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By Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News
Found here
Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, one time "Swingers" and archetypal Hollywood outsiders, are now the twin towers of the $200 million Hollywood blockbuster.
How did this happen?
Favreau said that in Vaughn's case, it was the moviegoing public finally catching up with how funny he is.
"Vince has succeeded by doing the opposite of what people are accused of doing, which is changing who they are in order to appeal to the masses. Vince is still doing the same goofy stuff he's always done - believe me, I've known him for 13 years," Favreau said. "But it's only since 'Old School' and 'Wedding Crashers' that audiences have started to embrace it."
Favreau's case is different. He's not a persona, like Vaughn. In their movies together, it was Favreau's quiet character who provided the emotional arc, and behind the scenes it was Favreau telling the story, writing the script.
Though he's got some chops as an actor, Favreau liked being the guy who told the story, and that's where he's made his mark - turning what could have been a throwaway Will Ferrell comedy "Elf" into a $275 million smash that charmed moviegoers of all ages.
He's followed that with "Zathura," Sony's entry into the insanely crowded fall schedule, a sci-fi adventure about two feuding brothers who bond when a strange board game takes them on an outer space advenure.
A lengthy chat with Favreau reveals what a smart, perceptive, intelligent guy he is - or, put another way, someone who agrees with me about so many things.
Like why "Zathura" is so much better than "Jumanji," its effects-choked predecessor, and why Favreau's old-school approach to fantasy (explosions, stunts, miniature models, guys in monster suits) makes his movies accessible and endearing to audiences.
"CGI made it possible to show anything, and the thinking became that because you can show anything to people, you should show everything," he said.
"I don't think you should. When you're working with real creatures that are molded or sculpted, for example, you have to use darkness and shadow and photography. You have to be selective in showing the object to maintain the illusion. That's what made 'Jaws' scary, and 'Alien.' The audience's imagination is complicit in creating the feeling of fear and wonder."
Overuse of CGI made movies explicit, to their detriment.
"I think a lot of directors were lulled into thinking the more they showed, the more enjoyable and more engaging the movies would be. If that were the case, pornographic movies would be the most romantic," he joked.
On "Zathura," Favreau employed a small army of old-school craftsman (like monster-designer Stan Wilson, who did the "Alien" beasties) to give the movie its tactile feel - he even hired the pyrotechnic experts and miniaturists from the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
There are computer images, to be sure, but most of the stuff you see on screen is real. The giant robot is really a giant robot, the boys' gyrating house is really a house, manipulated by hydraulic arms.
"We used a lot of people from the analog world, talented people who are not called upon as often as they used to be. You are able to put together a dream team of people who work with incredible enthusiasm because they want to show their crafts are still viable," he said.
Favreau also used iconic images to give "Zathura" a timeless feel that would appeal to multiple generations - the robot and spaceship designs are borrowed from sci-fi and horror classics dating to the '50s.
It's a technique that's worked for the director before. When he got the "Elf" job, he concocted a lengthy opening "Toyland" sequence that employed retro, stop-motion animation that was both a novelty to contemporary children and catnip for adults weaned on "Rudolf" telemovies and commercials of Santa plowing through the snow on a Norelco razor.
He hopes the all-ages appeal of "Zathura" will serve it well as it goes head-to-head first with "Chicken Little," which might be too young for older kids, and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which he's heard is too scary for younger kids.
He also hopes "Zathura" has made its money before the arrival Peter Jackson's "King Kong," - Favreau says the tech people
who've seen it say it's a special effects marvel that takes computer effects to another level.
"We could be turning the page again," he said. "I've talked to people who've seen it, and they say watching King Kong is like watching a real creature, that its interaction with Naomi Watts is emotional."
Posted by Christine at November 11, 2005 11:05 AM