ICYMI, Part III - Page 3

FM: I'm curious if you've seen the new 'Lord of the Flies' series on Netflix? Talk about a fundamental breakdown in communication... 

GR: "Nah lol. I've seen the first movie adaptation and the one from the 80's and that's good enough for me. It's like that 'Rosemary's Baby' series that no one remembers. In a lot of situations, one adaptation is good enough for me lol"

FM: Yea. I don't remember that and I can't blame it on head trauma. I often depose films like these to single serve experiences. You can eat a pouch of Cholula one time before you feel burned for sitting through the results.  

I noticed that you often speak to an amorphous critic on the other side of the lens. You have your defense ready for objection- for instance, naming Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' as one of, if not the greatest film of all time, you said:

'I know it's a bit of a stock answer, but I think there's a reason for that. At the end of the day any piece of art has to stand up to scrutiny, conversations, new pieces of art replacing it... and if something can survive all of that, and still come out in conversations of greatest movies of all time... it's an absolute master classic, the pacing, the timing...'

I'm realizing now that you've been at this for a long time. You recently did your own retrospective on 'Captain Canada's Movie Rodeo' (Drunk Monkeys Press), a column you published 13 years ago. How similar are your opinions from then to now ? Did you even watch movies like 'The Green Inferno', 'American Hustle' or 'Only God Forgives'?

Is it a factor of timing vs. scrutiny that sets the bar for your views of the past as opposed to your current outlook?  

GR: "I've seen most of those. In general, I dislike certain movies less than I used to. That's the big difference I keep running into. I'm a lot more open minded than I used to be. That's something I've always tried to work on.

"Timing is such a weird thing with watching movies. I've occasionally seen movies I really disliked because I just happened to be in the worst possible mood. Then I saw them later and absolutely loved them. 'Isle of Dogs' and 'Step Brothers' would be two examples.

"It [MtC] is a little defensive on my part, but I also became a film writer in part because I was constantly arguing with movie reviews in my own head. So I thought I may as well try and make a few bucks on that."

FM: Daniel Day-Lewis (greatest method actor of all time) retired to become a... [seamster]/dress maker after shooting 'Phantom Thread' with PT Anderson (maybe the best working director), and then came back to act/work on the screenplay for 'Anemone' with his son.

After such an illustrious career, I believe he returned to acting because he genuinely missed the experience more than he looked forward to working with family on a relatively obscure project, especially considering what he is accustomed to with theatrical releases.

As a person who drifts between modes of creativity, what do you believe calls an artist back to their former ambition? When you operate at a high level as an artist, is there an accompanying sense of guilt that follows you? Maybe you've done a disservice to those who supported your endeavors in the past, and a tax is owed for shifting focus when you have 'cemented' a legacy...

GR: "I saw an interview with him where he basically said he wasn't going to stand on his pride if it meant working with his son. That's good dad energy. In movies and pro wrestling, I don't think anyone is actually retired until they're in the ground.

"I like the way Daniel Day-Lewis goes about it. I'll always be honest with people, and that means doing what I want, when I want. Life's too short for anything else."

FM: ... In these post apocalyptic film sets there are raiders of some sort, riding dirt bikes with chains in their teeth, green Mohawk, meth eyes, crooked and unconventional weapons/tools for survival. Being someone who's moved around and slept in different hotels, what film best represents a city or block you've lived on/nearby, somewhere that embodies that spirit; because when I hear those words, 'do what I want', it has an inherent air of 'chaos' and being someone who lives in an organized 'havoc' realm, I strongly differentiate between the two. Havoc can have control, chaos does not and I, I think on the Island of Dr. Moreau/Gary, Indiana, my friend...

GR: "I've been to Gary and I'm very sorry.

"My life is actually pretty chill. It's a weird imposter syndrome kind of feeling sometimes, but I'm very very grateful. I go to bed at a decent hour. I rarely drink. I'm content 98% of the time to be left alone. It's shockingly peaceful, and I've been working on myself to accept that peace on an ongoing basis.

"I think the two cities that shaped me the most were New York City and Richmond. San Francisco would be two more important ones. With NYC it's partially growing up with so many powerhouse movies set there. And then I wound up living on Long Island for years. Again, life is weird.

"Richmond was just stomping grounds for a lot of my youth. Savannah was certainly uh, a place where many crazed and dangerous and occasionally beautiful things went down. San Francisco, again, youth, and just where I was in my life and what I wanted to do. Those are the cities that bleed together in my dreams and nightmares, swallowing me up in lights, conversations, felonies, girlfriends, and the constant mystique of these places at 4 AM."