All posts by James L. Menzies
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Football Hits and Misses—Hollywood Style
Ah, January. That special time of year that can mean only one thing to all of you inveterate sports fans out there... -
Zak Penn’s Grand Experiment in Comedy
Sure Zak Penn can write you a surefire blockbuster. He has proven that time and again with X-Men, Elektra, Fantastic Four, etc.... -
Hank Nelken is a Mama’s Boy
If it’s true that people are born to do certain things, then Hank Nelken was born to be a moviemaker. Because whether... -
Killer Script
Jake Gyllenhaal in Paramount Pictures’ Zodiac (2007). In recognition of the five-year anniversary of the events of September 11th, Hollywood Selling a... -
Triangles and Tribulations
Since 1991, Anthony Soohoo has been at the forefront of the technology revolution, working with such giants as Apple, Yahoo!, NEC and... -
Holiday Movie Preview 2006
Blood Diamond Directed by: Edward Zwick Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, Djimon Hounsou Edward Zwick executive produced the television show “thirtysomething.” He... -
Death, Taxes and Tom Hanks
What does it take to get a movie made in Hollywood? The optimistic answer would be “talent.” But the actual answer is... -
10 Best Cities to be a Moviemaker
Austin boasts various location types, like Bat Bridge; and is also a great place to shoot period pieces like The Alamo, starring... -
Time to Squelch the Sequels Trend
Now that every movie since the Eisenhower administration has been remade and/or digitally enhanced, it’s time for Hollywood to go back to... -
Remaking Film History
It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. In the case of Hollywood, however, it can more aptly be said...
Summer 2019
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Guide 2019
Summer 2018
Year in MovieMaker
Inside the Issue: Acting
Things I’ve Learned as a Moviemaker: Richard Dreyfuss
American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Stand By Me, Mr. Holland’s Opus… even while reading like a what’s what of cinema, those titles...1Inside the Issue: Directing
Cold Piece of Work: Richard Linklater Braves Greenland Hurricanes for Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette opens with the answer to its titular question. In an impressively executed overhead shot, the camera gazes down onto placid...Inside the Issue: How To
How They Did It: The Farewell Writer-Director Lulu Wang Shares Secrets to Turning Your Life Story into a Memoir Movie
The week before production started on The Farewell—my sophomore feature about a young woman (Billi, played by Awkwafina) and her family’s attempts to keep their grandmother’s...