They used to kill that dog. In the original version, they ate him.
February 19, 2015 1:54 PM   Subscribe

"You need to know who Billy Wilder was. You need to know the names of people who are no longer alive. Because it’s very important—it’s what our history is made of. You need to see the movies the way they were—with the racism, the violence, and the censorship. All the things that let you see what the movie past had been so you understand where we are! But really nobody’s interested in that right now. Their interests are so bifurcated." - An interview with Joe Dante (Part 1, Part 2)
posted by brundlefly (13 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
I haven't watched Gremlins for ages. Time for a re-watch. Great interview! Thanks.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 6:05 PM on February 19, 2015


John Sayles wrote fucking Pirhana Holy shit
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:24 PM on February 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


"The junk has won."
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:21 PM on February 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Here is my mandatory endorsement of Matinee:

Fucking watch Matinee. Such a sweet and subversive love letter to horror and SF. John Goodman is amazing in it.
posted by brundlefly at 9:35 PM on February 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yep, came here to plug "Matinee" as well. Goodman is an approximation of William Castle, and the whole thing is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A wonderful "slice of life" movie, with some absolutely pitch-perfect homages to 50's and 60's sci-fi schlock.
posted by ShutterBun at 12:51 AM on February 20, 2015


A wonderful "slice of life" movie, with some absolutely pitch-perfect homages to 50's and 60's sci-fi schlock.

"She-Gator, Gator Gal... Gal-i-gator!"
posted by brundlefly at 3:42 AM on February 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


John Sayles wrote fucking Pirhana Holy shit
And James Cameron directed Piranha 2.

I thought the stuff he had to say about movie literacy was interesting. It never occurred to me, somehow, the difference between having old movies on all the time in pre-cable days and having almost everything available now, and that difference simply overwhelming people. As a movie nut, I think the increase in availability has just been terrific. I wish he had talked about that issue more.
posted by heatvision at 3:58 AM on February 20, 2015


Can we, just for a moment, reflect on the fact that Gremlins 2 is all kinds of hell yes awesome, to this day? Rewatched it last month just for a refresher course, and it continues to delight.
posted by FatherDagon at 7:41 AM on February 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


I have it on Blu and the VHS version of that scene is an extra. Also, the novelization has it's own variation!
posted by brundlefly at 10:28 AM on February 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


cybercoitus interruptus: "I haven't watched Gremlins for ages. Time for a re-watch. Great interview! Thanks."

Same here, even if I did think Gremlins II vastly underappreciated.
posted by Samizdata at 6:09 PM on February 20, 2015


Don't forget Tim Burton's Ed Wood. The original master of I'll-see-it-when-I-believe-it.
posted by lon_star at 10:34 PM on February 20, 2015


Marla. Holy moly, Marla...

"Can I get some help here, please? I'm trapped in some sort of adhesive, polymer material and I'm on deadline!"
posted by brundlefly at 8:07 AM on February 21, 2015


I haven't read a movie novelization for decades, so I have no idea if they continue to be that great.

A fun game to play is trying to find movie novelizations that *aren't* written by Alan Dean Foster.
posted by FatherDagon at 6:31 PM on February 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


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