Wednesday 17 March 2010

On fine form

John Landis was, to quote Edgar Wright, "on fine form" last night at the BFI Southbank, regaling the audience with many wry and wonderfully amusing tales that included his time working on Once Upon A Time In The West, his contribution to The Spy Who Loved Me and how Cubby Broccolli arranged for him to meet the Queen Mother, his monthly lunches with Alfred Hitchcock, as well as his excitement over his latest, Burke & Hare, which he finishes shooting this week.

During the course of an hour and a half, we also managed to cover Schlock, Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House, The Blues Brothers, American Werewolf, Trading Places, Into The Night, Coming To America, The Stupids, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Slasher, Three Amigos!, and Mr Warmth, although his views on Avatar and Roland Emmerich movies were, for me, the highlight of a very fun and enormously entertaining evening.

Highlights will be available on the BFI Live website at some point. I'll link to them when they're available.

Photo: BFI

4 comments:

Lloyd said...

I'd forgotten he directed 'The Three Amigos', one of my childhood favourites... "No, we will not die like dogs, we will fight like lions"

What did he have to say about the film?

Mark Salisbury said...

Can't remember the specifics of it to be honest. He mentioned it in relation to an audience member's question and I was busy trying to direct the microphone to the next person at the time...

But I do remember when he said the film's title there was an audible sense of appreciation within the room.

Ask me another...

Lloyd said...

OK, after waiting literally months, I was finally watched Avatar at the BFI Imax last week, straight after a showing of Alice...it was a late one!!!

Overall I loved it, the best 3D I've seen at the Imax, although there was plenty of problems with the story for me, but well worth the wait. What was his take on the film?

P.S. Just heard Cameron has annouced Titanic 3D in 2012, to mark the 100year anniversay. Naked Winslet in 3D could be worth another viewing!

Mark Salisbury said...

His take was very similar to mine. He loves Cameron's work but it's a film full of clichés and he doesn't really understand why the critics have been fawning over it.

He was particularly funny discussing the film's use of 3D pertaining to arrows. Even acted it out...

The Titanic thing is interesting considering he's been very vocal about people shooting films in 2D and then converting them to 3D. Which is exactly what he's doing...