From Rebecca Murray,
Your Guide to Hollywood Movies.
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Is there a statute of limitations on when you would ever say a movie you’ve been is isn’t as good as it could have been?
I could do it if it weren’t for the fact that I’m a competitive guy and I want the movie to open. I wouldn’t do them and I won’t finish them unless I know that they’re right. I have enough control over a movie, I can help go on back and edit it, we can re-shoot, we can do all that. What I can’t do is like [with] “Joe Somebody,” it was a great movie. It was a great script and it was shot well. But in the middle of it the studio got real squirrelly. They came in and they said, “We’re going to shoot two weeks extra.” It was terrible. And it was terrible what they did to it. It was a different movie in the middle of that movie. All the really weird comedy that didn’t [work]. The original movie’s all about fear. Companies fear the lawsuits and the lawsuits fear they won’t win the lawsuits and the people who win the lawsuits will fear they didn’t do the right thing. It’s all about one person, my daughter in that, did not have fear. And she turns out to be a hero. That’s what heroes are. They have an abundance of courage, which means they pushed through fear. And the studio just kept saying, “No, no.” And then they released it against it was either “Titanic” or “Lord of the Rings” or something like that. I’ve had movies released and I go, “Why would you put it out against ‘Titanic’?” “Oh, people are looking for alternatives.” I don’t think so (laughing).

Now I have input. I just say, “I’d like to know when you’re going to release it.” As movies are now, they slop them. That’s another big point of that. “When is this coming out?” You think about that. It’s part of the decision now. And then are you going to be involved after it? And now in my contract, because I can do that, and you can say yeah or nay to [script changes]. Once I sign on, that’s the script we do. You’re not allowed to monkey with me. Make your decision, then hire me and let’s go do it. You don’t want to start building a house and pretty much once you’ve got the foundation done, you want to add another part to the foundation. It really doesn’t work.

You’ve said what you won’t do is bad-mouth a film during it.
It would be like somebody literally in the middle of this… Whatever’s going on in Iraq, you’re already literally committed. Whatever kind of a cluster f**k got you in there and really… Every comic says, “At least you should keep the lie going.” These lunatics said, “Yeah, yeah, there wasn’t any weapons in there.” I would go, “I still think there are weapons in there.” At least keep the f**king lie going. But they elected not. But you don’t want to disconnect with these guys that are killing themselves for whatever, you want to commit to it now that you’re into it. But after the war’s over you can do it.

With “Home Improvement” coming out on DVD, what do you think about them putting TV shows on DVD and are you involved in that?
I think they’re real bright. I mean, “Friends” came out within a week after the show ended. This is like five seasons after “Home Improvement” and it’s the first time. And they’re just doing the first season. They’re doing one season a year. I think it’s brilliant.

Are you going back to do interviews or commentary?
No. That was all a done deal. I just liked how they did it. I’ve been asking them to put it on a DVD because I have the whole collection. I’m a pretty sick guy. I love that show and I didn’t have any problem with it. I’m like a monkey. I like watching myself on TV. My daughter watches all the episodes. She watches “Friends” and “Home Improvement” still. She kept saying she wanted the DVD collection. I thought it was really bright. Think how long ago it’s been since that show went off the air and they’re just now getting [it]. Disney’s not stupid. It’s cycled itself. It’s on Turner now. This is the fourth or fifth time it’s been sold.

How about the future of the “Toy Story” series? Would you come back if Disney did it without Pixar?
I think I’m totally reliant on whether they have a script, because I’m not really beholden to anybody on that. I think I would trust them to do it mechanically, they can recreate those characters. But if they can get the magic that Pixar had, then I don't think anybody’s going to complain about it.

I wouldn’t throw out a reunification of those companies. From where I sit, it’s a really good marriage that had the rocky period. I don‘t think there’s anybody that’s better suited for each other. All the people I still love at Disney love and admire the bright people of [Pixar]. There’s so much attraction and affection between those two companies.