Interview

Actor, Director, Screenwriter

The Lore of Lincoln…and Daniel Day-Lewis: Two Larger-Than-Life Personas Intersect in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln

For a president whose face appears on the five dollar bill and who has starred in countless elementary school plays, book reports, and dreaded pop quizzes, Americans just can’t seem to figure out Abraham Lincoln.  Blame his larger-than-life stature, his well-worn anecdotes, or the truly bizarre myths that continue to circulate nearly 200 years after his death, but at least one uncontestable fact still stands: Abraham Lincoln is the ultimate American legend, and that the mere mention of his name is a fable unto itself only proves it.

By  |  November 9, 2012

Interview

Actor, Cinematographer, Director

Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and Sam Mendes Make Skyfall an Instant Classic, While Taschen Releases the Epic “The James Bond Archives”

James Bond returns with a vengeance in Skyfall, and this superb 23rd entry in the legendary movie series is a smashingly successful tribute to the iconic British spy, who’s celebrating his 50th year in movies. After rebooting the 007 franchise with Daniel Craig as the new Bond in Casino Royale (2006), not only one of the best films in the series but one of the best films of that year,

By  |  November 8, 2012

Interview

Actor, Composer, Director

36 Chambers of Cult: RZA Nails It With Roth and Tarantino-Presents Film, The Man With The Iron Fists

There is, arguably, no other group more defining of the 1990s counter-culture hip-hop wave that took America by storm than the Wu-Tang Clan. (For admittedly paltry proof, I can personally attest to wearing at least 3 copies of 36 Chambers bare in my stickered Discman.) But unlike other hip hop groups that settled their sights on fast money, easy women, and gang lore, the Wu-Tang Clan had a much more dynamic infatuation: kung-fu.

By  |  November 1, 2012

Interview

Director, Producer

A Video Q&A With Documentary Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki About His Crucial New Film The House I Live In

Documentarian Eugene Jarecki has made a career of taking hugely complex, sprawling issues and creating passionate films about them that are at once accessible, informative and deeply moving. Jarecki’s films include Why We Fight, a dissection of America’s military industrial complex, in essence the ‘business’ of making war, and The Trial of Henry Kissinger, examining the alleged war crimes of the former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State.

By  |  October 26, 2012

Interview

Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Nosferatu, Night Monster, Hocus Pocus: An Ode to Halloween, the Movie-Lover’s Holiday

It’s that time of year when things that go bump in the night are on our minds and our movie screens. Halloween, perhaps even more so than Christmas, is a movie holiday; what else are you supposed to do to celebrate, once society deems you too old to knock on doors and demand candy?

Boutique theaters across the country understand this grown-up Halloween need, and answer enthusiastically with holiday-specific programming that runs the gamut—from camp to horror,

By  |  October 24, 2012

Interview

Actor, Director, Screenwriter

In Honor of HBO’s New Film The Girl: Ten Great Movies About Making Movies

Movie lovers, and Hitchcock fans in particular, are about to get a fascinating double dose of behind-the-scenes dramatization. First up is The Girl, which premiered on HBO on October 20, tells the story of the relationship between Hitchcock (Toby Jones) and Tippi Hedren (Sienna Miller), the model selected to star in The Birds despite having no acting experience. Then, on November 1, Hitchcock will premiere at the AFI Film Festival –

By  |  October 22, 2012

Interview

Director, Producer

Two Alfred Hitchcock Masterpieces get the Blu-Ray Treatment

Released on Oct 9, Warner Bros’ Blu-Ray of Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train (1951) showcases the Master of Suspense returning to top form after several years of critical and commercial disappointments. At the beginning of the 50’s, a decade in which he would produce some of his greatest movies, Hitchcock was hungry for material that would bring out the best in his work. He found it in the eponymous debut novel of a 29-year old Patricia Highsmith,

By  |  October 15, 2012

Interview

Cinematographer, Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Film School 101

Cinema verite, mise-en-scene, establishing shot–think you have the chops to make it in film school? Take our film school-inspired quiz to find out.

[wpsqt name="Film School 101" type="quiz"]

*Feature image courtesy of California Institute of the Arts

By  |  October 12, 2012

Interview

Cinematographer, Director, Editor, Screenwriter

Fantastic Film Schools Infographic

Our latest infographic, inspired by Hollywood Reporter's 2nd Annual List of the Top 25 Film Schools, takes a look at some of the best film schools in the country.

By  |  October 10, 2012

Interview

Cinematographer, Director, Editor, Screenwriter

Where Hollywood Hones Its Craft: Getting Film Schooled At AFI

Tucked in the hills of Griffith Park, the American Film Institute is as much a Hollywood mainstay as its film lore surroundings. From campus, one can see the hillsides housing such celebrated fixtures as the Hollywood sign, the Observatory where James Dean got into a knife fight in Rebel Without a Cause, and hundreds of eclectic, multimillion-dollar homes—many of which house Hollywood’s biggest stars—stretching all the way to the Malibu coastline.

By  |  October 9, 2012

Interview

Cinematographer, Director, Editor, Screenwriter

Back To Film School: On Location At CalArts


Across the country, aspiring filmmakers are hard at work honing their craft at film schools. Whether it's learning about the cultural impact of cinema, getting a technical training education in directing or cinematography, or advancing a lifelong love of cinema, we're celebrating film schools everywhere with a week of film school-themed content.

The Credits recently traveled to the California Institute of the Arts–one of the country's premier arts schools located just outside of Los Angeles.

By  |  October 8, 2012

Interview

Director, Screenwriter

A Q&A With Chicken With Plums Directors Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud


In this intimate post-screening interview, directors Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud discuss their latest film, Chicken With Plums. Magical realism, animation, and innovative storytelling are trademarks of the filmmaking pair, who won an Oscar for the animated movie Persepolis. Here, Satrapi and Paronnaud discuss inspirations for the film, directing, collaborative storytelling, and the international fabric of Chicken With Plums.

**Image credit: CHICKEN WITH PLUMS | Sony Pictures Classics | Now in theaters.

By  |  September 20, 2012

Interview

Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter

MPAA and DGA Present: An Evening With Director Michael Apted

Senator Chris Dodd interviews British director Michael Apted in the inaugural installment of the MPAA’s new series, “An Evening With…,” which celebrates the work of cherished film icons and aims to shed new light onto contemporary issues facing the industry—from expanding into international markets, to raising awareness about copyright issues, to fostering an ongoing dialogue about innovations in the world of cinema.

Michael Apted is a critically acclaimed director, writer, producer,

By  |  August 20, 2012