You’ve explored dystopian worlds, historical epics , and the confusing moral aspects of the universe. What idea or question has haunted you the longest? Remymaylor
Who’s up there? He’s going to show himself sooner rather than later, because we’re in a terrible mess here. I think we’re a fucking plague, 7.5 billion people, we can’t handle the planet. As you get older, you wonder: is it going to be a guy with a long beard and a long, flowing white robe, or is it just going to be a void? I don’t dwell on it. It’s weird. I feel like I’m still 21. It’s weird and weird.
Did you get a lifetime’s worth of bread in the 70s to do Hovis adverts? Theedubyabee
No. But I ate enough Hovis as a kid in Stockton at the theatres, with cherry jam and butter, toasted-holy shit. I did five Hovis adverts. They were all classics. The most famous one is the boy walking up the hill. The first one I shot near Halifax, in a mining town. Oddly enough, I might go back there to do my next film, which is a war film [Battle of Britain], so I know the area well.
It’s incredible that you’re still at the top of your game at 87. How has age affected your approach to filmmaking? Grimesy76
What happens – making sure you keep all your balls – is that you up your game. I can work eight to 11 cameras now. I finished my latest film in 34 days. Normally it would have been 60. Gladiator was 48; normally 100. I’ve learned to formulate and predetermine, plan on paper and script in my head. That’s why it’s so effective.
My game was tennis. I just had my last knee replacement. I had one in 2012 and the other one last week. So that’s the end of tennis. But like any game, the more you practice, the better you get. I got pretty good at tennis in forty years. If I hadn’t played tennis, I would be a 300-pound [136kg] couch potato.
Every time I drive back to Redcar in Yorkshire to visit relatives, I can’t help but notice how much Roseberry Topping Hill resembles the dome-like structure in LV-223 Prometheus. Do you add touches like that to your entertainment? Magbearsons
Roseberry Topping Hill was our favourite walk. It tickles me that it’s called Roseberry Topping. I used to have a country house in the Cotswolds. It was beautiful, but it was always fucking raining. It was probably built in the 1600s. We would live by candlelight and I loved it all. I bought it for 72 grand. You couldn’t fix up your garage for 72 grand these days. But the kids didn’t want to play ponies and shit like that anymore, so I sold it.
I miss the countryside, so I bought a vineyard in France 30 years ago as a teenager. There’s a hill in one corner. I thought, “Fuck me, this looks just like Roseberry topping.” I don’t recommend wine growing as a career, though. Nobody fucking drinks anymore. My ambition is just to break even.
You once told The Hollywood Reporter that your favorite movie is Muriel’s Wedding. Can you explain why? SJP15991
I was a bit shy, but I loved it to death because I like the idea of the two women being perpetually optimistic. And I have to admit, I really like Abba. I still sing Abba in the bathroom.
Galīgais griezums, bez šaubām, ir ideāla Blade Runner versija. Ko jūs teiktu cilvēkiem, kuri aizstāv teātra griezumu? Thesanwithoutfear
Es domāju, ka viņiem visiem bija sava diena. Visvairāk neapmierinošā lieta, ko es uzzināju, ir tas, ka jums ir jābūt savai kritiķim. Kopš tā laika es nekad neesmu lasījis citu kritiku. Lielais kritiķis tajā laikāVerdzība Paulīne KaelaVerdzība iznīcināja mani četrās lappusēs Ņujorkā. Viņa sacīja: Viņam var būt vājš žoklis, tāpēc viņam ir bārda. Viņa nekad pat nebija mani satikusi! Es ierāmēju lapas, un tās joprojām atrodas manā birojā. Es laiku pa laikam skatos uz viņiem un eju: “Fuck you, Pauline.”
Tavs tēvs bija armijā. Vai viņš kādreiz noraida no tā, ka jūs vēlaties būt mākslas students? Jagans
Nē. Mans tētis Otrā pasaules kara beigās bija brigādes ģenerāldirektors. Viņš man teica: “Ridlij, armijai nav absolūti ko mācīt. Tu akadēmiski esi briesmīgs” – es saņēmu D, D, C, E, E, E, D, bet A+ pie mākslas – “Ej uz mākslas skolu”. Es nekad neaizmirsīšu savu mākslas skolotāju Grangfīldas ģimnāzijā – Cleeland kungs. Viņš bija viens no jaunā vecuma skolotājiem, kurš ienāca ar gariem matiem un kurš visi teica, bija dīvaini, bet viņš bija lielisks puisis.
Cik tuvu jūs nokļuvāt Daleksa projektēšanā uz Doctor Who? badrobot2
Es biju ļoti labs dizainers. Es biju birojā, daloties ar puisi ar nosaukumu Ray Cusick. Verity Lambert bija producents. Rejs sacīja: “Ko jūs domājat?” Es teicu: “Viņi izskatās kā apgriezti putekļu kārbas. Es domāju, ka viņi izskatās jāšanās briesmīgi.” Viņš teica: “Tas ir tas, ko es domāju. Bet tas ir tas, ko viņa vēlas.” Uzmini ko? Viņi joprojām šeit joprojām ir šeit.
Vai būs trešais svešzemju prequel un Gladiator 3? petewinf un bozo500
Gladiators šobrīd notiek. Vēl viens svešzemju prequel – jā, ja man rodas ideja, protams.
Vai jūs tiešām apsvērāt iespēju vadīt 3. terminatoru? bozo500
Es par to lepojos. Es noraidīju maksu par 20 miljoniem USD. Redzi, mani nevar nopirkt, frants. Kāds teica: “Pajautājiet, ko iegūst Arnijs.” Es domāju: “Es to izmēģināšu.” Es teicu: “Es gribu to, ko iegūst Arnijs.” Kad viņi teica jā, es domāju: “Fuck me”. Bet es to nevarēju izdarīt. Tā nav mana lieta. Tas ir tāpat kā darīt Bonda filmu. Bonda filmas būtība ir jautra un nometne. Terminators ir tīrs komikss. Es mēģinātu to padarīt reālu. Tāpēc viņi nekad nav man lūguši veidot Bonda filmu, jo es to varētu izdrāzt.
Have you taken the Voight-Kampff [diagnostic empathy] Check from Blade Runner yourself? Sagarmatha1953
Isn’t it great? Some bastard stole it from the set. When it comes out, I’m going to go after it like a rat on a sewer pipe. I’ve never used the stuff. I think, “I’m done, move on.” Now I realize I should, because they go into storage and get lost forever. I get permission to take stuff and put space suits from the movies in my vineyard in France. I have a space suit from Mars. I have an original space suit from Alien. Can you imagine what that’s worth? Two from Prometheus. They’re all in my barrel room, which has 12,000 square feet [1,115 sq m] of barrels. It’s the perfect temperature for wine. It’s also the perfect place for a museum. Go down to Avignon – the vineyard is 20 minutes from my house – and take a look. It’s fantastic.
I love press junkets and interviews where you tell interviewers to “Go Fuck Yourself ” Do you swear more than you did when you were, say, 50? Chin_of_tarantino and Bikuser
No. I had it a lot worse at 50. How many times have I sworn in this interview? Ten? Twenty? Some are so satisfying, like: What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Is swearing a sign of intelligence? Are you taking the Mickey out of me? No? Then I must be very smart.
