With his new film Rampart (which ranked #4 on my Top 10 of 2011 list), writer-director Oren Moverman took the corrupt-cop genre and twisted it just like he did with The Messenger‘s soldier-PTSD story.  He’s one of the more exciting filmmakers working today because of his ability to play against expectations and come out with a more powerful, realistic story as a result.

I got the chance to interview Moverman about the film and we talked about where the real Rampart scandal came into the story, re-teaming with Woody Harrelson, shooting the movie as if it were two different films, and more.  Moverman also spoke about his collaboration with Ben Stiller for a David O. Selznic biopic for HBO, and we discussed his script for Steve Buscemi‘s upcoming film, Queer.  Hit the jump to check out the interview.  Rampart opens in select cities this Friday.  Click here to read my full review.

Steve Buscemi has lined up quite the cast for his next directorial effort. The Boardwalk Empire actor is poised to direct an adaptation of William Burroughs’ novel Queer, and Vulture reports that Guy Pearce, Ben Foster, and Buscemi’s Boardwalk Empire co-star Kelly MacDonald are set to star. The book was written in 1952, after Burroughs accidentally shot and killed his wife. The story, which mirrors Burroughs’ emotional and psychological state at the time, centers on an American named William Lee living in Mexico City, weighed down by drugs, guilt, and lust. The project is still in the early stages, and financing isn’t yet firmed up, but Rampart director Oren Moverman wrote the script and told Vulture that the plan is to shoot the film during Buscemi’s next hiatus from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Hit the jump to read the synopsis for the novel.