(no subject)

[primroseburrows]

Paul Gross Explains it All


...a.k.a. "Why don't you tell us what you really think?".

Alternate title: "That Don Quixote Guy was Really Onto Something". ♥♥♥

Comments

[spuffyduds.livejournal.com]

Yum. I get the same feeling off his interviews that I do off Hugh Dillon's, which is this really--I don't know, INCLUSIVE egomania that I adore. "Yeah, right, I'm brilliant, that's a given, let me list these other people who are brilliant! Aren't they awesome?!?"

[j-s-cavalcante.livejournal.com]

Interesting! Thanks for posting. I'm confused about one thing here, though: they're talking about Passchendaele having "made money." But the article says it took in only CDN 4.5 million at the box office, but cost CDN 20 million to make. Is that not a huge loss, or is this just my math-challenged brain missing something obvious?

Inquiring minds want to know.

(As an aside: When I first clicked on the link it brought up a letter from Playback informing me that the site had changed. I'd never been there before, so this fact didn't disturb me. But I found this amusing: the letter was signed by a guy named Turnbull. :)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I think Paul knows he's brilliant, but I don't think he's egomaniacal in the true sense of it--he doesn't pretend to know stuff he doesn't, and he's not obnoxious about it. Hence the inclusionism (is that even a word?).

My take on this article is that he's holding back on a lot of stuff he'd LIKE to say about Toronto, but since he, well, LIVES there, he's not going to say. But really, it's no wonder that the cognoscenti don't want much to do with him. Because really, he could seriously be one of them, but honestly? I think he'd rather chew glass.

[this rambling comment brought to you today by Drs. Vicodin and Skelaxin, and also the letters A, D. and D. :)]

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Is that not a huge loss, or is this just my math-challenged brain missing something obvious?

Yeah, I'm confused about that, too. Obviously Passchendaele broke Canadian box-office records, but it didn't bring in $20 million.
OTOH, Paul seems to be VERY pleased with the outcome, so who knows? I don't know nearly enough about the Canadian film industry to even speculate. *shrugs*

But I found this amusing: the letter was signed by a guy named Turnbull.

So THAT's where he went when his political career failed. ;)

[sam80853.livejournal.com]

In the pure sense of the word PASSCHENDAELE is/was a loss. With books and DVDs and such it will probably make half of what it cost BUT that's HALF of it which not many movies do apparently. So it's a win - does that make any sense?

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

It makes sortakinda sense. It's definitely a win for Canadian films.

Also, ICON LOVE. TOM/MARY OTP SO THERE.

[bjohan57.livejournal.com]

I wrote a comment in my lj when I posted the article that he seems to be a little disillusioned/burned-out and highly frustrated by the whole arts world in Toronto at the moment. Reading it again, it still comes across like that, a sort of Geoffrey vs Darren type of mentality. Less pure ego, more "Oh for fuck's sake", which I can understand completely.

As for Passchendaele - it was a success as they never expected it to remotely make back the money, Paul said this before they even made the film. That it made 25% back in box-office alone is pretty big for Canadian film, but more than that, that the unique financing structure paid-off has probably encouraged other investors for future projects. And...because of all of this, Whizbang is becoming one of the biggest indie production companies in Canada (looking at the gross income stats), which is pretty cool for all concerned.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I didn't see your post! This is what I get for not being able to sit and read LJ (which miraculously I can do today, wtf?).

I adore this article, actually. This is the kind of candor that cemented my admiration for Paul--he basically says what he thinks is true because he can't NOT say it, even when he might regret it later (which probably happens more often than not). If he's disillusioned and/or burned out, he probably has a right to be. I imagine it's a tough business for people who are actually pretending to play the game--it must be worse for people who aren't, or can't (Not that Paul can't dole out bullshit with the best of them--I just think he's more selective about what and why).

And yeah, I guess it's the other projects that make Passchendaele a success for Whizbang. And I suspect Paul had a Sally Field moment when he found out that for the most part, Canadian moviegoers really liked it.

[bjohan57.livejournal.com]

I often get him mixed up with Sally Field, personally. ;-)

The reasoning behind this interview is very interesting, and makes me wonder what is really going on behind the scenes with the arts world at the moment. This seems a well-placed, very public admonishment to the Toronto set telling them to get their heads out of their asses (fundamentally). Thing is, they won't listen, even though he's probably one of the best qualified people to talk like this, about this subject.

And I still think he's going to end up being in charge of some major national arts funding programme of some kind, and running the entire show. Watch this space 5 years from now...

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I often get him mixed up with Sally Field, personally. ;-)

Yeah. I think it's the hair.

And I still think he's going to end up being in charge of some major national arts funding programme of some kind, and running the entire show. This would be a Very Good Thing.

Watch this space 5 years from now...

Knowing me, this space will still be up and operating. :)

[bjohan57.livejournal.com]

That's the best news I've heard all day.


And yes, it would be a very good thing - if only someone was organised enough to get everyone organised...

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Hehee, yes. :)