Brian DePalma: Backstage at the Paradise (2014)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
If you're a fan of PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE then you're going to love this 33-minute interview with director Brian DePalma who pretty much talks about every aspect of the film. When I say everything I really mean that because there are countless subjects that are touched upon. This includes the original screenplay, which had to be thrown out after the co-writer refused to accept the only offer they had received for the screenplay. DePalma talks about having to take out everything the previous person wrote and then he goes into details about the sets, costumes and the visual look he wanted for the film. Other subjects include the Hitchcock and TOUCH OF EVIL influences and how he hates keeping the camera still on dialogue. He talks about how it's cheap to film but it's not real cinema. Towards the end DePalma goes into detail about the various lawsuits that hit the film before it was released and the rather poor box office results.
Again, fans of the film are going to love this because DePalma tackles a lot of different subjects and manages to go into great detail about all of them. DePalma talks in his usual dry way but you can just tell that there's so much knowledge there that you can't help but be entertained and fascinated by everything he says. PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE isn't one of my favorite films from the director but this interview is very entertaining.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
If you're a fan of PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE then you're going to love this 33-minute interview with director Brian DePalma who pretty much talks about every aspect of the film. When I say everything I really mean that because there are countless subjects that are touched upon. This includes the original screenplay, which had to be thrown out after the co-writer refused to accept the only offer they had received for the screenplay. DePalma talks about having to take out everything the previous person wrote and then he goes into details about the sets, costumes and the visual look he wanted for the film. Other subjects include the Hitchcock and TOUCH OF EVIL influences and how he hates keeping the camera still on dialogue. He talks about how it's cheap to film but it's not real cinema. Towards the end DePalma goes into detail about the various lawsuits that hit the film before it was released and the rather poor box office results.
Again, fans of the film are going to love this because DePalma tackles a lot of different subjects and manages to go into great detail about all of them. DePalma talks in his usual dry way but you can just tell that there's so much knowledge there that you can't help but be entertained and fascinated by everything he says. PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE isn't one of my favorite films from the director but this interview is very entertaining.