Here [in Wonder Boys] I had this group of characters where you didn't know which were the important ones or what direction they were heading. Curtis Hanson More Quotes by Curtis Hanson More Quotes From Curtis Hanson I wrote a couple of scripts on spec that didn't get made but got some attention, and I then got offers to write professionally. Curtis Hanson couplewritingattention My very first professional writing credit was on a movie called The Dunwich Horror, and Roger Corman was the executive producer. Curtis Hanson rogercreditwriting Roger [Corman] didn't actually hire me, though. I was hired by AIP [American International Pictures], the studio that made the picture, which was Sam Arkoff and Jim Nicholson. It was a great learning experience for me, because not only did I work on the script, but they hired me back to go on location when they were making the movie, to write new scenes and so forth. Curtis Hanson scriptsgoes-onwriting I stopped doing that [photojournalism] and wrote some screenplays on speculation, because even though I wanted to direct, to direct you need a lot of money. Even for a cheap movie, you need film stock and equipment and actors. Curtis Hanson filmactorsneeds Initially, it connected with me when I was a kid, seeing a lot of movies while growing up in Los Angeles. And Sam's [Fuller] pictures are an expression of such a distinct voice that he was one of those filmmakers who made me aware that there was, in fact, a real presence behind the camera that was telling the story, as opposed to actors just presenting it. Curtis Hanson growing-uprealkids A day doesn't go by when I don't get a compliment on L.A. Confidential, for example. Curtis Hanson confidentialexamplecompliment So it's discouraging and, yet, when you make a movie like Wonder Boys, in a sense it's its own reward, because it does move people, it gets great reviews, and it becomes part of that library of movies that exist out there. As time goes by, it will find its audience. Curtis Hanson boyspeoplemoving Now, grosses are listed in the newspapers and on television like it's a sporting event. It's ridiculous, because when you're watching a movie, unless you're an investor in the movie or a stockholder in the studio, what do you care how much it's grossing or how much it cost or any of that stuff? Curtis Hanson costeventstelevision I was a journalist and wrote about filmmakers, but I didn't review movies per se. Curtis Hanson reviewsjournalistfilmmaker The bigger problem still is that it determines in many ways what movies get made in the first place. Because as sources of finance are considering a project, they ask themselves, "Does this lend itself to a simplistic marketing approach which will guarantee a big opening weekend?" As a movie-goer, I think that's tragic, because when you look back at those movies that made us fall in love with movies in the first place, most of them were not high-concept, and most of them would not have "won their weekend." Curtis Hanson weekendfalling-in-lovethinking Pittsburgh has this rich industrial past, when it was the heart of the U.S. steel industry, and it burned out as the industry burned out and moved elsewhere. Curtis Hanson steelheartpast Consequently, pictures are aimed at certain audiences, whether it be a teen comedy or an action movie or whatever. It's unfortunate, because while it may lead to big opening grosses, a lot of pictures that are a little different and don't fit so neatly into either a niche market or a high-concept marketing approach can get lost in the shuffle. That's one unfortunate thing. Curtis Hanson unfortunate-thingsmarketingdifferent I don't think of the marketplace as teen-oriented or teen-dominated. I think of it as dominated by high-concept, in marketing especially. Curtis Hanson marketplacemarketingthinking So the city [Pittsburgh] was faced with that question of "What to do now?" because it can't turn back the clock and be what it once was. So thematically, it seemed like the perfect location for the movie. And then, it's a matter of how we get that feeling into the picture and make it a part of [Michael] Chabon's story. Curtis Hanson citiesperfectfeelings Even though L.A Confidential box-office was a fraction of, say, Titanic or the Grinch movie, it finds its audience and will continue doing so for who knows how long, because of the basic thing we love about movies, which is storytelling and performances. Curtis Hanson storytellingofficelong The challenge was the opportunity. When I read the first draft of Steve Kloves' fabulous adaptation - I hadn't read [Michael] Chabon's book at that time - what I was immediately captivated by was this group of characters that were at once so engaging and so messed up. Curtis Hanson opportunitycharacterbook I very much had wanted to do a picture with more humor than what I had been allowed to do earlier, which is what attracted me to Wonder Boys so much. I found it funny in a very serious way, which is the best kind of comedy. Curtis Hanson seriousboysway Having done several of them and also loving other kinds of movies, I'm also tougher on suspense stories in terms of finding one that really excites and surprises me. Curtis Hanson suspensedonestories I love suspense movies, because in a sense they're the most dreamlike of any genre, and I'm sure I'll make another one. Curtis Hanson genresuspense Movie stars exaggerate certain things to let the audience know they're just playing a character, as if they're saying, "Look at me, I'm not really an old man, I'm just playing one." Or "I'm not really a homosexual, I'm just playing a gay character. Or an alcoholic. Or somebody who's mentally impaired." They often do it very successfully and win awards for it. Curtis Hanson gaystarscharacter
