As Richard Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles prepares its U.S. release (Thanksgiving weekend in select cities, and then nationwide soon after), there’s a growing number of interviews with Linklater about all kinds of topics (especially questions about his next projects). This weekend’s New York Times has a good article by Dennis Lim that circles the myth of the real Orson Welles, with Linklater plugging in the holes about his own approach for this new period drama. However, I’d say the best Linklater interview I’ve read so far, comes from Christian Raymond’s Q&A in the Austin Film Society’s own publication Persistence of Vision.
Granted, Linklater is a founder of the Austin Film Society, but the discussion in this piece still opens up some intriguing topics. It’s such a relaxed conversation, there are even some minor plot spoilers in there, so be careful. Among the key tidbits: Zac Efron’s character in the film was inspired by a real kid (actual photo included in the article), what it’s like casting British actors instead of American actors (the NYC story was shot in the UK), and tackling the legendary presence that was Orson Welles (played terrifically by newcomer Christian McKay):
Linklater: Christian and I had this graph, tracking when [Orson Welles is] being himself, and where he’s “b.s.-ing.” ... I think this describes so many [artists]. They’re either shy or have problems in the real world, but that artificial niche that’s been created, via plays or music, whatever their art is, that’s where they can really be themselves.
John Lahr, Burt Lahr’s son, wrote this wonderful thing about his dad (who played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz), that I’ll never forget: “I learned what all great performers’ children learn; that the best of my father went to his audience. Anything that was left over, we got.” He saved up the best for himself and I said, “Wow that’s kind of sad.” But that’s the blessing and the curse.
Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is great. Still only in limited release, Anderson’s sixth feature officially ends his frustrating creative downturn. His career came storming out of the gate, with the one-two-three punch of Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums. But then he stopped writing with Owen Wilson, and his next two features (The Life Aquatic and The Darjeeling Limited) were big disappointments. His films started to feel like a pale imitation of what he used to do so well, and that special energy has been captured again for Fantastic Mr. Fox. Adapted from Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Anderson’s film is visionary and funny.
The film delivers with both clever animation as well as a clever script, the kind of cocktail you only really find in Pixar movies. Fantastic Mr. Fox clearly comes from Wes Anderson’s brain, taking his meticulous set designs and 1960s songs, but bringing them into an imaginative world of talking animals. Like all of Anderson’s films, this is the story of a misunderstood male trying to achieve ambitious goals while both alienating and uniting a community of eccentric misfits. In this case, it’s George Clooney as Fox, who must save his community after endangering them in the eyes of some malevolent farmers. Similar to other Anderson heroes (Dignan, Max Fischer, Steve Zissou), Fox is charming but selfish. Unlike recent Anderson films, though, Fantastic Mr. Fox is not selfish with its sense of joy and entertainment. It might even be one of the best movies of the year.
Talented music video director Garth Jennings (who also made the film Son of Rambow) turns his camera on Vampire Weekend, for the band’s new video. It’s for their single “Cousins,” the first new track from the group’s upcoming sophomore LP. Catchy song, inventive video:
(Pretty tight early sketch of the Queen of Hearts, from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland.)
On Wednesday night, I made my way over to MoMA for one of the sneak previews for their massive Tim Burton exhibit (which officially opens on November 22 and closes on April 26). A tribute to the iconic and popular and divisive film director/animator, this exhibit is probably one of the best ideas that a museum has ever had (and, yes, I understand museums have been around for a long time). What, at first, you assume might just be props and costumes from Burton’s dream-like films (Beetlejuice, Sweeney Todd), turns into much more as you realize how passionately imaginative Burton has been about his process. Adorning the walls of the exhibit are countless sketches and drafts of his characters, whether it be a wholly original creation like Edward Scissorhands or his own interpretation on the Mad Hatter (for his upcoming Alice In Wonderland adaptation). There are so many reasons why this show is a great idea. Perhaps at the forefront is the fact that when Burton wasn’t creating new characters, he was reinventing cultural landmarks like comic book heroes or childrens’ book stories. So, even when he’s remaking Planet of the Apes, it’s an offbeat kind of pop art.
(A napkin sketch of the title character from Burton’s Sweeney Todd.)
(An early watercolor painting of The Joker from Batman. Slightly different than what Jack Nicholson ended up doing with the character.)
Plus, there are examples of other characters and creations that never made it into one of his films, a glimpse into brainstorming that could maybe one day be a new animated or live-action feature work. Or, maybe these sketches will just live forever as self-contain scraps of paper, like a musician’s lost tapes or an author’s unfinished chapter. Regardless of the art’s place in Tim Burton’s day job as a film director, these pieces exist as a separate body of work. The MoMA exhibit runs in chronological order, depicting childhood dreams while he grew up in Burbank through his topsy-turvy career from commercial success (Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas) to undeserved commercial failure (Mars Attacks). The inspiration seems to come from Mexican Day of the Dead artwork, blended with B-movie special effects. And, being that this is coming from someone with such an absurd sense of humor as Burton, it’s probably important not to dissect the work too seriously. As he has claimed, very little of this collection was created with an eye towards exhibition. It’s just art he made, some of it in his spare time while stumbling onto visionary ideas. But that’s also what makes this show such a treat, and a rare event.
(A behind-the-scenes video where Tim Burton discusses the MoMA exhibit)
Super-talented commercials and music video director Keith Scofield (he of the amazing “Toe Jam” clip) has returned with his latest project: a nonsense-laden, but beautiful, video for the new Charlotte Gainsbourg single “Heaven Can Wait.” Gainsbourg is joined in the video, and on the song, by Beck. Check it out:
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