I could talk a lot about the HBO presentation of ANGELS IN AMERICA adapted by Tony Kushner from his play and directed by Mike Nichols, a director who has proven has proven his chops with incisive dissections of the moral and political state of the nation with films such as CARNAL KNOWLEDGE and THE GRADUATE.… Read More »
Diane Lane Basks UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
Diane Lane is a class act. Even after a full day of doing press for her film, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, she was gracious, articulate, and even playful. But make no mistake, this is a woman who takes her craft very seriously, something that comes across in every performance. When we talked on August 22, 2003,… Read More »
Maryam Keshavarz & Reza Sixo Safai and CIRCUMSTANCE
Maryam Keshavarz and Rexa Sixo Safai knew that making a film that was critical of the repressive regime running Iran would have repercussions, Both have family still living there that they might not be able to see again soon. When I spoke with them on May 3, 2011, that was the first thing I wanted… Read More »
Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato Recount THE STRANGE HISTORY OF DON’T ASK DON’T TELL
I spoke with filmmakers Fenton Bailey (he’s the one with the British accent) and Randy Barbato on September 14, 2011 in the afternoon before their HBO documentary, THE STRANGE HISTORY OF DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL, screened at the fabled Castro Theater here in San Francisco. The pair were excited to see the film with an audience,… Read More »
Glenn Ficarra & John Requa Say I LOVE YOU, PHILLIP MORRIS
John Requa and Glenn Ficarra have been writing partners for a decade or so, but when they got the call to adapt the true story of master con artist Steven Jay Russell, they decided that this might be the perfect vehicle for their directorial debut. In a conversation that touched on censorship, the Puritans, artistic… Read More »