John Woo Unbound: The RED CLIFF Interviews

(John Woo, above.)

By Terry Keefe

Director John Woo tells a story in the interview below about one major difference between his experience working on Hollywood blockbusters, and making Red Cliff (Chi Bi), his blockbuster-sized film which he shot in China with strong support from the Chinese government: he never had to sit through endless development meetings. He simply said he wanted to make the film, came up with a budget, received financing, and shot it. As someone who actually was a [very junior level] studio development executive at one time, I loved hearing this. The process by which films are created today at the studios, as it has been for a few decades now, is ridiculously time-consuming and both financially and creatively wasteful. Practically every script “fast“-tracked for production goes through a gauntlet of seemingly endless story notes in which not only the director, but also the studio, the producer, the stars, and sometimes the producer’s wife and mistress have input. I took part in more meetings of this type than I can count, or care to. The thought of someone like John Woo, who came to Hollywood as an established brand name in most of the world, having to go through this process to get a movie made is simply depressing. Understandably, the studios are concerned about rolling the dice on a blockbuster-sized budget and then getting Heaven’s Gate, but within a certain genre, in Woo’s case that would be action, and within a certain budget….someone like Woo has earned the right to a certain level of free reign. If he were making a musical, okay, then bring on the studio notes by the box. But action? And on budget? Just be glad you have him and get out of the way.

Despite their huge budgets, Woo’s Hollywood studio films often felt like he was directing with shackles on. There were bright spots certainly - Face/Off and Broken Arrow were both big hits and highly enjoyable - but even in those two films, you could also feel the weight of all the machinery and corporate structure that Woo had to navigate through. Obviously, his famed run of Hong Kong films (including A Better Tomorrow I & II, The Killer, Bullet in the Head, and Hard Boiled) were done on lower budgets and there is a kinetic energy that goes into the production of a film done by the seat of one’s pants. But rarely did he feel like he was cutting loose in his Hollywood work, and cutting loose is the definition of what made John Woo a legend long before he ever had to prove himself to Hollywood by directing Jean-Claude Van Damme in Hard Target in 1993. Yikes.

Happily, Red Cliff is both a return to form for Woo, and a significant evolution in production scale for him, as this is a massive period war epic, the most expensive Asian-financed film to date, in fact. The basic story behind Red Cliff goes back to 208 AD and the legendary Battle of Red Cliff, which has sort of evolved through the ages into a combination of actual history and mythology, reminding at times of an Asian version of the Battle of Troy. A novel called Romance of the Three Kingdoms helped to immortalize the story over seven hundred years ago, and there have been countless retellings and reinterpretations of it in the centuries since, including numerous video games, novels, and comic books.

(Woo at work on Red Cliff, above.)

The story of Red Cliff kicks off with the feared General Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) seeking to finally consolidate the Han dynasty by conquering two warlords who have stood in his path, Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen). On the run after a ruinous battle with Cao Cao, Liu Bei seeks to form a military alliance with Sun Quan, but first must win the trust of Sun Quan’s viceroy, Zhou Yu (Tony Leung, reuniting with Woo for the first time since 1992’s Hard Boiled). Zhou Yu is a mighty warrior, whose wife Xiao Qiao (Chiling Lin) is regarded as the most beautiful woman in China, the Helen of Troy of her land and time. The two kingdoms do join together, but still face seemingly insurmountable odds against Cao Cao, requiring innovative military strategies, one after another. Woo has designed these battle sequences with great thought, rather than just overwhelming the senses with CGI-generated sound and fury. The strategy of each side in the battles is revealed, thrown against each other, and then we see how little tweeks in those strategies make the difference between victory and slaughter. Not to make Red Cliff sound like a dry exercise in medieval military planning - when Woo does cut loose in the countless action flourishes throughout Red Cliff, it is all the more exhilarating because he has earned it by slowly building the tension of the battle scenes, along with the storylines of both the lead and supporting characters. The version of Red Cliff that is being released theatrically in the United States is a two and half-hour cut, as opposed to the two-part, five-hour version released in most of Asia.

Note that there are plenty of SPOILERS ahead in terms of plot, as Woo discusses how various sequences were filmed.

You’ve done big movies before, but I don’t think anything quite on this scale. Were there moments where you looked out on the vast numbers of people and sets and extras and were daunted by what you had at your command?

John Woo: [laughs] Yes. We had over 2000 people working on the set. We even had real soldiers working with us. 700-1500 at times, almost every day. Playing warriors and fighters. But this was a movie I had wanted to make for many years. Also, I had been working in Hollywood for over 16 years with so many good people here, and I thought it was about time to bring what I had learned in Hollywood, to Asia. There are so many young filmmakers in China, who are all eager to learn. They have such a passion about movies, and they all want to work on big-budget Hollywood type movies. So, I thought this was a great opportunity for them also. They have the same type of working style as Hollywood, but all they need is the opportunity.

(Chiling Lin, above.)

You created some physically impossible shots, such as the when the carrier pigeon is released and we fly along with the pigeon (In a scene in which the bird travels across the battlefields and opposing camps, laying out the topography of the land.). I thought that was an interesting contrast, because so much of what you have in this film is so obviously physically there. But you must have had to use computer images to create those otherwise impossible shots. How do you find the balance between what you are able to do on the computer and what you want to have physically in front of the camera?

We shot a lot of real live action on the set, and we also used computer technology to add more people and more battleships. I think the team did a very job, and were very clever, in combining the real, live action and the CG. It’s usually hard for the audience to tell which is which. There are some obvious fake moments where the camera follows the pigeon over the enemy’s sides and across the river. That shot was trying to show the geography of both sides. It was if Red Cliff were in Los Angeles and the enemy was in New York, and we had to use this pigeon to connect them together. It became one of the most expensive CG shots in film history, because it was so long and there was so much movement. The other biggest movement was the ship sequence, in which the hero sets their boats on fire, a entire enemy navy of 2000 ships. Because of the direction of the wind, the entire enemy navy is set on fire. It was a brilliant strategy, and it was done with CG. A lot of detail. (In the final Battle of Red Cliff, the Navy of Cao Cao interlock their boats together, forming a blockade, but the Allied armies wait until the wind changes in their favor, and then ram the much larger Navy with “fire boats,” which set the entire Navy ablaze.)

In terms of getting the details right, there are different countries that know of this story, and there are also different comic book versions of it. But what was most important to you in terms of the details when you were writing it yourself?

There were a lot of characters, and I had to make a lot of changes. Actually, I didn’t do that much to follow the book and history. Originally, all those characters in history, they were pretty much like gods, or legends. Always serious. People admired them and no one would want to make a joke of them, because people would find it so offensive. But I wanted to make the film more international, and that’s why I made the characters more human, instead of super heroes. I wanted the modern audience to be able to relate to them. And also, I increased the female role, which didn’t exist in the book. The movie is all about team work, and I thought the women should have their contributions. I also wanted to show that the classic Chinese women were known for their beauty, but they were also had very strong personalities. Just like women nowadays. They are very brave, and smart, and can take on all sorts of challenges. They can sometimes do a much better job than men [laughs]. I didn’t much follow the book. I realized that I wasn’t making a television series for the History Channel. I am making a movie. A movie should have its own message.

Is it controversial in China to see the story changed so much?

It has some controversy about it, the way it was changed. Some people didn’t feel comfortable with it. And some people were expecting to watch a historical film. But it was a small group of people who didn’t feel comfortable with it, and in general, the younger audience…they love it. Especially the European audience. They love the idea of increasing the female part. It’s very important for the movie.

I wanted to ask you about the scene with the interlocking boats. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Was that historically accurate?

Yes, that was from history, and also from the book. It was fascinating and a very clever strategy.

(The burning boats sequence, above.)

The elements played a big role in the strategies as well.

The elements were a major issue in the movie, like in the burning ship scene, where the enemy navy was set on fire because of the wind. That’s all because of the weather. That’s something I learned from [studying] Napoleon and Hitler. They lost wars because of the weather. That’s something that is also [different] from the book. With the boats. [In the book] one of the major characters says “Call the wind!” to win the war. It was kind of like he had super-powers. I wanted to do something different from the book [with that action]. Something more natural. More believable.

Are there significant differences between the versions released in different parts of the world?

Yes, the Asian people are so familiar with this part of history, and the characters, that we have much more time for developing the characters. In the Asian version, there are two love stories. However, the American audience, they aren’t as familiar with the history and characters…we decided to focus on the main story. We took out the love story with the Princess and the young soldier, and also trimmed down the side characters, and focused on one story. But it’s still the same story, the same excitement. Some people even feel that the American version is more exciting, and tighter. So, I’m very enthused with both versions.

Is it easier for you to make a film in the Hollywood system, or in Asia?

Let me put it this way - it’s always easier to make a movie like Red Cliff in Asia. In China, everything was so simple. I just went into the office and let them know I wanted to make a movie called Red Cliff, and they said, “Okay, let’s do it.” [laughs] It was that simple. And I didn’t have to take notes from anyone. I didn’t have to take any advice from anyone. I didn’t have to take any meetings. I just closed my door and worked with my team and did my own thing and made my own film. And also, we had great support from the government. We had soldiers, and all kinds of help from the local people. They also have the biggest studio in Asia. The size of Universal Studios with big sound stages, all types of facilities. Of course, one thing I miss about Hollywood is that everything is so professional. I love to work with the crew and I love to work with the actors. They’re so dedicated. The people in Hollywood have an open mind and they give a warm welcome to talents from all over the world. I learned so much. Of course, I never get used to all the meetings [laughs] and that there are so many people involved in the project [laughs] and how long it takes to make a decision. But there are great things in both places.

You say that there was no interference from the Chinese government, but they are well-known for not wanting certain things in movies. Did you have to trim anything down for the Chinese version, such as the lovemaking scene?

No, I didn’t have to trim anything down for the movie. Actually, they’re getting more open. They’re not that tough. They’re very reasonable. The only concern was the violence - I think it’s the same as other countries - because they really didn’t want to give any bad influence for the young people. They don’t have a ratings system. There’s a movie board, and any kind of movies are for all kinds of audiences. So, we just needed to pay a little attention to that. I didn’t want to show a guy chopping a head off, or something like that.

We live in a war-torn globe today. Since the movie broke box office records in China, and did well in Europe, do you think people are relating this story to what is going on in the world today?

I think so, and I hope so. Before I made this movie, I realized that the economy is getting worse, and affecting so many people. And I overheard some young people in Asia...they were so frustrated. They were all in a deep depression. Some young people didn’t know what to do, didn’t see much hope, didn’t see the future, and some people even gave up their life. It happened in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and other Asian countries. I felt so sad. I feel the young people need someone to care about them and they need encouraging. That’s why I hoped this might change their ideas. The movie was about a smaller army that could defeat a larger, more powerful enemy through a combination of teamwork, intelligence, and courage. I think it’s an encouraging movie. I just try to let young people know that they are not alone. There is always a friend. Just work together with your friends and family and take charge. There are always good people. The movie was such a success in China, and Japan, especially in Japan…some of these young people would cry in the movie, they were so moved by the story. And I would ask them “Why?” They would say that they were watching Tony Leung in the film, and they wished they could have a friend like him. Another important thing was that it was also a war movie, and I had wanted to stress that in war…there are no winners. Before, my kinds of movies, they were usually all about the tragic hero. Now, I’m more personal, as I’m getting in age [laughs], I care more about what people really think, and what people really want, when I make a movie.

Which version of the film will we see on the DVD in the U.S.?

I think they will release the 5-hour version in the States. They should.

There was a special section recently in The Hollywood Reporter that was presenting China as a real emerging filmmaking partner. Do you think that it’s finally happening that are real bridges of connection between Hollywood and China, and China is going to open up as a real force in the global industry?

I think so. The Chinese government is open to all kinds of foreign production. They have the biggest sound stage in Asia. A fine mixing room and visual effects team. The business is growing. Since Red Cliff was such a success in China, and also, other fantastic Chinese films…the audience wants to see all types of movies. They keep building theaters, and a lot more of the 3-D cinema [laughs].

The instant philosophical connection to this film is to Sun Tzu’s Art of War. I’m wondering if there was any formal association to that. If you had immersed yourself in that text at all, or if it had come about naturally as a way of telling the story?

It’s a little of both, actually. After studying Sun Tzu’s Art of War, I had gotten some ideas, for designing the battle scenes, like the “turtle formation.” (During the Battle of San Jiang Kou, Sun Quan’s tough young sister, Sun Shangxiang [Zhao Wei] ambushes Cao Cao’s forces and leads them through a dust storm into a trap, the turtle/tortoise formation, in which the horseback soldiers of Cao Cao ride inside of the Allied Army, who have arranged themselves in a formation resembling that of a turtle.)

How had your working relationship with Tony Leung changed, or not, from when you last worked together years ago?

I was so happy to work with him again. He had become more mature, and even more charming [laughs]. He has the same kind of charisma, but this time, he feels more calm, more stable, and he cares more about the others. He’s a man with a big heart. We’ve known each other for such a long time, that we don’t need to say much. We sort of just look at each other and do it.

(Below, Tony Leung in 1992's Hard Boiled, and then in Red Cliff.)

Would you ever want to return to Hong Kong cinema?

I don’t think so. I prefer to make more movies in China, because Hong Kong is so limited. It’s hard to do anything else. There aren’t much in locations, or much in history. All you can do is keep repeating the same thing, but in China, there is so much interesting history and culture and so many different things. I’m still learning. I like to work in different countries and different cultures, and make new friends. In the future, I will maybe make a French, or German, or Turkish movie [laughs]. I want to make films in different places.

You’ve mentioned that your next project is going to be Flying Tigers.

It’s a World War II movie. It’s about an American volunteer team, who are working with the Chinese Air Force, to fight the Japanese during wartime, and they worked together so well, and they gave a lot of contributions, and they won the war. The main story is about friendship, the friendship between the Chinese and the Americans. It’s going to be a very challenging project. Just like Red Cliff [laughs]. There are going to be huge air battle scenes, a lot extra people, but also a lot of human moments.

Red Cliff will be released theatrically in the United States via Magnet on November 20th and is currently available via VOD. The official website is here, and the trailer is below:

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The Beat of DJ Ickarus: Hannes Stohr's BERLIN CALLING

(Paul Kalkbrenner, above, in Hannes Stohr's Berlin Calling.)

By Terry Keefe

Martin, aka DJ Ickarus, is a star created from the very DNA of the DIY - that’s Do-It-Yourself - ethos. The character, as played by real-life electronic music composer Paul Kalkbrenner in the feature film Berlin Calling, travels the world with his laptop computer as his only musical instrument and an entourage consisting of himself and his girlfriend Mathilde (played by Rita Lengyel) . He has a record company who are about to put out what is expected to be his biggest recording yet, but he is also able to maintain a real degree of independence from them as he makes a lot of his income as a star DJ at clubs and large-scale raves. But he flies too close to the sun during one gig, via some chemically-induced wings, and finds himself locked into a psychiatric ward…where he eventually tries to keep recording.


Many films about techno music, DJs, and night clubs tend to fall flat in capturing the energy that drives those scenes, possibly because it's far more interesting to be part of a rave than it is to watch people on-screen at a rave. Berlin Calling wisely chooses to focus on the character of DJ Ickarus, showing how he puts the chaos of his life into his music. The scene at large is focused through one main character, and it captures far more about the culture than five hours of documentary-style footage of ravers ever could.

Berlin Calling is the third feature film of German director Hannes Stohr, who we spoke to during German Film Week in Los Angeles last month. Berlin Calling is currently available for watching right now, worldwide, on the Eurocinema channel.

Did your inspiration for Berlin Calling come from your own involvement in the rave and club scene?

Hannes Stohr: Well, of course. I lived in Berlin since 1992, and the 90s, that was our Woodstock. I was 22 at that time, the Wall had just come down, and you were there and it was like, “What’s going on?” [laughs] It was purely coincidental that the sound from acid house to techno was right at the time when the Wall came down. Suddenly, you were there at a strange place in East Berlin, where you had all this free space, with this strange music - which was new anyway, and then with these guys from the East. We were all dancing like mad, and it was like, “Wow!” [laughs] At that time, we also had Americans [performing there], like Underground Resistance. We were so proud that the Americans came

(Stoher directs Kalkbrenner and Lengyel, above.)

Was there any particular DJ from the 90s who inspired the character of Ickarus?

My main techno and party times were in the 90s. That said, I’d always been looking for the right angle for how to tell this scene, how to tell this world. You have to think like a filmmaker. You have Oliver Stone and Jim Morrison. You have Clint Eastwood and his film about Charlie Parker. You have Bette Midler playing a sort of Janis Joplin in The Rose. Biopics about musicians are usually about Americans, or British, and they are often dead. The musicians are famous, but they are also a product of their time…that’s why you make the movie. Musicians merge with their time. Because every artist is a product of their time, it tells something about the time they are living. So, I was thinking…why not make a portrait of a German musician who is alive today, and not so famous? The difference between the 90s and now is that this guy is not a DJ - he’s producing live on his laptop. That’s producing. He’s part of what they call the YouTube or Facebook Generation. Now, you have your laptop and your program, and you don’t need a big studio. They sell their tracks by download. Not just the stars are traveling now, but the B List of stars are also traveling. So, I wanted to make a film about an electronic musician of today, not of the 90s, and use it like the film directors did in the past to show him as a symbol of their time. If a musician with a laptop is not an image for today [laughs], you know? The laptop is really the guitar of today.

How did you select the musician for the film?

I had to find an electronic composer, and I had to find the right musician, of course. So, I had some choices, but Paul Kalkbrenner had an album in 2004 called “Self.” A really great album, which I highly recommend to you. It’s emotional, electronic, and he’s just… a classic composer. There is such energy with his music, and I was really fascinated by this album. So, I sent him the script, which was maybe 80 percent of what you see in the movie. He liked it and liked the character. He knew my movies, and I knew his music, but it wasn’t like we were friends. And the more I got to know him and the more we talked about the script, the more I realized that he was really clever. Jim Jarmusch was sort of inspiring me a lot., and helped me to convince other people [in casting]. When Jarmusch was starting and shooting Stranger Than Paradise, with John Lurie of the Lounge Lizards, and he was shooting with Joe Strummer and others…. Jarmusch said, “Good musicians are often good actors. They have a great sense of timing.” And that’s what I found out with Paul. He’s also someone who had great respect for the profession of the actor. He was never there just to play the “Cool Guy.”

(Stohr and Kalkbrenner, above.)

How big a crew did you work with?

It was approximately 40 people. It was the first time I was a co-producer on a movie. With Berlin Calling, I started to realize that it’s becoming our era. I’m 39 now, and this was my third feature movie, and you realize that the other people look at you and say, “Now it's your turn.”

Was the soundtrack a hit in Germany?

Yeah, and we have to say that Paul Kalkbrenner is a bigger star than the guy he plays in the movie [laughs]. Paul is a guy who’s living in five-star hotels, and flying business. But Paul said, “This guy is like I was two years ago.” And Paul said that he had to learn his lesson [as Ickarus does] to get where he is today.

Do you know what you’re working on next?

There’s something that I’d like to take to America, which is a German western, about German immigrants to the United States. In fact, I was living in Los Angeles in 2006 in Pacific Palisades. I had researched the script about the Germans who had come to American in the 19th Century. They played a big part in the Civil War. On the Yankee side. After Hitler, all of the world was really thinking that Germans are the most racist of all, but you don’t find that…in the 19th Century, for example, do you know what they called the Germans? “Nigger Lovers.” The Yankee side! Missouri at that time was really 1/3rd German. We’re talking about, of 2 million soldiers on the Northern side, the Yankee side, there were 200,000 Germans. Abraham Lincoln was depending on the German vote. The name of the film is 48ers. The German immigrants in the second part of the 19th Century were called 48ers, because we had a revolution in Germany in 1848 that failed, and hundreds of thousands of political Germans were coming to America. They were fleeing from feudalism, and suddenly they came to America and they were meeting this slaveholder society, where the British - who called themselves Americans but in the end they were British….the Germans spoke up [against slavery], along with the Irish, and things got started. It will be a very expensive film, and that’s what I’m here for.

Some Berlin Calling-related links:

Berlin Calling Facebook Page

The Hannes Stohr Website

Eurocinema (where Berlin Calling may be viewed)

The Berlin Calling trailer, below:

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DVD Playhouse--November 2009

DVD PLAYHOUSE—NOVEMBER 2009
By
Allen Gardner

WATCHMEN—THE ULTIMATE CUT (Warner Bros.) Director Zack Snyder’s film of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark graphic novel is as worthy an adaptation of a great book that has ever been filmed. In an alternative version of the year 1985, Richard Nixon is serving his third term as President and super heroes have been outlawed by a congressional act, in spite of the fact that two of the most high-profile “masks,” Dr. Manhattan (Billy Cruddup) and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) helped the U.S. win the Vietnam War. When The Comedian is found murdered, many former heroes become concerned that a conspiracy is afoot to assassinate retired costumed crime fighters. Former masks Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman) and still-operating Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley, in an Oscar-worthy turn) launch an investigation of their own, all while the Pentagon’s “Doomsday Clock” slowly moves toward the time of Armageddon between the U.S. and Russia. All of the novel’s brilliant re-thinking of super hero mythos is intact in this dynamite film. Although it wasn’t the runaway hit many were expecting at the box office, it will undoubtedly become a classic in retrospect, just as films like 2001 and Blade Runner were. Director’s Cut features approximately 25 minutes of footage not seen in theaters, and this “ultimate edition,” also features the animated Tales of the Black Freighter integrated into the story. 5-disc set. Bonuses: 2 all-new commentaries by Snyder and graphic novel co-creator and illustrator Dave Gibbons; Entire Watchmen graphic novel; Documentaries and featurettes; 11 video journals; Music video. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
BRUNO (Universal) More cringe-inducing hilarity from Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), this time in character as gay Austrian fashion critic Bruno, traveling the globe in search of the best way to become a celebrity, and offending nearly every category of human demographic (celebrities, politicians, Hasidic Jews, terrorists and cage fighters, to name but a few) along the way. Even more outrageous and scatological (yes) than Borat, but also wears out its welcome more quickly, as well. At 1 hr. 22 min., it could’ve been trimmed a bit. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Over an hour of deleted, alternate, and extended scenes; Bonus interviews. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
THE UGLY TRUTH (Sony) Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star in this romantic comedy about a successful morning show producer (Heigl) who locks horns with her misogynistic star (Butler) when he offers her love advice for a new beau who’s entered her life that appears too good to be true. Trite, tired and stale, this is a sit-com made with an A-list cast and budget. With all these resources, this is the best you lot could do? Bonuses: Deleted and extended scenes; Gag reel; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE LIMITS OF CONTROL (Universal/Focus) Jim Jarmusch’s latest is a deadpan thriller about a mysterious loner (Isaach De Bankole) who arrives in Spain with instructions to meet with a disparate group of strangers, each of whom make up one part of his top secret, and deadly, mission. Eclectic cast includes Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Gael Garcia Bernal and John Hurt. Fans of Jarmusch are sure to be delighted by this film’s deliberate pace and offbeat charm. Others, beware! Bonuses: Featurettes; Interviews with cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THIRST (Universal/Focus) When a young priest finds his life saved by a blood transfusion, he also finds himself turning into a vampire! As he struggles to keep his undead impulses under wraps, a seductive young woman soon unleashes his primal forces in deadly and bloody fashion. Director Park Chan-Wook, who dazzled international audiences with Old Boy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, creates a film that’s swimming in mood, style and eye candy—but lacks a soul to bring it to life. It’s also painfully pretentious at times, particularly as it nears its denouement. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, 2009. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER (20th Century Fox) When the biggest geek in school (Paul Rust) professes his love for the most popular girl (Hayden Panettiere) in school during his valedictory speech at graduation, he soon finds his dream girl becoming a reality, but not in the way that he’d hoped. Chris Columbus tries his best at the helm of this too-squeaky clean adaptation (by the book’s author Larry Boyle) of the best-selling book. The film version has the heart, guts (and yes, even the lungs) ripped from it. Too bad. John Hughes did it better in the ‘80s guys. Maybe it’s time to let this genre sleep with the big hair and Reganomics. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Alternate ending; Deleted scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 (Sony) A group of armed robbers, helmed by an uber-psycho John Travolta, highjack a NYC subway train and demand ten million dollars for the release of its passengers. It’s up to subway dispatcher and regular guy Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) to keep the situation in check until the money can be raised, and the troops rallied. Director Tony Scott incorporates his trademark visual razzle-dazzle (and over-direction) of this very disappointing remake of Joseph Sargent’s 1974 classic that had beauty in its simplicity. Washington is superb, as always, but Travolta might as well be in a Bullwinkle cartoon with his over-the-top histrionics. We miss Robert Shaw, Walter Matthau, and Martin Balsam. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Four featurettes; Commentary by Scott, screenwriter Brian Helgeland, producer Todd Black. BD bonuses: Cinechat; MovieIQ; Digital copy of the film. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION (Criterion) Beautifully-restored Kinescopes of original live TV dramas from the 1950s: "Marty" (1953), "No Time for Sergeants" (1955), "A Wind From the South" (1955), "Bang the Drum Slowly" (1956), "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1956), "The Comedian" (1957) and "Days of Wine and Roses" (1958). Conceived by up-and-comers like Rod Serling, Reginald Rose and John Frankenheimer, and starring then-neophyte actors such as Paul Newman, Rod Steiger, Cliff Robertson, Julie Harris, and Piper Laurie. Not only do they not make ‘em like this anymore, but today’s television execs could take a page from these fine programs. Bonuses: Commentary by directors Frankenheimer, Delbert Mann, Ralph Nelson, Daniel Petrie; Interviews with cast and crew. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
DOWNHILL RACER (Criterion) Michael Ritchie’s cinema-verite look at a narcissistic competitive skier (Robert Redford, excellent in a rare unsympathetic turn) and his quest for glory. Gene Hackman also scores in an early turn as the no-nonsense coach who tries to keep Redford’s ego in check, often to little avail. Contains some of the best skiing footage every committed to celluloid. Bonuses: New interviews with Redford, screenwriter James Salter, editor Robert Harris; Audio excerpts from AFI seminar with Ritchie; Featurette; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
GOMORRAH (Criterion) Director Matteo Garrone’s shocking, repellent and magnificent portrait of modern-day organized crime in northern Italy is a cinematic tour-de-force, based on journalist Roberto Saviano’s best-selling expose of the Naples’ mob. We see how the modern mafia infects the lives of every strata of Italian society, from the peasants, to the immigrants, to the middle and upper classes. Garrone paints a unique celluloid tapestry with his nimble camera and fine cast (many of whom are non-pros). Also available on Blu-ray disc. Two disc set bonuses include: Documentary on the film; Interviews with cast and crew; Deleted scenes; Trailer. BD edition features DTS-HD master audio. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST: 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Warner Bros.) Beautiful restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense masterpiece. Cary Grant stars as a Madison Avenue exec who suddenly finds himself plunged into a world of dangerous blondes (Eva Marie Saint), foreign spies and top secret microfilm. Some of the screen’s greatest set pieces (the crop duster scene is sure to give you goosebumps, still) as well as one of cinema’s greatest love stories, an authentic American classic. Two-disc set bonuses include: Commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman; Music-only audio track; New 2009 documentary on Hitchcock; Featurettes; Photo gallery; Trailers and TV spot. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
THE DEAD (Lionsgate) John Huston’s final film, an epic treatment of James Joyce’s short story, is a rich and exquisite study of a time long past. Angelica Huston and Donal McCann star as a young couple in early 20th century Dublin who converge with family and friends over a holiday feast, where grievances are aired, stories told, and memories of unrequited love stirred as the evening progresses. A fine coda to the career of a remarkable artist. Screenplay by Tony Huston (son and brother of aforementioned Hustons). Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
WINGS OF DESIRE (Criterion) Wim Wenders’ elegant fantasy about an angel (Bruno Ganz) in modern (1987) Berlin who falls in love with a very living trapeze artist and must decide whether to give up his immortality so he can come down to earth and be with her. Shot in gorgeous black & white (and some color, too) by Henri Alekan, Wings remains Wenders’ greatest cinematic achievement, and boasts a charming cameo from the great Peter Falk, playing himself. 2 disc set bonuses include: Commentary by Wenders and Falk; Trailers; Documentary on the film’s production; Featurettes; Deleted scenes and outtakes; Notes and photos by art directors Heidi and Tom Ludi. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
WHO IS KK DOWNEY? (IndiePix) Funny examination of ambition, fame and celebrity follows the story of two wannabes (Darren Curtis and Matt Silver) who decide they are sick and tired of trying to make a name for themselves the old-fashioned way. Terrance is trying to make it as a rock star, while Theo dreams of getting his first book published: ‘Truck Stop Hustler,’ a racy look at life on the streets as a junkie prostitute. After a string of humiliations by both publishers and music critics, the two hatch a plan to turn Theo’s fictional book into an autobiography by having Terrance dress up as the story’s protagonist, KK Downey, and claim all the events as having happened to him. All of a sudden the book nobody wanted becomes an overnight literary sensation, and Terrance has realized his dream of becoming famous. But at what price? Great stuff from Montreal comedy group Kidnapper Films. Bonuses: Trailer; Deleted scenes; Outtakes; Commentary by Kidnapper Films; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
COLLECTIBLE COLLECTIONS Several box sets of films hit DVD this month. Here’s a few of note: Sony releases THE THREE STOOGES COLLECTION, VOLUME SEVEN (1952-1954), featuring Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard as everyone’s favorite physically-abusive “knuckleheads.” 22 digitally-remastered shorts feature the boys at the height of their slapstick highjinks. Full and widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono. Universal releases THE CLAUDETTE COLBERT COLLECTION, six films from the popular and versatile actress of the ‘30s and ‘40s: Three Cornered Moon (1933), a comedy featuring Claudette as a resourceful gal who must help make ends meet after her family’s fortune is lost; Maid of Salem (1937) based on the infamous Salem witch trials; I Met Him in Paris (1937), a love story with Claudette and Melvyn Douglas; Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1938) pairs Claudette with Gary Cooper; No Time for Love (1943) is an offbeat love story starring Fred MacMurray opposite Claudette; The Egg and I (1947), pairs Claudette with MacMurray once again, this time as newlyweds who decide to uproot from the city to the rural confines of a farm. Bonuses: Documentary on Colbert. All are full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. MGM/Fox release six different collections of films by some of today’s most popular actors: THE REEESE WITHERSPOON COLLECTION features the hit comedies Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2; Reese’s debut in the coming of age drama The Man in the Moon; and S.F.W., a satire on the media and the nature of celebrity, co-starring Stephen Dorff. THE WINONA RYDER COLLECTION features the period drama 1969, with Winona growing up during the nation’s most pivotal year; Autumn in New York is a May-December romance pairing Ryder with Richard Gere; Great Balls of Fire stars Ryder as the teenage bride of rocker Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid); Mermaids features Ryder and Christina Ricci as the daughters of a very eccentric mother (Cher). THE SUSAN SARANDON COLLECTION features Igby Goes Down, starring Sarandon as the loathsome mother of a 17 year-old trust fund baby (Kieran Culkin); The January Man stars Sarandon opposite Oscar-winner Kevin Kline in John Patrick Shanley’s comedy/thriller about a serial killer on the loose in Manhattan; Something Short of Paradise is an early (1979) turn for Sarandon, here playing an ambitious reporter who finds herself reluctantly falling for David Steinberg’s neurotic theater manager. Think Woody Allen lite. Finally, Thelma & Louise earned Sarandon an Oscar nomination, in the now-classic story of two fugitive women on the lam across the southwest. Helmed by Ridley Scott, and featuring a star-making turn by Brad Pitt. THE MICHELLE PFEIFFER COLLECTION offers up The Fabulous Baker Boys, with Michelle playing a sexy chanteuse for brother act Beau and Jeff Bridges; Love Field stars Pfeiffer as a Dallas housewife who befriends an African-American man (Dennis Haysbert, excellent) the day that JFK is killed; Married to the Mob is a zany comedy with Michelle as a mobster’s widow who must enlist an inept FBI agent (Matthew Modine) to protect her from lecherous godfather Dean Stockwell. The Russia House is a so-so adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel (by Tom Stoppard) with Pfeiffer oddly cast as a Russian woman acting as an emissary between her volatile friend and a British publisher (Sean Connery). THE MICKEY ROURKE COLLECTION features Desperate Hours, an over-the-top remake of the Humphrey Bogart classic, with Rourke as an escaped con who holds a suburban family (led by pater familas Anthony Hopkins) hostage; Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man didn’t help Rourke’s dwindling career spiral in the ‘90s, in this lame action flick that teams him with Don Johnson; The Pope of Greenwich Village is a terrific take (and the best film here) on modern-day losers with big dreams on the fringes in New York City. Great work from Rourke and co-star Eric Roberts. Finally, A Prayer for the Dying should have been a great thriller about an IRA hitman (Rourke) whose latest mission is witnessed by a priest (Bob Hoskins) who grants the assassin sanctuary in his church. All the right elements are there, but it never quite gels. THE ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. COLLECTION features Back to School, one of the ‘80s' best comedies starring Rodney Dangerfield as a middle-aged millionaire who decides to finish college. Downey is a hoot as Rodney’s son (Keith Gordon)’s best pal. Charlie Bartlett features Downey as a slightly clueless high school principal who finds new pupil Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) appropriately puzzling. Home for the Holidays, directed by Jodie Foster, features Downey as the eccentric brother of a woman dangerously on the brink, offering a combustible mix during a Christmas gathering. Finally, Richard Loncrane’s film of Shakespeare’s Richard III, a modern re-imagining of the story with Sir Ian McKellan in the title role, with Richard as a WW II-era Fascist dictator, is nothing short of brilliant, with Downey offering a fine turn as Lord Rivers, the queen’s brother. All films are widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono, 2.0 surround, 5.1 surround.

DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL! The TV-to-DVD event of the month is the arrival of A&E's THE PRISONER—THE COMPLETE SERIES on Blu-ray, timed in conjunction with the series’ remake premiering on AMC November 15. The original 1967 series, starring Patrick McGoohan, is one of television’s finest hours. McGoohan plays an intelligence agent who, for reasons known only to himself, abruptly resigns, and soon finds himself kidnapped to a remote seaside enclave called “The Village.” He is assigned a number, 6, as opposed to a name, and in each episode must match wits with a new Number 2, who tries to get 6 to confess his reasons for resigning. Brilliant blend of metaphor, satire and pure Kafkaesque horror. 5 disc set bonuses include: Feature-length documentary, Don’t Knock Yourself Out, on the series’ production; Featurettes; Original edits of episodes “The Arrival” and “The Chimes of Big Ben”; Crew commentary on select episodes; Archival film clips; Commercial break bumpers; Photo archive; DVD-ROM features. Full screen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Sony releases DAWSON’S CREEK—THE COMPLETE SERIES, a massive 24-disc set featuring all 127 episodes of the groundbreaking series about a film crazed teen (James Van Der Beek) and his friends (Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Kerr Smith, Busy Philipps, to name a few of the actors who began the show as neophytes and quickly became household names) who populate a coastal New England town. Bonuses: Interview with creator Kevin Williamson; Trivia game; Collectible book packaging; Soundtrack CD. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. NATALEE HOLLOWAY is based on the true story of the Alabama teen who disappeared during her senior trip to Aruba in 2005. Not bad of its type, helped by a strong cast, especially Tracy Pollan as Natalie’s determined mother. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Disney releases ZORRO: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON and ZORRO: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, both 6 disc sets containing all episodes aired from 1957-1959, beautifully restored from original vault elements. Holds up beautifully, thanks in large part to terrific production values and a star-making turn by Guy Williams in the title role. Bonuses: Introductions by Leonard Maltin; Featurettes; Interviews with cast and crew; Collectible pin, lithograph, and certificate of authenticity. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Universal releases BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN, a feature-length Galactica movie, helmed by star Edward James Olmos, about two powerful leaders of the Cylons who are working separately to destroy the human race, with only the denizens of the battlestar to bring them down. Great fun, loaded with the series’ signature political and social subtext. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Olmos, exec producer/writer Jane Espenson; Deleted scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. THE ROCKFORD FILES MOVIE COLLECTION VOLUME 1 features four TV-movies featuring a latter-day Jim Rockford (James Garner, still in fine form): “I Still Love L.A.,” “A Blessing in Disguise,” “If the Frame Fits,” and “Godfather Knows Best.” The first, which takes place during the L.A. riots, is the best of the bunch, although Stuart Margolin is a sight for sore eyes as inept conman Angel in “Blessing.” All are full screen, Dolby 2.0 mono. E1 Entertainment releases THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW VOLUME 1 features 15 hour-long dramas from Stanwyck’s acclaimed anthology series, co-starring stars such as Lee Marvin, Vic Morrow, Julie London, Ralph Bellamy and Milton Berle. Bonuses: Unaired pilot episode; Stanwyck’s 1961 Emmy acceptance speech; 20-page booklet with commentary by Robert Osborne. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono. HEARTLAND SEASON 1, PART 2 continues the adventures of a 15 year-old horse whisperer (Michelle Morgan) and her grandfather (Shaun Johnston) through the highs and lows of their family-owned ranch that rehabilitates neglected horses. 2 disc set. Bonuses: Featurettes; Interviews with cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. SHOW ME YOURS THE COMPLETE SERIES follows the adventures of a shrink-turned-sex expert (Rachael Crawford) who is living her dream until her publisher pairs her up with an arrogant, yet irresistible PhD (Adam Harrington) for her next book. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. 20th Century Fox releases BONES SEASON FOUR BODY BAG EDITION, featuring more police procedural adventures from stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel. 26 episodes on 5 discs. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Gag reel; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON features more smart newsroom shenanigans from liberated newswoman Mary Richards (Moore) and her surrogate family of co-workers (Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Betty White, and Cloris Leachman. One of TV’s finest hours, which inspired several spin-offs. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono. HBO releases Will Ferrell’s one-man comedy special YOU’RE WELCOME AMERICA: A FINAL NIGHT WITH GEORGE W. BUSH, a hilarious, often scatological and sometimes sad look at our last president, whom Ferrell interprets with both honesty and pure glee. Bonuses: Featurettes; True or false game. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.



BLU-RAY TITLES Sony releases a terrific edition of EASY RIDER 40th ANNIVERSARY, the groundbreaking story of two hippie bikers (Peter Fonda and director Dennis Hopper) who sell a major score of coke, stuff the cash in their gastanks, and drive cross-country to Mardis Gras. Jack Nicholson became a star with his turn as a boozed-out Southern lawyer. A classic that is still sadly relevant today. Bonuses: Commentary by Hopper; Documentary on film’s production; Movie IQ via BD-LIVE. Widescreen. Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is a cult classic horror cheesfest about fraternity pledges who unthaw a circa 1959 college experiment as a prank, then find out too late that the body is infected by an alien creature, which proceeds to overrun the entire campus. Shot at USC in the ‘80s, film is a terrific blend of satire (the college and all the leading characters are named after famous horror movie directors), sci-fi, and full-throttle horror. Bonuses: Commentary by writer/director Fred Dekker and cast; Deleted scenes and alternate ending; Featurettes; Trivia track; Trailer. Widescreen. DTS 5.1 surround. Blue Underground releases THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE, a 1974 cult favorite, which tells the ghoulish tale of two friends (Ray Lovelock and Christine Galbo) who stumble into a small English town that’s been overrun by zombies! Veteran actor Arthur Kennedy plays a relentless detective who is convinced that the two hippy kids are responsible for all the carnage in their wake. Beautifully shot and helmed by renowned Spanish horror maestro Jorge Grau. Bonuses: Featurettes; Interviews with cast and crew; Trailers, radio and TV spots; Poster and photo gallery. Widescreen. DTS 7.1 surround, Dolby 5.1 surround. MY BRILLIANT CAREER was one of the first films of the “Aussie New Wave” to gain international attention. Judy Davis stars as a free-spirited young woman in early 20th century Australia whose notions of feminism and equality drive her apart from her peers and suitors (Sam Neill) alike. Gillian Armstrong directed this Oscar-nominated classic. Bonuses: Commentary by Armstrong; Interviews with cast and crew; Cannes Film Festival premiere footage; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 and DTS 7.1 surround. Lionsgate releases FRAILTY, actor Bill Paxton’s directing debut, about an FBI agent who returns to a small Texas town where a long-dormant serial killer seems to be in action once again. Terrific cast includes Matthew McConaughy, Powers Boothe, Luke Askew and Jeremy Sumpter. Strong, atmospheric thriller, not for the squeamish! Bonuses: Commentary by Paxton, writer Brent Hanley, crew members; Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Storyboards; Photo gallery. Widescreen. DTS 7.1 surround. RED HEAT is a lame 48 Hrs.-style retread from its director, Walter Hill (who should’ve known better), teaming wisecracking Chicago cop Jim Belushi with hardnosed Moscow officer Arnold Schwarzenegger, who join forces to take down a psychotic Russian mobster who is terrorizing the windy city. Gratuitously violent, not at all funny, and just plain boring. Bonuses: Featurettes; Trailer and TV spots. Widescreen. DTS 5.1 surround. Universal releases LOVE ACTUALLY, a mostly-successful romantic comedy from the UK about a disparate group of Londoners (Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, to name a few) and their adventures in and out of love. Written and directed by Richard Curtis. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Featurettes; Music videos; Commentary by Curtis, Grant, Bill Nighy, Thomas Sangster. Widescreen. DTS 5.1 surround. 20th Century Fox releases SAY ANYTHING…20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, Cameron Crowe’s directing debut is the smart, funny and sometimes painful story of a hopelessly average, but big-hearted guy (John Cusack) who falls for his class’ beautiful valedictorian (Ione Skye), beginning an unlikely romance that puzzles everyone, particularly the girl’s father (John Mahoney, excellent). Holds up beautifully. Bonuses: Commentary by Crowe, Skye, and Cusack; Retrospective documentary; Featurettes; Alternate, extended and deleted scenes; Trivia track; Trailers and TV spots; Photo gallery. Widescreen. DTS 5.1 surround. James Toback’s TWO GIRLS AND A GUY stars Robert Downey, Jr. as a philanderer who finds himself confronted by the two women in his life (Natasha Gregson Wagner and Heather Graham). Tough, funny and downright dirty at times, a real mixture of acting and filmmaking that cooks with gas and scenes that fall flat on their face. Worth a look for the good stuff, though. Downey is terrific. Bonuses: NC-17 and R-rated versions of the film; Interview with Toback; Commentary by Toback, Downey and Wagner; Trailer. Widescreen. DTS 5.1 surround. Miramax releases THE KEVIN SMITH COLLECTION, featuring his hits Clerks, about New Jersey convenience story employees who battle their ennui with ribald conversation; Chasing Amy, Smith’s best film, a modern take on the battle of the sexes with star Ben Affleck falling for committed lesbian Joey Lauren Adams; and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, a less-than-stellar tale of Smith’s slacker heroes Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) who journey to Hollywood to stop a movie about them from being made. Skip this one. Bonuses: Commentary by Smith, cast and crew; Featurettes; Alternate cuts on Clerks; Interviews with cast and crew; Outtakes and deleted scenes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.



ANIMATION NATION Disney/Pixar releases UP, the delightful tale of a pensioner (voiced by Ed Asner) who attaches thousands of helium balloons to his tiny house to travel across the globe to the exotic land of his boyhood dreams. Little does he know, a pint-sized Wilderness Explorer (think Cub Scout) has stowed away on his front porch, adding more drama to his adventurous journey. Possibly Pixar’s finest hour: a delightful blend of humor, visual splendor and pathos. 4 disc set bonuses include: Blu-ray and regular DVD versions of the film; Theatrical shorts; Featurettes; Alternate scenes; Games; 8 documentaries; Trailers and TV spots; DVD-ROM features. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. TINKER BELL’S LOST TREASURE is sure to please the little people in your house, with Tink starring in an all-new adventure, finding herself in deep trouble when she accidentally puts all of her hometown of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, and must travel across the sea on a secret quest to put things right. 2 disc set. Bonuses: Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film; Featurettes; Games; Music videos; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. MICKEY’S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS has Mickey Mouse and pals (Winnie the Pooh, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, and others from the Disney world) gathering for four holiday tales, including The Nutcracker and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Again, sure to please the little folks in your house. Bonuses: Premiere episode of “House of Mouse”; Sing-along songs; Featurette. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. 20th Century Fox releases ICE AGE DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS, with Manny and the herd discovering a lost world of dinosaurs, including a foul-tempered T-rex who runs afoul of Sid. Nice animated feature, with gags designed for young and old alike. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Filmmaker commentary; Featurettes; Deleted scenes; BD-LIVE features; Digital copy of film. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS VOLUME ONE offer the first thirteen episodes of this acclaimed animated series, which serves up eye-popping visuals and inventive storylines. 2 disc set. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. Warner Bros. releases RUBY-SPEARS SUPERMAN, 13 episodes of the’80s-era Saturday morning series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, with the Man of Steel doing battle with arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. Bonuses: Featurette. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, features 4 episodes of the Saturday morning animated series, with the Dark Knight joining forces with other heroes such as The Green Arrow, Wildcat, Deadman and Blue Beetle. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. Lionsgate releases TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES THE COMPLETE SEASON 7 SET, a 4 disc set featuring 27 episodes of the pizza-munching, kung-fu fighting reptiles and their “gnarly” adventures. Bonuses: Retrospective featurettes; Interviews with cast and creators; Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.



DOCUMENTARY DAYS IndiePix releases THE ART STAR AND THE SUDANESE TWINS a look at conceptual artist Vanessa Beecroft and her attempt to adopt Sudanese twins she used in a photo shoot, whether her husband, the government of Sudan, or the local orphanage likes it or not. Fascinating film by award-winning documentarian Pietra Brettkelly. Bonuses: Commentary by Brettkelly; Deleted and extended scenes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Brave New Films releases MOVEON: THE MOVIE, which focuses on the history of the biggest progressive grassroots movement in the U.S. since the 1960s, MoveOn.org. Created from years of behind-the-scenes footage with MoveOn staff and members, writer/directors Alex Jordanov and Scott Stevenson offer a fascinating look into what might be the future of American politics. Bonuses: Extended interviews with Al Gore and John Kerry; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono. RETHINK AFGHANISTAN is acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald’s look at the U.S. policy in Afghanistan, interviewing soldiers, policy-makers on Capitol Hill and Afghani citizens on their views. Not to be missed for anyone with a political conscience. Bonuses: Featurettes; Extended interviews; Commentary by Greenwald. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Medici Arts releases portraits of four acclaimed jazz artists from the Masters of American Music series: LADY DAY: THE MANY FACES OF BILLIE HOLIDAY, takes an intimate look at the doomed chanteuse through archival footage and interviews with friends and colleagues; CELEBRATING BIRD: THE TRIUMPH OF CHARLIE PARKER, looks at the famed saxophonist’s invaluable contribution to modern music, and how his addiction to heroin destroyed him; THELONIUS MONK: AMERICAN COMPOSER offers the first fully-rounded look at the tragically-misunderstood pianist, ringleader of the bebop revolution, and early jazz pioneer; Finally, THE STORY OF JAZZ puts a crown on the Masters of American Music series, blending footage of performances, commentary and interviews to offer rare historic insight into the music of jazz and the culture that it spawned (and vice-versa). Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck and a host of other legendary names contribute to the mix. All are full screen, PCM mono 2.0.

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The Return of Broken Lizard (and The Hollywood Interview of the guys!)

(The Broken Lizard guys, along with Cobie Smulders, on the set of THE SLAMMIN' SALMON, above.)

by Terry Keefe

We had the opportunity to interview most of the members of the Broken Lizard comedy team last January, when they were about to premiere their new feature The Slammin' Salmon at Slamdance. It's been a tough year for independent films in search of distribution, to say the least, but it's nice to see The Slammin' Salmon getting a theatrical release from Anchor Bay on December 11th. Check out our interview with the guys, it's a fun one. The film stars the Lizards: Kevin Heffernan, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, Steve Lemme, and Erik Stolhanske, along with Michael Clarke Duncan, Vivica Fox, Olivia Munn (Attack of the Show, Iron Man 2) , Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother), and April Bowlby (Two and a Half Men).

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Robert Towne: The Hollywood Interview

Screenwriter and filmmaker Robert Towne.


FORGET IT BOB, IT’S CHINATOWN
Robert Towne looks back on Chinatown’s 35th anniversary
By
Alex Simon

The haunting trumpet wailing plaintively over the closing credits. The bandage covering star Jack Nicholson’s nose. The best last line of a movie, ever: “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown"; all elements of a film now regarded by scholars, critics and cinefiles alike as one of the greatest pieces of American celluloid ever made. Chinatown was a collaboration between a who’s-who of ‘70s film icons. Directed by Roman Polanski, produced by Robert Evans, written by Robert Towne, starring Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, shot by John Alonso, and scored by Jerry Goldsmith, Chinatown was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1974, but brought home only one: for its writer. Robert Towne was barely 40, and Chinatown his first produced original screenplay, his previous efforts having been literary adaptations, such as 1973’s The Last Detail.

Now regarded as the “perfect” script in terms of its structure, characters, and dialogue, Robert Towne became the screenwriter of his generation with Chinatown, going on to write classics such as Shampoo, “script doctoring” some of Hollywood’s most high-profile films, and moving into the writing/directing arena with Personal Best, in 1982.

Chinatown turns 35 this year, and with it, a new, deluxe DVD of the film hits shelves October 6 from Paramount Home Video, remastered in high-definition, and featuring a commentary track with Towne and director/fan David Fincher. Robert Towne sat down over cigars in his study recently to share a few memories of how his new wave detective story was created. Here’s what followed:



Let’s start at the beginning. How was Chinatown born?

Robert Towne: There are so many moments that contributed to the ultimate birth, if you want to call it that, of Chinatown, but it had its origins in the fact that the script of The Last Detail was having trouble getting made because of the (profanity) in it. There was kind of a counter-reformation going on in Hollywood at that time. Richard Hefner was head of the ratings board, and I guess they had the feeling movies had gone too far, too fast with this newfound freedom we suddenly had. There was a hilarious moment with (Columbia Pictures Chairman) David Begelman where he asked “Bob, would 20 ‘motherfuckers’ be more dramatic than 40 ‘motherfuckers’?” To which I responded “Yes David, but the swearing is not used for dramatic emphasis. It’s used to underline the impotence of these men who will do nothing but swear even though they know they’re doing something unjust by taking this poor, neurotic little kid to jail for eight years for stealing 40 bucks.” So I felt sort of hamstrung. Then I saw a copy of Old West Magazine that was part of the L.A. Times, this was about 1969. In it, was an article called “Raymond Chandler’s L.A.” I don’t remember the copy that well, but the part that got me were about half a dozen photographs taken in 1969 meant to represent L.A. in the ‘30s. There was a shot of a Plymouth convertible under one of those old streetlamps outside of Bullock’s Wilshire. There was a shot of a beautiful Packard outside of a home in Pasadena. There was another shot of the old railway station downtown. I looked at them, and realized ‘My God, with a selective eye, you could recreate the L.A. of the ‘30s.’ Then owing to a number of other experiences—walking on the Palisades and things like that which brought back a lot via sense memory, I began to realize and reflect upon how much I felt had been lost about the city in the intervening 30-35 years. ’37 was just beyond my recall, but the ‘40s weren’t, and pre-1945 they were basically the same thing. So I thought about that, and then, since we were stuck in limbo on The Last Detail, I went to Jack (Nicholson) and said ‘What if I wrote a detective story set in L.A. of the ‘30s?’ He said “Great.” The one feeling I had was a desire to try and recreate the city. But that was just the beginning. Then owing to a building project near where I lived, I got a chance to see the corruption of city hall first-hand, which is where that element of the plot got into Chinatown. I then had to go to Oregon where Jack was filming Drive, He Said. I hadn’t really read Raymond Chandler at that point, so I started reading Chandler. While I was there at University of Oregon, I checked out a book from the library called “Southern California Country: Island on the Land.” In it was a chapter called “Water, water, water,” which was a revelation to me. And I thought ‘Why not do a picture about a crime that’s right out in front of everybody. Instead of a jewel-encrusted falcon, make it something as prevalent as water faucets, and make a conspiracy out of that. And after reading about what they were doing, dumping water and starving the farmers out of their land, I realized the visual and dramatic possibilities were enormous. So that was really the beginning of it.

Jack Nicholson as private eye J.J. Gittes.

When you wrote it initially, you did so specifically for Nicholson to play Gittes, and Jane Fonda to play Evelyn Mulwray?

Well with Jack, yes, I wrote the part for him, in his voice, so to speak. We'd been close friends for a long time. But with the part of Evelyn, there were several actresses at the top of the list, and Jane was one of them. But Jack was Gittes. I could not have written that character without knowing Jack. We had been roommates, and we’d studied acting with Jeff Corey for years, so he was, in a very real sense, a collaborator.

The actual writing of the script was very difficult for you. The first draft took you nine months?

Oh yeah, that was due to a combination of things. I had to get out of my house. I was having domestic difficulties, so I took myself and my dog over to Catalina, and worked at The Isthmus for several months, then was reduced to finding places around the city: Curtis Hanson loaned me an apartment…but just moving around wasn’t the sole problem. It was also that the writing of it was just tough: writing scenario, after scenario, after scenario was just so complicated that after a certain point, I thought I’d never get through it.

Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray.

The first draft ran 180 pages?

I think so. 178, maybe. Not that bad, actually. I mean, the final draft was 140-something.

In the final draft that you published, there were lots of snippets of little scenes that, if there were actually filmed, were cut from the final film.

I think they were filmed, yes, and it’s a shame that they destroyed them, but most of them weren’t bad.

The one “lost scene” that really sticks out in my mind is when Gittes is flying to Catalina, and the pilot gives him all this backstory on Evelyn and the Cross family.
Yeah, I miss that one, too.

Roy Jenson, as Mulvihill, with director Roman Polanski, in his "man with knife" costume.

That’s another thing about the film that has always made it stand out: you populated it with all these great little throwaway characters that are so memorable, even if they have just one or two lines. This, coupled with the casting that Polanski and the casting director pulled off, with actors who all had such great faces…

Well, those secondary characters were, I think, effective because they all had detailed backstories, some of which actually came out briefly in the movie, like when Gittes is talking to Mulvihill outside the elevators, and Gittes asks “What are you doing here?” Mulvihill answers “They shut my water off, what’s it to you?” And we learn that he’d been a rum runner when he was Sheriff of Ventura County. Escobar also had a very lengthy backstory, that he’d lost family in the Owens Valley dam disaster, and wasn’t too sorry to see Hollis Mulwray go.

It was also an interesting choice you made to have a Mexican police lieutenant, because in 1937, I’m sure Escobar would have been one of the first.

Yeah, probably and again, that was a deliberate choice.

Jack Nicholson and Perry Lopez, as Lt. Lou Escobar.

And Perry Lopez, what a terrific actor.

He was very good, wasn’t he? He passed away last year. His health was failing for a while. I think he had lung cancer. It was a real shame. But part of writing those backstories for all the characters, they were very detailed, and that also contributed to how much time it took to write the script.

I also loved Wally, the mortician. Again, he only has one scene, but his character stays with you.

Yeah, that was a guy named Charles Knapp. Terrific character actor.

Even the players who didn’t have any dialogue, like when Gittes turns to his right during the city council meeting and sees those two old farmers in the audience whose faces looked right out of a Matthew Brady photo from the 19th century.

Roman is a very meticulous filmmaker and really took his time when it came to the casting, down to the smallest roles.

Let’s talk about the look of the film. You had the best in the business in charge of production design and costumes: Richard and Anthea Sylbert.

Yeah, all those fine details were very important to us. They were old friends, too. Really, we all knew each other on the film pretty well.

Polanski and Nicholson confer on the set.

That’s another interesting detail. You were all part of the same social circle, so much so that you named a lot of the characters after friends: Gittes, Mulvihill…

Well, Gittes was named after my friend (producer) Harry Gittes, but Muvihill wasn’t named after my friend Charles Mulvihill, which is an understandable conclusion you would have. He was named after a real estate broker that had worked with my father. I liked the name. There was another one, an old-time salesman my father knew, called Bagby. He became the character of Mayor Bagby.

Another interesting thing is that when you initially showed the script to both Evans and Polanski, they couldn’t make head or tails of it.

Yeah, that was truer of Evans than Polanski. Roman picked the first two drafts apart so we could start rewriting it. While Roman was still in Europe, I did a second draft, and those two drafts were the drafts off of which we worked to create the shooting script, which was the third draft.

And how long did that third draft take?

We spent nearly every day together for about six weeks. I brought my dog, Hira, with me to a lot of our initial meetings. Hira would go lie on Roman’s feet, which would drive him crazy, and finally he said “That’s enough of that dog!” (laughs)

What was Polanski’s creative process like, and what elements did he bring to the story? I know the biggest bone of contention the two of you had was about the film’s ending.

Yeah, but in the end, that was such a small part of our daily working relationship, and it only came up at the end. We didn’t spend a lot of time on it, to be honest. Roman said “I want it written this way,” and I responded ‘I think it would be very bad if I wrote it that way.’ He said “Well, try it anyway.” So I did, and brought it back to him and said ‘See, it’s so melodramatic.” Roman said “No, it’s perfect.” We said more about it, but not much. That was that. We sat down, and I don’t remember what draft, probably the first because there were things about the first draft that were much better than the second, although there were individual scenes in the second draft that may have been used. So we sat down, and we wrote a one-sentence description of each of the scenes that we were working on. We then pasted those onto the door of the room where we were working, and we just moved these little strips of paper up and down, readjusting the structure, to see where there were holes, adding scenes, and that’s how we worked on it. And what changes were made in the dialogue were made as I wrote. Roman, with rare exception, did not have any difficulty with the dialogue.

That was always one of your strengths though, as a dialogue man.

Yeah, I mean I guess you’d have to say that. The structure was extremely difficult, though, as it would have been for anybody.

But what resulted from all that work was that the screenplay for Chinatown is now regarded by most film and film writing scholars as the paradigm for the perfect screenplay, in terms of its structure.

Well, I don’t have to tell you that we weren’t trying to write a screenplay that was perfectly-structured. We were just trying to make it make sense. I remember, even without Roman, the first structural question, which may seem absurd now after the fact, was the question of which revelation comes first, the incest or the water scandal? And of course, it was the water scandal. When I realized that, I realized how foolish it was even to have asked the question. But the water scandal was the plot, essentially, and the subplot was the incest. That was the underbelly, and the two were intimately connected, literally and metaphorically: raping the future and raping the land. So it was a really good plot/subplot with a really strong connection. In the first draft, as I recall, it was pretty much a single point-of-view. And in the second draft I tried changing that for purposes of clarification and I think in the end, that’s what made the second draft weaker than the first draft. It’s one of the very, very few detective movies, including The Maltese Falcon, which has a singular point-of-view.

But in detective fiction, almost all of it is written from a singular point-of-view.

Yeah but remember, I hadn’t read much detective fiction up to that point. I had to take it upon myself to read Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. But of the two, I think Chandler was the more influential, probably because his stories were set in L.A.

Chandler was one of the great 20th century writers.

Oh yeah, he was a wonderful prose stylist. He was very useful to me in one sense in that Gittes is the sort of opposite of (Philip) Marlowe: the tarnished knight who wouldn’t do divorce work, who didn’t really care about his physical appearance. Where Gittes was more than something of a dandy, a clotheshorse, absolutely vain, and Jack playing him that way was half-kidding. Jack was a great-looking kid, but he wasn’t considered a leading man until he did Chinatown.

But the great thing about the ‘70s was that you had guys that weren’t pretty, who were just good-looking the way normal people are good-looking, being cast as leading men.

Yeah, that’s true. Jack would actually joke about his looks. He’d say “I have perfect tear drop nostrils,” (laughs) shit like that. He was kidding, but that aspect of his character certainly found its way into Gittes.

The other thing that struck me, especially with this new high-def transfer used on the DVD, was what a perfect profile Nicholson had then. It would have made the Barrymores jealous.

He had a great profile.

He was all right angles, as a young man.

Yeah, he was a great looking kid.

Let’s talk about some more of the casting. I know she won the Oscar for Network, but I think this remains Faye Dunaway's best work. She had such a haunting look in the film, almost as though her face was a death mask, showing that she was dead inside.

Yes, you know almost as soon as you see her that she’s damaged goods, you just don’t know how. She evokes mystery, but doesn’t tip it off.

Another detective story cliché which you turned on its head is that the woman is always the Black Widow, whereas in Chinatown, she turns out to be the victim.

Yes, just as in many ways, Gittes is also the opposite of the hardboiled detective. He’s cynical, but with his own kind of idealistic streak.

John Huston, as Noah Cross, and Nicholson: "Mr. Gits."

Tell us about John Huston, whose Noah Cross is one of the great screen villains of all-time.

John and that performance are absolutely central to that movie. His weight, his sort of patina of grandfatherly charm is a perfect receptacle, if you will, for the evil that is at the heart of Chinatown.

This is what makes him so dangerous: his charm. He’s not like Darth Vader or even someone like Gordon Gekko, both of whom are clearly evil from the get-go. It’s like the old saying “When the devil comes at you, it will be with a smile, not with a sneer.”

Yes, exactly. And the story never could have succeeded without John Huston playing that character as you described.

And his mispronunciation of Gittes as “Gits” was an honest mistake that Huston made?

Yes, that’s right. That came out on the set, and then Roman kept it in. That was Roman as much as it was Huston.

It’s a great touch: he’s so rich, he doesn’t give a shit if he gets your name right or not.

(laughs) Yes, and you never knew whether he was doing it out of carelessness or perversity. That’s the point.

Did you get to know Huston at all during the shoot?

A little bit.

What was your involvement in the actual filming once you turned in the final draft?

Not much. I would watch the dailies every day, but I stayed off the set.

You mentioned when we spoke before that everyone was expecting the film to be a disaster.

Initially, the shooting of it was going badly with Roman’s first cameraman, Stanley Cortez, and he replaced Cortez with John Alonso, which was very fortunate. It just seemed that it was one series of difficulties after the other, and we didn’t know how it was going to hang together. Then, the score that we had written for the film (by Phillip Lambro) was an abomination, and we had to bring in Jerry Goldsmith at the last minute, who did that amazing score that’s on the film now, which is also part of what makes the film work so beautifully.

I wonder if that original score is what plays on the trailer? Because it sure isn’t the Goldsmith score.

It’s possible, but I’m not sure. I don’t remember the music from the trailer.

And Goldsmith did the score in six days?

No, no. Ten (laughs) There was no time at all, and Evans and I were on the scoring stage while Jerry was doing it. Roman was actually in Italy, directing an opera.

Did Polanski involve you in the casting process?

Oh yeah, and I was thrilled with the choice of Huston. Actually, there was a point where we were hoping to get (director) Bill Wellman for Mulwray, but I think he died shortly before we started pre-production (Wellman died in December, 1975). He was an amazing man, Wellman. I never got to meet him, although I did sit next to him at a screening once.

When did you realize that not only was Chinatown not a disaster, but something very special?

The first time I saw the completed film was at a screening for Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. The score was there, the print was there and I felt, when the lights went up, ‘Well, maybe it’s not a complete disaster.’ (laughs) The first inkling I had was when The Reporter critic ran up to me and started gushing about the film, and I thought ‘Well, that’s nice. It’s probably an aberrant reaction, but I’ll take it.’ (laughs) Then the reviews came out, and…you know the rest.

L to R: Robert Towne, Jack Nicholson, and Robert Evans attend the 1974 Oscars.

Chinatown was nominated for 11 Oscars and you were the sole winner of the group. Not bad for your first produced original screenplay.

No, that was nice. That was very nice.

So what was it like for you when, finally, you made the transition from being struggling writer to being one of the top dogs in town?

It happened so fast, almost overnight. One minute I was broke, and then these three movies got produced back-to-back, almost simultaneously. Then within a year, all three were released.

Did it take some time to process that new position?

No, not really. My main feeling was a tremendous sense of relief. There I was 37, 38 years-old and feeling like a failure with nothing produced, other than having a position as sort of a subterranean character who’d done some uncredited work on Bonnie & Clyde and The Godfather. I’d done a re-write of The New Centurions, but took my name off it. It was just a sense of relief that I’d finally had a body of work produced that I was proud of before I was 40. I remember talking to my dad, who was always very worried about me, and saying ‘Dad, I finally have a place in this business,’ and it happened before I was 40, and it didn’t look like there was a snowball’s chance in hell that was going to happen a year earlier. Above all, I was relieved for my dad, that he knew his son was going to be okay.

Your dad was in the apparel business, right?

Yeah, he owned a store that sold ladies’ apparel, and then went into the real estate business, and my familiarity with the real estate business as a result of his profession, actually found its way into Chinatown.

Let’s talk about some of the real-life counterparts to the characters in the film. I know that Hollis Mulwray is based, loosely, on William Mulholland.

Yeah, very loosely. With Noah Cross, I’m not sure who he was based on. I was probably thinking of the Chandler family and Harrison Gray Otis, people like that. He’s one of those guys that was a member of the Tuna Club and the California Club. The old saying was that the Tuna Club ran L.A., and that’s what the Albacore Club was based on, in the movie. They ran the city, like an oligarchy.

You once described the Mulwrays as “California Yankees.”

Yes, it’s a very particular subculture that exists here. A kind of casual elitism, I guess you’d say. It doesn’t have the intellectual bent that you’d find in a place like the Harvard Club in New York, or similar places.

How do you feel Chinatown holds up 35 years later?

Well, I like it a lot more now than I did 35 years ago (laughs), that’s for sure. I think it’s a good film.

Could Chinatown be made today?

No. It would cost too much money, and no major studio would want to deal with a story of that complexity.

Robert Evans and Roman Polanski, circa late 1960s.

At least one of the advantages you had was that your producer, Robert Evans, was the studio’s head of production, and he stayed out of the way.

Yeah, it would have been tough even then without Evans, that’s true, maybe even impossible. I think (then-President of Paramount Pictures) Frank Yablans always thought it was a fucked-up project. I think they were all very pleasantly surprised at the success of it, though.

This was originally planned as part of a trilogy, with The Two Jakes being the second part, and Cloverleaf being the third.

No, I don’t know where the title Cloverleaf came from. It was actually supposed to be Gittes vs. Gittes, took place in 1968, and was about the era when no-fault divorce became legal in California.

Is there any chance this will ever see the light of day?

No, I would have to say no chance. I mean, anything is possible, but I doubt it.

Another thing struck me: your social circle made this film, made The Last Detail, made Shampoo, and that’s something you don’t see much anymore.

I don’t know. What about Judd Apatow and his group?

Faye Dunaway touches up during the filming of Chinatown's violent climax.

I don’t know them, so I can’t speak with any real authority, but I get the sense that all those younger guys he works with have more a student-teacher relationship with him. You, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Polanski, Hal Ashby, you were all contemporaries, all equals, all collaborators, and after you were done shooting for the day, you’d have dinner together. Has Hollywood changed that much socially since then?

Well, I can’t really answer that. We were all friends, and collaborators, that’s true. The guys hung out more than the girls did. Our wives and girlfriends really weren’t part of the equation at that time.

Brian De Palma made an interesting comment once about his group that hung out in the Malibu Colony during the ‘70s: him, Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Margot Kidder, that once the era of the blockbuster started after the mid-70s, and people began making astronomical amounts of money, as opposed to just making a comfortable living, that’s when the fractures started, in terms of their relationships with each other.

That’s quite possibly true. I think the promise of making money split a lot of us up.

Who’ve you remained friendly with over the years?

You mean those of us who are still alive? (laughs) Well, I don’t see him much, but I’m friendly with Jack, very friendly with Warren (Beatty).

Bruce Glover and Nicholson during Chinatown's tragic final scene.

Do you talk to Polanski at all?

Oh yeah, we’re still very friendly. I forgot to mention him. I’ve managed to see him once a year or every couple years when I go to Europe.

Any comment on his current situation?

No, I’m sure you know how I feel about it. I love Roman. I have an enormous respect and affection for him. I’ll tell you my favorite story about Roman: when we started working on the re-write of Chinatown, Roman presented me with a book, a gift, called “How to Write a Screenplay.” He inscribed it “To my dear partner, with fond hope.” (laughs)

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Clive Owen: The Hollywood Interview

CLIVE OWEN GETS BACK
By
Alex Simon

Clive Owen is one of those actors that keep surprising you. Just when you think the audience, and the Hollywood establishment, has pegged him as an action hero, a leading man, or a romantic comedy pin-up, Owen pulls an about-face and does something unexpected.



It all started October 3, 1964 in Coventry, England. Owen’s father, a country music singer, abandoned the family when he was just three. His mother later remarried, with Clive and his four brothers raised by his mother and stepfather, who worked for British Rail. Owen has characterized those early years as "rough." A self-described “solidly working class” kid, Owen was bitten by the acting bug at age 13 and followed his dream to The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art several years later. Initially cutting his teeth on high-profile British television programs such as “Chancer” and “Sharman,” as well as art house features Close My Eyes (1991), Century (1993) and Bent (1997), Owen hit paydirt with the title role in Mike Hodges’ thriller Croupierin 1998, playing an aspiring writer whose night job as a croupier in a London casino begins to slowly corrupt his existence.

Owen became an international sensation seemingly overnight, with rumors circulating that he would be the next James Bond as soon as then-007 Pierce Brosnan’s contract was up. The rumor mill never grew hotter than when Owen starred in BMW’s now-classic series of The Hire shorts as “The Driver,” each helmed by legendary action directors such as John Frankenheimer and Tony Scott. Although he (supposedly) was never offered the role of the martini-drinking superspy, Owen managed to dazzle audiences and critics alike in such prestige titles as Robert Altman’s Gosford Park (2001), The Bourne Identity (2002),Mike Hodges' I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2004) King Arthur (2004) playing the eponymous role, Mike Nichols’ Closer (2004), reprising his part from the original London stage production, Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005), Spike Lee’s Inside Man (2006), and Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men (2006). In the last year, Owen has headlined Tom Tykwer’s The International, and Tony Gilroy’s Duplicity.

The Boys Are Back, based on Simon Carr’s memoir, marks another change of pace for Clive Owen, playing British journalist Joe Warr, a fiercely driven sports writer who now lives Down Under (Australia, for those not in the know), and finds his life turned upside down upon the sudden death of his wife, leaving Joe to care for their young son (newcomer Nicholas McAnulty). To complicate matters, Joe’s estranged teenage son from his first marriage (George MacKay) arrives from the UK to comfort his bereaved father. Director Scott Hicks avoids the sentimental pitfalls that could have put this fine drama in movie-of-the-week territory, and delivers a quiet, powerful human drama that is also full of honest humor and terrific performances. The Miramax release opens in U.S. theaters September 25.

We sat down with Clive Owen during his recent stopover in Los Angeles to discuss his latest offering, as well as films and plays past. Here’s what followed:

This is a different kind of role for you. What drew you to the project initially?

Clive Owen: The same thing every time: it was a really good script, and Scott Hicks, those were the two things. I was very affected by the script the first time I read it. It was very beautifully-written, very honest exploration of parenting from a guy’s perspective, which was very full, very emotional. I thought Scott was the perfect guy to direct it because he’s got sensitivity, and an intelligence and a delicacy about him. This is a very intimate film, and it demanded that, since two of the three main characters were children, so it demanded that. You need someone with patience and understanding, and that’s why I wanted to do it.

L to R: George MacKay, Clive Owen and Nicholas McAnulty in The Boys Are Back.

Since you were dealing with interacting with children, one very young one in particular, how important was it for you to develop that bond with them on-set prior to filming?

It’s everything. In our first conversation, me and Scott, we said the key to the film falls into finding the right boy to play the youngest son, and the audience believing the bond, and believing the relationship between our two characters. So I made sure I got to the set very early and spent time with (Nicholas) very early. I took him to safari parks and fun fairs and away from his parents, away from the film crew. So whatever happens during the film, because much of the film is quite tough between the two of us, he trusted me. He’d always come back to the place of “I’m okay with Clive,” even if we’d just done a scene that was a little unusual or emotional. It was important that he felt safe with me, and I had to put that time in.

Nicholas McAnulty and Clive Owen horse around on the set in Adelaide, Australia.

Was there any resistance from Nicholas in the beginning to forge that bond, or did he leap into it?

No, he leapt into it. He’s a very intelligent, open kid. For sure it was important that I did it. There was no way I could have just gone in cold without meeting the kids beforehand and shot the movie. It always takes time with kids, to establish that trust factor. Once we started making the film, he’s so bright and there were never any problems.

I really liked the relationship between your character and your elder son. That’s something that hasn’t been dealt with in a lot of feature films: the issue of abandonment when one parent starts a new family.

(George MacKay) is a fine actor. He’s a seriously fine actor, and I was really impressed with him. There’s no accident with what he’s doing. George is just skilled beyond his years. He’s a very full actor, even when he’s not speaking, there’s always a lot going on. Him coming into the film at that point, I just felt when I saw what he was doing, that he would be very moving without him even doing much physically. I knew the audience would find him moving. They’d just feel the history, and what he felt he’d missed, and so I just think he was a great find for the film. I was hugely impressed with him.

Nicholas McAnulty, Clive Owen and Emma Booth in The Boys Are Back.

There are a lot of very emotional scenes in this film, but it never crossed the line into melodrama. How do you find that place as an actor, yet keep it real enough that you don’t cross over that line?

Well, it helped that I found the idea so upsetting myself. The idea of explaining to my little boy that his mother might not be around much longer, I find that very upsetting and tragic as an idea. I’ve got two girls, so the idea of that conversation is just haunting to me. So that’s the gist of it really: I relate to it. When it comes to actually doing the work, it’s about concentration and putting yourself in the place of your character, but ultimately, it’s because I understand and relate to the emotions that are there on the page and in the scenes.

Owen in Mike Hodges' Croupier, the film that made him a star.

You mentioned that working with Scott was one of the things that attracted you to the film. Looking over your filmography, you’ve been very careful in choosing some great directors, none more so than Mike Hodges, an unheralded great director who should have a citation from God for Get Carter alone, who gave you your first big break, and with whom you’ve now worked twice.

Yeah, his little film Croupier was the film that changed everything for me, and is one of the best writer/directors out there. It’s crazy that he’s not more famous, because he’s so original and skilled, but he’s also fiercely independent and does things his own way, which is what gives his work the power that it has. Mike’s a friend, he always will be, and I’ll always remember that he was the one who gave me that first opportunity which changed my career.

You worked with two other legendary directors who are sadly no longer with us: John Frankenheimer and Robert Altman.

Oh yeah, I got on fantastically with both of them. Frankenheimer was such a great character and such an amazing director. We had a long conversation shortly before he passed away about working together again, we got on so well. Altman was undoubtedly one of the greatest directors there’s ever been: his knowledge of film, his ability to put dozens of storylines into a single film and make it look so easy, he was so deceptive. He was quite brilliant in terms of the way he made his films. Many directors struggle with having four people in the room in terms of trying to cover it. Bob could put twenty people with twenty different storylines in a room and make it look like the easiest thing. His was an extraordinary talent.

Owen as The Driver in John Frankenheimer's The Hire: Ambush.

I’ve heard people liken him to an orchestra conductor.

Yes, that’s exactly it. Some of those big scenes, it was like he was putting music together, the way he’d thread things in and make it richer and richer, and more and more layered. He was a great man.

Owen in Robert Altman's Gosford Park.

What’s Scott’s approach like in terms of his relationship with his cast?

Well, his prescience with young Nicholas was the key, really, because everything was structured around that. He made the crew very much on their toes, like we could change direction at any point today because Nicholas is tired today, and just because it’s very tiring for everyone on a movie set, even more so for a child: the kind of tension, the kind of demands being made on him every day. So we kept very loose, not only in terms of capturing magic, if Nicholas did something suddenly that was really real and alive, we’d try to shoot it. There are a number of moments in the film that were just sort of captured, where Nicholas did something unexpected, or he wasn’t quite aware we were filming, and that demands a real sort of lightness of touch and a huge patience and real understanding on the part of a director. So Scott’s terribly intelligent, terribly sensitive, and I really loved the way he put the whole thing together.

L to R: director Scott Hicks, Clive Owen, and Nicholas McAnulty.

You mentioned that you have two girls and this film is from a very male perspective, about a man with two boys. How would the dynamic have been different with two daughters?

I think the energy levels are very different. I find that with children the same age as mine who are boys, the energy levels are much higher. Girls are more reserved, generally. I don’t think it would have been quite as volatile, really, with two girls. Girls are calmer. It’s a very interesting question, because I think it would be much easier raising two girls on your own, simply because girls tend to be ahead in their maturity stage in terms of the way they deal with things.

How tough is it to find a good script?

Hard. (laughs) Very hard. And the only way to find a good one is to read a lot. Every now and again you get to say ‘Here’s a great one.’ Considering how many films are made and how many scripts are written, it’s really rare to come up with a great script, so you really notice it when one crosses your path. You read a lot and suddenly you’re like ‘Oh my God!’ when you find something of real quality.

Is that the key to career longevity: choosing quality over quantity? After Croupier there was an attempt to turn you into a kind of “suave action hero,” but you resisted being typecast, and are now known for turning down a lot of big projects in favor of those that resonate with you more personally.

I don’t really have a plan in that way, and honestly if you look at the last few years I’ve done, that shape is completely unplanned. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s instinct. It’s something I want to explore. And I’m not going to do something because it’s the “right” kind of thing to do, or I should be doing “that” kind of film. I’m wide-open. I’ll do any kind of film if I think I’ve got something to offer in it, and it resonates, and I believe in it and I think it’s worthwhile doing. Then the career just is what it is. There was no plan there. That’s just the way it’s gone. Parenting is a huge part of my life. I’ve got two girls. Outside the movies, that’s what I do. I bring my girls up, and hang with my girls, and here was a chance to explore that idea fully, which I’ve never gotten a chance to do before. So that’s why I wanted to do it.

Owen in Sin City.

Did you meet (author) Simon Carr prior to playing the film version of him?

I waited till near the end. I really responded to the script and to the memoir, but I didn’t want to see him, or have any kind of physical impression: the way he looked, the way he spoke, the way he carried himself. I needed to be free to interpret it, and I had my own instincts about the part. I got enough from the memoir, which was full of his personality, but I thought it was best to freely interpret rather than get influenced by him.

Were you one of those kids that always wanted to be an actor?

Yeah, always. I played the Artful Dodger in a school production of “Oliver!” when I was 13, and from then on, that’s what I wanted to do. And I was lucky that there was a youth theater in my home town that I was able to join, and I did a whole host of plays there.

You grew up outside of London, right?

Yeah. In the suburbs.

What did your parents do?

My stepfather worked for British Rail and my mother was a housewife. We were solidly working class.

Was it tough to be a working class kid to aspire to be an actor?

Very. Being where I was from, it just wasn’t something that most people aspired to, so the only option I really had was to get into some sort of accredited drama school. There was no way, given where I came from, that I was going to walk into a life of theater and the movies. The plug-in was that I was hugely fortunate when I applied for The Royal Academy (of Dramatic Art) in London, and managed to get a place.

What was the experience of RADA like?

Amazing. Suddenly I’m thrown in with people like me, who had the same passion and every day was exploring and discovering new things about what I loved doing. The last year, you do seven plays, seven productions and seven different parts. You’re working with the top-end teachers in that world. And there’s a security there. Once you leave, then you have to get cast in something. You knew you were going to get cast in something when you were there. (laughs) It was a great time. There’s something about doing theater and doing a lot of different parts that really does give an actor a unique sort of grounding.

This could have very easily have moved into movie-of-the-week territory, both behind and in front of the camera. Can you talk a bit more about how you all worked to keep it honest and on the other side of the melodramatic line?

It was something I was very passionate about from the beginning, which was to avoid the sentimentality. I was really interested in the story’s tougher elements, when things weren’t going well, like when the little boy has his tantrum, and how to deal with that. That was real. It was something we can all relate to as parents, because we’ve all dealt with it. We’re not bad parents because of it. It’s just what happens. There was something very human and understandable about this to me. As you say, there are endless versions of “Mummy’s about to die,” and we weep, and we hug…

Cue the violins…

Yes exactly, cue the violins. It’s not like that. Parenting is much more volatile. It’s up, down and around. So I wanted to do that in a sort of fearless way, because I knew people would relate to it.

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Stana Katic: The Hollywood Interview

Actress Stana Katic.


STANA KATIC:
STORMS THE WALLS OF CASTLE
By
Alex Simon

Actress Stana Katic is on a roll. After scoring supporting roles in two of last year’s highest-profile films, Quantum of Solace and The Spirit, the statuesque Canadian stunner landed the female lead in ABC’s new police drama/romantic comedy Castle, playing Detective Kate Beckett, a tough-as-nails NYPD officer who finds herself with the regrettable assignment of allowing cocky, best-selling crime novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) to shadow her for research on his next book. Not only does she find that Castle’s creative instincts for the criminal mind help her solve some of the city’s most challenging murders, she finds her tough exterior melting under Castle’s considerable charms. The show airs Monday nights on ABC.

Stana Katic sat down with us at a local Greek eatery recently to discuss a variety of topics that make this brainy beauty tick. Here’s what transpired:

Let’s start by talking about Castle. It’s very reminiscent of the “banter” romantic comedies of the 1930s and ‘40s, which the ‘80s series Moonlighting later copied. Your character is also very complicated, with a bit of her back-story coming out in every episode. She’s someone who could’ve been anything she wanted, but she chose to become a cop.
Stana Katic: Yes, all true. She was on that typical Manhattan-ite, society girl path, then a personal tragedy struck, and she shifted course, and joined the police force to become a detective. I think she’s driven by her need to see justice prevail and her empathy toward victims and their families. She’s a woman, which means that she’s inherently strong. There are all these other wonderful facets to her, as well: hope, sometimes girlish hope; self-doubt; confidence. There’s a Joan of Arc quality to her, I suppose. There are different ways of communicating with people in different scenarios. In the workplace, you can really only be one kind of person, whereas with Castle, she has to maintain a certain sense of decorum for right now, but as we move forward and he gets to know her more, we get to see her other layers.

You and Nathan Fillion seem to have a good rapport.
He’s funny. He’s very nice, very kind. We didn’t realize that we were both Canadians until we had both been cast. It was nice to sort of bond over these Canadianisms that we would squeeze out every now and then. (laughs)


Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion in Castle.

Like what?
“Eh?” for one. I’m always “eh-ing” all over the place. (laughs) You know what’s strange, is we found that one or two guest stars every episodes was Canadian. It was like “Wow, we’re infiltrating!” (laughs)

I thought you really stood out in The Spirit, which wasn’t easy to do with all the CGI eye candy. What was it like working in a green screen environment with Frank Miller?
I love Frank. I love his creativity. He’s a different kind of a director. He works from pictures and is a true genius. He has so many stories to tell and working with him was a privilege and a real education, because he directs through painting. He can paint the picture and you have to talk to him in that kind of an abstract manner. He’s tremendously open and is not about ego. He’s all about the work, which makes him very exciting to be around. He’s really quite poetic. As a writer and a speaker, he’s really electric and he paints pictures with his words. I’m looking forward to his next project. The way he merges history and visual beauty in something like 300 is really unique. He might do a kind of sequel to 300 that tells the story of the war between the Persians and the Greeks that took place on the water. The character of Zoltes has this fabulous line where he says “Why have all my men become women and my women become men?” The Greeks beat the Persians on the water and the only Persian ship left standing was the one commanded by a female. Frank is really crazy about the history of the ancient Greeks and Sparta, and the stories from that time.

So many of our modern stories can be traced back to the ancient Greeks.
Yes, and there’s also fabulous stuff that came from Persia, India, China. There’s ancient cultures with amazing stories all over the world. A lot of Aboriginal cultures have amazing stories, as well. That being said, Frank is really mad for this specific era and the story of this particular battle—it was decided with a single, very simple maneuver—the Persian ships were very large, and came at the Greeks from all angles, and the Greek ships, which were very small and fast, sort of exploded out of their cluster, like a supernova, and then attacked all the Persians, just crushing them, except for that lone ship, commanded by a woman.

If you look at every other species, save for man, the female is the dominant of the two sexes. And some of the greatest leaders in history have been women, like Cleopatra.
Phenomenal woman! I think she’s fascinating. I’m just beginning to learn about her and her diplomatic capabilities. For someone to keep Rome at bay during her rule, they could’ve easily come through and taken over, but she kept Egypt in tribute to Rome, and she also managed to keep the Egyptians at bay, as well. She’s the only Ptolemaic ruler who learned Egyptian, who took on their ancient religion, thus endearing herself to the people. She fell in love, sort of. (laughs) We’ll see if the truth about that ever really comes to light. At the very least, falling in love with these two powerful men, Caesar and Marc Antony, was a brilliant strategic move. And she wasn’t beautiful, by any means. She was charismatic, incredibly smart: spoke Latin, Greek, Egyptian and God knows how many other languages and dialects, as well. Her whole family, all her brothers and sisters, were out to get her, yet she was the favorite of her father…You know it’s funny, I think Michael Corleone is such an amazing character, but we have a present-day history in our media culture of having those characters only being played by men. I’ve never envisioned myself as playing anything other than those characters.

Sure. You don’t want to be Connie. You want to be Michael.
Absolutely. And it’s not because of the masculine-feminine dynamic. It’s the concept of family, the concept of duty, the concept of individual passions in the face of duty and leadership and what is required in leadership fascinates me. It’s so bloody riveting, man. I was at the Hearst Castle this last weekend, and Mr. Hearst had a female architect working for him named Julia Morgan, apparently the most important architect of her time. She was the one who designed San Simeon for him. They worked together. She was like his “work wife,” and they created this fascinating piece of architecture, and she built over 700 pieces of architecture during her lifetime, which is just mind-blowing when you think about it. During a time when only 20% of North America had access to electricity, the entire castle was electrically run. To supply water, she took the mountain spring water and had it funneled down the mountain into boilers, and those boilers then heated up the water which were used in two huge pools on the premises. Fascinating woman. She’d be a great subject for a film.

Frank Miller seems to have a real affinity for strong women in his work.
Oh, he loves women, and in a very Marcello Mastroianni kind of way. He loves them all shapes, all sizes, all levels of intelligence and sanity. He just loves feminine. And he’s such a boy about it, it’s really gorgeous to see. And The Sprit encompasses a lot of that love of women, because it’s filled with all these amazing, strong female characters. Have you ever read Zorba the Greek?

Stana as Officer Morgenstern in Frank Miller's The Spirit.

Sure. I love the film, too. Do you like the film?
I love the film, but I love the book even more. The book really got to me, because it hits on this rhythm of life and existence with this need and this desire for living, this must for living. It’s like a hand going through the Earth. It’s fighting to exist, but fully, vibrantly, electrically. Zorba was wonderful, this character, and he loved women in that same way. Nikos Kazantzakis is such an amazing writer.

Stana (R) and Selma Blair in Robert Benton's Feast of Love.

You got to work with the great Robert Benton on Feast of Love. What was he like?
He loves what he does. He’s a fantastically delicate, passionate, complicated director. He sees life very vividly. He uses memory to direct his actors very patiently. He was like butter: very rich to work with on what was, in many ways, a first experience on a major motion picture. I think he has more stories to tell. He’s very poetic in his way, too. He and Frank Miller are poetic in two very different ways: Mr. Benton is little more “flower,” whereas Frank is a bit more “thorn.” (laughs)

Yeah, but remember this is also the guy who wrote Bonnie & Clyde so the color of violence and darkness is also a part of his palate. In his films, bad shit just comes out of nowhere and bites people, hard. In Feast of Love, too.
Yeah, that’s true, absolutely. It was a love story, but there were also darker elements, which I wouldn’t say were “bad” necessarily. I just think they’re part of life. Tragedy is a natural part of life. And there’s something wonderful about that, if it’s portrayed honestly, as it was in Bonnie & Clyde and Kramer vs. Kramer. I’d say that’s the best word I could use to describe Mr. Benton’s work: honest.

Stana and Simon Kassianides in the James Bond adventure Quantum of Solace.

You got to be a Bond girl, albeit briefly, in the latest installment of the series, Quantum of Solace. What was that like?
It was a blast! I really wanted to be a part of that film, and was up for the role of Strawberry Fields originally, but they felt I wasn’t right for it, plus I didn’t want to play someone who got killed, and everyone gets killed in that bloody movie! (laughs) But I got to spend three days working on that legendary sound stage in London. Daniel Craig was great, very funny, very charming. And Marc Forster was an amazing director. We’ve become friends and he has such an amazing, light touch as a director, and at the same time, has this incredible core strength, which is a great combination for a director to have. In many ways he reminds me of the way Johnny Depp played the character of Sir James Matthew Barrie in Finding Neverland. I wonder if Johnny modeled his performance after Marc.

You sound like you have a very grounded perspective on life, which you don’t always encounter with people in Hollywood.
It makes it weird to work in this industry sometimes. When I need to get a moment of perspective, when I feel as if I’m getting ridiculous about something, I’ll just go away and try to communicate or become in communion with truth, and then I realize how ridiculous all these worries are. They mean nothing! In 300 years what will any of us or our little problems mean to people. What does someone like William Powell mean to people today? One of the great actors, a benchmark in performance and style, from less than a century ago, and he’s all but forgotten by most people.

I feel that way about a lot of my favorite directors.
Like who?

Oh God…William Wellman, John Sturges, Robert Aldrich, Don Siegel, even John Ford, all the guys who influenced the ‘70s guys, many of whom have been forgotten by the upcoming generation themselves.
Yeah, they’re all amazing, but most people don’t know who they are today, which is really shocking, especially with someone like John Ford, who influenced everyone.

Do you know how Orson Welles prepared for Citizen Kane? He watched Stagecoach something like 47 times in a row.
(laughs) That’s brilliant! I love it.

Stana flashes her badge in Castle.

Let’s get back to you. You were born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario.
And grew up outside of Chicago, as well.

When did you move to the States?
When I was very little, then I would go back and forth to study, and to visit my family. That was the beginning of our emigration to North America, so it was all part of that.

Both your parents are Croatian?
Yeah, from the Dalmatian Coast. My brothers are over there now.

How many siblings do you have?
There’s six of us. I’m the oldest. There’s about seven years between all of us, from top to bottom. We’re all oddballs doing different things in the world, and they’re all on their way to growing into really interesting adults, although I don’t know if any of us will ever really be adults, because we’re all really strange. (laughs)



Promo trailer for Castle.

“Strange” must mean they’re all very interesting.
They are, and they’re all beautiful, really tall, and they’re all adventuresome. They’re wonderful spirits and I’m really honored to have them as my siblings. It’s like walking with an army when we go someplace together. (laughs) I’m really proud of them.

What do your parents do?
We have a family business that we built from the ground up. In typical immigrant fashion, they came with nothing and built an empire. We have real estate and own a furniture business. I remember playing in our furniture warehouse as a little kid, and I think that was the beginning of my imaginative streak. We had a whole warehouse from the 1920s to play around in. Everything was accessible to us. We’d take these huge boxes that furniture was shipped in and make castles out of them. I would play with money: thousands of dollars that would lying on a shelf, at age three, on the floor with customers walking around, and not a single penny would be touched. That’s a really wonderful memory, and it was a tremendously wonderful playground to begin life in. The luxury of creativity wasn’t afforded to my parents because they had to build a life, and they had to survive, so I feel very lucky that I’ve gotten to pursue a creative life.

But they were able to give you and your siblings an upbringing of privilege, it sounds like.
They educated us. They inspired us. They challenged us. We challenged them. They let us travel. They gave us lessons: piano, ballet, karate, and so on. They are ambitious. They’re fabulous parents and I’m really fortunate to have them.

When did you know you were an actor?
When I was four, this lady in a pizza shop asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said “An actress,” and my dad gasped in horror. (laughs) And that was always an element of my life from then on. I’d wake up at 6:30 in the morning and force them down to the porch and make them do plays, with ballet costumes and random pieces of clothing we’d collect. Whenever family would gather during the holidays, we’d put on a play, although somebody would inevitably argue and be upset with the character they were forced to portray, and the play would fall apart. It was always an element of my life. There’s nothing better than acting.

The creative life.
Not just the creative life. There’s something that is amazing about being an actor because we’re asked to live life as vividly and kinetically and electrically as we possibly can. I remember traveling to New York once with some photographers, and I started to see the world through their eyes, and the way they took photos. Their eyes were constantly taking photos, and what I think an artist does, is frame moments and making that moment noticeable. And by framing that moment and bringing notice to it, they were elevating it, and perhaps even elevating our experience as we walk through the earth and see. I think that actors are blessed with the opportunity to experience all our senses in that way, where we’re asked to frame every moment because one day, perhaps I’ll be able to grab a moment and it will create an echo in a character or it will be a definitive line I can deliver to the audience and maybe it will elevate our experience. There’s nothing better. We could be working in a steel mill, where you’re forced to shut so many of your senses down just to get through your day. So for those hours that we’re in the steel mill, we’re not living. But as an actor, you’re asked to remember it, and live vividly.

The life of the mind, then.
And heart. And gut. The heart is crazy, and as an actor, you always have to keep it open. I feel sorry for artists who have left us early. They deserved to have someone who could help them open their hearts again, and as an actor it’s hard because some actors are more resilient, but some actors need someone around them to help take some the hardness off that formed around their hearts. You can almost feel it in some people, and in yourself, happening on a physiological level. You can see it physically, too. What people do is they crunch in. It’s an animalistic thing where you’re using your ribs to protect your heart. The heart has been injured in some way. When you learn to open yourself up, it’s amazing the transformation that takes place: the breath becomes fuller. The heart becomes open. They’re vulnerable, but there’s something so amazing about brave vulnerability. You always have to fight for that as a creative person because it’s so easy to get clamped down. Sometimes the more sensitive of us, and the more “in moment” we are, the more sensitive we are, sometimes we need help from someone else, so that we can reopen. I’ve been blathering. What else do you want to know? (laughs)

Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic in a publicity still for Castle.

You studied at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. What was that like?
I didn’t realize how great it was at the time I was studying there. (laughs) It was very important to the initial stages of becoming an actor, because you gain tools. I was young and naïve and inexperienced, so many of the tools I received at the time, I didn’t full receive, and it’s only now that I’m learning what those tools meant. But that’s okay, because you receive information, then when your body, mind, and heart are looser, you’re ready to receive it and it will settle in. I don’t think acting is ever a finished trade. Like every creative, we’re always learning more. In fact, I’m taking classes right now, in Suzuki, which is a type of training based on Japanese theater. It’s a mixture of martial arts and theatrical training. It helps an actor learn how to remain open through physical duress, which can come from anything: stress, physical pain, mental pain. It helps you learn how to communicate through all of that, which is really amazing. I’m taking it up again after initially studying it in drama school. I wanted to touch base with it again, because I felt like it was the basis of characters like Russell Crowe’s in Gladiator, Lady Macbeth, or Cleopatra who are powerful entities that experience because of their greatness, experience more than the average person does. In spite of all of that, they still have to express. Did you know there was a part of the ancient Greek theater, which was very spiritual in its original conception, where a priest would come out, call up to the gods, and ask for a blessing. In their beliefs, the blessing would then come down to the priest and he would then conduct that blessing out to the actors, who would then sing back a response, and the play would begin. I thought that was really wonderful, on a number of levels. The characters those actors played were so huge, so bigger-than-life that I think how they dealt with it was to let it leave their shoulders and be the responsibility of the gods, so they were only the conduits of this greatness, this great, insane power, without it overwhelming them in their lives. I feel like I’m blathering, again. Am I making any sense? (laughs)

Completely. When I write, and I’m really in the zone, I feel like I’m channeling. Don’t you feel that way when you play a part?
Yeah, you lose yourself, and it’s the most amazing feeling, really wonderful.

What makes artists different is just that they have different antennae from most people, so they receive and process information differently.
It’s brave to do that, isn’t it?

L to R: Gabriel Macht, Stana Katic and Dan Lauria in The Spirit.

I guess it’s sort of a leap of faith. It’s something we don’t have a choice in.
I feel like we all have it in us, though. Some people are brave enough to give credence to their childishness, and some people shy away from it and choose a safer route.

Some people also let the system beat it out of them, which is what the system was created for: to destroy any shred of individuality or creative thought in us from the time we’re children.
Yes, and then by the time they’re in their early 20s or so, they’ve forgotten it.

But if you give a four year-old a piece of blank paper and a crayon...
Amazing, isn’t it? Everything they can do with just a tiny piece of space is wonderful. That’s why, when someone accuses you of being “childish,” I think you should take it as a compliment.

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Christina Hendricks: The Hollywood Interview

Actress Christina Hendricks.


CHRISTINA HENDRICKS DRIVES ‘EM MAD
By
Alex Simon

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho and Fairfax, Virginia, actress Christina Hendricks made her debut in the TV movie Sorority in 1999, following a successful modeling career in London and New York. After appearing in dozens of television productions, including recurring roles on hits like ER and Firefly, Christina landed the plum role of seductress secretary Joan Holloway on American Movie Classics’ lauded original series Mad Men. Created by former Sopranos scribe Matthew Weiner, MM takes place in 1960, and follows the denizens of fictional Madison Avenue advertising agency Sterling-Cooper, led by eponymous characters played by John Slattery and Robert Morse, respectively, with the main focal point being rising hot-shot Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a dynamo whose checkered personal life and shady past come to light in each new episode. The show is a delicious blend of drama, comedy and social satire, beautifully capturing a time and place on the cusp of major social, political and cultural change.

As secretary, and mistress, to the firm’s number two man Roger Sterling, Christina’s Joan Holloway echoes screen sirens from years past, such as Ava Gardner, Kim Novak, and Marilyn Monroe: curvaceous beauties who have more than one ace up their sleeves when dealing with the men in their lives.

Christina Hendricks sat down with us recently to discuss her life, work and adventures with AMC’s bad boys of Madison Avenue, circa 1960.

The first thing that strikes me upon meeting you, in addition to how young you are, is that you speak in a much lower register in character on Mad Men.
Christina Hendricks: You know, I think that’s true, although I haven’t really been that conscious of it. Most people say “My gosh, you’re a baby,” when they meet me because the period clothes and hair make me look a lot older. We’re used to seeing our parents and grandparents look like that: very stiff and teased and powdered down. (laughs)

Tell us about life on Mad Men.
I feel like the luckiest actress in the world to be on what everyone, including our cast and crew, thinks is the smartest show on television. I was a big fan of Six Feet Under and I remember crying during the last show, because it was so sad, and also because the acting and the writing was so extraordinary. I remember thinking “If I could only get cast on a show like this…” (laughs) I feel like Mad Men has given fans of shows like that, and The Sopranos, something to move on to.

Christina Hendricks as seductive secretary Joan Holloway in AMC's Mad Men.

I also like the fact that it tackles mature subject matters, and presents it in a way that seems to assume its audience has an IQ.
Well, I’m embarrassed to say I watch a lot of TV, particularly reality TV, but when my boyfriend and I were watching an hour-long network drama, which will remain nameless (laughs). I turned to him at one point and said, ‘Why is the writing so bad?’ He just laughed and said, “Because you’re spoiled!” I realized he was right. That this was “normal” TV, and it just sounded so phony to me. I was like ‘God, I hope Mad Men never ends!’

The great thing that the writing in Mad Men captures is that the most important interactions between human beings is subtextual: it’s about what isn’t said.
You know, Matt Weiner said something interesting in an interview, that John Slattery, who I think is an extraordinary actor and person, that John has the ability to take the jokes that I write for Roger, and make them Roger’s jokes. And then I went back and watched a few of the shows, and realized that the characters were making jokes, things that we find funny now, but were playing them entirely seriously.

Sure. They had no clue how cheesy and superficial they were. I remember that generation that came of age in the late ‘50s, which were most of my parents’ friends, and them interacting like that when I was a kid.
Yeah, the whole “Hey there!” kind of attitude. (laughs)

Right. And Mad Men captures that whole late Eisenhower-era, WASPy phoniness perfectly. For me, the most telling exchange in the show, which summed up that period, was between John Slattery’s character and yours when, after his heart attack, he tells you that you were “the greatest piece of ass I’ve ever had.”
(laughs) Right! And the pathetic thing is, to that man, in that era, that’s the ultimate, most heartfelt compliment he thought he could pay me. John’s such a fine actor that you realize, at that moment, that that’s about as deep as Roger gets. But he was really trying to say “You were special to me,” even though the only way my character could be special was if she was objectified as “a great piece of ass.” (laughs)

Tell us about Joan.
I think Joan is a very smart woman, and I think she knew how to play (Roger) and be very calculating with all the other people in her life, as well. I think the men in the office play with her almost like she’s one of the guys. They can say sexually-crude things to her and know she’s not going to go home and weep. It’s more like fun banter, as opposed to harassment. I think the men respect Joan as being smart, and also realize she’s someone you’d better be careful with. If you make the wrong move, she can ruin you in that office! But, she is a woman regardless, and in that world at that time, you’re lower on the totem pole because of it. Still, she’s a master manipulator, and it serves her to a certain extent.

If she were a contemporary woman, I could see her being a studio executive or on Wall Street.
(laughs) Yes! That’s just what I think, too. In 1960, Joan is stuck behind a typewriter. But in 2008, she’d be running the show. She’s sort of a precursor to some of the really powerful women that came to prominence a decade or so later. She’s ahead of her time, in a sense.

But you can also tell that the character of Peggy, who really is a budding feminist in the workplace, is both a fascination and an albatross to Joan.
Definitely. Here’s a young woman who decides to downplay her prettiness, and is going after a “boy’s job.” And this is just baffling to Joan! (laughs) “You’re doing it all wrong! You’ll never get ahead this way.” Joan doesn’t understand.

Yeah, Peggy’s the precursor to the Hillary Clinton-era feminists of the early and middle ‘70s who wore no make-up, pantsuits, and purposely deglamourized themselves because they refused to be objectified, and wanted to be recognized for their intellect and abilities.
Right. It was almost like ‘I dare you! I dare you to tell me I’m not pretty.” Or just “This is me. Accept me as I am, or don’t be part of my life.”

How did you research your role as Joan? Did you speak to women who were Joan’s age in that era?
Not really. I didn’t feel like it required all that much research, because they’re just characters reacting to their environment. I did read Helen Gurley Brown’s books, because Matt told me that my character was loosely based on some of her writings. Boy, was I in for a treat when I picked up those books! My plan was to highlight and dog-ear all the pages of relevance, and when I was done with the books, every page corner was turned down, and virtually every sentence highlighted! (laughs) She’s an amazing woman. I also re-watched a lot of Hitchcock films from that period, also films like The Apartment, and a couple others from that period. It was helpful with the hair, the make-up, the clothes, and also how those women carried themselves. Very different from today.

It’s funny you mention Hitchcock, because when I first saw you as Joan, the first thing that popped into my head was ‘My God, that’s a red-haired Kim Novak from Vertigo!’ Gosh, thank you! (laughs) She’s a really amazing archetype in that film. It’s funny, Matt told me when he wrote the part of Joan, he had a very different idea of who she was going to be. When I was about to audition for the part, I remember going through my closet…and you never want to go to an audition dressed in character, but you do want to get the essence of who the person is. I wore this really tight black sweater with a big bow on the front, a la Channel, and a really tight black skirt. And now that I look at Joan, that’s what she dresses like. She’s not the girl who wears the Jackie O dresses. She has this kind of feline thing going on, so we kept that because we realized it was perfect for Joan, especially in contrast to Peggy. And I also wasn’t written as a series regular in the beginning. It was supposed to be a guest spot. Then Matt realized “Peggy cannot exist without Joan, and vice-versa.”

Tell us about Matthew Weiner. It sounds like the guy is just a creative waterfall.
We have so few writers on the show, and he is in the room with them in every single meeting, so it’s hard to say how much of it he writes alone, and how much is a group effort. What’s great is when we point out a really great line to Matt, he says “Oh, that was Robert,” and always gives credit to who came up with it. “Wasn’t that great? Lisa Albert came up with that.” That says it all about Matt. I’ve never met anyone quite like him. Whenever he watches dailies and sees something he likes, he’ll call me up and say “You’re so good. You’re so good!” (laughs) When your boss calls you and tells you that you’ve done service to what he wrote, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Christina Hendricks and Kate Norby in a scene from AMC's Mad Men.

Let’s talk about John Slattery, who you have most of your scenes with.
It’s amazing, because if you turn on the television, John is everywhere! He’s done so much amazing work, and it’s always being shown. John is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He always seems to play these very serious, severe characters, but he’s really a nut! He’s really smart, generous, just a terrific guy and a real pro. We’re all such good friends on the show, and I’ve been on other shows where that hasn’t always been the case. A couple years before Mad Men I was on a show called Kevin Hill, where we all became so close, and we’re still extremely close, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever have that kind of professional and personal experience again. When I started Mad Men, a friend called me and asked how it was after my first day of shooting, and I said ‘Well, it was great. Everyone seems very nice, but I don’t think it will be like it was on Kevin Hill. We’re all just very different.’ Within a month, we were all inseparable. The thing I like about this cast is that we’re all incredibly tight, and joking all the time, but as soon as we’re on-set, we’re serious. One of the make-up people said to me the other day “This is the most professional cast I’ve ever worked with.” I agree with her. You can’t wing it with the sort of material we have on Mad Men. I’ve done work where everyone is like “Okay, what are we doing today?” (laughs) and it shows. We can’t do that here.

Let’s talk about your background. You were born in Tennessee, and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho and Fairfax, Virginia. What was that like?
Twin Falls was awesome. It wasn’t super small town, but at the time I lived there, probably about 30,000 people. It’s a fairly religious community. My family wasn’t religious, which could be a little strange as a newcomer, but also provided a very strong community feeling. There were lots of very strong families, but there also wasn’t a lot to do, so you had to be creative. My mom got my brother and I involved in a community theater group, so we could create our own fun. And that’s where it all started for me. I spent my whole childhood with this theater called J.U.M.P. Company: Junior Musical Playhouse. It was amazing how many talented kids there were in the group, and also how many people in the community jumped into volunteer to direct, to build sets, whatever need to be done. We’d put on these shows at the community college, and half the town would show up! So it was great. It was the happiest time of my life.

What do your parents do?
They both just retired, weeks ago! My mom was a therapist, and my dad worked for the U.S. Forrest Service.

You spent your teenage years in Virginia.
Yes, and that was not so fun. I had the worst high school experience ever. People literally spit on me. I was a Goth girl, and in preppy Fairfax County, that did not go over very well. My friends and I were all weird theater people. Some of us were gay. And everyone just hated us. The school was a strange mix of wealthy families and lower income families. When you throw all those people into a high school together, you have people with Confederate flags on their shirts sitting next to the sons and daughters of powerful government employees, who drive new cars to school. You also have mace in the air ducts and barbed wire around the school. It was like Heathers, identical to that film. It was our favorite movie, because it showed people like us finally getting revenge! (laughs)

Did you go back to your ten year reunion, so you could show everyone how you’ve blossomed?
No. I wasn’t invited, first of all. Plus, none of those people would know who I was. They would never equate me now with who I was then. (laughs) It’s funny, I was answering questions for this British magazine the other day, and they asked me a great one, which was “If you could go back to your 14 year-old self and tell yourself something, what would it be?” I said, I would say ‘Don’t worry. You’re going to be doing exactly what you want to be doing, and all those people who are assholes to you now, are still going to be assholes in 20 years, and you can’t change them. So just let it go!’ (laughs)

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Adam Goldberg: The Hollywood Interview

ADAM GOLDBERG: SHOOTING TO THE MUSIC
By
Alex Simon

Adam Goldberg first brought his unique brand of manic intensity to Richard Linklater’s ensemble classic Dazed and Confused in 1993 and has since been featured in such varied films as 2 Days in Paris, A Beautiful Mind, Saving Private Ryan, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Hebrew Hammer and I Love Your Work, which he also directed. An actor with a talent for mining the neuroses of his character for both comedic and dramatic effect, Goldberg also played recurring roles in “Friends” and “Entourage.” Goldberg's music CD, "LANDy, EROS AND OMISSIONS," hit shelves June 23 of this year from Nine Yards Records.

Goldberg’s latest film, (Untitled), is a satirical comedy that has him playing Adrian Jacobs, a brooding avant-garde composer who falls for the gorgeous owner (Marley Shelton) of a trendy New York art gallery. The quirky worlds of contemporary art and music are set on a hilarious collision course in co-writer/director Jonathan Parker’s film, which also features support from Eion Bailey, terrific as Goldberg’s self-obsessed brother, and Vinnie Jones, whose wild comedic turn in the film is sure to redefine his career. The Samuel Goldwyn Films release opens in a limited theatrical run October 23.

Adam Goldberg sat down with us recently to discuss film, music, and the savant-like genius of Steven Spielberg. Here’s what followed:

I thought (Untitled) was an interesting companion piece to I Love Your Work, with the former being about pretentious people in the art world, and the latter about that crowd in the world of indie film.

Adam Goldberg: (laughs) Yeah, that’s true, I guess. I think (Untitled) is a bit more dry in terms of its tone. I guess that’s what I responded to. It’s funny when you get a script for a small film; you never really know what its status is, in terms of financing. It can be pretty nebulous. But once I read the script, I didn’t care about those things. I wanted to make it, and help facilitate it in getting made anyway I could. I responded to the character and that the world is one that I’m somewhat familiar with, but had never really been in the middle of before. I also liked that it was so tightly-written and didn’t feel like it would necessitate a lot of improvisation, although many times that is how I look at a piece of material, in terms of what I might bring to it in that regard. But this script really spoke for itself and required me to adapt to the script and the character, instead of the other way around.

Adam Goldberg in (Untitled).

How were you familiar with the art world before?

My dad was kind of into it when I was growing up.

Is your dad an artist?

(laughs) No, he’s a wholesale food distributor, but he was an art lover, and we used to go to museums and galleries all the time, and was exposed to lots of modern art as a kid. As far as the musical side of it, I hadn’t necessarily known people who were doing things that were so minimalist or absurdist, but I’d always been a big Steve Reich fan, and enjoyed that sort of experimental music, so that’s where that element came from. So it appealed to me on many levels.

I thought the film was very well-cast, down to the smallest roles. You see Vinnie Jones in an entirely new light here.

Yeah, right? (laughs) He actually came in at the last minute, one of those little miracles that happen sometimes. He’s a really funny guy, which a lot of people don’t realize. They’re used to seeing him as an action hero.

L to R: Goldberg, Marley Shelton, and (Untitled) co-writer/director Jonathan Parker.

I was surprised to see that you were born and raised in L.A. I always figured you were a native New Yorker.

Yeah, that’s a common misconception. I was born in Santa Monica, but when my parents split up, my dad stayed on the West side, and my mom and I moved to the Wilshire/Crescent Heights area. I went to school at Oakwood, which was the fancy private school in North Hollywood. The tough kids from North Hollywood High used to beat us up.

When did the acting bug bite?

I started performing when I was really little, like six or seven. I did plays and things for my parents and their friends. I took acting lessons starting when I was about 14, then did school plays and Equity waiver plays, and it progressed from there. I also started shooting my own little movies around then. I wound up dropping out of Sarah Lawrence College and going to Cal Arts for film school, then dropped out of there after ten days, because by that point I realized I couldn’t stand being in school anymore. So making movies was always my goal ultimately, but then I started getting jobs as an actor.

Goldberg in a still from (Untitled).

But the prize you always had your eye on was making your own films?

Yeah, exactly. I thought I’d go into filmmaking through the front door, as opposed to the back door, which is what happened, I guess, just not to the extent I imagined. It’s more a function of how little I write. (laughs)

For someone who’s always aspired to be a filmmaker, you’ve gotten to work with some amazing directors.

Yeah, my first film was with Richard Linklater and then with Spielberg, I showed him my first film I made, and he helped hook me up with the head of post-production at DreamWorks to help me finish it, which was an incredibly nice gesture, but at the end of the day, I think it actually ended up costing us more money. (laughs)

Dazed and Confused holds up really well. What was the atmosphere like on the set?

It was a huge party, sort of like this super-condensed college experience that I never really had. It was six weeks of this group of 15 people, all staying in one hotel together, and having a blast, but also taking it really seriously. We all felt that it was going to be an important movie, even though the studio ended up dumping it, and it didn’t get the audience it deserved when it was initially released.

Goldberg in Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, his film debut.

Now it’s sort of viewed as the ‘90s answer to American Graffiti.

Yeah, lots of comparisons were made between the two films, and I think Richard actually pitched it that way. But once it was made, it almost felt like it had been around for a while, which was strange. We all sort of knew it was going to be this cult thing, but were still really frustrated the way it was released. It was the beginning of the mini-majors. Grammercy was Universal’s art house distributor, and I think they’d only released one other movie prior to ours, and it would have been a fine release if they’d continued to platform it. They debuted it on something like 250-300 screens, and it was doing really strong numbers, so what they told Rick was that it would be platformed, and opened wider and wider, if it opened well, and they just never did. That was an example of great casting, although I don’t think anyone’s career really took off from it, except for maybe (Matthew) McConaughey, whose life literally seemed to change overnight after that film. There were a bunch of people, like Vince Vaughn, who auditioned for it and didn’t get it, but there was this amazing group of actors who were all about 21 or 22, and we got put together. Now when you look at it, it’s like a who’s-who. It was everybody’s first or second film. You could say the same thing about School Ties, which had come out just before.

Goldberg in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan.

We have to talk about Saving Private Ryan.

At this point, everything seems to be like a memory of a memory, so I have to really dig to go back there. I feel almost disconnected from the experience, because it became so much bigger than our experience with it was.

I know that Dale Dye put you all through a truncated version of boot camp to start with.

Yeah, very truncated, because we were all big pussies and wanted to leave, and (Tom) Hanks sort of made us a deal to stay one more day, then we could leave early, because we were all ready to walk on the third day, not that we were allowed to. (laughs) We were just dying. We were all so sick and tired and freaked out because we were supposed to start shooting the day after we got out. We were just big pansies. Looking back though, it was an invaluable experience, and one of the more important elements of having done the film, to prove to myself that I could get through the kind of experience that otherwise I never in a million years would have subjected myself to. And it certainly helped me take a more subjective approach to the whole thing. I was also reading a lot, and watching lots of WW II documentaries.

What were you reading?

Oh gosh, anything I could get my hands on. Obviously Stephen Ambrose was a big guy in that department, and he was advisor to the movie, although I never met him till the press junket. There was just something about being with a group of people and being so totally sleep-deprived at the end of five days…I was really good friends with Giovanni (Ribisi) before the film, but by the end of that five days of boot camp, we weren’t allowed to call each other by our real names, and I’d look at him, and I wouldn’t even see him anymore as Vanni. I’d just see this look in his eyes, like “What the fuck are we doing?” and “How the hell are we going to get outta here?” We were so…it just made me really understand how the military worked. It was really surreal, the whole thing. It was done very fast for that type of movie, and was really exhausting, and you felt really worn down, and like you were really there. Also, just the machinations of how Spielberg shot, we were never near our trailers or the craft service table. We were just in the field, sleeping on our helmets. We were very disconnected from the fact that we were actors during the shoot. I remember we had to match our injuries from boot camp onto the shoot. We all had cuts and scrapes and things from boot camp that had to be reapplied with makeup as the shooting progressed. We were all really banged up.

Where did the boot camp take place?

It was across the street from where the production office was, in England on an old air force base. You could almost make out the production office from where we were. Vin Diesel and I kept having a conversation about making a mad dash for the production office and going AWOL. (laughs)

Did you actually bond with all the guys in your platoon?

At the time sure, absolutely.



Your death scene is still one of the toughest scenes to watch in any film.

Yeah, my mom was quite unhappy with me after she first saw the film. She said “If there’s ever another scene like that in a movie you do, don’t invite me to the premiere.” She was really upset.
Did you or the other actor actually get hurt? It looked like you were really beating the shit out of each other.

By that point, everyone was so tired and banged up anyway, we all felt like pieces of meat. It was great shooting that scene, really. It’s actually one of the best days I’ve ever had as an actor. I felt really euphoric after it was over. Anytime you do a big, dramatic scene there’s something cathartic about it. It was really rigorous and technically-complicated to shoot. I had this prosthetic body for a big part of the scene…There’s something about coming to grips with your mortality when you do a scene involving violence, same with the fight scene in Dazed and Confused. You’re no longer in your head as an actor, and stuff actually happens to you emotionally and physically. I’m not one of those guys who can turn things on and off. If it’s not happening, it’s not happening. I’d say 85% of the time, I’m in my head about things, but that’s one of those things where you can’t help but connect with the experience.

What was Spielberg’s process like?

There’s no way to really track what he did. He had the entire movie in his head. He didn’t storyboard it or shotlist it. There was no way to know what he was doing. (laughs) Plus, I was way too tired and way too into character to do anything observational. I’m sure, I hope, I picked up a little bit through osmosis. He’s such a different kind of filmmaker than the ones I use for my own frames of reference. He’s like some savant. (laughs) It’s almost impossible to trace what’s going on.

You know what’s funny? I just interviewed Matthew Modine, and he said the same thing, verbatim, about Kubrick.

I believe that. Yeah, there’s just no way to figure out what’s going on up there. There were so many cameras going, and he was just coming up with this stuff. It was great to see a guy who was known for being a very sort of “classical” filmmaker, operating on a very run-and-gun level and improvising, which is what he encouraged us to do. He kept referring to it as his “indie film,” which I guess, in a way, it was.

Let’s talk about what directing was like for you.

The first time I did it, it was a really small project. I Love Your Work was the same, actually, although I had a bigger budget than I did on Scotch and Milk, which cost 60 grand. To make a long story short, it just felt like what I’ve always been supposed to be doing, which is how it felt when I made those little movies throughout my life. It’s a similar feeling I get with my music, actually. It’s the thing I feel the most intrinsically able to do.

Goldberg and Marley Shelton in (Untitled).

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Matthew Modine: The Hollywood Interview

MATTHEW MODINE: BETTER ANGELS
By
Alex Simon

Matthew Modine has been something of an iconoclast most of his working life. After being groomed for ‘80s teen idol status in early films such as Private School and Vision Quest, Modine was also one of the first actors of his generation, along with Sean Penn, to take on riskier projects, such as Robert Altman's Streamers, Alan Parker’s Birdy, Gillian Armstrong’s Mrs. Soffel, and Alan J. Pakula’s Orphans. It was his lead role as the cynical Marine Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam epic Full Metal Jacket that put Modine into the pantheon of young actors who were more than just pretty faces and knowing winks at the camera. This, after all, was the young man who turned down the lead in Top Gun, arguably the prototypical ‘80s blockbuster, due to its cold war politics. From the beginning, Matthew Modine carved his own path.

Born March 22, 1959 in Loma Linda, California, Matthew Avery Modine was the youngest of seven children born to Dolores and Mark Modine, who ran a string of drive-in movie theaters across the United States, prompting the Modines to pull stakes during Matthew’s formative years with great frequency. Contrary to some reports, the Modines were not “a close-knit Mormon family.” Mark Modine briefly joined the Mormon Church during a job stint in Utah, and was advised to join the flock for the betterment of his business.

After being bitten by the acting bug as a child, Modine dropped out of college and headed to New York in his late teens, studying with legendary acting coach Stella Adler, and landing his first television role in 1982 on an ABC Afterschool Special. More than sixty feature films later, including one (If…Dog…Rabbit) as a director, Matthew Modine’s latest turn is in the romantic comedy Opa!, featuring Matthew as Eric, an uptight archeologist who lands in Greece, hoping to unearth a cup that may have touched the lips of Christ. When a comely islander (Agni Scott) enters the picture and catches his eye, Eric finds his rigid value system being altered (and seduced) by the woman and the island’s charms. The Cinedigm release hits theaters in limited release October 16.



Matthew Modine, who lives with his wife on a 100-acre farm in upstate New York, spoke with The Hollywood Interview during a recent L.A. stopover. Here’s what transpired:

Opa! reminded me of an old-fashioned romantic comedy that could have been made in the late ‘50s with Jimmy Stewart playing your role, and Sophia Loren playing the Greek girl.

Matthew Modine: Yeah, we were joking during the shoot that it was a Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn movie. I like those kind of movies. I don’t like comedies that are, like, dick joke comedies. I like things that give me the opportunity to reinforce things I’m trying to figure out or believe in. One of those things was the idea of a Western man--and we think of Greece as being part of the West, but it’s really Eastern—and him arriving in Greece and these two mindsets butting heads: a conflict between materialism and spirituality. I thought my character really represented that, that kind of materialism. This cup that he’s seeking out won’t make anybody’s life different if he finds it. It’s just a thing, and the fact that he doesn’t appreciate that what’s important about it is maybe Jesus Christ drank from it. The taverna that rests over the cup’s burial spot now is sort of like the cup: a place where people have been sharing stories, dancing, gathering to share food. We live to work in the West, whereas in a place like Greece, they work to live. And I loved that, and taking a film like that gives me the opportunity to examine something that I’m struggling with in my own life, and being on an island with a couple of thousand people and seeing how they help one another to get by.

Matthew Modine and Agni Scott in Opa!

I remember reading about your being an iconoclast in terms of your values system, going back to the ‘80s. After all, you were the guy who turned down the lead in Top Gun because of its politics.

Yeah, I really do believe that people want to be good. I think we have a violent history, a violent past, and this struggle that began in Greece thousands of years ago of logical thought, of empirical truth, of moving away from the mythologies, of “don’t tell me what you think. Tell me what you know.” Where is the scientific evidence? Not to discount the strange, unknowable spirituality of space, the vastness of the cosmos, but the idea of really solving the problems that exist before us where, if you have a different way of thinking, how do we sit down across the aisle from each other and share thoughts. It’s not about conservatism and liberalism. They really go hand-in-hand. They should support each other. If we didn’t have liberal thought, we wouldn’t have had the abolition of slavery, or women’s right to vote. These are things that are progressive ideas. Our country was founded on liberal thought, but that’s not to say that there aren’t great things about conservatism. One thing that we know about life on this planet is that it evolves, and when we wake up tomorrow we’re going to be another day older, and we’ll be evolving. So I’m digressing, as always (laughs), but I like to find movies being made by like-minded people. I’ll tell you a story. I went to Turkey last year for a film festival. And they asked if I wanted to go to Tiramisus, which was the town that Alexander couldn’t capture. It’s on the top of this hill, and is really amazing. You have to climb up this mountain on this little trail, and you get to the top of this mountain and see this city that Alexander couldn’t conquer, because it was too well fortified, and he said “To hell with it. Destroy it,” which meant to cut down their olive trees and burn them, because that’s what made the town rich. 2,000 years ago they made these miles and miles of terra cotta pipes that would carry the olive oil down into the port, where it was put into drums, loaded onto ships, and sent all over the world. You wander all over this town, and you just feel it’s so alive, then you walk into this amphitheater that was carved into the side of a mountain. And that’s how important theater and art is to our culture, going back that far. As we struggle through our lives, the people who tells stories and sing songs help give us a sense of who we are. Some of us don’t have time in their lives to think these things, that’s why there are some people, like myself, who are retarded enough to become actors, writers, directors that have this strange desire to do this, and those people come together to help give context to our lives. When I was up in that ancient theater, it really humbled me to think that I was part of that lineage. I never celebrate Matthew Modine in the arts. It’s not about me. I might happen to be on the poster of the film, but it’s really about those people sitting around the fire for thousands of years, telling stories. And we’re part of that thing that helps people figure out what the fuck they’re doing here.

Modine at Pvt. Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket.

Absolutely, and I think that’s something you’re born with. You had some help growing up because your dad managed drive-in movie theaters. Apparently you had your epiphany while you were watching a documentary about the making of Oliver!

Yeah, that’s right. I looked at the kids, watching them learning the songs and the process, and I just knew that’s what I was supposed to do. It wasn’t because of fame, or celebrity. I just knew that I was supposed to be doing that. It wasn’t about vanity at all. In high school I thought ‘Wow, this is kind of great because you can get laid.’ (laughs) Stella Adler, who I studied with in New York, said “If you came to my class to be a movie star, you can get up and leave right now. I don’t teach that. I teach you to be a human being.” That’s the final thing I say in my play “If I’m lucky, I’ll teach you how to be a human being,” and that’s why the Top Gun thing happened the way it did. I was in East Germany. I was at the Berlin Film Festival, and they asked me if I wanted to go into the Eastern bloc. I said ‘I can’t go into East Germany. I’m an American.’ They said “No, you can. Germans can’t go there, but you can.” I went over there and met Russian soldiers who were my age who gave me pins from their uniforms and we shared cigarettes. They were no different from my brothers who went to Vietnam. I thought ‘Wow, they’re just people, and who are the people who are telling me that the Russians are the bad guys who want to destroy the world, and who are the people in Russia who are saying that the Americans are the bad guys?’ These lies are being told by somebody. I learned that if you follow the money back to the source, you usually find the people who are perpetuating the lies, and if you can get to that cause, it’s the start of the solution.

Well, that was Watergate: follow the money.

Follow the money. Follow the money.

You got to work with two of my heroes: Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman, whom you worked with several times. Let’s start with Kubrick. I read your “Full Metal Jacket Diary,” and I know that working with Kubrick was a major intellectual, sensory and emotional experience. Tell us a bit about his process.

Well, the process was a mystery, and now will remain so forever. I think that you discover when you read the diary that the search that he was on and the discovery of the film that, while premeditated and thoroughly planned was like jazz music, or like a battle, was something that had to be improvised. Things changed over the course of the filming. Discoveries are made. Weaknesses are found, and so you have some performers who don’t fulfill what you imagine the film to be or you have some extraordinary surprises, like in the case of Lee Ermey, that becomes a major chord in the symphony that you’re trying to put together of filmmaking.


The diary contains a lot of great photos, as well as very revealing anecdotes about Kubrick himself.

Yeah, in fact I started a website for the book: www.fullmetaljacketdiary.com. There’s a link where you can register your book. I was just curious to see where it ended up. All the information is confidential, if anyone’s worried about that. It’s just kind of cool to know…I mean, Oliver Stone owns the book, so that was really exciting for me to find out. Probably I should have a forum on the site where I can answer questions about the book, too. But getting back to Kubrick, I think there was this perception about Stanley that everything was so premeditated and planned out, and I don’t think that was the case. He was very improvisational and all that preparation that he did in preproduction—if you look at “The Stanley Kubrick Archives”—it has to be subject to alteration. You start to play the notes. The thing that is exciting for me—and I thought of this recently when I saw an exhibition of Picasso’s work that he did toward the end of his life—was that a man like Picasso or a man like Stanley Kubrick, up to the final moments of their lives were still trying to uncover something, were still searching for something. I worked with Arthur Miller on one of his final plays, called “Finishing the Picture,” which was aptly titled because it was about the end of his relationship with Marilyn Monroe while they were making The Misfits, and “Resurrection Blues,” which Robert Altman directed at The Old Vic in London, where Kevin Spacey is the artistic director. And up until the end of his life, he was trying to solve this bizarre marriage he had with Marilyn Monroe, and with “Resurrection Blues” he was trying to come to terms with the uncertainty of life and the mystery of life, and God. Arthur was close to 90 when he did this play. Picasso was throwing gasoline on these final paintings and watching them melt. He was still trying to bend the form and find something hidden within it, just as he’d done with Cubism. I think that those three men are great examples of people who keep searching, who keep trying to find something. For me, Eyes Wide Shut, the reason that Kubrick had wanted to make that film for so long, before Full Metal Jacket even, there was something about that story that was very personal to him. Kubrick’s father was a doctor and Tom Cruise’s character was a doctor. As Jack Nicholson’s character says in A Few Good Men “You can’t handle the truth.” I think that was a big part of what that story was about and a big part of what many of Stanley’s films are about is telling the truth. When people start to tell lies, there is deception and there is mistrust, and from mistrust comes violence. Whether it’s The Shining or A Clockwork Orange or even 2001: A Space Odyssey, there’s an underlying story about the importance of telling the truth. Once people start to lie to one another, like in Eyes Wide Shut, Nicole Kidman’s character had this fantasy of fucking some sailor and was honest with Tom Cruise about it, and he couldn’t handle the truth.

Modine and Heather Prete in Arthur Miller's "Finishing the Picture."

You raise an interesting question: what’s been the ongoing question or theme of exploration in your life, thus far?

Trying to understand that big mystery: what are we doing here? That’s what drives me with the choices I make. What are we doing here? What is the meaning of life? What I do know is that when I have my final breath on this planet, I don’t want to be gasping for another one. I want to feel that if my time came today, I could smile and exhale and say ‘Ah, that was good,’ because I didn’t harm anybody to live my life and achieve the success that I’ve had. There are a lot of people who step on people’s throats in order to be successful. There is that nature in all of us, like puppies at their mother’s tits. You don’t want to be that run shoved to the back on the back tit. You want the motherlode. (laughs) That’s instinct. But I think if we imagine ourselves to help one another when we’re suffering, that’s what Abraham Lincoln meant when he said “To summon up our better angels,” to summon up the better side of humanity.

You got to work with Robert Altman three times, twice on the screen, and once on the stage.

The thing about working with Bob was, it wasn’t just those times working with him on the set, unless you’re a schmuck, you become a part of his family. You’ll meet with him, have dinner with him, and you became a part of his life. Oftentimes you work with people on a film and then once you’ve wrapped, you never see them again. Altman chose people that he enjoyed spending time with, and fortunately I was one of those people that became a part of his extended family.

And in terms of his working process, apparently he was someone who really gave his actors a lot of latitude in terms of what they did in front of the camera.

Yeah, I’d say he gave those people latitude because he was careful about who he picked to work with, whether it was Shelley Duvall, Meryl Streep or Warren Beatty. He picked people because he was looking for people who understood the role. I had a big monologue in Streamers when we were making that in Texas and I wanted to talk to Bob about the monologue I was going to do. I was very nervous because I hadn’t had a role of that size before, and I was very nervous about the interpretation of what I was saying. He kept postponing and postponing our conversation about the monologue and finally the day came where he said “Okay, we’re going to shoot. Modine, you go first.” I said ‘Bob, I’ve never had a chance to talk to you about this.’ He said “Let’s just shoot it.” We shot it, did two takes, maybe three, and he said “Good. Let’s move on to Mitchell Lichtenstein.” And I was really upset. He sat down on the bunk with me and said “You see kid, if I was interested in my interpretation of the role, I would’ve played it. I hired you because I knew you were an actor who understood it, and could play it. My job is to be like the conductor who says ‘A little bit softer.’ ‘A little bit louder.’ Your job is to interpret the role.” And it was such an important lesson for a young actor to receive from such a masterful director that the responsibility of interpretation is mine, just like if I was a cellist or a violinist, I wouldn’t expect the composer to teach me the song. He would want me to know the song and come in, and play it. The way that a conductor looks at a musician looks at a musician when they’re playing, you can see in the conductor’s face what he wants the musician to do, and you could see the same thing with Bob. He was very much a masterful conductor.

Modine and Julianne Moore in Robert Altman's Short Cuts.

By the time you did Short Cuts in 1993, you were a veteran actor, as opposed to a neophyte actor. Did you find the experience of working with him different at that point?

Yeah, in the sense that I had enough confidence to say to him in the scene with Julianne Moore where she takes her pants off and wanders around the house. I said ‘Bob, I know it says in the script that I’m chasing her around the house, but I don’t think this is the first time they’ve had this conversation. The difference is, today is the day when he’s going to put a period on this conversation, and get to the bottom of it. He’s going to sit in his chair, have his cocktail, and chase her around the room with his words and his thoughts.’ And Bob said “Fantastic. That’s what you’ll do.” That’s how he’d start every conversation on a set: “Okay Modine, what do you want to do?” And I think that created a much more powerful scene.

Any final thoughts?

I’ve been lucky enough to reach that point in my life, at 50, where there are so many tremendous roles that open up. When you’re young you get by on charm and looks, and when you’re middle aged there are some amazing opportunities that you have. I just hope all this work I’ve done over the last 30 years has prepared me for it.


The first ten minutes of boot camp from Full Metal Jacket.

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