Well, what can I say about that video?
Initially, I thought it’d be hilarious to interview Mr. Boll, so when forum member Tank_Girl told me she would be at a preview screening of Postal and he’d be there at a Q&A, I wished I could go. I couldn’t sadly, but I asked if she could pass on a request on our behalf. I believe she described us as “Local Filmmakers”.
He said yes, obviously, and now I have “Uwe Boll” in my mobile phonebook.
Clearly, we have a history with Boll. We’ve done 5 or so videos on him and his movies over the years, and we’ve said some not very nice things about the man. I know he’d seen one of the videos because I submitted myself to his “fight the critics” event. Gotta say, thank goodness I didn’t get picked because he mopped the floor with those guys, but I hoped he wouldn’t recognize me. Which begs the question… how do I do this? How do I conduct an interview with a man I’ve very publicly been rude to?
The chance to interview him was something I couldn’t possibly pass up though. No matter who I told about the video, the reaction was the same: stunned.
After talking it over with Paul, we decided just to do it straight. Just, you know, treat him like any other human being and ask reasonable questions without trying to attack him or be confrontational. So, that’s what I did. I wasn’t sure going in if he’d actually be a reasonable person, or as crazy as he seems online. Either way, we had a video!
The directions he gave us to the Starbucks weren’t totally clear, so Kathleen and I went for a bit of a wander around Kitsilano, on a very hot day, lugging the camera. When we finally got there we leapt right into the interview. We were then kicked out of the Starbucks patio after two questions. I’m okay with that because the audio was way better in the park, and it looked nicer too. I tell you though, my ass was numb by the end of all that. Kathleen’s nose was running the whole time because she had an awful cold, and to her credit, rather than ruin the shot to blow her nose, she resorted to wiping it on her shirt. I’m sure she’s thrilled I told you that.
The video’s end result was totally not what I expected when I went in. Very much unlike his online persona, Uwe Boll is a reasonable, well-spoken, intelligent businessman. He brings up a lot of stellar points (like why Kung-Fu Panda is screening at Cannes) and it made me look at him and his movies in a totally new light. Admittedly, I still think they’re not good, but I don’t think they’re terrible, and I know why they are what they are. Also, I intend to watch In the Name of the King and Postal before I pass judgment.
All in all, as I said in the video, I have a much, much greater respect for the man. He was honestly fun to hang out with, and I enjoyed talking to him immensely. I hope we get a chance to talk again sometime.
He sent me this photo from the set of Postal, thank Uwe!
Keep making movies, I wish you the best.