My Interview With Cristian Mungiu, Writer-Director of 'Fjord'

Cristian Mungiu makes searing dramas. But what's he like to talk to? For the Los Angeles Times, I chatted with the director of Fjord about fatherhood, his brief time making comedies, and why he hopes his movies inspire a little debate. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Lynne Littman and Jane Alexander, the Team Behind 'Testament'

You may remember that, a couple years ago, I wrote a piece about some of the major nuclear-war films of the early 1980s. One of those was Testament, which has meant a lot to me since seeing it as a child. 

Well, that film is now part of the Criterion Collection, a development that thrilled me. To celebrate, I interviewed director Lynne Littman and star Jane Alexander over Zoom, hearing their stories about the film's making. We discussed motherhood, death, bad dreams, Oscar season, and why we're still living on the edge of destruction. You can read my piece over at Film Comment.

My Interview With Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Star of 'Wonder Man'

It's nice to know, after all this time, that you can still experience a first in your work.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the star of Marvel's superb series Wonder Man. Abdul Mateen had been nominated for an Emmy, and the show was getting close to ramping up for its second season. So there was plenty to discuss. I really enjoyed our chat.

Then, after I sent the story to my editor and it was set to be published, Disney dropped a bombshell: Despite already being renewed for a second season, Wonder Man was canceled without explanation. And with that, my article wasn't the same as it had once been.

You can read my profile here. We chatted about turning 40, starring in a David Fincher movie, and what it's like to play a guy who's a struggling actor. 

My Interview With Jeff Tremaine, Director of 'Jackass: Best and Last'

Jeff Tremaine is one of the chief architects behind Jackass. So why doesn't he get any respect? For Filmmaker, I had a long talk with the auteur -- god, he would hate being called that -- about the long-running series, fighting with the MPAA, kidnapping Brad Pitt, and never growing up. Hope you enjoy. 

My Interview With Ashley Padilla

I had the best time talking to Ashley Padilla, one of my favorite Saturday Night Live cast members. We discussed her time at the Groundlings and her memories of working for Diane Keaton. You can read my piece here.  

(Photo by Sela Shiloni.)  

What Does an Interpreter Do?

During the American press tour of a movie from an international director, it will be necessary for the studio to hire an interpreter to translate what the filmmaker or actors say during interviews or Q&As. (This is also true if those involved in the movie are deaf.) Over the years, I've been impressed by what interpreters do, and so I decided it would be fun to profile these folks, who usually avoid the spotlight. Over at the Los Angeles Times, I spoke with six interpreters, including Jack Jason (who works with Marlee Matlin) and Sheida Dayani (who was with Jafar Panahi during the campaign for It Was Just an Accident). Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Werner Herzog, Director of 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is back in theaters, now in IMAX. It seemed like the perfect time to talk to Werner Herzog, who gave me his thoughts on art, 3D, ghosts and albino mutant crocodiles. Always enjoy speaking with him: You can read our conversation here.

My Interview With Shira Small

This article is a long time coming. In fact, I didn't know if it would ever happen. Four years ago, I devoted a Friday Video to an artist I had just discovered: Shira Small. As I explained back then, I had recently stumbled upon her song "My Life's All Right" while going through Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist. The track bewitched me, even more so when I realized it was from 1974. How had I never heard it before? Soon, I was digging into the album that included the song, The Line of Time and the Plane of Now. I instantly became a fan.

Then, a funny thing happened, Small's sister Beverly reached out after seeing my post. Would I want to write an article about Shira? I was very intrigued. She was only a teenager when she made her album, and then never recorded another. But I didn't have a good hook for the piece. Still, I never stopped thinking about The Line of Time and the Plane of Now, which I listen to constantly.

Cut to March 2026. I'm at a screening of The Drama. Early on in the film, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's characters are practicing their first dance for their wedding. Suddenly, a song comes on that knocks me sideways. It's "I Want to Lay With You," from The Line of Time and the Plane of Now. I thought I was one of the few people who had heard the record. How did this A24 movie find it? At last, I had the hook I'd been looking for.

With much thanks to my Los Angeles Times editor Josh Rothkopf, who loved the idea instantly, I reached out to Small, who turns 70 in June, to interview her about her short-lived music career and learn what she's been up to since. It was a pleasure to finally meet her and talk about an album that means a lot to me. (I also spoke to, among others, The Drama's music supervisor, who was also a fan of Small.) 

Sometimes, you have ideas that just sit inside you for years. You think they'll be something you never get to write. I am so very glad this dream piece finally happened.

You can read my profile of Shira Small here. I hope you enjoy. 

My Interview With Matty Wishnow, Director of 'The Last Critic'

Ever since I picked up Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s in 1990, I have been a fan of the man who calls himself the Dean of American Rock Critics. So I was delighted that a documentary about Robert Christgau, The Last Critic, premiered at SXSW. Even better, the film is quite good, winning a special jury prize at the festival. For Documentary Magazine, I interviewed Matty Wishnow, who directed the film. We talked about Christgau's famous surliness, the future of music criticism, and the Dean's abiding love affair with his wife (and fellow writer) Carola Dibbell. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Gus Van Sant and Austin Kolodney, the Team Behind 'Dead Man's Wire'

Dead Man's Wire is one of Gus Van Sant's strongest films in years. And it's writer Austin Kolodney's first big-screen credit. For Screen International, I talked to each of them about this long-in-the-works real-life thriller ... and how a comment made by Werner Herzog helped influence the final product. You can read our conversation here. 

My Interview With Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Star of 'Sentimental Value'

When people heard that Worst Person in the World filmmaker Joachim Trier was reuniting with his star Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, most weren't familiar with the actor who would be playing Reinsve's sister, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. Well, she's now probably going to get an Oscar nomination for her role, so it seems like a good time to learn a little about her. 

That's where I come in: I hung out with Lilleaas on a rainy November afternoon to talk about the film, her career and what comes next. A delightful conversation, which you can read here. 

(Photo by Evelyn Freja.) 

How the Posters for 'No Other Choice,' 'Bugonia' and 'Sinners' Got Made

I am fascinated by movie posters. They are this special mixture of art and marketing that have to sell a film's essence in a single image. So, how do they do it? For the Los Angeles Times, I talked to the creative teams behind Bugonia, No Other Choice and Sinners to learn the behind-the-scenes secrets. It was very fun. 

(My thanks to Stephanie Jones for this great illustration.) 

My Interview With Imran Hamdulay and Keenan Arrison, the Team Behind 'The Heart Is a Muscle'

For Screen International, I spoke to writer-director Imran Hamdulay and star Keenan Arrison about The Heart Is a Muscle, which is South Africa's submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. We talked about masculinity, fatherhood and depicting Cape Flats in a more nuanced way than it's usually seen on screen. You can check out our conversation down below or read excerpts from it here.

My Interview With Odessa A'zion, Star of 'Marty Supreme'

I hung out at Paper or Plastik a few weeks ago with Odessa A'zion, who's about to have a moment. She's one of the stars of the buzzy HBO series I Love LA. And she's soon to appear in Josh Safdie's much-anticipated Marty Supreme. A'zion is a delight, as well as an enthusiastic hugger. You can read my profile over at the Los Angeles Times. 

(Photo by Christina House.) 

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Robert Redford's Legacy

Yesterday, Marisa Lagos filled in for regular Press Play host Madeleine Brand and had me on to talk about Robert Redford's life and career. It was a pleasure to pay tribute to the man. You can hear the segment down below.

My Interview With Spinal Tap

They're back, and they're louder and dumber than ever. For the Los Angeles Times, I sat down with Spinal Tap to talk about politics, doves and their new movie, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Check it out. 

(Photo by Jason Armond.) 

My Interview With Julia Loktev, Director of 'My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow'

At the end of last year, I caught My Undesirable Friends: Part I, which premiered at the New York Film Festival. Spanning five-and-a-half hours, the documentary chronicles about four months in Moscow, from October 2021 to February 2022, as director Julia Loktev follows a group of independent Russian journalists facing the threat of imprisonment by Putin. The movie was shattering, gripping and stunning, and this Friday, it opens in New York. My Undesirable Friends feels like an alarm bell for Americans in the midst of Trump's authoritarian takeover. For Rolling Stone, I spoke to Loktev about her essential film and the lessons we should take from it. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Embeth Davidtz, Director of 'Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight'

Embeth Davidtz has been acting in movies since the late 1980s. (Of all her great work, I'll always be partial to her in Junebug.) But until she read Alexandra Fuller's memoir of growing up in what is now Zimbabwe, she had never thought about directing. Why did the book resonate with Davidtz so much? Because it stirred up unresolved feelings about her fraught childhood in South Africa and the racism she encountered there. 

She invited me into her home to talk about her film, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, which opens Friday. Hope you enjoy.

(Photo by Matt Seidel.) 

My Interview With Rowan Haber and Julia Sweeney for 'We Are Pat'

Perhaps you remember "It's Pat," a series of popular Saturday Night Live sketches Julia Sweeney did back in the early 1990s, in which she played the androgynous, awkward Pat, who constantly provoked confusion: Was Pat a he or a she?  

We Are Pat is a new documentary that examines the character's legacy, and how Pat has impacted the LGBTQ+ community. For Cracked, I had a long conversation with We Are Pat director Rowan Haber (as well as Sweeney) as we discussed "problematic" comedy, trans humor, and Sweeney's SNL memories. We got into a lot of topics: Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Jonathan Gould, Author of 'Burning Down the House'

Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene That Transformed Rock is an exhaustive biography of the seminal band and the city that shaped them. For Paste, I talked to author Jonathan Gould (himself a musician) to discuss many things: David Byrne's autism, Stop Making Sense's greatness, and why the band is never ever getting back together. You can read my Q&A here.