Roger Avary

Started by j_scott_stroup04, January 12, 2004, 09:58:16 PM

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j_scott_stroup04

I don't know if there is a forum about him already, but I haven't noticed one in the duration of my time on this site, so I'm making one.  

All I have to say about this guy is MAKE MORE MOVIES!  I'm assuming he's not exactly a "fan favorite" amongst those at this site, but I don't KNOW for sure.  I do know that he's not a critical hit by any means.  

Those who are unfamiliar with Avary, he's the writer/director of Killing Zoe, which he made in 1994, and he wrote the screenplay and directed Rules of Attraction in 2002.  In between he did a made for TV movie called Dr. Stitch (which I haven't seen).  His biggest claim to fame to date is co-writing one of the stories for Pulp Fiction.  When Quentin won Best Original Screenplay, Avary got an award too.  He and Quetin worked at the same video store together (Video Archives), and they have similar tastes in film.  Obviously, Tarantino is much better at expresses his tastes onto film than Avary is, but I give Avary loads of credit.  Both his films are very original in an unoriginal way.  I can't really explain it much better than that.  They kind of have the same approach that Tarantino's films have.  He drags B-movies into the world of the Arthouse and meshes them together to create a unique mix.  Again, Tarantino does this much better, but I wonder how much credit Avary would get had he made Killing Zoe before Tarantino made Reservoir Dogs.  Dogs is a much better film, but Killing Zoe never got a fair shot.  It was immediately labeled a "Tarantino knock-off."  
Another thing you have to consider is, the only reason Avary was able to make a film, was because the studio knew he was an "Oscar-winning" writer, which was because of Tarantino.  So, it kind of goes both ways, he didn't get a fair shot because of Tarantino, but he wouldn't have even had a shot if it wasn't for Tarantino.  

What does everybody else think?
"The sunshine bores the daylights outta me!"- Rolling Stones

"When I am King you will be first against the wall!"- Radiohead

socketlevel

i got to admit i think avary is a better writer then filmmaker.  i like and own killing zoe but his other stuff isn't that good.  "rules" was over rated and sensationalized.  Stitch was pretty bad, you can rent it on video.

he does a great commentary for Romero's Day of the Dead released by anchor bay.  he seems like a true fan of films.

-sl-

p.s. since that other thread was moved i'll mention it again J.  my pic is from "They Live" by John Carpenter.  A great Sci Fi film.
the one last hit that spent you...

j_scott_stroup04

I'm not even sure what that movie is, and for some reason that what I assumed it was....kinda weird....

I enjoyed the style he brought to Rules, but I don't know if the book was worth making a movie out of.  By far the coolest scene in the movie was when that one guy was explaining his trip to Europe.  Supposedly, it's like that in the book too, all one sentence.
"The sunshine bores the daylights outta me!"- Rolling Stones

"When I am King you will be first against the wall!"- Radiohead

socketlevel

Stitch is kind of like a frankenstein story, the worst thing going for it is that it stars whesley crusher from star trek the next generation.  man that guy sucks.  it's pretty low budget.  I would want to see avery direct one of his own scripts again.  that's where he's done his best shit.

-sl-

sorry i'm confused which film looks kind of weird to you, "they live" or "Dr. Stitch"?
the one last hit that spent you...

j_scott_stroup04

They Live, when I saw that as your avatar, that named popped into my head and I'm not even sure what the movie is.  For some reason I just saw the words "They Live"....creepy eh?
"The sunshine bores the daylights outta me!"- Rolling Stones

"When I am King you will be first against the wall!"- Radiohead

socketlevel

its all about aliens invading earth a la invasion of the body snatchers.  the hero, nada, can only see them with a pair of special sun glasses.  it sounds stupid but it's a fucking classic.  funny and insightful of the beginning of globalization.  good social commentary and made at the perfect time in history for such issues.

-sl-
the one last hit that spent you...

j_scott_stroup04

Sounds cool, but I betcha they don't even have it at either of the three of my local video stores....is it worth owning?
"The sunshine bores the daylights outta me!"- Rolling Stones

"When I am King you will be first against the wall!"- Radiohead

socketlevel

i'd say yes, but i'm sure a lot of people would say no.  it all depends, go rent some other carpenter's like "the thing" "big trouble in little china" or "Halloween" and if you like those then maybe.

you see the genius of carpenter is that his films lie somewhere between shlock and insight (much like George A. Romero), which ends up being great entertainment.  it all depends on if you're into that.  i know a lot of filmmakers have really been into his shit, like tarantino and M. Knight.

you never know your store might just have what you're looking for.  go to the store that has all the old VHS's and you might find it.

-sl-
the one last hit that spent you...

©brad

i don't know whether you two noticed, but our site comes equipped w/ this ultra-cool function;

Rudie Obias

why should he make more movies when he's entirely overrated?
\"a pair of eyes staring at you, projected on a large screen is what cinema is truly about.\" -volker schlöndorff

j_scott_stroup04

Is he overrated?!?!?!   I never hear anybody ever talking about him.  The only mention he ever gets is in reference to the Pulp Fiction Oscar, or just in relation to Quentin in some form or another.  Never for his own films.  Granted, I sparked a discussion about him in relation to Quentin as well, but that's the reason why I did, to see if anybody thinks their names shouldn't be siamese twins.
"The sunshine bores the daylights outta me!"- Rolling Stones

"When I am King you will be first against the wall!"- Radiohead

Rudie Obias

Quote from: j_scott_stroup04Is he overrated?!?!?!

he's overrated on this message board.
\"a pair of eyes staring at you, projected on a large screen is what cinema is truly about.\" -volker schlöndorff

BonBon85

Anybody know anything about Glitteratti and the Glamorama movie? I know it's a bit early (I think the earliest release date I've heard is this summer) but I just finished reading Glamorama and am a bit curious.

I don't have very high expectations for Glitteratti (which I've heard is the footage of Victor's European vacation from ROA stretched out to feature length), but I'll probably see it because I want to know how Avary will deal with how he's changed the sequence of events a bit from the ROA and Glamorama novels.

cron

I heard Avary already has a script for Glamorama and is very enthusiastic about it.   Shannen Dorethy will be in it.
context, context, context.

MacGuffin

Quote from: BonBon85Anybody know anything about Glitteratti and the Glamorama movie? I know it's a bit early (I think the earliest release date I've heard is this summer) but I just finished reading Glamorama and am a bit curious.

La Dolce Victor
Source: Jeffery Wells

Roger Avary's GLITTERATI is a kind of dramatic documentary about a European debauch enjoyed last September and October by RULES OF ATTRACTION costar Kip Pardue. Or rather, technically speaking, by Pardue's character, Victor Johnson, since Pardue stayed more or less in character during filming.

The footage was initially intended to be used for a brief episode in RULES. It became that and, for my money, is easily the single coolest portion.

Now, however, Avary has decided to expand the 70 hours of footage he captured of Pardue running around Europe and getting down with various women into a feature-length docudrama. Avary is about halfway into the editing, and is hoping to put the finished product into theatres before it goes to DVD sometime next year. I was shown two or three clips and found them ... well, a lot more than fascinating

Avary followed the 26-year-old actor around in all these cities with two video cameras -- the larger and more professional-level Sony DP 150 and a smaller Sony PC 9.

Every woman Pardue met and hooked up with signed a release obtained by producer Greg Shapiro with an understanding the footage being shot was for inclusion in a feature film. And according to Avary, they all went for it hook, line and sinker, even to the point of making out with Pardue and, to some extent (I'm not sure how explicit the footage will be in the end), having sex with him on camera.

There's a great moment, for example, inside a car in Paris when a dishy Romanian model is talking with her New York City boyfriend on her cell phone, with Pardue sitting next to her and stroking her hair. The boyfriend is apparently feeling jealous and anxiety-ridden about the 9.11 tragedy (which had happened only recently when this sequence was taped), and wants her to join him as soon as she can. She tells him not to be so intense and possessive, that she's feeling "a little suffocated," but assures him he has nothing to worry about, fidelity-wise.

"She was just totally lying," says Avary. "She gave Kip a blowjob right after this."

I didn't see enough footage to be able to tell if Avary pays as much attention to the European scenery and tourist sights as he did the women, but the thing captures the way Europe can look and smell and sound to a touring, hang-it-all youth who's constantly distracted or on the move.

The look of GLITTERATI on Avary's Macintosh flat-panel screen was awesome as well. The video footage seemed to have the texture of film, except for those odd moments when sunlight would hit somebody's face and that portion of the image would briefly white-out. The footage seemed more textured than what video usually delivers, and yet like something other than film --it's some kind of hybrid. If only digital video could look this good on a big screen (pixellation is always visible when you blow things up), the whole video-to-film thing would be a much more tantalizing option.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390051/

Roger Avary Adapting 'Glamorama' To Film
Roger Avary, who was responsible for bringing The Rules of Attraction to film is now working his way thru an adaptation of Glamorama for the big screen. Roger has some tidbits about the process in his website FAQ:

"GLAMORAMA"
Q: You say you're working on adapting it for the screen. Do you intend to direct it as well?

A: Yes. I feel comfortable within the world of Bret Easton Ellis -- it's a world I understand. I also feel that he's one of the best writers today, certainly one of my favorite. I'm very lucky to be drawing from his intensly rich source material.

Q: Will the characters from "The Rules of Attraction" who make appearances in "Glamorama" be played by the same actors (if you have your way)?

A: Yes...and no.

Q: How the hell are you going to condense that book into a couple hours?

A: The same way you condense any book. First you absorb the entirety of theme and device, then you destroy, then you rebuild a new form with the spirit of the original.

Q: Do you know B.E.E., and how does he feel about you taking on two of his books?

A: I've met Bret on several occasions, and love him. My understanding is that he's happy with me so far. I believe he really liked "The Rules of Attraction" and is supportive of my adapting "Glamorama".  


http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0339073/
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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