I've recently enjoyed the Paul Thomas Anderson commentaries and the David Fincher commentaries.
It might kill you to say it, because the film really takes on the Catholic Church, but I do think there is a sort of affection for certain rituals, and an authenticity to the presentation of those rituals, in 'Mea Maxima Culpa.'
While problems in a film are fairly easy to identify, the sources of those problems are often extraordinarily difficult to assess. A mystifying plot twist or a less-than-credible change of heart in our main character is often caused by subtle underlying issues elsewhere in the story.
My dad told me, 'Your movie's never as good as the dailies and never as bad as the rough cut.
The movie itself was very interesting, but I didn't think it was very good because I didn't really feel different when it was over.
I did 'Land of the Dead,' which was the biggest zombie film I had ever made. I don't think it needed to be that big. That money went largely to the cast. They were great, but I don't think that money needed to be spent.
The most powerful Vietnam movie, to me, was 'The Deer Hunter,' which was more about what happened to the folks who went and about their relationships.
I actually like 'The Shining' more than I like Kubrick, I think. The tension he sustains through the whole film is so great.
'Shakespeare in Love' was a particularly happy film.
Irvin Kershner, no matter what anyone says, has done some great work. 'Eyes of Laura Mars' is an incredible movie.
From Vietnam's 'Deer Hunter' to Iraq, films are never about the person who has had his house destroyed.
Black Panther is a great film'. It has the most compelling villain of any Marvel movie, and it deals admirably with the issue of diminishing jeopardy in a million superhero films where the world is going to end.
No matter how big or new they are, I always look for the intention of the filmmaker first. Their intention has to be in the right place.
As far as entertainment, 'The Right Stuff' is a good movie. As far as a documentary of the early space days, which they purported it to be, it is not at all.
The fight scenes in 'The World's End' have a certain balletic quality to them.
'Tropic Thunder' I think is a great film.
I love 'Shattered Glass.' It's one of my favorite movies. I think it's just brilliant.
I think there are few films out there that take motherhood seriously.
'Never Die Alone' is primarily a riveting genre film that neatly exhibits the director's growing assurance - Donald Goines would be proud.
Unlike the stage, I never found it helpful to be good in a bad movie.
I really loved 'Fast Five.' I thought it was a brilliant movie. I thought it was so well done, well directed. The action sequences were really well thought out. It looked fantastic.
Even Christoph Waltz's character, Colonel Landa in 'Inglourious Basterds', I never judged him.
'Zero Dark Thirty' is a great piece of filmmaking and does a valuable public service by raising difficult questions most Hollywood movies shy away from, but as of this writing, it seems that one of its central themes - that torture was instrumental to tracking down bin Laden - is not supported by the facts.
I went from silent films to watching French new wave cinema. I became entrapped by it all. That's when I knew I wanted to do film. The moment you start looking at film from a critique point of view - there's a difference between watching a film as an audience and with a critical point of view.
What about Hong Chau? In typical supporting-part fashion, she shows up halfway through 'Downsizing,' already shrunk, an imperious Vietnamese house cleaner with a limp and sharp angles. The movie's satirical cleverness upstages its rage; then Ms. Chau proves she's capable of managing both.
