Ahoy, squirts! Quint here... Now I know this news hit last weekend, but I was in the heat of South By Southwest when it happened and didn't get a chance to put up a rant about it. Plus it's just depressing. However, now that I've recuperated I just couldn't let this pass by without a pissed off rant about Paul WS Anderson's newest project.
Paul WS Anderson is a bit of a puzzle to me. He could be the greatest geek filmmaker of all time with the projects he's gotten. He seems to have an absolute love of geeky things and I've heard in person he's a really great guy. I don't know him, I just see what he does to properties I love.
I mean... there is an ALIEN VS. PREDATOR film out on DVD right now that I snicker at when I see it on the shelf and wouldn't even consider having in my DVD collection. Do you realize how sad that is? That was a dream movie for me as a kid. I would have killed to have seen it put together. Now I wish it wasn't made at all.
I don't know what it is, but he churns out the most mediocre stuff on the planet. The only film of his I enjoy is EVENT HORIZON and I've heard rumor that a good amount of that was reshot by a different, better director.
If for nothing else, Anderson should be commended for his ability to get attached to these high profile geek projects. He must be a helluva pitch-man. You can also argue that his films have made money, but I'd argue right back that RESIDENT EVIL and AVP made its bank on the popular original material. People have wanted to see an ALIEN VS. PREDATOR film for so long that no matter how bad the reviews or how disappointed your geek friends were, you'd still go see it.
Plus he's got a talent for being mediocre. His stuff isn't terribly bad (except for SOLDIER) just on that kinda shitty/mediocre level, which is almost worse.
Now he's gotten his mitts on the semi-sequel/remake of DEATH RACE 2000, cleverly titled DEATH RACE 3000. The original is a masterpiece of over-the-top characters balanced with the shock value of some genuinely hardcore set pieces. Hell, the idea of running over people for points (especially the elderly and children) is vile and gloriously fucked up. On top of all of that was the commentary on society and what we get a kick out of watching. I'm not putting myself above the masses... I'll seek out those video clips where some dumb-ass skater breaks his arm or some teen fucktard makes a homemade explosive that, of course, blows up in his face. I can't help but look at the traffic accident on the highway... Hell, I sat in traffic waiting for it, why not get a look, I say!
The question is will Paul (Worthless Shit) Anderson make a hard R update to this flick, set it in a future or alternate reality where this is a sport and not cow tow to the nervous executives. Unfortunately, I think Anderson is one of those directors who are really just a filter for the studio heads, a single face for a gaggle of bean-counters. When I watch something like RESIDENT EVIL and AVP, it feels like a panel made movie, not a singular vision. You can give Corman a lot of flack, but he allowed people to tell their stories, sometimes to great effect, sometimes not.
Even if there is, somewhere, a pressing need to remake DEATH RACE 2000, why not get a visionary director? Pull out your new Bryan Singers or Sam Raimis (like they are smartly doing with Matthew Vaughn on X3). Put someone who started low budget, but with a clear talent and vision and give them a project like this. Right now this feels like FANTASTIC FOUR instead of SPIDER-MAN, you know?
Who would I pick to helm this? Well, after talking to Harry who has been compulsively dreaming of KUNG FU HUSTLE over and over and over again, I was struck with how amazing it'd be to see Stephen Chow behind the camera on this flick. Can you imagine what Stephen Chow's DEATH RACE 3000 would be? I can't, but I know I'd be a helluva lot more excited to see the guy who directed SHAOLIN SOCCER and KUNG FU HUSTLE and has shown a talent for building over the top characters to their proper stature while making them seem human at the same time than I am about PWSA doing the film.
What about you guys? What do you think about this remake? Do you think I'm wrong? Is Paul WS Anderson the one to make this film? If not him, who else? Let me know below!
-Quint
