Avary again
Apologies to readers and Beowulf producer and co-writer Roger Avary alike for screwing up the sound link to our chat the other day. (Two days of virus issues scattered my synapses more than usual.) Here's the real deal -- a chat with Roger about the ongoing Beowulf animation issue.
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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 13, 2007 at 7:33 PM
comment #1
Ian Sinclair
says ...
Your MPEG is peg-legged.
Posted by Ian Sinclair
at November 13, 2007 8:08 PM
comment #2
Kristopher Tapley
says ...
Holy shit that was a red "x" a second ago. Scared the crap out of me when I came back.
Posted by Kristopher Tapley
at November 13, 2007 8:34 PM
comment #3
mutinyco
says ...
You mean the red X that's supposed to be on his forehead?...
Posted by mutinyco
at November 13, 2007 8:52 PM
comment #4
D.Z.
says ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_McCay
Posted by D.Z.
at November 13, 2007 9:20 PM
comment #5
Ian Sinclair
says ...
Despite that Variety pan, BEOWULF is at 78% at Rotten Tomatoes after 9 reviews, with new positive reviews from Newsweek and the New York Post.
Posted by Ian Sinclair
at November 13, 2007 9:20 PM
comment #6
T. Holly
says ...
Roger Avary: I'm all for a feminist refresh/update of your film. I wonder at all if you have any idea how your story plays to girls. And yes, Angie's nipples were clearly visible in all her scenes beneath her gold paint, but don't confuse that with the feminist statement.
Posted by T. Holly
at November 13, 2007 10:02 PM
comment #7
Sam Adams
says ...
I hope that Wikipedia entry spells Winsor McCay's name right.
Posted by Sam Adams
at November 14, 2007 4:30 AM
comment #8
lesterg
says ...
In the event Roger ends up reading this: whatever happened to Glitterati?
Posted by lesterg
at November 14, 2007 5:36 AM
comment #9
Dave
says ...
Rasputin will never die!!
Posted by Dave
at November 14, 2007 5:59 AM
comment #10
Caustic712
says ...
Roger Avary IS Jeff Daniels as Herk Harvey:
http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=63
Posted by Caustic712
at November 14, 2007 6:04 AM
comment #11
Jerry Beck
says ...
Winsor McCay did not use rotoscope. Max Fleischer invented the device in 1917.
Posted by Jerry Beck
at November 14, 2007 8:44 AM
comment #12
Gaydos
says ...
Point one: if Jerry Beck tells you something about animation, bet heavily that he's right.
Point two: there is no justice in Oscarland, a point that will be again proven when/if "Beowulf" is overlooked for its screenplay. Saw B'wulf last night at the Uni IMAX. Kudos to Roger and Neil. Damn fine piece of writing. There are a couple of big Oscar contenders that could have used their help. Won't mention any names...
Also, as an aficionado of Ray Harryhausen's "Argonaut" pics, the B'wulf romp works wonderfully!
Posted by Gaydos
at November 14, 2007 10:55 AM
comment #13
T. Holly
says ...
It's a damn fine piece of writing that deserves to be overlooked and condemned as much as praised. I hope it really gets worked over by feminist and child advocates.
Posted by T. Holly
at November 14, 2007 11:32 AM
comment #14
T. Holly
says ...
Gaydos, weigh in on the nipples won't you? Who's zooming who in Jeff's interview with Roger? Did the animators have the last laugh? It's a beautiful exchange between them. Paraphrasing here, Roger: "the Real D was good, but then I saw the IMAX, I swear I could see Jolie's nipples, but 'they' tell me they're not there." Wells: "I saw nothing."
Posted by T. Holly
at November 14, 2007 11:49 AM
comment #15
T. Holly
says ...
Furthermore, I have to believe you think it's a great piece of writing to an adult male, not one that's being peddled to the a kid audience, which makes hay of explaining who the Geats and Danes are and what their value system was, and why they marry, sleep and trade teenagers, because it's all very heroic, desireable and acceptible looking. Wells keeps saying Beowulf is a hollow man, lead footed, it's all so deep and existential -- yeah!, to an adult. But, I guess Beowulf is hollow, because he shot blanks the rest of his life, when he could even muster that. That animated society was devoid of children, come to think of it. What a perfect universal kids' story.
Posted by T. Holly
at November 14, 2007 12:35 PM
comment #16
Ian Sinclair
says ...
While T. Holly foams at the mouth with post-modern revisionist outrage, Beowulf has leapt from 68% to 83% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Posted by Ian Sinclair
at November 14, 2007 1:49 PM
comment #17
Gaydos
says ...
T Holly: The whole point of the story, IMHO, was that each generation produced leaders who faced the challenge of confronting temptation, dealing with the evil within, with their own greed and vanity. Their failure in this battle condemned their families and their enire kingdoms to misery.
Heroic, desirable, acceptible looking? No, that was the part of Beowulf that was brave, full of life, ambitious, fearless.
SPOILER ALERT !!!!
The part of him that was vain, dishonest, selfish, greedy, power-hungry, destroyed all of his goodness, as it destroyed the kingdom.
Just as these character failings destroyed the king before and as the last shot indicates, they might destroy the next person to wear the crown and the next generation.
Dig it.
Posted by Gaydos
at November 14, 2007 4:52 PM
comment #18
T. Holly
says ...
Yes, that's a phenomenal story, now can you explain to the kids why the girl is begging old Beowulf to fuck her?
Posted by T. Holly
at November 14, 2007 5:25 PM
comment #19
T. Holly
says ...
Answer: Because someone told her he was Steve Bing.
Posted by T. Holly
at November 15, 2007 2:10 PM
comment #20
Gaydos
says ...
To my buddy Holly: just read Claudia Puig's review of B'wulf in USA Today. Question: Are you troubled to be more of a school marm than the critic for USA Today?
Posted by Gaydos
at November 17, 2007 10:51 PM