From MovieMaker Magazine, a podcast featuring conversations with great moviemakers about the art and craft of making movies. Tim Molloy talks to moviemakers about screenwriting, directing, acting, and all of the other creative work that goes into moviemaking. Like MovieMaker's print magazine and moviemaker.com, we're here for everyone who wants to learn more about how movies are made. Also, check out Actual Facts, our documentary-focused podcast hosted by Eric Steuer. You can listen to it right here on this feed or subscribe directly at https://pod.link/1646377119.
Tue, December 17, 2024
Sail away with us as we discuss 'Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary,' the new film from director Garret Price (part of Bill Simmons' Music Box series), which explores the rise (and modern-day reevaluation) of the breezy strain of easy-listening rock that came out of Southern California in the late '70s and early '80s. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Guest co-host: Jason Betrue Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Our show's theme music is by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ For more from MovieMaker Magazine, visit https://www.moviemaker.com/
Tue, November 26, 2024
Guest co-host Jason Betrue returns to Actual Facts to talk about ‘The House From …,’ a fun new documentary about iconic homes from movies and TV shows like ‘Home Alone,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Friday,’ ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’, ‘A Christmas Story,’ and many more. The film explores the lives of the homeowners who navigate the unique challenges and joys of living in pop culture landmarks. Eric closes out the episode with an interview with the film’s director, Tommy Avallone. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Guest co-host: Jason Betrue Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Our show's theme music is by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ For more from MovieMaker Magazine, visit https://www.moviemaker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, November 26, 2024
Guest co-host Jason Betrue returns to Actual Facts to talk about ‘The House From …,’ a fun new documentary about iconic homes from movies and TV shows like ‘Home Alone,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Friday,’ ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’, ‘A Christmas Story,’ and many more. The film explores the lives of the homeowners who navigate the unique challenges and joys of living in pop culture landmarks. Eric closes out the episode with an interview with the film’s director, Tommy Avallone. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Guest co-host: Jason Betrue Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Our show's theme music is by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ For more from MovieMaker Magazine, visit https://www.moviemaker.com/
Thu, November 14, 2024
We talk with Benjamin Ree about his documentary 'The Remarkable Life of Ibelin' (2024). The film tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man in Norway born with a severe form of muscular dystrophy that left him physically isolated for most of his life. Through the online multiplayer game 'World of Warcraft,' however, Mats found connection with a community of people around the world. Unbeknownst to his family, he had created a second life in the game as his character, Ibelin, building deep friendships with other players while keeping his real identity and health struggles private. When he passed away at just 25 years old, his family mourned what they thought had been a lonely life – until they began receiving an outpouring of messages from Mats' friends across the globe. To bring Mats' online world to life, Benjamin collaborated with animators to recreate scenes from Mats' life in 'World of Warcraft,' allowing viewers to experience the exact environment, characters, and activities Mats had been immersed in. These scenes are blended with selections from the extensive video footage Mats' family captured of his life in the physical world. Benjamin Ree is a three-time Sundance award-winning director, known for several documentaries, including 'Magnus' and 'The Painter and the Thief.' Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Our show's theme music is by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ Benjamin Ree: https://benjaminree.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, November 14, 2024
We talk with Benjamin Ree about his documentary 'The Remarkable Life of Ibelin' (2024). The film tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man in Norway born with a severe form of muscular dystrophy that left him physically isolated for most of his life. Through the online multiplayer game 'World of Warcraft,' however, Mats found connection with a community of people around the world. Unbeknownst to his family, he had created a second life in the game as his character, Ibelin, building deep friendships with other players while keeping his real identity and health struggles private. When he passed away at just 25 years old, his family mourned what they thought had been a lonely life – until they began receiving an outpouring of messages from Mats' friends across the globe. To bring Mats' online world to life, Benjamin collaborated with animators to recreate scenes from Mats' life in 'World of Warcraft,' allowing viewers to experience the exact environment, characters, and activities Mats had been immersed in. These scenes are blended with selections from the extensive video footage Mats' family captured of his life in the physical world. Benjamin Ree is a three-time Sundance award-winning director, known for several documentaries, including 'Magnus' and 'The Painter and the Thief.' Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Our show's theme music is by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ Benjamin Ree: https://benjaminree.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Thu, October 31, 2024
Joining us is Nicholas Ma to discuss his documentary 'Leap of Faith' (2024), which follows twelve diverse Christian leaders from Grand Rapids, Michigan, as they gather for a series of retreats led by Michael Gulker, organizer of a project called the Colossian Forum. Over a year, these pastors—five women and seven men from various denominations and with differing beliefs and approaches—engage in deep conversations on divisive issues, exploring perspectives shaped by their faith and experiences. We witness moments of deep pain and frustration as their views clash, but we're also there for the discovery of surprising points of connection. Nicholas collaborated on the film with longtime partner Morgan Neville; the duo also made the great Fred Rogers documentary, 'Won’t You Be My Neighbor?'. An award-winning director, writer, and producer, Nicholas's work includes the WNBA documentary 'Unfinished Business' and his feature debut 'Mabel,' which was awarded the Sloan Prize. A former DOC NYC fellow and Film Independent Fellow, he also previously worked on global economic policy on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ 'Leap of Faith': https://leapoffaithmovie.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 31, 2024
Joining us is Nicholas Ma to discuss his documentary 'Leap of Faith' (2024), which follows twelve diverse Christian leaders from Grand Rapids, Michigan, as they gather for a series of retreats led by Michael Gulker, organizer of a project called the Colossian Forum. Over a year, these pastors—five women and seven men from various denominations and with differing beliefs and approaches—engage in deep conversations on divisive issues, exploring perspectives shaped by their faith and experiences. We witness moments of deep pain and frustration as their views clash, but we're also there for the discovery of surprising points of connection. Nicholas collaborated on the film with longtime partner Morgan Neville; the duo also made the great Fred Rogers documentary, 'Won’t You Be My Neighbor?'. An award-winning director, writer, and producer, Nicholas's work includes the WNBA documentary 'Unfinished Business' and his feature debut 'Mabel,' which was awarded the Sloan Prize. A former DOC NYC fellow and Film Independent Fellow, he also previously worked on global economic policy on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ 'Leap of Faith': https://leapoffaithmovie.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Thu, October 17, 2024
We speak with Nick August-Perna about his documentary 'Tell Them You Love Me' (2023). The film explores the complex and controversial case of Anna Stubblefield, a former Rutgers ethics professor who was convicted in 2015 for the sexual assault of Derrick Johnson, a nonverbal Black man with cerebral palsy. Stubblefield, a white woman, met Johnson while working to improve his communication skills using Facilitated Communication, a controversial and often disputed method in which a facilitator helps guide a person with disabilities in typing or pointing to letters. Stubblefield claimed that, through this process, she and Johnson developed a deep emotional bond, which led to a consensual sexual relationship. However, Johnson's mother, Daisy, his brother, John, and ultimately the court argued that Derrick lacked the cognitive ability to consent, accusing Stubblefield of manipulating both his communication and his capacity for intimacy. Nick is an award-winning director, producer, and editor, known for co-directing 'The Oxy Kingpins' (2021) and 'The Swell Season' (2011), among other works. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ Nick August-Perna: https://www.nickaugustperna.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 17, 2024
We speak with Nick August-Perna about his documentary 'Tell Them You Love Me' (2023). The film explores the complex and controversial case of Anna Stubblefield, a former Rutgers ethics professor who was convicted in 2015 for the sexual assault of Derrick Johnson, a nonverbal Black man with cerebral palsy. Stubblefield, a white woman, met Johnson while working to improve his communication skills using Facilitated Communication, a controversial and often disputed method in which a facilitator helps guide a person with disabilities in typing or pointing to letters. Stubblefield claimed that, through this process, she and Johnson developed a deep emotional bond, which led to a consensual sexual relationship. However, Johnson's mother, Daisy, his brother, John, and ultimately the court argued that Derrick lacked the cognitive ability to consent, accusing Stubblefield of manipulating both his communication and his capacity for intimacy. Nick is an award-winning director, producer, and editor, known for co-directing 'The Oxy Kingpins' (2021) and 'The Swell Season' (2011), among other works. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ Nick August-Perna: https://www.nickaugustperna.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Fri, October 11, 2024
Damien Leone is the director of four films that star the mugging, murdering Art the Clown — All Hallows Eve and Terrifer , Terrifier 2 and the new Terrifier 3. Even if you've never seen his films, you've probably read about them, because of the hype that surrounds the walkouts and episodes that inevitably accompany screenings. We talk about making a $250,000 movie that earns $15 million, the Terrifer 3 scene inspired by American Psycho , and creating the best slasher villain since Freddy Krueger. And we discuss being named after The Omen 's Antichrist.
Fri, October 11, 2024
Damien Leone is the director of four films that star the mugging, murdering Art the Clown — All Hallows Eve and Terrifer , Terrifier 2 and the new Terrifier 3. Even if you've never seen his films, you've probably read about them, because of the hype that surrounds the walkouts and episodes that inevitably accompany screenings. We talk about making a $250,000 movie that earns $15 million, the Terrifer 3 scene inspired by American Psycho , and creating the best slasher villain since Freddy Krueger. And we discuss being named after The Omen 's Antichrist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, October 04, 2024
Ed Pressman was one of Hollywood's most impressive producers — a man who worked on films from American Psycho to The Crow to Wall Street to cult classics like The Phantom of the Paradise and Bad Lieutenant . His son Sam Pressman took over Pressman Films when his father died last year at 79. Sam Pressman has bold ideas about how to keep making daring films, and one of those ideas is turning to a favorite practice of scrappy DIY filmmakers, crowdfunding. But why is a business known for making classics the old-fashioned way turning to online investors? Sam Pressman explains his new approach — and tells us some great stories. You can get details about the Pressman Film at Republic.com/Pressman . And of course, please check out Actual Facts, on this very feed. And visit us all the time at MovieMaker.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, October 04, 2024
Ed Pressman was one of Hollywood's most impressive producers — a man who worked on films from American Psycho to The Crow to Wall Street to cult classics like The Phantom of the Paradise and Bad Lieutenant . His son Sam Pressman took over Pressman Films when his father died last year at 79. Sam Pressman has bold ideas about how to keep making daring films, and one of those ideas is turning to a favorite practice of scrappy DIY filmmakers, crowdfunding. But why is a business known for making classics the old-fashioned way turning to online investors? Sam Pressman explains his new approach — and tells us some great stories. You can get details about the Pressman Film at Republic.com/Pressman . And of course, please check out Actual Facts, on this very feed. And visit us all the time at MovieMaker.com .
Thu, October 03, 2024
Clair Titley joins to discuss her documentary 'The Contestant' (2023). The film tells the surreal story of Nasubi, an aspiring Japanese comedian who, in 1998 at the age of 22, was selected for a reality TV show produced by the team behind the popular series 'Denpa Shonen.' Stripped of his clothes and placed in a tiny apartment, Nasubi was tasked with surviving solely on magazine sweepstakes winnings until he amassed 1 million yen in prizes. For 15 months, he lived in isolation, unaware that his every move was being broadcast to millions under the title 'A Life in Prizes,' making him one of Japan’s biggest TV stars—without his knowledge or consent. Clair is a BAFTA-nominated director who began her career making oral history films for the BBC. She premiered 'The Contestant' at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it quickly became a favorite at festivals like Camden and Doc NYC. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ Clair Titley: https://clairtitley.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 03, 2024
Clair Titley joins to discuss her documentary 'The Contestant' (2023). The film tells the surreal story of Nasubi, an aspiring Japanese comedian who, in 1998 at the age of 22, was selected for a reality TV show produced by the team behind the popular series 'Denpa Shonen.' Stripped of his clothes and placed in a tiny apartment, Nasubi was tasked with surviving solely on magazine sweepstakes winnings until he amassed 1 million yen in prizes. For 15 months, he lived in isolation, unaware that his every move was being broadcast to millions under the title 'A Life in Prizes,' making him one of Japan’s biggest TV stars—without his knowledge or consent. Clair is a BAFTA-nominated director who began her career making oral history films for the BBC. She premiered 'The Contestant' at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it quickly became a favorite at festivals like Camden and Doc NYC. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ Clair Titley: https://clairtitley.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Thu, September 19, 2024
We talk to filmmaker Elisa Levine about her documentary 'Sweetheart Deal.' The film tells the story of four women—Kristine, Krista, Tammy, and Sara—who navigate life on Seattle's infamous Aurora Avenue, a street packed with traffic, motels, and liquor stores, and known for being one of the city's main hubs for street-based sex work. 'Sweetheart Deal' explores the women’s complex relationships with each other, their families, and a man named Elliott, a self-proclaimed healer who offers the women food, shelter, and a place to detox in his RV. At first, Elliott seems like a savior, but as time goes on, the lines between helper and exploiter begin to blur. 'Sweetheart Deal was shot over several years in vérité style and captures the women’s humanity and resilience as they search for hope amidst the hardships of their daily lives. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ 'Sweetheart Deal': https://www.sweetheartdealmovie.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Tue, September 17, 2024
Micah Khan is one of our favorite people in moviemaking. After years of making shorts and writing his own scripts, he's making his directorial debut on The Weekly World News film THE ZOMBIE WEDDING, the story of the first ever human-zombie wedding, with an ensemble cast that includes Cheri Oteri, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Seth Gilliam, Heather Mattarazo, Vincent Pastore, and many more. We talk with Micah about how he brought his love of visual storytelling, even when time and budget are tight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, September 11, 2024
Jeremy Saulnier has done it all with Rebel Ridge. It's an action thriller Netflix hit... but also a smart indictment of a law enforcement policy almost everyone hates. And a movie for grown-ups. And a win for the kind of mid-budget movies that aren't supposed to be hits any more. But as we talk about Saulnier's rise as a filmmaker, we see that he's very much paid his dues in the micro-budget indie world. Here is Jeremy Saulnier's very frank 2014 piece on the making of his breakthrough film, Blue Ruin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, September 05, 2024
We speak with filmmaker Alice Gu about her 2020 documentary 'The Donut King.' The film tells the story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who escaped the Khmer Rouge and built a donut empire in California in the 1970s. Ted's success helped hundreds of fellow refugees start their own shops, transforming the West Coast's donut industry. But as Ted enjoyed the American Dream, personal struggles with gambling and infidelity led to a dramatic fall from grace. In our conversation, Alice reflects on the rise and fall (and rise again) of Ted's fortune, and the immigrant experience at the heart of his story. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ 'The Donut King': https://www.donutkingmovie.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Thu, August 22, 2024
We talk with acclaimed filmmaker Ondi Timoner about her deeply personal 2022 documentary, 'Last Flight Home.' The film chronicles the last days of Ondi’s father, Eli Timoner, a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded a successful airline in the 1970s. 'Last Flight Home' captures the final weeks of 92-year-old Eli’s life after he decides to end it under California’s End of Life Option Act. The film offers a profoundly intimate portrayal of love, loss, and the courage it takes to say goodbye. In our conversation, Ondi reflects on the emotional journey of making the film and the powerful impact art can have on audiences. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ 'Last Flight Home': https://www.interloperfilms.com/lastflighthome MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com/
Thu, August 08, 2024
We’re joined by sister-and-brother filmmaking duo Rebecca and Pete Davis, whose new documentary, 'Join or Die,' examines the pivotal role that joining clubs and civic groups plays in shaping the future of our society. Drawing on the work of renowned social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking book 'Bowling Alone' exposed the alarming decline of community connections, 'Join or Die' offers profound insights into the current crisis facing our democracy. The film combines Putnam’s story with perspectives from politics, economics, public health, and urban design. It also incorporates historic home videos and contemporary community profiles to highlight the essential role civic organizations play in maintaining a healthy democracy. Actual Facts is hosted by Eric Steuer Send us a note: actualfactspod@gmail.com Theme music by Yalls: https://www.dancasey.me/ 'Join or Die': https://www.joinordiefilm.com/ MovieMaker Magazine: https://www.moviemaker.com
Tue, August 06, 2024
Elgin James, co-creator and showrunner of the FX hit Mayans MC, is a former member of an anti-racist gang whose Hollywood rise coincided with a prison sentence. He'll share his insights next week at the Austin Film Festival's Ghost Ranch Writer's Retreat , open to rising writers who want to seek inspiration in the same land that was the longtime home of Georgia O'Keeffe and provided crucial locations for Oppenheimer . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, June 05, 2024
Hit Man star Glen Powell and director Richard Linklater talk about co-writing their story of a quiet college professor who goes undercover to impersonate a hitman and catch people looking for hired killers. He ends up falling in love. We talk about Steely Dan, submitting to passion to become the person you want to be, thinking, overthinking, and sex scenes. You can read our print version of this interview here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 12, 2024
Vera Drew is the creator of The People's Joker , which evolved from an attempt to re-edit Todd Phillip's 2019 into its own completely original work of art — a very affectionate parody of Batman mythology and all the ideas it takes for granted. Combining comedy, animation, and Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's flair for cartoonish drama, it's a punkish, dreamy dismantling and rebuilding of Gotham as we know it, made with verve and daring. We talk with Drew about making a microbudget masterpiece, dealing with some legal issues, and scoring a cameo by Robert Wuhl. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, February 05, 2024
Some people think of virtual reality as an escape from actual reality. But helping you escape reality is the opposite of what Felix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël hope to do through their immersive virtual reality company, Felix & Paul Studios. The Emmy-winning Montreal-based studio takes audiences to places they might otherwise never go — to the International Space Station, inside the Oval Office, even back in time. You can watch Inside Felix & Paul Studios here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, January 23, 2024
Coss Marte created a prison-based workout program in solitary confinement, then turned it into a thriving business called Conbody that employs ex-inmates. Their recidivism rate is zero. Debra Granik, the brilliant Oscar-nominated director of films including Winter's Bone and Leave No Trace, tells the story in Conbody vs Everybody, premiering today at Sundance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, January 07, 2024
MovieMaker Magazine's documentary podcast Actual Facts is back to talk docs! Eric and Jason discuss 'American Pain,' a film that tells the story of twin brothers and bodybuilders Chris and Jeff George, who operated a notorious network of pain clinics in Florida, raking in millions by prescribing and dispensing large quantities of opioids with reckless abandon. The film's director, Darren Foster, stops by to chat. Hosts: Eric Steuer and Jason Betrue Theme music: Yalls ( https://yalls.bandcamp.com ) Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Visit MovieMaker Magazine online: https://www.moviemaker.com
Thu, December 21, 2023
Cory Choy's Esme, My Love is a mother-daughter thriller, set in the wilds of upstate New York and powered by visual and auditory experimentation. Choy relied not just on his extensive experience as a sound designer (he runs NYC's Silver Sound ) but also on his own life experiences, from recording music with his friends in his early teens to being a parent to listening to supernatural stories. Esme, My Love is now available on your favorite VOD platform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, December 20, 2023
Brian Helgeland has won an Oscar for the screenplay of L.A. Confidential and was nominated again for Mystic River . He wrote and directed films including Payback , A Knights Tale and 42 . But the film he always wanted to make is Finestkind , inspired by his experience on a fishing boat off the coast of his Massachusetts hometown. It's now out on Paramount+. Photo by Maarten De Boer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, November 16, 2023
Filmmaker Sharon "Rocky" Roggio is a lesbian filmmaker who hopes to someday change her Christian pastor father's mind about homosexuality. Like many Christians, he believes that the Bible condemns it. But her new documentary, 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture , argues that mistranslations at a 1946 gathering led to widespread misunderstandings used to justify bigotry and violence. It's a scholarly, fascinating film, but also an achingly personal one. Roggio takes a love-your-enemies approach to trying to end the weaponization of the Bible against LGBTQ people — starting in her own family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, November 08, 2023
John Carney and Gary Clark tell stories of scrappy amateurs trying to break into the music industry — because they've both been there. Flora and Son is about a working-class young Irish woman (Eve Hewson, magnetic) who picks up a guitar for her son, and ends up learning to play it herself with help from an American teaching lessons online (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Because Carney is also the writer-director of the gorgeous Once and Sing Street, you can be assured that Flora and Son will make your heart soar and get some incredibly catchy songs stuck in your head. Clark and Carney discuss the art of writing a great song — versus writing an OK one, on purpose, our current weird version of nostalgia, and how they hope their work will get you to start making your own songs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 28, 2023
Cinematographer Steven Holleran doesn't do anything the easy way. For A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night , he shot one continuous 90-minute film while racing down Sunset Boulevard. For Missing , he handed off cameras to the actors. And for his latest project, Sympathy for the Devil , he found ways to make a car ride with Nicholas Cage and Joel Kinnaman freakishly compelling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, June 21, 2023
Extraction 2 director Sam Hargrave thought long and hard about how to top the 12-minute nonstop action sequence in the first Extraction , and thought of one way to do it when he saw a weather forecast calling for snow: "What if we light Chris Hemsworth on fire?" Here's our full talk with Hargrave about stunts, Oscars, the writer's strike, and yes, fire. And also the insane prison break sequence. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our previous interview with Sam Hargrave about 2020's original Extraction . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, June 13, 2023
The new doc IT'S BASIC examines how the idea of Universal Basic Income – giving people money to do with as they please —plays out in the real world. The doc by Marc Levin explores how innovators like former Stockton, California mayor Michael Tubbs have helped introduce programs that get money directly into the hands of those who need it. What do they do with this money? It's not what cynics would expect. Pictured: Marc Levin, left, and Michael Tubbs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, June 08, 2023
Sav Rodgers was a 12-year-old queer kid in Kansas when he first found his mom's VHS copy of Chasing Amy , the Kevin Smith film he credits with saving his life. It also inspired Sav's triumphant TED Talk and now the documentary Chasing Chasing Amy , which premiered at Tribeca. In this episode we talk with Sav and Chasing Chasing Amy producer Alex Schmider about films that serve a perfect purpose despite their imperfections, and making movies with representation that aren't just about representation. Photo: Kevin Smith and Sav Rodgers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 26, 2023
Nardeep Khurmi wrote, directed and stars in Land of Gold , a cross-country, cross-cultural road trip exploring the dynamic between a Punjabi American truck driver (Khurmi) and a Mexican-American girl named Elena (Caroline Valenicia) whom he finds hiding in his trailer. "Can you get more American," he asks, "than two communities of color, who have been marginalized by the country they want to call home, banding together to find their piece of the pie?" The film arose in part from his fascination with the intersection of Indian and Mexican immigrants in Southern California, fueled in part by a chance encounter with a very good restaurant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, May 01, 2023
Ali Afshar has one of the most unique origin stories in Hollywood. His family moved to Petaluma, California after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and he sought peace against a backdrop of tragedy by wrestling and street racing. A stuntman older brother helped him make his way into acting, and he soon became a producer as well. His latest project is the bilingual upstairs-downstairs family drama Casa Grande , now airing on Amazon's Freevee. But that barely scratches the surface of a story that includes racing success, shooting Christmas movies in a converted barn, and his goal of eventually telling the story of the German heavy metal band The Scorpions. His production company is ESX Entertainment . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, April 05, 2023
Alex Convery grew up in the Chicago suburbs in the 1990s, when Michael Jordan was a superhero. He watched the Jordan doc THE LAST DANCE during pandemic lockdowns, like everyone else. But unlike everyone else, he saw an amazing movie idea about the creation of Nike's trademark sneaker, Air Jordans. Two years later, Convery's script has been made into a movie directed by Ben Affleck, starring Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis and other A-listers. It's a fascinating, fun film that looks like the first surefire Oscar contender of 2023. We talked to Convery about how he pulled it off, his love of William Goldman, and using VHS for masterful expositition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, April 01, 2023
Two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple helped invent the modern-day documentary with her groundbreaking Harlan County, USA , which recounted a brutal coalminers' strike in dirt-poor Harlan County, Kentucky and won the 1976 Oscar for best documentary. She won her second Oscar in 1991 for American Dream , about a heartland strike against the Hormel Foods corporation. She returns to the grassroots struggle for survival and dignity in her new film Gumbo Coalition , about the work of the Civil Rights groups the Urban League and UnidosUS during the Trump presidency. We just saw it at the 25th anniversary edition of the Sarasota Film Festival, where we recorded this episode. In addition to docs about social issues, Kopple has also made some fascinating films about celebrities at heightened moments, including the Woody Allen film Wild Man Blues and the Dixie Chicks portrait Shut Up and Sing . But what unites all of her films is a cinema vérité style in which she lets her subjects do the talking and observes with minimal interference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, March 21, 2023
Born into the film industry, William Sherak has a long family history with innovators like James Cameron and George Lucas. He tells us about running Hollywood's go-to 3D company at exactly the right moment, watching Jurassic Park with Steven Spielberg, connecting with directing duo Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett), and helping salvage the Scream franchise from the smoldering wreckage of The Weinstein Company. He also tells us why practical effects work so well for slasher movies, making a Scream in New York, and how it's going with Neve Campbell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 09, 2023
You know when you're watching a cop show, and a suspect says the cops planted a gun? Or drugs? It happened for years in Baltimore thanks to the crooked Gun Trace Task Force. The new documentary I Got a Monster , by Kevin Abrams, explains the disgraced officers' M.O. and how they finally went down. He also tells us how common he thinks the behavior is, and how to stop it. If you're interested, here's the very interesting podca st that MovieMaker host Tim Molloy references in which an ex-police officer estimates that 1,000 cops in the United States are bad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 03, 2023
In his directorial debut, Kyle Marvin guided not only four of the greatest actors of all time — Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field — but also the GOAT football player in NFL history, who had never really acted before. He also juggled the interests of Endeavor Content, Brady's 199 Productions, many producers, and the NFL. And yet he somehow managed an inspirational, feel-good movie that even the hard-to-impress New York Times calls "stubbornly charming." Also, here's a terrific piece about the press tour for Marvin's last film, The Climb, and another great piece about how Kyle Marvin and his creative partner, Michael Angelo Covino, made their Sundance hit on a very tight budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, January 20, 2023
MISSING producers Aneesh Chaganty, Sev Ohanian and Natalie Qasabian join us to talk about their addictive mystery thriller, which unfolds entirely on computer and phone screens. Yes, all the technology in their film actually works. No, it isn't easy. Also: Did you notice that alien invasion? MISSING is in theaters now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, January 17, 2023
Making one movie is a miracle, and Adam Leipzig has worked on 36. Some of them might be among your favorites, from Honey I Shrunk the Kids to Dead Poets Society to March of the Penguins . In this episode, the former Disney and Nat Geo executive tells us what he's learned about producing, marketing, and instinct – and what he's learned about happiness. He's trying to share his insights with his new online filmmaking education platform MediaU. You can check out some free insights on our YouTube channel , and get $100 off on MediaU's Marketing and Distribution Roadmap for Independent Filmmakers by visiting here and using discount code Moviemaker011123. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, December 01, 2022
Nick Richey, director of 1-800-HOT-NITE , is as cooly understated as he is full of surprises. The new film is about a teenager in trouble (Cobra Kai star Dallas Dupree Young) who gets surprisingly good advice from a phone sex operator (Aly Richey) on a wild night with his friends. The film is inspired by Richey's own tumultuous early years, growing up on the edge of trouble in Vancouver, Washington, near Portland. Many of his scary childhood experiences — like a weird encounter with a reptile — made it into 1-800-Hot-Nite . So did his and his friend's habit of calling phone sex lines. The film, which premiered to acclaim at the Deauville Film Festival in France, has completed a U.S. festival run that included the Heartland International Film Festival and Austin Film Festival. It's now available everywhere on VOD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, November 18, 2022
Matt Stawski grew up a Detroit punk fan, shooting his friends' bands with equipment from a local TV and radio station. So of course he was the ideal person to direct Blue's Big City Adventure , the new Blue's Clues movie. It's actually not as weird as it sounds. Blue's Big City Adventure is packed with light, color, and music. And Stawski found his way to it after directing videos for bands like Anti-Flag, which led to jobs directing videos for Fall Out Boy, Snoop Dogg, and CeeLo Green — including the latter's giddily colorful 2010 video for "Forget You." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, November 02, 2022
Follow Her director Sylvia Caminer knows all the potential pitfalls of making a psychosexual thriller: cheesy sex scenes, falling into tropes, and at worst, actors who feel exploited. She avoids them all in Follow Her , a film written by and starring Dani Barker, a former influencer herself whose script skillfully subverts cliche in favor of a meta exploration of the genre. In this episode, Caminer — a documentarian and producer as well as a first-time feature director — also talks about social media cautionary tales, stealing shots in NYC, and going on the road with Rick Springfield. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, November 01, 2022
In Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom , host and executive producer Rasool Berry travels to Galveston, Texas to learn about the real origins of Juneteenth, our newest national holiday. He talks with the descendants of the people who were emancipated on the first Juneteenth, June 19, 1865, to learn the true story of the day — and how the truth has been twisted to help people feel better about the past. He also met with Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, whose long quest to gain recognition for the day ultimately led her to the White House. You can watch the full film, Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom , here . You may also know Rasool Berry from his podcast Where Ya From? And if not, check it out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, October 05, 2022
Peter Phok is having an amazing year — he executive produced both X , released in March, and its prequel Pearl, released in September. And he's planning ahead to MaXXXine , the third film in the horror trilogy directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth, who co-wrote Pearl with West. Phok goes way back with West — they attended NYC's School of Visual Arts together —but he's also produced horror hits separately from the director, including the Netflix hit 1BR , which we covered in a previous episode of this podcast. Phok is an extremely hands-on producer, even when working remotely, as he did for Pearl and X. He talks with us about achieving the 1970s grit of X and the early cinematic Technicolor majesty of Pearl with the same camera, the Sony VENICE. And he tells us about his cinematic white whale... a Ti West film set in space. We conclude by asking for some details on MaXXXine, and discuss what it will take to get Mia Goth an Oscar nomination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, September 27, 2022
Kelci Parker, vice president of Animation at Hulu Originals, shared some perspective with students at the SCAD Animation Fest on the art of storytelling: "We're not curing cancer. But we may be bringing someone a laugh as they go through treatment." Parker, recipient of the 2022 SCAD Animation Fest Award of Excellence, spoke about her journey from writing her own screenplays to working at Comedy Central to helping shape Hulu hits like Only Murders in the Building , How I Met Your Father , and Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. and Hit-Monkey . As an executive who has also been a creative, Parker is especially interested in giving good feedback. In this episode, she talks about her approach — and why that person giving you feedback is your friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, September 22, 2022
Come on down! Director C.J. Wallis joins us to talk about his documentary 'Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much,' which tells the story of Ted Slauson, a math assessment test writer and “The Price Is Right” fanatic. From an early age, Slauson studied the prices of the show’s prizes, and even wrote software to help him memorize them. He eventually gets caught up in a controversy when one contestant gets a price a little *too* right. Plus: Eric and Jason discuss their love for comfort TV classics and needing to take a break from intense media content. Hosts: Eric Steuer and Jason Betrue Theme music: Yalls ( https://yalls.bandcamp.com ) Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Visit MovieMaker Magazine online: https://www.moviemaker.com This episode is sponsored by Evermoon Media: https://www.evermoonmedia.com/learn
Sat, September 03, 2022
We speak with Bianca Stigter, director of 'Three Minutes: A Lengthening.' The documentary is a beautiful and devastating tribute to a Jewish community in Poland that was captured on film in 1938 and wiped out by the Nazi regime a year later. We also talk about Nathan Fielder's unique (and hard to describe) docuseries 'The Rehearsal' and discuss fascinating artifacts uncovered in record stores, flea markets, and neighbors' homes. Hosts: Eric Steuer and Jason Betrue Theme music: Yalls ( https://yalls.bandcamp.com ) Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Visit MovieMaker Magazine online: https://www.moviemaker.com
Wed, August 24, 2022
Welcome to Actual Facts, where we discuss documentary films and talk to the filmmakers behind them. In this first episode, we speak with Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller, directors of 'Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song.' Hosts: Eric Steuer and Jason Betrue Theme music: Yalls ( https://yalls.bandcamp.com ) Send us a note at actualfactspod@gmail.com Visit MovieMaker Magazine online: https://www.moviemaker.com
Mon, August 01, 2022
We should probably shut the podcast down, because somehow we scored an interview with the legendary SLASH. We talk about his work executive producing and scoring the gnarly soundtrack for Rodrigo Gudiño's The Breach, about a chief of police investigating the very strange appearance of a mutilated body on the Porcupine River. We talk about how Slash got involved in the project, as well as his work with Quentin Tarantino, how so many G'N'R songs ended up in Thor: Love and Thunder, and why there will never be a Guns N Roses movie. Also, whether he's hopeful about the future of rock 'n' roll... and movies. Warning: snakes (Pictured: Slash and Rodrigo Gudiño.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 22, 2022
Eli Powers new short Skin & Bone is about a woman who draws troubled people to her farm... and looks deep into their souls. It stars Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried and her husband, The Newsroom star Thomas Sadoski. Powers alternates between working on films by great directors like Paul Schrader and David O. Russell and making his own films — a strategy that has worked well as he builds strong relationships and buzz at festivals like Tribeca, Aspen Shorts, and Indy Shorts, where Skin & Bone is now playing. You can follow his adventures at HorsegodProductions . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, July 12, 2022
Todd Flaherty makes his feature directorial debut with Chrissy Judy , in which he also stars. It's the story of drag performers Chrissy (Wyatt Fenner) and Judy (Flaherty) who split up when Chrissy leaves New York City for a new relationship, leaving Judy alone to figure himself out. Chrissy Judy is a film that is very comfortable with the messiness of love, but makes everything look elegant. Despite a budget of under $20,000, the film has the black-and-white majesty of Woody Allen's Manhattan, thanks in part to Todd Flaherty's cinematographer brother, Brendan. It premiered at the Provincetown International Film Festival and screens this weekend at Outfest in Los Angeles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, June 28, 2022
Still Working 9 to 5 is a new documentary about two things: First, the 1980 workplace comedy 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton as office workers who get revenge on their sexist idiot boss. And second, the serious issues that the film set out to address, that remain shockingly relevant today. Our guests today are Still Working 9 to 5 moviemakers Camille Hardman and Gary and Larry Lane, as well as Zoe Nicholson, who abandoned dreams of the priesthood to become a feminist icon. She is featured in the documentary and joins us to connect the dots between the film, the Equal Rights Amendment, and the Roe v. Wade decision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, June 16, 2022
Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson are here to talk about Severance , their Apple TV+ series about a group of office workers for a mysterious company called Lumen. As part of a bizarre security protocol, they agree to separate their work and home lives completely, so they can't remember home at work, or work at home. They keep things so separate that they can't even recognize co-workers outside of work. Adam Scott plays Mark, who receives a promotion just as the show starts, and has to onboard a brand-new employee named Helly, played by Britt Lower. The rest of the cast includes frequent Stiller collaborator Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Christopher Walken. Erickson wrote Severance as a spec script and a writing sample, hoping to get TV writing jobs after a series of unsatisfying office jobs, some TV work, including at Spike TV, and even delivering for Postmates. When the Severance script reached Stiller's production company, Red Hour Films, Stiller thought that instead of just being a writing sample, it should be a show. It's already been renewed for Season 2. If you enjoy this interview with Erickson and Stiller, who directs most of the episodes, please share it or review us and visit us on MovieMaker.com. Photo credits: Ben Stiller by Mark Seliger; Dan Erickson by Frazer Harrison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 31, 2022
Since I Been Down tells the story of Kimonti Carter, who was sent to prison for a drive-by shooting in 1997, when he was barely 18, for the killing of a college student named Corey Pittman. The film's director, Dr. Gilda Sheppard, also tells the story of Kimonti's decades-long search for redemption, and of a prison education program he founded in hopes of giving fellow inmates hope behind bars. Perhaps most powerfully, the film indicts the factors far outside of his control that made his neighborhood a haven for gangs, and put countless men behind bars when they were barely out of childhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 20, 2022
Fab 5 Freddy is an icon of art, music and film who has spent much of his life bridging those worlds. We talk with him about the stunning new documentary Hold Your Fire , which he produced. The film tells the story of a 1973 standoff that began when four young Black men tried to rob a sporting-goods store, and quickly spiraled into a 47-hour hostage situation that has drawn comparisons with the Attica prison takeover and Dog Day Afternoon bank heist. (Freddy, aka Fred Brathwaite, remembers standing outside the bank as police tried to draw out the robbers.) The 1973 standoff hasn't received as much attention as the others, but Hold Your Fire explains its important place in history — and the world today. Hostage negotiation techniques employed by visionary NYPD psychologist Harvey Schlossberg avoided needless bloodshed, and Freddy points out that they should be more widely used today. We also talk about the astonishing culture that came out of late 1970s and early '80s New York, from hip-hop to graffiti art to New Wave, and about Freddy's memories of his friend Jean-Michel Basquiat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 18, 2022
Eskil Vogt is the writer-director of The Innocents , and an Oscar nominee for co-writing The Worst Person in the World . His films transcend genre, but value both realism and surprise. In this episode, Vogt talks with MovieMaker 's Tim Molloy about good vs. evil and why neither really exists, why screenwriters sometimes have to harm children and animals (only cinematically, of course) and a 1977 Swiss-French film he loves. We also discuss the promise of the X-Men films and how they often fall apart. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 13, 2022
Bruce McCulloch and Vance Banzo are two guys from Edmonton, Alberta guys, united by comedy. McCulloch is a member of the legendary Kids in the Hall who has used his clout to boost Banzo's hilarious, multicultural comedy team, TallBoyz. The new Kids and the Hall is airing on Amazon Prime just as TallBoyz make its U.S. debut on Fuse TV and Fuse+. We talked with them about who gets to make what joke, if comedy is really harder because of our more sensitive times, and dealing with notes from higher-ups. Your host Tim Molloy also revisits an upsetting moment watching McCullock get pounded with questions over one of his many divisive (but lovable!) characters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 04, 2022
The first time Justin Kawika Young met Maile Stant, she told him her brother Shane was her hero: a protector at a time when both were struggling to cope with their father's abuse. Then Maile mentioned something else about Shane: He was the guy who, in 1994, attacked figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Soon Young found himself meeting with both Maile and Shane Stant to tell the story of a man who made the worst mistake of his life at age 22, and has spent nearly three decades trying to rebuild. My Hero the Hitman is the story of how even an infamous criminal can become a force for good. Pictured: Justin Kawika Young, by Gregory Metcalf Photography. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 15, 2022
Nadine Crocker made her film Continue in the hopes that people considering suicide will instead live long enough to overcome their pain. She knows that day will come, because she's lived to see it herself. Today she's the writer, director, producer and star of a feature film that's earning love on the festival circuit, building a passionate following and encouraging people to talk openly about the most difficult subjects. But a few years ago, at 23, she attempted suicide herself. She knows things that can change. "I've seen those transformations," she says. "I am that transformation." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 01, 2022
"I've been accused of being the hangout movie guy, and that's fine. Because cinema can do that really well," says Richard Linklater, whose latest film is the beautiful Apollo 10 1/2. Richard Linklater is one of our all-time favorite filmmakers, and Apollo 10 1/2 may be the most Richard Linklater of all Richard Linklater movies. He amicably fields our questions about how his beloved Austin has changed, the importance of '70s cartoons, the dumbest conspiracy theory, and the state of movies. He also knows a lot about NASA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 18, 2022
Kat Coiro went from acting to directing, becoming a very in-demand director of shows like Modern Family and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , and directing the pilots of Girls5Eva and the upcoming Marvel series She-Hulk . She's also the director of four films, including the brand-new music-packed rom-com Marry Me, starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. We talk about how working on her own smaller-budget films led to efficient problem-solving on Marry Me , how she made time for small moments, and why Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson were the only people who could play their roles. We also talk about people who don't give rom-coms their due, and both honoring and breaking with the conventions of the genre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 11, 2022
We had the honor of speaking with one of our greatest directors just days after his film Dune earned 10 Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture. Our favorite part is hearing him talk about the interconnected shots in Dune , "trying to create a melody" in the story, and watching Lawrence of Arabia in an empty theater when no one else showed up. He ends the interview with some excellent advice for anyone who wants to make films. Here are some highlights: on Best Director Oscar Snub (1:50) -Creating the camera language for Dune (2:30) -On Paul's reluctant POV (5:03) -Framing the "Internal" (5:20) -Working with your actors (7:15) -Style changes throughout the years (8:30) -Visual differences in Blade Runner 2049 and Dune (9:35) -Cinematic Storytelling between Paul and Lady Jessica (11:00) -Talking about subtle juxtapositions in images (12:43) -We geek out about seeing Lawrence of Arabia alone (15:30) -Advice to moviemakers (17:46) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 04, 2022
Therapy Dogs is one of the highlights of the latest Slamdance Film Festival, and Ethan Eng made it during his senior year of high school. He and his friend Justin Morrice enlisted their classmates in the class of 2019 to tell a stunning and beautiful story of teenagers who feel invincible, but aren't. They brilliantly combine real and staged moments — including strapping Morrice to the roof of a car — for a film that makes us question what really happened, what didn't, and whether it matters. It's funny, sweet, shocking, and gutsy. One of the best thing about Therapy Dogs is that — unlike many films you hear hyped at festivals — you can watch it right now. It's on the new Slamdance streaming site slamdancechannel.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, January 27, 2022
Mija starts at a party store, to celebrate a birthday. It's one of many milestones in the life of Doris Muñoz that director Isabel Castro captures with charm and relatability as we see Muñoz suffer a huge career setback, then rebuild. Rejecting the tropes of depressing documentaries, she tells a story filled with incredible challenges, but also joy, hope and love. Mija has all the calling cards of a great music movie, but it's also a magnificent story about immigration and two families' paths to the elusive American Dream. Muñoz's livelihood, and her family's security, depends on her ability to discover pop stars. She sees thrilling potential in Jacks Haupt, a young Texas singer-songwriter who could be the next big pop star. In this episode, Castro talks with us about telling a different kind of immigration story, one that often feels more like an enthralling feature than a documentary. And we hear some pretty great music along the way, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, January 13, 2022
The Nicholl Fellowship is one of the most important and prestigious screenwriting competitions. There are countless articles online about how to win — but we thought it would be best to just ask the 2021 Nicholl Fellows about their achievement. Here are their names and some details about their winning scripts: Haley Hope Bartels (Los Angeles), Pumping Black : After a desperate cyclist takes up a team doctor’s dangerous offer, he seems on course to win the Tour de France. But as the race progresses and jealous teammates, suspicious authorities, and his own paranoia close in, he must take increasingly dark measures to protect both his secrets and his lead. Karin delaPeña Collison (West Hollywood), Coming of Age: In 1965 Britain, Charlotte, a sheltered, studious schoolgirl, lands on a British Farce tour her mother stage manages, where private tutoring by company members replaces her formal schooling, with surprising success, and she experiences a Lolita-like flirtation in the morally wobbly era of Free Love, which leads both her and her mother to "come of age." Byron Hamel (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada): Shade of the Grapefruit Tree : When a severely abused white boy befriends his sci-fi obsessed Black landlady, his fantasy of becoming a robot empowers him to recklessly confront his murderous stepdad. R. J. Daniel Hanna (Los Angeles), Shelter Animal : A fiery, female prison trustee working at the county animal shelter finds purpose rehabilitating an abused pit bull, but her attempts to rally employees and the broader community for shelter reform puts her own freedom at risk. Laura Kosann (New York City), The Ideal Woman : Set in American suburbia during the Cuban Missile Crisis: A 1960’s ex-actress and housewife finds her house-of-cards world begin to tumble as she continues to be pitted against two identities. Here's some information on how to enter the competition this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, December 22, 2021
Dasha Nekrasova is the director, co-writer and star of The Scary of Sixty-First, a horror story about two roommates (Madeline Quinn, Betsey Brown) who discover that their affordable new Manhattan apartment was previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein. She talks about Hollywood's "self-imposed code," why she kept the harsh language in, Epstein enabler Ghislaine Maxwell (played briefly in the film by Anna Khachiyan), and the wonderful name of her beleaguered Succession character, Comfrey Pellets. You can read MovieMaker 's Spring 2021 Dasha Nekrasova cover story here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, December 10, 2021
In Red Rocket , the latest from Sean Baker, a washed-up porn star named Mickey Saber (Simon Rex) returns to his Texas town and begs his wife (Bree Elrod) and her mother (first-time actor Brenda Deiss) to let him move in. They're skeptical, with good reason. He soon devises a secret plan to weasel his way back into the porn industry with help from a 17-year-old donut shop employee named Strawberry (Suzanna Son). Your host hasn't seen every movie released in 2021, but of the ones he has seen, Red Rocket is his favorite. We talk this episode with Sean Baker, Simon Rex and Bree Elrod about working with first-time actors, how COVID fears fueled the frenetic energy of Red Rocket , shooting non-explosive sex scenes and how not to look like a suitcase pimp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, November 25, 2021
House of Gucci went through several writers before the project found one who could do justice to the surreally messy story of the feuding Guccis. Married producers Ridley Scott and Giannina Facio finally found the right writer for the job in Roberto Bentivegna, who said the key to cracking the story was not approaching it too seriously. In this episode, he talks about the role of comedy in the film, and the ruthless and elegant changes he had to make to the Gucci saga to tell his fun, breezy and at times tragic story. We also talk about a scene Jared Leto thought up on-set, writing an extra scene for Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons, and playing as a child near the site of the most violent movie in the film. And we make fun of critics who think the movie is "unintentionally funny." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, November 19, 2021
Robert Weide, perhaps best known for his Emmy-winning work on Curb Your Enthusiasm , first reached out to Kurt Vonnegut in 1982, asking if he could interview the Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse-Five writer for a documentary. His new film, Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time, explains what has happened since, while chronicling Vonnegut's life of struggle and truth-telling. This is a short but wide-ranging interview that includes: —Vonnegut's fondness for this symbol: * —Why he was often ignored by the highbrow literary world —His favorite joke Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, November 05, 2021
In The Beta Test , PJ McCabe and Jim Cummings play struggling Hollywood agents trying to project a veneer of success. When Cummings' Jordan receives an interesting offer in the mail, his job and engagement are threatened. McCabe ( pictured, left ) and Cummings ( right ) tell us that interviews with real Hollywood agents — and their spouses — helped inform The Beta Test . They also talk about some of the sharp twists in their story, inspired in part by Eyes Wide Shut . And they talk about why they believe the old Hollywood system is over, and what filmmakers should do now. In addition to making the recent films Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow , and playing cops in both, Cummings also has a small but crucial role in the new Halloween Kills , playing a cop who is curiously named... McCabe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, November 04, 2021
Spencer director Pablo Larraín was drawn to Princess Diana — played by Kristen Stewart in the film — as both a mother and an unknowable cinematic figure. He didn't realize he was making a movie about motherhood at the beginning, but discovered it when he saw Stewart's interaction with the young actors who play princes Harry and William (Freddie Spry and Jack Nielen). Larraín also talks with us about not treating the royal family as caricatures, why the film used real food in its opulent dining scenes, and how much of his "fable based on a true tragedy" is factual, and how much is novelistic imagination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, October 27, 2021
A lot of Krysty Wilson-Cairns' life makes its way into Last Night in Soho — she even used to work at the Toucan, the pub where lead character Eloise (Thomason McKenzie) pours pints. Maybe it's because her life is fascinating. She explains how she went from hanging around a film set in Scotland to fetching coffee for the crew to writing the Oscar-nominated screenplay for 1917 with Sam Mendes. And how a night of drowning her sorrows with Edgar Wright led to her co-writing Last Night in Soho , which he directs. We also get into some very nitty gritty details about screenwriting that will help anyone who has ever wanted to write a script: How do you write a film that unveils over one continuous shot, like 1917 ? What's the right amount of exposition? How much should you describe camera movements? (Not much!) And what are some of the secrets of a great collaboration? Wilson-Cairns also tells us how Anya Taylor-Joy's character in Last Night in Soho didn't initially talk — and why it was essential to the story that she does. And she explains why there's no serum for cool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, October 20, 2021
German-born Sandra Lipski was a teenager when she (somewhat accidentally!) landed her first acting job. From there, she moved to L.A. to become an actress and filmmaker, and decided to submit one of her films to to a film festival in Mallorca, the gorgeous Spanish island where she had spent much of her youth. The only problem? Mallorca didn't have a film festival. So she started one. A decade later, the Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival is stronger than ever, luring Oscar-winning talent and new filmmakers alike to a friendly, close-knit festival where people truly get to know each other and support each other's work... in one of the most beautiful settings on earth. She also helps filmmakers plan their festival strategies through The Festival Key — and continues to make films. You can learn more about Evolution! Mallorca, which runs from Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, right here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, October 11, 2021
Vanessa Block produced and co-wrote the simmering story of Pig , in which Nicholas Cage plays a man who goes into the big city of Portland in search of his beloved truffle pig. We talk about how her background in chemistry and pre-med led her to the Congo, and making the Oscar shortlisted documentary "The Testimony." We also talk about the misimpression that some audiences had about Pig , and what our presumptions say about us as moviegoers. And she tells us where to get the best salted baguette in Portland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, October 05, 2021
The Heartland International Film Festival, like every film festival, weathered a very hard 2020 for the entire film world. But this year, it comes roaring back with one of the greatest lineups you'll find anywhere in the world. We talk with Greg Sorvig about how he and the Heartland team brought films like Spencer , King Richard , Belfast and The French Dispatch home to Indianapolis — and explains a little bit about the festival's history with the great Jimmy Stewart. And we talk about the festival's emphasis on a human touch. If you want to reach out to him directly, he doesn't mind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, October 01, 2021
Director Alan Taylor had a unique challenge making the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark : He had to make a film that worked for the millions of Sopranos fans worldwide, and for people who may never have seen a frame of the HBO series. He talked with us about his first days working for Sopranos mastermind David Chase, Ray Liotta's very Sopranos performance, and the "fucking jaw-dropping" opening of The Many Saints of Newark . This one is filled with spoilers. Photo: Alessandro Nivola, Michael Gandolfini and Alan Taylor on the set of The Many Saints of Newark . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, August 21, 2021
Dan Delgado is the host of The Industry , a documentary podcast focused on lesser-known or forgotten movie history. On every episode he tells stories of Hollywood's weirdest decisions — and has a special place in his heart for the industry heroes who tried, and usually failed, to make something great. On this special crossover episode of MovieMaker and The Industry, Dan talks about his VHS-shaped 1980s childhood, and how it led him to create the curious world of The Industry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, August 12, 2021
Beckett stars John David Washington as an American tourist traveling with his girlfriend, played by Alicia Vikander. When things take a turn, he's caught up in intrigue he doesn't understand. Director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, our guest in this episode, is well aware of the conventions of stories like this — and subverts them repeatedly. We talk about how Beckett got its name and came to be, Washington's very specific line readings, and Filomarino's professional dynamic with Luca Guadagnino ( Call Me By Your Name ), a producer of Beckett . Filomarino also explains why he isn't too worried about the future of cinema. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, August 09, 2021
Down with the King stars rapper Freddie Gibbs as a rapper named Money Merc who disappears for a while to a rural farmhouse to work on his new album. But even as he saws lumber and butchers pigs, he can't escape the pressures of the rap game. Our guests on this episode, director Diego Ongaro and cinematographer Daniel Vecchione, explain how they achieved the documentary-like feel of the film — and how they created a seemingly packed concert scene while following strict COVID-19 protocols. (Vecchione gives a shout out to BlackMagic Pocket Cinema 6K cameras with anamorphic lenses.) They also talk about how Freddie Gibbs brought his character to life, and the cinematic allure of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, where they shot the film. Down With the King premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, August 03, 2021
James Gunn is the director of the highly anticipated, very well-reviewed The Suicide Squad , starring Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Joel Kinnaman and many more. It will almost certainly be one of the biggest films of the weird summer of 2021. But he can remember working on scrappy New York productions where he had to choose between yelling and being yelled at. And a childhood outside St. Louis, Missouri that he would change if he could. We talk about Gunn's being fired and rehired from Guardians of the Galaxy , whether it's harder to shoot low-budget movies or blockbusters, and how briefly meeting Joe Strummer of The Clash had a huge impact on the way he relates to passionate fans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, July 27, 2021
Calgary is sleek and modern enough to double for any city in the world, but surrounded by pristine plains and mountain ranges that drew productions like The Revenant and Brokeback Mountain . It has a film-friendly local government, bustling production schedule, and it's one of MovieMaker Magazine 's Top 10 Cities to Live and Work as a Moviemaker. It may also be the most livable city in the Western Hemisphere — it was in the Economist Intelligence Unit's top 5 cities in the world for a decade, and was the top Western Hemisphere city for two. All that, and it wants people to move there. So: Should you? We get into it this episode with a man who says yes: Luke Azevedo, Calgary's film commissioner and Vice President of Creative Industries for Calgary Economic Development . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, July 21, 2021
Manjari Makijany's film Skater Girl is about an Indian girl named Prerna (the excellent newcomer Rachel Sanchita Gupta, pictured), who crosses paths with a woman named Jessica (Amrit Maghera) visiting from the UK. Prerna's life path soon changes from housework to practicing ollies at a new skatepark. Before she could make the film, Makijany first had to build a real skatepark. It remains today in the Rajasthan village where the film takes place. To make the film — and build the skatepark — Makijany had to convince some powerful men that she was the one calling the shots. Not her husband, or father, or any other male authority figure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 09, 2021
Michael Waldron, creator of the Disney+ series Loki , got his big break as an intern for Dan Harmon — when he started a softball team that would get him more face time with the creator of Community and Rick & Morty . Things have gone well since — besides running Loki, he's writing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and a secret Star Wars project led by Marvel chief Kevin Feige. He also created the upcoming Starz wrestling drama Heels . His influences range from Nora Ephron to Quentin Tarantino, and he traces Loki' s mix of love and nihilism, in part, to a comic strip: Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, June 24, 2021
If you're a fan of Iliza Shlesinger from her standup specials — including Elder Millennial and Unveiled — you'll love her new Netflix film Good on Paper, which she wrote, executive produces, and stars in. You might also like Good on Paper if you've ever dated a compulsive liar. Shlesinger talks about the journey from dating a very dishonest person to making a movie about it, the moment when the whole thing almost fell apart, and how she finally got one of those rare fuck yeah moments in Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, June 18, 2021
Sabrina Doyle, who grew up working class in London, was determined to create a blue-collar fable with her debut Lorelei —a film that avoids both idealization and tragedy. Pablo Schreiber plays a biker who gets out of prison and reunites with his ex, played by Jena Malone. She has three kids now, none of them his. The couple wonder what became of their youthful dreams of getting out of their small Oregon town and heading to Los Angeles. Doyle elicits excellent performances from Schreiber and Malone, and also stellar work the three young actors who play her children: Parker Pascoe-Sheppard, Amelia Borgerding and Chancellor Perry. Lorelei is finally appearing before an audience at Tribeca after in-person screenings were delayed last year, and is expected in theaters and on VOD soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 25, 2021
In Coast , directed by Jessica Hester and Derek Schweickart, a teenage girl (Fatima Ptacek) sees a way out of her small Central Coast town when the singer in a band invites her out on the road. The film, inspired by screenwriter Cindy Kitagawa's teenage years in Santa Maria, Calif., explores all she would leave behind. With a great cast that includes Cristela Alonso, Melissa Leo and Ciara Bravo, Coast may give you hope about the future of live music. We also talk with Hester and Schweickart about how to get Joy Division songs in your movie, get the rights to a Kurt Vonnegut story for $5, and direct a film with someone you love. And they tell us how Bruce Dern helped get their movie rolling. You can learn more about Coast here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 14, 2021
Mare of Easttown has gotten an almost uniformly positive response, which is a new experience for director Craig Zobel — his films sometimes make people lose it. His film Compliance sparked anger at Sundance, other film festivals, and screenings nationwide. And last year's The Hunt was denounced by none other than Donald Trump. But he really wants people to see each other as people, and hopes his stories — including Easttown — help them do that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 11, 2021
Darren Lynn Bousman had been fired from a string of assistant jobs and even told he would never work in Hollywood again when he came up with a Jigsaw-level plan to break into movies. By age 25, he had made Saw II — which opened at No. 1 at the box office. Then he repeated the feat with Saw III , and again with Saw IV . The Kansas native decided he'd done all he could with the franchise. And then he got a call that Chris Rock wanted to meet him. The result is the new Spiral: From the Book of Saw , a film that delivers all the nasty machinations that Saw fans love while also delivering a crackerjack detective story full of mystery and twists. It's a story almost as wild as the way Bousman broke in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 07, 2021
Actor David Oyelowo is acclaimed for his roles in projects like Selma and Les Miserables , but his directorial debut, T he Water Man , is a kid-focused fantasy drama that draws from influences like Stand by Me and The Goonies . The much-praised film tells the story of a boy named Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) who sets off in search of a possibly mythical being who may be able to heal his leukemia-stricken mother (Rosario Dawson). Alfred Molina and Maria Bello also play key roles, and Oyelowo plays Gunner’s father. Our special guest interviewer this episode is Will Gluck, who recently directed Oyelowo in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, and asks incredibly incisive questions about the role of a director, when to listen to notes and ignore them, and trusting the audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 30, 2021
Adam McKay's new podcast, Death at the Wing , investigates why so many young basketball stars he loved in the '80s and '90s died suddenly and tragically. He was surprised, again and again, by how drugs, tragedy, and the Reagan Revolution defined a decade of basketball. We also talk about his upcoming series about the Showtime-era Lakers, the next season of Succession , and his upcoming comedy, Don't Look Up , with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as scientists trying desperately to be heard. Death at the Wing is available now on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, April 22, 2021
Youngstown, Ohio was once a booming steel and mining town, but now epitomizes the kind of post-industrial US city dominated by unemployment and poverty. In her new documentary, The Place That Makes Us , director Karla Murthy shows us a new generation of people who have refused to give up on Youngstown and are staying put so they can build a brighter future there. They're rebuilding houses, bringing in business, and cultivating a community of local makers and creators and artists. We talk to Murthy (who is also a journalist and has worked as a correspondent for several PBS newsmagazines) and her husband/creative partner Jad Abumrad (creator and host of Radiolab), who executive produced the film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 16, 2021
Yasmin Fedda's harrowing documentary Ayouni tells the stories of two men who were "disappeared" in Syria. When a person is disappeared, they have been forcibly taken by military, police, or militia forces who do not admit to having them. Bassel Khartibal was an open internet activist who was arrested, kept in a secret prison, and ultimately killed. Father Paolo Dall’Oglio is an Italian Jesuit priest who led an interfaith group out of a Syrian monastery and became an activist against oppression—his current whereabouts are unknown. The film follows Noura, Bassel's wife; and Machi, Father Paolo's sister, as they search for answers about their loved ones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 09, 2021
Moffie, the outstanding fourth film from South African Director Oliver Hermanus, portrays a teenager (Kai Luke Brummer) who is forced to serve in the South African Army in 1981, during the last days of apartheid. Though he is white, he is still hated: He's secretly gay, in a time and place where homosexuality is a crime. We talk with Hermanus about growing up under apartheid, the quietly haunting middle sequence in the film, and how he really wasn't trying to critique Stanley Kubrick or the volleyball scene in Top Gun . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, April 08, 2021
Hunger Ward , from director Skye Fitzgerald, introduces us to two of the youngest victims of a humanitarian disaster in Yemen, brought on by a Saudi-led coalition and backed by the United States. The film takes us inside medical facilities where two heroic women struggle daily to rescue innocent children from desperate malnutrition. You can learn how to get involved — and give directly to the medical facilities — at HungerWard.org . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 31, 2021
Director David Fincher and production designer Don Burt have collaborated since Zodiac . For their latest film, Mank, they talk about the process of deciding what to include and subtract from every scene. In Mank, that meant re-creating Hearst Castle, the realm of media baron William Randolph Hearst... and the guests Fincher describes as his "captives." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, March 30, 2021
Adam Wingard is the director of Godzilla vs. Kong , the best Godzilla or Kong movie in quite some time. Here are some highlights with timestamps: 1:40: Adam Wingard rejects the premise of our first question ("Why is Godzilla such a dick?" 3:30: He explains how those ridiculously fun action sequences were planned out. 4:32: "Credibility is not necessarily... in terms of believing this is real, the highest priority. But we didn't want to do things that were so absurd that it would take people out of the movie." 4:48: So, could Godzilla and King Kong fight on an aircraft carrier? 7:10: How tall are Godzilla and Kong? 9:00: "My main focus always was trying to make sure that this movie was as densely entertaining as possible and what that really amounts to is densely filled with monsters." 15:00: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah 22:00: Shoutout to Adam Wingard's cat 22:39: The big reveal 24:00: The decision to hint at the big reveal in the trailer 27:49: Adam Wingard's initial reaction to the film streaming on HBO Max 37:15: Face/Off If you enjoy this you might also enjoy MovieMaker.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 24, 2021
Most people know Mississippi has great food, music, and tax benefits. But it also offers a wealth of other opportunities to moviemakers, including authenticity, diversity, reasonably priced homes, and the chance to be noticed. Mississippi Film Office Director Nina Parikh talks with us about the tremendous film community growth in places like Natchez, Mississippi's rich film history, and how she convinced Joel and Ethan Coen to shoot O Brother, Where Art Thou in her state, very early in her career. The story involves pie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, March 08, 2021
Coming 2 America director Craig Brewer shot the last day of the joyful comedy on the John Singleton sound stage at Tyler Perry studios — 15 years after Singleton gave him his big break, and made him promise to always "hire some Black people." Brewer's other films include Hustle & Flow , Black Snake Moan , the new Footloose , and Dolemite Is My Name . We talk with him about '80s movies that might not be green lit today, dodging the potential pitfalls of sequels, and being in the service of African-American culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 04, 2021
Florian Zeller's stunning debut film stars Anthony Hopkins as a father with dementia and Olivia Colman as his worried daughter. Zeller describes the film as a puzzle that can't be solved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 03, 2021
David Shields has given hundreds of interviews to promote his 22 books on everything from race to sports to sex to J.D. Salinger to Donald Trump. He's kept a record of every question, and uses those questions in the literary collage of his 23rd book, The Very Last Interview . Director Nick Toti and screenwriter Rachel Kempf (who are married) set out to turn the book into a movie, and succeeded. "The Very Last Interview" arrived late last year, and is set around Christmas — though the book has nothing to do with the holidays. It's a daring, challenging adaptation, in which Shields endures probing-to-cruel questions that also serve as a searing monologue. The film questions the motivations of Shields (played by Chris Doubek) and his interviewer (Ashley Spillers), and in this talk we examine the "perverse dialectic" between interviewers and interviewees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 26, 2021
Amanda Idoko's first two screenplays made The Black List, the highly esteemed annual survey of best unproduced scripts. Her first screenplay was made into the new film Breaking News in Yuba County , which features an ensemble cast that includes Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Regina Hall, Awkwafina, Wanda Sykes and others. Amanda is also known for starting the #showusyourroom social media campaign, which encouraged showrunners and writers' rooms to post photos of their writing staff to show how they are participating in diverse and inclusive hiring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, February 25, 2021
Portland Film Festival co-founder Joshua Leake went from accepting an award from Hugh Jackman while on the phone with his mom to co-founding the Portland Film Festival — one of MovieMaker's 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. We talk about the joys of Portland, how to get into the lovingly curated festival, and some of the great ideas he's borrowed from other festivals to make sure Portland is always filmmaker first. Along the way we talk about pandemic-safe pod viewing, making a theater in a warehouse, Chuck Palahniuk, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 19, 2021
Andre Gower's documentary Wolfman's Got Nards looks at another movie—1987's Goonies-esque kids horror/comedy The Monster Squad—and the vibrant fan community that has developed around it over the years. The Monster Squad (co-written by a young Shane Black) was a bomb upon release, but thanks to video rentals and cable TV, it slowly built a massive following. It eventually became the kind of cult classic that tours internationally, with fans showing up in costume to shout every line of dialogue at the screen. Gower is uniquely suited to have made this documentary—as a child actor, he was one of The Monster Squad's main stars. His doc looks at the road the movie took to becoming a cult classic, as well as the importance of fan communities and the connections between people with shared pop culture memories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 12, 2021
Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby star in Mona Fastvold's The World to Come, about two pioneer women who fall in love. Casey Affleck, who produces and acts in the film, tells the story of how lunches at a "weird restaurant by the airport" helped lead to the creation of the Sundance and Venice film festival darling. Fastvold also talks about shooting on film in the mountains of Romania, and she and Waterston describe the complex and original way they plotted out Waterston's narration of the film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, February 10, 2021
Slamdance is a film festival for filmmakers, by filmmakers. In this episode, festival president and co-founder Peter Baxter and festival manager Adele Han Li share some intel on how it chooses films, what it values, and how it's changing. Rather than retreat in the face of the pandemic, Slamdance — like many other festivals — has seized on the opportunity to innovate. This year one of its biggest additions is a new showcase called Unstoppable that focuses on films by moviemakers with disabilities. In this episode we also learn about the Slamdance Bible, discuss whether indie filmmaking is harder now than it was in the booming '90s, and hear stories about a young Christopher Nolan — one of many filmmakers Slamdance helped launch. Slamdance 2021 starts this Friday, and you can get a $10 pass ($5 for students) at Slamdance.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, February 08, 2021
Gary Oldman, simply one of the best actors ever, stars in Mank as Herman J. Mankiewicz, the brilliant but alcoholic screenwriter whose achievements include Citizen Kane . In this interview, Oldman quickly shoots down the notion that he used to deliberately seek out wild roles, and explains how he utilized elements of his own past to play Mank. He also tells us where Citizen Kane ranks among his favorite movies. If you like this episode, please subscribe, write a review, or ask Charles Foster Kane to write about it in one of his many newspapers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 05, 2021
Wild Indian follows two young cousins on an Ojibwe reservation who suddenly become involved in something terrible. Thirty years later, one of them (Michael Greyeyes) is living what seems, on the surface, to be a perfect life on the West Coast. The other, Ted-O (Chaske Spencer), finds himself in a very different place. Wild Indian writer-director Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. and producer Thomas Mahoney join us to talk about the film's origin, why Corbine doesn't think the film's title is provocative, and how fun it is to watch Jesse Eisenberg in awkward situations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, February 03, 2021
Early in her career, Trina Wyatt launched the Tribeca Film Festival with Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal, and was the festival's Founding Director. She was a film producer and a studio executive before founding Conscious Good, a media company that produces and distributes entertainment aimed at raising people's consciousness. We spoke with Wyatt about CGOOD TV, which is a new streaming platform dedicated to conscious entertainment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, February 03, 2021
The Reckoning , directed by Neil Marshall ( Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Game of Thrones ) follows a woman named Grace (Charlotte Kirk) who loses her husband during a plague, becomes the target of her landlord's advances, and is accused of witchcraft when she rejects him. Then things get worse. Marshall and Kirk talk about whether real-life events motivated them to make a story about a witch hunt, whether they changed anything because of COVID-19, and what it's like to work with someone who is also your partner in life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, February 01, 2021
Fisher Stevens' career in film has spanned four decades as an actor, writer, producer, and director. His latest movie as a director is Palmer , a very good indie drama in which ex-con Palmer (Justin Timberlake) returns to the small Louisiana town where he grew up and, through a series of events, ends up caring for 7-year-old Sam (Ryder Allen), a boy who is bullied for liking princesses, dresses, and dolls. You can see Palmer now in select theaters and on Apple TV+. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, January 28, 2021
Richard Kelly released his debut feature Donnie Darko in 2001 when he was just 25 years old. Five years later he brought an unfinished version of his follow-up, a sprawling sci-fi dark comedy called Southland Tales , to the Cannes Film Festival. It didn't go well. Roger Ebert called it one of the worst screenings in Cannes history. Sony eventually released the finished cut of Kelly's movie, but barely promoted it and only distributed it to a handful of theaters. Southland Tales bombed and mostly fell out of the public's consciousness. But over the past few years, the movie began building a new audience and has now become a bonafide cult favorite. Kelly just released the "Cannes cut" of Southland Tales on Blu-ray—it's the first time this maligned version of the film has been officially released for a wide audience. We talked to Kelly about why he made the choice to release the cut, as well as his plans for the future of the Southland Tales universe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, January 27, 2021
For the third consecutive year, Albuquerque is the No. 1 Big City on MovieMaker's list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker. Nearby Santa Fe is No. 2 on the list of smaller cities and towns. How is the Land of Enchantment drawing powerhouses like Netflix and NBCUniversal? Alicia J. Keyes, Cabinet Secretar of New Mexico's Economic Development Department, tells us why they love it — and why you just might love it, too. She knows firsthand, after moving to New Mexico from California. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, January 22, 2021
Derek DelGaudio and Frank Oz stop by to talk about In & Of Itself , the film adaptation of their much beloved stage show. Frank Oz is a legendary director, an actor, and the puppeteer who brought to life characters like Yoda, Miss Piggy, and Grover. Derek DelGaudio is a storyteller, performance artist, and illusionist. He wrote In & Of Itself and has performed it onstage more than 700 times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, January 20, 2021
Veteran editor, director, and producer Sam Pollard joins us to discuss his new documentary, MLK/FBI , which examines the FBI's relentless surveillance of Martin Luther King, Jr. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover hoped to discredit MLK by uncovering and revealing details of the civil rights icon's private life. The surveillance campaign became Hoover's obsessive pursuit. The movie utilizes a trove of newly declassified documents, as well as a wealth of archival footage—much of which will be new to most viewers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, January 18, 2021
Travon Free is an acclaimed standup comedian who has won Emmys for The Daily Show and Full Frontal With Samantha Bee . But his debut film, Two Distant Strangers , is anything but funny. In a horrific twist on time-loop films like Groundhog Day and Palm Springs , Joey Bada$$ plays a man who keeps being racially profiled and shot by the same police officer. Free wrote the film and co-directs with Martin Desmond Roe. We talk about the impressive lengths Free went to to get hired on The Daily Show , how he wrote and filmed Two Distant Strangers during the pandemic, and why right now is the best time to start writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, January 15, 2021
Regina King's One Night in Miami imagines a historic night in 1964 when Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke and Cassius Clay (who will soon change his name to Muhammad Ali) gather together to celebrate one of Clay's biggest wins. But the gathering doesn't go as everyone expected. King takes us through her incredible career as an Oscar, Golden Globe, and four-time Emmy winner, with stories about watching films with John Singleton, a Tom Cruise prank on the set of Jerry Maguire, and learning how to play a cop. And she talks about her journey to directing her first feature — and the many breakthrough moments along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, January 08, 2021
In Pieces of a Woman , Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó and writer Kata Wéber explore their own tragedy, in the hopes that it will make it easier for other couples to heal. The film stars Vanessa Kirby as a woman who suffers a terrible loss, and includes a 24-minute birth scene astonishing in both its empathy and virtuosity. Mundruczó's explanation of whose point of view we're seeing adds another layer of emotion to a powerful, beautiful film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, January 07, 2021
Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent are the husband and wife duo behind Hidden Empire Film Group. The “first generation” moviemaker pair have worked together for 15 years and are entirely self-taught in the directing and producing realms. Their latest is Fatale , a throwback to the erotic thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s, which stars Hilary Swank as a femme fatale who snares a sports agent played by Michael Ealy in her web. Italian cinematographer Dante Spinotti ( Heat , L.A. Confidential ) bathes this noir version of Los Angeles in neon blues and violets. Also in this episode, Taylor describes the huge compliment he got from Dennis Quaid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, January 05, 2021
A few years ago, filmmakers Charles Beale and Jess Jacklin felt like the film festival circuit wasn't working for them, so they thought about what their perfect festival would look like — and then started it. It's called StudioFest, and it's already released one award-winning film. As you'll gather, Jess and Charles are incredibly transparent about what they're doing — and they get into a lot of specifics, and numbers, in their web series and podcast Demystified , presented by MovieMaker . You can submit a script or film to StudioFest.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, January 01, 2021
We talk to Hannah Olson about her new documentary, Baby God , which looks at Dr. Quincy Fortier, a fertility specialist who used his own sperm to impregnate patients without their consent or knowledge. The movie is focused on the effects that discovering this information has had on his many biological children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, December 24, 2020
We talk to Scott Barber, co-director of The Orange Years , a great documentary about the rise and enduring influence of Nickelodeon. What started as a local TV project in Columbus, Ohio became an international cultural phenomenon that forever changed the aesthetics and business of kids entertainment. The movie focuses on the story of Geraldine Laybourne, a former teacher who became the key executive and creative visionary behind the network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, December 22, 2020
We talked to the great Errol Morris about his latest documentary, My Psychedelic Love Story . The movie is built around two days' worth of interviews with Joanna Harcourt-Smith, a Swiss woman who dated Timothy Leary in the early '70s and whose life's adventures seemed to include every single interesting person and crazy thing that happened during that era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, December 18, 2020
Writer/director Tara Miele's new movie, Wander Darkly , stars Sienna Miller and Diego Luna as a couple with a new baby and a rocky relationship. A traumatic car accident sets off a story that ruminates on reality, memory, and how love changes over time. We talked to Miele about the events in her her own life that inspired the screenplay and how she's staying creative in challenging times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, December 16, 2020
The Glorias , the new Gloria Steinem biopic from Julie Taymor, features Alicia Vikander as the feminist hero in early life, and Julianne Moore in later life. We talked with Taymor about leaving home early, seeing (and learning) from people all over the world, and figuring out how to tell a story that spans decades, but remains urgent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, December 14, 2020
Director Jesse Dylan (whose films include How High and the Will Ferrell kids soccer comedy Kicking and Screaming ) sets out in his new film Soros to strip away the conspiracy theories and suspicion surrounding billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Dylan, host of the Jesse's Office podcast, also talks about the hardest parts of interviewing Soros, who doesn't like to sit down for questions, and how he conducts interviews in general. And he and host Eric Steuer discuss the nature of truth at a time when it's under constant attack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, December 11, 2020
In Archenemy , the new film from Adam Egypt Mortimer ( Daniel Isn't Real), Joe Manganiello plays Max Fist, a homeless alcoholic who may also be a former superhero. When an aspiring reporter names Hamster (Skylan Brooks) seeks out his story, he suddenly becomes invested in our world. We talk about Egypt, addiction, and how Manganiello narrowly losing out on his chance to play Deathstroke in the Ben Affleck Batman movie helped fire him up for Archenemy . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, December 09, 2020
Legion M bills itself as the first fan-owned entertainment company, and has invested in beloved films like Colossal and Mandy , as well as the upcoming Archenemy . But how does Legion M work, exactly? We talk with Legion M co-founders Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison about how you can get involved for zero dollars — or go all in – and the company's strategy to make money and return it to investors. Who knows? Maybe Joe Manganiello will drive your car in a movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, December 04, 2020
Dear Santa , the new film from Dana Nachman, reveals the secret team of helpers who make children's wishes come true. When a child sends a letter to 123 Elf Road North Pole, 88888 — or pretty much any address that comes close — the US Postal Service swings into action, gathering the letters and sharing them with an army of helpers who make children's wishes come true. You can become a helper here. In this episode, Nachman explains how she went from making films about dangerous chemicals and wrongful convictions to Batkid Begins and now Dear Santa — and how she makes sure her moving documentaries never get syrupy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, December 02, 2020
Collective director Alexander Nanau joins us to discuss his incredible new documentary about corruption in the wake of a deadly nightclub fire in Bucharest, Romania. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, November 25, 2020
Actors Michael Shannon and Jacob Alexander join us to talk about Echo Boomers, a new heist movie about a gang of millennials who lash out at the system by breaking into super rich people's houses and stealing expensive art. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, November 18, 2020
The Cucalorus Film Festival , out of Wilmington, North Carolina (home of David Lynch's Blue Velvet !) is a film festival that loves inclusion — but not competition. In this episode, chief instigating officer Dan Brawley and host and curator Aaron Hillis talk about the origins of the festival, how to get into it, and how to watch some fantastically weird movies from Hillis' secret vault, for free. You can watch Wednesday, Nov. 18's Secret Convulsions screening here . And Sunday, Nov. 22's Secret Convulsions screening here . Plus: Listen to Dan Delgado's The Industry podcast for more on Jamaa Fanaka and Cannon Films . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, November 13, 2020
The Half of It director Alice Wu says her Netflix hit — imagine an '80s teen comedy with a gay Chinese-American girl as the hero — came from her college relationship with a straight guy. "In best friendships, there is kind of a romance in it," she says. Her effort to understand the complicated feelings around that dynamic were the first seeds of the film. Wu, who enrolled in MIT at age 16, talks about growing up in the Bay Area before it was a tech Mecca, red states and blue states, and the years she spent attending a Mormon church even though she wasn't Mormon. She also explains why she didn't set the film in the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, November 05, 2020
Let Him Go , the new film from Thomas Bezucha, stars Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as George and Margaret, a couple who travel from Montana to North Dakota to retrieve their grandson from a notorious family called the Weboys. Bezucha talks about how he came across the source material of the film, how this film feels a little bit to him like a sequel to Costner's The Bodyguard , and why he never considered working with CGI fire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, November 03, 2020
Amy Seimetz’s second feature film, She Dies Tomorrow , is about a young woman named Amy (Kate Lyn Sheil) who holds the inescapable certainty that she will die in one day. When she confides in her friend Jane (Jane Adams), the prophecy begins to spread, igniting a chain reaction of existential dread. Seimetz knew she wanted to bring her characteristic "dark sense of humor" to the film, and bend genre conventions. That meant shooting it in chunks, and funding it herself. "I didn't want to have to answer questions about what it was going to be," she says. "I was the only person that I was answering to." She Dies Tomorrow is now available on demand. You can email your host, Eric Steuer, at eric@moviemaker.com with feedback and guests you'd love to hear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, October 30, 2020
His House , the bold new Netflix horror film from writer-director Remi Weekes, is a very scary haunted house story that is also a moving and empathetic story about immigration. It stars Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣhop-pe Dìrísù as a couple who flee war in South Sudan, and make a harrowing escape to the UK. But there, they encounter new horrors. Weekes also talks about debuting at Sundance and the short films that helped him hone his craft as a filmmaker. He co-founded Tell No One, a production company that emphasized experimentation and always trying to create something new. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 29, 2020
Ashland, Oregon is a small-town film mecca that draws Hollywood expats with its mix of a thriving film scene, proximity to big cities, and sprawling wide open spaces. This year, Southern Oregon's Ashland Independent Film Festival has persevered and innovated through not only a pandemic, but fires that have destroyed homes and blackened acreage surrounding a beautiful town in the foothills of two mountain ranges. AIFF artistic director Richard Herskowitz told us about what's its like to live in Ashland now, and how the festival has made positive changes that will outlast this tough year. You can also watch videos from the festival on its YouTube channel , and learn more on the Ashland Independent Film Festival website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, October 28, 2020
12 Hour Shift writer-director Brea Grant ( Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Dexter ) set her horror comedy in the late '90s because she wanted to portray a time when people spoke their minds a little more — and were more susceptible to urban legends. The film follows a gruff Arkansas nurse (Angela Bettis) with a tidy side hustle as an organ harvester. But one night, things start to go wrong, cops start sniffing around, and loyalties are tested. Y2K lurks in the near future. She talks with us about her Masters in American studies, bookmarks, and whether nurses think her characters are too rude. Here's her podcast, Reading Glasses . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, October 27, 2020
Radium Girls , co-directed by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler and starring Joey King, is based on the true story of a group of young female factory workers in the 1920s who worked with radium — which was seen at the time as an almost miraculous element. But the women soon began developing mysterious, terrible illnesses. After a medical mystery — that included a misdiagnosis of syphilis for some of the victims — the women banded together to fight for their health, safety and rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 22, 2020
Jim Cummings is the writer director and star of The Wolf of Snow Hollow, in which a small mountain town is hit by a series of killings that seem like the work of a wolf. Or is it a werewolf? The film stars Cummings as a deputy in meltdown, and Robert Forster plays the head of the department in one of his final roles. Cummings talks about how he broke into DIY indie filmmaking, how he mines real-life public freakouts for laughs, and the movies that Forster recommend to an unsuspecting co-star before his death last year. Watch StudioFest's Demystified Jim Cummings Q&A here about how to stop making excuses, and start making your film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, October 19, 2020
Brandon Cronenberg looked to real life horror — from data mining to election meddling — to inspire the sci-fi/horror hybrid Possessor . Andrea Riseborough stars as Tasya Vos, a woman who carries out assassinations by taking control of other people's bodies using brain-implant technology. Cronenberg talks to Eric Steuer about how his team used practical effects because skin and blood are particularly difficult to achieve realistically through CGI. He also talks about the real-life scientist who carried out experiments similar to those in Possessor . And he explains how at one point Christopher Abbott plays Andrea Riseborough's character playing him. If you like this episode, please subscribe and review us, and follow @EricSteuer and @MovieMakerMag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, October 13, 2020
Yellow Rose , from director Diane Paragas, is about a Filipina girl who fell in love with country music while growing up in Texas. But her dreams of music stardom come under threat when her mother, who is undocumented, is taken in the night by an ICE raid. Like her protagonist, Paragas grew up Filipina-American in Texas. To tell the story of Rose Garcia (played by Eva Noblezada), she relied on her firsthand experience and research that included visits to ICE detention facilities. She shot the film amid the Trump Administration's policy of separating families at the border. And as timely as her film is, she tells host Eric Steuer that she's had the idea for Yellow Rose for 15 years. Yellow Rose is in theaters now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, October 09, 2020
Radha Blank is the writer, director and star of The 40-Year-OId version, about a struggling playwright who is determined to make it by age 40 — and does. But as a rapper. Under the name RadhaMUSprime, she raps bluntly about aging, sexuality, and her back pain. The film is a throwback to the '90s rap videos of Digable Planets, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest, among others, as well as the classic New York black-and-white indie films Blank grew up with. The film, executive produced by Lena Waithe, is now streaming on Netflix. Here's her article about how and when to write for the new issue of MovieMaker Magazine . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 08, 2020
Gregory Kallenberg says COVID-19 has forever changed indie filmmaking — in some ways for the better. The founder and executive director of the Louisiana Film Prize, which is in the process of awarding $25,000 to the best short film shot this year in Louisiana, says filmmakers have gotten more personal than ever before. He also talks about his Austin roots, how a documentary led him to Louisiana, and how the idea for the Louisiana Film Prize is expanding. You can watch this year's entries — and vote — here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, October 07, 2020
Director Jenny Popplewell made a strong decision for her Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door : She didn't care about the killer. She didn't want to understand how Chris Watts' mind worked, or explain his rationale for the atrocious crime he committed: murdering his wife, Shanann Watts, and their two young daughters, Bella and CeCe. Eschewing interviews and re-enactments, Popplewell's documentary only uses pre-existing footage, such as police body cams, security cameras, and especially Shanann Watts' own videos. She meticulously recorded her family's life, and her family allowed Popplewell to share footage recovered from her laptop and phone so that she can share her own story through the film. American Murder: The Family Next Door is about Shanann Watts and the life she fought for, not the man who ended it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, October 01, 2020
Action Park was a northern New Jersey water park, open from the 1970s through 1990s, where many kids had their first kiss, their first beer, their first taste of adventure. But as Class Action Park directors Chris Scott and Seth Porges tell interviewer Eric Steuer, it was also a place where dangerous, poorly designed rides and waterslides resulted in many kids being injured, and even caused a few deaths. When people over 40 say kids today could never do the things they did "when we were growing up," one of the reasons for that is places like Action Park—a wonderland of danger that also became a wonderland for personal injury attorneys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, September 25, 2020
Film critic Glenn Kenny went to see a struggling Martin Scorsese at his New York office around Christmas 1989, and found him working on a new, tabloid TV-inspired gangster movie about a mobster named Henry Hill. The film, of course, became Goodfellas , one of the greatest movies of all time. To mark its 30th anniversary, Kenney just released the excellent Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas . Treat yourself to it right here . In this episode, Kenny quickly wins us over with a reference to the classic SNL sketch "The Chris Farley Show," then shares stories of the tough spot Scorsese was in as he made Goodfellas ; the gangster who connects Goodfellas , The Godfather and Green Book ; and talking with Scorsese again a few days after The Irishman 's Oscars shutout. Also, the Tom Cruise and Madonna idea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, September 18, 2020
Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, writers and directors Antebellum, left luxury advertising years ago to focus on films that can make a difference. Antebellum , they explain, is intended to move not just audiences, but voters. The film, starring Janelle Monae, is one of many politically and historically aware projects they have in the works. We can't tell you much of anything about the film without some major spoilers, but as the trailer shows, it merges images of modern life with the horrors of slavery. They talk this episode about why we still need movies about slavery, and why Antebellum isn't to be confused with Octavia Butler's Kindred . And I can't tell you how many times I've erased and re-recorded that line because I'm so uncomfortab Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, September 16, 2020
Years ago, filmmaker Alan Bailey's friend Charlotte married an airline pilot. She died, tragically, and Alan thought it would be a good idea to make a documentary about "Christian," the widowed pilot, searching for love on Tinder. That movie turned into the new documentary DTF. Because Christian had no intention of finding love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, September 14, 2020
Boys State , the compulsively watchable new documentary from Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, follows four boys who run for governor in a mock-government program sponsored by the American Legion. Their competition comes to resemble a real political race thanks to sometimes disingenuous candidates, dubious internet memes, and even impeachment talk. Guest host Eric Steuer talks with McBaine and Moss about how the conservative Texas boys surprised them, and how a new generation of boys is coming to change the white, Republican 1950s look of Boys State . Among the surprises they discovered: The boys of Boys State often reject political parties outright, and win power through empathy, not alpha-male strong-arm tactics. Boys State is now streaming on Apple TV+. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, September 11, 2020
Climate of the Hunter director Mickey Reece never considered a move to Hollywood. A musician-turned-indie filmmaker, he started making at least two low-budget films a year, on average, with a cadre of friends from around Oklahoma City. "I'm just hanging out with people who are into the same things as me," he says. "It's like playing in a band." Reece has a wonderful way with understatement. His hangouts have produced a catalogue of films now gaining attention from revered film festivals like Fantasia Fest, Fantastic Fest, and Nashville — as well as TIFF Midnight Madness. ce has done everything outside of the Hollywood system since starting as a filmmaker in 2008, he hasn't encountered anyone along the way to reject him. Family responsibilities kept him in Oklahoma City, so he never considered a move to Los Angeles or New York. Instead, he relies on a loyal, talented cadre of actors, none of them big names, who gather together to make movies on a shoestring. They showed their movies at music venues, then at the Oklahoma Contemporary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, September 03, 2020
Charlie Kaufman's new film I'm Thinking of Ending Things returns to two of his most familiar subjects: the struggle to communicate clearly, and the failures of memory. "Obviously, we live in memory, and it's essential to our sense of self — to our understanding of the world and our understanding of ourselves — and it is elusive and it is inaccurate," he says. But Kaufman explains how inaccuracies in memory can help us create new ideas. The writer of Being John Malkovich , Adaptation , and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, who wrote and directed Synecdoche, New York and Anomalisa , also explains why he doesn't have a writing routine, and discusses his directorial decisions on I'm Thinking of Ending Things . He also talks, at length, about the value of long walks, while carrying a notebook, and walking in Los Angeles vs. New York. Charlie Kaufman and managing editor Caleb Hammond also discuss the last time they fell down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, September 01, 2020
Fugitive Dreams , the new film from Jason Neulander, is an allegorical road movie that follows two homeless people across a timeless American landscape. It touches on mental health, addiction — and love. Primarily black and white, the film is intended as a kind of Waiting for Godot . A large section of it takes place on board a train, and we talked with Neulander about all the challenges that that entailed. The film, which stars April Matthis, Robbie Tann, Scott Shepherd, O-Lan Jones and David Patrick Kelly, just premiered at Montreal's Fantasia Fest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, August 21, 2020
Chemical Hearts star and executive producer Lili Reinhart and writer-director Richard Tanne set out to make a quiet, meaningful high school film that isn't bubbly or past for short attention spans. The result is a teenage love story for introverts. In the film, based on a novel by Krystal Sutherland, a high school senior named Henry (played by Austin Abrams) is assigned to edit the school paper with a new student named Grace (Reinhart), who walks with a cane, dresses in typically male clothing, and doesn't like to talk about her past. They gain each other's trust slowly, in silences as much as through words. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, August 19, 2020
Spree director and co-writer Eugene Kotlyarenko says there's thing we all have in common: "We wake up in the morning, and we kind of look at our phones first thing to see if we got any notifications, any sort of news that could be pertinent to how much people care about us, right? It’s the perfect sort of like narcissism-like reflection machine. And it gives us dopamine hits we need to make us feel loved.” Spree examines the extreme lengths some of us will go to in search of that love — while mocking lead character Kurt (Joe Keery) for his attempts to impose his narrative on everyone around him, especially a successful comedian named Jessie (Sasheer Zamata.) We also talk about critics getting it wrong, Paul Verhoeven, and lone-wolf shooters with dumb manifestos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, August 14, 2020
Before the Fire director Charlie Buhler and writer-star Jenna Lyng Adams didn't have millions of dollars for their sci-fi drama, but they did have access to a few things they knew could be very cinematic — planes, Humvees, a farm, and a house that needed burning down. In the purest DIY, indie filmmaking fashion, they reverse-engineered Adams' script, using what they had. And ended up predicting COVID-19. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 31, 2020
Daryl Davis is a Black musician who befriends white supremacists to try to get them to give up their old ways. He's led more than 200 to renounce racism, and more than 50 Klansmen have surrendered their robes to him. Years ago, he was playing piano in a Maryland truck stop when a man who turned out to be a Klansman said Davis was the first Black man he'd ever heard who could play like Jerry Lee Lewis. Davis corrected him, asking: "Where do you think Jerry Lee Lewis learned to play?" He's been educating racist ever since. Davis has gotten criticism for engaging with racists. but in this podcast, he explains to writer Greg Gilman that one of his goals is to prevent lone-wolf attacks, like the one carried out by Dylan Roof in a South Carolina church in 2015. Davis is the focus of Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America , a documentary by Matthew Orenstein now playing on Amazon Prime. You can read Greg's profile of him here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 24, 2020
The Rental , the directorial debut from actor Dave Franco, is about two couples who find a beautiful vacation rental that isn't as idyllic as it seems. There's a very engrossing build in the script, when things get almost impossibly suspenseful, and one of the reasons it's so effective is because of Dan Stevens and Sheila Vand, our guests today. They bring a grounded, can't-look-away dynamic to the film. Vand ( Argo, A Girl Walks Home at Night, Triple Frontier ) and Stevens ( Downton Abbey, Beauty and the Beast , Eurovision Song Contest) also talk about the racial dynamics of The Rental , surveillance, and bro culture, among other subjects. And they talk about their interest in becoming directors themselves, The Rental also stars Alison Brie and Jeremy Allen White, and it's now in select theaters and drive-ins, and on demand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 10, 2020
Gina Prince-Bythewood broke through as a director 20 years ago with Love & Basketball , which us returning to drive-ins this summer. But she'd always wanted to make an action movie, and finally did it with Netflix's The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron as the leader of a band of warriors trying to do good in the modern world. Spoiler alert: They're hundreds of years old. We talk about how Hollywood is all about overcoming no, and how working with one Marvel team — Cloak & Dagger — may lead her to another — the Black Cat and Silver Sable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, July 08, 2020
Joe and Anthony Russo are the hosts of Russo Brothers Pizza Fillm School — and the directors of Avengers: Endgame , the biggest movie ever. The Russo Brothers talk to us this episode about how the 1980 cult film Flash Gordon helped inspire them through a tough time for their hometown, Cleveland,. They also talk about how the film's very unconventional middle section made an impression that informed the cliffhanger ending of Avengers: Infinity War . The Russos also discuss their new ABGO production, Relic , and their efforts to helped underrepresented people break into film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, July 03, 2020
Werner Herzog has directed more than 70 films, but Family Romance LLC is the first he's directed in Japanese, a language he doesn't speak. The film is about a real-life Japanese company, Family Romance LLC, that rents out fathers and other loved ones to families in need. Herzog himself was fatherless from a very young age, but he says that isn't what attracted him to Family Romance LLC. In fact, he says, he and his brother appreciated not having a father. He also tells fathers how to talk with their children, tells moms how to get their sons to get rid of their motorcycles, and endorses this viral video. If you like this one, share it with someone in your family, real or imaginary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, July 02, 2020
David Dobkins got back to his roots for Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, in which Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams play an Icelandic musical duo who dream of winning Europe's continent-wide annual music competition. Dobkins got his first directing job on the video for Tupac Shakur's video for "I Get Around," and went on to shoot the Ridley Scott-produced Clay Pigeons , his debut film. From there, he worked with Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan on Shanghai Knights before scoring a massive hit with Wedding Crashers . Eurovision reunites him with McAdams, who plays Sigrit, one-half of the group Fire Saga. Dobkins said he had one rule when he signed on to Eurovision : "The music's gotta be great." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, June 19, 2020
Babyteeth, the new film from Shannon Murphy, sneaks up on you. The film follows Milla, a seriously ill teenager played by Eliza Scanlen, who falls for a small-time drug dealer and pill poppr named Moses — played by Toby Wallace, who perfectly captures the too-beautiful-for-this world charisma of so many addicts with a gravitational pull on those around them. Milla's parents are played by the excellent Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn. Babyteeth is based on a play by Rita Kalnejais, who also wrote the script. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, June 12, 2020
With You Don't Nomi , filmmaker Jeffrey McHale uses thoughtful voiceover and deft editing to take Showgirls seriously. Is Paul Verhoeven's 1995 bomb, starring a very committed Elizabeth Berkley as aspiring topless dancer Nomi Malone, truly as bad as critics claimed at the time? Or is it a misunderstood satire? Or both? Whatever the case may be, McHale shows how Showgirls belongs now to its audience — who embrace it for its camp, its wildness, and an LGBTQ message that many have found after the fact. He's made a documentary about Showgirls that is superior to Showgirls itself, but has empathy and respect for everyone involved, especially Berkley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, June 05, 2020
Becky stars Lulu Wilson as a 13-year-old battling neo-Nazi prison escapees led by a very awful guy plays by Kevin James. It's not for everyone. We talked with directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion about what kinds of conversations you need to have when your lead actor is a child surrounded by cinematic gore. If you like this episode, or even if you don't, consider giving to these charities . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 22, 2020
"At the Drive-In," the new documentary from our guest Alexander Monelli, is about a band of movie lovers who saved a local drive-in. At the start of the story, the Mahoning Drive-In theater in Leighton, Pennsylvania, is dying because it can't afford a new $50,000 digital projector. Then a group of young movie lovers sweep in and start showing classic movies — often while dressed as their favorite characters — and the parking lot starts drawing more and more cars. One of them belongs to Mark Nelson, our other guest, who drives more than six hours every weekend to get to the Mahoning from his home in New Hampshire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 15, 2020
Today our guest is Kyle MacLachlan, one of our favorite actors ever. He's one of the stars of Capone , in which Tom Hardy plays legendary gangster Alphone Capone, rendered almost helpless by the syphilis that racked his body and brain in his later years. Much has been made of how supposedly weird Capone is, with its extended fantasy sequences, courtesy of writer-director Josh Trank. But in terms of Kyle MacLachlan movies, this one's pretty straightforward. He's a master at playing committed, decent good guys surrounded by decadence and mystery. Which is why it's so fun to see him as compromised characters like the one he plays in Capone . We had a nice chat about the film, his career from Dune to Twin Peaks , and what he talks about with his friend David Lynch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 08, 2020
Blood Quantum , from writer-director Jeff Barnaby, is a crackling zombie set on tribal land — where indigenous people are immune from whatever is turning white people into zombies. It works as a straight-ahead, cheerfully grisly horror movie, or as a meditation on colonialism and capitalism. In this episode, Jeff discusses his influences, from Evil Dead to Night of the Living Dead , and how he used and reversed traditional zombie movie tropes. (He also points out some symbolism in Robocop you might have missed.) And he explains the concept of Blood Quantum , which the U.S. government created in an effort to limit tribal membership. Barnaby explains that it was a "long-term erasure policy" designed to erase indigenous people from society. "The idea behind it is, less Indians, less treaties to honor," he explained. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 06, 2020
The late screenwriter Blake Snyder famously originated a concept called Save the Cat to describe the moment when a film's protagonist wins viewers over — when he or she saves a cat, for example. The creators of the new horror film 1BR are well-aware of the Save the Cat concept, and rejected it in almost every way possible. If you've seen the trailer for 1BR , (and if not, a minor spoiler ensues) you know that it's about a young woman named Sarah (Nicole Brydon Bloom) who moves into a new apartment complex with extremely strict rules. She sneaks in a cat, in defiance of a no-pet policy, and the punishment is harsh — for Sarah and the cat. From there, things spin out, as they often do when neighbors band together in pursuit of utopia. 1BR writer-director David Marmor and producer Alok Mishra join us for the latest MovieMaker Interviews to talk about, among other things, why they rejected Save the Cat so strongly. Here's an insane story Alok wrote for MovieMaker.com about how the film overcame fire, a late-night truck theft, and many other obstacles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, April 28, 2020
We're in the golden age of online film festivals: For the first time, movie lovers can watch brand-new, lovingly curated films from the comfort of home, without having to look for parking, stand in line, or beg for tickets. Are we looking for the bright side in a sad situation? Well, yeah. But if you're going to watch — or host — an online film festival, you'll want to be conscious of these online film festival dos and don'ts. Festivals are doing their best to make the viewing experience as great as possible, but our guests on the latest MovieMaker Interviews podcast have learned a little bit about what works and what doesn't. They are Wendy Eidson of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival , one of the first to go online this year; Melanie Addington of the Oxford Film Festival , which is presenting new films weekly, and Michael Cain of EarthxFilm , which just wrapped. We hope you enjoy the episode, and come away with some good ideas about how to support independent film, and film festivals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 24, 2020
Extraction is the best action movie of the year. Granted, it's a weird year. But even in a normal one, it's hard to imagine a more impressive sequence that the 12-minute, seemingly continuous shot in Extraction in which Chris Hemsworth leads a young boy through unbelievable carnage, unbelievably quickly, doing stunts that would be impressive even with lots of editing and fixes in post. The reason that sequence is possible is our guest today, Sam Hargrave, who makes his directorial debut with Extraction . He came to directing by way of being a stuntman, working his way through the Marvel Universe, where he doubled for Chris Evans as Captain America, created some of the MCU's best fight sequences, and impressed the Russo Brothers enough that they offered him Extraction. I also ask him some things I've always wondered, like: How do you become a stuntman? And can Chris Hemsworth, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron fight in real life? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, April 22, 2020
When Rachel Mason was growing up in West Hollywood in the 1980s, her parents, Karen and Barry Mason, went to work each day at a bookstore — but not any bookstore. It was Circus of Books, which became an iconic LGBTQ location by selling erotica, magazines and sex toys at a time when homophobia ran rampant. At one point, her parents became targets of a Reagan Administration hellbent on locking people up over porn. They're the subject of her fascinating new documentary, Circus of Books . In this episode, she talks about her nice, normal parents, meeting Larry Flynt, and how Ryan Murphy became an executive producer of Circus of Books, which is now streaming on Netflix. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 10, 2020
We Summon the Darkness and My Friend Dahmer , two of prolific director Marc Meyers latest films, unfurl almost opposite takes on serial killers. Dahmer is a sober, anti-sensationalist exploration of how a confused teen became a reviled cannibal. Darkness turns a Satanic Panic-era killing spree into a headbangers' ball of dark comedy. Meyers, as you can probably guess, has a lot of range. We Summon the Darkness opens with three young women (Alexandra Daddario, Maddie Hasson and Amy Forsyth) road-tripping to a metal show in Indiana in the 1980s. The radio mentions a string of Satanic murders, they meet three boys in the metal show parking lot, and things happen. Johnny Knoxville turns up as the voice of the religious right. We're keeping things deliberately vague, and this episode contains no significant spoilers. You're probably wondering if we also talk about Jeffrey Dahmer, the Midwestern murderer who kept victims' body parts in his freezer. We sure do. Here are highlight of the interview, with timestamps: 3:00: Interview with Marc Meyers begins 5:20: We talk about the short documentary "Heavy Metal Parking Lot," one of the influences on We Summon the Darkness . 10:00: The Satanic Panic "did feel really real at the time." 10:45: Guns N Roses are to Slayer as alcohol is to heroin? 13:00: Writing and directing vs. writing. 15:00: Marc Meyers on proving My Friend Dahmer wasn't just another serial killer movie: "We had to almost make the movie to prove it as a concept." 16:30: Are kids less mean than they were in the 1970s and '80s? 22:00: How teenage Jeffrey Dahmer went wrong. 23:20: A very subtle spoiler about We Summon the Darkness . 23:50: Very subtle spoiler ends. 24:45: How things are going with our big, not-by-choice video-on-demand experiment. 28:00: Will COVID-19 recalibrate what we consider dramatic? 30:00: Shout out to Richard Linklater. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, April 07, 2020
If you're getting through our global quarantine by playing video games, you're in good company: Alexandre Amancio, the former Ubisoft artistic director who headed up on Assassin's Creed: Revealations and Assassin's Creed: Unity , has been playing with fans online. Amancio spoke to us for the latest MovieMaker Interviews podcast, where he talked about his new company, Reflector Entertainment, and telling stories across platforms. He also told us that fans have hit him up on Twitter to play Assassin's Creed , and that he's obliged. He's also engaged with a few about their Assassin's Creed fan theories. Here's a breakdown of the episode, with timestamps: 3:15: Interview with Alexandre Amancio begins 4:15: How video games help people get out of their heads during lockdown. "It's a way to travel outside of your home even if you are confined." 5:24: How Assassin's Creed fans have contacted him to play. 9:30: Rethinking the idea of storytelling. 13:50: Let's talk about Kodak. 21:00: Let's talk about Dr. Mario vs. Assassin's Creed 29:00: How his company, Reflector, is building a "new, realistic world." 31:30: What we can all learn from John Wick . 33:00: How to build a world: "You can't decide to do something because you've done market research. ... That always yields something that lacks soul." 40:00: How Alexandre Amancio partnered with the founder of Cirque de Soleil. 42:30: How bilingualism fuels creative thinking. You can read Alexandre Amancio discussing his Storyworld concept in the latest issue of MovieMaker Magazine , available this month. You can subscribe here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, March 20, 2020
Paul Scheer is one of the best people on screen ( Black Monday ! The Disaster Artist !) and in podcasting ( Unspooled ! How Did This Get Made ?) This week, he talks us through this crazy situation we're all in — and about how talking and a sense of humor will keep us sane. He's hosting a live episode of Unspooled with Amy Nicholson on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 ET on Earwolf's YouTube channel , and also a group watch of Showtime's Black Monday o n Sunday at 10/9c. Follow him for details at @paulscheer. He's also texting (this not to a paid thing) a nightly watch list with people who send “picks” to 917-877-0657. I'm @timamolloy. I'm the editor of MovieMaker.com. Visit us! Finally: This is the trailer for the amazing Flooded With Love for the Kid by Zack Oberzan. Thank you Juan Carlos Montoya for showing it to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 21, 2020
Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler says when he first released images of Sonic — and fans savaged them online — he wallowed through “a good hour of feeling sorry for myself.” But only one hour. Then he got back to work, and made changes that led to a massive hit. He says in the latest MovieMaker Interviews podcast that Sony and Paramount, the film’s distributor, quickly agreed that they needed to make the fans happy. “The fact that the message was so clear really made our job kind of easy. There almost was no debate: We need to fix this. We need fans to love this and be in our corner. So it actually ended up being really simple, if a little challenging at the time,” Fowler said. Fowler also talked to us about his openness to a Sonic the Hedgehog sequel, potentially expanding Sonic into a cinematic Segaverse, and what he learned from Deadpool director Tim Miller, who was Fowler’s boss at Blur Studio before Fowler spun off into making Sonic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 07, 2020
"Horse Girl," now in theaters and on Netflix, stars Alison Brie as a young woman who loves horses.That's as much as we can tell you without ruining the film, which Brie and director Jeff Baena co-wrote. Spoilers follow. The film, which premiered at Sundance last week, isn't what it at first appears to be. Baena doesn't care about genre or classification. What he and Brie do care about is committing completely to the perspective of their main character, Sarah, as she begins to question her perception of reality — and wonders if she's severely mentally ill, or one of the only people on earth who understands a dark truth. Here are highlights of the episode, with time stamps: 2:00: Alison Brie and Jeff Baena interview begins. 2:45: How the film suffered from skepticism and misunderstandings, and how the Duplass brothers helped make it a reality. 3:40: How much did Jeff Baena and Alison Brie want the film to be open to interpretation? 4:20: Alison Brie: "We certainly designed it so that upon multiple viewings people might pick up a little bit more of what we feel like is the through-line to the story." 5:30: "A major crux of the film is how terrible it can be to not be able to trust your own mind." 7:10: A tech issue arises and is handled in a humorous fashion. 10:30: "I feel like genre's kind of like the bumpers at a bowling alley..." 12:28: What is a horse girl, exactly? 14:50: Your host is scared of horses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, February 07, 2020
Christina Hodson, writer of Birds of Prey and Bumblebee, talks to us about what makes the Clockwork Orange- influenced girl gang movie tick. She also talks about the Lucky Exports Pitch Program (LEPP) in which she and Margot Robbie's Lucky Chap Entertainment helped six female writers break into the action genre. She also talks about mapping out fight scenes with some help from YouTube and True Romance, and says absolutely nothing about the possibility of a Wonder Woman-Harley Quinn crossover. Here are some highlights, with timestamps: 2:00: Interview begins with fond memories of carsickness. 2:34: How Hodson and Robbie set out to tell a different kind of comic-book story. 3:45: Let's compare Harley Quinn and Heath Ledger's Joker. 5:45: The benefits of collaboration. 7:00: How the Lucky Exports Pitch Program works. 9:50: The charms of Bumblebee . 12:00: How much does Birds of Prey fit into the DC Universe? 14:30: "No comment" 16:10: Why are female directors better represented in comic-book movies — this year — than in movies overall? 19:00: "I love writing action and I love writing specificity in action. To me, you can tell so much about a character by the way they fight." 26:00: Callbacks! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, January 27, 2020
Promising Young Woman stars Carey Mulligan as a young woman who goes to nightclubs and acts too drunk to stand. When nice guys take her home, they realize she isn't as helpless as she seems — and that they aren't very nice. That's just scratching the surface of the wickedly funny, brilliant Sundance debut for writer-director Emerald Fennell, who tells us she designed the film to feel like a great first date gone terrible awry. Fennell is an actress and novelist as well as a screenwriter-director -- she plays Camilla on The Crown -- and you know Mulligan from films like Never Let Me Go , Shame , The Great Gatsby and Suffragette . They talk with us about the confectionary look of the film, how they first met, and why films directed by women overcome a level of quality control that films directed by men sometimes don't. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, January 23, 2020
Three Christs director Jon Avnet has one of the most impressive IMDb pages in Hollywood: He produced films from Risky Business to Black Swan , and has worked with everyone from Tom Cruise to Joan Didion. He's also faced a lot of rejection — and figured out how to get past it. Three Christs , which Avnet co-wrote as well as directed, stars Richard Gere as a psychologist in the 1950s trying to treat three schizophrenic men who all believe themselves to be Jesus Christ. They’re played by Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins and Bradley Whitford. In the new MovieMaker Interviews podcast, Avnet talks about why he wanted to get the mostly true story to the screen, and what he learned in the process. He also gives an amazing crash course on Hollywood perseverance, and gives inside accounts of projects from Risky Business to FX's Justified to Up Close and Personal , the film he directed that starred Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer and was written by John Gregory Dunne and Didion. And he tells us about his gift for getting people who shut him down professionally to change their minds. As we spoke Avnet was hard at work on Four Good Days, a film he’s producing that is directed by Rodrigo Garcia. It stars Mila Kunis as a woman dealing with addiction, and Glenn Close as her mother, who is trying to help her. It premieres this Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival. Here are highlights of the episode, with timestamps: 2:00 : Interview begins, with a discussion of Three Christs . 5:20: Here's how much Jon Avnet likes research. 13:30: Working with Joan Didion and John Griffin Dunne on Up Close and Personal . 23:30: Let's talk about Tom Cruise's Risky Business underwear slide. 26:55: A few words about perseverance: "Most people who do what I do deal with rejection all the time." 28:00 : "Don't say no — say maybe." 31:55: Dealing with critics: "You got to make the movie. They didn't." 36:30: "Jump in the steam of life and maybe you'll go down the river a little bit." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, January 15, 2020
Before the age of 30, Rishi Rajani rose to become president of Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad Productions, the company that brought you Queen & Slim and BET's Boomerang and Twenties , among other projects. In this episode, he talks about how Hillman Grad wants to help other people break into Hollywood—especially underrepresented creators who want to make protest art. He also talks about how he worked his way up from the mailroom, and why, in 2020, the mailroom still matters. Because Rajani climbed the rungs himself, he knows how hard it is—and he has a bold idea for how to end the problem of rich kids getting all the best Hollywood internships and other opportunities. Look for our full profile of Ranjani in the upcoming issue of MovieMaker Magazine , which also profiles LuckyChap Entertainment, the company founded by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Sophia Kerr and Josey McNamara. Here are highlights from our interview with Rishi Rajani, with timestamps: 1:50 : Rishi Rajani interview begins. 2:00 : We talk about The 40-Year-Old Version , Radha Blank's debut film, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. 3:45: Rishi Rajani talks about his job interview with Lena Waithe. 4:00: "Bringing other people up... has really been the core mandate of everything we do." 5:40 : How an unsuccessful collaboration ultimately got Rajani his job. 9:30: "If you're truly going to be supporting younger voices, you have to get their stuff made." 11:30 : His Malawi-born father's love of American Westerns. 15:50 : Let's talk about overcoming nepotism. 19:00 : The rich-intern problem, and how Hillman Grad wants to fix it. 21:00 : How high you have to score on The Black List to draw Hillman Grad's attention. 31:30 : Let's talk about Queen & Slim . 34:00 : His advice for people who want to produce movies. 36:35: Why working your way up from the mailroom is no joke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, January 11, 2020
Director Destin Daniel Cretton had no choice but to make sure Just Mercy , his Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx death row drama, was very accurate: Cretton says Bryan Stevenson, who inspired the film, "was constantly keeping us in check in the best way." Stevenson's memoir, Just Mercy, describes his efforts to save Walter McMillian, a man who was wrongly convicted of murder in 1988. Jordan plays Stevenson, and Foxx plays McMillian. 1:36: Destin Daniel Cretton interview begins. 2:10: How Bryan Stevenson's memoir, Just Mercy , affected him 3:10: How Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx got involved 3:44: How working with at-risk kids helped lead to a career in Hollywood 5:40: How he met Ryan Coogler, and Coogler quickly connected him with Michael B. Jordan: "He put me on hold and when he reconnected me, Michael B. Jordan was on the line." 7:00: How Jamie Foxx joined Just Mercy . 8:30: The moment when he knew the movie was working. 10:30: Why he stuck close to the facts. We had to stick close to the facts because Bryan Stevenson was working closely with us every step of the way and making sure that we were telling a story that would resonate not only with an audience but would resonate with lawyers who are doing this type of work, that would resonate with people on death row who are going through this process, and would resonate with the clients and the people who are in this story, some of which are still alive, or their relatives are still alive. Bryan cared deeply about all of that, and was constantly keeping us in check in the best way. Accuracy was definitely important so that when they watch this movie, people can understand what it really takes. This isn't a made-up version of what it takes to prove somebody's innocence. This is the long process that is in place right now in our system." We talked with Cretton about Just Mercy , how working with at-risk youth shared his whole Hollywood career, and his upcoming Marvel movie, Shang-Chi . Here are highlights, with timestamps: 1:36: Destin Daniel Cretton interview begins. 2:10: How Bryan Stevenson's memoir, Just Mercy , affected him 3:10: How Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx got involved 3:44: How working with at-risk kids helped lead to a career in Hollywood. 5:40: How he met Ryan Coogler, and Coogler quickly connected him with Michael B. Jordan: "He put me on hold and when he reconnected me, Michael B. Jordan was on the line." 7:00: How Jamie Foxx joined Just Mercy . 8:30: T
Thu, December 26, 2019
The Lighthouse was one of Willem Dafoe's biggest acting challenges: Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are onscreen for almost every second of Robert Eggers' film, shot in harsh weather on a barely hospitable stretch of the North Atlantic. But Dafoe says in our interview that he delighted in the challenge of having nowhere to hide. Then we talk with Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, whose film The Mustang is one of the most underrated of 2019. The Mustang stars Matthias Schoenaerts as a Nevada prison inmate whose life is changed when he joins a program to train wild horses. Among other things, she talks about why "cinema is to be seen in cinema." Here are highlights of the episode, with timestamps: 1:25: Willem Dafoe interview begins with him explaining how he was cast in The Lighthouse . 3:30: How our feelings about Dafoe's The Lighthouse character, Thomas Wake, change during the film: "You see his various strategies to dominate or ameliorate or find some sort of… peace or sense of security." 7:00 : How to play a potentially unlikeable character: "In order to not have them be a cartoon or not have them be just a mouthpiece to express a point of view or explain something, to really represent them, you have to take their side." 10:28: "You know, the challenges are the blessings." 12:50 : We make Willem Dafoe laugh, by asking him what he's learned. 15:40: How Willem Dafoe has fun. 18:00 : Check out MovieMaker.com/Subscriptions and use offer code XMASMM. 19:10 : Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre interview begins. 19:45: She tells us why prison movies are so compelling. 23:00: "The man sees through the eyes of the animal how aggressive he is, and the animal teaches him patience, respect and trust." 30:20: Did being French help her see the American criminal justice system more clearly for The Mustang ? 34:55: "We need to preserve cinema. Cinema should be seen in cinema, not on a laptop or in a plane or an iPhone which is even more terrifying." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, December 25, 2019
Clemency is one of the last films to be released in 2019, and it's one of the best films of 2019. This week we talk to the film's director, Chinonye Chukwu, and the film's stars, Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodge. You know all the cliches of death-row movies: the cruel warden, the Jesus imagery, the lawyers who clear their client at the last second. Clemency knows them too, and subverts them in favor of a nuanced and honest look at the fundamental problem with the death penalty. It doesn't preach. It doesn't need to. Woodard plays a warden completely different from every other we've seen on film, and Hodge plays a condemned man who makes us feel every agonizing moment of his countdown. But please skip the Hodge interview, which comes last, if you haven't yet seen "Clemency." The film is in theaters December 27. Here are highlights of the episode, with timestamps: 1:15: Alfre Woodard interview begins 1:27: She explains why so many wardens come from the fields of mental health or social work. 4:15: "Every time we do it, it puts a stain on our soul as a culture, as a nation. Especially a nation where we call ourselves a nation of faith. ... It's a breach for everybody." 8:25: Alfre Woodard on meeting death row inmates in her research for the film: "It was the most humbling experience I've ever had in my life." 11:01: "You just have to kiss yourself up to God. Anything can happen." 15:48: Chinonye Chukwu interview begins. 16:30: "Regardless of innocence or guilt, do we as a society have a right to kill?" 18:03: "I don't need to justify his humanity. ... I really tasked myself to craft a narrative where we don't really know if this person's innocent or guilty and we don't know very much about his past. We are just staying with him in the present." 20:15: Why she chose to cast black actors as both the warden and the inmate: "I thought that if the warden is white and the person on death row is black, then the racial dynamics become the narrative, and not an interrogation of the prison space and the practice of capital punishment and the system of incarceration." 20:50: How she captured the feeling of the prison. 23:38: We talk about witnessing an actual execution. 30:00 : We discuss the Golden Globes not nominating any female filmmakers in the best directing categories. 31:45 : "We all should support the films that don't get supported by these structures and entities." 33:32: "We have to be willing to use our privileges and access for those who aren't as privileged. And sometimes it is s
Thu, December 19, 2019
Alan Cumming and "Two Popes" screenwriter Anthony McCarten are our guests this week. We talk with Cumming -- whose Twitter profile describes him as a "Scottish elf trapped inside middle-aged man's body" -- about dancing, DJing, mentoring young moviemakers, and his role in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut . He tells us about the visual sex joke that Kubrick asked him to do again and again, and about what it's like to be Alan Cumming, witty and outgoing star, and Alan Cumming, real person. Then we talk with McCarten about how his Catholic upbringing informed "Two Popes," his mixed emotions surrounding ABBA's "Dancing Queen," and what you need to know when you start writing your script. He also talks about how the stories of two pontiffs with very different world-views reflects the political situation in the United States today. Holiday shopping? We invite you to visit moviemaker.com/subscriptions and use secret code XMASMM to get nice discounts on MovieMaker Magazine subscriptions. Here are highlights of the episode, with timestamps: 1:15: Alan Cumming interview begins. 4:04: "I've chosen to do something waaay outside my comfort zone." 4:45: A few words about cabaret bar Club Cumming. 5:34: "I think I've understood from way way long ago how important fun is as a component in your life... especially when you do things that are very dark. And a lot of my work is very dark." 7:00: Don't be the kind of DJ who refuses to dance. 11:00: "I think of myself as a character... I think there's me, and then there's Alan Cumming . And Alan Cumming goes out and is like, 'Hello everybody, hi! Yes, I'm here! That's right. Thanks so much!" 12:30: L et's talk about the 20th anniversary of Eyes Wide Shut and what he learned working with Stanley Kubrick. 13:05: "It's a huge thing in my career, even though it's like maybe four minutes." 15:55: "There's a saying, which is, you can go as big as you like, as you want as long as you mean it." 17:08: Anthony McCarten interview begins, as he explains how he used humor to humanize Two Popes. 18:40: The Vatican's response to Two Popes . 19:19: "We built our own Sistine Chapel." 24:00: "There's very very little tolerance or listening to the other side. ... Sometimes the talking should stop and we should listen a little more." 31:50: ABBA's "Dancing Queen": "I was kind of traumatized by that song." 37:20: Anthony McCarten t
Wed, December 11, 2019
Margot Robbie, our first guest, is earning accolades galore for her role in "Bombshell" as Kayla, a Fox News employee whose TV ambitions draw the attention of the predatory Roger Ailes. She talks with us about playing a character with whom she has almost noting in common, and how she used social media to understand her. We also talk about one of the most underrated parts of her acting, how she balances acting and producing, and that story that she slapped Leonardo Di Caprio during her "Wolf of Wall Street" audition. If you're a rising actor, should you hit your prospective co-stars? She has some advice. Margot Robbie also talks about how she used to work at Subway. Our second guest, Charles Randolph, talks about how his religious upbringing -- including a plot to take Bibles behind the Iron Curtain -- informed his script for "Bombshell." He talks about why he likes writing conservative characters, the intense research he did for "Bombshell," and his upcoming scripts about John D. Rockefeller and Hulk Hogan v. Gawker. Please subscribe to MovieMaker interviews, check out MovieMaker.com, and be sure to check out the next issue of MovieMaker Magazine, featuring a look at Margot Robbie's Lucky Chap Productions and their upcoming slate of female-focused films, from "Birds of Prey" to "Promising Young Woman" to "Barbie." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, December 02, 2019
Hotel Mumbai , the feature debut from Australian writer-director Anthony Maras, deserved more attention when it premiered in the United States earlier this year. Now that the film has premiered in the most important country on its release calendar, India, we spoke to Maras about the horrific attacks that inspired Hotel Mumbai and the heroism of the real people involved. Maras' story is essential listening for anyone making their first film. Many surprises that seemed likely to doom the project turned out to be its salvation. He talks about how he won it back from The Weinstein Co. after the Harvey Weinstein story emerged, the injury that delayed shooting, and other hurdles. But he never loses sight of the real focus on the tragedy, its victims and its survivors. Hotel Mumbai is now streaming on Hulu.If you enjoy this interview, please check out similar interviews and features at MovieMaker.com . Here's a breakdown of our talk, with timestamps: 1:45: Anthony Maras discusses the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and how he decided to make Hotel Mumbai . 4:45: Maras talks about the altruism of the people targeted in the attacks. "You had kitchen staff from the Taj Hotel who were literally stuffing pots and pans and baking trays down their shirts. These were to act as bullet -proof vests as they were shielding their guests from gunfire." 8:20: How Dog Day Afternoon influenced Hotel Mumbai . 10:45: How the filmmakers made decisions about how to portray the terrorists in the film. 20:30: How Maras and co-writer John Collee researched the film, and why Dev Patel was determined to make Hotel Mumbai . 23:00: Hotel Mumbai was initially a Weinstein Co. release. The first Hotel Mumbai test screening was on the same day as the first New York Times story about Harvey Weinstein. That led to a fight to get the film back. 24:50: Why moviemakers should have good lawyers. 25:25: How an on-set accident ended up rescuing the film. 40:55: The importance of listening. 42:35: Maras' oddest job on the road to becoming a moviemaker. 43:00: An impromptu toast to UC Santa Barbara, America's finest university. 49:45: Five Things Anthony Maras has learned as a moviemaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, November 25, 2019
Writer-director Annabelle Attanasio's debut feature film "Mickey and the Bear" stars Camila Morrone as an 18-year-old helping care for her father (James Badge Dale), a veteran coping with PTSD. In this episode, Attanasio talks about crafting an elegant, efficient script that skips exposition and lets the actors really act. Morrone and Dale also talk about the importance of persistence in being a professional actor, and Attanasio talks about her own acting on the CBS drama "Bull" helped shape her "Mickey and the Bear" script. If you like this episode, you'll probably also like the stories at MovieMaker.com . Here are some highlights of the episode, with timestamps: 1:45: Interview begins 2:30: Some nice words about Gen Z and a brutal attack on Generation X 3:30: Annabelle Attanasio explains where the idea for "Mickey and the Bear" originated 4:39: Camila Morrone self-taped her audition in her kitchen 6:05: James Badge Dale, Morrone and Attanasio discuss what it means to succeed as an actor 8:30: Attanasio discusses why she wrote a "quite spare" script without needless exposition 12: The most difficult scene in the film 15:45: How the film addresses the treatment of veterans and the opioid crisis 16:45: How their parents impacted them 21: Respect to "The Young Girls of Rochefort" 22:15: Let's talk about a casting mystery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, November 18, 2019
This week, two interviews we love: The first is with "Queen & Slim" star Daniel Kaluuya, and the second with "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" writers Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, as well as Tom Junod, whose Esquire profile of Mister Rogers is a major influence on the film. In "Queen & Slim," which is in theaters Wednesday, Nov. 27, Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith play a couple on a first date who are racially profiled on a traffic stop that quickly escalates into a national call for justice. He talks with us about how "Get Out" led him to "Queen & Slim," what made the role both relatable and unusual, how he's handling the Scorsese v. Marvel discussion, and why he's going from "Black Panther" to a film about real-life Black Panther activist Fred Hampton. In "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," which is in theaters Friday, Nov. 22, Tom Hanks plays "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" host Fred Hampton, who tries to heal a troubled journalist named Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). Harpster, Fitzerman-Blue and Junod talk about how much of Vogel's life is based on Junod's. They also talk about what Mister Rogers wanted, how boys and girls are taught to deal with emotions, and a certain urban myth about Mister Rogers being a sniper or Navy SEAL. (To be 100 percent clear: He wasn't.) Thanks to the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, where we conducted both interviews. If you like us, check out the latest issue of MovieMaker Magazine , which has "as told to" accounts from Harpster and Fitzerman-Blue, as well as "Queen & Slim" writer Lena Waithe and director Melina Matsoukas. Here are some highlights of the episode, with timestamps: 1:15: Daniel Kaluuya interview begins. Audio is dodgy for a few seconds. It gets better at... 2:14: Audio issue fixed. Enjoy Daniel Kaluuya's awesome British accent in all its glory. 3:30: Why he knew he wanted to play Slim. 4:54: Why "Queen & Slim" is more "Thelma & Louise" than "Bonnie & Clyde." 10:01: He weighs in on the supposed fight between cinema and the Marvel Universe 13:40: He discusses the upcoming film "Jesus Was My Homeboy," in which he'll play Black Panther activist Fred Hampton. 16:05: Interview with "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" screenwriters Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Tom Junod, whose Esquire article "Can You Say... Hero?" helped inspire the film. 17:15: Let's talk about anger. 21: How much is Mathew Rhys' "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" character, Esquire journalist Lloyd Vogel, based on Esquire journalist Tom Junod? 26:20: Would Fred Rogers be disillusioned by the world today? 26:40: About that Navy SEAL thing 28:50: How Noah discov
Sun, November 10, 2019
In the first episode of MovieMaker Interviews, "Dolemite Is My Name" screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski tell us how they went from college roommates to masters of the biopic. They walk us through their writing process, from research to cards to first draft, then get into specifics about "Ed Wood," "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "Man on the Moon," "Big Eyes," "The People vs. O.J. Simpson," and finally "Dolemite Is My Name." Jokes are told. Mel Brooks calls. And we learn the "Dolemite" line that came indirectly from Dave Chappelle. Here are some highlights, with timestamps: 1:12: Interview begins. 1:48: Scott and Larry praise the genre films of Herschell Gordon Lewis. 2:35: Shout out to Los Angeles' Nuart and New Beverly theaters. 3:22: How Larry started gaming Scott from the first day they met. 4:19: Scott explains his and Larry's obsession with "indie genre cult movies." 8:20: Who types, and who sits on the couch. 12:06: Scott and Larry explain the importance of funny voices in their process. 13:50: Rights. 14:13: Diving into "Ed Wood." 14:50: Meeting Larry Flynt. 15:30: Working with Margaret Keane on "Big Eyes." 15:58: Being journalists to research Andy Kaufman for "Man on the Moon." 17:30: How "People v. OJ Simpson" was unique 21:30: How Dave Chappelle contributed a scene to "Dolemite Is My Name" 24:57: Mel Brooks calls 27:30: A fantastic Village People story 30:18: Scott and Larry's advice to screenwriters 34:30: The crossover between Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" and "Dolemite Is My Name" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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