New York magazine talked to “The Road” director John Hillcoat briefly about his adaptation of the harrowing novel by Cormac McCarthy starring man of the fall season, Viggo Mortensen. The world of that book is a treacherous, post-apocalyptic one, befallen from an unnamed disaster, but Hillcoat (who directed the similarly bleak 2005 film, “The Proposition”) bristles as the word “post-apocalyptic” as it connotes all kinds of one-dimensional cheesiness and he wanted to make a substantive film… more than just thrill ride for rotund, human popcorn vacuums in seats.
“It lends itself to so many clichés,” Hillcoat said of the word, trying to steer clear of those stock disaster film tactics. “We wanted something more resonant than, you know… the Statue of Liberty cut in half,” he said. Gee, remind you of any recent film? J.J. Abrams you’ve just been slyly put on blast.
