New Poll Added - Terry Gilliam Needed!

[GulPlum]

"saintbacchus" <saintbacchus at y...> wrote:

<snip>

> Ack! I can't believe I forgot Terry Gilliam!
> 
> Unfortunately, it's too late to add him now that there
> are votes, or I'd do it immediately. Out of curiosity,
> who were the other two directors?

There were more; according to industry rumours (don't forget that 
none of the details about choosing a director were ever made public), 
the choices were between Steven Spielberg, Brad Silberling, Rob 
Reiner, Wolfgang Petersen, Alan Parker, Ivan Reitman, Terry Gilliam 
and Chris Columbus. 

Most people I've talked to, appear to favour Gilliam. As for myself, 
although I like all of his films, I DON'T think he'd be good for this 
project, for a multitude of reasons. 

Primarily, the guy is utterly unpredictable (which is also part of 
his genius). Regrettably, what the HP franchise needs more than 
anything else is a steady hand who can deliver on time and on budget, 
without adding too much of his own personality, allowing the 
characters to speak for themselves. This is NOT something Gilliam is 
capable of doing with someone else's characters. Nor is it something 
I would LIKE to see him attempt - in all likelihood, it would come 
out one huge mess.

My own vote goes for, and has always gone for, John Boorman. He has 
impeccable film-making credentials, and also happens to be English 
(though his operating base is in Ireland). He's good with kids, both 
as a person (he has at least 3 of his own that I know of) and as a 
film director (go rent Hope & Glory. NOW). He handles fantasy well 
and does "Britishness" particularly effectively.

Completely incidentally, he also directed Tailor of Panama, now 
(regrettably) more famous as Dan Radcliffe's first big-screen 
appearance rather than the excellent anti-spy movie it is. 
Incidentally, anyone renting that movie because they want to see D.R. 
is in for a disappointment - he's on screen for a total of perhaps 3 
minutes, split between 4 or 5 scenes. And I think he has 4 audible 
lines (though one of them is the last in the movie: "can we have 
pancakes, dad?"). :-)

Far more interesting to Pottermaniacs is Boorman's audio commentary 
on the DVD, done shortly after Dan was cast for HP, to which he makes 
direct reference several times when Dan's on screen.  :-)

I actually don't have too much trouble with Columbus's work on the 
first movie, anyway. My own reservations are far more with the 
script, which emaciated Harry and made him into a bit of a wimp, and 
give Ron several new one-liners instead of several originals which 
IMO were better.