Some things stick in your craw more than others.
As a recovering art major, I’m a tad sensitive to artists who refuse to accept criticism.
Sure, not every critic is right, but when a consensus forms about a particular piece of art it’s best to listen. And, hopefully, learn.
That doesn’t appear to be the case with director Peter Jackson.
The lord of the “Lords of the Rings” franchise is still smarting over the critical – and commercial – drubbing he received when his latest film, “The Lovely Bones” hit theaters last year.
He tells CNN he wouldn’t change a thing:
The film is very much what we set out to make. I don’t know what I’d do differently.
Now, Jackson could be standing behind the film to prop up DVD sales, or show some support for his cast and crew. But then he let loose with another whopper:
Hopefully on DVD it’ll have a slightly easier audience, because watching a DVD doesn’t have the monumental decision that going out to the movies has.
Maybe the word “monumental” has a different meaning in his native New Zealand home …
“The Lovely Bones” wasn’t awful, but its facile supporting characters and shifting tone hardly makes it Jackson’s finest hour. Here’s hoping on some level he recognizes that, too.
(Photo: Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson)
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
When a movie is a success, the director is always willing to take the credit, but when it’s a failure, he/she always shuffles the blame off to someone else (usually the producers, with their evil “studio interference”). But this is the first time I’ve seen a director blame it on people’s unwillingness to make the drive to the theater.
In my opinion, almost all of Jackson’s movies up to this point have been worth a trip to the theater, for one reason or another. (Heck, even The Frighteners was a great cheesy popcorn movie). But if someone of his talent doesn’t think the material is worth a trip to the theater to see, he shouldn’t be working on it.
Well said.
Or, why not work on an indie level to cushion the blow should the box office tank. But I’m guessing he doesn’t want to go back to Indieland – just a hunch.
I dig much of Jackson’s work … but these quotes just sounded tired.