I think most filmmakers are like actors – basically whores who sit there and wait till they can get paid to just direct or act. – Uwe Boll
In an INFLUX exclusive, Uwe Boll reflects on Rampage 2: Capital Punishment.
On creating a sequel:
Uwe Boll: People liked the first Rampage and I just had a feeling the story of Bill was not finished.
Regarding the politics of the movie:
UB: Everything that Bill says about politics is my opinion. We all get brainwashed and we don’t live in a democracy. But, his violent solution is not necessarily the way I would change the world.
Was their pressure to create a sequel?
UB: No …but we had to deliver different and show that something happened with Bill in the two years he was in hiding after the first massacre …..A real development. Brendan (Fletcher) was also not really interested in the beginning in playing Bill again, but when I presented the new story, he felt that that new movie is really NEW and not just a second part duplicating the first.
On the importance of pushing the boundaries:
UB: Yes. I think real political, radical movies are not coming from the studios and I should do them because the other filmmakers are more into art and personal stories ….I love movies attacking the status quo.
Thoughts on gun control:
UB: The only people who should get a gun license are those who go to a 2 day course learning to handle a gun, safety etc…and then they get the license AFTER the police cleared them. This is how I got my license in Canada. In general, OPEN CARRY is absurd because nobody besides cops and security people need to have a gun and especially running around in public with the gun.
On gun violence:
UB: In Mexico, the drug cartel kills 30,000 people a year. In the USA, 11,000 people get shot. The availability of guns leads to more murder cases. In England, only 300 people get murdered every year. In regards to the school shootings or recently the veterans running amok, I think psychological problems, drug abuse and the availability of guns together lead to the large amount of victims….
Regarding the role of social media:
UB: I think the kids of today learn from early on that money and good looks are everything, and if you don’t find both, or at least one of those ideals, you are a loser. If you have a no-name wardrobe on in school and not named brands; if you have a shitty cellphone and not an iPhone – you turn into an outsider and this is very bad…. But, I still think that you have to be mentally ill to run amok. To be lonely or isolated is not enough to get a gun and start shooting everybody.
Look at that example of the son of that assistant director in LA. He is a perfect example of somebody who mixed up virtual internet reality with his real life. He had an entitlement problem, together with depression, drugs and the availability of guns. Any weapon store who sold the guns to him should get fined because you could see in his face that this guy is not normal.
Regarding solutions:
UB: Better schools and family life. Less shopping and spending money. More outdoor playing for kids and strict gun rules.
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Thoughts on the news media:
UB: TV wants good ratings, and so the downward spiral starts. The programs get more stupid by the minute. It makes it cooler and easier to be connected to half criminals because we see them as stars in reality TV. Look at The Bachelor or the Housewife shows – a bunch of stupid wannabes and yet young adults love them as their role-models. In those shows, it always looks that money is just there and nobody has to work for a living. Spoiled retards like Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus should not be the heroes of our kids.
On In The Name of the King series:
UB: This movie makes other movies happen. Of course, I’m more interested in my political movies like Assault on Wall Street, Darfur, Rampage, Stoic, etc…..
On the responsibility of filmmakers:
UB: I don’t think films have an automatic built-in audience. Only big franchises and remakes have a built-in audience. It is so much harder to get an audience with political movies. I think most filmmakers are like actors – basically whores who sit there and wait till they can get paid to just direct or act.
Does the vast experience as a filmmaker help in the process?
UB: Absolutely. Me and my DP, Mathias, can structure a full movie shoot on one dog walk. We don’t have to talk anymore about set ups and we shoot very fast. I’m also very happy with that more modern handheld documentary approach and the Red Epic or Alexa Cameras. Digital now is looking so good and so much faster to shoot with than 35mm. I’ve made over 30 movies – a lot with action and CGI. If I read a script, I know how long it will take me to shoot it.
Regarding Boll’s approach:
UB: Postal was my favorite shoot of all time, and I love the movie from A to Z. Blubberella, I think, is 50% funny and 50% a total disaster which makes it maybe also funny. But, Postal is well written and perfectly acted. Blubberella is trash. But, of course it is a lot of fun to make a comedy ….
On what’s to come:
UB: Coming up, I have a Viking movie, a great thriller called 12 Hours and I want to finish the Rampage story with Rampage 3…
