Ahoy, squirts. Quint here with a report in from one of Dino De Laurentiis' recent book signings. It isn't heavy on news, but I find these peaks into speaking engagements fascinating. Love him or hate him, Dino has been through it all and has a lifetime of stories to tell. Read on below for a taste!!!
Harry, my friend Brian and I hit a book signing of Dino De Laurentiis last night, you might be interested.
Brian and I had gone to Dutton's books store in Brentwood for a book signing - Dino's signing. I can't believe that Dino could fit his adventurous, full and far from complete life between the pages of one book. It seems that he would have to have a collection, something that was in the vein of a monthly book subscription for a few years at least. But there it was a picture of him in the early years. And there he was again in front of us, looking fairly young for 80 years old, a glint in his eye and passion in his voice.
He touched on the upcoming Hannibal prequel, saying "It will show how he became this monster. How he became a cannibal, from 14 - 19"
Described his favorite directors, off the top of his head as being "Speilberg, Luhrman and Jimmy Cameron"...he calls him Jimmy cameron hahah, that's so cool.
His favorite actor? "Anthony Hopkins. He has three dimensions and just comes out of the screen!"
The man was there working with Fellini (whom he referred to as a perpetual "liar" during the Q & A), gave Pacino his first break, telling the audience before him that the first director had him choose between himself (jon Avnet) and Pacino (then an unknown), he said "there is the door jon". The same quandry when he hired Sidney Lumet, Paramount in turn didn't want him as director "there is the door paramount".
This producer that has survived in the world of Hollywood where it's rare that you get a chance beyond the first film, has not only thrived but produced well over a hundred pictures.
Someone in the audience asked him what it was that attracted him to a certain picture "the heart, it has to have heart" They asked him about the upcoming Alexander project directed by Baz Luhrmann and if the Oliver Stone film that is coming out well before was problematic. He responded with an emphatic "no!" - though his wife laughingly said that in realistic terms "of course it's not good!", But Dino went on and said "how many times has the film of Christ been done, probably over a 100 times, but suddenly Mel Gibson comes along and look - a smash"
On Dune. An audience member asked him if he was proud of Dune. He said "yes of course. The first cut that we had was 3 hours and 50 minutes. The studio wanted it cut down to two hours. What do you have left? But I am proud, they are like my children"
Someone asked him how hollywood can make movies for cheaper. This to me is why Dino is in a class all his own
"You don't make a movie because it will be expensive or not expensive, you make it because you believe in the story...when I came from Italy to America the first movie that I wanted to make was "War and Peace" and people said 'Dino you're crazy!' but it was a masterpiece and I did it, not because it was expensive because it was a grand story!" This man believes in the craft, the artist, the project. He has given so many directors a chance to move out of their usual genre, or just taken risks on those that no one else would. Where would we be without Army of Darkness? Serpico? Conan?
In all, he is 80 some odd years old, still making and producing some of the most fascinating films and I'm sure will continue to do so for many years to come.
Call me spacekicker
