John Woo Gives His Take On Superhero Films: “I Prefer Martin Scorsese’s Movies”

Armando Tinoco
·2 min read
4

John Woo is giving his take on superhero movies and making it clear he’s not in favor of the films coming out of Marvel and DC Studios.

In a new interview, Woo was asked to weigh on about recent movies he’s liked and is asked for his thoughts on comic book-based films.

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“I’ve never liked watching movies with big special effects, or anything based on comic books. I prefer Martin Scorsese’s movies, that kind of cinema. I can’t wait to watch Killers of the Flower Moon,” Woo told The New Yorker. “I like old-fashioned movies, you know? Real cinema. There aren’t many movies like that lately.”

Of the recent action movies that Woo has liked he mentioned David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water citing “Good performances, good action. It feels like a tragedy.” Woo also noted that he loved the cinematography in the film so much that he tried to get Director of Photography Giles Nuttgens to work on Silent Nights “but he wasn’t available.”

Woo’s opinion on superhero movies echoes those of Scorsese who has been critical of the films and the impact they’ve had with moviegoers.

“The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture,” Scorsese told GQ in a profile earlier this year. “Because there are going to be generations now that think movies are only those — that’s what movies are.”

Scorsese says that it’s up to filmmakers now to “fight back stronger” and “hit ’em from all sides” to show moviegoers other sides of cinema.

“Hit ’em from all sides, and don’t give up,” he added. “Let’s see what you got. Go out there and do it. Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s true, because we’ve got to save cinema.”

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