Let’s start with an easy questiuon. Did you love Alien vs. Predator?
No, no, no. I kept out of that. They never even mentioned to me they were doing Aliens. I was a little hurt at the time, but then I thought, ‘Why not? It’s Hollywood.’
The original Alien really stands the test of time. Is it because you were stuck using real sets and actors in real costumes?
Oh, yeah. George Lucas had already done Star Wars, and I was hearing about all these wonderful, mysterious tracking devices that went beyond the old tradition of matte painting. It was the next technology. But we had a much lower budget than George, so my space shots were literally done on a dolly with lots of dry ice and a wind machine. It was that basic. Ironically, it still stands up great.
Will current films, like Avatar, hold up?
Jim Cameron raised the bar by saying this is what you can do, the same way Stanley Kubrick did with 2001. That was the first time I took space and science fiction seriously. When Stanley did 2001, I thought, ‘Oh, my God. I have to do one.’
And now you’re responsible for the most hyped sci-fi release of 2012. It’s also the 30th anniversary of Blade Runner this year. You’ve said that Harrison Ford was the biggest pain in the arse to work with. Does he still own that title?
I think he’s holding on to it. But he would probably say I hold the title of being the biggest pain in the arse as a director.
Have you mellowed over the years?
Yeah, but I’m old school. I’m hands-on with everything from the screenplays and the music to the haircuts and the shoelaces. I’ve learned to accept that it’s a team effort, but somebody finally has to say, “No, we do it this way.” If you’re not the leader of the pack, you should be doing something else.
You’ve worked with Russell Crowe in Gladiator, A Good Year, American Gangster, Body of Lies, and Robin Hood. Does that mean you get along with him the best?
I think that in a funny way we get along. I mean, we argue a lot. The best way of describing it is that he questions a lot, which is his prerogative, because he’s going to stick his head on that screen and expose himself. He’ll say, “Do you really want to do that?” and I’ll just say, “Yes.” We still do the big waltz, but every time we make a movie I give a little less explanation.
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