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“His First Question To Us Was, ‘What Are Your Astrological Signs?'”: Cristina Costantini, Kareem Tabsch and Alex Fumero on Mucho Mucho Amor
Mucho Mucho Amor
Premiering at Sundance back in the pre-pandemic festival days (uh, January) Mucho Mucho Amor is a much-needed uplift in these trying times. Co-directed and produced by Cristina Costantini (Science Fair) and Kareem Tabsch (The Last Resort), and produced by Alex Fumero (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson), the doc, which hits Netflix today, is a fascinating odyssey into the beautifully eccentric world of Walter Mercado. Combining the fashion sense of Liberace with the relentless positivity of Tammy Faye Bakker, the Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic and defiantly nonbinary pioneer spent decades spreading his mantra of “mucho mucho amor” to an audience of millions -- 120 to be exact -- of Latinx viewers across the globe. (That would include Lin-Manuel Miranda, who… Read more
“Is Evil Outside of Us, Or Does It Come from Within?”: D.P. Fred Murphy on Shooting Evil, Wide-Angle Lenses and Working with Wim Wenders
Evil
Evil was one of the best new television series of the 2019-2020 season, a thoughtful consideration of a vast array of moral, spiritual and sociopolitical issues in the guise of a supernatural procedural. The show follows Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), a clinical psychologist with a complicated family life who teams up with David Acosta (Mike Colter), a haunted ex-journalist who works for the Catholic Church as an assessor; he investigates – then confirms or debunks – incidents involving miracles, demonic possessions, and the like. Series creators Robert and Michelle King (the husband and wife team responsible for The Good Wife and The Good Fight) use the dichotomy between the pragmatic Kristen and the spiritual David as the starting point for… Read more
Back to One, Episode 114: Daisy Edgar-Jones
(Photo: Joseph Sinclair)
She’s barely in her twenties, yet Daisy Edgar-Jones has given us a 12-part acting technique masterclass in the form of her portrayal of Marianne in Hulu’s hit series Normal People. Every state of emotion, every point of transformation is reached with striking authenticity, stemming from this complex character. It’s a timeless performance for the ages. In this episode, she breaks down some of that work, talks about her love of acting with accents, the importance of creative chemistry, how she manages her acting insecurities, and much more. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. And if you're enjoying what you are hearing, please subscribe and rate us! Follow Back To One on… Read more
Sukiyaki Western Django, Django and Dream Demon: Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations
Django
Japanese horror and action master Takashi Miike is one of those directors who’s so prolific that it’s easy to take him for granted; ever since he caught American cinephiles’ attention in 1999 with Audition and Dead or Alive, he’s been cranking out something close to a half-dozen movies each year, releasing his kinetically supercharged orgies of style and violence faster than some viewers can keep up with them. While I wouldn’t try to make the case that all 100-plus Miike productions are masterpieces, when he’s firing on all cylinders – as with Audition, or last year’s First Love – he’s one of the most surprising and entertaining filmmakers on the planet. His 2007 Western Suriyaki Western Django is a case… Read more
Hirokazu Kore-eda on the Lightness of Catherine Deneuve, Long Takes and Shooting The Truth
The Truth
Hirokazu Kore-eda became one of world cinema's leading directors in a series of films that over 20 years have examined family life with uncanny insight and sensitivity. After winning the Palme d’Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters, Kore-eda wrote, directed and edited The Truth (La Vérité), his first foreign-language feature. Starring Catherine Deneuve as Fabienne, a renowned French movie star, and Juliette Binoche as her daughter Lumir, a writer, the movie explores their relationship during the shooting of an art-house film. Ethan Hawke plays Hank, Lumir's husband, an actor and recovering alcoholic. The Truth screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2019. It screens virtually starting July 3. Filmmaker spoke with Kore-eda by phone earlier this spring. Thanks… Read more
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