Gabriel Macht "The Spirit" Interview!!

[rogue trooper]

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/091908macht.html

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

Thanks for posting this.

It's the exact same one as the printed version which has been circulating for awhile, but it's good to have the info on here.

His attitude toward the character seems nice. Sad to hear that he's now "undead", though.

In 1922, when Freidrich Wilhelm Murnau directed Nosferatu, which was a loose adaptation on a previous author's work, he famously cast a relative unknown actor named Max Shrek... with the kicker being that Shrek means "terror" in German... the name was a good marquee gimmick for a horror film.

I think it's hysterical that Frank Miller, famous for writing all his lead male characters as tough guys (and he also happens to be making a very loose adaptation on another's work... and making the character invincible), chooses an actor whose last name means "tough" or "mighty" in German.

It must be something in directors with the initials F.M.

 

[Bubastis]

Well I heard the story about Frank Miller and the spirit book Macht brought, but I'm glad to know that Miller exchanged it for Eisner comics with better coloring

 

[C. W. Saturn]

Thanks for posting this.

It's the exact same one as the printed version which has been circulating for awhile, but it's good to have the info on here.

His attitude toward the character seems nice. Sad to hear that he's now "undead", though.

In 1922, when Freidrich Wilhelm Murnau directed Nosferatu, which was a loose adaptation on a previous author's work, he famously cast a relative unknown actor named Max Shrek... with the kicker being that Shrek means "terror" in German... the name was a good marquee gimmick for a horror film.

I think it's hysterical that Frank Miller, famous for writing all his lead male characters as tough guys (and he also happens to be making a very loose adaptation on another's work... and making the character invincible), chooses an actor whose last name means "tough" or "mighty" in German.

It must be something in directors with the initials F.M.

You are not comparing Macht to Shreck and Miller to Murnau and The Spirit to Nosferatu, do you? No no.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

You are not comparing Macht to Shreck and Miller to Murnau and The Spirit to Nosferatu, do you? No no.

Other than the little 'gag' I pointed out, they are light years apart in talent.

With Miller being on the short end of the deal.

Murnau was a genius. Miller has one story to tell in varying formations.

Nosferatu altered a genre of films and has spent decades as a staple in representing how to utilize technique in stylized filmmaking.
Spirit, while probably fun, will spend months upsetting fans of the source material , and become a staple in representing how a creative 'talent' can use the same technique in storytelling that he always has used.

It's similiar... but different.

 

[theMan-Bat]

I doubt he's literally an undead creature in the movie.

 

[theMan-Bat]

Other than the little 'gag' I pointed out, they are light years apart in talent.

With Miller being on the short end of the deal.

Miller is multi-talented. He's a comic book writer, comic book artist, inker, screenwriter, and film director.

Murnau was a genius.

Miller's name is also synonymous with the word "genius."

Murnau is one of my favorite directors. I love Nosferatu and own the restored edition on DVD by Kino. In Nosferatu the vampire looks the way a vampire should look. In the folklore a vampire always looks disgusting. It's a corpse. It's been in the grave. It's rotting away. It's ugly. It's frightening and scary. That's the image of the vampire which is from folklore.

Miller has one story to tell in varying formations.

Daredevil Born Again, Ronin, Batman The Dark Knight Returns, Elektra Assassin, Batman Year One, Hard Boiled, the Martha Washington books, Sin City, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, 300, DK2, All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder. That's more than one story.

Nosferatu altered a genre of films and has spent decades as a staple in representing how to utilize technique in stylized filmmaking.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns altered a genre of comic books and has spent decades as a staple in representing how to utilize a more adult-oriented pulp/noir-influenced "grim and gritty" storytelling in comic books.

Comparing Miller as a film director to legendary German Expressionistic film director Murnau is not really a fair comparison since Miller has just began directing and The Spirit isn't even out yet.

Spirit, while probably fun, will spend months upsetting fans of the source material , and become a staple in representing how a creative 'talent' can use the same technique in storytelling that he always has used.

It's similiar... but different.

We shall see.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

That Kino restoration is ridiculously awesome!!!

The rest of your post was crap.






Just kidding.

I don't know if you're a Metropolis fan or not, but Kino's restoration of that was like seeing a new film for the first time. Not only was it one of the cleanest prints I've ever seen of a film from anywhere remotely near that decade of cinema... they reinserted scenes that have been missing since 1925!

It's a heckuva dvd.

Kino tends to be amazing in general.

Unlike Frank Miller.

(just had to throw that in to sound all bitter toward the man)

Truthfully, I just found the only comparison... that both had the same initials and both cast lead actors with coincidentally character-appropriate names... to be humorous more than anything...

 

[theMan-Bat]

That Kino restoration is ridiculously awesome!!!

It is truly awesome.

I don't know if you're a Metropolis fan or not, but Kino's restoration of that was like seeing a new film for the first time. Not only was it one of the cleanest prints I've ever seen of a film from anywhere remotely near that decade of cinema... they reinserted scenes that have been missing since 1925!

It's a heckuva dvd.

I've never been a Metropolis fan because the version of Metropolis I watched had songs (with singing) by Loverboy, Pat Benatar, Billy Squier, Adam Ant and Freddie Mercury in it. That ruined the movie for me.

As long as those songs are not on the Kino DVD version and instead it has approperate atmospheric mood music then I'll give Metropolis another chance.

Kino tends to be amazing in general.

Yes, they are. I recommend to you Kino's restored Cabinet of Dr. Caligari DVD.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

Oh, heck yeah... the restored Caligari is one of the best things I've ever seen. I love the title cards and the original color tinting.

On a similiar note, there's a version of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari that came out in 2005 that digitally removed the original actors, but KEPT the backgrounds (the behind the scenes is as amazing as the movie), and then inserted modern actors for the purpose of putting speaking roles.

The great casting choice is Doug Jones (Abe Sapien from Hellboy, Silver Surfer, the monsters from Pan's Labrynth) as Cesare.

I love the original, but this is really worth owning. The technique they used to insert present day actors onto 1919 sets is ridiculously cool.

 

[theMan-Bat]

Oh, heck yeah... the restored Caligari is one of the best things I've ever seen. I love the title cards and the original color tinting.

On a similiar note, there's a version of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari that came out in 2005 that digitally removed the original actors, but KEPT the backgrounds (the behind the scenes is as amazing as the movie), and then inserted modern actors for the purpose of putting speaking roles.

The great casting choice is Doug Jones (Abe Sapien from Hellboy, Silver Surfer, the monsters from Pan's Labrynth) as Cesare.

I love the original, but this is really worth owning. The technique they used to insert present day actors onto 1919 sets is ridiculously cool.

Interesting. I've never seen this remake, or "remix", as they call it. You can't top the original but this is interesting.

 

[CrimsonMist]

while we're discussing it, which KINO Restoration of Nosferatu are we talking about? The 2002 version or the 2007 version?

Both are worth owning, in my opinion. The 2002 version fooled around with the contrast, and it gave it a detailed, grainy look, which was cool. The 2007 version just cleaned up the picture quality, making everything clear, without messing with contrast. They added some small lost footage into it, stuff that, in all 5 copies of the film i own, have never seen before. They fix the speed, too. But the picture quality is the BEST i've ever seen. It most shots, the film looks like it was filmed yesterday. And it also comes with the original score to the film by Hans Erdmann, which is pretty awesome. The downside is that this version has the top half of Orlock's head chopped off, as seen in most prints. It sucks because the '02 restoration has Orlock's full head in the shot.

The second best version, though, in my opinion, is the Arrow Entertainment/Front Row Entertainment version of the film. The music track is comprised of Type O Negative songs(one of my favorite bands thanks to this DVD). It's cool.

Man-Bat, i highly suggest you check out KINO's Metropolis restoration. As i understand it, with recent lost footage recently discovered(we're talking a significant amount of story thought lost for YEARS), KINO is re-releasing the film. I'm not sure of details, but the re-release on DVD will include the lost footage a separate feature but the Blu-Ray version with incorporate the footage into the film. I'm not sure though. Regardless, if you own a blu-ray player and a hi-def TV, wait for the blu-ray disc. If you really can't wait, just go out and rent the current edition of the film. No crappy 80's music. Great picture quality and great music.

Now for all of you, go check out KINO's restoration of The Hands of Orlac. Famous piano player Conrad Viedt loses his hands in a terrible train accident, only to later discover that the new hands that have been surgically attached to his arms are those of a recently executed serial killer. Psychoanalytical mayhem ensues.

Great movie. With some of the creepiest music EVER.

 

[Ziggyman]

Are rogue and IDDP made up now...?

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

while we're discussing it, which KINO Restoration of Nosferatu are we talking about? The 2002 version or the 2007 version?

Both are worth owning, in my opinion. The 2002 version fooled around with the contrast, and it gave it a detailed, grainy look, which was cool. The 2007 version just cleaned up the picture quality, making everything clear, without messing with contrast. They added some small lost footage into it, stuff that, in all 5 copies of the film i own, have never seen before. They fix the speed, too. But the picture quality is the BEST i've ever seen. It most shots, the film looks like it was filmed yesterday. And it also comes with the original score to the film by Hans Erdmann, which is pretty awesome. The downside is that this version has the top half of Orlock's head chopped off, as seen in most prints. It sucks because the '02 restoration has Orlock's full head in the shot.

The second best version, though, in my opinion, is the Arrow Entertainment/Front Row Entertainment version of the film. The music track is comprised of Type O Negative songs(one of my favorite bands thanks to this DVD). It's cool.

Man-Bat, i highly suggest you check out KINO's Metropolis restoration. As i understand it, with recent lost footage recently discovered(we're talking a significant amount of story thought lost for YEARS), KINO is re-releasing the film. I'm not sure of details, but the re-release on DVD will include the lost footage a separate feature but the Blu-Ray version with incorporate the footage into the film. I'm not sure though. Regardless, if you own a blu-ray player and a hi-def TV, wait for the blu-ray disc. If you really can't wait, just go out and rent the current edition of the film. No crappy 80's music. Great picture quality and great music.

Now for all of you, go check out KINO's restoration of The Hands of Orlac. Famous piano player Conrad Viedt loses his hands in a terrible train accident, only to later discover that the new hands that have been surgically attached to his arms are those of a recently executed serial killer. Psychoanalytical mayhem ensues.

Great movie. With some of the creepiest music EVER.

Hands of Orlac is such a great film! Between Caligari and 'Laughs', I'd say that Orlac rounds out Veidt's top three films.

The 07 Nosferatu print IS one of the greatest things I've seen. To contrast, the 1922 film now has the film quality of the shots that were "redone" for Shadow of the Vampire. Which happens to be another good film... especially the scene where he's sucking on the bat/discussing how terrible Stoker's Dracula is.

On a seperate, yet similiar note, have you seen The Call of Cthulu? The Lovecraft Society released it maybe 2 years ago, and they did the Cthulu story... but they made it an aged looking SILENT film. It's pretty cool, and looks (for the most part) like they dug it out of some vault after 70 years. The gimmick sort of outshines the film in parts, but I give them an A based solely on a King Kong-esque stop motion Cthulu.

 

[theMan-Bat]

while we're discussing it, which KINO Restoration of Nosferatu are we talking about? The 2002 version or the 2007 version?

Both are worth owning, in my opinion. The 2002 version fooled around with the contrast, and it gave it a detailed, grainy look, which was cool. The 2007 version just cleaned up the picture quality, making everything clear, without messing with contrast. They added some small lost footage into it, stuff that, in all 5 copies of the film i own, have never seen before. They fix the speed, too. But the picture quality is the BEST i've ever seen. It most shots, the film looks like it was filmed yesterday. And it also comes with the original score to the film by Hans Erdmann, which is pretty awesome. The downside is that this version has the top half of Orlock's head chopped off, as seen in most prints. It sucks because the '02 restoration has Orlock's full head in the shot.

The second best version, though, in my opinion, is the Arrow Entertainment/Front Row Entertainment version of the film. The music track is comprised of Type O Negative songs(one of my favorite bands thanks to this DVD). It's cool.

I have the 'O2 Kino version. I love the score by Art Zoyd. I haven't gotten the '07 Kino version yet.

Man-Bat, i highly suggest you check out KINO's Metropolis restoration. As i understand it, with recent lost footage recently discovered(we're talking a significant amount of story thought lost for YEARS), KINO is re-releasing the film. I'm not sure of details, but the re-release on DVD will include the lost footage a separate feature but the Blu-Ray version with incorporate the footage into the film. I'm not sure though. Regardless, if you own a blu-ray player and a hi-def TV, wait for the blu-ray disc. If you really can't wait, just go out and rent the current edition of the film. No crappy 80's music. Great picture quality and great music.

Good. I hated that cheesy trendy '80s pop music. Ruined the movie.

Now for all of you, go check out KINO's restoration of The Hands of Orlac. Famous piano player Conrad Viedt loses his hands in a terrible train accident, only to later discover that the new hands that have been surgically attached to his arms are those of a recently executed serial killer. Psychoanalytical mayhem ensues.

Great movie. With some of the creepiest music EVER.

I've never seen The Hand of Orlac! That seems like another great one. Conrad Viedt was amazing in The Man Who Laughs and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

 

[C. W. Saturn]

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns altered a genre of comic books and has spent decades as a staple in representing how to utilize a more adult-oriented pulp/noir-influenced "grim and gritty" storytelling in comic books.

All those things were there before TDKR. TDKR wasn't really that innovative, it was just what MADE these things popular.

 

[rogue trooper]

All those things were there before TDKR. TDKR wasn't really that innovative, it was just what MADE these things popular.

The Batman we now have in the comics and in films is one that Frank Miller gave way to. It was innovative.

 

[CrimsonMist]

I have the 'O2 Kino version. I love the score by Art Zoyd. I haven't gotten the '07 Kino version yet.

Really. Check it out. It's so worth the money. You'll crap your pants when you see how great it looks!t:

Good. I hated that cheesy trendy '80s pop music. Ruined the movie.

Heh, i actually want to see this version. Ah, the wonders of public domain!

I've never seen The Hand of Orlac! That seems like another great one. Conrad Viedt was amazing in The Man Who Laughs and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Oh trust me, it's a GREAT film. Creepy, moody and disturbing.

 

[CrimsonMist]

Hands of Orlac is such a great film! Between Caligari and 'Laughs', I'd say that Orlac rounds out Veidt's top three films.

The 07 Nosferatu print IS one of the greatest things I've seen. To contrast, the 1922 film now has the film quality of the shots that were "redone" for Shadow of the Vampire. Which happens to be another good film... especially the scene where he's sucking on the bat/discussing how terrible Stoker's Dracula is.

On a seperate, yet similiar note, have you seen The Call of Cthulu? The Lovecraft Society released it maybe 2 years ago, and they did the Cthulu story... but they made it an aged looking SILENT film. It's pretty cool, and looks (for the most part) like they dug it out of some vault after 70 years. The gimmick sort of outshines the film in parts, but I give them an A based solely on a King Kong-esque stop motion Cthulu.

The scene in Shadow of The Vampire where he discusses how terrible Dracula is, is hilarious, and deep at the same time. Great movie.

Yes, i've seen The Call of Cthulhu! I loved it. It was a fun watch. Stop-Motion Cthulhu was great. The Lovecraft Society is working on a sound, 1930's style adaptation of The Haunter of The Dark, which looks cool.

I'm also trying very hard to find a copy of "The Last Performance" with Conrad Viedt. It's considered, more or less, to be his unintentional audition for Dracula, before Lugosi was cast. I can't find it anywhere.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

There used to be a low grade company release of The Thirteenth Chair... a pre-Dracula Lugosi film... that had clips from that attached to it.

It's strange that, with all the "missing" or "lost" films from that era, it seems that what footage remains is always the MOST VITAL scene or scenes.

Case in point, the dvd release of Lon Chaney's The Penalty (1920), which is not only one of his best roles... but you want to talk about disturbing... anyhow, part of the bonus footage is the only surviving footage of Chaney's breakthrough film, The Miracle Man, and it just so happens to be the scene where he plays the fake cripple and unwinds himself to con everyone with the "healing". Remarkable.

Anyhow, The Penalty, if you haven't seen it, is hypothetically a mob film, where the mob leader had his legs needlessly amputated at the knee by a rookie doctor, and he grew up bitter. He keeps women trapped in his attic and the film shows him abusing them pretty bad for a 1920 film. Chaney, being the genius he is, kept his legs strapped up behind his back and walked on his knees, with an overcoat covering the "amputation". He not only walks up steps like this, but slides down a pole. Must have hurt like all get out.

For the cinematic achievement, it's great.

 

[C. W. Saturn]

The Batman we now have in the comics and in films is one that Frank Miller gave way to. It was innovative.

No, he is not. There was a Batman before Frank Miller. We had a Frank Miller Batman in the mid-90s till 2000s, but now? Something different. And the movie Batman is a lot different.

 

[rogue trooper]

No, he is not. There was a Batman before Frank Miller. We had a Frank Miller Batman in the mid-90s till 2000s, but now? Something different. And the movie Batman is a lot different.

Before Frank Miller, Batman wasn't as driven and as dark as he is now. In comics and in movies. And before TDKR, Batman comics weren't as deep.

 

[C. W. Saturn]

Before Frank Miller, Batman wasn't as driven and as dark as he is now. In comics and in movies. And before TDKR, Batman comics weren't as deep.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

But it's okay, these misinformation is widely distributed.

 

[rogue trooper]

You have no idea what you are talking about.

Actually I do, just as any true Batman fan who has followed the character's history does. Obviously you don't qualify as one.

Anyway, The Spirit....

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

Thank God it's someone else getting 're-programmed' this time.



ManBat- I was just looking around online and found some awesomely cheap dvds, of which they had a couple you may already have, but they were Haxan, Hands of Orlac, Man Who Laughs, and the 07 print of Nosferatu. They were all used on Amazon.

Crimson- I did not know they were following up Cthulu with a talkie. I used to check their site religously after the silent film was released, but it never budged, info-wise. Glad they're doing this. I'm so there for that.