An insightful talk about kids movies with David Oyelowo and Will Gluck; Gia Coppola explores influencers, and shares some movie recommendations from her grandfather; what’s your favorite trailer, and who’s your favorite pan-flute master? All in today’s Movie News Rundown.
But First: Our 2021 list of 15 Submission-Worthy Screenwriting Competitions, presented by Coverfly.
Powerless: Adam McKay shared some thoughts on why people behave so horribly online, and says it’s not entirely their fault. His next film, Don’t Look Up, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as scientists struggling to convey some crucial information.
Kids Movie Summit: Here’s a conversation between two directors who take kids’ movies very seriously. David Oyelowo, the acclaimed actor making his directorial debut with the very well-reviewed The Water Man, out today, is interviewed by Peter Rabbit and Annie director Will Gluck about how to make a kids movie that respects the intelligence of kids and adults alike. Oyelowo says The Water Man was inspired by the intelligent kids movies of his youth, like Stand By Me and The Goonies, where kids faced real problems with courage. You can also listen to their talk here:
https://shows.acast.com/moviemaker-interviews/episodes/david-oyelowo-the-water-man
Advice for Directors: “The DP? All he cares about is his shot. The costume designer, all they care about is how good the costumes look. Makeup, same thing. You are the only person at the end of the day, if the film isn’t as good as it can be… you are the only one to blame. And do not let the opinions of your collaborators, who are primarily focused on their departments, dissuade you from asking for another take.” This is from the Oyelowo-Gluck convo, and it’s really stayed with me.
‘So Mainstream the Mainstream Doesn’t Know It Yet’: We also talked with Gia Coppola about Mainstream, her new film about influencers gone wild with Andrew Garfield (who insists he is not in the new Spider-Man, remember?) and future massive star Maya Hawke.
Coppola Family Film Festival: Here are some films that Francis Ford Coppola chose for his family to watch during quarantine, according to granddaughter Gia Coppola: Miracle in Milan, Ashes and Diamonds, Ugetsu, The Best Years of Our Lives, Disney’s Pinocchio, and Do the Right Thing.
Some People Still Don’t Listen to Podcasts: The Hollywood Reporter has a great piece on Hollywood’s embrace of podcasts, a wonderful compliment (and sometimes antidote) to visual storytelling in that they can be faster to react and go deeper that traditional features and documentaries. You may have noticed from the dozens of podcast episodes we’ve produced that we are obsessed with them. What are you guys listening to instead — Zamfir, master of the pan flute? C’mon Zamfir snobs, give podcasts a shot.
What’s Your Favorite Trailer? Critic and film journalist Todd Gilchrist asks a great question on Twitter. Here is my favorite answer so far.
Pariah: IndieWire has a good piece on how Dee Rees’ Pariah, which premiered a decade ago, paved the way for films like Moonlight and the TV show Pose.
Correction: I get it. Zamfir is a pan-flute leviathan and you all were right and I was wrong. It’s like he’s blowing directly into your heart.
Also: I have a theory, never researched or proven, that the reason Quentin Tarantino closed out Kill Bill, Vol. 1 with a Zamfir banger is because he, like me, grew up watching the below commercial on KCOP Channel 13:
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