My Interview With Neil LaBute, Writer-Director of 'In the Company of Men'

When my MEL editor and I were putting together ideas for this year's "25 Years of 1997" series, we agreed that we had to do something about In the Company of Men. Truly, there's no 1997 film that more speaks to the core themes that the publication examines. As luck would have it, Neil LaBute had the time to talk at length about the movie. Here's my deep dive with him on a film that, shockingly, hasn't aged at all.

Kevin Kline's Varied 1997

As part of MEL's yearlong look back at 1997, I wrote about two pretty pivotal performances the Oscar-winner gave in movies that came out a week apart: In & Out and The Ice Storm. Read on here.

Pierce Brosnan's Journey to James Bond

Currently, there's a lot of speculation regarding who will be the next James Bond. These moments always make me think about Pierce Brosnan, who was eventually cast as 007, although the road was bumpy along the way. For MEL, I wrote about why he ended up being better off without the franchise.

Was "I'll Be Missing You" Moving or a Rip-Off?

Grieving over the murder of his friend Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G.), Puff Daddy wanted to express his pain through music. So he turned to a Police hit from his youth. For MEL, I look back at the emotional legacy of "I'll Be Missing You."

The Sound and Fury of "Smack My Bitch Up"

In 1997, the Prodigy were about ready to be huge. And then they decided to name the opening track of their highly-anticipated new album "Smack My Bitch Up." For MEL, I wrote about what happened next. 

What, Exactly, Was Techno?

As part of MEL's yearlong look back at 1997, I tried to explain why techno was such a big deal at the time, even though people couldn't quite define what the music even sounded like. This was fun.

Listening to "MMMBop"

Three brothers from Tulsa wrote a song about appreciating what you have and focusing on what really matters. But everybody just thought they were adorable kids with a catchy tune. For MEL, I looked back at "MMMBop"

What It Was Like When 'OK Computer' Came Out

For MEL, I looked back at what was swimming in the zeitgeist that helped inspire Radiohead's best album. (That's right, their best, I said it.) Hope you enjoy.

What Was Up With All Those Volcano Movies in 1997?

It's true: In 1997, Dante's Peak and Volcano battled it out for the hearts and minds of moviegoers. Why so many volcano movies? I looked back for MEL.

What 'Con Air' Taught Us About Nicolas Cage

For MEL's look back at 1997, I wrote about Con Air, which inspired a riff on the concept of selling out. (That was a thing back then.) Hope you enjoy.

Looking Back at "Return of the Mack"

This year, MEL is going to be running a bunch of features based around pop-culture events that happened in 1997. As part of the series, I chronicled this Mark Morrison hit, which conquered the U.K. in '96 and then came to the States the following year. I talked to two people involved with shaping the smash. Hope you enjoy.