Chicago-born director John Landis bashes movie studios

John Landis, via imdb.com

During his heyday in the 1970s and 80s, John Landis directed a string of hits that included “Animal House” (1978), “The Blues Brothers” (1980), “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), “Trading Places” (1983) and the hugely popular video for Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller” (1983).

Now he’s bashing the industry he once respected.

“The studios are not in the movie business anymore,” the Chicago-born Landis, 63, said recently at the Mar de Plata Film festival, where some of his work is being screened.

“The film studios are all now subdivisions of huge multinational corporations,” he went on. “Time Warner, British Petroleum, Sony — these aren’t companies, they are f—— nations. They are these giant international things that don’t pay taxes! It’s ridiculous. They’re like pirates. It really has to do with desperation, because they don’t know how to get people into the theaters, so they bring back 3D and make all this kind of s—.”

For the rest of Landis’ remarks, check out the whole story on hollywoodreporter.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-405Vvn3OU