Uwe Boll Interview

 Uwe Boll Interview by Gareth Von Kallenbach

Updated!!!! New Interview for Bloodrayne, Old interview is below the new one.

Via a press Release sent to www.sknr.net

"Dungeon Siege" follows the hard life of a lowly farmer, played by Jason Statham, who is on a mission to save his kidnapped wife and avenge the death of his child. The story line is woven into a fantasy backdrop of war in the Kingdom of Ehb between the evil sorcerer Gallian and the ruling King Konreid.

The film also stars Ray Liotta, John Rhys-Davies, Burt Reynolds and Kristanna Loken.

"I think he is got huge determination," said Rhys-Davies, who played dwarf Gimli in the "Lord of the Rings" blockbuster. "He reminds me of another Hollywood rebel in his own way. I mean George Lucas."

Writer Director Uwe Boll has announced that one of his upcoming films is a Super Horror thriller named SEED. Not based on a game, SEED is described below..

"There's a rule that if you're electrocuted three times and you're still alive ... you go free," Boll said. In "Seed," the main character is subject to a failed electrocution, and desperate officials bury him alive. "He digs himself out of the grave and goes on a revenge trip," Boll said.

With so many projects on his pending docket, Director Uwe Boll was kind enough to take time away from his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his pending Vampire film “Bloodrayne” as well as some of his other works. I want to thank him for taking the time to answer the questions for the readers and friends of Skewed and Reviewed.

GVK: - How did the decision to set the film as a prequel to the games come about and What has this allowed you to do that adapting the game directly would not?

UB: I felt that setting BloodRayne in 1750, TransylviTransylvania created a stronger, creeper atmosphere then placing Vampires in the Second World War. I see BloodRayne as a franchise & chose to focus on the stories origins.

GVK: With such strong themes as violence and lust, how did you attempt to balance the compassion of Rayne with the raw brutality her part required?

UB: Loken is the perfect Rayne.....she’s hard, strong, tall & sexy.....a warrior & a women. Rayne doesn't win over everyone's heart in the film. She has her own sense of purpose & destiny & frequently resorts to extreme violence. Rayne is a sexy, blood sucking opportunist with elements of heart & vulnerability. She is a survivor.

GVK: How did you and the leads prepare for such a physically demanding shoot as the amount of stunts as well as physical scenes in this film look to be very complex? Who did the choreography for the film?

UB: We had three choreographers & several good stuntmen: Rock Taylor, Sean Connery's stunt double; Noel Vega, Ho Sung Pak, T J Storm from Conan. Kristanna & all the actors trained very hard. Kristanna is a good horseback rider; somewhat of a natural. Training with double swords, however, proved to be more challenging.

GVK: How was working with Ben Kingsley and aside from his reputation and skill, what did he bring to the part of Kagan that made him the ideal person for the part?

UB: Ben Kingsley is extremely calm & disciplined. His character possesses a dark strained violence that creeps to the surface. He brought a wonderful intensity to the film.

GVK: What sort of challenges did you face during filming and how difficult was it selecting your locations? UB: We shot 80% of the film in the mountains at night, in small towns that rely on horse wagons for transportation. This made it very difficult for cast & crew. There were days that I relied on apples & chocolate as a main source of food.

GVK: There have been numerous Vampire films over the years and yet the genre is still as popular as ever. To what to you attribute the longevity of the appeal, and how did you attempt to give “Bloodrayne” an identity that is familiar to, yet unique in the genre?

UB: BloodRayne is an extremely violent, disturbing mainstream Vampire movie. Our heroine is no 'Electra' or 'Catwoman'. It may be difficult for some audience members to accept her as such an unlikely heroine. Hopefully some people will embrace her less than traditional qualities.

GVK: Some have complained that there is a shortage of strong female action leads in Hollywood. With Michelle and Kristanna you seemed to have found not one but two strong woman who not only can act, but can create complex and sympathetic characters. How did you come to cast them in the film and what was it about them that made them stand out?

UB: Rayne needed a strong, sexy, tough female opponent. Michelle Rodriguez possesses all of these qualities. Her toughness is comparable to any man but she is also super sexy & feminine.

GVK: Video games are often known for their sequels but as yet, few films based on games have spawned sequels. To what do you attribute this and would you be interested in doing sequels to any of your films?

UB: House of the Dead 2 I gave away. Alone in the Dark 2 I will also not do; even if the DVD movie made money. BloodRayne 2 in the Wild West is what I really want to do.

GVK: How are Dungeon Siege and Far Cry coming along and is there any truth to the rumor that you are interested in The Rock for “Far Cry” He was often the best part of “Doom” even though the film had some issues.

UB: Dungeon Siege or its correct name "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale" will be release at the end of 2006 in two parts. Yes, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson or Jason Statham are my favorites for 'Far Cry'. I plan on doing 'Far Cry' in the early part of 2007. I am planning other projects for 2006.

GVK:

It was said to me once that a director never really finishes a film he or she simply runs out of time. If you could change or add anything to the final cut of “Bloodrayne” what would it be?

UB: Nothing! We made several major changes to the film during editing until I was finally happy. I think we maximized our potential. After 'Alone in the Dark' I really wanted to give BloodRayne the appropriate time it required.

Thank you so much as always for your time.

Turning a video game into a feature film is often a daunting task. With a large built in audience, gamers tend to be very picky over film adaptations and agitate very easily over even the slightest deviation from the source material.

Often in games, storylines are kept to the basic elements in order to keep the action flowing, unhindered by dialogue, character development, and plot twists as the notion is that gamers want action and will become bored if they have to wait through the elements listed above.
It is ironic that in films bases on games, the paring down of plot and characters in favor of a more linear setup and action often draws the wrath of critics and gamers for doing what game makers have been doing for years, letting gamers get to the goods.<[> In the new film "Bloodrayne" based on the hit game series of the same name by Majesco, Director Uwe Boll has crafted a film that explores the how and whys of the game series, focusing on the origins of the title character Rayne (Kristanna Loken), who toils as the half-human, half-vampire Dhampir in remote 18th century Romania as a freak in a traveling circus. Here ability to be burned by water yet healed by the blood of animals is a big drawing card to the circus, who has no problem exploiting her only to lock her in an animal cage when the show is over.

Unknown to Rayne, her fate is about to become entwined with a man named Vladamir (Michael Madsen), a vampire hunter and member of a secret society dedicated to eliminating the threat they pose. It is learned that the land is under the control of a powerful vampire named Kagan (Ben Kinglsey), who is seeking to locate and reunite three vampire relics in an effort to gain absolute power.

In time Rayne is brought into the order that sees her as a tool for fighting back the ever increasing army of Kagan. This movie is not met well by certain members of the group, especially Katarin (Michelle Rodriquez), who is not certain that bringing a person who is part vampire into their midst is a good idea.

Despite rising tensions and a steamy attraction to a hunter named Sebastian (Matt Davis), Rayne soon finds herself part of the group and firmly matched up against Kagan and his minions with the fate of the world in the balance.

While the film has some issues such as a thin plot and at times stiff acting and basic dialogue it is a marked improvement for Boll who has received harsh criticisms of his past works. "Bloodrayne" blends exotic visuals with classic gothic touches in a manner that compliments the material and is never heavy handed. The action scenes while gory are engaging and abundant, especially the inclusion of so called Boss battles that are common in video games.

While "Bloodrayne" has its blemishes, the film has its moments and is not nearly as bad as several unfair mean spirited campaigns against it and Boll have suggested. I have seen far worse films in the last 6 months such as "The Cave" "Into the Blue" and "Bewitched" to name a few. As vampire films go, "Bloodrayne" is better than most of the horror offerings we have been inundated with in recent years less we forget "Wrong Turn" and "House of Wax"

3 stars out of 5.

Past Interview

Recently Director Uwe Boll was kind enough to take time away from filming Dungeon Siege to answer a few questions about projects, past, present, and future. I want to thank Mr. Boll for taking time from his very busy schedule for this interview exclusive to Skewed and Reviewed. Also, there is one part of the interview that is being held for now as it discusses an upcoming project that has yet to be announced. I have promised the involved parties that I would wait until the formal announcement is made, before I include that segment of the interview. Check back for that segment soon.

GVK: What sort of things do you like to do in your spare time and what are some of Your favorite bands and television shows?

UB: I read books (mostly historic-documentary themes), see movies (everything), go jogging with my dogs and eat well with my girlfriend. I love Bruce Springstein, Billy Joel, but also RAMMSTEIN, Jethro Tull and Johnny Cash. In TV I love South Park, The Simpsons and Al Bundy from Married with Children.

GVK: You are obviously a big fan of the gaming industry, what games are you playing now when your schedule allows and which ones are you looking forward to the most?

UB: I love to play POSTAL, Silent Hill and Hitmen. I’m excited to do soon FAR CRY.

GVK: How did you get into film and how did you evolve into being the leading director of Game based films? Also, what films and directors inspired you?

UB: I made Super 8 and video movies as kid and I kept doing it. GERMAN FRIED MOVIE – my first movie – I financed with 40.000 $ and distributed it on my own in all German theatres. I like a lot of movies and a lot of directors: Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, John Carpenter, and Brian de Palma. I love APOCALYPSE NOW, THE DEER HUNTER, DANCES WITH WOLVES, RAGING BULL, TAXI DRIVER, FARGO, JAWS ……

GVK: What is your preference in the ongoing debate between PC Games and Console games?

UB: I like to play with my X BOX.

GVK: What sort of challenges does adapting a game present that are not normally found in say adapting a book or television show?

UB: The games are in a way like movies and the gamers are looking carefully into every step of the production process.

GVK: What is the background and setting of the film and how much continuity does it have with the events in the games?

UB: The main point is to keep the characters, the mood and a few brand elements of the game and to bring that in the new story.

GVK: Will the film likely be PG-13 or R Rated?

UB: BLOODRAYNE is R. In the Name of the King – a Dungeon Siege tale – will be PG 13.

GVK: Any truth to the reports that the film will be over Three Hours in length?

UB: Or longer. Maybe we have to do the KILL BILL variation – two parts. Nobody wants to sit so long in the theatre.

GVK: How has it been working with such a large cast with so many name actors and actresses in it and have you had to change your Directing style to accommodate a larger cast and What challenges has this presented for filming?

UB: GOOD CAST is important. Big Names doesn’t matter if they are wrong for the part. In BLOODRAYNE and DUNGEON SIEGE I have the right names for the right parts. It is a pleasure to work with all that great actors – and they feel better if the partner is also a well known face and good actor.

GVK: Staging battle sequences with swords must present numerous challenges both to the actors and you as a director. How have you setup the battles sequences in the film, and will the battles in the film be a mix of large epic battles and battles between small groups or individuals?

UB: Exactly: we have all kinds of fights and battles, ambushes, massacres….etc.! I had Tony Ching (HERO) as fight choreographer and he was great.

GVK: What can you tell us about the Upcoming Far Cry and Bloodrayne? I know many people are very curious as to who will be playing Jack Carver and other aspects of the films.

UB: BLOODRAYNE starts in over 2000 theatres in US and is a classic epic Vampire movie with a great cast (Kristanna TERMINATRIX Loken, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Billy Zane, Meatloaf, Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Matt Davis and Michelle Rodriguez). And FAR CRY – we have a great script and we are scouting right now locations. We are in talks with a few actors right now.

GVK: As a follow up, are there other game based films that you will be working on? UB: HUNTER – THE RECKONING and FEAR EFFECT and (Postal 2).

GVK: Also, is there anything you can share with the readers in regards to “Night Claws”?

UB: I will not do it. I don’t know why it is still on IMDB listed.

GVK: With Peter Jackson recently being announced as part of the coming “Halo” film, do you think this will signal a new age for game based films to finally get the respect and support of major studios allowing them to see even more lavish productions?

UB: Hopefully.

GVK: Looking back on “Alone in the Dark”, what sort of changes would you have made or what would you have done differently if you could?

UB: The script needed another few weeks of work. And Tara Reid with a miscast.

GVK: As a follow up, do you think that many critics were unfair in their reviews for the film which in turn hindered its success?

UB: They write what they think. Hopefully they like BLOODRAYNE more.

GVK: If you were given your wish to make any film you wanted, with no restrictions on budget or cast, what would you like to make, and who would you wish to cast in it?

UB: (Postal, with a mega budget and cast.).

GVK: Thank you so much, I and the readers really appreciate it.

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Gareth Von Kallenbach