Daniel Robert Epstein: David Cronenberg

"I’m not a Kubrickian kind of director. I’ve never done 80 takes of anything in my life; I think that’s just jerking off."

I love that comment.

*heart* cronenberg*heart*

You know... Cronenberg really shouldn't be accusing anyone of "jerking off". His characters are about as self involved as you can possibly get.

they are not his charaters...his films for the most part are based on books

Croenberg is, as we say in the 'hood, like buttah. He is jiggy with it. I mean, he made an amazing film (Crash) out of a crap book and Exintez...incredible. He's right up there with David Lynch and the Coen Brothers as the best filmmakers out there...

he's not "accusing" anyone, he's making a crack that it's not his style, his way of working. For him it would be jerking off. I'm sure he respects Kubrick.
But what's that have to do with self-involved characters? He chooses to make movies with characters that have more than your normal share of mental problems, that's true, but where's the problem with that?

I admire filmmakers who are willing to and, infact, intruiged by making movies about unlikeable characters...so if his characters are indeed self-involved, I'm all for that shit. thats more of a challenge.

and its not like its a terribly taboo thing to differentiate from a kubrick or a hitchcock style of directing. even the greats are fair game for criticism.

anyhow, d. cronenberg sounds like an actor's director. really interesting interview...I love crawling into other filmmaker's heads and learning some of their mechanisms.

Much of what a Director does cannot be readily apparent in the viewing of the film...I mean is it really the editor/cinematographer that was responsible from that shot? But one thing that consistently is a 'tell' to their brilliance is seen in the performances given by the actors, since it is the Director who is most responsible for all the variables that prepare an actor for a great performance.

With that being said I give you Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringer's...wow!!

And for creepy charecter actors there is the gay drug dealer in Naked Lunch...yowzer!

You Rock David Cronenberg, an example of how artists (not entertainers) outside the Hollywood system can strive to make films that hold up over time.

I also love David C.'s stuff. But... BUT, I thought that "Spider" was a *weak* film (i have a screening copy). I would very much like to see other fans' opinions of this once it's out...

Does anybody else think this pic of Cronenberg looks like the cover of Killing An Arab (Boys Don't Cry) by the Cure?

u/l/f

Timothy Leary you say...hmmm, reincarnate?!?!...Makes sense to me.

Wow, how did this one slip by me?? Good going, DRE!! I love Cronenberg's films, even though, by and large, they make me extremely uncomfortable. Or perhaps, because they do. Art should be challenging. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed his guest shot on Alias last week. Not too many directors actually enjoy acting - I think he does. Bravo!

I remember going to a sneak preview of Spider right before it came out, and Cronenberg did a short Q & A sessions afterwards. He's a really nice, intelligent guy. Tall too. he's one of my very favorite filmmakers.