You could say that I’m living the dream already as I work for Nerdlocker, talking day in and day out about some of my favorite nerd related topics. A couple weeks ago though that dream went to the next level. We got a press opportunity to interview the one, the only, RZA. I grew up with Wu Tang Clan, so that alone made me excited. But his talents have only shown brighter with each new project he takes on. His recent turn acting in Californication was fantastic. His many film compositions add an incredible layer of excitement that cannot be denied. And now, he’s moved into the directing chair with Man With The Iron Fists. I’m sure this will come off as a joke, but I would love to see RZA stand proud with an EGOT someday soon! Here’s our quick interview with a true artistic genius.
NL: You have The Man With The Iron Fists coming out this week. What was it like directing for the first time?
RZA: It was very fulfilling. It was my my first time on a major scale, but I’ve done some videos before, like Bobby Digital, don’t know if you’ve ever heard about that before, but when I did those things I didn’t know what I was doing. I was hungry, I had money, and I just kind of went for it. But after studying with Quentin (Tarantino) for a while, and really understanding how it works, I absorbed it, I got it and I couldn’t wait to get in the ring. And I wasn’t pushed in the ring ya know? I was like Drago (laughs) He never had a fight before, but when he got in there he was killing people. So that’s how I feel.
NL: In the trailer it mentions that the movie will feature new music from yourself as well as other big name artists. How important was music to the movie?
RZA: It’s important in the sense that it adds another layer of flavor. But if you watch this movie with no sound and just see the images it’s still cool. So I made sure that the movie stimulates you no matter what. If you close your eyes and hear it it’s going to stimulate you as well. I was doing things with the sound that they said “you can’t do that”. I’m watching it and saying “ok so when that blade goes around the room, I want the music to start in the far speaker and have it follow it around and then come back!” I want people to be like “oh shit! This side of the theater is getting more groove than my side” and then “oh wow! now we’re getting it!” So I haven’t heard it in 7.1 yet but I heard it in 5.1 and it sounded great.
NL: As you said this was your first time getting in the ring, you’re stepping in with some pretty big names. Was it intimidating at all?
RZA: It was nerve wrecking, but not intimidating. I was nervous. These great actors put there trust in me, but they also told me they trust me. And i accepted that trust, and I delivered on that trust. The only time Russell (Crowe) was intimidating was actually acting with him. That’s intimidating. Because he’s probably is one of the best actors alive. I mean if you look at history you can’t find more than 85 men holding the title of ‘Best Leading Male Actor in a Motion Picture’ and he’s one of those. He’s done it twice. So that was intimidating. But it rubbed off. He’s just magical. But the good thing about working with him as an actor, was that I did ‘Californication’ after this. And he was it on a plane, and he came to see me a few months ago in California. And he was like “I watched you in ‘Californication’ Bobby, I see you really picked up a few tricks off me” so I said “I fucking did man. Hanging next to you was like a nail on a magnet.”
NL: What can we expect to see from you next?
RZA: I’m still trying to figure it out, but I want to continue directing films. Still figuring out what I’m doing next though.
We definitely can’t wait to see what RZA tackles next! The Man With The Iron Fists opens nationwide tomorrow (11/2/12). We highly recommend you check it out! Here’s the trailer below. Also stop by the website for the film for even more information.
As if all that wasn’t enough, RZA was gracious enough to donate a copy of his movie poster, signed of course, to one lucky fan of Nerdlocker. Stay tuned for details on that giveaway.
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