The final part of DarkWorlds' Joss Whedon interview - General

Nice. It makes me want to read more words from Joss. I want more!!! I want more!!!

[ edited by Numfar PTB on 2005-05-25 14:41 ]

Numfar PTB | May 25, 16:26 CET

And homely too. Mustn't forget that. :)

NickSeng | May 25, 16:30 CET

lol, homely indeed!

I for one am very pleased that Joss is able to take his time over the Wonder Woman script.

Oh, and Shaun of The Dead - great film!

bubblecat | May 25, 16:32 CET

Excuse my ignorance but what does ADR stand for?

Simon | May 25, 16:37 CET

It took Joss this long to see "The Incredibles"?!?! Shame on him!! (And I bet he even got an advance screener before the movie was released theatrically, what with his Pixar connections and all.) Actually, I just watched it on DVD for the second time yesterday. Wonderful movie. Brad Bird is a genius.

[ edited by bobtaylor on 2005-05-25 14:54 ]

rbt | May 25, 16:38 CET

ADR -- Additional dialogue recording.

... I think.

rbt | May 25, 16:39 CET

ADR stands for "Automated" or "Automatic" Dialog Replacement. I presume that this is what he is talking about!

Anyone with greater knowledge care to go into more detail?

bubblecat | May 25, 16:40 CET

That would make sense, thanks bobtaylor and bubblecat.

Simon | May 25, 16:40 CET

Shaun of the Dead owns all of you. Owns you like a pig.

...

That made sense. Who said it didn't?

Good to see the top man has taste.

SlackJawedVampireHunter | May 25, 16:53 CET

Yeah, ADR is 'automated dialogue replacement'. Whedon also uses the word 'looping', which is another name for the process from the days when it was common to create a loop of the scene which needed sound replacement and run it through a projector so the actors could do multiple takes one after another. Today, the clips are usually projections of digital renders.

pjalne | May 25, 16:55 CET

Woohoo, mutual appreciation between 2 of my favourite writers. SotD does rule, but it seems as though someone must introduce Joss to the wonder that is Spaced. He can borrow my dvds if he wants :)

Paul_Rocks | May 25, 16:57 CET

Love this third part. By the way,for reference and forgive me for being dumb if this is well known, but when did this interview take place?

FalenAnjl | May 25, 16:59 CET

As everyone has said, Jesse did an amazing job. Maybe TheZeppo should get a promotion to TheChico or TheHarpo? (Not sure which one is number two.)

This is probably not the kind of thread he feels like jumping into, but it would be fun to get a wacky Joss comment on this big (three part) interview. Something about how he was plied with beer, and really thinks just the opposite of everything he said (except about how difficult MB is to work with). Except Joss-like and wackier.

RBB | May 25, 18:53 CET

Incredibles and Shaun of the Dead. Indeed two of the most enjoyable movies of the past year. Kewl beans. And man I would've loved to see that convention panel! I saw both Joss and the Shaun guys at the Comicon last year, but not together! Separately they were both great Q&As already, but a panel between them must've been really fun.

Oh, and my day does not include being locked in a small room with Morena......somehow....doesn't happen to me....

EdDantes | May 25, 19:08 CET

Wow, this is the first I've heard of all this "MB is The First Evil!" speak. What's the deal? I didn't realize there were any tensions in Jossland, but then, I'm usually oblivious to these things anyway.

That just seems like such a flip-off to say that blatantly in a widely circulated interview... (To be fair, clearly I don't know Morena. But ouch, if I were her, I'd be crying right now.) Someone explain?

Daromaius | May 25, 21:07 CET

Love this third part. By the way,for reference and forgive me for being dumb if this is well known, but when did this interview take place?

FalenAnjl, there's no intro on part 1 specifying the date or no date on the home page of DH. Then again, DH's copyright notice at the bottom of its homepage is still dated 2003. So they are having momentary (!) problems with the time/space continuum.

Drifter | May 25, 21:09 CET

I'd like to know when this interview took place too. Jesse mentioned that he'd shopped it to scifi.com, so I'm guessing a little while back. Maybe within the last month? The Zeppo?

I'm sure Douglas Adams has coined a word for the tinglingly pleasurable feeling one gets when learning of the hitherto unknown mutual appreciation of two artists that one holds in equally high esteem. Must reread the Meaning of Liff.

Daromaius: Joss has enjoyed a running joke for some time now about Morena being "plain," "stupid," "difficult," etc. Can't recall when it started, although I think at Comic-Con 2004 comments were made. It's all in good fun, and, I think, underscores the cast's togetherness. Of course, as your post suggests, such statements can always be misconstrued . . .

SoddingNancyTribe | May 25, 21:09 CET

Daromaius - Joss isn't being serious, he's kidding.

killinj | May 25, 21:10 CET

Thanks so much, Jesse The Zeppo. That was such a great treat this week.
So now I too must watch Shaun of the Dead.
("Welcome to the Hellmouth" is on FX right now. They all have hilarious hair :) )

WhoIsOmega? | May 25, 21:18 CET

Yes, Daromaius, this is one of Joss' favorite sillies. I recall him mentioning several times on DVD commentaries, when somone looked particularly gorgeous, that he chose actors for his shows because they were so very plain, and unpleasant to look at. Especially the women. Made it easier for the viewers to focus on his sparkling writing. And the more sweet and accommodating the actor, the more he likes to make noise about their outrageous star-trip demands and tantrums. : )

barest_smidgen | May 25, 21:23 CET

At the Starfury con video and others you can see that everyone pretty well picks on Morena as homely and difficult to work with. Joss may have started it but everyone else picked it up.

Lioness | May 25, 21:44 CET

THANK YOU ALL!! To put everyone's curiosities at rest, the interview took place early morning Friday the 13th this month. So, it is very recent. I can't express how overjoyed I am that the interview went as well as it did and that it's out there for all you guys to see. Like I said, I DID do it for an article in my college newspaper for the September 30th issue which would also include my review of Serenity, but I knew as soon as I started conducting this interview that I was doing it solely for you guys. It's such a treat for me too, that I was able to make it happen so you all could be a part.

And yeah, the Morena comment was so clearly a joke. Right before Joss hung up, I could hear her voice, so I figured he started word-hating her as soon as they saw each other. I guess I should've indicated all that with *laughter* tags.

Thanks, once again. I think you guys are my real friends. Is that weird?

Cheers.

TheZeppo | May 25, 21:59 CET

SNT, I thought I was the only person the the world to own The Meaning Of Liff! I still merily mention "Tyne And Wear" when they drop something and it disappears under something.

And for an example of Joss-speak check out his post about, I believe, Comicon where he tells Nathan to take a shower sometimes...

Edited because spelling the same word wrong twice in the same post is just.... wrong.

[ edited by zz9 on 2005-05-25 21:01 ]

zz9 | May 25, 22:05 CET

Shaun of the Dead is a great movie. But I think the filmmakers owe a huge debt of inpsiration to Joss. Cool to see that they reference Buffy and Angel in their TV show.

orphea | May 25, 22:14 CET

Aw shucks, theZeppo. You're the one who's a friend. In a time of genre-drought and Whedon-deprivation -- when all seemed dark, forlorn and bereft of witty, thought-provoking commentary -- you brought the Joss! In triplicate, even. Thanks for thinking of the rest of us (who couldn't be there and are, frankly, really jealous of you) and sharing your time with the man so generously. It's muchly appreciated :)

Re: MB -- Um. Can I be as homely as she is when I grow up? Please?

(Added: I loved SotD, too -- the fact that JW dug it so much makes me think, "Wouldn't it be great if Joss made a theatrical horror movie of his own one day?"

Also, what is 'Spaced' and is it available in R1? Anyone? My curiosity is piqued.)

[ edited by Wiseblood on 2005-05-25 20:37 ]

Wiseblood | May 25, 22:31 CET

" Cool to see that they reference Buffy and Angel in their TV show."

Yeah, it didn't seem two episodes went by without a Buffy reference. Best of the bunch was probably the opening where everyone in the house are abruptly awakened by a loud noise and all sit up in bed yelling stuff like "Mommy" or "They're here!", while Simon Pegg's character disparingly shouts "Buffy!".

[ edited by pjalne on 2005-05-25 20:34 ]

pjalne | May 25, 22:33 CET

For the non-cognescenti, and I guess that includes you, Mr. Whedon, here's a nice link and comment thread about Spaced references to Buffy and Angel, and Simon's love for SMG. Which makes him alright in my book. (ETA: That would be Spaced's Simon Pegg, as opposed to our Simon. Whose love for SMG, as far as I know, has never spoken its name.)

And thanks for clearing that up, TheZeppo.

SoddingNancyTribe | May 25, 22:40 CET

Great interview, really enjoyed that. I’m not just saying that, I actually went out and bought toner for my printer which I have been meaning to do for weeks so I could print it for keeps. Plus now my eyes are no longer squiggly from trying to decipher faint type. Cheers TheZeppo for saving me from going blind (ok, maybe I am a tad exaggerating about that bit.)

miranda | May 25, 22:42 CET

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who prints out Joss interviews...or maybe I'm the only one that hangs them on the wall by the bed...

electricspacegirl | May 25, 23:32 CET

*facepalm*

I thought he was serious, because I've heard Joss sling a couple of barbs from time to time and it was really blatant and sounded particularly unprovoked, and it would have made sense with Inara's planned "leaving the ship" if there had been creative differences and also? I'm stupid.

Daromaius | May 25, 23:32 CET

It's so cool that Joss is able to take a break from everything, but it'd be pretty damn hilarious if he ends up taking TOO much time on the script and ends up being rushed in the end.

Christopher | May 25, 23:51 CET

I would love to get homely with Morena. Er... inside voice!

Great interview, classic Joss.

Mort | May 26, 00:51 CET

Kudos to TheZeppo, outstanding interview. Thanks for bringing it to be.

Though I'm a 'Dawn of the Dead' fan, I initially didn't bother watching SotD because I'm not much into the slap stick comedies so common these days. However, so many of you recommended it in a post here several months ago, I decided to give it a watch. So glad I did, now that's humor! I laughed myself blue. Needless to say, it's now a favorite watch in my DVD collection. Thanks people :)

Madhatter | May 26, 01:36 CET

@ SNT & ZZ9 I have the meaning of Liff too - does that make me cool???

That was an excellent interview - I just love reading Joss words. They always leave me feeling emotional. I save all the interviews to hard disk too.

The picture shrine had to come down though - it was putting too much of a strain on the marriage ;)

The Do That Girl | May 26, 01:37 CET

The picture shrine had to come down though - it was putting too much of a strain on the marriage ;)

Too much nekkid Joss will do that. I mean, *cough* I imagine...

;)

Wiseblood | May 26, 01:54 CET

Easy mistake to make, Daromaius. I've been thrown by his comments before, so don't think it's just you. Now I just think about those wacky comments harder. They tend to make sense after awhile. :)

WhoIsOmega? | May 26, 02:42 CET

Yeah, it didn't seem two episodes went by without a Buffy reference. Best of the bunch was probably the opening where everyone in the house are abruptly awakened by a loud noise and all sit up in bed yelling stuff like "Mommy" or "They're here!", while Simon Pegg's character disparingly shouts "Buffy!".

I think my favourite is when we see Tim on his knees and he says something about how he's not really much of a praying kind of guy, but that he really needs this to happen, then crosses himself and leaves his bedroom. The camera turns around to reveal that he's been praying to a Buffy poster. It's in 2x04 I think.

Paul_Rocks | May 26, 02:53 CET

Spaced is only available in R2 but it is reason enough to get a region free player :P Features Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson, Nick Frost, etc and is HILARIOUS. One of the maybe three series ever that I have had to pause due to laughing too hard. Here's the box I own.

p.s. -- Paul one of my FAVE spaced moments also, the praying to Buff :)

p.p.s. -- here's just one of the many region free or multi region decks available.

[ edited by zeitgeist on 2005-05-26 01:00 ]

zeitgeist | May 26, 02:58 CET

Haha, yeah, that's a great reveal.

pjalne | May 26, 02:59 CET

looking at the other thread I will quote myself :P

oh you know what I forgot to mention? series 2 ep 4 where tim prays to his buffy poster LOL... and he compares Twist to Cordy in ep 6.

zeitgeist | May 26, 03:02 CET

More on ADR for those interested in the technical side of things:

"automatic dialogue replacement also known as ADR, EPS and looping the re-recording of dialogue in a sound studio during post-production. The actor(s) usually perform to playback of edited picture in order to pace the dialogue with the movements on screen. ADR is frequently used to replace poor quality sound in the original track; sometimes ADR is used to change the delivery or inflection of a line. ADR can also be used to insert new lines of dialogue which are conceived during editing, although such lines can only be placed against picture in which the face of the actor speaking is not visible."

From Joseph's Film Glossary

Lunakitty | May 26, 03:15 CET

Where can an American get a copy of Spaced? I don't see it on Amazon, and I don't think my player can read the anglo discs. ;)

orphea | May 26, 03:30 CET

What's the brand and model number of the player? E.g. Philips DVD630. Most players can be unlocked. Not all players convert the signal from PAL to NTSC, though.

[ edited by pjalne on 2005-05-26 01:38 ]

pjalne | May 26, 03:38 CET

lol zeitgeist, maybe I should've read the other thread again. That way I could've avoided just repeating what you'd already said. Oh well, I did check to make sure I wasn't repeating myself. Memory is over-rated.

Paul_Rocks | May 26, 04:23 CET

Well, I see I need to order 'Spaced' as well.

orphea, try amazon.uk. Be aware that these are region 2/PAL format DVDs.

Next question is you'll need a region-free DVD player with a PAL-NTSC converter. If you google 'DVD region free player', you'll find several choices of vendors. I recommend the Yamaha S550, it will play any DVD on any TV. Best, the price is around $200.00 US. I've been running one for about ten months and it's a good player.

Madhatter | May 26, 04:48 CET

Whoa whoa whoa... You can find a region-coded dvd player for under $100. I got mine off ebay, a JVC, for $89 total. DO NOT pay over $100 for one. Please. You'll chip my heart.

TheZeppo | May 26, 09:28 CET

Thanks for the advice! My player is a Panasonic S35, and from what I could decode on their website, I don't think it can play the PAL DVDs. Dernit.

orphea | May 26, 10:28 CET

I bought Spaced on the recommendations of those on this board, and to play them, I did the following (this is on a Macintosh, on OS X)

1) Rip the encryption and region crap with Mac the Ripper (there are many windows programs to do this, I just don't know any off the top of my head)
2) Recompressed the resulting VIDEO_TS directory with DVD2OneX (though there is a windows version of this) so that it would fit on a DVD-R
3) Burned the DVD to a DVD-R disc with Roxio Toast

Then, so long as your DVD plays PAL, you're set (or you can watch the discs or VIDEO_TS folder from your computer)

Caleb | May 26, 10:37 CET

In response to a comment somewhere up there, I realized how strange it is that Shaun of the Dead might have never been what it was without Joss's work, or if Simon Pegg and Co. hadn't been followers. Yet it's the one film that stood out to Joss recently. I kinda love it.

TheZeppo | May 26, 10:57 CET

Shaun of the Dead was great - one of the best movies I've seen this year! It took me a while to see it, I rented it a month ago. The reason it took me so long to rent it is I live alone and Zombie eating people movies always freaks me out, even zombies alone, they don't have to munch on humans, and they scare me! But all the reviews were good and then I read so many positive comments here at Whedonesque that I rented it, I did however watch it during the day due to the zombie factor. So now I want to see Spaced too. I will have to consider a region free dvd player.

This Joss interview has been great fun to read. My favorite bit is of course Joss saying he may revisit the Buffyverse in the second installment of the interview but this piece was fun too.

Passion | May 26, 15:05 CET

In minds eye, I'm picturing Joss' meeting with Simon. Lets go from there.

Madhatter | May 26, 19:52 CET

May 25 2005