All things Uwe Boll

[Shockeye]

Dungeon Siege Update Straight From Director Uwe Boll - August 15th 2005

Director Dr Uwe Boll kindly set aside some time to answer our questions on his upcoming blockbuster film, Dungeon Siege. Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Lillard, Kristanna Loken, Burt Reynolds and John Rhys-Davies are set to star in the project. Please join us in the forum to talk about the feature. The trailer is set to come out this November.

Please note that in this article the answers are as Uwe typed them, hence this is why they are so short.

1. Liotta, is apparently the main bad guy for your film. What does his costume look like?

Dr Boll - It is dark leather

2. Is Dungeon Siege still going to be made in two parts?

Dr Boll - We do not know now

3. What kind of fight sequences shall we see?

Dr Boll - Rough brutal battles combined with martial arts action. The kind that is in HERO.

4. Will we see any hot women in metal underwear?!

Dr Boll - Kristana Loken and Leelee Sobieski are warriors.

5. Will there be a new game based on the film?

Dr Boll - We are working on it.

6. Will we see any cool Dungeons?

Dr Boll - Yes - in CHRYSTWIND HOLD - the evil place.

7. What are the key scenes in this film?

Dr Boll - I can not reveal yet, but there will be many memorable scenes.

8.This film was once described as a cross between Lord of the Rings and Braveheart...how is this film different and unique?

Dr Boll - You will see, after it is finished

9.You had some jokes in House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark, what can we see in Dungeon Siege?

Dr Boll - Matthew Lillard is the great and funny Duke Fallow. Ron Pearlman has a lot of dry humor "HELLBOY" lines.

10. Dr Boll, you have made quite few films now, what do you think your trademark is?

Dr Boll - You tell me.

11. Will we see scantly clad women with swords?

Dr Boll - A few.

12.Why do you use choose to shoot many films in Vancouver?

Dr Boll - Good locations and crew. LABOUR TAX rebates

13. Will there be any characters similar to Conan or Red Sonya?

Dr Boll - Loken as Elora is the TREE WOMAN.

14. How come Will Sanderson appears in many of your films? Is he your Bill Paxton, as in James Cameron uses him for many of his films?

Dr Boll - Yes. He is a good actor and my buddy

15. What do you have to say to all those that believe this will be a bad film?

Dr Boll - Wait and see

16. Will Burt Reynolds have a moustache in this film?

Dr Boll - A full grey beard

17. Will Jason Stratham have a cockney accent?

Dr Boll - He talks normal

18. Will we see any sex scenes in the movie?

Dr Boll - There will be a few love making scenes, yes.

19. What creatures will we see?

Dr Boll - Hussars and Krugs

20. What kind of music will we hear? Are you going to use Heavy Metal or Contemporary?

Dr Boll - Classic Score with big orchestra

21.When shall we see the trailer?

Dr Boll - AFM in November

22. When are we going to see some production photographs?

Dr Boll - Soon

23. Is this film going to be shown in England?

Dr Boll - Absolutely. This movie will be a blockbuster

24. What other games have caught your eye ? What about Splinter Cell? Good idea

Dr Boll - Postal and Metal Gear

25. Does this film bear any resemblance to Legend, because it was a great film and we have not seen a film like it since?

Dr Boll - You are right.

26. What made you choose this particular cast for the movie?

Dr Boll - Everybody fits perfectly

27. Do they get on well?

Dr Boll - we have a great crew and great cast together.

[stray]

Motherfucker. Wha..? Liotta and Perlman now too? 

[Paelos]

In Hell, he'll be forced to watch his own films on a loop while demons sodomize him.

[schild]

My god, it's full of stars.

[Fabricated]

My brain hurts.

[Samprimary]

13. Will there be any characters similar to Conan or Red Sonya?

Dr Boll - Well, I'm really not inclined to jump immediately to a template; I don't feel that any pregenerated character mystique really fits the conceptual nature of the deep and nuanced personalities we are attempting to portray here. I'm trying to create something new, a character that can be expounded upon and a personality that creates some dynamic interplay with weight. This is a tricky part, because we don't want to create so much dramatic interplay that we turn this potential epic into a forgettable essay in overarching themes, like Alexander. No, I have a vision, and that's that movies based on computer games don't necessarily have to be form-fit schlock. We have a chance here to defy expectations, and with the right attitude and approach, we can make something here that really creates a mood and a story that's worth seeing, despite the temptation some directors would have to push out low-budget tripe and get rich off of national movie production tax advances. I ... oorh, I blacked out there for a second. Was I saying something? What did you just ask me?

14. Uh, we asked you if there will ... be any characters similar to Conan or Red Sonya, and ..

Dr. Boll: Oh. Loken as Elora is the TREE WOMAN. And there will be SEXY SCENE with chainmail BABES.

[Margalis]

Ray Liotta
Ron Perlman
Claire Forlani
Leelee Sobieski
Matthew Lillard
Kristanna Loken
Burt Reynolds
John Rhys-Davies
Jason Stratham

Sersiously...wtf is going on here? Have they not seen his other movies? Now, sure most of these people are not at the tops of their games right now but still. How is it that UWE BOLL can get a cast like this together? None of these guys are A-listers any more but still...with this much acting talent how bad could it be? Imagine taking all these people, putting them into a movie, and having it still be absolutely horrible!

(Which, of course, is exactly what's going to happen)

[Strazos]

I swear to any and all dieties...

If he touches the IP of BioWare, I WILL kill him.

That is a promise.




Though I do think it would be funny if he somehow made a movie based around MtG.

[Llava]

What the fuck kind of questions are these?

4. Will we see any hot women in metal underwear?!

11. Will we see scantly clad women with swords?

18. Will we see any sex scenes in the movie?

Did a 13 year old boy write this interview?  For christsake, show some professionalism.

And now, to make fun of Uwe Boll

10. Dr Boll, you have made quite few films now, what do you think your trademark is?

Dr Boll - You tell me.

Give me a call sometime, we'll get together and I'll tell you exactly what your trademark is over about two hours.

15. What do you have to say to all those that believe this will be a bad film?

Dr Boll - Wait and see

Ya-huh.  I'm sure you'll prove us wrong this time.  Really.  I mean, you have no evidence with which to back up that claim.  You're completely incompetent.  But THIS will be the one that rules.  Sure.  Hey, do you have a bridge I could buy?  Maybe you own some land on the moon you're interested in unloading?  Maybe a piece of the True Cross?  Hm?  Maybe... maybe a timeshare deal you think I should get in on?  Anything?  Cause I'm here.  I'm right here.  Oh but right, I'm sure this movie will be fantastic!

25. Does this film bear any resemblance to Legend, because it was a great film and we have not seen a film like it since?

Dr Boll - You are right.

I... wait, what?

23. Is this film going to be shown in England?

Dr Boll - Absolutely. This movie will be a blockbuster

TOTALLY.   

[Murgos]

Yes!  Burt Reynolds is in an action movie based on a mediocre hack & slash video game license.  My sense of the assinine is pinging off the charts.

[HaemishM]

I could tell him what his trademark is, but it involves pointy sticks and the jellied contents of eyeballs.

Also, crotchpheasants.

[Sairon]

Dungeon Siege Update Straight From Director Uwe Boll - August 15th 2005
24. What other games have caught your eye ? What about Splinter Cell? Good idea

Dr Boll - Postal and Metal Gear

How do you make a movie of Postal? A mixture of jackass and snuff movies?

And regarding Dungeon Siege, the second installation is pretty damn fun so far.

[Fabricated]

Dungeon Siege Update Straight From Director Uwe Boll - August 15th 2005
24. What other games have caught your eye ? What about Splinter Cell? Good idea

Dr Boll - Postal and Metal Gear

Postal could be a comedy version of "Falling Down" I guess.

And if he touches Metal Gear, he will die.

[Miasma]

This was Something Awful's link of the day today:

Uwe Boll Fan site.  I could not detect any sarcasm so I fear it is a real site and not a big joke.  The site called him "Doctor" Uwe Boll, does this guy actually have a PHD or MD in something?

[Shockeye]

[Shockeye]

Uwe Boll



Uwe BollBorn: 22-Jun-1965
Birthplace: Wermelskirchen, Germany

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Film Director

Level of fame: Somewhat
Executive summary: Responsible for Alone in the Dark

University: Ph.D Literature (1995)

[Llava]

He can READ?!

[Samprimary]

I love how they don't say "Directed", they say "Responsible for" as if they were attributing blame, like for a fiasco or royal cock-up.

Oh, wait.

[Samwise]

Uwe Boll Fan site.

I tried to read their message board to see what it is Uwe Boll fans talk about, but it was apparently "verfugbar", whatever that means.

[Der Helm]

I tried to read their message board to see what it is Uwe Boll fans talk about, but it was apparently "verfugbar", whatever that means.

Sorry, aber dieses Board ist im Moment nicht verfügbar. Probier es bitte später wieder.

Sorry, the board is not available at the moment, please try again later.

[HaemishM]

Uwe Boll Fan site.

I tried to read their message board to see what it is Uwe Boll fans talk about, but it was apparently "verfugbar", whatever that means.

Watch one of the videos. It's him talking about the movies he's made. All he talks about is how much money he raised, and how they made money for the German investors. I think we see where his heart truly lies.

[Pococurante]

Now, sure most of these people are not at the tops of their games right now but still. How is it that UWE BOLL can get a cast like this together?

It's like a revised Hollywood Squares...

[Shockeye]

Now, sure most of these people are not at the tops of their games right now but still. How is it that UWE BOLL can get a cast like this together?

It's like a revised Hollywood Squares...

You could've fooled me!

[WayAbvPar]

I wonder if Colin Quinn knows how much he looks like Paul Lynde.

[Pococurante]

You could've fooled me!

Rats, I'm too cheap to be a subscriber. :-(

[Shockeye]

15 minutes with director Uwe Boll

By CHAD SAPIEHA

Friday, August 26, 2005 Updated at 9:08 AM EDT

Special to Globe and Mail Update

German-born film director Uwe Boll is becoming a bit of a Hollywood legend—but perhaps not in the way he might hope.

Most of his films have been rated between two and four out of 10 by users of the Internet Movie DataBase. The respected on-line film resource also reports one of his less glamorous nicknames to be "The Master of Error."

But despite his reputation, the Vancouver-based fim maker has had no problem finding work. Since 1991 he has directed several comedies, horror films and dramas, and has now apparently found a niche for himself: movies based on video games.

For better or worse, Mr. Boll already has two video game-based movies to his name: House of the Dead (2002) and Alone in the Dark (2005); both of which tanked with North American critics and audiences.

Mr. Boll is quick to point out, however, that House of the Dead did quite well in international markets — and perhaps that's why he appears to have become Hollywood's go-to guy for lower-budgeted video game properties.

BloodRayne, a movie based on the vampire/Nazi-themed video game of the same name starring Ben Kingsley and Michelle Rodriguez, has wrapped and is slated for release later this year, and Mr. Boll just began production on an "epic" adaptation of the PC role-playing game Dungeon Siege, set to star Burt Reynolds, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, and Jason Statham.

Beyond Dungeon Siege, Mr. Boll's plate is full of video game-based projects, including films based on the games Far Cry, Fear Effect, and Hunter: The Reckoning.

@play had a chance to chat with Mr. Boll by telephone in early July, the same week production began on Dungeon Siege. He explained where his adaptation of Alone in the Dark may have gone wrong, professed his love for the cult PC game Postal, and revealed — perhaps to the surprise of some — that "hardcore" gamers aren't exactly his target audience.

@Play: You're quickly becoming known as 'that director who makes movies based on video games.' Are you a fan of video games yourself?

UB: Absolutely. I think video games are a great kind of entertainment. They have replaced a lot of games people normally play with their friends and neighbours, like Monopoly. It's way more entertaining to play a racing game or golf game or whatever you do on a PlayStation or Xbox.

@Play: What kind of games do you like?

UB: I play PC and Xbox games at home, and I just got a PSP as a birthday present. My favourite game is Postal because it is so politically incorrect [he laughs]. Not for the story though. Hitman and Silent Hill are also favourites.

@Play: Let's talk about your movies. BloodRayne is being released this fall, and you have four other video game-based movies in the works. Do you plan to push ahead with all of these projects?

UB: Absolutely. We're working on Dungeon Siege right now, and we have a great script for Far Cry done already and we're hoping to go into production next year. We're looking for the star right now. I'm sure we'll get a big star … I'm hoping for The Rock.

Fear Effect needs a little more time. We are not quite sure what direction we're going to develop it in. EIDOS just released news of Fear Effect 3 and I've been trying to get them to tell me about the story because I'd like to know the game's story before having a screenplay written.

Then we have Hunter: The Reckoning, where we already have a very, very good script. But I have Mike Tinney from White Wolf (the company that created the Hunter: The Reckoning franchise) rewriting it right now because I told him I want to have a little more in the horror direction. And who else could do it better than the owner and developer of the game?

@Play: Alone in the Dark was another movie based on a horror game …

UB: I think Alone in the Dark was too much an action creature movie than a horror creature movie. The video game was more horror. I don't feel too guilty about it because Atari failed to deliver Alone in the Dark 5. Basically they promised us that Alone in the Dark 5 would be coming out together with the movie. I don't want the same thing to happen again, so I want to take Hunter: The Reckoning in more of a horror direction.

@Play: Games are often criticized for their one-dimensional plots and characters. How do you tackle the challenge of trying to craft deeper characters and more compelling plots?

UB: It's tough. Take the hardcore gamers. The characters are way more real in the world of hardcore gamers who have played the game for hundreds of hours. They have the movie in their heads, they've built it on their own. These guys are always very disappointed in the movies.

But if you actually put the game in front of you, you realize that the characters aren't fleshed out enough, you have to add stuff to them. So if you want to have a great video game-based movie you have to keep the mood of the game, use the normal character setup - but you have to flesh out the story and provide more background for the characters. Otherwise you don't have a movie. The movie should work for people who haven't played the videogame.

@play: So your goal is to capture the spirit of the game as opposed to the actual story and characters?

UB: Absolutely. But it also depends on the game. Far Cry, for example, has a great story, and we're using the actual game plot. But for Alone in the Dark I couldn't use the game's plot. I had to do something new. It was too boring otherwise. And House of the Dead … well, where is the story? [laughs] We had to make a story out of a zombie attack.

@play: Your films are starting to attract bigger names. How do serious actors and Oscar winners feel about working in a movie based on a videogame?

UB: It depends. You have people who have never played videogames, like Stephen Dorff and Tara Reid and Ben Kingsley and Ron Perlman. But there are also actors like Christian Slater, who is a big videogame fan. And Michelle Rodriguez; she played Soul Calibur with Vin Diesel while they were shooting The Fast and The Furious. It's a mixed up situation. With the younger actors I talk about the game, with Burt Reynolds I don't talk about the game. He likes his part in Dungeon Siege and doesn't give a s--- about the video game.

@play: The world seems to still be waiting for its first truly successful, critically acclaimed video game-based film. Has Hollywood given up on the idea that game licences can be converted to profitable film franchises? Do you still make a point of promoting your movies based on the fact that the source material is a video game?

UB: My movie House of the Dead made a lot of money worldwide because it's based on the video game, because everyone wanted to see the zombie movie based on the game.

With Dungeon Siege it will be different. It's an epic story we've developed — we've worked for one-and-a-half years on it. But I think 90 per cent of the people who see it will never have even heard about the video game.

With Dungeon Siege, for the first time I won't advertise the fact that it's a video game-based movie. We're doing a big epic with big emotion. If people liked Dances With Wolves or Braveheart, they'll like this movie. If fans of the game go to the theatre as well, then fine. We're happy to attract that audience. But we won't make a big deal about it … it's not going to be promoted like a new Tomb Raider.

[Bunk]

One of the models we had at my photography class last night was doing some extra work in Dungeon Siege. I started groaning about it and he asked me why - I just said "Uwe Boll". Someone else asked me who Uwe Boll was. I told them that any truely piece of shit movies based off of video games were probably made by Uwe Boll.

The model chimed in with, "Yea, thats pretty much what this is going to be".

Apparently there is a scene in the movie with a large army storming down a hill. If that scene includes someone in the back tumbling through the front lines and rolling down the hill in front of everyone else - that's the model guy I was working with. I'd say they'll never use that take, but it is Uwe...

[Strazos]

Fantastic.

[Llava]

It's a shame, because Hunter could make an AWESOME movie.  It's so character driven and real that it would be fantastic if done well.

But they're going to ignore all that like they did in the video game and just make it Watch Us Mow Down Zombies 4

[schild]

Ok, I broke down and read the interview. The guy is just clueless. He's the living dead. He has no clue what's going on around him. I almost feel bad for wanting him dead.

[Der Helm]

I almost feel bad for wanting him dead.

Are you lying to yourself, or us ?

[schild]

Seriously, the guys just clueless. It's like watching a puppy discover fire for the first time.

[Llava]

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3143249

This one's quite good- he admits his movies suck and goes on to blame everyone but himself.  Actors, developers, production companies, etc etc.  He even blames the people watching his movies, for expecting too much.

I know there are like 500 people on the Internet pressing me always about what asshole I am or whatever

The phrase "tip of the iceberg" comes to mind.

and people who did the CGI on Alone in the Dark, they worked for over a year and [are] the same people who did Fight Club and Panic Room and all the David Fincher movies like The Cell, exactly the same people.

David Fincher had nothing to do with The Cell, fuckwad.

And for those who like Ben Kingsley and were wondering why he took the role:

Rumor has it the reason Kingsley took the part was because of a long desire to portray a vampire in the film, and this was the first role that came up. Bizarre.

[Yegolev]

If people liked Dances With Wolves or Braveheart, they'll like this movie.

Nosemilk.  All over the floor.  Seriously.

[HaemishM]

I shudder to think what kind of aborted fetus of a movie will come out of Dungeon Siege. I can imagine Jason Statham in full woad regala screaming as he charges down a hill to the soundtrack by Limp Bizkit with special guest vocal the dead Pantera singer's rotten lungs.