bunch of projects in various stages. So yes, I was just recently looking over them. I think there's like 12. I want to make each one of these, so how do I do that? So I'm trying to jam them all together.
Rodriguez Talks Madman Movie
Mike Allred's Madman is one of the most successful creator-owned properties around, gaining a legion of fans and featuring crossovers with such notable characters as Superman. With such a rich and varied world, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood took notice. That attention came in the form of director Robert Rodriguez, the filmmaker responsible for the Spy Kids and El Mariachi trilogies, of which the latest installment, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, recently swept box offices across the globe. Rodriguez optioned Madman a few years ago, but until now, there hadn't been much promising news.
Well, that was then, and this is now. In an interview with the director, Rodriguez told UGO that "we're right in there right now actually," and that production will most likely begin "later in the year."
"I like that project a lot," the director exclaimed, while mentioning that no additional people have been attached to the project.
Commenting on why he chose Madman, Rodriguez stated that he "liked Mike Allred's world."
"It was very similar to the kind of world that I like," he said, referencing the videogame-ish environment of the Spy Kids franchise. "That sort of larger-than-life fantasy world is what I really liked about his stuff," said the director. "So that's why I optioned it."
UGO also asked whether there were other comic book characters that Rodriguez would be interested in bringing to the silver screen, to which replied, "No, not really," adding that he likes creating his own characters.
he talks too much.
Quote from: MacGuffinRodriguez Talks Madman Movie
in the tradition of obscure comic books getting made into movies before the big ones. lxg, hellboy, etc.
God bless RR. It's ok with me if he isn't your favorite director...you may think he's shit...but no one can dispute that he really cares about movie making and does a whole lot for advancing technology, inspiring students, and shaking up the industry. I mean who else would go through as much to add all that bonus stuff to the dvd...and then give you his secrets. And he seems like a nice guy too.
I'm a big fan of the coen's movies, but they always seem like huge anuses in interviews...like they are afraid to give anything away. Everything they do must be divine inspiration.
I can appreciate RR for what he's doing. He really loves filmmaking. So much that he likes to have a hand in the entire process. That's definitely commendable. IMO I think he deserves the title 'Filmmaker' more so than say Spielberg just due to the fact that he actually does more of the filmmaking.
But, the reason Spielberg isn't involved in every part of the filmmaking process is he is smart enough to know what he does well and leaves the rest to others (the best that money can buy).
RR is a terrible writer, a weak director, and an amateur story teller at best. He has his hand in everything, the problem is he's not very good at most of the jobs he does. He does come up with very creative solutions to problems and he can make a film on next to nothing. He should stick to that and hire out the other positions.
I love El Mariachi and without his book, I would have never even thought that I could make a film without millions of dollars and experience I didn't have. Everytime he puts a movie out, I really hope that it's going to be good because I like Robert.
Every film since his first has been so boring and unoriginal I can hardley watch them. With Once Upon a Time I gave up completely on RR. I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes. It was downright painful to watch talented actors, under bad direction, give dialog that sounded like it was written by a 5th grader.
Quote from: Pastor Parsley
Every film since his first has been so boring and unoriginal I can hardley watch them. With Once Upon a Time I gave up completely on RR. I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes. It was downright painful to watch talented actors, under bad direction, give dialog that sounded like it was written by a 5th grader.
From Dusk Till Dawn was great fun, and Tarantino wrote that one.
I like the
concept of Robert Rodriguez more than his films. Its great that he's enthusiastic, but at the basic level of an engaging story, I don't care for most of his films.
Rodriguez talks Madman and Predators
MovieHole caught up with Director Robert Rodriguez to chat about the DVD of “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” recently and ended up chatting about his future projects. Here’s the guts of that – in which he discusses “Madman”, “Predator 3” and the possibility of a “Desperado 4”.
“I'm doing a couple of things that are -- I mean I'm still getting the rights to them, but they're actually stuff that I didn't even originate, so that's going to be a lot of fun, couple of properties that I have always been a fan of and I think I have -- I've learned a lot on these last three movies experimenting with the technology and a lot of different tricks and stuff to figure out how to put these on screen. So yes, looking forward to the next couple, they'll be announced pretty soon if they go forward.
And what about the recently mooted “Madman”?
“Mad Man", we're writing "Mad Man" right now. Yes, Mike Hollard's going to come down, he just finished moving, he's coming in the next couple of weeks to come go through what we've been working up and see what he thinks.”
Rodriguez says it’s early days for the casting, but there’s a chance some of his former “Spy Kids” and “Desperado” cast might have parts. And the lead role? “I can say, but -- I know who but I can't say right now. We do have somebody.”
At one stage, there were rumours of a “Faculty” franchise too.
“You know, they said they wouldn't go make like those cheapo straight to video sequels without my approval, and I never told them to do one. But -- and I -- but that wasn't really mine, I didn't -- I didn't write it, so .... I think -- I guess they could have, but ... I think I had it in my deal they couldn't go off and do one without telling me or asking me. But ...
“I like doing sequels to my own stuff if -- because usually I've written them in a way that they can continue. Like even "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" could keep going because the man with no eyes becomes the man with no eyes in the third act. And you could -- you could picture him going on to other movies. So I try to write my scripts to where the characters go through a big enough change at the end that you almost want to see them continue.
So any chance of a “Desperado 4” then, with Johnny Depp headlining as the man with no eyes?
“I don't know. Hey, that's always a possibility. But even if you never did, you would still -- at least the audience could picture sequels. Where some movies are so complete feeling, like the "Faculty" you don't feel like -- well they killed the alien, that's it, you don't want to -- it doesn't feel like it would keep going, it feels like a complete story, that's how it was written.”
And what did ever happen to that “Predator 3” script, he was writing.
“Oh, "Predators", yes we're the "Predator 3", it's call "Predators". It was back when I was doing "Desperado". I wrote "Desperado", it was going to get made like end of September, and then "Last Action Hero" bombed, so they said we're not making any movies for a year, like next year. So I was like what am I going to do until then? So I took a writing assignment, and one of the writing assignments that was out was "Predator" sequel.
“So I said, yes I'll write a version of that. And it was just -- it was just crazy, it was huge, it was a big, big, big budget. Because I didn't have to direct it, I just had to write it. So I didn't really think about the budget, I was just like wrote this, wrote that. And it was really a cool script, it's floating around somewhere. But it's huge, and will never be made, the studio edited it and said there's no way we can make this, this would cost -- even at that time -- 150 million, and no women would ever go see this movie.
So even with “Aliens versus Predator", and you don't think there's any hope of the script getting made, it's just too big?
“It's too big, and they've now combined alien versus "Predators". So they're putting two franchises together, which is probably a smarter way to go since both of those franchises are pretty much dying down.
It's the only way to really revitalize it at all. But yes, the -- I don't think that'd ever make it, it was just too expensive.”
Talking of team-ups, why not match Desperado vs. The Spy Kids?
“No, that would be kind of cool, but then you'd have -- how would Antonio fight himself? He'd have to play dual roles. And Cheech and Danny Trejo “.
In related news, there’s whispers that Johnny Depp might be Rodriguez’s catch for “Madman” – now that’s a nice choice. Though he hinted towards that, there’s no confirmation.
he seriously talks way too much.
and he's got to get over himself
-sl-
I just watched Once Upon A Time and I thought it was great. Even much better was his 10 minute film and cooking school. This guy deserves a lot of credit in the fact that he's doing it all himself. I was amazed how he takes total control over what he wants to project....and does it mostly all from his home studio. Today's technology has allowed him something that was not possible before. He took full advantage of it and has used it to it's fullest.
I think that it's fairly obvious that Desperado is a sequel to El Mariachi and not a basic remake. Desperado expounds by flashing back to the original lady from EM with Antonio Banderas as she is shot and he gets his hand shot (as in EM when he was young). I think it directly relates back to EM. All three were excellent IMO and shows the progress RR has made.
What are the best scenes in OUATIM? The scenes with Johnny Depp. Why? Because as Rodriguez admits, it's the ones that were the most fleshed out and written.
After watching the film, I truly thought that RR has just flipped his lid. The movie's incoherent at times, lacks narrative focus, and is trying to give Michael Bay a run for his money in the cuts-per-second department. My initial reaction was that he's trying to do to much. BUT...
Then I watched the extra features. Now I totally understand his perspective-- and who wouldn't do all that stuff if they had the time/money/equipment at their disposal? The guy's got a spectacular set-up. The time and $$$ shaved off the budget must be staggering.
But still, RR's movies are still far from perfect. He still needs to write more fleshed out scripts (Mexico's script was 65 pages and written in 7 days), have more patience and forethought in his shot design (comparing Desperado and OUATIM is just sad), and then maybe he'll make greater films, or at least films that look fantastic with a drastically reduced budget.
The guy's definitely on to something, he just needs to cool his jets a bit.
I personally thought that the Depp incident was a bit too much. I guess it would be OK if you could find some humor in it, but I was rather appauled.
Besides the Depp incident in Once Upon, I thought his character and Buscmei's in Desp. were played excellently. With Banderas and Syak as his leads, I think he definitely made the right choices there too.
Once Upon's 10 minute film school is awesome for anyone like myself who knows very little about how films are made from beginning to end.
Quote from: freakerdudeOnce Upon's 10 minute film school is awesome for anyone like myself who knows very little about how films are made from beginning to end.
he's been saying the same thing for the last ten years. it was cute in the mariachi disc, especially when desperado was on the same dvd. dude needs to work on his characters more, cheap movies might make him popular with producers but he's seriously hurting his credibility.
I also have many friends who talk too much, but they don't play instruments, edit, write or complete a goddamn thing. Of course, I have to admit there is much Mediocrity in some of his stories, but this "speed of thought" thing he has going may actually lead to something good eventually. Of course, because thought is fast, it doesn't mean your movie and characters have to go by so fast that you don't give a fuck about any of it.
There is nothing really TOO clever about his movies as a whole, but I still have to give him respect for, excuse the expression, sticking to his guns.
GUNS! GET IT?!?!!? HAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHA! eh...
Robert Rodriguez Bringing Sin City to Life
Source: Variety
Robert Rodriguez has committed to direct Sin City, an adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic noir crime novel series, says Variety. Dimension Films co-chairman Bob Weinstein has given Rodriguez the go-ahead to begin shooting next month in Austin, Texas.
Set in Sin City, the film interconnects storylines that involve the unsavory inhabitants of the town. Rodriguez has already shot the film's opening with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton, and he's now casting the remaining roles as the rest of the film gets under way in March.
Rodriguez has made Miller his co-director on the project and shot a sample scene to show he'd be faithful to Miller's visuals. Miller said he welcomed the chance to be so closely involved with the director.
Damn it! I'm soooooooo jealous. Sin City was one of those projects that always got filed in the 'man, when I get my shit together, I'm gonna fuckin' do that,' drawer.
If you haven't check out the comic before, go snag those graphic novels. They're fucking great noir.
Will Rodriguez's version be up to snuff? Let's just hope he takes some ritalin and is able to hold a composition for more than 10 seconds. Damn it.
wow, this sounds good. except for 'who the hell is josh hartnett playing'? and are they shooting in black and white? (probably not) and can robert make a good movie again after 3 not-so-good ones? how the hell can they begin shootin gnext month already?!? dont movies usually involve PREproduction? build sets/costumes/etc. design things?!? especially if its gonna have the strong visual look of the comic! what the hell is going on here!?!
He told Harry Knowles about how he got it off the ground over at AICN...prepare to be even MORE jealous.
either way, potential for cool
some good neo-noir on the horizon, with this and DePalma's one...
Quote from: GhostboyHe told Harry Knowles about how he got it off the ground over at AICN...prepare to be even MORE jealous.
okay, now i'm calm, and excited as hell. THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO BE THE BEST.
Quote from: AntiDumbFrogQuestionOf course, I have to admit there is much Mediocrity in some of his stories, but this "speed of thought" thing he has going may actually lead to something good eventually.
Working at the "speed of thought" only works if your thoughts are any good.
The only reason he is still making films is because he doesn't need much money to make them. Otherwise there is no way anyone would give him a dime based on his poor track record.
He has a lot of filmmaking toys and he has fun using all of the technology he has at his disposal. But, there is this thing called style and without it all the tools in the world won't make you a good filmmaker.
Robert Rodriguez Directing Princess of Mars
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Robert Rodriguez ("Spy Kids" series) is set to direct Edgar Rice Burroughs' science fiction classic Princess of Mars for Paramount Pictures.
The project is based on the first book in Burroughs' 11-book series, "John Carter of Mars," which centers on John Carter, a Civil War officer from Virginia who is transported to Mars and finds himself a captive of the savage green men from Thark. Eventually, he rises to become the greatest warrior of all time, marries the beautiful Dejah Thoris, raises a family and embarks on numerous adventures.
Mark Protosevich wrote the latest draft of the script. Rodriguez will first adapt and direct Sin City, based on the graphic novels by Frank Miller, for Dimension Films.
Paramount Might Not Head for Mars
Source: Variety
Variety reports that Robert Rodriguez's resignation from the Directors Guild of America (DGA) has jeopardized Paramount's development of A Princess of Mars. The problem is that as a DGA signatory, the studio is required to employ only guild directors.
Rodriguez's recent move to leave the DGA was triggered by his desire to co-direct Sin City for Dimension Films with Frank Miller, who created, wrote and illustrated the three-book graphic novel series.
"We are in discussions with Mr. Rodriguez and are trying to come up with a solution," said Rob Friedman, vice chair and chief operating officer of Paramount's motion picture group.
The trade adds that Rodriguez insist that - at least for now - he is unwilling to rejoin the Directors Guild just to direct "Princess of Mars." DGA rules dictate that there be only one director assigned to direct a motion picture at any given time, although the guild occasionally grants a waiver, such as with the Coen brothers.
Paramount-based Alphaville Productions, partnered with Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios, plans to begin shooting early next year. The film is based on the first book in Edgar Rice Burroughs' 11-volume "John Carter of Mars" series.
Robert Rodriguez's Mars Departure Confirmed/Harry Knowles Shits Pants
Source: IGN Filmforce Wednesday, May 19, 2004
IGN FilmForce has confirmed that Robert Rodriguez is indeed no longer the director of Paramount's A Princess of Mars, adapted by Mark Protosevich.
Variety reported in April that Rodriguez's resignation from the Directors Guild of America (DGA) had jeopardized the studio's development of the film. The problem is that as a DGA signatory, the studio is required to employ only guild directors.
Rodriguez's recent move to leave the DGA was triggered by his desire to co-direct Sin City for Dimension Films with Frank Miller, who created, wrote and illustrated the three-book graphic novel series.
A Princess of Mars is based on the first book in Edgar Rice Burroughs' 11-book series, "John Carter of Mars," which centers on John Carter, a Civil War officer from Virginia who is transported to Mars and finds himself a captive of the savage green men from Thark. Eventually, he rises to become the greatest warrior of all time, marries the beautiful Dejah Thoris, raises a family and embarks on numerous adventures.
The film is still slated to go into production next year.
what's the deal with the DGA/why are some directors not part of it?
'Adventures' Ahead for Arquette, Davis
Source: Hollywood Reporter
David Arquette and Kristin Davis have snagged roles in Robert Rodriguez's "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D."
The Dimension Films project tells the tale about a 10-year-old outcast shunned by classmates and forced to spend summer vacation alone. With his two imaginary friends -- the title characters -- he goes on a mission to prove that dreams can become reality. Arquette and Davis play the boy's parents. Newcomers Taylor Dooley, Taylor Lautner and Cayden Boyd, along with George Lopez, also have been cast.
Dimension, which released Rodriguez's lucrative "Spy Kids" films, is co-financing the picture with Sony. Rodriguez is producing with his wife, Elizabeth Avellan, via their Troublemaker Studios banner.
How does David Arquette get Kristin Davis?
Rodriguez to Bring Madman to the Silver Screen?
Why did Robert Rodriguez quit Grindhouse? The latest rumor on the block says its because the man is (finally) interested in making action happen on his movie adaptation of the comic Madman. Rodriguez has possessed movie rights to the property since the dawn of time (or at least the late nineties), and periodically rumors begin to circulate about him getting behind the camera for a Madman flick. These rumors surface every year or so, and thus far have always proven false -- but they are back again, this time with the help of Madman's comic creator Mike Allred. Allred recently mentioned to a large convention crowd that Rodriguez is set to start filming this very month, and that he (Allred) himself has been busily at work on "hundreds of storyboards."
That's exciting news. The introduction to Red Rocket 7 tpb is written by Rodriguez and it details his and Allred's friendship. Their collaboration on this should make for an incredibly fun movie.
Quote from: MacGuffin on May 03, 2006, 11:46:06 AMWhy did Robert Rodriguez quit Grindhouse?
wait, what?
It's not true.
I just talked to someone the other day who was working on Grindhouse. She said that there are so many rumors about it that it's ridiculous. One of the rumors is that Michael Keaton walked out of the set, quitting the film, which is the funniest one because he's not even in the movie.
She says that a lot of the crew is taking a couple of weeks off shooting just because they have QT shoot some of his stuff before they get back to work on it ("it" being the project that Robert Rodriguez didn't quit, "the project" being Grindhouse).
Dimension manic for 'Madman' pic
Rodriguez brings comicbook to bigscreen
Source: Variety
Dimension Films has made a deal to turn the Michael Allred-created comicbook "Madman" into a live-action film.
George Huang ("Swimming With Sharks") will direct a script he'll pen with Allred. Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan will produce via their Troublemaker Studios banner.
"Madman" is a post-modernist reimagining of the Frankenstein tale, with a superhero twist. Title character, killed in a car accident, is reanimated by an eccentric doc who names him Frank Einstein and instills in him enhanced senses, psychic power and exceptional physical skills. The doc can't fix his creature's face, so Madman wears a costume modeled after his fave superhero to hide his scars.
Project, spearheaded by Dimension co-chairman Bob Weinstein and production prexy Richard Saperstein, will follow a template similar to "Sin City," which Troublemaker produced and Rodriguez directed with creator Frank Miller for Dimension.
As with that film, the creative behind the comicbook is an active part of the creative process. And, like "Sin City," "Madman" will be shot entirely at Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios in Texas.
Rodriguez, who's readying a "Sin City" sequel, has wrapped "Planet Terror," his half of Dimension Films' "Grindhouse," to be released April 6. Quentin Tarantino, who's directing the other half, "Death Proof," will finish shooting in January.
Rodriguez has been trying to adapt the "Madman" comic for several years and felt the creative combination was the right one. He and Huang have known each other since Rodriguez's debut film, "El Mariachi," landed at Columbia and Huang worked at the studio. Huang was a creative consultant on Rodriguez's "Spy Kids 3."
"George has always had a really great grasp of the books, and Michael is just about the coolest guy you'll ever meet," Rodriguez said. "His Madman comics are nothing short of visionary."
Allred, who created props for "Planet Terror," is launching new series "Madman Atomic Comics" through Image Comics.
Future or past for Rodriguez?
Source: Hollywood Reporter
"Grindhouse" might have taken a drubbing at the boxoffice, but director Robert Rodriguez is very much in demand. He is in talks to direct a live-action feature version of futuristic 1960s cartoon "The Jetsons" for Warner Bros. Pictures, being produced by Denise Di Novi and Donald De Line.
At the same time, the helmer has met with Will Ferrell and Universal execs for helming duties on "Land of the Lost," based on the 1970s Sid and Marty Krofft fantasy TV series to which Ferrell is attached to star.
While no offers have been made, sources say "Jetsons" has the edge because its script, whose latest draft is by Adam Goldberg ("Fanboys"), is further along. One possible hurdle the studios will have to contend with is Rodriguez and the DGA.
Rodriguez left the guild in March 2004 when it refused his request to share the director's credit with Frank Miller on "Sin City."
Rodriguez could direct a studio movie if he declared himself under "financial core" status with the DGA, paying partial dues but remaining a nonmember.
The whole production would be done under the DGA auspices, with a DGA supervisor on the set. For Endeavor-repped Rodriguez, who is less concerned about such matters, the question is whether he wants to do a space movie or a dinosaur movie.
Rodriguez to direct 'Preacher' pilot?
Comics2Film has heard a few more tidbits of info about the 'Preacher' series at HBO.
Turns out director Howard Deutch is no longer on the project. Deutch, who previously worked with Mark Steven Johnson on 'Grumpier Old Men', had been set to direct the initial episode since the development of the project was announced last November. His attachment raised a few eyebrows among fans as the director is not really known for helming edgy material like a 'Preacher' show would have to be.
So who is lined up to bring Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's shocking tale of angels and demons in the American west to Home Box Office?
Word is Robert Rodriguez is circling the project and he's just one of many top-shelf directors interested in the series.
Will having the man behind the brilliant 'Sin City' adaptation at the helm assuage the fears of fans who blanched at the notion of the Johnson writing and producing the project?
The question may be moot, as our sources tell us HBO still has not committed to the show. Last week we told you how to shout out to HBO and tell them to greenlight 'Preacher'.
Well, if you're excited about Robert Rodriguez getting involved with the project now is the time to act.
Our sources say the project is "on the one yard line". Only you can push it into the end zone, fans.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/comic_con_2009/news/1834188/five_favorite_films_with_robert_rodriguez
Did you guys know he has a kids movie opening today? I sure didn't until just now.
Quote from: Stefen on August 21, 2009, 09:05:51 AM
Did you guys know he has a kids movie opening today? I sure didn't until just now.
I did and I heard its a pretty good kids movie, so it sucks that it didn't get any marketing against Basterds, also considering the connection between Rodriguez and Tarantino. It opens in more than 3,000 screens too.
Quote from: kal on August 21, 2009, 01:32:29 PM
Quote from: Stefen on August 21, 2009, 09:05:51 AM
Did you guys know he has a kids movie opening today? I sure didn't until just now.
I did and I heard its a pretty good kids movie, so it sucks that it didn't get any marketing against Basterds, also considering the connection between Rodriguez and Tarantino. It opens in more than 3,000 screens too.
all of his kids movies are marketed for content not film maker, because it's perceived as a mixed message. it would say something like, "from the people that brought you spy kids" if anything
Quote from: socketlevel on August 21, 2009, 01:52:28 PM
Quote from: kal on August 21, 2009, 01:32:29 PM
Quote from: Stefen on August 21, 2009, 09:05:51 AM
Did you guys know he has a kids movie opening today? I sure didn't until just now.
I did and I heard its a pretty good kids movie, so it sucks that it didn't get any marketing against Basterds, also considering the connection between Rodriguez and Tarantino. It opens in more than 3,000 screens too.
all of his kids movies are marketed for content not film maker, because it's perceived as a mixed message. it would say something like, "from the people that brought you spy kids" if anything
and it did... I'm surprised you guys didn't see anything for this. The trailer has been in front of every movie I've seen this summer this year. Granted, I live in Austin, but still.
That was my point, I didnt mean it should have been marketed against Tarantino because its Rodriguez, I meant it was the kids-frlendly alternative for the weekend. Considering that there havent been other kids films since Harry Potter, it could have been successful but because of the lack of marketing I'm not sure. I have not seen the trailer. They told me it was in front of Harry Potter which is great, but I didn't see it anywhere else.
'Machete Kills' Director Robert Rodriguez Says Sequel Takes Series 'To Another Level'
The filmmaker hopes to handle directing duties himself for "Machete Kills," which will immediately precede another highly-anticipated sequel, "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For."
Source: THR
As previously reported by THR, Robert Rodriguez is finally set to direct a sequel to Sin City entitled A Dame to Kill For. But before the filmmaker steps back into comic creator Frank Miller's bleak, black & white world, Rodriguez is scheduled to shoot a different sequel – Machete Kills, a follow-up to his 2010 grindhouse tribute Machete. Although he shared directing duties with Ethan Maniquis on the original, he told THR he'd like to take Machete Kills on by himself, if possible.
"Currently I am directing it," Rodriguez said during an interview about the Blu-ray release of his second feature film, Roadracers. "But we're checking to see if there's going to be the need for another director if I have to go off and do Sin City. I wasn't sure what the timing on Sin City was or if I would have to step off to do Sin City at a certain point, depending on when Machete went. But Machete looks like it's going to go pretty quickly so it's possible that I will direct the whole thing."
Potential schedule conflicts notwithstanding, Rodriguez admitted he would like to do it himself if only because he likes the script so much. "There's so much of it that I want to direct I'll probably end up directing the whole thing," he said. "But if I have to step off, I'm going to try and shoot all of the actors and all of the main sequences. But it's such a fun movie, and it just came out even more fun than I could have imagined."
"I feel like I really need to do it, he reiterated. "It's so subjective I feel like I really need to get in there and do it. It's just a lot of fun; it's a really cool concept, and I think it takes it to another level in a way that's compelling for me to go and do it myself."
'Machete Kills' Director Robert Rodriguez Lines Up 'Fire and Ice' After 'Sin City 2'
The prolific filmmaker has two sequels in his immediate future, to be followed by an animated film that pays tribute to the work of iconic artist Frank Frazetta.
Source: THR
Robert Rodriguez is a busy man. Since rebooting his Spy Kids franchise last year, the writer-director has lined up two highly anticipated sequels in his immediate future: Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. But in an interview with THR on Monday, Rodriguez indicated that he had a third film in development, which is set to start as soon as he's finished with Sin City.
"That's in the works to go right into after Sin City, Frank Frazetta's Fire and Ice," Rodriguez said during a telephone interview in conjunction with the Blu-ray release of his 1994 telefilm Roadracers. "We're almost done with the script; we've got it pretty much 70 percent there. I'm really excited about that one."
First announced during Comic-Con last year, Fire and Ice is a remake of Frazetta and Ralph Bakshi's 1983 animated feature. According to previous reports, Rodriguez said his goal is to re-create the depth and artistry of Frazetta's iconic work. "The whole idea is to make it using the technology I used for Sin City because I want it to be as if you stepped into one of his paintings," Rodriguez told The Playlist last year.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez indicated that his recently announced plans to finally tackle the sequel to Sin City should actually provide him with extra time to get the script for Fire and Ice into shape before the film goes into preproduction.
"I think the timing is going to work out just right, and we'll have a finished script in the next month or so," he said. "So we can start lengthier preproduction and we can go right into preproduction -- well, we're actually in preproduction, sort of, or we've been doing a lot of the previsualization. But that would be the next thing after Sin City."
Rodriguez's Frazetta fandom extends to preservation and celebration of the artist's work; at Comic-Con 2011, he premiered a gallery of original paintings from the artist that are scheduled to be showcased in a gallery in Austin. He said that he was looking forward to breathing new life into Frazetta's artwork and introducing him to a new generation of sci-fi and fantasy fans.
"I'm really excited about that," Rodriguez said. "For Frazetta fans, this will be the ultimate tribute to what he did, and inspired so many people. I think it's going to be pretty powerful when people see it."
Roadracers, a Showtime movie starring David Arquette and Salma Hayek, was released April 17 on Blu-ray.
James Cameron Producing 'Alita: Battle Angel' with Robert Rodriguez Directing (http://variety.com/2015/film/news/james-cameron-alita-battle-angel-robert-rodriguez-1201618035/)
QuoteThe movie is based on the Japanese manga and graphic novel series "Battle Angel Alita" by Yukito Kishiro, first published in 1990. The story is set in the 26th century and centers on the title character — an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by a doctor, who names her after his deceased cat. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals.
The film will explore a young woman's journey of self-discovery and finding love.
"Robert and I have been looking for a film to do together for years, so I was pumped when he said he wanted to do 'Battle Angel,'" Cameron said. "He's very collaborative and we're already like two kids building a go-kart, just having fun riffing creatively and technically. This project is near and dear to me, and there's nobody I trust more than Robert, with his technical virtuosity and rebel style, to take over the directing reins. We're looking forward to learning a lot from each other while we make a kick-ass epic."
QuoteCameron and Landau, who will produce for Fox under their Lightstorm Entertainment banner, are also currently in pre-production on the three "Avatar" sequels.
it appeared Dec 8 and i just realized
July 20, 2018 release date