Movies
Wes Craven on Remaking His Old Films: “I Kind Of Put All That Behind Me”
While speaking to Wes Craven yesterday about the upcoming release of Scream 4 on April 15th, B-D reporter Chris Eggertsen took a moment to ask the director for updates on previously-rumored remakes of his earlier films – Shocker and The People Under the Stairs have both been mentioned – given that he’s taken a very active role in producing previous reboots of his (with the exception of last year’s Elm Street, which he confesses he had nothing to do with).
However, it appears we may not be seeing any more remakes of Craven’s movies (at least those he owns the rights to) anytime soon, as he told B-D that spending so much of his time on Hills and Last House caused him to realize that doing what he really loves – actually directing movies – had been put on the back burner for far too long.
More inside.“You know, I think there was a little [period] where we were kind of doing remakes – [though] the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ remake was made by totally different people – but part of that was just the result of discovering that we owned those projects again after 30 years,” said Craven. “But definitely by the end of the second ‘Hills Have Eyes’ film remake, I felt like, you know, I’m spending too much of my time and energy doing this, and I need to get back to directing. And so…I wrote ‘My Soul to Take’ and then signed up for [‘Scream 4’].
“You know, I just kind of looked [at it] and I said, ‘you know what, you’re a director and [you] shouldn’t be devoting a full year to remaking ‘The Hills Have Eyes’,” he continued. “It takes that kind of time, and…the choice seems to be obvious [to direct instead]. I think I underestimated the amount of time that was required to do a remake. Even if you were gonna put it in the hands of a really good director, you still have to be very much a part of it, you still have to be doing a lot of work on it. And that kind of keeps you from being a director. So I kind of put all that behind me for the time being, and maybe for the rest of my life. [Laughs]”
I for one am glad Craven has gotten back in the directing game recently, regardless of the relative quality of his newer films. My Soul to Take may have been a disappointment for most, but given his stature as one of the greatest horror directors in film history I’d agree with Craven that his time is far better spent behind the camera. And besides, did anyone (besides BC) really care to see a remake of Shocker?
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”