Walter Hill is a badass.
by Sarah Trost on 30/01/2011Yeah yeah, I know, way to keep up on the blog. So sue me, I haven’t really felt compelled to put anything into internet words… until today. Well, more specifically, last night. What is the magical catalyst for such an even, you say? None other than a showing of the epic cult classic film “The Warriors”.
What made this screening so fancy to push me to the brink of actually taking time to sit at my computer and do something other than socially network and feebly attempt trolling for “work” on craigslist? Turns out a panel of classic hollywood badasses, that, it so happens, have single-handedly shaped the direction of my entire life through the work of their incredible careers. Perhaps it sounds insane (and quite possibly pathetic) that movies could have had so much influence on my life…but I challenge you to grow up on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere and see how your childhood works out for you. Brownies? Nah. Gymnastics? Nope. 4H? Fuck it. Any and every movie we could get our hands on, especially if the subject matter was massively age-inappropriate?? Hell yes.
So you can imagine the level of metaphorical pants-shitting going on for me when I get to see Edgar Wright moderating a panel of James Remar, Walter Hill, Frank Marshall, and Larry Gordon…all speaking candidly about their experiences in making The Warriors, and filmmaking in general. My heart was about to explode as I’m watching Frank Marshall, producer of most of my favorite movies of all time, talking about the impact The Warriors had on so many people….and to this day…over thirty years after the release…people still lose their minds over this film. Larry Gordon shares an anecdote about his going to a party an talking with Jay-z and P-Diddy, and how their response to him was lukewarm until he mentions his work on The Warriors, at which point they LOST THEIR MINDS with excitement. Then Larry says, “oh yeah, Dr Dre loves it too…”. What?! Uhhh…maz….ing.
Then, Walter Hill, (whom I’m convinced is the Ultimate Badass), starts talking about how this film has endured so long and captivated and influenced so many….because it’s the opposite of what’s happening today. In a phrase: packaged, predictable bullshit. He bluntly refers to the frustration of studios only making predictable films that can be quickly churned out as product…and are thusly forgotten just as fast. Thusly, the film the studio said wouldn’t work, the film that tested terribly, the film that even the poster artist couldn’t understand…hit. And it hit hard….since it pulled a demographic out of the woodwork the studios didn’t even realize existed. It brought out all of the kids hungry for a taste of danger and mischief and adventure.
This brought me to the (possibly deluded) conclusion that perhaps hanging on to my tenets of not only design, but integrity and purpose are not quite unfounded. Seeing all of those rad hollywood dudes up there talking about how it was a rough road but they made it happen…the proof being on screen and in their subsequent careers…was beyond encouraging. So I don’t have to make bullshit?!? I can make something that could influence and inspire people to a similar degree of The Warriors?!? Fuck yeah I could. And perhaps I already did? A couple weeks ago, a post surfaced on Twitch favorably comparing my favorite film I’ve designed, “The FP”, to The Warriors. That’s right…no big deal. Ha.
Heart.
-st
