- Sam Raimi Wants to 'Get Back to the Basics' on Spider-Man 4 (111 Comments)
- Must Watch: Teaser Trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street! (109 Comments)
- Must Watch: Intense Trailer for Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness (81 Comments)
- Must Watch: Second Official Trailer for Lee Daniels' Precious (78 Comments)
- Check These Out: High Res New Na'vi Photos from Avatar! (77 Comments)
- Paul Blart Director Steve Carr Hired for the Short Circuit Remake (Oct 27, 2009)
- Hitman's Xavier Gens Set to Direct Action Thriller 'The Fallout' (Oct 27, 2009)
- Bruckheimer & Straczynski Adapting 2K's Shattered Union (Oct 27, 2009)
- Steve Carell on Par for Rick Reilly Golf Comedy 'Missing Links' (Oct 26, 2009)
- Jason Reitman Calls Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim 'Matrix for Love' (Oct 26, 2009)
- Matt Damon & Josh Brolin Joining the Coen Brothers' True Grit (Oct 26, 2009)
- Ricky Gervais to Host the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards (Oct 26, 2009)
- Woody Allen's New Film Titled 'You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger' (Oct 26, 2009)
| Inglourious Basterds | 10/10 |
| It Might Get Loud | 9/10 |
| Inglourious Basterds | 8.5/10 |
| Star Trek | 9/10 |
| Monsters vs Aliens | 5/10 |
Interview: Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant Producer Alan Polsky
If you go see Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans this weekend and walk out of it thinking, how the hell did this movie get made and come together this way, well, here's the story. A few weeks ago I met up with producer Alan Polsky (seen to the left with Herzog) at a lunch joint in Beverly Hills to talk about how he got into the business (Alan and his brother Gabe recently started producing) and how this version of Bad Lieutenant got made with such heavyweights as Nicolas Cage and Werner Herzog. Not only is the Bad Lieutenant story great to hear, but he's got big aspirations for the future. So read on!
Interview: Fantastic Mr. Fox Writer & Director Wes Anderson
A few weeks back I traveled to London, England and the small town of Buckinghamshire to be immersed in the world of Roald Dahl for Fantastic Mr. Fox. After touring the museum and his estate (more to come on that next week), I sat down for a very brief interview with Wes Anderson, the visionary director behind Fantastic Mr. Fox. My focus in this interview was on his creative process and development of the film, since Anderson was involved in writing the script (with Noah Baumbach) and directing the stop-motion animated film. I've been a fan of Anderson for a long time and it was a delight to chat with him. Enjoy the interview!
Interview: The Box Director Richard Kelly, Part 2: Spoilers
Just last week I interviewed Richard Kelly, director of Donnie Darko and the recently released The Box. The first half of my interview was strictly spoiler free and we talked about developing the story, his love for sci-fi, and casting. This second part of my interview (run time of 7 minutes) focuses on the second half of the movie and contains spoilers, so please watch this only if you've seen the movie! He talks about why some of the characters make the decisions they make and what's going on in the second half. If you had questions after watching The Box or just wanted to know more about what went into it, then be sure to watch this.
Interview: The Box Director Richard Kelly, Part 1: Spoiler Free
Just yesterday, at a quaint hotel in Beverly Hills, I sat down to interview Richard Kelly, the mastermind behind the upcoming film The Box and one of my all-time favorite films, Donnie Darko. We spoke at length about developing The Box and his fascination with science fiction, but because his new film has some big surprise twists, I decided to record a second part talking specifically about spoilers (that will be posted next week after this hits theaters). This half of the interview is completely spoiler free and is about everything The Box and how he got to this point in his career. If you're a fan of Richard Kelly, you need to watch this!
Interview: Where the Wild Things Are Director Spike Jonze!
This may only be his third feature film, but I still think it's appropriate to call Spike Jonze a visionary filmmaker. His work, both on the big screen and on the small screen (all of his music videos), is some of the most honest, creative, and unique I've ever seen. A few weeks back, after seeing Spike's Where the WIld Things Are, I went to the Beverly Hilton Hotel to interview Mr. Jonze, and he invited me into bed. I'm not even joking - Spike and I got into bed together (not under the covers, of course!) to talk about bringing Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book to life on the big screen exactly the way he first envisioned it.
Toronto Interview: Tim Blake Nelson and Edward Norton
The last interview I did up in Toronto was with two of my own favorite actors - Tim Blake Nelson and Edward Norton. By now you've probably heard about their new film Leaves of Grass (read my review), that Nelson directed and Norton stars in as two brothers, one a stoner the other a professor. I caught up with the two of them the morning after the premiere of their film, so both were in high spirits. We talked about developing the story in Leaves of Grass, figuring out the distinctions between the two brothers, shooting Norton twice in scenes, balancing the humor and action, and maybe even a little about the Hulk.
TIFF Interview: The Informant Director Steven Soderbergh
Here is my interview with director Steven Soderbergh that I did during the Toronto Film Festival. He wouldn't let me shoot video, so I had to record it and transcribe it, so here it is in its entirety below. I will gladly admit that Soderbergh has been and still is one of my all-time favorite directors. I love his style, I love his experimentation, I love everything he does, and I loved The Informant. Half of this interview focuses on that film and its development, but in the second half we get into some interesting discussion regarding the rumored end of his career and where he is planning to go and what exactly he is planning to do. Read on!
Interview: Cloudy Writers/Directors Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Sitting down with both Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the co-writers and co-directors of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, was a real pleasure. Their distinct and pervasive love for cinema is immediately apparent. Their love for creating stories that are just a bit obtuse helped them to create the TV series Clone High and then write for How I Met Your Mother. And after six years, Cloudy is finally coming out in theatres everywhere. Below, you can listen in as we talked a bit about their inspirations, the process of adapting a childrens' story, and what it's like to direct and collaborate with over five hundred people.
Interview: Karyn Kusama & Jason Reitman on Jennifer's Body
Two interviews with Jason Reitman in two days! Yes, indeed! But this time I decided to mix things up and bring in someone else. Jennifer's Body showed up here at the Toronto Film Festival a few days ago (read my review) and after seeing it, I caught up with director Karyn Kusama and producer Jason Reitman for a quick interview in their hotel. This is Kusama's third feature film following Girlfight and Aeon Flux. We talked about what it was shooting this (and her interest in the horror genre), whether it's a horror-comedy or comedy-horror, and her two beautiful lead actresses (Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried). Enjoy!
Interview: Up in the Air's Jason Reitman on the Telluride Gondola
A few weeks back when I was at the Telluride Film Festival, my friend Peter Sciretta (of SlashFilm) and I caught up with Oscar nominated director Jason Reitman to talk about his new film Up in the Air, which we had both just seen (read my review). As you know, from my coverage of Telluride, the gondola at the resort was our main mode of transportation. So we decided to conduct our interview in the gondola as it was "up in the air" (get it!) during its 23 minute run from where we got on. Not only was that quite fun, but it was probably the best interview we've ever done, and it is a definite must watch (no spoilers in it either)!
Interview: Writer and Director of 9 - Animator Shane Acker
Hitting theaters this weekend (on 9-9-09) is a new animated movie titled 9, both written and directed by former Weta Digital animator Shane Acker. This was originally a short film in 2005 (watch it here) that went on to gain in Oscar nomination, and the attention of Tim Burton. From there, well, I think it's best to let Shane himself tell you the story. I had the honor of interviewing Mr. Acker recently and it turned out great. It's an understatement to call him inspiring, especially for animators, and in this we talk about what went into creating 9, how he learned from his mistakes, and his take on the world of animation. Read on!
Interview: Col. Hans 'The Jew Hunter' Landa - Christoph Waltz
If there is one actor that you'll walk out of Inglourious Basterds absolutely amazed by, I guarantee it'll be Christoph Waltz. This 52-year-old Austrian actor, who is fluent in English, German, and French, apparently got the role last minute, right before Tarantino was ready to give up because his character, Col. Hans Landa, was such an important part and he hadn't found the right actor. I had the tremendous honor of meeting and interviewing Christoph last week. While it was certainly one of the most unique interviews I've ever done, especially because he's such a humble person, it was also potentially one of the best. Read on!
Interview: Inglourious Basterds' Donny Donowitz - Eli Roth
Who would've thought that the director of Hostel would go on to star as the unforgettable "Bear Jew" in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds? Not only did it happen, but he kicks ass in the role. Last week I sat down with Eli Roth to talk about his work in Basterds, what it's like acting, what he's learned from working with Tarantino, and if he's getting offers for more roles (and if he'll even take them). A lot of people have a grudge against Roth (or just don't like him), but he's not a bad guy and I enjoyed talking with him. So without further ado, read on for my full interview with Sgt. Donny Donowitz aka The Bear Jew himself.
Interview: Zombieland Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
What do Joe Pesci, Mark Hamill, The Rock, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kevin Bacon, and Steven Seagal all have to do with Zombieland? Find out in our exclusive interview with the screenwriters of the upcoming zombie comedy - Rhett Reese (R) and Paul Wernick (L). You may not recognize them (this is their first feature), but they're going to hit it big with this movie, I'm sure of that. Although I haven't seen Zombieland yet, I was still able to talk with Rhett and Paul about zombies, screenwriting, 3D movies, and great action scenes. Here's another excerpt to whet your appetite: "It's sort of the Midnight Run of zombie movies."
Interview: District 9 Screenwriter & Director Neill Blomkamp
I'm going to be completely honest - this might have been one of the best interviews I've ever done. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with Neill Blomkamp, the man behind the upcoming sci-fi film District 9 that hits theaters this weekend (go see it!). We talk about everything from how this came together, the five months he spent working on the Halo movie with Peter Jackson, how they pulled off all of the visual effects, both practical and CGI, and how the story developed over time. It's a very in-depth interview but one of the best you'll hear on D9! There are a few spoilers, but nothing big, so don't worry!