#43 – “I wrote the screenplay with no expectations”: Mike Rich on FINDING FORRESTER
For today’s episode, I’ve had the immense pleasure of talking to screenwriter Mike Rich about his very first film, FINDING FORRESTER. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the film came out in the year 2000 and features the legendary “original James Bond” Sean Connery as a reclusive writer in the vein of J.D. Salinger, named William Forrester, who starts mentoring a young 16-year old black kid from the Bronx, Jamal, played by then-newcomer Rob Brown, who divides his time between playing basketball with his friends and at school and his secret interest in writing and literature. The film also stars a
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#41 – “Roger Corman Said I Was More Radical”: Composer/Music Producer Mike Curb on THE WILD ANGELS and Other Biker & Counterculture Films
Today’s guest is Mike Curb, best known as the head of the independent record label Curb Records, which started out in 1964 as Sidewalk Records and is still going strong in 2025. Over the years, Curb have released records like the best-selling COYOTE UGLY soundtrack album and music by Gloria Gaynor, Willie Nelson, Bananarama, The Four Seasons, LeAnn Rimes, Sixpence None the Richer and many other great artists. Mike Curb has also served as the lieutenant governor of California from 1979 to 1983, he’s owned a NASCAR team, he renovated a house owned by Elvis Presley, he supports many charity
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#40 – “He Would Have Been So Happy About This Notoriety”: Ed Wood Heir Bob Blackburn on the PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE Director’s Legacy
Today’s guest is Bob Blackburn – he’s the son of the famous sportscaster by the same name, Bob Blackburn, who was the play-by-play voice of the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA and was inducted into the Sports Halls of Fame in both Oregon and Washington. Bob, the son, also has a background in radio, but the reason I’m talking to him today is the book he just released: KATHY WOOD & I – HOW I FELL DOWN THE ED WOOD JR. ANGORA RABBIT HOLE. Bob, you see, is the custodian of the estate of the independent filmmaker Ed Wood –
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#39 – “I Still Don’t Feel the Code Has Been Cracked on How to Adapt These Things”: Screenwriter Dave Callaham on DOOM
Today’s guest is screenwriter Dave Callaham, and our conversation revolves around one of his early screenwriting assignments: the adaptation of the influential video game DOOM by id Software, turned into an action movie starring The Rock in 2005. Dave quickly became an in-demand writer in Hollywood, and his credits include a ton of high-profile action movies and blockbusters – he wrote the initial script of what would then became Sylvester Stallone’s THE EXPENDABLES, he worked on films like GODZILLA and ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP, he was a screenwriter on big comic book movies like WONDER WOMAN 1984, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND
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#38 – “I Started Becoming Very Irresponsible”: Director Enda McCallion Explains How He Got Fired from DOOM (and What He’s Up to Now)
Today’s guest is Irish filmmaker Enda McCallion, and our interview was prompted by his involvement in the 2005 horror film DOOM starring The Rock, an adaptation of the influential video game by id Software. Enda was attached to the project in its initial stages and during pre-production, but was then fired and replaced by Andzrej Bartkowiak as the new director. Here, for maybe for the first time, Enda talks about his experience developing DOOM and explains what happened during pre-production, and he also gives us a glimpse of what his version of DOOM would have looked like and what remains
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TALKING PICTURES is an interview series in which filmmaker and film journalist Christian Genzel talks to the people behind some of his favorite movies.
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