SXSWORLD

Aaron Johnson as 'Kick-Ass' in Kick-Ass. Ripping Up the Rule Book – Kick-Ass Breaks the Superhero Mold at SXSW By Jim Kolmar film, Vaughn's resume as producer includes assured genre classics like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and recent Michael Caine vehicle Harry Brown. It should come as no surprise, then, that Vaughn's uproarious SXSW 2010 opening night film, Kick-Ass, is as brash, vio- lent and darkly hilarious as the title suggests. Vaughn recently explained how the core creative team brought the ultimate adolescent fantasy to life: "(Screenwriter) Jane Goldman's hus- band is a friend of comic-book writer Mark Miller, who came to the premiere of my previous film Stardust. He had an idea for a new super- hero comic and pitched it to me. I liked it, and he wrote the comic as I wrote the script. We just kept borrowing each other's ideas." By eschewing the conventional adaptation process for this tandem M atthew Vaughn's Layer Cake seemed to come out of nowhere when it hit theaters in 2004, but the first- time director was anything but a newcomer. A key figure in the revitalization of British independent approach, Kick-Ass reveals a depth of personality unusual in a genre that relies heavily on established character types and superhero motifs. That said, Kick-Ass still willfully recalls the epic sweep and vigilante swagger of Batman, melding it with the heart and vulnerability of Spiderman. The film wears its influences like a badge of honor. As Vaughn admits, Kick-Ass is inspired by "every superhero film and comic book movie ever made." Indeed, research involved close scrutiny of those earlier 26 SXSW ORLD / F EBRUAR Y 2010 movies, learning the genre by heart. "Before we ripped up the rule book, we wanted to make sure we knew what the rulebook was," Vaughn explains. Perhaps in deference to this rule-breaking spirit, audiences may be surprised to learn that this seemingly all-American movie was largely shot in England. "Yeah, I never broke into Hollywood!" laughs Vaughn. "I haven't shot a film in America yet, and believe it or not, Kick-Ass is actually totally indie." A seemingly unlikely claim, but Vaughn is keen to point out that after shopping the idea around the major studios, backing remained elusive: "Every studio turned it down." When asked why, his answer is simple: "Hit Girl." An ass-kicking tween with a penchant for heavy artillery, cussing and good old-fashioned fisticuffs, the character was always going to pose problems: "It's quite ironic, because Hit Girl is now most people's favorite character. I think she made people very, very nervous, which I can understand." It is certainly shocking to see the diminutive heroine take down assailants twice her size in a blur of blades and obsceni- ties, but fortunately for audiences, Vaughn's indie spirit and conviction allowed the character to remain intact. Since those early challenges, the reputation of the film has taken on a life of its own, thanks in no small part to some feverish Internet buzz. This comes as no surprise to Vaughn: "I have an instinct for antici- PHOTO COURTESY OF MARV FILMS / LIONSGATE

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