The following interview with Darius Marder about Sound of Metal, currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, was originally published in Filmmaker‘s Fall, 2020 print edition. Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal stars Riz Ahmed as Ruben, the drummer for a two-person heavy metal band who loses his hearing and, for much of the film, his perspective and sense of self as a result. His hearing falters and almost entirely disappears early in the film during the middle of a tour with his girlfriend/bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke). Both are recovering addicts, and as their world is turned upside down, Lou fears Ruben […]

Jody Lee Lipes’ first answer was drowned out by a cacophonous eruption outside his window. We’d scheduled our interview about HBO’s new show I Know This Much Is True for 7 pm—the time when New Yorkers take to their windows and balconies each night to shower frontline workers with cheers of appreciation. Wally Lamb’s source novel was released in 1998 and the show’s 10-month shooting schedule began in early 2019. Yet it’s not hard to draw parallels between the show’s weary humanism and our new pandemic reality, with lines like “We’re connected, whether I like you or not” and “You […]

A feature entitled “Who Inspires Us?” appeared in the Fall 2003 edition of Filmmaker. Suggested by Ted Hope, the article contained 36 filmmakers writing simply about the inspirations sustaining their creative lives. I think that we can all agree that, 14 years later, inspiration is now an even more important commodity than ever. So, we went back to six of that article’s filmmakers, asked them to read their original responses and comment again — both on those responses and on who or what is inspiring them now. Screenwriter (Savage Grace) and former WGA President Howard Rodman’s contribution cited German artist […]

One of my personal holy grails finally arrives on Blu-ray this week in the form of Olive Films’ release of Peter Medak’s bizarre, riveting The Men’s Club. Released in 1986, the film’s print ads promoted it as the successor to popular ensemble films like The Big Chill and The Breakfast Club, which is a little like trying to convince people to watch Abel Ferrara’s The Bad Lieutenant by comparing it to an episode of CHiPs. The Men’s Club follows a night in the life of a group of men (and what a group: David Dukes, Richard Jordan, Harvey Keitel, Frank […]

The following interview first ran on this site in January 2013 to coincide with the world premiere of Towheads at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It is republished here to mark the theatrical run of Plumb’s film at the Museum of Modern Art in New York between January 23 and 29. Premiering in Rotterdam, the disarming and oddly delightful Towheads is the feature debut of artist and experimental filmmaker Shannon Plumb. Exploring and extending aspects of her short-form Super-8 work within a feature context, Towheads is, on the surface, a familiar story of a bored housewife whose creative aspirations are […]

The follow-up to his breakout hit Blue Valentine, writer/director Derek Cianfrance’s excellent epic crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines comes out next Friday, March 29, and one Filmmaker reader can win themselves an extra special viewing experience, thanks to a prize pack being offered by the film’s distributor, Focus Features. The lucky winner will get a $25 Visa Gift card to see the film in theaters, a T-shirt, the official soundtrack (featuring the original score by Mike Patton, plus tracks by Arvo Pärt, Bon Iver and Ennio Morricone) and a poster for the film. To win this prize pack, send an email to […]

Premiering in Rotterdam, the disarming and oddly delightful Towheads is the feature debut of artist and experimental filmmaker Shannon Plumb. Exploring and extending aspects of her short-form Super-8 work within a feature context, Towheads is, on the surface, a familiar story of a bored housewife whose creative aspirations are stifled by the pressures of domesticity and the disinterest of a work-obsessed husband. But these frustrations are just the catalyst for a charmingly playful series of episodes in which Plumb’s character adopts various guises — a drag king, a pole dancer and many more — in an attempt to explore alternative […]

Now up on our VOD Calendar are the titles available in May. Some of the highlights include Derek Cianfrance‘s Blue Valentine, John Carney‘s Zonad, Mark Ruffalo‘s directorial debut Sympathy for Delicious (which is also in select theaters now, read our interview with Ruffalo), Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu‘s Biutiful and the premiere of the Adrien Brody/Penélope Cruz starrer A Madator’s Mistress. To find titles from other months go to our VOD Calendar homepage.

Here Oscar-winner Robert Benton interviews Derek Cianfrance. The piece was originally printed in the Fall 2010 issue. Blue Valentine is nominated for Best Actress (Michelle Williams). As a child, Derek Cianfrance always worried his parents would divorce. When he was 20 his fears were realized. Both upset as well as curious about his own emotional antennae — how he somehow sensed discord in his parents’ relationship — Cianfrance decided to tackle the subject head-on with a movie. After gaining notice in the indie community with his debut feature, Brother Tied, in 1998, Cianfrance got to work on Blue Valentine, a […]