George Harrison Said He Hated Films Like ‘Rambo’: ‘I Hate All the Violence’
George Harrison wasn’t the biggest fan of films that had a lot of violence, like, for instance, Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo movies. He liked thought-provoking films or comedies. That’s why he was friends with the guys in Monty Python, not the likes of Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Bruce Willis.
George Harrison didn’t like violent films like ‘Rambo’
In the late 1970s, George entered the film business by accident. His friends in Monty Python needed financial backing for their newest film, Life of Brian. So, he and his business manager, Denis O’Brien, agreed to start HandMade Films.
The production company lived on passed Monty Python’s comedy as scripts kept coming in, and George found it hard to say stop. Soon, HandMade Films was making all types of films. However, George would’ve been happier to keep making comedies. He didn’t like action films.
Film Comment asked George if he liked HandMade Films’ direction.
“There are certain things I don’t like that always crop up into films,” George responded. “I hate all the violence. I don’t mind a few explosions for a laugh, or when it’s ‘integral to the story.’ But the whole Rambo situation, with films where people just want to see others getting their heads blown off, I hate that. What we’ve released isn’t necessarily a reflection of the films I’ve liked best, of course.”
George knew Americans wanted films like Rambo. However, he was pleased when thought-provoking English comedies did well in the States.
George said it was hard making films for Americans because they wanted action
For the most part, HandMade Films made British films, which didn’t take off in America. George said it was hard making films for Americans because they wanted action.
“To really make it, you have to have some success in America—in film and in records. You can sell all you like in England and France and Switzerland. But you need a big response in the American market to pay the bills, to pay back the money and make the thing work,” George explained.
Eventually, two films did make it in America, which surprised George.
“The turning point for our company came in the last year or two, when some of the films we made strictly as slow-budget projects got accepted in America. Mona Lisa was one. Withnail and I was another—which came as something of a shock.
“I really enjoy the film personally, but thought there wasn’t a snowball’s chance of the American people getting this kind of humor. The jokes seem very English to me. I’m glad to say I was wrong about that.
“We’ve always been told that Americans want things to happen crash! bang! wallop! and want a film to be paced quickly. You get so terrified when there’s actually dialogue going on and people have to use their brains and listen.
“We’ve tried to give people credit for wanting to see a film with some kind of plot, dialogue, depth, and were pleasantly surprised that there are Americans who don’t mind working a bit—particularly given all the competition these days.”
However, the American film business was ruthless. George wanted to stay in the British comedy business.
The former Beatle’s favorite film was a Mel Brooks classic
If George sat down to watch a film, odds are he always chose a comedy. His favorite film was Mel Brooks’ The Producers, which helped him enter the film business. George told Musician Magazine that Peter Sellers convinced him to go into film because he made George watch Brooks’ film.
“He was a considerable influence on my getting into the film world,” George said. “Peter used to come to my Henley house with all these 16-millimeter films and we’d sit ’round and have dinner and watch. His favorite picture–which has been mine ever since Peter showed it to me–was Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers.‘
“He kept saying, ‘You’ve got to see this movie!’ Eventually we put it on, and I’ve never taken it off.”
George never made a film like Rambo with HandMade Films. He was into more peaceful, meaningful, and creative stories.
