Dr. Uwe Boll is many things. A writer, producer, director, filmmaker, boxer, and Ph.D. He is also famous for his big screen video game adaptations. From House of the Dead to Postal, Boll has turned many famous and infamous games into equally notorious movies.
The good doctor gave us a few minutes of his time to talk about his early days in filmmaking, his move to big budget films, and the criticism he faced during his journey.
https://youtu.be/PNDwRE7rt98
During the interview, I mentioned that his rise in fame/notoriety also came when overly-cynical internet reviews and videos were hatching. For example, many years ago, we riffed House of the Dead over at Dread Central. I'll admit, it wasn't funny. But, at that time, Boll's movies were the butt of the joke. He was an easy target, and believe me, and people took advantage of it.
The reasoning may also be because they're safe things to tear apart. In my younger days, editors would tell me that certain films, directors, or studios were off-limits for scathing reviews. A friendly director with the site I was working for would have to be handled with care. Or if we often got event invites from a studio, we'd have to treat its worst movie as though it were only mediocre.
When you hear complaints about "access media," this is what we mean.
When you watch around ten direct-to-video indie films a month, you start to forgive the "sins" found in Uwe Boll's movies. After rewatching a few of them, it is clear there are technical issues, plot issues, and, as Uwe admitted, casting issues. However, the vitriol critics and YouTubers had for the filmmaker feels exaggerated.
What are your thoughts on Dr. Uwe Boll's films? Do you have any favorites? Let us know in the comments.
