INTERVIEWS

Towelhead by Alan BallFrom the minute I cracked the unpublished manuscript, the story struck me as both startlingly truthful and cinematic. I read it over a weekend and fell in love with the world and the characters. I found so many things about it compelling. It took me to so many places I didn’t expect. By turns, I thought it was horrifying, hilarious, touching, ugly and at the same time, wonderful and liberating. It was everything I look for in a story. I was drawn to the political aspects and the humor of the book, which was so real and keenly observed--First-time director Alan Ball.continue > Vicky Cristina Barcelona by Woody AllenVicky Cristina Barcelona by Woody AllenWhen I began writing the script, I wasn’t thinking of anything other than creating a story that had Barcelona as a character,” says Allen. I wanted to honor Barcelona, because I love the city very much. It’s a city full of visual beauty and the sensibility of the city is quite romantic. A story like this could only happen in a place like Paris or Barcelona--Woody Allencontinue >
Mummy, The: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor by Rob CohenMummy, The: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor by Rob CohenThe idea that the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an were, in fact, the mummies, really appealed to me. It was all about exploring the true history of China during two periods, 200 B.C. and 1946, in an unusual way and having a lot of fun with it. It was an opportunity to use all the goodwill of The Mummy and the wonderful characters that Steve Sommers set up. All the great elements are there, but I wanted to take it in a whole new direction, away from Egypt and into Asia. It’s a brand-new adventure for our heroes; spectacular, colorful and completely Asian--Director Rob Cohencontinue > Eastwood on Changeling, his New Period Thriller Starring Angelina JolieEastwood on Changeling, his New Period Thriller Starring Angelina JolieEastwood and partner producer Lorenz agreed with the Imagine Entertainment team that the unbelievable events would make a captivating film as long as Angelina Jolie took the role of the working-class single mother who made it her life's mission to find her boy. Eastwood says: "Angelina is unique. She reminds me a lot of the actresses from the Golden Age of movies in the 1940s: Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Ingrid Bergman, Susan Hayward. They were all very distinctive, and they all had a lot of presence. She's a tremendous actress."continue >

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