Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with an exclusive interview with Robert Rodriguez as we both prepare for the chaotic San Diego Comic-Con. Rodriguez will be heading a panel at the Con (Saturday 2-3pm in Hall H) along with SIN CITY creator and co-director of the film Frank Miller and a few of the babes that frequent the streets of SIN CITY (Rosario Dawson, Jamie King and Sue Storm herself, Jessica Alba). Keep in mind that this a teaser, only a few questions long. I'll have an in-depth interview with Rodriguez closer to release, but for now... this is the word to get you comic-con geeks excited about the project and what Rodriguez and crew are going to bring to you folks.
If I'm not mistaken, this is the first official word out on SIN CITY since Rodriguez finished the production, so all you Miller freaks gather round and prepare for your salivary glands to start pumping. When Rodriguez says below that he's making Frank Miller's SIN CITY, not Robert Rodriguez' SIN CITY, that really gets me going. I've heard stories from the set... It's amazing how faithful this is going to be. People aren't prepared for it. I can't wait to see the footage he's bringing to Comic-Con. Who will we see brought to life? Here's hoping for Marv, Kevin, Nancy... shit, if I continue on I'll list off everybody in the whole movie... Can't wait!
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QUINT: I don't know of any other property that brought in its sole creator to such a position of power as you gave to Frank Miller on this project. Did you go into this film trying to make the most respectful to its source material Comic Book movie of all time?
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: It was really the material itself that dictated how it would be done. It didn't "need" adapting. Frank is such a great visual storyteller, that if you study his artwork you see that his Sin City books are already the best movies never seen on the big screen. His stories were so clearly realized that to go in there and change things would just make it different, not better. I told Frank right off the bat that I wasn't interested in adapting the books, I wanted to simply translate them to the screen. I didn't want to make Robert Rodriguez's SIN CITY, I wanted to make Frank Miller's SIN CITY. I love these books and wanted to see this movie be as true to his vision as possible. Having learned all this new technology over my past several movies, the time was right. I also understood his process, because he writes, draws, inks and even letters his own material. The idea of him directing was really because I knew he could do it. He'd already been directing all these years, only he was using a pen and paper instead of a camera. When I told Frank that I wanted him to direct at least one of the stories he was so excited about the idea that he said right away, "BIG FAT KILL!" But later I realized what I really wanted was for him to be there directing all the time with me. He picked it up quick. I have to say, it was a thrill for us all to see him stalking the set, running up to actors to give direction, while furiously sketching up additional shots.
QUINT: Which SIN CITY storylines did you focus on for the film? What made you choose them over the others?
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: After re-reading all the books, and trying to focus the movie, I thought the first SIN CITY book, (MARV's story), the BIG FAT KILL, and THAT YELLOW BASTARD made sense going together because of their use of overlapping characters. I thought DAME TO KILL FOR was great, but too big to include in this movie. The idea I had was to take 3 of Frank's stories and put them together, so the audience would get a real taste of what Sin City was all about.
QUINT: As a fan of the original books, was there a particular sequence that stood out to you... that you couldn't believe you were getting to bring to life?
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: That would happen daily. No kidding, Frank's books are so tightly plotted there's nothing in them BUT good stuff. So just about every shot we'd come up to do, we'd thumb through the book and say, "Hey! We get to put a gun barrel through Jackie Boy's skull!" I think for Frank, anything with MIHO he couldn't believe we were getting to do, and one of my personal favorites was seeing Hartigan give the Yellow Bastard his... well, you gotta see it.
QUINT: You've got a helluva cast with the film. Who was the most difficult character to cast?
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: It was amazing we were able to find so many great actors that looked like Frank's very unique characters. I had the main actors chosen early on, and I have a terrific casting director, Mary Vernieu, so I was confident we'd find everybody else. I think Frank was most worried about GAIL and MIHO, because those are two of his favorite characters and they were the ones we were casting last. I would tell him, "don't worry, they'll just walk in the door and we'll know." Sure enough, at the very end of casting, in walks Rosario Dawson and Devon Aoki. I remember early on he was worried about finding the right Nancy in time for the Marv shoot, but then he met Jessica Alba.
QUINT: Can you give a little hint to the Comic-Con fans about what they might get to see during your panel?
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: I put something together that will show footage from the movie for each character, along with the original book panels that those scenes were taken from, so the fans can see how the movie really is their favorite books brought to cinematic life. It's very cool, and will give a real sense of the movie. I can't wait to see the reactions to how great these actors look in character and in the SIN CITY world. I might also show... well, we'll just have to see... I'm just excited about getting to go to Comic-Con with Frank Miller! At the panel we'll have to talk with Frank about his transformation during the course of the shoot. Now that he's learned how to make his own movies, I think we've created a monster. He's so fired up.
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That's it. It's a quickie, but a helluva teaser, don't you think? Thanks to Mr. Rodriguez for his time. Geeks prepare! SIN CITY is going to knock a whole lotta socks off!!!
-Quint
