Columns
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Considerations: Phase 2 Begins
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Get In/On the Car: DP Terry Stacey on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
The original Den of Thieves was all about the thin line separating insular tribes of cops and robbers in Los Angeles. In the breezier Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Gerard Butler’s detective crosses that line to join forces with former nemesis O’Shea Jackson Jr. to rob the World Diamond Center in Nice. The heist franchise represents a line crossing for cinematographer Terry Stacey as well. The British DP began his features career lensing early aught indies (including American Splendor and films with Larry Fessenden, Allison Anders, Brad Anderson and Lisa Cholodenko) before working on a slew of studio romances and […]
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Actor and Teacher Brad Fleischer on the Importance of the Visceral Over the Intellectual in the Work of the Actor: Back To One, Episode 327
Brad Fleischer is an actor, teacher, coach, filmmaker, producer, and founding partner of GhostLight Media. He originated the role of Doug in Gruesome Playground Injuries alongside Selma Blair. On Broadway, he starred opposite Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, opposite Tony Schaloub in Golden Boy, and played the title character in the Olivier award winning Coram Boy. On the screen, Brad has worked with Robert De Niro in The Good Shepherd, Scott Frank and Liam Neeson in Walk Among the Tombstones, Greg Nicotero on The Walking Dead, among many others. For 17 years and counting, he continues […]
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“If You Remember That You Are a Creative Artist While You’re Being an Interpreter, You’re Gonna Be All Right”: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Back To One, Episode 326
Marianne Jean-Baptiste is getting accolades and awards for her incredible performance in Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths. The two last worked together nearly 30 years ago, on Leigh’s Secrets and Lies, for which Jean-Baptiste was nominated for an Oscar. On this episode, she takes us all the way back to her first time working with Mike Leigh, on the play It’s A Great Big Shame, and details for us the ins and outs of working with him on these three projects. She talks about her love of process, how this intense character work fuels her on less actor-centric jobs, why she’s still mad at Leigh […]
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Considerations: Who’s Leading the Acting Races?
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Mike Leigh Dishes Hard Truths: A Special Episode
The U.S. premiere of Hard Truths at the New York Film Festival in October brings director Mike Leigh back to the podcast for the third time (Ep. 54 and Ep. 204). He talks about working again with Marianne Jean-Baptiste after nearly 30 years, how a lower budget didn’t change his process but made him “dig vertically,” why American actors are unofficially not allowed in his films. Plus he shares his hope for cinema after he’s gone, but explains why he refuses to officially pass down his process. And much more! Hard Truths opens in select U.S. theaters on Friday January […]
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“Letting Go of Judgement of Myself and Just Having My Imagination Be So Big”: Tiffany Boone, Back To One, Episode 324
Tiffany Boone’s breakout role was Jerrika Little on the series The Chi. Little Fires Everywhere, The Midnight Sky, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Hunters followed. Now she voices Sarabi in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King. She explains how getting back to her childlike imagination was a must for that role. She tells the story of trying to break up with acting but acting wouldn’t break up with her. She talks about the importance of knowing the character better than anyone else, how focusing on connecting with people through her art allowed her to “let go of the desperation,” and much more. […]
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“There Was an Opportunity to Make the Movie More Romantic and Luckily We Took It”: Your Monster Star Tommy Dewey, Back To One, Episode 323
Tommy Dewey is best known for playing Alex Cole on the Hulu series Casual for five seasons. This year, two movies benefit from his talents—the Jason Reitman ensemble comedy Saturday Night, and Caroline Lindy’s romantic/horror/comedy Your Monster, where he brilliantly plays the titular character. On this episode, he talks about what went into deciding on the proper mixture of absurdity and tenderness for that special role. He explains why, if a comedy script connects with him, he “maybe reads it once and stay the hell away from it.” Plus how writing can help you as an actor, the increased pressure […]
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Considerations: The Best Picture Shortlist
Every Tuesday Tyler Coates publishes his new Filmmaker newsletter, Considerations, devoted to the awards race. To receive it early and in your in-box, subscribe here. It’s my last dispatch of the year—I’ll be back with another newsletter the first full week of January—as the Oscar campaigning unofficially pauses for the holidays. The last major awards event of the year will take place on Dec. 17, when the Academy announces the shortlists for 10 categories: documentary feature, international feature, animated short, documentary short, live-action short, original score, original song, makeup/hairstyling, sound and visual effects. Then, the Golden Globes on Jan. 5 […]
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Christmas with Art the Clown: DP George Steuber on Terrifier 3
Movies are a uniquely collaborative art form. A painting, a novel or a song can be created in solitude, but you can’t make a commercial narrative film by yourself. That said, the original Terrifier came about as close as you can get: Writer-director Damien Leone is also credited for producing, editing, special make-up effects, visual effects, sound design and props. In addition to putting up money, producer Phil Falcone served as UPM, AD and stunt driver and also assisted with the effects. As for cinematographer George Steuber, he was the entirety of the camera department. He operated, pulled his own […]
