I think he warrants it. His films are most definetly His.
My computer is mine.
NO
Just looked at Romeo and Juliet again the other day and was quite struck by it, much stuff in it I had forgotten about.
Quote from: cbrad4dJust looked at Romeo and Juliet again the other day and was quite struck by it, much stuff in it I had forgotten about.
I agree, this movie was really well done, cinematography is awesome
Quote from: cbrad4dJust looked at Romeo and Juliet again the other day and was quite struck by it, much stuff in it I had forgotten about.
I love that movie, although I think the lead acting is terrible. Still a great movie... I'm not sure how that works, though...
my favourite thing Luhrmann changed from the play in that movie had nothing to do with the stylistic differences...i think it's so great that Juliet wakes up just as Romeo begins to die.
Does anybody else here think that moulin rouge really blew?
I JUST watched moulin rouge again. I think it gets better every time. I didn't really like it the first time i saw it.
Moulin Rouge was a decent movie. R&J was just plain annoying.
Luhrman exagerates everything. He over does anything he touches to the point that you can't really appreciate any of it.
Should definately NOT have his own category.
i think he sucks. he's probably better off as an interior designer.
People like Luhrman ruin everything that is good and pure about film.
damn there sure is a lot of moulin hating going around. It really is a love it or hate it type of thing. I liked it a lot.
Quote from: cbrad4dI liked it a lot.
as did i.
ppl hav a tendency to over-hate things to make a point, i doubt baz is bad for film at all.
original non-stupit vision = good.
I didn't hate it! I just didn't like the way they edited it. It was to "MtTv'ish". It nearly made my head explode!
Quote from: Sigur RósI didn't hate it! I just didn't like the way they edited it. It was to "MtTv'ish". It nearly made my head explode!
You're getting old my friend.
Quote from: SHAFTRPeople like Luhrman ruin everything that is good and pure about film.
:?:
Baz is great. MOULIN ROUGE is fucking genius.
I'm in the anti-Rouge camp. Luhrmann seems to have more energy than actual enthusiasm or focus. It's just extremely boring to me, and annoying how often you hear him called an "artist" and a "great filmmaker." All his tricks are so graceless; who else can make a constantly moving camera seem so clumsy and blah? He has this really mindless, totally cumbersome, bludgeoning technique that I liken to that of Guy Ritchie. There's really no style, just persistence. God, is it persistent. But once I actually complete the chore of making it through one of his films, I always feel like he's built these beautiful sets, arranged everything just so, and then horribly mismanages it all- mis-frames, mis-composes, mis-edits, forces everything into gimmickry- until it just evaporates into a lot of tiresome nothing. He's the cinematic equivalent of a chronic premature ejaculator.
being a chronic premature ejaculator, i respectfully disagree.
luhrman´s visions are faszinating! in moulin rouge,you feel like you had to much LSD and it was absolutly this feeling he wanted the peolpe to have. never forget that you are sitting in the cinema. this big, huge over-too-muchis simlpy wonderful
Quote from: taz.I JUST watched moulin rouge again. I think it gets better every time. I didn't really like it the first time i saw it.
dude, i so agree! i didn't like MOULIN ROUGE! the first time i saw it but now i really love it! i just watched it 3 times today, one viewing after another! i was really amazed by the images, colors and the music. i really wanna buy the red curtain trilogy now. baz luhrmann is probably the only filmmaker i enjoy that is completely over-styled but the substance in his films make up for that. with baz luhrmann, there is no such thing as an over-styled film.
Quote from: godardianI'm in the anti-Rouge camp. Luhrmann seems to have more energy than actual enthusiasm or focus. It's just extremely boring to me, and annoying how often you hear him called an "artist" and a "great filmmaker." All his tricks are so graceless; who else can make a constantly moving camera seem so clumsy and blah? He has this really mindless, totally cumbersome, bludgeoning technique that I liken to that of Guy Ritchie. There's really no style, just persistence. God, is it persistent. But once I actually complete the chore of making it through one of his films, I always feel like he's built these beautiful sets, arranged everything just so, and then horribly mismanages it all- mis-frames, mis-composes, mis-edits, forces everything into gimmickry- until it just evaporates into a lot of tiresome nothing. He's the cinematic equivalent of a chronic premature ejaculator.
i have to disagree here. the difference between baz luhrmann and guy ritchie is that ritchie is completely unoriginal. he banks off established style and rips it off. he banks off established genre pieces and exploits their strong points. whereinas luhrmann, is completely original with style and aesthetic. in WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET, he successfully adapts shakespeare and makes it, without question, his own. he does the same thing in MOULIN ROUGE! where he takes top 40 pop and rock songs and puts it into this turn of the century, bohemian free for all. again, he makes it his own. MOULIN ROUGE! is a true masterpiece from a true artist. ritchie falls flat with his inspiration and it genuinely shows in his works.
example: one piece of MOULIN ROUGE! which stands out for me is the beginning. a silhouette of a conductor is standing in front of a red curtain. the curtain opens and the 20th century fox logo appears and the fox theme music starts. the conductor, conducts an unseen orchestra, then the curtain closes and re-opens with the start of the film. this puts the audience in the mind set that they're in the theater and they're about to watch a play. you get this feeling throughout the film. you are no longer seeing a film but rather an over the top theater musical! the film seems to go so far over the top that it, quite literally, pours out of the screen, flows through the audience and out of the building/theater. it's very rare i get this feeling while sitting in my apartment in front of the fuckin' TV! luhrmann is brilliant and i can't wait to see his next film about alexander the great. leonardo dicaprio as alexander the great and nicole kidman as olympias. brilliant! brilliant! brilliant!
ps
i had no idea klyie minogue played the green fairy. luhrmann gets cred for that in my book! brilliant casting!
I have the opposite impression: I thought Moulin Rouge was tolerable the first time, really boring the second, and I despised it the third time.
....i'm over the age of 13 so ..that means baz doesnn't appeal to me nor does his films...
his films are just "elaborate high school tap dancing recitals".......
"Romeo + Juliet" was one of my favorite movies when I was about 9 years old. I still like it.
"Moulin Rouge!" kicks ass.
"Strictly Ballroom" is still lying here in my room on VHS but I haven't watched it yet.
The Vine: Beattie penning Luhrmann epic
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Australian screenwriter Stuart Beattie, who offered moviegoers a new view of Los Angeles in "Collateral," is returning to more familiar turf and will pen an Australian-set, period epic for helmer Baz Luhrmann. The project, a romance that is being compared to "Gone With the Wind," is being kept under wraps. It looks, however, as if it could be part of a new trio of films that Luhrmann envisions. The director famously dubbed his three musical films -- 1992's "Strictly Ballroom," 1996's "Romeo + Juliet" and 2001's "Moulin Rouge" -- his Red Curtain trilogy. He then began talking about a trilogy of epics, which would include his film about the life of Alexander the Great as well as a Russian epic and an Australian epic. Luhrmann had been developing "Alexander" as a starring vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman, but that film now appears to have been shelved. Luhrmann -- who has close relations with 20th Century Fox and is repped by ICM -- has not said what film he will tackle next, though he has begun meeting with actors about the various film projects he has in mind, and the Australian epic appears to be among the active possibilities. Beattie has written such films as "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" as well as such upcoming projects as "Derailed," "30 Days of Night" and "Truce," which Vadim Perelman is directing for Warner Independent Pictures.
Quote from: MacGuffinThe Vine: Beattie penning Luhrmann epic
Quote from: MacGuffinThe project, a romance that is being compared to "Gone With the Wind," is being kept under wraps.
I remember JB being interested in this project. I wonder if this tidbit killed it for him. Came pretty close for me.
Crowe, Kidman Courted
Eyed for Luhrmann's Aussie epic romance.
Native New Zealander Russell Crowe and Australian-raised actress Nicole Kidman are being eyed by director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rogue, Strictly Ballroom) for his self-described "Australian epic romance," according to industry insider mag Variety. Details on the project are sparse, but it's been compared to Gone With the Wind.
Kidman and Crowe had been set to star together in Eucalyptus, but that project was kicked to the curb due to script problems.
Collateral and Pirates of the Caribbean scribe Stuart Beattie is writing the script for Baz's Fox-based film.
The picture is thought to be the first in a trio of new films from the acclaimed director, who topped off his "red curtain trilogy" with 2001's Moulin Rogue.
Other pictures on Luhrmann's slate include his take on Alexander the Great, which was indefinitely delayed after Oliver Stone's version went into production, and another film simply described as "a Russian tale."
I just watched R&J last night for the first time. It was't perfect, but he did a lot of interesting and fun things with it. I loved the complete use of the text (instead of rewriting the dialogue, I mean).
Joining the "like" boat on Moulin Rouge
Lurhmann rushes from 'Australia' to 'Gatsby'
Defends epic's boxoffice; moves quickly on timely project
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" may be doing some middling U.S. boxoffice, earning about $38 million since it opened Thanksgiving weekend, but the director is unrepentant as the movie nears its first month of release stateside.
In one of his first interviews since the movie opened, he sat down with The Hollywood Reporter and spoke out against "Australia's" critics and those he feels call him the "black hole of cinema." He also said he will move quickly on his next project, "The Great Gatsby," which he said will be a perfect parable for economic disaster.
"A lot of reviewers like 'Australia.' And we're making people cry; I know because they write to us," he said. "But there are those that don't get it. A lot of the film scientists don't get it. And it's not just that that they don't get it, but they hate it and they hate me, and they think I'm the black hole of cinema. They say, 'He shouldn't have made it, and he should die.' "
Asked why he thought the reactions were so passionate, he replied: "I know what it's about." The movie's detractors were used to movies that were neatly defined, he said. "This is not (simply) a romantic comedy for 40-year-old women or action movies for 17-year-old boys, and that's not OK with some people. It's not OK for people to come eat at the same table of cinema. But you look at movies like 'Gone With the Wind' and Old Hollywood classics, and they don't fit in any box.
"Corny Hollywood movies from the '40s freak out (the film scientists)," he added.
Speaking with THR at the Four Seasons, he struck a tone that was as unyielding as many of the creative choices in his movies but was also occasionally conciliatory. "I'm not whining, because when you do what I do, you expect to be covered in mud. But there seems to be a lot of misinformation."
Among those pieces of misinformation is boxoffice, he said; Luhrmann noted that "Moulin Rouge" has been on a similar pace as his latest epic, and that sticking it out for the long haul was not an uncommon experience for him. "I'm used to the waves crashing around me. And what I do is stick to a craggy rock as they keep coming. And if you stick to it long enough someone else will stick to it, too, and then someone else and then someone else."
(Indeed, "Rouge" was at $36 million through three weeks of release and finished with $57 million, though some might say the production budget of "Australia" necessitated a higher return.)
The director, as Risky Biz first reported last month, also said that he has officially acquired rights to "Gatsby." Luhrmann sees the pre-Depression story as a wake-up call as the economy comes crashing down and another gilded age, as he sees it, comes to an end.
"If you wanted to show a mirror to people that says, 'You've been drunk on money,' they're not going to want to see it. But if you reflected that mirror on another time they'd be willing to."
He added, "People will need an explanation of where we are and where we've been, and 'The Great Gatsby' can provide that explanation."
Luhrmann appeared as particularly interested in worsening economic times and attitudes -- noting a kind of glib wealth that came with "the Wall Street trader who has a house in the Hamptons as big as an airport" -- and he went on to say that the people needed to take the message of hope from "Australia."
He said that he wants to move quickly on the "Gatsby" project because of that timeliness. "I'm going to move faster than I have before. I'd be surprised if it's another seven years," he said, referring to the period between "Rouge" and "Australia."
The project also might not be with Fox. The director said he's "talking to everyone, and they're all interested" -- and paused a full 10 seconds when asked if his experience with Fox was a satisfactory one, before offering a noncommittal answer.
Luhrmann acknowledged his vision's sprawling ambition but said he was not being given enough slack. "There's this whole thing about he's all over the map and he's bonkers. And that may be true. But they're unwilling to see there might be a plan there."
He acknowledged that there are flaws in his picture but noted that when "you make a small-scale picture it's going to be easier. No large-scale movie doesn't have warts, just by its nature."
The director also cleared up the question over the ending. There were reports that Fox had asked him to keep Hugh Jackman's character alive, but the auteur noted he was a final-cut director and said he was contemplating several endings, including those where Jackman's character died, which he said scored well with younger women, but he ultimately decided against it because he wanted the movie to be left with hope, not tragedy.
Ultimately, Luhrmann said, the movie's verdict will be written by many of those he feels have not yet begun to speak. " 'Moulin Rouge' was supposed to go away," Luhrmann said. "Not only has it not gone away, but you can't read about modern musicals without reading about it. 'Australia' will not go away."
I Love 'Moulin Rouge'. I just watched it again today Although I still agree with Godardian, that he really has more energy than focus but I think it really works for 'Moulin Rouge'. This is a film that would be great on Blu-ray. A story as old as time and yet it has enough life and flash to give you a jolt to the arm and a rush in your blood. I was dancing around my apartment during the can can. There's a love it or hate it vibe when it comes to this film and I guess it comes down to whether you enjoy the musical atmosphere thats done so well here and was so awkwardly done at the oscars.
I am still slightly weary of what he will do with 'Australia' and how he will make a strait up romance film. My Blu-ray of that film will be coming in soon.
EXCLUSIVE: Leonardo DiCaprio Possibility For Baz Luhrmann's 'Great Gatsby'?
Source: MTV
With F. Scott Fitzgerald's story "The Mysterious Case of Benjamin Button" collecting a trio of Oscars this year, picking up the writer's best-known work "The Great Gatsby" sounds like a great decision for director Baz Luhrmann. The wildly experimental filmmaker behind "Moulin Rouge!" and "Romeo + Juliet" loves period pieces, so his choice to take on the novel makes plenty of sense. But who will he snag to play the film's large-shoed roles of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby.
"I know where you're going," the director responded to MTV News on the red carpet of this year's Academy Awards. The Australian-born director chuckled when asked if he would be bringing back any of his previous collaborators for "Gatsby," and DiCaprio still has that youthful look and the acting chops that could slide right into the role of Nick. For now, though, he's just concentrating on his broader vision for the movie.
"It will be a drama," Luhrmann explained, nixing the idea of turning "Gatsby" into a musical a la "Moulin Rouge!"
Elaborating on his plans, he outlined his take on he book, which centers around making the story relevant to the world's current financial crisis. Set in the 1920's when when American high society reveled in decadence, Luhrmann's case is easy to follow.
"It's a great story," he said. "A great iconic story and if you think about it, it truly reveals the time we're in. It might explain a bit of what we've been through. If you reread it now you'll see how powerful and meaningful it is in this time."
that'd be fucking great!
for me, the success of this film virtually hinges on the casting of Daisy.
I seriously concur.
Luhrmann tackles installation in break from movies
Source: AP
HONG KONG - Taking a break from movies, "Moulin Rouge" director Baz Luhrmann on Wednesday unveiled a multimedia installation in Hong Kong that he says explores the narrative potential of paintings.
"The Creek," a collaboration with painter Vincent Fantauzzo, centers on a large oil painting showing rescue efforts for a car that has veered off a bridge. The painting is placed in a narrow dark room decorated with candles and photographs from Luhrmann's childhood in rural Australia. An audio clip of a car crash plays in the background.
"I am fascinated with how in classical art narrative is dealt with," Luhrmann told reporters on the sidelines of the Hong Kong International Art Fair, where his piece is being displayed.
"The cathedrals of the 17th century were sort of the cineplexes of their time. The audience went into a darkened room. They contemplated a painting. And in that painting ... they had their own cinematic experience. They had their own narrative experience," the director said.
Known for his flashy visuals and lavish set designs, Luhrmann's credits also include "Strictly Ballroom," "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" and "Australia."
Luhrmann said he hasn't decided on his next project and is currently choosing between three movie projects and two stage productions, including a possible adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel "The Great Gatsby."
Baz Luhrmann Deciding Between Doing 'Great Gatsby' Or Mysterious Musical Project
Source: MTV
When fans of Baz Luhrmann heard that he was up for directing a new-millennium film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic "The Great Gatsby," let's just say there was an excited shout of joy, collectively. And then when it was rumored that "Romeo + Juliet" star Leonardo DiCaprio might be up for Gatsby, well let's just say wowza! So, when MTV News caught up with Baz at "The Social Network" premiere we tried to get some updates on the project.
"The rumors are out! I've got two going. One is a musical and one is a period work, both based in New York City, and I'm about to make that decision. I've got the script for both of them and I'm making that decision in four to six weeks, no longer than six weeks," he teased, adding that "Gatsby" had no plans to add some singing. "Singing 'Gatsby'? No! 'Gatsby,' it is the Fitzgerald book and I've been working on that quite a lot. The other one is also New York based and music-driven and it's just a question of ... what is the next right step for me."
Getting more info out of Luhrmann was a bit difficult after that. He wouldn't say much about the musical project. And, he also wouldn't weigh in on those Leo/Gatsby rumors. "You know I think of casting all the time, but I put that to the side and I complete the text," he said. "Obviously there are natural choices and there is a natural top of the list, but I really refuse to say anything until we have text right."
Gatsby.
Musicals are dead. Finally.
'The Great Gatsby' Director Baz Luhrmann Injured on Australia Set
Production on the Leonardo DiCaprio movie was shut down a day early following the accident.
Source: THR
Filming on The Great Gatsby was shut down a day early after director Baz Luhrmann suffered an injury on the movie's Australian set.
Luhrmann bumped into a camera crane and needed three stitches in his head, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Anton Monsted, who is listed as a co-producer and music supervisor on the Warner Bros. movie at IMDB.com, told the Herald that Luhrmann was in the midst of directing a scene when the accident happened.
"We were on quite a cramped set and he was ducking under the crane," he said. "He struck his head on the weights on the end of the camera crane. He split open his head, and we had to get the doctor."
It was then decided to shut production down a day early ahead of the Christmas holiday, with the cast and crew set to return for additional shooting after the new year.
''There's a few days owing due to rain and then there will also be what we would have shot ... had we continued filming after Baz's injury,'' Monsted said.
An e-mail to a Warner Bros. representative was not immediately returned.
The movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway. Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Amitabh Bachchan and Elizabeth Debicki also star.
Gatsby has been filming at Fox Studios and various locations around Sydney for the past 83 days. It's set to be released Dec. 25, 2012, the same day as another DiCaprio movie, the Quentin Tarantino-directed Django Unchained.
Baz Luhrmann in Talks to Direct 'Kung Fu' for Legendary (Exclusive)
The project is the big-screen version of the 1970s martial arts Western.
Source: THR
Baz Luhrmann could be going from the Roaring Twenties to 19th century China.
The Australian filmmaker behind The Great Gatsby is in talks to direct Kung Fu, Legendary Pictures' big-screen adaptation of the 1970s martial arts Western television show. It is unclear how far along the talks are. Legendary had no comment, but the company is beginning to ramp up its Chinese-centric projects again (Zhang Yimou is in talks to revive the company's adventure movie The Great Wall) and Kung Fu has Chinese roots.
If a deal is made, Luhrmann would first do a rewrite on the script (the current script is by XXX scribe Rich Wilkes) before proceeding.
Kung Fu starred David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who came to the American West in search of his half-brother. The show featured flashbacks to his training as a teen in which his master called him "young grasshopper," a phrase that has stuck in the pop culture lexicon. The show aired on ABC from 1972 to 1975 and gained a cult following beyond its run.
According to sources, the current script switches the action to China, sees Caine go in search of his father -- at one point ending up in a prison where he must fight to survive.
Luhrmann would bring his own signature sensibility to the martial arts Western. The filmmaker is known for elaborate productions and highly stylized storytelling -- seen not only in the opulent Gatsby but in productions ranging from Moulin Rouge! to Strictly Ballroom.
Baz Luhrmann in Negotiations to Direct Elvis Presley Biopic for Warner Bros. (Exclusive)
Kelly Marcel is writing the film, which Gail Berman is producing and Andrew Mittman is executive producing
Source: The Wrap
Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis is in the building — as in, the Warner Bros. building — and director Baz Luhrmann is in negotiations to join the iconic singer, who is the subject of an untitled biopic being written by Kelly Marcel ("Fifty Shades of Grey"), TheWrap has learned.
Warner Bros. had no comment.
Marcel is hard at work writing an original screenplay about Elvis Presley, the hip-gyrating King of Rock and Roll, that will not be based on any pre-existing material. While the project is believed to be a biopic, it's unclear which periods of Presley's life would be depicted in the film.
Gail Berman is producing for Tecumseh Productions, while Andrew Mittman of Whalerock Industries will executive produce. WB executive Courtenay Valenti will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.
Warner Bros. has secured rights to all musical components in Presley's catalog for this project, multiple individuals familiar with the situation told TheWrap.
Luhrmann has been in negotiations for several weeks and should his deal close, it's expected that his wife, Oscar winner Catherine Martin, would board the project as costume designer and possibly as production designer as well.
Luhrmann has several projects in development around town — including Legendary's "Kung Fu" movie — and it remains unclear which project will serve as Luhrmann's follow-up to "The Great Gatsby," which grossed $351 million worldwide. The film was Luhrmann's biggest earner, and with such an impressive gross for a literary drama, it's no wonder Warner Bros. is eager to get back in business with Luhrmann.
Luhrmann, who was nominated for an Oscar for producing his dazzling 2001 musical "Moulin Rouge," is also developing a Napoleon miniseries for HBO. He's repped by WME and Hirsch Wallerstein.
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