Action!: Interviews with Directors from Classical Hollywood to Contemporary Iran (Anthem Global Media and Communication Studies,New Perspectives on World Cinema)

"Action! Interviews with Directors from Classical Hollywood to Contemporary Iran presents nineteen outstanding interviews with directors past and present, from around the world, working in a variety of genres and budgets and production environments from major studios to indie and DIY. The result is a vibrant group portrait of the filmmaking art, a kind of festival in words that explores everything from the enormous creative and personal satisfactions of filmmaking to the challenges and frustrations that range from meddlesome studio heads to state censorship. These articulate auteurs include iconic figures Fellini and Truffaut (in his moving final interview), avant-garde masters Otto Muehl and the Brothers Quay, social critics Barbara Kopple and Allie Light, mainstream mavericks Robert Wise and Douglas Sirk, and eleven others. While their work (and working methods) varies widely, these directors share the status of pioneer and subversive, fighting - sometimes against great odds - to put their unique vision onscreen."--Jacket Front Matter 2 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Foreword 8 Editor's Preface 12 Acknowledgements 16 Introduction: The Art and Craft of Interviewing: A View from Within 18 Main Body 24 I. Going Hollywood: Masters of Studio Style 24 Chapter 1. Angel in Exile: Allan Dwan, by Howard Mandelbaum and Gary Morris 26 Interview 27 On some contemporaries 34 Outtakes 35 Chapter 2. "An Unhappy End": Douglas Sirk, by Michael Stern 40 Introduction, by Gary Morris 40 Interview, by Michael Stern 42 George Zuckerman on Sirk 57 Albert Zugsmith on Sirk 58 Chapter 3. Somebody Up There Likes Me: Robert Wise, by C. Jerry Kutner 62 Interview: Part 1 65 Interview: Part 2 74 Reference 86 Chapter 4. "The Greatest Movie the World Has Never Seen": Peter Bogdanovich and Joseph McBride on Orson Welles' 'The Other Side of the Wind', by Damien Love 88 Interview 90 References 108 Chapter 5. "Plant Your Feet and Tell the Truth": Clint Eastwood, by Tony Macklin 112 Interview 113 II. Tickets to the Dark Side: Festival Favorites 126 Chapter 6. 'Manderlay': Lars von Trier, by Karin Luisa Badt 128 Interview 129 References 134 Chapter 7. '20 Angosht (20 Fingers)': Mania Akbari, by Dorna Khazeni 136 Interview 139 Chapter 8. 'I Am a Sex Addict': Caveh Zahedi, by Peter Rinaldi 146 Interview 147 Chapter 9. 'Caché (Hidden)': Michael Haneke, by Karin Luisa Badt 154 Interview 157 III. Blows Against the Empire: Indie Godfathers 162 Chapter 10. Sweet Sould Music: Melvin and Mario Van Peebles, by Damon Smith 164 Interview 165 Chapter 11. Nearer My Corman to Thee: Roger Corman, Bruce Dern and David Carradine, by Damien Love 176 Interview 178 Bruce Dern 188 David Carradine 191 References 193 IV. Edgeplay: Avant-Garde Auteurs 196 Chapter 12. An Actionist Begins to Sing: Otto Muehl, by Andrew Grossman 198 Interview, Translated from the German by Robert Mark Grossman 203 References 227 Chapter 13. "They're Panicking, Look at Them!" The Brothers Quay, by Damon Smith 230 Interview 232 V. Women in Revolt: Artist-Activists 248 Chapter 14. 'Dialogues with Madwomen': Allie Light, by Gary Morris 250 Interview 253 Chapter 15. 'Shut up & Sing': Barbara Kopple, by Damon Smith 258 Interview 261 VI. The Canon: Brilliance without Borders 268 Chapter 16. "For a Kind of Pleasure": Federico Fellini, by Toni Maraini, Trans. by A. K. Bierman 270 Interview 271 Chapter 17. Transcendental Style, Poetic Precision: Robert Bresson, by Bert Cardullo 288 Interview 289 Chapter 18. "The Fruitful Tree Bends": Abbas Kiarostami, by Bert Cardullo 322 Interview 323 Chapter 19. Alter Ego, Autobiography and Auterurism: François Truffaut's Last interview, by Bert Cardullo 346 Interview 347 End Matter 370 Contributor Biographies 370

Action! Interviews with Directors from Classical Hollywood to Contemporary Iran presents nineteen outstanding interviews with directors past and present, from around the world, working in a variety of genres, budgets and production environments from major studios to indie and DIY. The result is a vibrant group portrait of the filmmaking art, a kind of festival in words that explores everything from the enormous creative and personal satisfactions to the challenges and frustrations of the process. These articulate auteurs include iconic figures Fellini and Truffaut (in his moving final interview), avant-garde masters Otto Muehl and the Brothers Quay, social critics Barbara Kopple and Allie Light, mainstream mavericks Robert Wise and Douglas Sirk, and eleven others. While their work (and working methods) varies widely, these directors share the status of pioneer and subversive, fighting-sometimes against great odds-to put their unique vision onscreen.