Andrew Johnson's Blog — WriterAndrew

Feature: Jonathan and Wes Craven talk Hills Have Eyes II

Note: This article was originally posted in Technician on March 21, 2007.

-----

Father and son team up on horror film

Thirty years after the release of a remake of his 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven teamed up with his son, Jonathan, in writing a sequel to the 2006 remake. The Hills Have Eyes II which will be released into theaters this weekend, follows a group of military trainees who are attacked by mutants in the desert.

"It was great. I've never had a smoother writing experience," Jonathan said. "We sat in a room for a month and pounded out a first draft. We got along great and had a great time."

Though both Cravens had writing experience, this was the first time they had teamed up and collaborated on a project.

"We could have conversations about being a father, which was a new thing for us. It was two writers and two fathers writing together," Wes said.

As one of the godfathers of the horror genre, responsible for films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, Wes said there are only a few rules he tries to follow when writing and directing his movies.

"The basic questions I try to ask are, 'Would I like to watch this?' and 'Have you already seen a movie like this?'" Wes said. "Also, don't kill the cameraman."

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonMarch 21, 2007Jonathan Craven, The Hills Have Eyes, Wes CravenComment

Feature: The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 22, 2007.

-----

Breaking the mold of Hollywood

So you want to make your own movie? Maybe these guys can help.

This Friday the Carolina Theatre will host a premiere of The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell, an independent feature film made by North Carolina natives. Before the screening, however, the filmmakers will be here on campus as part of a special "Meet the Filmmakers' event sponsored by the Film Studies program. The writer, director, producer, actors and other crew members -- including Jamie Bullock and Kevin Wheatley -- are scheduled to be on campus to show clips from the film and answer questions about how it was made.

Marsha Orgeron, director of film studies, is helping to sponsor the event.

"The whole idea is to allow students to have some interaction with a significant number of the cast and crew,' Orgeron said. "This is an opportunity for anyone interested in any element of filmmaking to come and ask questions.'

Feature: The Polish Brothers and Billy Bob Thornton

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 22, 2007.

-----

Actors, Directors factor their kids into filmmaking

Apparently anyone can go into space these days.

Just ask twin filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish. Mark cowrote the new family film The Astronaut Farmer with his brother, who also directed. The movie follows a farmer who builds a rocket in his barn with the intention of going into space, and how this impacts his family and even the entire nation. It's an idea that's been a few years in the making.

"The initial idea came in around 2002. We pulled it out in 2005. The total writing took around 6 months," Mark said. "We did extensive research. It's called Google."

Famed actor and director Billy Bob Thornton stars as the protagonist.

"I loved the script. After doing a few comedies in a row I really wanted to do this. It was a great experience," Thornton said.

Bruce Willis and Bruce Dern also appear in the film, both of whom are friends of Thornton. It's a detail, according to the actor, that made the acting process much more enjoyable.

"When you're working with friends, it's like a vacation together because we don't get to see each other a lot. The whole cast was terrific to work with," Thornton said.

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonFebruary 22, 2007Billy Bob Thornton, Mark Polish, Michael Polish, Northfolk, Polish Brothers, The Astronaut FarmerComment

Review: Blood and Chocolate (2007)

Note: This review was originally published in Technician on February 1, 2007.

-----

More Blood, less Chocolate please

Interspecies relationships make for good films.

At least, that's what the studio executive who green-lighted Blood and Chocolate must have thought. And, while the film does has a plot that might sound interesting on paper, the result is a cinematic mess from start to finish that feels like it was written by an angsty teenager caught in the throes of adolescent rebellion fantasies.

The film follows Vivian (Agnes Bruckner), a 19-year-old girl struggling to come to terms with who she is -- namely, a Rugharou, or shape-shifter from French legends. Think werewolf, but with the ability to transform at will, and only into an actual wolf rather than a superhuman hybrid. If you think it's not as scary as a traditional werewolf, you're right.

Vivian is only one from a secret society of Rugharou living in Romania. Desperate to avoid being hunted, the Rugharou kill any human who discovers them and tend to keep to themselves. So, it comes as no surprise that when Vivian falls in love with a human graphic novelist named Aiden (Hugh Dancy), the other Rugharou are less than supportive, opting to kill him before he learns of their secret.

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonFebruary 1, 2007Agnes Bruckner, Blood and Chocolate, Olivier MartinezComment

Feature: Sophia Bush talks The Hitcher

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 17, 2007.

-----

Sophia Bush hitches a ride

Sophia Bush is perhaps best known for her role as Brooke Davis on the television series One Tree Hill. However, the 26-year-old actress is rapidly making a name for herself in the world of film. Last year she starred in the slasher-flick Stay Alive and the comedy John Tucker Must Die. This weekend, she can be seen starring alongside Sean Bean and Zachary Knighton in The Hitcher, a remake of the 1986 thriller about a murderous hitchhiker.

"It's a major action thriller. The suspense is amazing," said Bush. "We all took a lot of care in making sure you don't anticipate the scare."

In the film, her character picks up a mysterious hitchhiker named John Ryder who turns out to be more than he first appears. When it comes to picking up hitchhikers herself, though, that's a different matter.

"I have never picked up a hitchhiker, and I never would. Nine out of ten times you'd be fine, but it only takes one time to leave you in pieces in the desert," said Bush.

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonJanuary 17, 2007One Tree Hill, Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, The HitcherComment

Review: Discover Atlas: China Revealed (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on September 28, 2006.

-----

'Discover Atlas' fascinating and balanced

Nothing seems too big for the Discovery Channel, not even the world. This Sunday, Discovery Communications will launch the first episode of Discovery Atlas, a new series that will reportedly last five years.

Billed as the network's most ambitious HD project to date, the 30-part project will provide a detailed profile of a new country every week. The series starts on a high note with Discovery Atlas: China Revealed, which focuses on the country likely to surpass the United States as a world superpower within the next 20 years.

Home to 1.3 billion people, to try and sum up China in two hours would be an impossible feat, but Discovery has managed to produce a respectable attempt. Rather than focusing solely on China as a whole or delving deep into cultural details, Discovery Atlas manages to find an appropriate line to walk between them. James Spader from Boston Legal narrates and provides all the statistics and facts one would expect from an educational program, yet the heart of the show lies in its examinations of various Chinese people from many different backgrounds and walks of life.

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonSeptember 28, 2006China, China Revealed, Discovery Atlas, Discovery Channel, James Spader, Jin Yang, cultureComment

Feature: Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder talk School For Scoundrels

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on September 28, 2006.

-----

A tale of two 'Scoundrels'

It's hard to imagine two actors that contrast as much as Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder. One is an Oscar-award winner known for his dramatic roles. The other is a newcomer to Hollywood who burst onto the scene in a screwball comedy. However, the actors are teaming up in School For Scoundrels, the latest comedy directed by Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Old School). Yet though their acting styles are tremendously different, both found the concept of the film appealing and intriguing.

"School For Scoundrels was a well-written script and I like Todd Phillips," Thornton said. "It's funny because I've always wanted to play a teacher in a movie, like maybe a college professor or something like that. But, in more of a drama and something really depicting school life the way it really is, and it's just kind of odd that I ended up playing up a teacher like this."

Heder said he was looking to get out of Napoleon's shadows by playing a character that has a conflict.

"You know the nerds and the dorks out there have a lot of conflict. So, I guess I'm attracted to those characters more," Heder said.

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonSeptember 28, 2006Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, School For Scoundrels, Todd PhillipsComment

Feature: Steven Hurlburt and Dreadheads

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on September 14, 2006.

-----

Steven Hurlburt brings subculture to the big screen

Steve Hurlburt once was the publisher and editor of a magazine in Atlanta, Ga. Now, he's traveling around the country promoting his first venture into the world of film, Dreadheads: Portrait of a Subculture. It's a change inspired by, of all things, the Grateful Dead.

"I enjoyed Grateful Dead music and going to the shows, and I noticed these kids that seemed to always hang out with each other," Hurlburt said. "There seemed to be some kind of aura around them and their closed community. They weren't black or gay, there wasn't anything inherent that might set them apart. They were choosing to be a minority of society."

Fascinated by these "dreaddie kids", Hurlburt decided to investigate the matter by filming a documentary. The result is Dreadheads, which the 53-year-old filmmaker will present at the Campus Cinema on Friday night.

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonSeptember 14, 2006Bob Weir, Dreadheads, Fletcher Holmes, Grateful Dead, Steven Hurlburt, dreadocksComment

Feature: Controversy surrounds World Trade Center

Note: This article was first published in Technician on August 31, 2006.

-----

World Trade Center film inspires controversy

Hollywood is no stranger to disaster. From the attack on Pearl Harbor to the assassination of JFK, one thing seems to be true: if it's shocking and tragic, a movie will be made about it eventually.

The latest production based on real-life catastrophe is World Trade Center, which screened for free at the Campus Cinema Wednesday night. The film follows two police officers who are trapped under debris in the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. And though it's not unusual for Hollywood to make movies based on world-altering events, what makes World Trade Center different is that it's being released less than five years after the events it portrays. Many students at NCSU seem to think it is too soon to make a big-budget production out of the worst act of terrorism on American soil.

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonAugust 31, 2006Andrea Mensch, NCSU, Oliver Stone, United 93, World Trade Center Comment

latest POSTS