Toronto Film Festival

Rafe Spall Talks ANONYMOUS, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ, and PROMETHEUS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 31st, 2011 at 5:39 pm

With Roland Emmerich’s period drama Anonymous opening this weekend, I recently got to speak with Rafe Spall about playing William Shakespeare.  While Emmerich is known for his big-budget disaster movies like 2012 and Independence Day, Anonymous is quite a departure, as the story centers on a conspiracy to cover up the true author of Shakespeare’s plays.  There are no monsters or aliens.  Instead, Emmerich has made a really entertaining political thriller wrapped in a conspiracy theory that also stars Rhys Ifans, Jamie Campbell Bower, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, Xavier Samuel and Vanessa Redgrave.  Here are some clips and the trailer.

During a very fun interview, Spall talked about the sexual favors he gave Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg for casting him in both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, karaoke, video games, does he think Shakespeare wrote the plays, and the research he did.  In addition, Spall talked about what it was like to work for Ridley Scott in Prometheus and who he plays in the film. Hit the jump to watch.

Rhys Ifans and Jamie Campbell Bower Talk ANONYMOUS, SPIDER-MAN, TWILIGHT, MORTAL INSTRUMENTS and 3D

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 27th, 2011 at 2:26 pm

With Roland Emmerich’s period drama Anonymous opening this weekend, I recently got to speak with two of the stars, Rhys Ifans and Jamie Campbell Bower.  While Emmerich is known for his big-budget disaster movies like 2012 and Independence Day, Anonymous is quite a departure, as the story centers on a conspiracy to cover up the true author of William Shakespeare’s plays.  There are no monsters or aliens.  Instead, Emmerich has made a really entertaining political thriller wrapped in a conspiracy theory that also stars David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, Rafe Spall, Xavier Samuel and Vanessa Redgrave.  Here are some clips and the trailer.

During a very fun and relaxed interview, Ifans and Campbell Bower talked about video games, karaoke, whether or not Shakespeare really wrote his plays, 3D, and Ifans talks about what fans can look forward to in The Amazing Spider-Man and Campbell Bower talks about Twilight and Mortal Instruments. Hit the jump to watch.

Director Roland Emmerich Talks ANONYMOUS, ASTEROIDS and SINGULARITY

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 24th, 2011 at 6:35 pm

With Roland Emmerich’s period drama Anonymous opening this weekend, I recently got to speak with the high profile director about making the film. Best known for his big-budget disaster movies like 2012 and Independence Day, Anonymous is quite a departure, as the story centers on a conspiracy to cover up the true author of William Shakespeare’s plays.  There are no monsters or aliens.  Instead, Emmerich has made a really entertaining political thriller wrapped in a conspiracy theory that stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, Rafe Spall, Xavier Samuel and Vanessa Redgrave.

During the interview, Emmerich talked about where the idea for Anonymous came from, how much is fact and how much was “Hollywoodized,” editing, deleted scenes, extended cuts on home video, and he gave me updates on Asteroids and Singularity - which he’s working on now and will be his next movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

Max Minghella Talks THE IDES OF MARCH and THE DARKEST HOUR

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 9th, 2011 at 7:53 am

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Max Minghella about starring in director George Clooney’s political drama The Ides of March.  Co-starring Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, and Jeffrey Wright, the pic takes place during the tension-filled days leading up to an all-important Ohio presidential primary where a press secretary (Gosling) finds himself in the middle of a scandal that could upend his candidate’s (Clooney) shot at winning.  Loaded with great performances and a smart script, The Ides of March is really well done and definitely worth your time.

During the interview, Minghella talked about how he got involved in the project, working with the great cast and for Clooney, karaoke, and what’s the last video game he played,  In addition, Minghella talked about director Chris Gorak’s The Darkest Hour.  Hit the jump to watch.

Ryan Gosling Talks THE IDES OF MARCH and Derek Cianfrance’s THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 6th, 2011 at 8:55 am

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Ryan Gosling about starring in director George Clooney’s political drama The Ides of March.  Starring Clooney, Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright, the pic takes place during the tension-filled moments leading up to an all-important Ohio presidential primary where a press secretary (Gosling) finds himself in the middle of a scandal that could upend his candidates’ (Clooney) shot at winning.  Loaded with great performances and a smart script, The Ides of March is really well done and definitely worth your time.

During the interview, Gosling talked about how he got involved in the project, working with the great cast, filming in Ohio, what it’s like having two big films come out at the same time, and does he prefer the Clint Eastwood two-take method or the David Fincher way of doing things.  In addition, Gosling talked about working with director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) again on The Place Beyond the Pines and what the film is about.  Hit the jump to watch.

Paul Giamatti Talks THE IDES OF MARCH, Singing Journey in ROCK OF AGES, Stalking Robert Pattinson in COSMOPOLIS, JOHN DIES AT THE END, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 4th, 2011 at 7:28 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Paul Giamatti about starring in director George Clooney’s political drama The Ides of March.  Starring Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright, the pic takes place during the tension-filled moments leading up to an all-important Ohio presidential primary where a press secretary (Gosling) finds himself in the middle of a scandal that could upend his candidates’ (Clooney) shot at winning.  Loaded with great performances and a smart script, The Ides of March is really well done and definitely worth your time.

During the wide ranging interview, Giamatti talked about how he got involved in the project,what kind of research he did, and how the film isn’t heavy handed.  In addition, he talked about playing Tom Cruise’s manager in Rock of Ages and singing Journey, David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis (where he plays Robert Pattinson’s stalker), John Dies at the End, and reveals that he wants to do a western or a private eye movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

The Duplass Brothers Talk JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, M Night’s SIGNS, THE DO-DECA PENTATHLON, More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 1st, 2011 at 9:04 am

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with The Duplass Brothers (Cyrus) about their new comedy Jeff, Who Lives At Home. The film stars Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon and Rae Dawn Chong.  The story centers on Jeff (Segel), a stay-at-home son who loves M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs.  While out on an errand for his mother (Sarandon), he gets an epiphany about his destiny and decides to see where it takes him.  I caught a screening after doing the interview and thought it was great.

During the interview, the brothers talked about what it’s like to premiere at TIFF instead of Sundance, the connection between Jeff, Who Lives at Home and M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs, how much of the film was scripted versus improvised, editing, video games, karaoke, and they also talked about future projects like The Do-Deca-Pentathalon.  Hit the jump to watch.  Jeff, Who Lives at Home gets released March 2, 2012.

Seth Rogen Talks 50/50, the GREEN HORNET Sequel, MY MOTHER’S CURSE, SETH AND JAY VS. THE APOCALYPSE and NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 29th, 2011 at 11:19 am

The dramedy 50/50, directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness), is one of my favorite films of 2011.  Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston, the film is based on screenwriter Will Reiser’s real-life battle with cancer and focuses on the twists, turns, shock, sadness, and comedy he experienced along the way.

While at the Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Rogen about the movie.  We talked about balancing the humor with telling an honest and real story, was it tough to get made, karaoke, what’s the last video game he played, and the great reaction at TIFF.  In addition, Rogen also gave me updates on the Green Hornet sequel, My Mother’s Curse,  Neighborhood Watch, and he tells me that he’s going to direct Seth and Jay vs. the Apocalypse this February.  Hit the jump to watch.

Anna Kendrick Talks 50/50, TWILIGHT, END OF WATCH, the SCOTT PILGRIM Video Game and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 6:53 pm

The dramedy 50/50, directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness), is one of my favorite films of 2011.  Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston, the film is based on screenwriter Will Reiser’s real-life battle with cancer and focuses on the twists, turns, shock, sadness, and comedic relief that he experienced along the way.

While at the Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Kendrick about how she got cast in 50/50 and how she prepared for the role.  In the film, she plays a young therapist who helps Gordon-Levitt deal with his cancer.  In addition, we talked about her favorite karaoke song, the last video game she played (Scott Pilgrim), what Twilight fans always want to talk to her about (his initials are RP).  She also talks about her role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in David Ayer’s End of Watch.  Hit the jump to watch

Director Marc Forster Talks MACHINE GUN PREACHER and WORLD WAR Z

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 6:16 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with director Marc Forster about Machine Gun Preacher.   The movie is based on the real-life story of Sam Childers (played by Gerard Butler), a former drug-dealer who turned his life around and now devotes his time to saving kidnapped and orphaned children in Sudan.  The film also stars Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon.  It’s a hell of a story and one that I’m glad got told.  You can watch some clips here.

During the interview, Forster talked about why he decided to make Machine Gun Preacher, being the producer and director, the casting process, editing, karoke and what’s the last video game he played.  In addition, with Forster currently shooting World War Z with Brad Pitt, he talked about what drew him to that project and changing the book to make the movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

Exclusive: Whit Stillman Talks DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, Future Projects, and the Last 13 Years at TIFF

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 11:36 am

One of my highlights of this year’s Toronto Film festival was getting to sit down with writer-director Whit Stillman.  As a huge fan of Stillman’s first three features (Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco), I never thought I’d get the chance to talk with him.  But with Stillman writing and directing his first film in 13 years, Damsels in Distress , he was at TIFF to talk about the project and I jumped at the chance to interview with him.  Since Damsels doesn’t get released until next year, I decided to use more of the time to talk about what he’s been doing for since The Last Days of Disco and what’s coming up in the future.  While I hoped he’d jump into another film immediately, he tells me:

“I doubt if, in the best case scenario, there’d be anything underway in 2012. I have to write a commission, get some money, a paid job that I hope might lead to something. I do have these other scripts, the only one I talk about now is the Jamaica one, because I don’t wanna talk about stuff that doesn’t happen and that one’s already lost its virginity, and so I can still talk about it, so that’s one of sort of three projects.”

In addition, if you’re like me and patiently waiting for his first three films to hit Blu-ray, he revealed Criterion is trying to get the rights to Barcelona but he had no idea when the films would hit HD.  Hit the jump to watch the interview.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Talks 50/50, SNL, LOOPER, Steven Spielberg, and IMAX on THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 27th, 2011 at 6:49 pm

The dramedy 50/50, directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness), is one of my favorite films of 2011.  Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston, the film is based on screenwriter Will Reiser’s real-life battle with cancer and focuses on the twists, turns, shock, sadness, and comedic relief that he experienced along the way.  While all the performances are fantastic, Gordon-Levitt is operating on another level.  I really believe he’s one of the best actors working in Hollywood.

While at the Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Gordon-Levitt about how he got involved in 50/50, if he’ll ever host Saturday Night Live again and how he’ll top his amazing opening number, if he prefers doing a few takes like Clint Eastwood or tons like David Fincher, what it means to be working with Steven Spielberg on Lincoln, and if he’s seen a rough cut of Rian Johnson’s Looper.  In addition, while I knew he’d be guarded about The Dark Knight Rises, I was able to get a good answer on what it’s like work with the IMAX cameras.  Hit the jump to watch.

Sam Childers and Screenwriter Jason Keller Video Interview MACHINE GUN PREACHER

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 27th, 2011 at 6:20 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Sam Childers and screenwriter Jason Keller about director Marc Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher.   The movie is based on the real-life story of Childers (played by Gerard Butler), a former drug-dealer who turned his life around and now devotes his time to saving kidnapped and orphaned children in Sudan.  The film also stars Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon.  It’s a hell of a story and one that I’m glad got told.  You can watch some clips here.

During the interview, they talked about how much is based on real events and how much was Hollywoodized, the way they worked together to get everything right, the current status of things in Sudan, and the way regular folks can help out.  Hit the jump to watch.

Gerard Butler and Michelle Monaghan Talk MACHINE GUN PREACHER, Video Games and Karaoke

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 6:58 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Gerard Butler and Michelle Monaghan about director Marc Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher.  The movie is based on the real-life story of Sam Childers (played by Butler), a former drug-dealer who turned his life around and now dedicates it to saving kidnapped and orphaned children in Sudan.  Monaghan plays his wife Lynn.  It’s a hell of a story and one that I’m glad got told.  You can watch some clips here.

During the interview, they talked about how they got involved in the project, what was it like to work for Marc Forster, and we had some fun talking about karaoke and video games.  Butler revealed he has a thing for Galaga. Hit the jump to watch.

Bryce Dallas Howard Talks 50/50, THE HELP, TWILIGHT Fans and THE ORIGINALS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 5:33 pm

The dramedy 50/50, directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness), is one of my favorite films of 2011.  Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston, the film is based on screenwriter Will Reiser’s real-life battle with cancer and focuses on the twists, turns, shock, sadness, and comedic relief that he experienced along the way.  You can watch the trailer here and here’s Phil’s review.

While at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Dallas Howard about how she got involved in 50/50, the research she does for her roles, and was she surprised by the success of The Help.  In addition, I asked Twilight fans meet her what do they always want to talk about and I got an update on a movie she wants to direct called The Originals.  She says it’s like a Bill Chill for her generation.  Hit the jump to watch.

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