SEE ALSO: The Animatrix BUY IT

[by Scott Thill]

Peter Chung is not your average sci-fi figure. First, he cuts a studied philosophical chunk out of whatever he happens to be interrogating at the time, be it the AI-human interculture in The Animatrix (via his seriously underrated short "Matriculated"), Alexander the Great's Reign, or his touchstone work, Aeon Flux, now a full-blown Hollywood effort. Second, as he shows in this interview (a portion of which appeared in the November issue of WIRED), he's honest about making the compromises an artist has to make to get his work out to the people. But finally, he's an animation loyalist, and interested in experiencing -- and making -- slipstream art that defies convention.

Morphizm: Your baby has finally made it to the big screen. What did that entail and what does that mean to you?
Peter Chung: Well, what it entailed in terms of my involvement was reading the script written by a couple of writers and offering notes. Talking to the director and so forth. Offering my input on how...well, I don't know. Honestly, the way Hollywood works, I think this is done as a courtesy more than anything else. For the most part, the suggestions and notes that I've made were pretty much not used. In some cases, they were paid attention to and used as a guide for a direction not to take. They ended up doing the opposite of what I suggested in my notes.

Morphizm: So how behind this film are you?
Peter Chung: Well, I'm just going to be very, very honest. Obviously, I'm thrilled that a major motion picture is being made out of Aeon Flux. So it's great that it is being revived, and that we're releasing the remastered original episodes on DVD. Better picture, better sound. There's a possibility that if the film is successful, we may do more projects using these characters. And all of that is very, very exciting. But the people inolved in doing it are different from those who were involved with the original series. Yet I think that the world is broad enough and audiences are numerous enough that both versions of the character can live in the same world and be recognized as being two different versions. From the very beginning, the live-action people were very clear and up-front about this not being the animated Flux. This is their reinterpretation for perhaps a broader audience. Ten years have passed. I don't know that trends in Hollywood have improved; if anything, I think in fact that they have gone the other way: There seems to be even less freedom to do unusual stuff now than there was back then. But this film is definitely for its era.

Morphizm: I read your article "State of Visual Narrative and Comics" and was struck by your opinion that moving comics to the big screen tends to generate an unhealthy reliance on high-concept storytelling. Is this something you were worried about with Aeon Flux?
Peter Chung: Well, it's a bit ironic, because Aeon Flux was originally intended to be a parody or mockery of the typical Hollywood heroic action movie. And, in a way, it has come full circle: Now there's a Hollywood heroic action movie based on something that was intended to mock it. I think that people who are familiar with the original material may get a kick out of that irony, but those who never watched it aren't going to care about it. They'll see it as a cool movie starring Charlize Theron doing strange stuff.

Morphizm: Let's talk about your style, as it is. It seems more open to ambiguity, sensuality, philosophy and the like than the work of other animators and artists. I'm interested in what galvanizes you to go off into these territories where others sometimes fear to tread.
Peter Chung: I wouldn't quite be that broad about that description of other work, because a big source of inspiration for me have been European comics. Not American comics, but artists like Mobius, Jodorowsky, Cadelo, and some Japanese comic artists have inspired me. They may not have directly influenced me so much in their sense of style, but their sensibility. But this stuff tends to be considered fairly non-mainstream, obscure and underground. I just enjoy graphic storytelling. I enjoy animation, and watching animation. I never understood, if I want to be an animator and make animated films, why I have to tell children's stories. If I were an author, I would want to write the kind of books that I would want to read. I wouldn't be writing children's books. Not that there is anything wrong with them. I just want to expand the possibilities of the medium. In a way, I guess that is what attracted me to animation. I found the field to be so barren, in terms of examples of work that takes full advantage of the medium to tell sophisticated stories visually.

Morphizm: Who are some of the animators or artists that inspired you to work in the field?
Peter Chung: There are a lot of independent animators who your readers might not know...

Morphizm: Well, it's time for them to learn.
Peter Chung: (Laughs) Well, a good friend of mine, although he wasn't the first time I ever saw is work, is Igor Kovalyov, an independent Russian animator. His films were very inspirational to me, especially in terms of his filmmaking, because he tells stories without dialogue, without words, and they are always psychologically complex and ambiguous. To me, the fact that you can't understand a film the first time you watch it is not a liability. To me, that's an advantage. That's what I look for when I see a film. I want to see a film that, after you've watched it, makes you want to see it again right away in order to understand it better. Whereas what I've found is that if you make a film which people don't understand the first time, they think it's boring. I never understood that, which goes back to what I wrote in that article: There is no reason to think of film as a passive medium. They can require you to use your imagination if you view them that way. There's nothing inherent about film that makes it a passive experience.

Morphizm: Which is weird, because most people I know return to films like Clockwork Orange or Blue Velvet or whatever precisely because they are impossible to explain after one sitting. That seems to be what engenders such a loyalty to the material.
Peter Chung: Exactly. When I see a film I donn't understand, I don't say, "Oh, I hated that. That was so boring." Tom me, that's a challenge, to unlock the film's meaning. If, that is, the storytelling, the technique and direction is of a quality that tells you the filmmaker is skillful, that there is something there. It has a lot to do with people's level of sophistication, knowing how to read. And you're not taught that today. A problem with a lot of critics and stuff that's written about film is that it tends to be biased towards the written word, because those who are writing about it are writers. They want films to have a meaning transmitted through dialogue. And of course, this isn't always the case.

Morphizm: Especially with the original Aeon Flux, which is why I think it has stood the test of time. It conveyed meaning visually to tell its story, rather than have a character or voiceover come right out and tell you what is going on.
Peter Chung: Well, you may have been one of the people who understoood that, but I still get people coming up to me saying, "I really like your drawings, but why didn't you write a story?" And they assumed this because there were no words.

Morphizm: Well, 'Matriculated' from The Animatrix was one of the most philosophical films I've ever seen, but no one really said a word.
Peter Chung: A lot of people didn't understand that the robot was the main character, and that I didn't think the robot would speak English. (Laughs). As a way of trying to get you to identify with the robot, I really wanted the viewer to receive information through it. The virtual reality sequence in that film is the film. And there were a lot of people who really hated that film, especially Matrix fans.

Morphizm: I just don't get that.
Peter Chung: But the idea of making a film about virtual reality is that you don't make a film about virtual reality. Film itself is virtual reality. It didn't make sense for me to describe a virtual reality experience; the idea was to experience virtual reality by watching the film itself. I think that's where viewers got lost.

Morphizm: What, technically speaking, is your role in the Aeon Flux film?
Peter Chung: I'm not really involved in it. The way it works is, if you create a show for a network like MTV or Disney or whatever, you basically sign away the rights from the get-go. You do not control the property, and that goes across the board. I was talking to James Cameron when Terminator 3 was coming out, and I asked him if they came to him and asked him about it. And he said, "Oh hell no." James fucking Cameron! They didn't ask him what he thought of it, so no one is going to come to me and ask me about Aeon Flux. They were going to make the movie with or without me -- preferably without me. (Laughs). Which they did! But I've been lobbying the whole time to make it as an animated feature, because I thought that is what the fans would have wanted. But it's fine. The fact that the character is being revived opens up that possibility. The attention, promotion and so forth -- because it's a big Hollywood movie from a major studio starring a major actress -- means it will get a lot of press and visibility. And to me, I can't really put a value on that. That's pretty amazing. So I'm in it for the long term: I don't see this as the movie being the definitive, final word. I'm pushing to do more with the character, and the chances of reviving Aeon Flux in some form are looking better and better.

Morphizm: Right. The oppportunity seems to have created other opportunities; now there is a video game and graphic novel coming out around the same time the film does.
Peter Chung: Yeah, there's a totally new graphic novel coming out from Dark Horse. And we remastered the original episodes and added a bunch of extras for the upcoming release on DVD. In some of the episodes, we reedited and rerecorded them in such a way that better reflects the way they were supposed to be made.

Morphizm: So, in that sense, the live-action film has allowed you to revisit the material and get it back out to the public in the way you originally intended it. Correct?
Peter Chung: Yeah, and I am talking to them. They have been very interested in pursuing another animated version. I've been working on the story for it, so it looks like at some point that will happen. I'm just not sure the form it's going to take.

Morphizm: Do you feel that Charlize's work with Monster and Karyn's work with Girlfight will flesh out, pun intended, what you were trying to get at in terms of Aeon Flux's feminist ass-kicking? It seems, at least on paper, to have that possibility.
Peter Chung: When someone is assigned the job of directing the film, they are the director of that film. I understand the need to be able to put your own stamp on it. I don't begrudge Karyn for taking the character in a direction that interests her as an artist. There were some episodes from the original series that I didn't write or direct, and I look at them and know that would have done them differently. But you have to give that latitude to the artists who are interpreting your work, because directing is a hard job. No one is going to be able to say whether or not Karyn was the correct choice or not until they've seen the film. If the studio said from the outset that their intention was to reproduce the work as faithfully as possible -- say, the way Robert Rodriuez reproduced Sin City, which was his agenda from the beginning -- then I think as long as it's done well, whether it's exactly the same or not, there's no issue. You have to see if the work holds up well on its own terms.

Morphizm: Do you have confidence that Charlize and Karyn will keep, for lack of a better term, the sensual spirit of Aeon Flux's self-awareness and sexuality alive in a non-exploitative way? I read a post on a fan site that said part of the aduience at a recent comic-con lost their virginity just watching the trailer.
Peter Chung: (Laughs) Well, not to be flippant, but yeah, that's kinda what I was going for. In the sense that different people are going to watch if for different reasons. I just wanted to create a character that covered a lot of bases. The fact that she's sexy and fun to look at was geared toward that segment of the audience I wanted to capture. In a way, that is an integral part of the animated character, but at the same time I was deliverately thinking o designing the character and animation in such a way that you couldn't get away with in a live-action film. That's a given with my animated projects. How am I going to take advantage of the medium?

[next page: I would say that right now a lot of Japanese animation has become incestuous and inbred. It's become so much like animation of animation. Know what I'm saying?]

Caught With a Woody!
Bob Woodward once was the paragon of journalism. But that all changed once this fake transcript came to light: MORE

Victory?
The Bush administration likes to use that word a lot, but still doesn't seem to have a concrete idea for what it means: MORE

Going For Broke
Ang Lee is a master chameleon of cinema, and Brokeback Mountain might just be the narrative that outcast America needs: MORE

Safe and Warm
George Clooney is on a geopolitical roll. And Syriana is one of the underappreciated films of the year: MORE

Only One
"All of which serves as a humorous reminder of the Order of Things. Some appetites carry a heavy price:" MORE

Analyzing Crow
Devendra Banhart is the new millennium's childlike folk prophet. And he's not afraid to look war in the eye and wonder why: MORE

No Exit, No Return
Just because Sam Fuller's Street of No Return came out as the '90s broke doesn't mean it lacks punch. Quite the opposite: MORE

Democracy's Dark Side
California is a place where actors turn virtual wars into real ones. It's also a place where they die failures: MORE

Twisting Things Up
The Heavenly States have proven that just because the personal is political doesn't mean it sucks. Our interview explains: MORE

Craft Work
Blackalicious doesn't talk the talk of today's hip-hop herd, and it's gotten serious cred for it. Will The Craft get the exposure it deserves? MORE

Finding Counterculture
The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Peter Hayes doesn't care if you call him a fucking beatnik. He'll still Howl at you just the same: MORE

Hating Suburbia
Don't hate on Jim Kunstler just because peak oil has passed. Hate the American suburban economy, which is about to keel over: MORE

High on Grass
With a new joint called Road to Rouen, Supergrass has fused poignant '70s rock with its more paranoid War on Terror simulacrum: MORE

Way of the Samourai
Although he revered American film noir, Jean-Pierre Melville's French take on the brutish narrative helped shaped Hong Kong action cinema: MORE

Cyborg Under Fire
Looks like Dick "Darth Vader" Cheney might have to put off those plans for a presidential run in 2008. He might be in the slammer by then: MORE

Fly Right
Murrow was a saint before the news turned into a parrot machine. Time spent in George Clooney's arms hasn't changed that: MORE

Dead Eye Genealogy
Rumor has it that Abraham Lincoln was the first photographic president. The cult of the face began here, in these Illinois barebones: MORE

The Violent Truth
David Cronenberg spent a career tearing bodies apart and putting them back together. Now History of Violence is doing the same with the mind: MORE

Gain and Loss
The post-rock of Continental was already heavily emotional. But when the band lost a close friend, the game changed for good: MORE

Knight Before Congress
Someone is always keeping an eye out for President Bush. Now he wants to put another one of them on the Supreme Court. God help us: MORE

Howl Out Loud
S.F.'s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club may be channeling Allen Ginsberg, but at least they've stopped pretending to be The Jesus and Mary Chain: MORE

The Environment is Doomed
Heard of Sam Bodman? You should have. Not only is he America's Energy Secretary, but he's also a polluter par excellence. Only in America! MORE

Don't Walk This Way
Josh Joplin might be good for the adult alternative crowd. But that crowd isn't good for you: MORE

Man-Made Catastrophe
Global warming might have kickstarted Katrina, but the Bush administration's policies on everything from oil to infrastructure sealed the deal: MORE

Give Her Some Dap
Sharon Jones is that rare soul siren: One that refuses to abandon funk and soul for pointless studio gloss: MORE

Gorillaz Run Amok
The cast may have changed, but the characters in Gorillaz have created the collective's best effort yet: MORE

Magic Man
Van Morrison may still be going, but how strong? The answers lie in his 40-year retrospective Magic Man: MORE

Sri Lanka Represent!
M.I.A. has survived her native country's turmoil to bring you Arular, dance music that actually makes you think: MORE

Not-So-Intelligent Design
Terminology is becoming today's lethal toxin. Privatization has become personalization, polluted air has become a clear sky: MORE

Survive This
During jingoism's peak, war films like Gunner Palace rained on the parade. But by the time of its DVD release, hating the war was finally cool: MORE

Spinach to Kryptonite
Cindy Sheehan has come to wake the President from his endless naps. And you can expect the cow chips to hit the fans: MORE

Something New
John Singleton has been a busy man. But while Four Brothers gets all the love, Hustle and Flow is the film you should be watching: MORE

Aristide in Exile
Haiti's democratically elected leader is still barred from his own country, and Naomi Klein wants to know why. Too bad America doesn't: MORE

Getting an Edge
Zach Smith's Pinback has released the year's most addictive album. But he still harbors the healthy anger that indie rock credibility erases: MORE

LOAD/STREAM



THE MARS VOLTA
From: Scab Dates
STREAM THE ENTIRE ALBUM HERE:
REAL WMA
LISTEN:
"And Ghosted Pouts (Live)"
WMA REAL
LISTEN:
"Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (Live)"
WMA REAL

SLEATER-KINNEY
WATCH:
"Jumpers"
LISTEN:
"Jumpers"
From: The Woods
See Also:
One Beat

NIRVANA
From: Sliver
LISTEN:
"Blandest (Demo)"
WMA REAL
LISTEN:
Sappy
WMA REAL
LISTEN:
"Do Re Mi (Solo Acoustic)"
WMA REAL

KINKSI:
LISTEN:
"Wives of Artie Shaw"
WATCH: QT
LISTEN:
"Hiding Drugs in the Temples Part. 2"
From: Alpine Static

THE CONSTANTINES
LISTEN:
"Love in Fear"
From: Tournament of Hearts

FRUIT BATS
LISTEN:
"Silent Life"
LISTEN:
"Lives of Crime"
WATCH: QT
From: Spelled in Bones

NEW ORDER
From: Item
WATCH:
"Bizarre Love Triangle"
QT WMA REAL
WATCH:
"True Faith"
QT WMA REAL
WATCH:
"Fine Time"
QT WMA REAL

THE BAND
From: A Musical History
Listen: "The Weight"
WMA

WOLF PARADE
From: Apologies to the Queen Mary
LISTEN: "Shine a Light"
MP3

ELVIS COSTELLO
From: The Right Spectacle
WATCH:
"Radio Radio"
QT WMA REAL
WATCH:
"High Fidelity"
QT WMA REAL
WATCH:
"Veronica"
QT WMA REAL

ANTHRAX
"I Am the Law"
From: Alive 2
See Also:
Public Enemy
QT WMA

THE LIKE
"What I Say and What I Mean"
From: Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking
MP3 WMA REAL

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE:
"Soul Meets Body"
From: Plans
AUDIO: WMA REAL
See Also: Transatlanticism

JAMES BLUNT:
"You're Beautiful"
From: Back to Bedlam
VIDEO: QT WM

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB:
"Ain't No Easy Way"
From: Howl
AUDIO: MP3 REAL QT WM
See Also:
Black Rebel Motorycle Club

NEIL YOUNG
From: Prairie Wind
WATCH:
"It's a Dream"
QT WMA
WATCH:
"This Old Guitar"
QT WMA