Director Karyn Kusama on Jennifer's Body, Megan Fox and the 'Crisis of Being Looked At'
What's different?
It isn't fundamentally different form the theatrical cut, but to me is a slightly fuller, richer emotional experience. There's more humor. It's a more accurate depiction of Diablo's script. There's a little more of their world in the film; the parents and high-school kids have more of a presence in the movie. It's not significantly longer -- maybe three minutes or something -- but I think it's just a more cohesive rhythmic experience. The rhythms play a little better, the meanings feel a little more complete. But I don't think the movie in the theaters is by any means a disavowal of what I was trying to do. Aeon Flux was a different situation, and I didn't think I could claim that movie as my own. Because it's not. And that was, in a way, such a bad experience with the studio that I realized, "OK, this is how bad it can be, and that's pretty bad. I now have a little bit better sense of the tools and precedents when things are going south." With Aeon Flux, I was so green to the politics of studio egos and agendas that I had no idea I was in trouble -- even when I was. This was a different situation. I had people who were equipped and willing to protect me in a completely different way.
And perhaps as such, between you and Diablo and Megan in particular, it retains something of a maverick texture.
That's cool! Look, I can only do things the way I want to do them. I have a real interest, I think, in the operatic. I feel this movie achieves that at times and has a boldness and a frankness and sense of humor at times that to me feels kind of new and fresh. And I'm really proud of the accomplishments. At the time, what was wonderful was that Diablo kind of came out of nowhere. She wrote a script that was beautifully directed by Jason Reitman and really reached people. Suddenly she was up there receiving her Oscar. The irony of that is that as much as she couldn't have imagined anything for the ending of that story, she really has a lot of interest in pulp and genre trash; she's never been shy about that. So in a way, this was her chance to do something very personal and not really have regrets about it. I thought, "All right, she's taking that leap, and I'm going to take that leap." I'd just come off of a very battering experience, and I was like, "You know what? F*ck the system." All you can do is try to work within it the best you can and be a collaborator. But at the end of the day, if you have to fight to the death, you fight to the death, and you figure out what your next move is as far as the consequences of that go.
I got really lucky with this movie. There were some big disagreements between me and the studio, but ultimately we found our common ground. I don't know how you make movies -- and try to protect the meaning of your work that you know need to still be there -- without those disagreements. When you make a studio movie, do you decide to be compliant or resign yourself to it? I don't, and it might kill me. The system breaks you. It does. In some ways it can really make you a leaner, meaner machine. Maybe I'll be that. Or maybe as time goes on, the harsher it's going to be for me. But I think it's worth fighting for your work. At the end of the life you live, that's all there is. That's why I do this.
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Comments
Great interview. I'm trying not to have too many expectations going into this film, as the reviews seem to be allllll over the place.
Maybe it's time to start liking Megan Fox? Maybe even champion her? She seems to be a Stone Rose in a garden of Fragile Flowers. . .
Listening to this broad go on and on about tropes and continuums and crudités, no wonder movies suck today. It's a horror movie, for God's sake--the protagonist is put under a spell and eats high school boys!
It ain't "Chinatown."
Have you ever heard of anyone--let alone someone with Kusama's meager track record--be so completely full of herself? My favorite lines is when she volunteers that she "literally ate bagged popcorn." Wow, just like regular folks!
If this film is a hit, it will be for one reason only: Guys like looking at Megan Fox. How's that for critical thinking?
Lemme guess Dave, first in line for Transformers were we?
The reason movies ''suck'' today is because people such as yourself like bagging on ''broads'' who have the audacity to put a bit of thought into their creative process. People such as yourself who think a sufficient rationale for a film's basis is '' Guys like looking at Megan Fox''.
Oh, and when exactly was the last time you actually ate that plebeian staple, bagged popcorn? Are you kidding me?!
oh nice, "broad"? You can't even refer to Ms. Kusama by her last name, can you? Why should anyone bother to listen to your opinion, you sexist pig?
CALRAIGH!! How is the grave digging going? As for Dave, you have to forgive him> His balls just dropped.
To clear up a few points for anyone so bored as to spend their time reading these posts (which obviously includes me):
I apologize for using the word "broad," which is sexist and outdated.
I meant to replace that word before submitting, and I overlooked it.
I did, however, use the director's last name when referring to "Kusama's meager track record."
I have not seen either Transformers film. I understand that they concerned robots blowing things up. Yawn.
The phrase "bagged popcorn" sounded a bit affected to me. I assume it refers to either microwave popcorn (of which I am a huge fan) or pre-popped corn sold in grocery stores (which I find a bit bland). If I am considered "plebeian" for eating it, I don't have a problem with that description. It's Lady Kusama that felt it necessary to point out that she and her colleagues had deigned to eat it. (With a side of crudités, of course.)
Now let me see, Calraigh, if I understand your points: 1) Movies suck because people (like me) express their disdain for filmmakers whose opinion of themselves is so inflated that they equate making a high-school horror film with existential philosophy. And 2)You believe that Megan Fox's abundant physical beauty is NOT the reason for the publicity surrounding this movie. And when exactly was the last time you heard folks in line at Safeway buzzing about "the latest Kusama film"?
Karyn is a very down to earth person, she's just trying to make Hollywood a better place for women to be in which it ain't.
My point is, ''Dave'', if that is, in fact, your real name, that you're so far up your own arse it'd probably take eating an entire box of microwave popcorn, a giant sack of pre-popped corn and large troughs of unrefined cruditès in order to further your passage out of it.
Make a film, have at it. When your opus is headlining festivals and getting gobshites like ourselves slinging idiocy in comments sections, come back to us and talk about filmmakers being ''pretentious''.
Until then , stick to categorizing processed maize. You're pretty good at it, all told.
Did not realize that making a movie was a prerequisite for commenting on one. This rule is going to put a lot of people out of work, not to mention all of us laymen who like to bitch about things we can't do. What about sports? I can't play baseball; am I permitted to complain about the Mets?
"Gobshites"? You've lost me there. I do know what it means, but what's it got to do with commenting on bad movies? I haven't called you any names or inferred anything about your personal life.
And what's the deal about popcorn? I like it. A lot of people do. Why all the abuse? I'm not angry at you, and it doesn't change my life one way or the other if you're angry at me, but...sheesh.
My name is actually David. I feel so embarrassed, thinking I could get away with the deception.