Christopher Nolan Shouts Out PTA, Calls 70mm A "Superior Form"

Last night Christopher Nolan stopped by Filmlinc in NYC to discuss his "Dark Knight" trilogy on the eve of the film's Blu/DVD release and to boost the film's Awards season hopes. During the 90 minute conversation, Nolan and moderator Scott Foundas spoke extensively about his unique take on the iconic character, his influences and how Nolan is essentially one of the last filmmakers still working on film (and one of the first to shoot on 70mm IMAX). During the chat Nolan mentioned that he had seen "The Master" and it looked the way he thought a film should look. Filmlinc also has a print interview with the filmmaker which you can read an excerpt of below:

There’s a strong analog quality to your films in general and the Dark Knight films in particular. You talked about wanting to have a very tactile world, and seeing The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX 70mm you can’t escape the feeling that you’re seeing a film made on film, albeit with hundreds of CGI shots, but integrated in a way that you don’t feel that digital quality in the way you do with most movies that make heavy use of digital technology.

I recently saw a 70mm print of The Master and I realized that, other than my own films, it’s the first photochemically finished film I’ve seen in many years, and it looks the way a movie should look. To me, it’s just a superior form. In The Dark Knight Rises, we have about 430 effects shots out of 3,000, so the idea that the tail wags the dog and then you finish the film in the digital realm is illogical. We make the 430 shots fit in with the remaining 2,500 that we timed photochemically. For that reason, I’ve never done a film with more than 500 effects shots. These films have about a third or a quarter the number of CG shots of any other film on that scale. That allows me to keep working photochemically and to make the digital effects guys print out their negatives so we actually cut the effect with its background plate on film, and we can see whether it matches.

For me, it’s simply the best way to make a film, and why more people haven’t done it I could not tell you. The novelty of digital is part of it. For some filmmakers, there’s a fear of being left behind, which to me is irrational because as a director you’re not responsible for loading a camera. You can hire whoever you need to and shoot how you want to shoot, but I think, very simply, industrial economics favor change, and there’s more money in change, whether or not it’s better. But I talk to a lot of young filmmakers who want to shoot on film and see the value in it. I’ve gone out of my way to screen film prints of The Dark Knight Rises for other filmmakers, because no one prints dailies anymore—they’re not seeing the potential of film—whereas I’ve been seeing it every day I’ve been working for the past 10 years.

During the conversation he called it "Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master'" which was cute. Wonder if he knows PTA is a mutual admirer?

Pre-order "The Master" on Blu-ray or DVD.

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‘Punch-Drunk Love' Blu-ray Coming Next Year; PTA Says He's A "Huge Fan" Of ‘The Dark Knight' Series

This week cinephiles down under have been treated to their very first screenings of "The Master" as the film just had its Australian premiere at the Cockatoo Island Film Festival and another screening in 70mm at the Astor Theatre in Melbourne. Paul was on hand for both events (you can see him above with the artistic director for the Cockatoo Film Fest) and participated in a post-film Q&A at the Astor. A reader who was on hand at the latter event sent along a few notes.

• After the screening the fan approached Paul and asked about the "Punch-Drunk Love" Blu-ray. and Paul said he's working on it now and will be released "next year." No word yet on if this will be a Criterion release but it seems like it could be a possibility. 

•  When asked by the fan if he would ever record a commentary again (since he hasn't done one since "Boogie Nights") he said he might even though he doesn't necessarily enjoy recording them. Sounds like we can probably rule them out for 'PDL' and "The Master" but perhaps down the line.

•  He also talked about how he's never really been offered tentpoles but that he admires what Chris Nolan did with 'The Dark Knight' films. "I've never really been asked to do that kind of thing. You look at what Christopher Nolan did with Batman, that's like the meeting of the highest level of artistic skill & a kind of commerciality and appeal to a wide range of people which is what anybody would want. It's kind of unparalleled actually, and they don't come to me with those. And that's alright."

• Also when asked about if this auditorium was his lecture, and he was the film school professor, what film would he show. He said "Ted", that it was truly hilarious and so well written, one of the funniest/best films he's seen recently. That a film like "Ted" just takes you back to the core of what films are about, enjoyment.

The Astor Theatre was recording the Q&A so lets hope it goes online soon. (thanks Mert!) If any of our readers were recording and would like to send it along, that would be great.

Exclusive: PT Anderson Shooting on 65mm, Without Elswit?

It seems as though one of the two projects we keep hearing rumblings about is getting substantially closer to coming to life. A photo, we unfortunately cannot publish, was sent to us showing PTA shooting tests and operating a 65mm camera used by Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey on the backlot of a place we also cannot mention. Fear not, I have re-created the photo here to whet your appetite:

The e-mailer suggests that perhaps Paul was inspired by Nolan/Pfister's usage of the format on The Dark Knight & Inception. It's worth noting, though, that Nolan shot 65mm in a square, IMAX format whereas Kubrick kept the format at 2:35.1 to contain as much detail as possible for the optical effects. (thanks JZ) The last line of the e-mail also gloomily claims that whichever film Paul is shooting camera/format tests for will not be shot by Robert Elswit. More as it comes...

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