Latest in: Independent Film
Filmmaking is like being in a mosh pit. Sometimes, the intimate contact with all the heaving, sweating bodies can be exhilarating. Sometimes, it just hurts and stinks. What happens when all of your careful …
April 10, 2024
I think all directors should try acting. At a friend's suggestion, I took an acting class right after I got out of NYU Grad Film School. My first scene partner was Chris Noth. We …
February 27, 2024
I moved to NYC in 1976 just as the Punk scene was erupting. It was the first cultural movement I experienced firsthand, and it completely turned me on. Although the initial blast was music, …
February 22, 2024
Box of Moonlight premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 1996. As I headed to the theatre, all I could think about was how, just two months earlier, the head of another festival …
December 20, 2023
In Box of Moonlight, the script called for Al (John Turturro) to jump into a pool of water and swim leisurely while acting in several scenes. John had never learned to swim and confessed …
December 19, 2023
I love letting actors improvise a scene. Sometimes that spontaneous flash of imagination brings you something infinitely more alive and effective than anything you could have written. Buscemi is one of those rare actors …
November 29, 2023
I’ve received a few awards for my films, but this one for Double Whammy holds a special place in my heart. The plaque reads, “Best Restraint from Homicide before, during, and after the making …
November 2, 2023
I was asked recently about a camera teacher I had at NYU Film School. The teacher had shot several award-winning features, but his classes were two grueling hours of resentment and self-promotion. He withheld …
October 30, 2023
I first met Sam Rockwell in 1990 when he came in to audition for Johnny Suede. The part ultimately went to another unknown and rising talent, Brad Pitt, but Sam made such an impression …
October 12, 2023
There is a crucial scene in Delirious where Les Galantine (Steve Buscemi) comes face to face with a real celebrity. As a paparazzi, Les’ mantra about the celebrities he hounded had always been, “They’re …
September 21, 2023
When I was writing Living in Oblivion, the first and second acts came easily. But I struggled hard with the third. One day, I was expressing my frustration to my wife, Jane Gil. She …
September 14, 2023
One night in 1990, around midnight, my phone rang. When I answered it, a strange voice said, “Is Tom there.” I said, “Yeah, it’s me.” He said, “Hey, it’s Nick Cave.” That woke me …
August 22, 2023
I met over 200 actors to play the part of Johnny Suede. For some reason, most of the guys who auditioned thought Johnny was The Fonz from Happy Days and even brought in his …
August 15, 2023
I hesitate to share this story. It’s old. It’s new. It’s personal. In 1990 I met Lenny Buckstone, a well-known musician I greatly respected. Lenny had just released a new album, and when I …
July 8, 2023
I recently met Adan Gonzales who has a very cool Film site called staunchtv. He did a really fine videocast of his profile of my film, Johnny Suede. I'm sharing it here. One famous …
June 19, 2023
The Video for my new single, "Lock Him Up," is live!
June 16, 2023
I've known Scott Macaulay at Filmmaker Magazine for over 20 years. He's been at the forefront of NY Independent film, producing some of the most memorable independent films of the past few decades. One …
April 1, 2021