Columns
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Space in 40mm: DP Christophe Nuyens on Andor Season Two
When it comes to streaming series, it’s better to have too little of a great show than too much. With a finite amount of time to work with before the events of Andor collide with their preordained conclusion in Rogue One, the Disney Plus prequel series opted not to spin its wheels for a superfluous three or four extra seasons like so many shows that lurch onward past what should be their expiration date. The second and final season of Andor picks up a year after season one, with each three-episode block then jumping another year into the future as […]
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“It Was Like Being on a Cliff and You Just Leapt Off It, with Whatever You Had to Give”: Ian McShane, Back To One, Episode 344
The legendary Ian McShane has been acting for more than 60 years, from The Wild and The Willing, The Last of Shelia, and Jesus of Nazareth to Lovejoy, Sexy Beast, and the John Wick films. His two latest films are Ballerina, set in the John Wick universe, and and the action comedy Deep Cover. On this episode he talks about what made his time as Al Swearengen on Deadwood (perhaps his most iconic role) so special, and tells a story about an unforgettable suggestion from creator David Milch. He explains what sets Wick’s Chad Stahalski apart as a director/producer, why […]
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Practical Magic: DP Aaron McLisky on Bring Her Back
In A24’s Bring Her Back, a grieving mother (Sally Hawkins) takes a pair of orphaned siblings into her secluded home with nefarious ulterior motives. It’s another slice of southern Australian horror steeped in trauma and grief from Talk to Me twins Mark and Danny Philippou, infused with ample gore and unsettling dental carnage. The brothers’ sophomore directorial effort reteams them with Talk to Me cinematographer Aaron McLisky, who spoke to Filmmaker about their latest venture on the eve of its theatrical release. Filmmaker: I saw Talk to Me in the theater when it came out and loved it, but I didn’t know anything […]
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“To Me All This is the Circus and I Get to Join this Family, This Tribe of People”: Bobby Naderi, Back To One, Episode 343
You know Bobby Naderi from his subtle and sometimes hilarious work in films like Bright and The Beekeeper. Now he brings that same aliveness to the new Amazon series The Better Sister, where he plays Detective Matt Bowen. On this episode, he talks about how his nomadic youth shaped his life and work, how failures paved the way for breakthroughs, why he stopped anticipating how a scene will play out, how his mother’s blunt criticism of his acting work helped him get better, and much more. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, […]
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“Not Everything Could Have Been IMAX”: DP Andrew Droz Palermo on Thunderbolts*
In the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry Thunderbolts*, a reluctant squad of antiheroes team up to save New York City. Behind the scenes, another superteam comprised of A24 alumni joined forces. As this trailer breaks down, Thunderbolts* is brought to you by “the writers and director of Beef, the cinematographer of The Green Knight, the production designer of Hereditary, the editor of Minari and the composers of Everything Everywhere All at Once.” That Green Knight cinematographer would be Andrew Droz Palermo, whose resume includes work for both Marvel (the Disney+ series Moon Knight) and A24 (David Lowery’s A Ghost Story and […]
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“The Nail Came Off, But We Got the Shot and That’s All That Matters”: Forever Star Lovie Simone, Back To One, Episode 342
The young but wise Lovie Simone is best known for Selah and The Spades and The Craft: Legacy. Now she stars in the hit Netflix series Forever, an adaptation of the Judy Bloom book. On this episode, she talks about the giant role music plays in her preparation, why having a Black hair & make-up person on set is crucial to her work, “importance over relevance,” “quality over quantity,” her love of words “and the weight of each word,” the “accidental” way she and Michael Cooper Jr. built their Forever chemistry, plus much more. Back To One can be found […]
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“You’re Either Inhabiting the Part, Full On, Or You’re Not, and There’s No Pretending Otherwise”: Theodore Bouloukos, Back To One, Episode 341
Theodore Bouloukos returns to the podcast after nearly seven years (first time was episode 14). The “secret weapon of independent cinema,” as The New Yorker’s Richard Brody called him, brings us up to date on his adventures in acting. He talks about why he never dwells on a project’s prospects after his work is done, explains the kind of characters that attract him, reminisces about a couple exceptional recent shoots (including the wonderful ode to the game of baseball that is the film Eephus), makes a case for going “full on” for every role, and much more. Eephus is currently […]
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“Slow Cinema Meets Heavy Metal is Kind of Like My Goal in Life”: Joel Potrykus, Back To One, Episode 340
We rarely get to hear Joel Potrykus talk about himself as an actor. The independent filmmaker of such beloved low-budget treasures as Ape, Buzzard, and Relaxer says he has, in fact, never talked about it. In his latest, Vulcanizadora, he once again co-stars with the man he loves to point his camera at, Joshua Burge. The two reprise their roles of Derek and Marty exactly ten years after they birthed those characters in Buzzard. On this episode, Potrykus explains the decision to take on the role in both films, why he loves working with the “machine” that is Burge, the […]
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“If You Are Being Presented with Obstacles, You Should Use Them; It’s a Gift.” Brett Gelman, Back To One, Episode 339
You know him as Murray in Stranger Things, or Martin in Fleabag, or loved him in Lemon (the wonderful indie film he also co-wrote), or his countless guest star roles on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, The Office, Curb (the list goes on), but lately Brett Gelman has been venturing into more serious projects like McVeigh and Lady in the Lake. On this episode, he talks about the conscious choice to just “do great roles” that often takes him away from comedy. He talks about his relationship to the craft which started in acting school, explains how bombing on stage doing […]
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“That’s the Beauty of Theater, It Parallels Your Life In Sort of Mysterious Ways”: Adeel Akhtar, Back To One, Episode 338
Adeel Akhtar is a versatile British actor known for his powerful performances across film, television, and theatre. He gained widespread acclaim for his BAFTA-winning role in the BBC drama Murdered by My Father, and won another one, a few years later, for Sherwood. His other credits in front of the camera include Four Lions, The Big Sick, Enola Holmes, Utopia, and Sweet Tooth. On stage, Akhtar has appeared in productions at the National Theatre and the Royal Court. Currently he wows audiences as Lopakhin in a new production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. On […]
