Hollywood & Vine
Hosted by Sharon Waxman
Post Style correspondent
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2000; 2 p.m. EST
Holiday Special! The Grinch
Washington Post Style correspondent Sharon Waxman brings Hollywood & Vine Live Online for a discussion on the inner workings of the movie industry. There is a whole political universe behind how the movies happen, the tug and pull of egos, financial imperatives, a pecking order of privileges as well as genuine creative impulses.
Today, Sharon's special guest is Michael Corenblith, production designer for "Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas." The Grinch marks Corenblith's fourth collaboration with director Ron Howard -- he designed "Ransom," "EdTV" and "Apollo 13," for which he received both Academy Award and British Academy Award (BAFTA) nominations. For "The Grinch," Corenblith brought to life every aspect of Whoville -- from the hairstyles of its citizens to the homes they lived in and the cars they drove.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Corenblith studied design at UCLA and was a lighting designer for television, winning a 1983 Emmy Award for his work on the Academy Awards show. He has also worked as a set designer or art director on "Cat People" and "Die Hard 2: Die Harder."
Talk to Corenblith about his work on "The Grinch" and with Ron Howard, and to Sharon about the movies -- particularly the biz this holiday weekend, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. EST.
The transcript follows...Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Sharon Waxman: Sharon here - surprise! We have here with us in "the studio" (you know, like, the office in the back of my house) the much sought-after Michael Corenblith, who for my money is by far the most interesting person to talk to on "How the Grinch that Stole Christmas." The movie made only about $55 million this weekend, so they're pretty happy over at Universal and I presume Michael will be seeking a raise.
But that's next week. This morning, we have nabbed him fresh from a plane (well, at least several hours from a deplaning); he's back from London where he visited the queen. Seriously. And he's back from a film festival in Turin where the Italians talked his ear off, and made him talk his other ear off, so thrilled were they with "Grinch."
There's only about a million questions lined up already, and I have at least two million. I'll do the typing, folks, so we can squeeze a maximum of info out of this poor guy before he collapses of jet lag.
Ok, here's Michael:
Outside Whoville: From up at the very tip-top of Mount Crumpet,
We welcome your guest, his appearance we trumpet!
Now on to more questions, but lest I forget,
Sharon, my dear, please be my Grinchette!
Sharon Waxman: Of course I'll be your Grinchette. Do I need to have a nose job?
Sharon Waxman: A question from me: Michael, you've worked on numerous films for Ron Howard, but nothing, it seems, that comes close to the enormous challenge of conceiving a world for the Whos and the Grinch. How did you get this assignment?
Michael Corenblith: What Ron and I discussed beforehand - having done his last three movies - I posed this analogy to him, that not every actor is right for every part. And I'd done very little to demonstrate a touch for this type of work, but Ron also felt that even though I wasn't an obvious choice, our relationship merited an audition.
This gave me an opportunity to clarify my thinking for delivering a pitch. I decided the best thing to do is understand your own strengths, not try to be anything different than who you are: my predisposition is that of an architect. What I proposed, which I think no one else had, was seeking the architecture that had inspired Seuss. To try to intuit what had inspired his beautiful drawings.
Sharon Waxman: What was that?
Michael Corenblith: A variety of things. My favorite books were his early ones; the Barthlomew Cubbins books were an inspiration to me when I was a kid, because they dealt with castles and Medieval architecture. So what I showed Ron were Seuss illustrations accompanied by photographs of architecture that mirrored those ideas - such as, Islamic and Moroccan architecture. And where I think I broke through was Ron had never seen the work of the Spanish architect Antoin Gaudi. My notion was to celebrate Suess's entire body of work to try to react to his spirit. Rather than to copy his illustrations.
Herndon, VA: Ms. H&V (you can't be the Grinch!) Let's face it, the only great (recent) Christmas movie is "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Anything else is a distant 2nd!
Sharon Waxman: Have you seen "The Grinch" before you compare it to Tim Burton?
Michael Corenblith: Testimony to how difficult this is. We knew going in that trying to make a live action version of so beloved a book and Chuck Jones cartoon brought us to the plate with two strikes against us.
Sharon Waxman: Did you talk about that much?
Michael Corenblith: There was nothing to say. Our pal Harry Knowles came to the set -- and I'm from Austin - was not shy about making us aware of the emotion surrounding this project, and the trepidation that the on-line public had about Ron being the right choice. This is a story about The Whos and the redemption of The Grinch, it's not only about the dark side.
Sharon Waxman: So did you come in before a finished script was done?
Michael Corenblith: God yes. There was only an early treatment in December 1998, and the idea of Ron's that the book would constitute the third act in a three-act structure.
Ron as a storyteller was as interested in why the Grinch stole Christmas, because we already knew how.
Laurie: Michael, Following the success of "The Grinch," have you been asked to consult on the Broadway production, Seussical? I understand they could use it.
What was your favorite part of the production to create? We can't wait to see it.
Sharon, what have you heard about the upcoming Tom Hanks movie? Has it started screening.
Happy Thanksgiving. Be thankful that you are where it is considerably warmer. Brrrrr.
Michael Corenblith: I find the designer of Suessical to be very talented in his own right, Eugene Lee, and the interesting thing for me is seeing the variety of possibilities for interpreting two dimensional illustrations into the needs of the theater, or the needs of a movie.
Sharon Waxman: Very diplomatic. Next.
Michael Corenblith: I enjoyed the cave, because Seuss had given no idea, there were no illustrations that led to expectations from the book. My inspiration was from "Citizen Kane," of Kane alone in a giant world that he had created - I showed Ron a picture of that, because it had the right feeling for the alienation and loneliness of the Grinch, in contrast to the polychromatic of these overly cheerful Whos. I talked to Ron about the notion of the Grinch's life, world feeling more like a black and white movie.
Sharon Waxman: It seemed to me there were elements reminiscent of, say, "Batman". No?
Michael Corenblith: My inspiration was a collision between a Gothic cathedral and Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim, stood on its head.
Sharon Waxman: On Tom Hanks - I've heard nothing and that's not a good sign. That said, I decided this am to get on the case - will let you know next week. If they don't get me into the screening that's a very bad sign.
And PS its warm and sunny here. Sorry.
Arlington: I just wanted to say I loved the film. I found it to be very close to the original cartoon. I don't know how often you read the reviews from critics but I think on this film, they were either watching as old farts with no sense of fun or a totally different movie.
Amazing set design that allowed one to feel as if they were inside a living cartoon.
Michael Corenblith: For me the fact that they were 'living' was very important. I wanted to feel a fantasy, but comfortable and familiar at the same time.
Suess had designed a film version of one of his works - the 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T - probably around 1958, very expressionistic and illustrated-looking. And Seuss considered it a failure. This led me to believe that a more dimensional approach would help support the story and the emotion.
Sharon Waxman: Did you consciously steer away from the cartoon version, which we all know so well?
Michael Corenblith: I made a point of not watching it while designing to avoid having my subconscious tweaked or refreshed. Creating an original interpretation and the creation of NEW elements were my goal.
Sharon Waxman: Question from me: how did you interact with the make-up artists who were also so key in the success of creating "The Grinch"? Did you have a hand in conceiving the look of the Whos or Carrey as Grinch?
Michael Corenblith: I met Rick Baker when we did "Mighty Joe Young" together. (Baker, the genius make-up artist of our generation. Only 5 Academy Awards.) Every aspect of this movie was a great leap into the unknown, and my interaction with Rick was comparable to two jazz musicians improvising from the same score. We traded licks. The work of each illuminated the work of the other, it was an evolution.
As we began to understand the characteristics of the other, the more we saw of each other's work, the clearer the vision for everyone. This includes Rita Ryak, the costumer, Meredith Boswell, the set decorator and Emily Ferry, the prop master. All added ingredients to the recipe.
Arlington 2.0: Just wanted to say that the look of Apollo 13 was dead on. I was not alive to see it live on TV, but my father swears that you and Ron did a fantastic job. And my father is always right.
Thought I'd share.
Michael Corenblith: I was alive, and in Texas, so I had an unfair advantage.
Astronauts and mission controllers who came through the set of the Lovell house asked when I'd snuck into their house. I knew what these places looked like firsthand. And thanks to Look magazine, there was impeccable documentation, and we knew that the wallpaper in his kitchen when he flew Gemini was different than when he flew Apollo.
Sharon Waxman: And you bothered?
Michael Corenblith: Oh God, yes. In the same way that every switch in the spacecraft was perfectly accurate, we extended this fidelity to every corner of the screen.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Sharon,
Do you think that "The Grinch" is too dark and scary for the young kids it's being marketed to? From what I've seen, a lot of the charm of the cartoon has been replaced with a more gruesome feel.
Sharon Waxman: I'm gonna sneak in here and ask what Ron Howard's reaction was when you went from showing him the Gaudi photos to drawings of your conception of Whoville etc. Was he like a kid, which is how at least I think of him?
Michael Corenblith: The first specific work of Whoville that Ron saw was a model showing the entire town that had been sculpted out of clay by myself and my department. His delight was probably overwhelmed by his relief. He could tell that it was going to work.
As to the reader's question. I don't think there's anything gruesome about the feel of the film. The national magazines find it appropriate for kids older than five.
Sharon Waxman: The film is rated PG, which means it's not really quite meant for all audiences; I think it may flip out very little kids, but there are also some little kids for whom it would be fine. Seemed to me that Ron Howard made a concerted effort not to scare little kids, even to the point of going overboard: I thought having Cindy Lou Who giggling as she slid down a massive chute from the Grinch's lair into Whoville defied credibility. No little kid would really giggle at that, I don't think (nor would I, actually). But I took it as part of a deliberately "cheerful" tone to the film.
Michael Corenblith: We also wanted to make it feel like the only danger that she was subjected to was accidental, and the Grinch saved her both times.
Arl, Va: Greetings,
I submitted a rather unfavorable comment about "Grinch." I do not take back that comment, but I have a good one re: Apollo 13.
That was one of the few movies that made me feel proud to be an American. You absolutely brought that period of time alive- just a stunning movie.
Thank you.
Michael Corenblith: You're very welcome. I watched it recently and still crossed my fingers, hoping they got back okay.
Arlington, Va: Forgive me, but how can one improve upon the Boris Karloff/cartoon version of Grinch? Or for that matter the fantastic Dr. Seuss version? I am not a fuddy-duddy, but I hate to see "classics" defaced this way. And I hate to think of generations of kidlets growing up without the originals. I really don't mean any disrespect- this is just my very humble opinion. . .
Michael Corenblith: We have no intention or desire to replace anything. I don't intend to stop reading the book to my child or watching the Chuck Jones cartoon with her. This represents only another choice, for a different time, and a different set of expectations on an audience's part.
Sharon Waxman: How was Jim Carrey?
Michael Corenblith: Comedy is very serious business. We all looked at this material very reverentially. Jim, as you know, is somewhat Method-y, and we hardly ever saw him out of make-up. Jim remained incredibly focused on the precision of his movement and vocalizations
Sharon Waxman: (they confused me...)
Michael Corenblith: They confused everybody, so there wasn't as much joking around as might be expected.
Falls Church, Va: Michael,
Perhaps you can clarify something for me. What exactly is a production designer responsible for? It sounds like you have authority over sets, props, make-up, costumes? Is that so- sounds very cool. I'm always impressed when movie folk manage to capture the look and feel of a particular feeling in time. And the attention to detail is marvelous. It seems that good production design often goes unnoticed, but if someone slips up it's quite apparent. I recently watched "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and was surprised that while much of the film had a 30's look, the suits looked very 80's. It definitely caught my eye.
Michael Corenblith: Because I'm the first visual person hired, I sometimes help create the tone for the overall look of the picture, and try to convince the other talented collaborators that these are directions we should all pursue. Cinematographer, costume designer and make-up are all their own little Greek city-states and harmony rather than conflict is everyone's intention. And ultimately we were all serving the vision of the director.
Laurel: Were you at all concerned with political-correctness problems in having the ugly and good-looking characters also be the bad guys and good guys, respectively.
Michael Corenblith: We thought everybody was good-looking.
Sharon Waxman: Um, the Grinch?
Michael Corenblith: In a fantasy a certain amount of shorthand is necessary for brevity's sake. To defy the expectations requires greater exposition for clarity's sake. You can't have an ugly Snow White or a beautiful Cruella.
Sharon Waxman: Right. And I think that good-looking people ARE just better, all around. Don't you?
HBO Girl: Hi Sharon and Michael --
Michael, we've all heard about the horrors Jim Carrey went through with the Grinch make-up on the set of this latest movie and how he had to learn pain detachment, and all that. I read somewhere that Ron got tired of Jim giving him a hard time ALL the time about the make-up and decided to spend one day directing in full Grinch uniform just to appease him, and get him off his case! Is this true, and if so, did you and/or the rest of the crew follow in Ron, and Jim's, lead with the make-up bit? Thanks!
Michael Corenblith: Ron did direct one day in full Grinch make-up. He came in at 4 am but didn't tell anyone. Jim was very rude, thinking that Ron was yet another stunt or body double - he was dismissive, until he realized that it was Ron. But Ron's decision to do this was not based on appeasement, but more on trying to understand in order to be more empathic. Rick Baker would frequently have himself made up as a Who and appear in crowd scenes without telling anyone.
Sharon Waxman: Did you do this?
Michael Corenblith: No.
Arlington 2.0: wow. every switch? Now that is cool. I wish more historical films went as out of the way to make them accurate. Thank you.
Michael Corenblith: At the end of the filming of the movie, Jim Lovell announced that Tom Hanks and I were probably qualified to fly a mission together. I personally experienced 500 weightless parabolas in the vomit comet (translation: NASA's method of training astronauts - aircraft size of 747 which flies giant parabola arcs to simulate weightlessness).
Alex VA: How do you get paid for a job like this, where there is probably more discussion and actual "work" than on other movies? Is it by the hour, or a flat fee, or negotiated as you go along? I'm sure this particular job was worth it artistically, but from the hours that must have been involved is it worth it financially?
Sharon Waxman: He gets $10.50 per hour, overtime included. That about right, Michael?
Michael Corenblith: I don't count it. I weigh it.
(Yes: payment in Who noses...)
Alexandria, VA: A bit off the topic, but could you talk more about Seuss's view of "5000 fingers of Dr. T"?
I saw that (as an adult), and it was so weird it creeped me out...What do you think of it?
Michael Corenblith: It was a wonderful example of an approach that required no further exploration. It was an original story Suess wrote and designed, about a deranged piano teacher. Very Dali-esque, Suess's idea of trying to bring the idea of illustrated and cinematic space.
EraserheadGuy, D.C.: Sharon, in your article on Monday, I think you and your sources left out a key reason for why "art-house" movie receipts are falling: We are turning into a nation of boobs, content to consume slack-jawed the drivel that Hollywood -- and the entertainment industry at large -- dishes out. The state of moviegoing is just one symptom of the ongoing boobification of America. Another harbinger is the fact that a large enough portion of the booboisie saw fit to apparently elect George W. Boob to our nation's highest office. I realize, Sharon, that you couldn't get into this stuff in your article lest the nattering naboobs excoriate you as another elitist, misanthropic journalist. But I labor under no such restrictions.
Sharon Waxman: Well, what can I say but Amen, brother? Boobery rules.
Michael Corenblith: Not to be too snarky, but there are more McDonalds on the planet, than decent restaurants. It's not only in our movies. It's a rare case in any popular culture that a work of high quality receives popular acclaim. God bless JK Rowling.
Sharon Waxman: I'm gonna beg to differ here. I think we have the right to expect better quality films than we generally get from Hollywood. And certainly we could spare a few screens for arthouse films, without restricting anybody's ability to see Charlie's Angel's for the third time.
Michael Corenblith: Hollywood is no less driven by focus groups and polling than the presidential election or the creation of a new fast food item.
SF, CA: Sharon-
I saw "The Yards" two weekends ago & LOVED it. It was so good I didn't know how to describe it. Maybe just compared to the dreck I've dragged myself to lately-"The 6th Day", "Almost Famous" it seemed good.
Anyway, to tie this into your article-why do you think this one tanked? What's in the future for Marky Mark?
I thought Ellen Burnstyn was great, and if The Exorcist merited an O-nod, so should this.
Sharon Waxman: Haven't seen The Yards, but your opinion is similar to those of others who recommended it. I agree, context is everything; there's almost nothing worth seeing out there. Miramax thinks it tanked because the ending was "unsatisfying," but again, I haven't seen it, so I'm just passing along gossip.
I agree Ellen Burstyn was astonishing, though one film critic in the LA Times wrote a screed about how she was just chewing the scenery (Call Jim Carrey!). I thought she was incredibly courageous, myself, but what do I know.
As for Oscars, I'm at a total loss this year.
Michael Corenblith: The Oscars remain an enigma wrapped in a mystery, or whatever that was.
Chevy Chase, DC: When I was in LA earlier this year there was a limited showing (in an art house theater) of the epic "Sorrow and the Pity" -- France during the German WWII occupation. This was apparently the first public showing of this film in many years. Any chance it will be shown in DC?
Sharon Waxman: No idea, but that's an awesome, seminal Holocaust film.
Sharon Waxman: We stayed 15 minutes over because you guys ask such smart, scintillating questions. We love that. Michael, thank you so much for joining us - and at the last minute, too -- best of luck with "Grinch".
Michael Corenblith: I'll be back next week asking questions.
Sharon Waxman: Very cool. What's your sign-on, so we can recognize you? Michael-Whowho?
Michael Corenblith: It's MacTheNaif.
Sharon Waxman: Love that. See y'all next week.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMSxedKrrWikmauysLrLoqWeZ2BlfLit16aYp2enlsWurc1qaGtpXp3Brg%3D%3D