Elijah Wood: For me, the biggest challenge with Strawn was [learning the magic tricks]. There are a couple of moments in the film where specific magic tricks give you a sense of his real ability. For me, the most important thing was to be believable. That came down to card dexterity, to show that I’m comfortable with … Read more
Because of the death threats you got for “And Then We Danced,” were you worried going into making “Crossing”? I wasn’t worried, actually. My producer Mathilde Dedye, who I worked very closely with, took precautions just in case, but Georgia is a very safe country, and the people are very, very open. Those people who … Read more
With the mannequin, specifically, it’s seated at the main table for much of “Oddity,” but you find ways to establish this sense of an uncanny energy emanating from it. There’s something creepy and powerful about the mannequin, and I’m curious what you wanted out of its appearance and positioning through “Oddity.” We were trying to … Read more
I imagine many will see “Hollywoodgate” because they’re curious about what the Taliban’s seizure of this base looked like. But they’ll also notice the glaring absence of the U.S. military—you only see the weapons and the personal items that soldiers left behind. And that absence is damning. This is a movie about antagonism from both … Read more
When you made “Twister,” how concerned were you about the science being accurate? You didn’t stress out about that since you wanted to create a fun, escapist summer movie. It is supposed to be fun, absolutely. But viewers have seen tornadoes on TV, so I felt that I have to make them look real. Otherwise, … Read more
While Kwedar and Bentley make a formidable team, they would not have made the film without the help of producer Monique Walton (“Bull”), who believes in their equitable profit-sharing system. During the Chicago Critics Film Festival, RogerEbert.com spoke with Kwedar and Walton in person about trusting actors, deciding to film in a real prison, and … Read more
CM: We’re getting military uniforms now. SDJ: They’re bringing in little fake weapons. Of course, at the end of the evening, they were very strict about how they accounted for everything. It was just amazing to watch that happen in a matter of time and to witness people’s perception of the formerly incarcerated change. The … Read more
Being able to tell a story that was that close to home, in my hometown, about that desire to sing and create music, and being able to reconnect to that, has been profound. Bringing it into my actual life, now performing and sharing my music in a way I had never done, feels amazing. And … Read more
Well, that forest is very beautiful. The people living there, and all of Poland, are very proud of that forest. It’s the oldest forest in Europe, and it has a lot of very natural spots that are untouched by mankind, as well as a lot of wild animals and everything. So tourists go there a … Read more
That’s certainly his hope, at least, with “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” finally galloping into theaters this week. Ahead of the release, Costner sat down with RogerEbert.com to reflect on his reasons for revisiting the West on such a massive canvas, the influence of John Ford’s filmmaking on his own, and what he … Read more