Urban Legend
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 41
Location: France
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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:15 am Post subject:
Stephen's Touch
Subject description: Feel free to share you comments and thoughts.
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How would you define Stephen Norrington's « Art » ? His style and technique?
Like every artist, Stephen has something which makes him and his work unique. He learned from the best but also added his own personal touches and feelings.
- Do you recognize his works ? Are they distinctive?
- Are there elements in his works which can be considered as his signature, his trademark?
- Does he make movies the same way he does SFX ?
- Do you believe he has the same approach when creating a SFX work as he does to directing a movie ?
- Are there recurring elements you can find in his works ? In his designs, his use of music and color, his blocking, camera technique?
Maybe simple details,...
- What are his weaknesses ? Which are his strengths ?
- Do you believe his experience in SFX is an advantage or a disadvantage when it comes to directing a film?
Feel free to share you comments and thoughts. |
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Asano
Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 12:28 am Post subject:
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I think there has been a fair influx of people that originally started off in i.e. SFX and other movie production areas that kinda filtered their way into making movies for whatever reasons...I guess SN fits that bill not that that is meant to sound demeaning to anything simply that alot of creative individuals that normally work behind the scenes and are the backbone of most movies are getting their shot at 'the big time...' I think Vincenzo Natali (if thats how you spell his name) is in a similar vein...
SN trademarks? Erm...flash frames, fast-mo, wide angle lenses? Its difficult to say, I think they are the most prominent in all the films that I have seen but obviously his influence as director goes much deeper than that such as directed the actors etc...I think he might be quite a control freak too...as in things need to be done in a specific manner e.g. the dorian gray library shoot out...
I think its kinda tough to distil SN in a few paragraphs but the above represents a taste of my amateur opinion... 
OH and just quickly, some twat on IMDB said something about 'making sure norrington never gets to direct another alan moore comic book film' obviously under the impression that LXG wasn't that good...but I think that links back to the 'control freak' thing...most comic books films are better realised if the director, producer etc just stick to the comic and the story lines that have been propelling them for the last 30 or whatever years i.e. spiderman...without smudging their cock all over the authors hard work i.e. (place shit comic book film name here)...
in the case of LXG i think Norrington quite simply used the comic as a template to realise his interpretation of the LXG universe...I seem to be under the impression that people dont see that after all, it is a kids film, its a perfectly enjoyable film, has lots of SN flourishes and leaves it open at the end for someone else to come along who wants to be more 'loyal' to the source...if it was totally crap then understandably I would embrace the criticisms with more sympathy but most of the time it just appears that these loons are pissing and moaning about nothing... 
I mean SN took the Blade template - with the help of Goyer of course and turned Blade from a Shaft wanabe into a mean mofo and created a film that undeniably started the whole comic book to film craziness that we are experiencing (if only i bought shares in Marvel back then...hindsights a bitch!)...so maybe LXG didn't go so well but jesus, the damn sets were flooded Sean C was being a dick and in general there was more force majeure going on than you can shake a stick at...the fact that the film got made and is enjoyable seems to be a small miracle....
anyways, i could go on 4ever..rant over... PEACE! |
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Mercury
Site Admin
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 47
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 11:57 am Post subject:
LXG, movie vs book
Subject description: Film interpretations of books
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| Quote: |
OH and just quickly, some twat on IMDB said something about 'making sure norrington never gets to direct another alan moore comic book film' obviously under the impression that LXG wasn't that good...but I think that links back to the 'control freak' thing...most comic books films are better realised if the director, producer etc just stick to the comic and the story lines that have been propelling them for the last 30 or whatever years i.e. spiderman...without smudging their cock all over the authors hard work i.e. (place shit comic book film name here)... |
Colorfully put!
And honestly, too. It's hard to know how to respond to the kind of childish and remarkably ignorant remark that you mentioned coming from the IMDb board. What that does it make me realize that both movie AND comic concepts and themes flew over the posters' collective head. It's got nothing to do with liking or disliking a film or adaptation. Obviously the audience's concerns are important; they have to be. However, the comments I read last year as my introduction to SN were, for the most part, without merit. The observations on the comic were odd, too. I was surprised after reading the graphic novels, at the enormous amount of humor in them. According to people who claimed to be true Moore fans, the LXG books were immense treasures of Serious Literature, not to be entertaining or to be amused by in any way. OH, wrong!
| Quote: | | in the case of LXG i think Norrington quite simply used the comic as a template to realise his interpretation of the LXG universe...I seem to be under the impression that people dont see that after all, it is a kids film, its a perfectly enjoyable film, has lots of SN flourishes and leaves it open at the end for someone else to come along who wants to be more 'loyal' to the source |
I would think this is the kind of thing a good director does. And he did it well. What I saw was more than a lavish, fantastical story---I saw some kind of huge potential from a director I'd never heard of. (No, I didn't know he had directed "Blade" at that point. I never would have guessed because of the huge leap in accumulated talent. Fantastic.  His interpretations were quite beautiful. While I agree that it is a "kid's film", I would also say that it is a "kid's film for adults". Not really meant for children, but with that ability to allow the adult to regress back into childhood, while still allowing for some dynamite adventure, violence and wonderful mayhem.
An aside---SN doesn't make PG films. LXG was watered-down, and it shouldn't have been. Maybe a modicum of respect for his previous works may have helped allieviate the worries of producers and senior actors, and to over-come their fears at his methods of direction. Trust who you hire, or don't make the movie at all. But don't take away a film that's not finished from the director. That's bad. No way to get around that; it's a rotten thing to do.
| Quote: | | I mean SN took the Blade template - with the help of Goyer of course and turned Blade from a Shaft wanabe into a mean mofo and created a film that undeniably started the whole comic book to film craziness that we are experiencing |
Didnt he, though? While I only managed to catch Blade in comic form 3 or 4 times (oh, so looooooooon ago, ask me about his hairstyle), he was a fascinating character, but at times, became watered down into a bit of a self-indulgent, angst-driven stereotype of the Angry Black Man . . . I love stereotypes, but it didn't quite succeed. Still, Blade was great fun, and to me, he was an Original. What SN and Goyer did with him, though, was just plain awesome. And I've got to give huge applause for Wesley Snipes, who knew exactly what to do for his director, and how to help.
I didn't like LXG the first time out, and I was sort of stricken. But it was only in the edit arena, to put it in an layman's way, and the fact is, the movie was very good. It only took a second viewing to get me hooked through the gills. A shame that it couldn't have been edited to the director's ultimate satisfaction. When you want the best chef, then stay the hell out of his damned kitchen and quiet mucking about with his work!
So says I. |
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