Writer/director Lorene Scafaria started her writing career by using her talent to win free pizzas back when she was in grade school. It was the first thing I asked her about when we spoke on June 14, 2012. It was a puckish start to a conversation that considered what it would be like to… Read More »
Belen Atienza, Sergio Sanchez & Juan Antonio Bayona Take on THE IMPOSSIBLE
Respect was a word that came up often as I was talking with the filmmakers who brought THE IMPOSSIBLE to the screen on October 31 2012. Based on the true story of one family’s harrowing experience trying to survive in the aftermath of the Christmas Day tsunami in Thailand, the film was shot on location… Read More »
Tom McCarthy Introduces THE VISITOR
Tom McCarthy is not a man to be rushed, hence the five years between his debut as a writer/director, THE STATION AGENT, and his second effort, THE VISITOR. In between he continued his flourishing career as a working actor until the right inspiration struck. When we spoke on April 7, 2008, the conversation ranged from… Read More »
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright are Cool as HOT FUZZ
It was the end of a grueling day for Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright when I talked to them on April 3, 2007. Fatigue notwithstanding, these guys were primed for a chat filled with banter and philosophy as they trekked from the heights of filmmaking in theory and in practice, to the silliness,… Read More »
Guy Maddin Imprints His BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!
Guy Maddin’s appearance at the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival marked the second consecutive year that he had brought his unique vision to that event. Last year, it was to receive the festival’s Persistance of Vision Award. This year, it was to present his latest film, BRAND UPON THE BRAIN! in its live event incarnation, complete with orchestra,… Read More »
Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman Consider ADAPTATION
Frankly, I would have been disappointed if an interview with director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman hadn’t turned surreal with the first question posed. The team that brought us BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and now with ADAPTATION, a tall tale of orchid hunters and moviemaking, have their own take on reality, which makes for a refreshing change… Read More »
Mark Polish Writes The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking: An Insider’s Guide to Making Movies Outside of Hollywood
Along with his brother, Michael, Mark Polish has turned out intriguing films that explore off-kilter universes, from conjoined twins (played by the brothers themselves) in TWIN FALLS IDAHO, to a rapturous limbo of reality and fantasy in NORTH FORK. Hoping to both warn and to inspire other filmmakers, they have co-authored, with Jonathan Sheldon, The… Read More »
Neil Burger Unveils THE ILLUSIONIST
When I spoke with Neil Burger on July 31, 2006, it was impossible to not start with his previous film, INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSASSIN. Both that film and THE ILLUSIONIST deal with what is real and what is a clever bit of misdirection. His newest film, though, boasts not just a fiendishly clever plot, but also… Read More »
Armistead Maupin & Patrick Stettner Pay Attention to THE NIGHT LISTENER
The story on which Armistead Maupin based his novel and now film THE NIGHT LISTENER proves the old axiom that truth is stranger than fiction. When I spoke to him and to the director of the film, Patrick Stettner, on July 26, 2006, I was curious what conclusions they had drawn about the human capacity to… Read More »
Chris Paine & Dean Devlin Ask WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?
I didn’t know where to begin when I spoke with Chris Paine, writer and director, and Dean Devlin, producer, of WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? on April 21, 2006. The film had raised a host of issues that had somehow been overlooked by the mainstream press, and what it had been that made them want to make… Read More »