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More on John Ottman and URBAN LEGEND II
Hmmmm... Well it seems some folks completely missed the point of what I thought of the first URBAN LEGEND. I thought it was a hilarious load of dung. An amazing heap of shit. A movie that had me, and all my friends smiling like the jackasses we were. Is there anyone out there that loves movies that are sooooo bad that they scream out to be watched with a dozen of your favorite drunken friends?
The reason I'm excited about an URBAN LEGEND 2 is because having listened to John Ottman's music for what seems like ages now... And beholding his magic as an editor... I have hopes that perhaps the movie may transcend it's fate as a sequel to one of the most rauciously awful alleged horror films around. All you need to do to get excited about his potential as a director is to listen to his masterful ORIGINAL score to HALLOWEEN H2O (not the diced and sliced horror show that Bob Weinstein butchered his score into). It's taut and tense and builds and builds from the beginning all the way through to the end. A score that exceeded the film it was written for.
Now we get to see the composer conduct the rest of the film as well, and to me that feels exciting. Who knows... could be crap, but I won't be juding that for a year or so when we finally get to see the dang thing. But meanwhile, here's John Ottman's reaction to yesterday's story!
Now we get to see the composer conduct the rest of the film as well, and to me that feels exciting. Who knows... could be crap, but I won't be juding that for a year or so when we finally get to see the dang thing. But meanwhile, here's John Ottman's reaction to yesterday's story!
Well, yes, it's true, I'm directing (and scoring, of course) Urban Legend 2.
The alarm bells regarding X-Men need not ring. X-Men is very important to
me, and I am excited about being a creative part of the film, and giving it
the score of my life. -- We are NOT on collision schedules regarding my
work on the film. X-Men is apparently a Christmas 2000 release for goodness
sakes.
As far as Urban Legend 2 goes and the mail it has inspired (zowza!), this
film is one which, despite its status as a sequel, will exist on its own
original merit. We're going to try and make it more of a young person's
Hitchcockian thriller instead of a slasher. I hope to have fun with the
genre as I am getting my feet wet. Musically, it should also be a very fun
score to write, if I'm still breathing.
- John Ottman
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Okay, I admit that I have not seen Urban Legend (when it first came out I stifled back the vomit as I thought of the producers thinking "Wow... I bet every newspaper in the country will run the headline 'Grosses for Urban Legend Are Legendary!'"...
But then again, considring my love for urban legends, by all rights I should have seen the film regardless, despite the Teen Slashers getting unfavorably on my nerves. Well, perhaps I'll rent it cheaply once it leaves the "NEW RELEASES" shelf at my local dumpy (dumpy as in CHARMING!) video store and see if I find it so-bad-it's-good (another thing which I am a fan of)... this'll pave the way for Urban 2 and my decision to see THAT or not, I suppose... -
I prefer them coming from the creative side like writing or sometimes acting but editors cinematographers and especially producers are usually horrible directors. They have no real voice of their own and usually just get a bunch of footage and then dump it on the poor editor, they don't seem to have much storytelling ability or passion. If they're lucky they get a great script and end up filming it to come out with a great film like Hal Ashby did with Being There and De Bont did with Speed.I've never seen a composer become a director though, but this script's not gonna be great and I don't see this movie as being anything worth watching.
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Why make a sequal to one of the worst slasher/horror call it what you will, films of all time. I love cheesy, so bad that the're good horror movies (Toxic Avenger, Dr Butcher, Intruder) but these all work because they are so gloriously over the top. But what do we have here, a composer (Jesus!) making a sequal that will be a thriller, not a horror movie. I just wish that if people want to make horror movies, make HORROR movies. They don't have to be overly gory, but by God they have to be scary, a completely different emotion from being "Thrilled".Urban Legend was just bad, BAD, BAD! No redeming factors at all. In fact I feel bad for taking so much of my time slagging it off, it already cost me two hours of my life, I'll not let it take any more! I'll just go rent "The Exorcist" again!
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Yes,"Urban Legend" was shit. However it was much better than "H20" or "I Still Know..." It had holes so large that you could virtually walk through them and smoke a cigarette. I didn't even see it until DVD. Rebecca Gayhart was so horrible and over-the-top that I don't think we'll be seeing her in a studio release any time soon. It was sad to see Brad Dourif have to waste his talent on such tripe. What I did like was seeing Alicia Witt running around in tight jeans. Natasha Gregson Wagner was an added bonus, too.
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You people need to lighten up. Urban Legend is right up there with Anaconda, Congo, Bad Girls and Fled as THE stupidest, funniest, jaw-droppingly insanest movies of the decade. Rebecca Gayheart obviously watched Faye Dunaway's performance in Mommie Dearest over and over and over again to prepare for her role- that's the only comparable role in terms of eyes-bugging-out greatness. Alicia Witt was obviously too good for the director to handle, so he kept her hopped up on goofballs for the whole shoot. They tried for the whole 'big name killed in the opening' bit from Scream (sorry for the spoiler, but c'mon- you wouldn't have been surprised anyway) but forgot to pick an actress anybody had heard of. They even ditched their own premise halfway through the movie! (Unless there's some urban legend about being tied to a toilet and having draino poured down your throat that I missed around the campfire.) Classicly awful film. Brilliant in every way a film shouldn't be. But perhaps Mr. Ottman can tell us now so we can start lining up- will Alicia be back for #2? Or will she be busy shooting something up in, oh, say Toronto, starting in, um, I don't know, September? These are merely idle questions, and not intended to reveal confidential casting info that Mr. Ottman may have gotten from a good friend of his regarding any movie based on a comic book.
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I am fortunate anought not to have seen Urban Legend, but I am interested in the concept. Those scary Urban Legands could have the potential to make a good film, unfortunately it didn't, but the potential is still there. Lets hope this sequal lives up to the potential that the first one didn't. By the way, Alicia Witt is a total babe, and an intelegent one at that. Has she evr got her kit off? Not counting Four Rooms. Darn that black tape. Would have been superb if it wasn't for that.
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John Carpenter was a musician long before he was a director and Barry Sonnenfeld is a brilliant director who was a brilliant cinematographer. Other than that, I agree with you!
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Folks, I know John, and in fact I host his offical page. No, I'm not biased in this comment, but if you actually know anything about John's background, you'll know he went into film school an excelled at producing and directing films. Why he became an editor... because he excelled at it... why is he a composer because he excells at that as well. There are very few as well rounded people as John in Hollywood, and actually having those people given a chance (no matter how bad/cheesy/great the subject matter may be) is something that should be done more often. Before you pass judgement folks, find out a little bit about the guy for christsake!
http://ottman.filmmusic.com
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with the last comment I just read. I just watched Apt Pupil last night, and I must say, I have total confidence. If anyone can polish this turd to a high, glossy shine, it's John Ottman. Seriously, I mean it, the scoring for Usual Suspects kicks ass. The scoring for Apt Pupil is amazing, it is unintrusive and totally serves to punctuate and heighten the movie in just the right places. The editing is fantastic, I loved the heavy use of layering, it created an almost dreamlike state during some of the sequences. So, why not? give the guy a shot to show and prove. I am both a musician and a film editor. I also do some work as an audio engineer. Someday I would love to get a shot at directing. I've seen plenty of crap by writers/actors/directors, so why not give someone from a different background a chance? My 2 cents.
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Regarding the comment that editors, cinematographers, etc. don't make good directors, I say take a look at Robert Wise.
He edited "Citizen Kane" and learned his craft from Val Lewton. As for his directing, he took Oscars for WestSide Story and Sound of Music, and also helmed The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Haunting, Andromeda Strain, and many others. -
SUCK!!!!!! The music might rock but this sequel "a young persons Hitchcockian thriller" wont really **BE** a sequel if it isnt a slasher movie. All the characters are dead now so why bother with a movie that masquerades as a sequel but isnt? Besides, All Harry is saying is that the MUSIC will be good because Ottman is scoring (hey, I dont have an ear for music, I just know what sounds good)...Fine, let there be another good soundtrack because it might be the best thing this movie has going for it.--McK
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"Urban Legend" was the silliest of films -- neither good nor bad in a good way. However, I had more fun watching "Urban Legend" in the theater with my friends than almost any other. It was wonderful to loudly riff on the dialogue and characters in the theater. The movie was so bad, the other theater patrons found our MST3K prodding amusing rather than annoying. Too bad MST3K won't be around to stick "UL" in 10 years.
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Jun 17, 1999 9:19:02 AM CDT
Want to see a real movie on Urban Legends? Rent Campfire Tales
by scott3955
A far far superior film regarding the subject of of Urban Legends was released straight to video. Campfire Tales is so simple, yet so perfect. Four teenagers sit around a campfire telling each other scary stories. It's a low budget horror film, but very well done. Written and directed by the screenwriters for the upcoming "Hindenburg" movie.
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Film Editors are film-makers in there own right whose main responsibilities include pulling selects (best shots in the film) and creating pace. Trust me, it's difficult. If you want to learn the art of telling a story visually, hanging with an editor is a very good start. True, some directors (Kubrick, Malik, Altman, etc.) sit in with there editors and control almost every cut right down to the frame, but they are exceptions. From what I understand of the original Jaws, it was editor Verna Fields who slaved through endless amounts of unusable footage and came up with the suspenseful masterpiece that we have today. Spielberg didn't have much to do with it. I've never seen Urban Legends, but I trust my fellow talk-backers that it ain't no Exorcist or Blair Witch. My point being, if anybody can salvage such garbage into a possibly enjoyable sequel, it could be John Ottman. His film scores aside (and they are great), both his turns as editor for The Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil displayed and amazing flair for contolled consistency and tightly well drawn suspense (which the editor is mostly responsible for anyway). Bryan Singer is an amazing director, he picks great angles (his cinematographers shoot them nicley with great composition), pulls great performances from ALL of his actors, and has displayed an uncanny (no pun intended X-MEN fans) ability to keep a consistent tone throughout his films. But it is Ottman that creates the films' great pace and boy does he rock at it. Unlike most big budget over-bloated action drecch, The Usual Suspects truly felt like a roller coaster ride. Didn't it?! It's safe to say that John Ottman is more than qualified to salvage a piece of what I understand to be a large piece teen-horror feces and turn it into something fresh and fun. I'm not talking about the next landmark in cinema but something a little bit better than the garbage we are presently being spoon-fed at our local cineplexes. Let's give this guy a try. Oh and by the way (off the subject at hand), Fight Club is going to be breathtaking.
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I don't care who's directing URBAN LEGEND 2 (a "young person's Hitchcockian thriller" my ass--there was only one director who could top Hitchcock--and that was Hitchcock!!) it's still going to be an unnecessary sequel to an unnecessary movie. The only thing worse than URBAN LEGEND 2? ANACONDA 2!! Well, at least ANACONDA had Jon Voight being devoured and then regurgitated by a giant snake. The best URBAN LEGEND could do was to apparently kill the killer off at least three times, only for her to make a reappearance at the very end with barely a scratch on her (despite having dropped from a rather high window, crash into the river in a car, etc.) As Count Floyd used to say on SCTV: "Oooh! Scary kids!"
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I thought the ending meant that the whole movie we saw was an urban legend. That's why the Noxzema Girl was alive and she says this is the way it really goes. I always thought the sequel would be the same characters and stuff doing a variation (maybe a better one) of what we saw. Anyone know if that's what the script is?
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I've been told, granted second hand, that it will be somewhat different, and as I'm sure John would want to, is probably mot make it a real joke. He's a fan of horror, but does not want to get pigeon-holed into doing all the time... granted when it's done right (as I'm sure Blair Witch Project will set a new standard) it's enjoyable. I remember a few years back having seen a show where they have three different editors edit the same footage for a scene and all of them have it come out differently.. both in meaning and tone. In reality, if you look strictly at an editor, he gets to retell the story that the director has as a vision. Now, where you have to wonder is how "good" is that vision. Meaning if it's poorly executed, there is not much an editor can do (insert the name of several crappy directors and films here as examples). I mean if you are all complaining about how poorly some films John edited went into the can before he got his hands on them and was able to turn them around through sheer will of editing and film scoring prowess, I'm sure you'll agree that if given the helm, he'll know what will work and what won't work... it's just a matter of how much you understand the subject matter being filmed. FYI, John is going to be involved in some of the writing (if not all of it) so loosing the problem of someone translating other people's on to celluloid becomes less of a problem... thus IMOE... usually leaves a better end product. I saw flaws in the editing of The Phantom Menace... so would I blame Lucas or Burtt for that?
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The Blair Witch Project sounds different but I think it's become too much of the hip thing to see and is probably way overhyped, but I could be wrong cause The Evil Dead was low budget and managed to be pretty scary. The other technical directors mentioned I'll discuss one by one. Barry Sonnenfield isn't any kind of genius although Get Shorty was really good but Scott Frank had as much to do with it as Sonnenfield and the actors and Men in Black wasn't funny or good at all, but he's not a bad director either. John Carpenter I thought was more of a writer than a composer although he did do the music for his first few films, he was mainly a writer though and came from more the creative than the technical side. Robert Wise I know his films (Loved Haunting and West Side Story but haven't seen Sound of Music yet) but I don't know anything about his history so I'll have to take your word for it until I can maybe do some research. But thanks for the comments and let me know what you think of these.
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Because I think MiB was brilliant and loved Get Shorty but I will admit The Secret of My Success sucked verily and forsooth. I'd get into why but I'd hate to be considered a film snob (ah hell who am I kidding, I don't care what people think). If you want to know why, Paragonian, e-mail me and I'll send you an in depth and very boring essay (still interested?:-)). As far as Carpenter, I was told it was the other way around, musician first, and director second but that story could be wrong. And I'm not such a Wise fan so I can't say anything about him. Jan de Bont can bite me hard!
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Is that the offical term? Seriously why does everyone keep referring to them as technical directors versus artistic. Do you think there is no artistry involved in composing/editing? Is it because they have worked on a "technical" aspect of a film (editing, etc..)?
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I think you mean For Love or Money, not The Secret of My Success. Either way, you're right.
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They can make sequals until it comes out their damn nose but all this ''lets make money by milking the hell out off these already old teeny bopper horror films''crap has become so old.All these movies are bad acting and big breasts.....oh and i cant forget the wickedly stupid plots and endings.The origanal Urband Legends movie was a bomb and i had to sleep facing down at nights just so i would not choke on my own vomit if i thought about how bad it was even while i was sleeping.So just please take a tip from I Know What You Did Last Summer and give it up.....its over.
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It seems to me that virtually noone else on this site would agree with me, but IMHO Urban Legend is one great movie. It is the only "horror" movie that has ever, I repeat EVER, scared me. I saw this flick at midnight in a theatre I'd never been too before which helped. I also saw this the first month I was at college, so the whole, AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU DIDN'T TURN ON THE LIGHT thing scared the shit out of me!!! Yeah, the acting was bad, the plot was weak, and the ending made no sense, but this was one scary fucking movie!!! It also turned me on to the whole subject of urban legends. A great site to check out on this subject is http://www.snopes.com It's fantastic and reading some of these stories still managed to scare the bejesus out of me. Urban Legend was fantastic and I would welcome a sequel with open arms. If only it could star Jennifer Love Hewitt, my life would be complete...
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Lets keep adding to this list of editors who went on to become bad directors. I've got a couple more names: Martin Scorcese and David lean, I mean, they're pretty crap aren't they!
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I never saw Urban Legend, could care less if I ever see it, but... I'll go to anything John Ottman directs, edits and/or scores! I've been following his work since Public Access and I've been waiting for his directing debut for a long time. From what I understand, part of the delay may come from the fact that he truly loves scoring music and those are the types of projects he's taken on (with the except of Bryan Singer's editing jobs). But for my own selfish reasons, I'm glad he's finally directing. Now that he's in charge, I can't wait to see (and hear) his vision on the screen!
As for all the grief given John that he's not qualified to direct... am I mistaken that he graduated from USC's undergrad directing program? Given his education and practical experience with the likes of Bryan Singer and Chris McQuarrie, among a few, I think the guy's ready to take on the film world single-handed!
You go, John! I look forward to seeing your work. -
I'll give you David Lean (although I'm not a fan of his) since he did do a lot of editing along with directing a respectable block of films. Martin Scorcese however is again more from the creative side than the technical side, he edited only a few films throughout his career and never had a solid career as an editor either before or during his directing career. It was mainly something he did to scrape by in the early days and it was his writing and directing of films like Mean Streets that got his directing career going, not a career as an editor or technical person. Although a composer, editor and cinematographer do have creativity, it is MAINLY a technical job which pretty much anybody can do when trained correctly unlike writing. Maybe I'm wrong since I've never actually done any of them in which case I'm just ignorant and will admit that when proven wrong by somebody who really does it. Calling me an idiot for only trying to get some talk about an interesting subject going just shows what an asshole you are.
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Being like a number one Bryan Singer fan I have, of course, become a John Ottman fan as well. This guy is simply one of the best and most original composers working in the industry today and his talent as an editor certainly helps this. Frankly I think he is just going to ROCK as director, since you have to have a really good understanding of the film to be just an editor and composer, and from what i've seen (Usual Suspects, Apt Pupil) there is definetely no problem there. Although I only thought the first one was ok, I am now really looking forward to its sequel.
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