From the Press Room at ShoWest Part 1

Instead of saving some of the best for last, I decided to start by writing about my experience in the Press Room at ShoWest in the Paris Hotel on March 18th just before the banquet and awards ceremony.  With the exception of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, who were picking up the Ensemble Award for Sex and the City, and Breakthrough Male Star of the Year, Jaden Smith, all of the other recipients and surprise guest, “Avatar” producer Jon Landau joined us.  As you might expect a lot of the conversation touched on the success of 3D and where it might fit in with filmmaking, as audiences develop a taste for it.  Below are a few highlights beginning comments from  Jon Landau.

Questions were raised regarding the home video edition coming up for “Avatar” and the rumors of a sequel being planned.  Jon explained “Right now our focus on the deleted scenes is specifically for the home entertainment market and we’re working on scenes that range throughout the movie, but what we don’t want to do in terms of giving added value, we don’t want to just give 10 seconds within an existing scene.  We want to try and find scenes that we can play and try to find complete scenes where people really feel that they’re getting added value.

As for a sequel to “Avatar” no decision has been made yet. “We’re only going to make an “Avatar 2″ if and when we’re happy with the script.  Jim has done two sequels in his career and I’ll contend that each time he improved on the first one with “Aliens” and” T2″, so if we’re doing an “Avatar 2″, it’s because we believe it’s for us as good or better than the first one,” he explained.

Jon also had opinions about the usage of 3D in future projects.  He commented, “I think ultimately 3D is going to become ubiquitous to all of our dealings.  We see our lives in 3D, it’s only natural.  Someone said to me where do you think 3D is going?  Do you think everything is going to be made in 3D?   That is like saying do you think every movie is going to be made with stereo sound?  Of course it is, so I think it’s only natural that we improve.”   What he believes will make this possible are the developments in digital technology. “It’s enabled us to put up high quality 3D and enhance the moviegoer’s experience.  To me, and I’ve just been traveling the world doing some press and stuff for “Avatar”, the really exciting thing about touching people in different parts of the world is this restored belief that the cinema going experience can be magical and I think 3D is a part of that.”  He also added, “I think that 3D is an artistic step.  It is not a technical step.  I think that’s where people get confused.”

Todd Phillips – Director of the Year 

Coming off the success of “The Hangover”, which was filmed here in Las Vegas, Todd has been working on his current project “Due Date” starring Robert Downey, Jr and ShoWest’s Comedy Star of the Year, Zach Galifianakis.  This new film is also a comedy, following the calamities of a man trying to get home for the birth of his child. 

When asked about these types of male buddy comedies that he’s obviously fond of, Phillps said thoughtfully, “I think that tension adds so much to comedy.  My movies tend to be about men and they are also a little bit about guys on a mission whether the mission is to find a room or get back to the wedding or in this case Robert has to be there for the birth of his child, whatever.  Their common set up is man on a mission movies and then they go in an entirely different direction.   But I don’t know why.  I like the idea of the tension probably.”  He added, “Maybe that’s why I do these movies.  Maybe I get to go on more missions.”  

Fans of “The Hangover” will be pleased to hear that a sequel is in the works, with the script being 75% done and shooting planned for November.  There has also been some discussion about filming it in 3D. “I’ve actually talked to Jim Cameron about this because that would be the perfect movie to do in 3D.  It’s an event comedy.  People are coming anyway.  The problem right now is the mobility of those cameras for us in the way we shoot, which is really a loose kind of style as opposed to the way you have to do it.”    

However, Todd does believe that once the technical issues are addressed this will change. “I don’t see why every movie is not going to be shot in 3D in the next 3 or 4 years when people come around to it and cameras become a little bit more manageable.  The way we shoot comedies now is a really loose, really kind of seat of your pants style which isn’t conducive to the 3D cameras that are available right now,” he continues.  He compares choosing to use 3D to other developments like Dolby sound and the use of color or music being used to strengthen a film. He sums up, “It’s another tool.  So why wouldn’t you shoot in 3D?”

Zach Galifianakis – Comedy Star of the Year 

From the moment Zach entered the room you knew you were going to enjoy your time with him.  When asked about the sequel to “The Hangover” Todd Phillips mentioned, Zach responded, “He’s doing a sequel.  You think he would have told me,”, which was met with laughter from everyone.

Questioned about his upcoming projects, Zach replied “I’m going to go to Arby’s in September and I’m probably going to sell my truck in October and I’m probably going to rob a bank in November with a bow and arrow.”  All kidding aside, however, he will be appearing in Jay Roach’s new film “Dinner for Schmucks” along with co-stars Steve Carell and Paul Rudd aside from being in the Todd Phillip film “Due Date”.

Admitting that in spite of his movie career stand up is still his passion, Zach joked, “When I get washed up and nobody wants to ask me questions anymore, then I will go back to Uncle Chuckes Comedy Cave.  Stand up is my thing that I love the most.  It has so much freedom.  I won’t have friggin Todd Phillips telling me what to do, so I will always try to do it.” 

Jay Roach – Comedy Director of the Decade

Jay has brought such comedy classics as “Austin Powers International Man of Mystery” and “Meet the Parents” to the screen, however, most of the discussion centered on his new project “Dinner for Schmucks”, a modern remake of the 1988 French comedy “Le Dinner de Cons”.  Roach told us, “It’s not very close in scene for scene structure or even content, but the hook of it, of a guy who thinks he has a comfortable life and is well off and that it’s okay to invite a special person to dinner and make fun of him, only to find that special person is much wiser and sort of has a world view that can’t change his worldly values, that worked.” It also helped having Steve Carell in the film, who Jay added “has such a great way of playing slightly off centered delusional characters.”

Roach also talked about the differences between doing comedy and drama mentioning his HBO film “Recount” about the controversial Florida election recount starring Kevin Spacey and Dennis Leary. “It’s so tough to get dramas made and get attention put on dramas,” he observed. “Comedy is very hard in very different ways, just because no one knows what’s really funny.” Still it seems like the unpredictability of not knowing what will trigger audience response attracts him.  “What keeps me going is going to theatres and sitting in the room and listening to people kind of lose themselves for awhile.  It’s very addictive,” he admitted.  

Although Jay is aware of articles written in the media about him and his projects, he said, “Reviews and interviews give you a little bit of a sense of how those ideas and those types of stories are playing and connected to people and their lives, but it’s not necessarily strategic like this is.”  He maintains that events like ShoWest allow filmmakers to get a sense of what people are enjoying and the direction they’re heading in when looking for entertainment.  “Part of what’s going on in this event is the discussion of where to put 3D and the theatrical experience as opposed to the DVD experience,”  He added that he is in favor of the shift towards 3D because it will encourage people to keep going to the theatres.

Sam Worthington – Male Star of the Year

Keeping with the 3D theme, I’m finishing up Part One of this piece with a few words from actor Sam Worthington, who will soon be seen in “Clash of the Titans 3D” following his huge success with “Avatar”.  The gracious and down to earth actor said modestly “It’s one hell of a ride I’ll tell you.  I was lucky enough to be part of “Avatar”.   Jimmy and Jon told me from the very beginning buckle up.  The mission all the time, the journey all the time was to play with the big boys and now they’re allowing me to do it.  I’m trying my best to enjoy this amazing opportunity.”

As for the emphasis on 3D technology, Worthington commented, “3D, 2D, DVD. they’re all trying to bring the audience in.  It’s another tool for filmmakers to grab an audience and give them their 16 bucks worth.”  Admitting that he still feels like an infant in the pursuit of his craft, Sam wants to keep his nose to the grindstone and just keep working.  “I might be a toddler.  I’m starting to stand up a bit for myself.  I’m just going to keep going, to keep trying,” he said with a smile.

Part 2 from the Press Room will be in Tuesday’s Film Short and I’ll also have more ShoWest articles in The Flick Chicks www.theflickchicks.com and in Las Vegas Round the Clock  www.lasvegasroundtheclock.com next week.

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