Paxton Interview Excerpt 2: THE COLONY Star Talks HUGO And APOLLO 18!

Continuing the conversation from yesterday's talk of Kung Fu, Paxton's wide ranging interview from the set of The Colony also touched upon his thoughts on the much-maligned Apollo 18, the lauded Scorsese pic Hugo, and best picture winner The Artist.



Are there genre pics that really speak to you?

My daughter was seeing these previews for this film Apollo 18, and I'd done a previous film called Apollo 13, so I said, let's go check that out.

From the opening frame, I thought, my God, this is an art film. And even though it turned out to be moon rocks or some shit [laughs], I thought it was very cleverly done, and a very underrated film, and I thought we were seeing the debut of a very auspicious young filmmaker. I've seen people poo-poo that film back and forth - I think it was too sophisticated for the audience. I thought it was one of the best films I saw last year.

Yeah, the gag when you find the moon rocks are moving around, that's a little weak, but overall I thought the actors (I didn't know who they were) were all believable, I love the found footage thing they did with it.

The movie I anticipated the most to see this year is one I found to be a bit disappointing, and that was Hugo. I was a nut on Méliès - I went to France years ago, I tried to find if there was anything left. I don't even know how I even got turned onto him. My father was a big influence on me, he'd take me to plays and movies, and if something like that was on, he'd take me. He'd turn me on to Buster Keaton, and there must have been a program where he took me to Méliès films, and I remember really falling in love with those images.

Then I watch the movie, and... I'm willing to give a movie ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, you've got to get a world going, it takes the first act to give them a break. I kept waiting and wanting to get pulled in, and that movie to me...if a movie doesn't pull an audience in emotionally, then I don't care how many bells and whistles it's got going off. Hugo just didn't engage me emotionally.

I love Martin Scorsese, but I'd much rather watch Casino, or Goodfellas or Raging Bull than Hugo.

What did you think of The Artist?

LOVED it. That's a well made movie. Look, Hugo's a well made movie, but I was emotionally engaged with The Artist. The worst thing is going to a movie really wanting to get into it and it you just have no way in and it makes you a little angry.

Apollo 18 is an underrated film...

And Hugo's an overrated film?

I'm sorry, but yes. I think so.

The full Paxton interview from the set of THE COLONY will be published on Friday. Come back tomorrow for Paxton's surprising take on the finale of BIG LOVE