MG: Well, I’m 36. My favorite films come out of the early to mid-70s. It’s that kind of golden era where you had Robert Evans at Paramount, and some great directors, with [Francis Ford] Coppola coming out, Scorsese’s really starting to put some things together. And so those films from maybe even the very late 60s through the mid- to late-70s. There’s just a treasure trove of great films in there.
We’ve actually done a lot of them. The first film I ever did was a Peckinpah film, The Getaway. I just did Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. We just did Apocalypse Now. We’ve done Patton, which was around 1970 or so, so we’ve done a ton of films in there.
I’m answering the end of your question first. Pretty much across the board, there’s always some good films here and there. I really think though that Hollywood got in this thing where the studio structure hadn’t totally ruined everything yet and there were some fresh voices available. Now, there are so many complicated decisions and so much of an investment involved in film. It’s starting to become so calculated, that I usually find a lot of the more interesting films are some of the smaller stuff that bubbles to the top.
I’m also really excited with the fact that the barrier to entry is dropping so dramatically. Somebody with a video camera and a computer can put together a great looking film. And even if it doesn’t have all the polish of a huge studio production, I don’t think that matters. If you go to see a Spiderman film – and Spider-Man 2 was a pretty good movie – all that money is going toward making it look perfect. There are some of these small films coming out now with just a three-chip video camera that are really making a difference.
It’s a little like in the blog world, where they talk about “democratization of communication.” I think that’s starting to happen with film, and obviously some people are really going to explode. We saw that with [Richard] Linklater and Kevin Smith with Clerks, but even with those films, they had to go out and raise a significant amount of money, given their ages: $50,000 or $150,000.
EB: I heard that Kevin Smith maxed out his credit cards for that one.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
great stuff Eric, excellent. Your interviews are compulsive reading, is the truth of the matter. And thank you for introducing me to this reel reviews chancer, who i will inspect.
And hilariously enough, i was hollering his quotes before he was pointing out the truth of the matter.
i.e. "What you mean no-ones heard of Peckinpah!!"
oh, yeah...
"what you mean no-ones heard of Fuller!!"
oh, yeah...
"what you mean no-ones seen the conversation!!!!"
oh, yeah...
and so on and so fourth.
I think he underestimates thew availibility of foreign flicks in this new ultra DVD age. Certainly Hirsohmia... should'nt be at all hard to get hold of.
But then i'm thinking from a UK perspective, i guess.
whatever, great stuff, as ever.
2 - Eric Berlin
Duke - Thanks as always -- I can rest easy knowing that I've reached at least one person!
I get the feeling that Geoghegan wants the films he talks about to be "accessible" in more ways than one: physically getable, and also films that could potentially be enjoyed by a modern, mass audience. Therefore, I'm guessing it would be difficult for a regular bloke such as myself to get immersed in Hiroshima, Mi Amor.
3 - denise
Reel Reviews is DA BOMB! I try to listen to all of Michael Geoghegan's podcasts. I learn a lot from them.
I put The Conversation on my Netflix list as well. :)
4 - Eric Berlin
Denise -- Great to see another podcasting / Reel Reviews fan in the house.
Look out for a few upcoming interviews with super podcasting people. Just met up with Lance Anderson today of Verge of the Fringe, and have another one with a great writer and new podcaster coming up this week.