Terminator Salvation director McG and co-star Common sat recently for one of MySpace's Artist on Artist conversations, eschewing all the dick-measuring and governor-digitizing talk of recent weeks for a more organic process of creative discovery. And while their film will no doubt speak for itself when it opens tomorrow, this chat (after the jump) provides a compact, revealing addendum to their bigscreen effort -- in ways both good and bad. For starters:
1. There's nothing like a nuclear bomb to erase all the "petty bullshit" in the world.
2. McG developed his own film stock.
3. Asked by Common which professional athlete he'd most compare himself to, McG candidly invokes retired ex-Lakers forward Mark Landsberger: "I overcome a grave lack of talent with a tremendous amount of heart." Common's even more candid response: "Yeah."
4. If and/or when someone makes a biopic about the privileged life and tortured art of McG, and Ed Helms doesn't get the lead, you can kiss my $12 goodbye.
5. Common regretted not being able to perform the film's motorcycle stunts, but he quite enjoyed running up hills.
6. McG biggest filmmaking influence: Alfred Hitchcock. "I watch a movie every day," he confesses.
7. If there is a sequel, McG says, it will largely focus on Common's character, the Resistance officer Barnes.
8. In preparing for his role, Common channeled his experience dealing with crowd fights during his rap performances.
9. If we're not mindful of Terminator's vision of the "dangerous world" we live in, McG notes, then "we're letting the genie out of the bottle and it can ultimately bite us in the ass." But enough about franchises.
ยท Artist on Artist interview with McG and Common [MySPace]