If you love animation (black-and-white animation, in particular), I don't think you'll want to miss the nifty little (barely 80 minutes) compilation that opens in New York on Wednesday, October 22 at the IFC Center and will also be available simultaneously on-demand -- with a national roll-out to follow. Called Fear(s) of the Dark, it first appeared in NYC last March, as part of the FSLC Rendezvous with French Cinema series. I saw it at that time and was properly impressed (click here, then scroll WAY down for my GreenCine review); upon a recent revisit, I found the film holds up very well indeed.
Boasting a nicely sophisticated shape, in which its longer stores are framed by two pieces -- one dark and "dog"ged, the other visually and verbally witty -- these two "framers" also separate what lies inside. The first of the inside tales is by noted artist Charles Burns. Because Burns happened to be in NYC briefly, prior to the opening of the film, we grabbed our opportunity for a quick phone chat…
TrustMovies: The IMDB has you pegged at around 53 years old -- which would mean you pretty much experienced your adolescence during the 1960s. Which movies were your favorites back then?
Charles Burns: My family didn't see that many movies, actually. When I was growing up, we moved around a lot: to Seattle, some years in the DC area, to Boulder, CO, and in Missouri, too. But mostly Seattle. In the early 60s, I remember on TV they were re-running old classic horror movies, and also some cheap and sleazy 50's movies with things like giant centipedes. {Editor's Note: Could it be this one? } These had an impact on me! I also remember forcing my mom to take me to see Jason and the Argonauts
I remember that one! And I think I saw the centipede movie, too. Did your mom live through the experience?
She lived through it, yes. It was a rare occasion when she would take me to the movies. But I would not let up on her about that one.
You made your initial impact in the world of comics?
I've been mostly divided between comics and illustration.
The press kit for Fear(s) of the Dark mentions your "distinctive ice cold, hard edged, black and white art work…" Would you call your animation "ice cold"? I wouldn't. The other adjectives ring true to me, and your work is all line art. But ice cold? I found that your rendering of your lead character, for instance, possessed a real sweetness and innocence.
Yes. I tried to give him a kind of naïve quality.
Which leads me to ask about some of your themes -- like women as "the other" -- or alien. But of course you also have aliens in your story. So which one actually is more "other" -- the woman or the creature?
(Charles laughs.) Well, it's like what I've always done: I enjoy playing around with male and female stereotypes. In this case, I'm turning the very feminine role into something else. The first time you meet the girl, she is very sweet and feminine. Then she starts transforming….
Yes -- and isn't that "wound" almost vaginal -- or is that just my own preoccupation?
On, no, it's not just your perception. When I use that kind of Freudian symbolism, I make sure that it's a little heavy handed, very overt. I like playing with these kinds of strong symbols. There is also something in the nature of a wound that makes anyone shrink away. In observing audiences who are in the act of viewing this film, I've noticed that they kind of flinch when they see the wound.
Are you exclusively cartooning/animating/illustrating these days?
This is my first piece of animation, though I have been doing my own comics since the early 80s and doing illustration for that time, as well. My work is pretty equally divided between comics and illustration. But the comics are more personal.
Would you call the illustration, then, more like "work for hire"?
No, because it's all my work. I don't look down on one side or the other. But so far as work that I have complete control over, that would be the comics. And this is actually one of the reasons that I became involved in this move. The producers wanted each of us artists to be completely involved -- in the writing, storyboarding, editing, in just about everything.
How much did you know about the concept of Fear(s) of the Dark when you came aboard? In the sense of it being a group effort, and the framing of the film using two of the animators?
I think we all knew what it was going to be. I was lucky to be able to work on this film. My motivation was having this control, and being able to work with other artists whom I really admire. I already knew the other American artist, Richard McGuire, and some of the others, too -- and I knew all of their work. So being part of this film was like being invited to take part in an exhibition of artists whose work you really admire.
The press kit mentions that your "decade in the making magnum opus 'Black Hole' is creating huge internet buzz right now, as it’s soon to be turned into a feature film directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes)." How far along is this project?
(Burns laughs again) That was awhile back! As of now, Black Hole has been optioned by Paramount Pictures and David Fincher is attached to direct. But that's as of now.
Things can change?
In Hollywood, things can always change.
Given how well Fear(s) of the Dark has turned out, let's hope that everything proceeds on a positive course. And -- even if the movie doesn't get made -- that you end up with a pile of money!
(A quieter laugh, a moment of silence) Let's hope.
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