NYC Film Critic

Documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein makes her narrative feature debut with Going the Distance, a surprisingly sweet and funny–if at times too conventional–romantic comedy starring on-again, off-again real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.  My feature story with Burstein is live over at Film Journal.

One of the best things about this gig is the opportunity to speak with filmmakers whose work I admire and enjoy.  Folks like Guillermo Del Toro, Terry Gilliam, Nick Park and now Edgar Wright, who directed the brilliant comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and is currently awaiting the release of his latest opus, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the comic book of the same name.  The movie has its coming out party at Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend and goes into general release on August 13.  You can read all about the movie and its director in my just-published feature story over at Film Journal.

James Mangold, director of Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma, takes his first crack at a summer blockbuster with the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz chase picture Knight and Day.  Read my interview with Mangold at Film Journal International.

Jerry Bruckheimer made pirates cool again, but can he do the same thing for ancient Persian princes?  Especially when that ancient Persian prince is played by…um, Jake Gyllenhaal?  We’ll have to wait until May 28 to find out whether Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the next Pirates of the Carribbean, but in the meantime you can read more about the movie courtesy of my interviews with Bruckheimer and director Mike Newell over at Film Journal.

“Princes & Sorcerers”: A Q&A with Jerry Bruckheimer
“Arabian Nights”: A Q&A with Mike Newell

I speak with producer Bonnie Arnold and some of the other creative forces behind 2010’s first big animated adventure, How to Train Your Dragon, out in theaters next week.  Read the full story here.

My feature story about Juan Antonio Bayona, director of the excellent ghost story The Orphanage–due out here December 28.
Ghostly Orphanage

“No Longer a Virgin and Expecting a Hit”: June 2007
“Aces Wild”: February 2007
“Deconstructing Pan’s Labyrinth”: January 2007
“Deja View”: November 2006
“Comic Book Confidential”: August 2006
“Superman Supersized”: July 2006
“Pedal to the Metal”: June 2006
“Adventure at Eight Below”: February 2006
“Road to Glory”: January 2006