Platinum Studios (PDOS)

[Raggedy Man]

DEAD OF NIGHT to Feature Trademark "DYD 666" Ride

Speaking of 'Dead of Night', fans of the 'Dylan Dog' comics will be happy to know that European hero will drive his trademark VW Beetle when he arrives on the big screen. The scoop comes from the film's official production blog.

We've been puzzled about who, exactly, is writing the blog, since the individual posts lack a byline. However, some tedious rooting around reveals that the site is maintained by Platinum Studios VP of Content Development Dan Forcey, who is also doing stunt work on the set.

Anyhow, of the car, Forcey writes:


For the American fans that may not know Dylan Dog very well, I’ll put it out there that this is not an action movie. Dylan is not an action hero. He’s not Batman or John McClane, heck he’s not even John Constantine. I’ll let some of the Italian folks who read this add their own comments, but I see him as the cousin of Chinatown’s Jake Gittes, the younger brother of Casablanca’s Rick Blaine and a distant descendant of Sherlock Holmes. He’s the hero who doesn’t get the girl. He is constantly trying to finish his model ship, he plays the clarinet badly and carries his heart on his sleeve. He’s claustrophobic, afraid of bats and gets motion sickness. And he drives a bug. Yes, that’s right, and not even a super new, snazzy VW beetle. I’m talking a convertible Volkswagen beetle that breaks down quite often and has the license plate “DYD 666?.

I bring this up because some of you have mentioned concern about this being an action movie or a remake of Constantine and that’s probably my fault for talking about being a stuntman in it. While there are stunts, it’s really not about that. It’s about Dylan and who he is. The bug is a perfect example of that. We were actually pressured quite heavily to change it into something “cooler”. People were worried about a hero driving such a car. They were also worried about how it might look silly for the quite tall Brandon Routh to be sitting in a VW. But, to Dylan (and his fans), the bug is an external manifestation of who he is. He’s a relic of a different time that refuses to change, because he just doesn’t see the need. The bug is a classic, like Dylan himself. That model of that car has stood the test of time, despite having it’s flaws. Just like Dylan. It’s appealing because it isn’t flashy or shiny and bright. It stands out because it’s not.

So while there are stunts, you won’t see Dylan in an amazingly complex kung fu fight against Larry Fishburne. I do get to take a few lumps from him, though. I just hope my ego can withstand getting smacked down by a guy who drives a bug. At least he’s not a vegetarian. Oh, wait…

http://www.mania.com/gondry-talks-green-hornet_article_114406.html