“When I am enjoying a film I just don’t see editing,” Walker said. “I find over-cutting is just the curse of what I see on television, in particular on streaming shows. It’s just reactions shoehorned in everywhere and fast cutting for no reason. I feel like somebody is dragging me. I feel like I’m being manipulated and I reject that. That’s the worst mistake [in editing], for me.”
Walker said over-cutting was also apparent in a recent Academy Award winner for Best Film Editing, adding, “I won’t say who, but there is a film that won an Oscar very recently that had this ridiculous amount of cutting just to show someone sitting down at the table. Yes, it’s kinetic, but it doesn’t feel good. It feels like I’m being fed bad food. I prefer restraint and strategic thinking about when to cut.” Related New Movies: Release Calendar for December 23, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films Remember When Content Was King? 2022 Was the Year Streaming Dreams Died Related Growing Number of Contenders Makes 2023 Best International Feature Race Less Predictable 2023 Oscars: ‘Avatar’ Is the One to Beat in Visual EffectsWhile he didn’t mention the Oscar winner by name, it’s very possible Walker is referring to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The Freddie Mercury drama won the Best Film Editing prize over the likes of “The Favourite” and “BlacKkKlansman,” but its win was met with backlash over the amount of over-cutting that was featured in certain scenes. The “someone sitting down at a table” scene Walker mentioned most likely refers to the “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene where Queen band members sit down to meet soon-to-be manager John Reid. The disorienting amount of edits in the scene made the film’s Oscar win for Best Film Editing a point of contention among cinephiles. Walker’s most recent credits are “Widows” and “Blade Runner 2049.” The editor is currently working with Denis Villeneuve once again on his upcoming “Dune” adaptation, scheduled for release from Warner Bros. on December 18. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
