'Sin City' stars defend screen violence at premiere

While both Mickey Rourke and Jessica Alba tell Time Out what they are up to next.

May 24 2005

At the premiere of 'Sin City' in London last night, members of the cast and crew defended the film's extreme violence.

Speaking to Time Out, star Michael Madsen said: 'I think everyone's going to criticise everything, but I'm in the entertainment business and the film is only a reflection of what everyone wants to see.'

Madsen, who admits he took the role because it meant he got to shoot Bruce Willis, added: 'I think that violence is not something I advocate, but it seems to be something that people want to watch. I think that that’s just entertainment.'

Speaking of the controversy, director Richard Rodriguez said: 'I guess what helped it is that it was so black and white, so abstract, so representative… It's easier to watch [than] I think if it was realistically rendered.'

Meanwhile co-star Clive Owen believes it to be a different kind of screen violence than audiences have previously been exposed to: 'Sin City' has such a diverse look. Richard Rodriguez created a great vibe. It's wonderful violence, theatrical violence.'

The criticism surrounding the film hasn't stopped Rodriguez and his team starting work on a sequel however. 'It starts in January but I can't say who's in the running yet,' the director explained.

'You know, some people jumped in my mind – and in Frank's [writer and co-director Frank Miller] – right away, but we thought: "Let's go through the process again – we don't want to just call someone up and then it all be over – let's see new actors and give everybody a chance". But it's basically everyone who wasn't in this one.'

Mickey Rourke, who also appears in the film, spoke of his gratitude at being in the limelight after so long: 'I'm so fucking glad to be back on a red carpet – after about 14 years on the bench it's not funny – I've got big pieces of wood stickin' out of my ass I've been waiting so long.'

Rourke also revealed that he's currently in negotiations with John 'Shakespeare in Love' Madden to appear in an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 'Killshot', for Miramax.

And continuing with the casting news, Jessica Alba also let slip that one of her planned films 'Sonic' (which is not, unfortunately, about a small blue hedgehog, but rather concerns a young woman who dies before being revived by her boyfriend) has taken a back seat for the moment.

'Sonic' is still in development and I have a script but it needs to be rewritten,' she revealed, although it appears that the 'Fantastic Four' star is looking for a change in filmic direction, claiming: 'I really want to do a romantic comedy.'

Hollywood casting agents, take note.

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