Michael Shannon is known for his intense and versatile performances across film, television, and theater—Take Shelter, 99 Homes, Nocturnal Animals, Boardwalk Empire, Long Days Journey Into Night, George and Tammy, to name just a few. On this episode, he talks about his “simplistic” approach to preparation, the test he gives directors to see if he can trust them, the importance of “disappearing,” why he no longer likes to do endless takes, and much more. Plus he discusses his love for George Mackay, who plays “Son” to Shannon’s “Father” in The End, Joshua Oppenheimer’s post-apocalyptic musical which opens in select theaters […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 3, 2024Waiting for Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud to start, I wondered how much time I’d spent over the years watching his signature warehouses, offices and apartments. The man loves a purpose-built soundstage set, the drabber the better but counterintuitively showcased under unrepentantly artificial lighting—one rung down from “Lynchian” in terms of overt ominousness but similarly ready to radiate menace. Those sets’ simplicity offsets his films’ often elevated eccentricity levels, though by Kurosawa’s standards Cloud is comparatively sedate insofar as it has a fully explicable plot: Online reseller Ryosuke Yoshii (Masaki Suda) offloads one too many shoddy knockoff goods, attracting the ire of […]
by Vadim Rizov on Sep 11, 2024Sundance Film Festival 2016 by Adam Cook Few film festivals carry inscribed connotations the way that Sundance does. For this newcomer to Park City, a visit to this beacon of American indie cinema came loaded with preconceptions about both the nature of the “Sundance film” (part myth, part truth) and the tendency for the collective critical response to hyperbolize and rush to proclaim the year’s early favorites. Given the calendar-based approach of looking at movies in the context of their year, Sundance emerges on the heels of last year’s best-of lists, nearly 12 months ahead of when its own lineup will […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 21, 2016[New Frontier Performances and Installations] When it comes to shooting one is faced with endless decisions. I make them like when playing a computer game or making music — really quick and without too much thinking. I make up my mind really fast just so I won’t lose my cool with my crew. Afterward I think, “What the hell was that decision?” But then in retrospect it usually works out well. Instinct is the only thing an artist can truly trust when it comes to those decisions. If the vision is clear then instinct will follow.
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 21, 2010