Page 14 - aruba-today-20220915

a14 people & arts
Thursday 15 sepTember 2022
Ti West, Mia Goth dream up a technicolor horror in 'Pearl'

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Ti West out very differently."
had a wild idea. Working on the script ul-
It was year one of the pan- timately helped her feel
demic and his 1970s-set more connected to the
slasher "X" was one of the words on the page, which
few films allowed to go into came in handy for the big
production thanks to the finale: An emotional seven-
low COVID-19 numbers in minute monologue from
New Zealand. He'd been Pearl that West wanted to
talking to his star Mia Goth shoot in one take.
— who in "X" plays dual "That was our last day of
roles of a young porn star, shooting," Goth said. "It was
Maxine, and a murderous a lot of pressure because
older woman, Pearl — and I knew that Ti wanted to
had a thought: What if they do it in that one take. I
just made two movies while didn't want to mess up or
they were there? to stumble over my lines.
The idea isn't an uncom- And I never went to drama
mon one for a major fran- school. It's like not studied.
chise based on known in- I didn't have like an ap-
tellectual property, but for proach to tackling some-
an independent horror that thing like that."
hadn't shot a single frame, Mia Goth, left, and director Ti West pose for portraits to promote the film "Pearl" during the 79th But she needn't have wor-
it was bold, to say the least. edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 4, 2022. ried. They did it a few times
It wouldn't be a sequel ei- Associated Press and were finished before
ther, but a prequel about lunch, which is almost un-
Pearl in her youth. ter term, a children's movie version that West was will- the "Suspiria" and "High Life" heard of for 12 pages of
"I'm like, well, they're never that has a more demented ing to make, which would actor. script.
going to go for THAT," West adult story to it," West said, have been shot in black "I'd never really considered The films have even taken
said last week at the Ven- seated beside Goth in a and white, paying hom- writing scripts of my own," on a meta quality, allowing
ice Film Festival. To his im- cottage at the Albergo age to the films of Ingmar Goth said. "I didn't know if them to explore and com-
mense surprise, however, Quattro Fontane on the Bergman, but A24 had I would be able to help or ment on the way cinema
they did. Lido. just come off of "The Light- contribute in any meaning- affects people.
The result, "Pearl," which Goth, in a stylish and severe house" and there were a ful, worthwhile way." "There's the sort of ambition
had its premiere in Venice black corset ensemble, few other black and white But she accepted the chal- and the dreamlike quality
and opens in theaters na- looks worlds away from the projects floating around, lenge. For her writing ses- of it and the wonder of it all.
tionwide on Friday, drops wide-eyed farmgirl with a and the studio encour- sions, Goth would set a But what comes with that is
in on its title character as pitchfork and a dream she aged the colorful version. timer and jot things down also sometimes you're the
a teen in 1918. She dreams portrays in "Pearl." "There was an interesting in a stream of conscious- person who doesn't get
of being in the movies but The film is a candy-colored movie there" he said. "Either ness that she'd then send the part," West said. "When
is tethered to her family's ode to technicolor clas- way, it was going to be a to West to format. your life and dreams are at-
Texas farm, with her strict, sics of Hollywood's Golden rich cinematic pastiche. "To me, she was just some- tached to that, it's heavy,
German mother and ailing Age, from "The Wizard of I said, 'I'm just offering a one who was very ambi- you know?"
father, until she gets a mor- Oz" to "Singin' in the Rain" cheaper version.' And they tious and was likely just at The world of "X" and "Pearl"
sel of hope in an upcoming but with carnage and were like, 'No, no, no. Make the wrong place in the is expanding too. This week,
audition for a dance com- blood. Touchstones ranged the better version.'" wrong time," Goth said. "I A24 announced that there
pany. from Disney cartoons to Goth even got a co-credit think had she had better would be a third film, a fi-
"I just had this interest in Max Ophuls. as a screenwriter, which opportunities presented to nale, called "MaXXXine" set
making, for lack of a bet- There was a "cheaper" was a new experience for her, life would have turned in 1985.q

Almodóvar pulls out of first English-language feature film

MADRID (AP) — Oscar- has been so generous with tin Almodóvar, who helps
winning director Pedro Al- me this whole time and his sibling run their El De-
modóvar says that he is I was blinded by excite- seo production company,
withdrawing from his first ment, but unfortunately, I wrote on Twitter
English-language feature, no longer feel able to fully "A Manual for Cleaning
"A Manual for Cleaning realize this film." Women" is an adaptation
Women" produced by and A new director hasn't been of the eponymous collec-
starring Cate Blanchett. announced yet by Blanch- tion of short stories by Amer-
Almodóvar, 72, told en- ett's Dirty Films production ican author Lucia Berlin.
tertainment news website company. Pedro Almodóvar won Os-
Deadline Hollywood that Almodóvar's brother and car awards for best foreign
he was unable to handle business partner confirmed language film for "All About
the commitment. the decision in a social me- My Mother" (1999) and for
"It has been a very pain- dia post on Wednesday. best original screenplay
ful decision for me," Al- "Pedro Almodóvar is leav- for "Talk To Her" (2002). He
Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar poses for photographers modóvar told Deadline ing the 'A Manual for made his first short in Eng-
at the red carpet ahead the Goya Film Awards Ceremony in Hollywood. "I have dreamt Cleaning Women' project, lish, "The Human Voice,"
Malaga, southern Spain, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. of working with Cate for which will continue forward featuring Tilda Swinton, in
Associated Press such a long time. Dirty Films with Cate Blanchett," Agus- 2020.q