Audrea_Reel_View_Magazine

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION MARCH 2021 “More interesting than life”

CONTEN 03 07 James Empire Cameron’s Strikes Personal Back at Essay; 40: Past, Present The making of And Future A Star Wars of Cinema Classic 11 Steven Spielberg Writes About The Magic of the Cinema Experience

NTS 02

TPHoe wer of stories James Cameron’s Personal Essay On The Past, Present, And Future Of Cinema Before I ever dreamed of being a film I read the 2001 ‘making of’ book prob- ably ten times. I figured out that if you maker, I was in love with cinema. As a kid, painted tinfoil black, put a light bulb I knew all of the old B sci-fi films from the behind it and poked pinholes in it, you 1950s by heart. I’d record them on a little could make a pretty decent star field. audiocassette recorder I got for Christ- mas, then listen back to them later and My first epic space story had a budget of replay them in my mind, because home probably ten bucks. But it got me off my video was still decades away. Inspired duff. Back then, however, I didn’t know if by those movies, I’d draw pictures or I wanted to be a writer or an artist or a build my own robots. Not that they were physicist or an astronomer or a sculptor. very sophisticated robotics — they were I was all over the map — my brain was cardboard boxes filled with paper-tow- just firing in all directions at once. And el tubes, and if you turned a crank they I didn’t really focus on the idea of be- would dispense Maltesers. ing a filmmaker for real until I was in my mid-twenties. I made them as Mother’s Day presents and things like that. I also built human- In my mind I had all these images for oid robotic torsos and put them on top hyper-kinetic space battles, with aero- of a remote-control toy tank, which I’d batic motion and energy weapons fir- drive around. I guess that was the pre- ing and ships exploding. Then I went to cursor to the treaded Hunter Killers in a movie theatre and saw a little thing The Terminator. It was 2001: A Space Od- called Star Wars. And I felt like one of yssey that toggled a switch in my brain those paranoid-schizophrenic people and turned me into a practitioner. I was that puts a little bit of foil underneath a 14 and had never picked up a camera wig to keep the CIA from spying on their before. So I got my dad’s Super 8 thoughts. Because the images I had in camera and started building model kits my brain were up there on the screen. of the spacecraft in the movie. 03

In 1978, I was on a set with two friends making Xenogenesis, a proof-of-concept reel for a complete science-fiction feature. Managed to talk this girl who wanted to be an actress and another friend of mine who was a writer into starring in it, as a young space couple. It was wildly ambitious, completely imprac- tical and pretty dreadful, but the imagery is actually not that bad. And I learned an awful lot. All you have to do is shoot something and say “action” and “cut” a few times. Everything after that is just negotiating your price. “If the world rewards this film as resoundingly as it has, then there’s a market for what’s in my brain.” Forty years on, the bug is still there. The only thing that’s going to stop me from making films is getting hit by a cement truck or the inevitable march of time. But I think now I have Holly- wood more in perspective. There was a time when making a film was the most important thing in the world to me. Now, it’s not. It’s a thing that I love to do. But I know how important my family is. I still get a buzz from filmmak- ing on a fairly regular basis. So all you see is people in span- dex tights for a long period of time. And then there’s a moment where you walk into what we call a ‘camera ses- sion’ and actually see the colours and char- acters and so on. It’s all whacked togeth- er and suddenly you’re watching a scene that’s taking place in a bioluminescent ocean, or flying in the air with some fantastic creatures. That’s when I think, “I have the cool- est job in the world.” Portrait PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 04 by Vladimir Yazev

We can do anything right now. With digital tools and enough money, there are no limitations. And that makes it even more important that we’re disciplined. All the different styles and ideas that were I remember the head of the studio at the time saying, “Avatar’s just a word. It doesn’t mean pioneered throughout the age of the physical anything to people.” I guess what I’m saying is photo chemistry of film are still extant now. that you don’t have to play by the rules if you It’s just that we’ve gone far beyond that in our don’t want to. In terms of the world at large, it ability to create another reality. We can do any- feels like we could be heading for another Dark thing right now. With digital tools and enough Age. That’s what I look around and see. The money, there are no limitations. And that makes film industry tends to be very liberal, and we it even more important that we’re disciplined. pride ourselves on being the pioneers that are Now, once I capture a scene with actors, I can going to show everybody a better way when it put it on the moon, or underwater; I can play it comes to civil rights and gender issues and so all in one master shot or do it in 30 close-ups. on. I look at the political landscape right now Having infinite choices, it forces you to really and think, “Well, guess what, guys? That didn’t understand the creative decisions you’re mak- work. We’re just as benighted and fucked up ing at every second. as we ever were, if not worse.” It used to feel like we were always moving forward, even I feel very positive about what’s possible. If you if only in small steps. I never thought we’d look at all the big movies of the last decade, suddenly wind up losing so much ground. there’s very little in the way of original IP that gets to inhabit the billion-dollar club, or even But I still like to think that film and television is a the half-billion-dollar club. But I still believe it shining light, where we get to have a sense of com- can be done. Titanic didn’t fit any mould of its munion as people. We get to celebrate human time. It’s a big no-brainer now when you look nature. We get to walk in the shoes of other back at it, but at the time it didn’t make any people. We get to have an empathic reaction sense as a film done on that scale. Everybody to the plight of others. Even if that doesn’t knew that the ship sank and the people died. seem to be enough anymore, it doesn’t mean It wasn’t going to be part of a franchise. It cer- I’m going to back off the throttle. Not one iota. tainly didn’t have a feel-good ending. As for Avatar, that was practically pronounced dead by the powers that be before it was released — 05

Photographed by Hermes Rivera PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 06

Tales from the Dark side The Inside Story Behind The Biggest Gamble Of George Lucas’ Career Photographed by Steady Hand Dagobah, the stinking, foetid swamp plan- “You wanna know about feelings? Get behind this couch and I’ll show you feelings, ya little et, long forgotten at the corner of the galaxy, runt.” Dressed in an elaborate lavender ensem- was to be found on Elstree’s Soundstage 3. ble, the divine, felt pig took a brief look around Here production designer Norman Reynolds and threatened to call her agent: “I’ve been had flooded the concrete floor and planted booked in dumps before, but nothing like this.” Old Man’s Beard, a hardy perennial that flour- Hamill burst into much-needed laughter. ishes without sunlight. Fogged with dry ice, it became a dense, morbid place, just as George It was a moment of rare and refreshing comedy Lucas had imagined. in a shoot that was becoming mired in enough turmoil to make the problematic Star Wars In this purpose-built bog, the young Luke production look like a picnic at the Ranch. But Skywalker was to get his Jedi training from it was to avail. In the grand tradition of trauma- master Yoda - the two-foot, melon-headed imp tised creative endeavours, The Empire Strikes with a droll inverted speech pattern delivered Back would not only equal its predecessor, by Muppeteer Frank Oz. It was a mood that it would surpass it, to become the Star Wars had prevailed through the whole shoot, and movie by which all others are judged. ”I was as he slumped down for his last taste of Dago- very nervous when I started the second film,” Lucas admitted when the inevitable hunger for ,bah, and, as his rubber costar urged him “to a sequel to the stellar Star Wars came into view. feel the Force” the weariness threatened to engulf him. Then, across the swamp there came a high-pitched screech from another galaxy altogether. 07

Photographed He knew, as the story fermented in his head, by Rod Long this would be a darker film, a chance to delve into the characters’ relationships and throw light on the mystical power of the Force. If he got this one right, there was no knowing where it could stop. This was the chance to expand beyond the original, and boy, was he going to throw things open. If he got this wrong, he’d likely face a mob of furious devotees wielding plastic lightsabers, braying for his beard. He also had no wish to direct again, the ill-health and mega-stress caused by Star Wars meaning he was eager for someone else to helm, although he remained a floating Ben Kenobi, hovering over the production. There were other issues as well. Lucasfilm was now a fully-fledged company, requiring man- agement, and he also had to oversee the move of ILM from L.A. to Marin County. His commit- ment, though, was total: it was still his private universe. This time, he was paying for the mov- ie, borrowing the $15 million to finance it and cutting a revolutionary distribution deal with Fox, much to their chagrin. If he succeeded, the financial rewards would be incredible. The downside would be bankruptcy. “At first I was contemplating selling the whole thing to Fox... I’d just take my percentage and go home and never think about Star Wars again. But the truth of it is, I got captivated by the thing... And I can’t help but get upset or excited when something isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. I can see that world. I know the way the characters live and breathe.” With production looming and only the rough- est of drafts ready, Lucas worked on his own version, deciding to hire another writer with whom his outline could be honed into a shoot- ing script. Lawrence Kasdan had already been hired by Lucas to pen Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and while wary of tampering with Hollywood’s most successful movie, he felt attuned to Star Wars: “It was jaunty, wise-ass, fast, very modern - sort of a teenaged thing, a polished chrome kind of feel.” STAR WARS CLASSIC 08

Over the proceeding months, Kasdan and Irvin Kershner was a veteran filmmaker who Lucas would rein in the rambling ideas, gener- operated out of the system, had a penchant ate gripping turns of event and conjure up the for Force-like Zen Buddhism and knew Lucas biggest twist in sci-fi movie history. This was from USC. Picked from 100 possibilities, he in- not going to be a standard sequel; it would evitably had his reservations. “How could you be a progression. Naturally, there were to be make a second one that would be in anyway as new characters. The aforementioned Jedi titch, good?” he worried when Lucas proffered the Yoda - referred to over successive drafts as The chance. “And if not as good, at least be some- Critter, Minch, Minch thing original. So Yoda, then plain old “The goal,” said Lucas, “is for I asked him, ‘How Yoda - developed the hero to learn to respect am I going to make from repulsive and a picture as good slimy to a strange everybody and pay attention as Star Wars?’, and blue creature not two to the poorest person. That’s he said he wanted feet tall and dressed a picture that was in rags. where the key to his success going to be better.” It wasn’t going to After the droids, Yoda will be. I wanted Yoda to be the be easy. For the ice stands up as the most exact opposite of what you planet Hoth, they beloved character began their shoot in the mythos.There might think.” in Finse, Norway, were also daring dra- as the worst winter matic gambits, making the film much darker. in years struck northern Europe. As tempera- To end the movie with one of the heroes – Han tures plunged, the crew were marooned in a ski Solo – incarcerated in carbonite and in the lodge by avalanches. Meanwhile, the film be- hands of his enemies was hardly going out on gan to snap in the icy wind and scenes became a high. For his director Lucas needed someone impossible to film. They returned to London who wasn’t cynical about the material, who was with half the expected footage, and things pro- quick, and who would understand who was ac- ceeded to go downhill from there. And, to Lu- tually in control. He needed an apprentice. cas’ growing frustration, Kershner had his own tempo: slow. Photographed by Andrew Wulf 09

“It has to be slower and more lyrical,” Kershner mused on his approach to the space opera. “The themes have to be more interior.” He wanted to improvise, causing endless delays and driving his producer (Gary Kurtz) and his immediate cast to distraction. Yet, his approach was yield- ing results – Empire is easily the most perfor- mance-led of the films - as he tampered with the precious dialogue and drew out emotions from his actors. Through 15-hour shifts and ex- acting demands, they laboured over “walking tanks” (AT-ATs), “a floating city” (Bespin) and a space chase through an asteroid field. But Lucas was getting superb results, even manag- ing to spend his nights revising Kasdan’s script for Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Then they ran out of money. Lucas blamed Kurtz’s inability to say “no” to Kershner, as the budget ballooned to £22 million. Finally, financial backers the Bank Of America called a halt. With wages to pay, Lucasfilm president Charles Weber went to First National Bank Of Boston to buy out that debt to the tune of $25 million. Lucas promised to pay back the money from his own pocket, but it took a humiliating trip to Fox (to secure their support as guarantors) for the loan to come through. When Empire was finally com- plete, it had cost $33 million. For all the pain in- volved, Lucas had proved himself the born sto- ryteller, and Empire had not only equalled the mammoth expectations, it had exceeded them. It also proved Lucas could do it without hav- ing to direct himself, and, for all intents, outside of the Hollywood system. Star Wars invented a universe and transformed cinema; Empire, with its hanging ending and mind-blowing rev- elations, elevated the idea of Star Wars into a grand family saga and revolutionised the way movies could be made. It made the difference. Photographed by James Pond STAR WARS CLASSIC 10

Steven Spielberg Writes the Magic of the Cinematic Experience Cinemas have always been a vital part of what makes movies so special – and right now, they’re sorely missed. Across the UK and worldwide, thousands of venues are currently shuttered amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with filmgoers and filmmakers alike anticipating a time when we can all bask in the glow of a projector light once more. Steven Spielberg – a man responsible for so many of the big-screen memories we all hold dear, and who has experienced plenty of magical cinema moments of his own. As well as writing about the time he saw Lawrence Of Arabia on 70mm as a teenager, Spielberg wrote a passion- ate, personal piece for the issue about the magic of the cinema experience, and why – as much as it’s dormant right now – it will never die. 11

When I was in my teens, Lawrence of Ara- bia opened in Phoenix, Arizona, and I went with my parents. It was a swanky theatre with 70mm ‘projection and stereophonic sound, and the loge-style seating in the smoking section would rock back and forward as you sat back in your chairs. It was a swanky the- atre with 70mm projection and stereophon- ic sound, and the loge-style seating in the smoking section would rock back and for- ward as you sat back in your chairs. But Lawrence of Arabia never gave me the chance to test how the chairs worked, as I sat bolt upright for the entire film. Then came the scene as Lawrence and Sherif Ali and 50 other true believers cross the Nefud desert. It was a prolonged sequence through every variety of arid landscape, much like the desert the surrounded that hometown Phoneix audience. That desert crossing cast a spell on me. Portrait by I don’t dream at night, I Praszkiewicz dream at day, I dream all day. I’m dreaming for a living. CINEMA EXPERIENCE 12

Yet the first thing I noticed was how quiet the The film continued to play, and by the time Sherif Ali burns Lawrence’s uniform many be- audience was and how few cigarettes were be- gan to return... all of them laden with bever- ing lit as the sun bore down on the riders, most ages. You could hear the crushed ice swishing notably Gasim, who had fallen off his camel in inside their containers. Cokes and 7 Ups by the the night and was trekking toward the rising arms-loads! That sequence had dehydrated furnace of a sun. Lawrence, risking everything, 800 people, many of whom rushed to the oasis rides back for him as the sun groes in size until of the concession stand to quench their thirst. it looks like the whole audience is going to be sucked into it. I haven’t witnessed anything like it since.“In the current health crisis, where movie theatres are Then there is a jarring cut to camels and rid- shuttered or attendance is drastically limited ers drinking from a great oasis and the tension because of the global pandemic, I still have is drastically broken. When the sequence end- hope bordering on certainty that when it’s safe, ed, dozen of people in the audience suddenly audiences will go back to the movies. I’ve al- rose to their feet and left the theatre. I didn’t ways devoted myself to our movie-going com- understand what was happening. We had all munity — movie-going, as in leaving our homes watched one of the greatest moments in movie to go to a theatre, and community, meaning a history and people were walking out... includ- feeling of fellowship... ing my father. I still have hope bordering on certainty that when it’s safe, audiences will go back to the movies. 13

...with others who have left their homes and are We’ve become a community, alike in heart and seated with us. In a movie theatre, you watch spirit, or at any rate alike in having shared for movies with the significant others in your life, a couple of hours a powerful experience. That but also in the brief interval in a theatre doesn’t erase the company of strangers. many things that divide us: race or class or belief or gender or politics. That’s the magic we experience when we go out to see a movie or a play or a concert or a But our country and our world feel less divided, comedy act. We don’t know who all these peo- less fractured, after a congregation of strang- ple are sitting around us, but when the experi- ers have laughed, cried, jumped out their seats ence makes us laugh or cry or cheer or contem- together, all at the same time. Art asks us to be plate, and then when the lights come up and aware of the particular and the universal, both we leave our seats,the people with whom we at once. And that’s why, of all the things that head out into the real world don’t feel like com- have the potential to unite us, none is more plete strangers anymore. powerful than the communal experience of the arts.” CINEMA EXPERIENCE 14

www.reelview.magazine.co.nz [email protected]