Ask Me a Question: The Warriors & Streets of Fire w/ Walter Hill

The Warriors is one of my favorite films of all time. Like Big Trouble In Little China, I first discovered the film on late night TV. But instead of TBS it was Joe Bob Brigg's Drive In on TNT. A friend's dad recognized the film, having seen it upon release in 1979. Soon a VHS copy was on repeat and I realized the TV version had additional scenes not featured in the theatrical. I loved the flick so much that middle school me found Sol Yurick's source novel from a neighboring library who then sent it to my local branch. It's not a long novel but I figured on reading it in a few chunks. After many a page, the book did not resemble the finished film much at all so I kept reading, waiting for the fight and chase scenes so prevalent in the film, to happen. They never did. Years later on the special edition DVD, writer/director Walter Hill mentioned being inspired by the Xenophon's Greek tale Anabasis where an army of soldiers are stuck deep in enemy territory and march their way back to the ocean. I found a copy of the text on Google and read that tome years ago.

Back in 2011 Edgar Wright hosted a screening of The Warriors where producers Lawrence Gordon and Frank Marshall along with actor James Remar and Hill attended. Cut to this weekend and The American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre was hosting a retrospective of the acclaimed filmmaker to celebrate the premiere of his latest work, The Assignment. On Friday night we hit newly renovated Margo's on Montana for Happy Hour (fantastic burger, fries and mussels) and headed over to the show. We were walking behind a small group and I realized one of them was Ajax himself, James Remar! Tied with Swan, Ajax was my favorite Warrior and part of my first e-mail address on Yahoo. The group was taking a picture with the marquee so I volunteered to take one of all of them then told Remar he was my favorite Warrior to which he was very gracious and a little surprised I recognized him. A terrific character actor, Remar has been many a Walter Hill film, was the original Hicks before being replaced by Michael Biehn, The Phantom, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and oh so many more. If I had more time I would have asked him about being directed by Jean-Claude Van Damme in The Quest! Once the theater filled up though, Remar was inconspicuous no more. Apaprently Wesley Snipes, star of Hill's prison boxing flick Undisputed was in the audience as well!

From the opening shot of Coney Island's Wonder Wheel with Barry De Vorzon's mood setting synth enhanced music, The Warriors is still as iconic and awesome as ever. Hill's bread and butter has always been creating a comic book fever dream world; Hard Times, The Driver, The Warriors and Streets of Fire are all ample examples of that. The outlandish make up and costumes, the gang meet up and ensuing pandemonium after would be street soldier general Cyrus is murdered by the squirrelly Luthor (David Patrick Kelly) who then frames The Warriors, causing them to bop their way back to Coney Island with every gang in the city on their tails, is thrilling, funny and inspiring. As a kid I wanted to be cool like Swan, warlord of the The Warriors played by the steadfast Michael Beck who deserved much more of a career afterwards. Or brash like Remar's Ajax who's always looking to fight or find some chicks aka strange wool. The personalities of the gangs is still strong, the fights and chases still kinetic and the shot on the streets of New York aesthetic still impressive.

After the film, Walter Hill received a standing ovation before taking part in a bit of a quiet Q&A. Hill discussed how the film was set up after another fell apart and owing much of his career to producer Lawrence Gordon. He commended the young, unknown cast for being in top shape, enduring a hard shoot but never complaining. Shot mostly at night, the film was behind schedule nearly immediately and studio Paramount was not happy with the results, thinking this "New York youth movie" would be similar to their hit Saturday Night Fever. Remar was nearly blown up during the car explosion scene and Hill joked he should have sued the studio for millions but probably settled for $50 from Frank Marshall. Hill also spoke about the recently deceased Bill Paxton (View In Peace), saying he truly was a great guy and a great friend who could pick up where you left off even after not seeing each other for a year.

On his carte blanche financial flop Streets of Fire, Hill spoke about making it a musical with action and guns to change things up and how Edward James Olmos came in to read for the sidekick role and said it was a poorly written Latino stereotype. Hill didn't disagree and when Amy Madigan came in, said the McCoy role was the best in the film and suggested rewriting it as a woman to create a new angle, thus creating arguably the most scene stealing role in the beautifully crafted, understated love story masquerading as an action film with a truly outstanding soundtrack. I also love the costumes with their emphasis on suspenders. When asked about the potential sequels mentioned in the script, The Far City and Cody's Return, Hill responded it was simply a matter of enticing the studio to make the film since they're always looking for franchises. Even though he had absolutely no ideas for sequels but it was his job to come up with stories.

Ask Me a Question: First Blood w/ Ted Kotcheff

The American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre hosted a retrospective of writer and director Ted Kotcheff, concluding with 1982's classic First Blood. While Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo would go on to be remembered for the muscles, red head band, machine guns and mayhem, it's easy to forget just how solid First Blood is. Based on David Morrell's novel, the film takes place in Hope, a small northwestern town surrounded by mountains and forest. Vietnam veteran John Rambo comes to town looking for an old friend but gets harassed by local police chief Teasle (Brian Dennehy). After being mistreated by an overzealous deputy, Rambo escapes and soon a manhunt and war you won't believe besieges Hope. I've always defended First Blood as a drama as that's exactly what it is. There's some great action in it but it's not simply an action film.

Watching it on the big screen a few thoughts ran though my head. First off, the production is beautiful. In an age when a film can arguably be deemed "good" by the fact it was shot in nature and was a hard shoot, First Blood highlights British Columbia's majestic beauty as well as Mother Nature's harsh conditions. I mean Leo got to wear a giant bear rug while he was in the snow and water but here's Stallone in jeans and a tank top in the cold, riding a motorcycle, climbing mountain faces and running through frigid water. Second, this was my first time viewing the film on the big screen and the character parts really stood out. Teasle isn't a bad guy per se, he's just trying to protect his town, gets in over his head, messes up but now can't stand back and has to go all in. His deputies played by the likes of Jack Starett, Chris Mulkey and David Caruso add another layer of humanity and surprisingly effective light comedy to the shebang. Third, Stallone is and always has been an excellent actor. I didn't realize he only speaks in about three sections of the film, each of them haunting and sincere. His end monologue about losing his friends in Vietnam and coming home to a country that rejected him makes you want to shed a tear while applauding the performance. Like Spartacus or The Great Escape, I don't find the ending sad as there's beauty in the struggle of personal glory, even if that means sacrifice.

After the film, director Kotcheff took to the stage to a standing ovation. He was intelligent, passionate and a very interesting guy:

- Grew up a musician and compares all art to music. Generally aims for sonata where everything builds up and climaxes into a big finish.
- Warner Brothers hired him to work on the project, went off and rewrote in 3 months then WB said there was no audience for Vietnam movies.
- Kotcheff was very vocal about how poorly Vietnam vets were treated. They didn't ask to go, they were drafted. Whereas World War II and Korean War veterans were hailed as conquering heroes, Vietnam vets were protested, spit on and called baby killers upon return.
- Into the 1980's, 300 Vietnam Veterans committed suicide a month.
- One story of a young man who did his two years and on his penultimate day of duty, base attacked, he was only survivor and then sent home next day. No time to readjust or deal with emotional trauma.
- Knew producers Andrew Vajna and Mario Kassar causally and when pair kick started Carolco, asked Kotcheff what he wanted to direct, who said First Blood. Producers spent a year getting the rights from Warner Brothers.
- Stallone was always first choice even though the Rocky star had suffered failure after failure outside of the boxing franchise. But Kotcheff liked his inner and outer strength and knew he'd do a good job.
- Went to see Kirk Douglas in San Francisco where the acting legend was doing a play with Burt Lancaster. Douglas loved the script and reported to set. But once there, wanted multiple script changes that Kotcheff and crew tried to appease but ultimately gave him a final script. Douglas soon took a flight back to Los Angeles and Richard Crenna was brought in over a weekend.
- Enormous respect for Sylvester, who impacted two major parts of the story and character. One was having Rambo not kill any of the lesser trained weekend warriors and second, not dying at the end after having character go through so much and show death being only way out.
- Dubbed the film a "suicide mission", as when Rambo is on the bridge, he turns back as he has nothing to lose, no friends left and going head on with the Sheriff.
- No reservations on doing Uncommon Valor as next film and revisiting Vietnam War. Says veterans groups have thanked him profusely for making the films.
- Considered having Rambo be silent through film but realized he needed to speak at key moments.
- Loved composer Jerry Goldsmith and did several films together.
- Stallone was being paid millions and Kotcheff made him earn it by dumping live rats on him.

It was a great night and gave me a deeper appreciation of the film, Stallone, Kotcheff, the Vietnam War and it's veterans who went through so much for so little acknowledgement.

Sneak Cinema: The Neon Demon w/ Nicolas Winding Refn

Nothing like starting the week off with a trip to Santa Monica's historic Aero Theatre for an early screening of The Neon Demon! Directed and co-written by Nicolas Winding Refn of The Pusher, Bronson and Drive fame, The Neon Demon has to be the most "what the f*ck" movie I've seen in a long time but is very interesting to watch and gorgeously shot. It's also got the best soundtrack I've heard in a while courtesy of Drive and Only God Forgives composer Cliff Martinez who provides a synth laced The Thing meets Blade Runner blend of creepiness and vast atmosphere. Since the flick hasn't hit theaters yet, I'll just say that TND is a bit of a fairy tale meets nightmare take on the young woman moving to Los Angeles to find fame and fortune gone weird, violent and freaky. Elle Fanning plays Jesse, an aspiring model who quickly becomes the favorite of several revered figures in the industry, much to the chagrin of local talent vying for their big break. As he did with Drive, Refn shoots Los Angeles in ways you've never seen, showing off scenic view points, seedy motels and classic dives throughout. Jena Malone, Christina Hendricks, Abbey Lee, Alessandro Nivola and a funny yet sh!t bag Keanu Reeves round out the cast. The Neon Demon definitely isn't for everyone but if you're into weird, experimental flicks or Refn in general, I think you'll like it.

After the film, Refn and his frequent collaborator Martinez took to the stage, spoiler free:

- Refn wanted to tell a tale of beauty and narcissism, fleshed out the script with female playwrights well known and not Mary Laws and Polly Stenham.
- Shoots chronologically for most part. Gave script to James Bond writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis for suggestions.
- Props to Jena Malone for going to great depths to find her character early on which changed arc later on.
- Elle Fanning impressed him but he was hesitant since she was so young. Some people are just born with it, believes Fanning and Gosling are of the ilk.
- Makes movies very inexpensively to tell the stories he wants. Shoots quickly and uses familiar locations in new ways to save time and money.
- Sees Hollywood studios as a well oiled machine that is redundant but the machine pays well, pays for 90% of the industry and for films like his.
- Views directing as inspiring others while taking credit.
- Martinez jokes that Refn shoots totally different movies than are scripted, usually taking out lots of dialog. He's waiting for the day Refn makes a silent film.
- Martinez recalls many 3:00 AM Skype calls with a chipper and coffee sipping Refn.
- Amazon Studios got involved after an associate from Drive wanted to see the film, flew to Copenhagen for a screening and made lucrative offer after.
- Theatrical is still a big part of the film experience but streaming will let movies live on forever.
- Sees digital as the revolution that lets people create.

More was talked about but hey, see the movie and we'll chat more. Until then, queue the soundtrack.

Ask Me a Question: Mad Max Fury Road w/ George Miller

Another Monday, another night with The American Cinematheque! This time it was to the much closer Aero Theatre in Santa Monica for Mad Max: Fury Road as part of their Oscar series. Director George Miller was on hand for Q&A for the sold out screening. We stopped off at Santa Monica staple The Daily Grill, a solid spot for happy hour with drinks and three kinds of pot pie but spotty service this time. Outside the theater was a Mad Max-ified Bug complete with fake gatling gun and scores of folks in cosplay from The Road Warrior and Fury Road. Caught up with #ActionMovieBro David J. Moore whose latest opus, The Good, the Tough & the Deadly: Action Movies & Stars, will be hitting shelves in a couple months and features a few reviews and an interview by yours truly. This would be my fourth time seeing Fury Road on the big screen and the extended car/truck/motorcycle chase still delivers. Refreshing with its use of practical f/x and physics layered on top of one another to create a gonzo and kinetic 2 hours while still finding time to add in some character bits.

After the film, Miller, in cargo pants and a tuxedo top, partook in a brief Q&A:

- Hadn't seen The Road Warrior with a crowd in 30 years before a SXSW screening and had a ball.
- Fury Road began not as a script, but 3,000+ storyboards hung up on the walls of a "Mad Max" room that depicted every moment and look in the story.
- Tom Hardy was about the only guy Miller saw as Max as he had the same nervous energy, likability and hint of volcanic temper like Mel Gibson.

- Miller joked how Hardy was only 6 weeks old when he started on Mad Max in the 70's.
- Talked current F/X to layer and add in landscape, sky and carnage. Removed tire tracks in the sand and lamented how old films you could tell how many takes they did by the number of skid marks.
- Safety has improved greatly since The Road Warrior where Guy Norris went tumbling through the air after a motorcycle crash and onto a field of cardboard boxes.
- Hardy is afraid of heights but did the polecat sequence and many stunts while Charlize Theron's background as a dancer helped her tackle many sequences as well.
- A former doctor, Miller acted as the on-set medic for the earlier films.
- On giving his characters dramatic moments, Miller spoke about needing the arc for each to keep things interesting and not just non-stop action. Was hard to direct as sometimes he'd be under the floorboards of the truck, talking through a speaker, it was loud, etc.

It was a brief affair with no audience questions but Miller hung out for a while signing for fans. The Road Warrior queued up next but being a Monday and already after 10:00 PM, it was time to go home to kick back with an Aqua Cola, shiny and chrome.

Ask Me a Question: Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four week keeps rolling as we attended the West Coast premiere of documentary, Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Written and directed by Marty Langford, Doomed! takes a look at 1994's low budget and never released adaptation of Marvel Comics' seminal book. Constantin Films' Bernd Eichinger had secured the rights to the comic book in the 80's and needed to have a film in production by the end of 1992. Approaching both Troma Films' Lloyd Kaufman and Roger Corman's New Horizons, Kaufman took his company out of the running as he was friends with Stan Lee and didn't wish to sour the relationship or earn the ire of movie goers with a slap dash film. Corman gave it to his team to chew on over a weekend and they thought they could do something with the material. Constantin and New Horizons each allegedly put up $750,000 bucks and the film was underway. Around four drafts were written and the film began casting quickly and shooting started.

Drawn from the pages of the original 1961 comic book by Lee and Jack Kirby, The Fantastic Four was directed by Corman alumni Oley Sassone with a cast that included Alex Hyde-White as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm the Human Torch, Rebecca Staab as Susan Storm the Invisible Woman, Michael Bailey Smith as Ben Grim, Carl Ciarfalio as The Thing and Joseph Culp as Victor Von Doom. Shot in the condemned Corman studio in Venice, FF reused existing sets and features some less than stellar special f/x, although The Thing's suit and servo motored head is pretty impressive on the small scale. Marvel was still in the doldrums of their cinematic life as low budget versions of Captain America and The Punisher had already been released to little fanfare directly to video in the wake of Batman's gargantuan success. Stan Lee visited the set, even bringing doughnuts but publicly downplayed the film, stating that Marvel was soon going to take control of it's own destiny and no longer license out their characters. Costumes were true to the comics and after a quick and exhausting shoot, filming ended and post production began.

A trailer was cut for the film but progress and updates were lacking from Corman. Thousands of posters and stills were printed with a rumored 500 screen release in the works. When studio updates became less and less frequent, the cast decided to start their own awareness campaign, attending comic book conventions on their own dime with Michael Bailey Smith spending $12,000 dollars of his own money. Response at San Diego Comic-Con was terrific with the cast signing and the trailer playing on endless loop. Con goers bought nearly 10,000 copies of Film Threat magazine with a FF cover story. A premiere at The Mall of America was announced before being suddenly canceled. While no one really knows exactly what happened; the cast, crew and filmmakers tell various stories that point to Eichinger making a deal with Fox and burying the film. Roger Corman was paid off and that was it. Stunned, the heartbroken cast and crew began to see the film pop up on bootleg VHS at conventions, Sassone thinking it came from a dubbing studio he had copies made at for his personal collection since no one was ever going to see it. 20 years later, everyone involved would still like to see the film released and look back at the experience with equal parts fondness and disappointment.

All in Doomed! is a fabulous and informed look into a real oddity of comic book movie history. After years of starts and stops, Fox finally made a Fantastic Four film in 2005 to solid box office if lukewarm critical and audience reception. A sequel featuring the Silver Surfer fared worse and the property was put on hold until the recent, low-tech reboot debacle. After the documentary, a giant panel was introduced that included producer Mark Sikes, actors Hyde-White, Staab, Culp, Smith, Kat Green, Ciarfalio and director Sassone. Roger Corman was in the audience but bailed by the end.

- It was a tough shoot that was fun if not funny.
- Culp loves to talk and hold court, guy still wants to see the movie released and redo some of his mangled dialog. His son is a huge supporter and cosplays as Dr. Doom at conventions.
- Smith felt heartsick after the documentary as it could have been so much more. All of their blood, sweat and tears vanished in a cruel instant of Hollywood business as usual.
- White is a funny guy and very sincere, as a Santa Monica resident and Aero attendee, was so happy to be part of film and 20 years later be able to celebrate it with the audience.
- One of Sikes' friends had 16 copies of the bootleg, always looking for the best quality.
- Smith and Ciarfalio ended up working together several times, on one movie Smith tore his bicep on the first day but stunt coordinator Ciarfalio kept his mouth shut, knowing his friend could continue.
- Culp still has a Dr. Doom mask at home, the suit cut into his legs and he still has the scars.
- At the end of the day, they want the new films to succeed as it only draws attention to their work.
- The actors didn't know they were playing archetype roles that would be so important to the genre, that lack of pressure helped them enjoy the process and be free.
- A guy at a party recognized Green from a bootleg copy and she tracked one down herself.
- Culp said Sassone took care of them and told him to really go for it as Dr. Doom.

It was a fun night and I chatted with Michael Bailey Smith about his work on Van Damme's In Hell and with Phillip Rhee in Best of the Best 3. Hopefully you'll see a Tell Me A Question feature on him soon. Until then, check out Doomed!

Ask Me a Question: Jaws w/ Carl Gottlieb

I've never seen Jaws all the way through let alone on the big screen. A pristine print at The American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre rectified that this past July 4th. A decent sized crowd had gathered for the 30 year anniversary as co-screen writer Carl Gottlieb was slated for Q&A and signing his hit tie-in book, The Jaws Log. Touted as the first blockbuster, a young Steven Spielberg directs the tale of quaint island community Amity, a summer beach town where New Yorkers and mainlanders come to kick back and relax. A giant shark terrorizes the coast but the money and image conscious mayor instructs new Sheriff Brody (Roy Scheider) not to close down the beach. After a young boy becomes the next victim, Brody and the town go into panic mode. Local drunk and fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) offers to hunt down the beast and kill it for $10,000 while ocean expert Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) shows up to see what they're dealing with. The three men set out to catch the beast, risking their lives in the process.

30 years later, Jaws is still a classic. Production problems plagued the shooting as the mechanical shark didn't work, weather delays and the logistics of shooting on open water. However the slow burn horror mixed with memorable characters still resonates for a funny, frightening and fun 2 hours in the dark. The cast are all excellent in their roles with Scheider being the rational one who doesn't like water, Dreyfuss as the young hotshot leaning on science and history while Shaw is straight cool as the grumpy, shambolic, drunk ship captain not afraid of staring death in it's teeth filled mouth. John Williams' classic score lets you know whenever a shark attack is imminent yet somehow doesn't detract from the tension or shock value while Verna Fields' editing gives the shark and underwater scenes real impact.

After the film; actor, author and screen writer Carl Gottlieb took the stage for Q&A:

- Already knew Steven Spielberg, two were pitching scripts around town when Jaws came up.
- Novelist Peter Benchley negotiated writing the first draft to make more money but adaption was deemed underwhelming.
- Gottlieb sent his notes to Spielberg and producers who asked him to join them in Boston for pre-production to work on the script.
- Main production crew lived in same house during pre-production where Gottlieb's respect for Spielberg grew as he saw the real person waking up in the mornings and before going to bed.
- Most sub-plots from book were dropped, affair between Brody's wife and Hooper just didn't fit with the actors in the roles.
- Lots of adlib on the set, for decades Gottlieb thought Scheider improvised "You're gonna need a bigger boat" but it was actually in the script.
- Gottlieb co-wrote The Jerk with Steve Martin, who had a two picture deal with Paramount based on premise of Martin's staple joke of being born a black child.
- Had opportunity to work on what would become Saturday Night Live but passed.
- Started in TV but when got chance to work in film, pursued immediately.
- Scene with shark cage was shot with a little person and real shark in Australia but bars bent and actor freaked out, refusing to do scene again.
- Prop Master misspelled Coroner's Report as Corner's Report but no one ever noticed. 
- Verna Fields given much of the credit at young Spielberg's expense but Gottlieb defends director as an editor can't work without what the director shot.
- Jaws Log is most successful movie tie-in book with over one million copies sold.

So, are any of the sequels good? Doesn't one have Dennis Quaid and another has Michael Caine?

(Pre) Ask Me a Question: Beyond Fest 2014

Oh shit, the full schedule for Beyond Fest finally dropped this week.  After months of rumors, wish lists, false starts and triumphs, Christian Parkes and his genre movie loving crew will begin their two week assault on Los Angeles filmgoers on Thursday, 9.25 with Horns, the Daniel Radcliffe starring murder mystery.  After last year's premiere/takeover of The American Cinematheque's Egyptian and Aero Theatres that included cult progressive rock band Goblin playing Los Angeles for the first time in their decades spanning career and guests like Richard Donner and Clive Barker, Beyond Fest is going all out to avoid the sophomore slump.  No less than 30 films and shorts are slated to screen and partnerships with Fantastic Fest, Shock Til You Drop, The ElRey Network, Backstory, Bloody Disgusting, Death Waltz Records and Meltdown Comics show that the Fest is not one to be trifled with or missed.

So far titles include first looks at the creepy looking Jake Gylenhall thriller Nightcrawler, V/H/S Viral and the Los Angeles premiere of Hollywood Satanic cult flick Starry Eyes.  On the repertory front, you've got The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Fight Club, Monster Squad and a 4K restoration of Halloween!  Guests so far include the likes of Bourne Legacy writer turned director Dan Gilroy, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, DC Comics honcho Jim Lee and many, many more.  See you there!

Ask Me A Question: Joe

This past weekend, the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica hosted a three night tribute to one Nicolas Coppola aka Nicolas Cage, the eccentric dramatic and comedic Academy Award winning actor turned tentpole action movie star turned What Not To Do With Millions of Dollars example turned internet meme sensation.  Bad Lieutenant and Adaptation were the weekend's first programs with Cage and director Werner Herzog appearing after the former. Tonight was a preview of Joe, a Southern Gothic Western or whatever they're calling these, from director David Gordon Green based on a novel by Larry Brown and adapted by Gary Hawkins.  Cage plays Joe, a former convict trying to keep a low profile in rural Texas who runs a tree poisoning business for a lumber company.  One day, 15 year old Gary (Tye Sheridan) approaches Joe and asks for a job.  Gary is hard working and trying to provide for his burnt out mother and mute sister because his father is a drunk, abusive loser.  Both Joe and Gary have run afoul of crazed local loudmouth Willie (Ronnie Blevins) and after some gritty coming of age, whiskey and Coke, dog fighting, whore housing, cop fighting and GMC truck fueled shenanigans, Joe must decide if he's going to give up his relatively peaceful existence or risk it all to help Gary.

I was only familiar with director Green's work on comedic fare like Eastbound and Down, Pineapple Express and The Sitter.  But his resume includes many low budget thrillers which Joe is more akin.  While it's a slow paced serious drama, there's also room for many laughs to keep you from feeling pummeled by the country ass, redneck, sad vagrant setting and characters.  Cage's Joe is a guy just trying to get by but hates when people try to tell him what to do, especially cops, which of course gets him into trouble.  His performance is excellent as he plays strong and stoic just as well as he does nurturing with his trademark zaniness mixed in.  Tye Sheridan also acquits himself nicely as the uneducated but motivated Gary trying to protect his family.  Non-actor Gary Poulter is fantastic as Gary's pitiful piece of shit dad Wade aka G-Daawg.  Hopefully this marks a new era for Cage following his financial woes and he can remind the public of what a talented actor he is.  I always thought his performance in Face/Off was overlooked in 1997.  Sure the movie was a big hit but go back and watch Cage's bi-polar turn as a crazy, globe trotting terrorist and as a sensitive, brooding father.  He excels as both.

After the film, director Green and Cage took to the stage for a Q & A session moderated by former Maxim and current Deadline.com reporter/critic Peter Hammond.

Origins:  The novel was written by one of Green's former college professors.  Green sent the script along with a letter to Cage who loved it and came on board.

Performances:  Cage didn't mention his outright troubles of the last few years but said he had reached a point where he had gone through a western kabuki, baroque, Andy Warhol style of acting and wanted to start fresh with an honest performance with no baggage.  He doesn't believe in over the top, you tell him what the top is and he'll tell you where he is.

Cage was all you'd expect him to be:  thoughtful, funny, articulate, intense, weirdcool, etc.  Watching him even when he wasn't speaking was interesting.  You could tell things were running full speed in his brain and when he spoke, it was like the flood gates opened.

Actors:  Green filled the film with many non-actors.  Poulter was found at a bus stop on his way back to Texas after a stint in a traveling circus.  One guy owned a local BBQ joint in Austin, another was Green's neighbor who plain "talked cool" while many others were found at the local Day Labor office.

Setting:  Green is from the south and loves all the bullshitters and storytellers therein.

Fame:  Cage feels imitation is the highest form of flattery but laments that movie stars are people who make mistakes too and that Brando and Bogart didn't have to worry about someone in a coffee shop videotaping them making a mistake that then becomes world news.  He gave a very honest and interesting answer to the question and then referenced the YouTube videos of him going crazy and reciting the A-B-C's, which I had been talking about all week.

Of course more was talked about but hey, get yourself a membership to the American Cinematheque or live in Los Angeles.

Then, as an added bonus, we spotted Avatar and Sabotage's Sam Worthington with some suit clad agent types exiting the theater.  I quickly told him I had seen Sabotage twice that week and it was awesome as we shook hands.  He was chill and very svelte.

So there you have it, an overall great night and perfect ending to my 6 movie week.  High phalanges to Lionsgate, The Aero, Gordon and Cage.

Here's the duo making the festival circuit: