The splendid thing about HITCHCOCK is that it doesn’t just aspire to tell the story behind the making of PSYCHO. No, this wickedly endearing effort takes on the man, and the mythos behind the man, and then, for good measure, the woman behind both that made them legendary. Based on Stephen Rebello’s book, Alfred Hitchcock… Read More »
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
I am one of those slavish devotees of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhker Trilogy who can, as a result of manic bouts of reading (the books), watching (the BBC television series) and listening (to the original incarnation produced by BBC radio) recite vast swaths of text. It’s a skill that provokes delight in some, consternation in others,… Read More »
Mira Nair Goes to VANITY FAIR
To speak with Mira Nair is to enjoy the workings of a remarkable mind, one full of humor, intelligence, and a passionate enthusiasm for the art of storytelling. It’s that last that shines through her adapation of Thackery’s “Vanity Fair”, a rollicking tale of a society tottering between two paradigms. While the conversation rarely strayed from… Read More »
Claire Danes is More Than A SHOPGIRL
One of the first questions I had for Claire Danes was about her approach to actively playing an essentially passive woman as the title character in SHOPGIRL. This tale of love at cross-purposes in the sterile landscape of Los Angeles let Danes, star of the late, lamented “My So-Called Life” as well as such quirky… Read More »
Rachel Weisz Tends THE CONSTANT GARDENER
With Rachel Weisz, you can always count on an intelligent conversation. The actress who took firsts at Oxford (think an A, but much, much rarer), has more than proven her versatility over the years from historical dramas such as THE LAND GIRLS and ENEMY AT THE GATES, to raw social commentary in THE SHAPE OF THINGS… Read More »
Robbie Stamp Revisits THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Some of us have been waiting decades for Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s trilogy to make it to the big screen. That made it hard to maintain anything remotely resembling journalistic detachment when I talked with the one of the film’s executive producers, Robbie Stamp on February 18, 2005 when he was in San Francisco for WonderCon. We… Read More »
Jason Reitman is UP IN THE AIR
Jason Reitman was in a puckish mood when I talked to him in October of 2009. UP IN THE AIR had not yet opened, so the critical acclaim and multiple awards hadn’t begun. During a conversation that ranged from the current economic climate, to the putative difficulty of making George Clooney look anything but ravishing, Reitman… Read More »
Andrew Davis and Louis Sachar’s Perfect HOLES
If I had had any doubts about HOLES being one of the big summer films of 2003, they were all put to rest by the audience reaction the film and its makers received at one of the two press screenings that I went to. The audience was packed with kids of all ages who adored Louis… Read More »
Sacha Gervasi Dissects HITCHCOCK
Sacha Gervasi had the advantage of knowing for a fact that he would not be getting the job when he went to talk to the studio about directing HITCHCOCK, so he was completely relaxed and honest as he took the meeting. When I spoke with Sacha Gervasi on November 6, 2012, that’s where I wanted to… Read More »
Cary Fukunaga & Mia Wasikowska Revisit JANE EYRE
Revisiting a classic is always a tricky business, but the latest film adaptation of JANE EYRE takes some daring chances in telling Charlotte Bronte’s much loved story of a plain governess and her love for her dashing, if difficult employer. During my talk with them on March 2, 2011, director Cary Fukunaga and star Mia… Read More »