In which Paul Weitz and Lily Tomlin talk the continuum of comedy, reading too much into a name, and paying one’s own way. And a good time is had by all.
Jason Segel and James Ponsoldt Celebrate THE END OF THE TOUR
You never know what gem of an information nugget you will unearth when conducting an interview, or, as in the case of my chat with Jason Segel and James Ponsoldt, before the formal interview began while I was checking the sound levels on my recording equipment on May 2, 2015. I had spoken to Ponsoldt… Read More »
GARDEN STATE
Only rarely does a film as profound, as rich, and as deeply affecting as GARDEN STATE come along. Even more rarely is it the handiwork of a first-time filmmaker. That would be Zack Braff, known for his role as the philosophically harried intern on the subversively wicked comedy, Scrubs. Braff is Andrew Largeman, a struggling… Read More »
CRIMINAL
Greed makes the world go around, at least it does in the seedy world of CRIMINAL. This re-make of the Argentinian film, NINE QUEENS, has been re-imagined by writer/director Gregory Jacobs as a quirky daylight noir with a plot that spins on a dime as its twists and turns on its way to proving that it’s… Read More »
Idris Elba and TAKERS
Idris Elba has several thriving careers going for him, not the least of which is giving powerful performances in both feature films and on television. When I spoke with him on August 8, 2010, he explained how his career in music informs his thespian efforts, how and why he wanted to make his TAKERS character, a daring… Read More »
THE DESCENDANTS of Judy Greer
Judy Greer wanted to be a ballerina, but instead ended up as George Clooney’s co-star in THE DESCENDANTS. When I spoke with her on November 14, 2011, she had just been given the Spotlight Award at the Napa Valley Film Festival. In addition to discussing how she felt being honored at this point in her… Read More »
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and LOOPER
When I spoke with Joseph Gordon-Levitt on September 12, 2012, it wasn’t with his latest film, Rian Johnson’s LOOPER, that I wanted to start. Instead, I was curious about why he had flown to thousands of miles in order to make a cameo of only a few seconds in Johnson’s second film, THE BROTHERS BLOOM. The… Read More »
Zach Braff Visits GARDEN STATE
GARDEN STATE was that most welcome of surprises, an accomplished film whose quirkiness delivered a thoughtful look at modern alienation without glorifying it. Its writer/director/star, Zach Braff, proved to be as thoughtful as his film. Our conversation on July 1, 2004, covered the importance of visual images in conveying a story, the lessons of working with… Read More »
John C Reilly is No CRIMINAL
John C Reilly has made a career out of playing the everyman, both the good and the bad. With his cherubic face and burly build, he can be cuddly, forlorn, or menacing with equal aplomb, a talent he displays as a con man in CRIMINAL. When we talked on August 25, 2004, it was obvious that he… Read More »
CRASH With Ryan Phillppe and Paul Haggis
CRASH represents a sea change in careers moves for many of the people involved, not the least director and co-writer Paul Haggis, a veteran of television sitcoms. The provocative story of anger, fear, and race relations in contemporary Los Angeles also provides Ryan Phillippe with one of his best roles in years, maybe the best… Read More »