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07-25-2009, 07:38 AM
There's only one venue that can accomodate the return of legendary director Joe Dante (Gremlins 1 & 2, Innerspace and Explorers), and that's Comic-Con.
A room full of fans who watched Gremlins and The Howling like they were the Zapruder film anticipated the sneak peak of, more 3D footage from Dante's latest project.
Mostly because no one knew what the hell that project was, until now.
That movie is The Hole, and the footage screened included a clip showing a young boy chased by a midget jester that menaces his prey by blinking at them.
The Hole is about three kids who come face to face with their darkest fears after they unlock a bottomless hole that makes all the things nightmares are made of come to life.
Dante and his leading lady, Haley Bennett, were on hand to screen some three-dimensional scares for the SDCC crowd.
After the trailer screened, there was an awkward Q & A with Dante and Bennett.
When asked in what spirit the film is being made, Dante, famous for his blend of horror and comedy, stayed true to form.
"The Hole is an attempt to make the kind of movies they stopped making in the 80's, which were scary, yet you could still take your little brother to it. It's about a family, a dysfunctional family – a mom and two kids – who move for reasons that are very mysterious to a very small town. The kids are very pissed off about it. And while they're looking in their new house, in the basement, they discover this very old door with locks on it. And any kid who finds a door with locks on it and doesn't want to open it up is not a kid at all. So they enlist the help of the girl next door and manage to get it open, and strange emanations come from the hole. Very strange things happen. And it all culminates with us finding out what, exactly, is inside the hole. "
Reminiscent of some of the classic horror films from the time, Dante was forthcoming about his influences and honest about his visual style.
"Certainly The Gate," admits the director. "It's funny. For somebody whose movies look like they are cribbed from other movies, it's not conscious. I look back at some things I've done and think, 'Oh, I got that shot from that movie, or this movie.' Movies are problem-solving, so you go off and you think about how to solve it, and more often than not, it's some movie that I've seen. In some way, some other director handled that problem well, and I apply it. I just tap into this movie lore that's in my head and it's happened ever since my first movie."
Lastly, Dante addressed the challenges and responsibilities of making a 3D horror film.
"I find that when it's done well, it's immersive. It makes you feel like you're in the room with them, going through the experience with them. Of course, there are things that have to jump off the screen, because it's expected and hard to avoid. You want to be able to get a sense of depth. So if you look at pictures like Up or Coraline -- which are just as good in 2D – the 3D just gives them that little extra connection that you don't get."
A room full of fans who watched Gremlins and The Howling like they were the Zapruder film anticipated the sneak peak of, more 3D footage from Dante's latest project.
Mostly because no one knew what the hell that project was, until now.
That movie is The Hole, and the footage screened included a clip showing a young boy chased by a midget jester that menaces his prey by blinking at them.
The Hole is about three kids who come face to face with their darkest fears after they unlock a bottomless hole that makes all the things nightmares are made of come to life.
Dante and his leading lady, Haley Bennett, were on hand to screen some three-dimensional scares for the SDCC crowd.
After the trailer screened, there was an awkward Q & A with Dante and Bennett.
When asked in what spirit the film is being made, Dante, famous for his blend of horror and comedy, stayed true to form.
"The Hole is an attempt to make the kind of movies they stopped making in the 80's, which were scary, yet you could still take your little brother to it. It's about a family, a dysfunctional family – a mom and two kids – who move for reasons that are very mysterious to a very small town. The kids are very pissed off about it. And while they're looking in their new house, in the basement, they discover this very old door with locks on it. And any kid who finds a door with locks on it and doesn't want to open it up is not a kid at all. So they enlist the help of the girl next door and manage to get it open, and strange emanations come from the hole. Very strange things happen. And it all culminates with us finding out what, exactly, is inside the hole. "
Reminiscent of some of the classic horror films from the time, Dante was forthcoming about his influences and honest about his visual style.
"Certainly The Gate," admits the director. "It's funny. For somebody whose movies look like they are cribbed from other movies, it's not conscious. I look back at some things I've done and think, 'Oh, I got that shot from that movie, or this movie.' Movies are problem-solving, so you go off and you think about how to solve it, and more often than not, it's some movie that I've seen. In some way, some other director handled that problem well, and I apply it. I just tap into this movie lore that's in my head and it's happened ever since my first movie."
Lastly, Dante addressed the challenges and responsibilities of making a 3D horror film.
"I find that when it's done well, it's immersive. It makes you feel like you're in the room with them, going through the experience with them. Of course, there are things that have to jump off the screen, because it's expected and hard to avoid. You want to be able to get a sense of depth. So if you look at pictures like Up or Coraline -- which are just as good in 2D – the 3D just gives them that little extra connection that you don't get."