'Selma' Interview with Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo

Is Ava DuVernay's Selma the best picture of the year? Judging by the heaps of praise from critics, including from yours truly, and the multiple awards nominations, it certainly seems like it is. The road to DuVernay's inspiring look at a few months in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. has been a long and tough one. But it's also been immensely rewarding both for her and star David Oyelowo, who had the challenge of embodying the civil rights leader.

Along with my Addicted to Film partner in crime, Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with DuVernay (who is apparently a big fan of the show) and Oyelowo about the making of Selma, the changes the project underwent, and the privilege of telling King's incredible story.

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Interview: Gina Prince-Bythewood and Nate Parker Talk 'Beyond the Lights'

In 2000 Gina Prince-Bythewood gave us one of the great modern love stories in Love & Basketball, a film that starred two up and coming African-American actors in Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It took eight years before her next feature, The Secret Life of Bees, but what her fans had really been aching for was another insightful, passionate romance, and the wait is finally over with this weekend's release of Beyond the Lights.

Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who earned rave reviews earlier this year for Belle, and Nate Parker who has been great in everything from The Great Debaters to Ain't them Bodies Saints, the film is set against the backdrop of the music industry, following the romance that brews between a troubled singer and a protective LA cop. With my Addicted to Film colleague Tim Gordon, I had the chance to speak with Prince-Bythewood and Parker about the long wait between her movies, the difficulty in getting studios to support romance films with African-American stars, and much more.  You can check out my review of Beyond the Lights here, and watch the interview below!


Interview: Gina Prince-Bythewood & Nate Parker of 'Beyond the Lights' by Punch Drunk Critics

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Interview: 'Dear White People' Director Justin Simien Talks Racism, Comparisons to Spike Lee, and More

No other film has inspired more questions to me from friends, family, and casual moviegoers this year than Justin Simien's debut feature, Dear White People. Even before I saw it at the Sundance Film Festival premiere, there had been a growing buzz about the comedy with the provocative, in-your-face title, and that hasn't subsided in the least. The film, which takes place at a fictional elite university where race relations are at a boiling point, presents a satirical look at racism in the Obama era. It comes at an interesting time when when universities are seeing an explosion of these "hip-hop parties" with white people decked out in blackface and perpetuating black stereotypes. It comes at a time when we have politicians using code words as cover for their racist policies.

In short, Dear White People couldn't come at a better time, and it promises to spark a discussion on the issue of race in the same way the early films of Spike Lee did. Along with Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with Simien about those comparisons to Lee, his thoughts on racism and prejudice he's personally faced as a gay black man, and much more. You can check out my Dear White People review here, and listen to the interview below.

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Interview: Michelle Monaghan Talks 'Fort Bliss', Balancing Parenthood and Duty, and More

We're so accustomed to seeing Michelle Monaghan in supporting roles, usually in romantic comedies, that we forget just how talented she really is. Leading dramatic roles haven't come often but when they have Monaghan has knocked them out of the park. In 2006 she earned a great deal of praise for her performance in Trucker, and she's earning equally strong reviews for Fort Bliss. Directed by Claudia Myers, the film stars Monaghan as a decorated Army medic who returns home after a 15-month tour only to have trouble acclimating to civilian life. Her 5-year-old son barely recognizes her, her ex-husband has a new woman, and another deployment looms on the horizon.

Authenticity abounds both in front of and behind the camera. Myers spent years directing short films for the U.S. military, while Monaghan worked closely with soldiers and parents to get a sense for how they've dealt with the pull of parenthood and duty. The film also deals with the subject of sexual assault against female servicewomen, a problem that has been revealed to be all too common of late. Along with my colleague Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with Monaghan about Fort Bliss, what she learned while researching the film, and working with Myers on her debut feature.

Fort Bliss is in theaters now. You can check out my review here.

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Interview: Steve James On His Acclaimed Roger Ebert Documentary 'Life Itself'

Twenty years ago nobody had ever heard of Steve James. He had directed a few documentaries which few had seen, but he had just completed what would become the film that would make his career, the basketball documentary Hoop Dreams. Turns out he and the film would need a little push to get the deserved attention, and with a few words in a glowing review, Roger Ebert gave that push. Hoop Dreams would go on to win an Oscar for Best Documentary, with James calling Ebert the man who sparked his career.

It was fitting that James would be the one to direct Life Itself, based on Ebert's memoir chronicling the career and relationships that defined the legendary film critic, writer, author, and television personality. It's a powerful film, one made more poignant by Ebert's ongoing battle with cancer while filming was taking place. It was a battle Ebert would ultimately lose, but James soldiered on and completed the movie as a lasting tribute to his friend.

My colleague Tim Gordon and I had a chance to sit down and talk with Steve James about Life Itself for our show, Addicted to Film. During our conversation he spoke about the influence Ebert had on him personally and professionally, how he dealt with Ebert's passing, what he learned about Ebert's relationship with Gene Siskel, and much more. Life Itself is in theaters now and available On Demand here.

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Interview: Michael Ealy and Meagan Good Talk 'Think Like A Man Too', Sequels, and Filming in Vegas

When 2012's Think Like a Man, based on Steve Harvey's relationship book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, wrapped up its run nearly hitting $100M it took many by surprise. The film helped make a superstar out of Kevin Hart and gave a number of actors we're used to seeing in supporting roles their chance to shine as leads. That talented ensemble consisting of Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Gabrielle Union, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J, Regina Hall, Romany Malco, and Jerry Ferrara, all came back for the sequel, Think Like A Man Too, which is expected to be a huge hit this weekend.  Taking the action to Las Vegas where one of the couples is due to be married, the guys and girls instead compete to see who can have the wildest night in Sin City. 

Along with my Addicted to Film colleague, Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with Think Like A Man Too stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good about coming back for the sequel; the chemistry they've built, and if there are plans for a Think Like a Man 3. You can watch the interview below and be sure to check us out on Addicted to Film every Sunday night at 7pm on Listen Vision Radio.

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Interview: Gareth Edwards Talks 'Godzilla', Honoring the Creature's Origins, His Influences, and More

Roaring into theaters this weekend is Gareth Edwards' Godzilla, a big screen rebirth of the legendary movie monster who has been around for sixty years and more than thirty feature films. Edwards impressed with his debut feature, the small-budget monster movie appropriately titled Monsters, which showed he has a gift for visual effects and creature design, and obviously it convinced Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures he was the right man for the job. They certainly gave him an excellent cast to work in Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, and Juliette Binoche.

Tim Gordon and I had a chance to talk to Gareth Edwards for our show, Addicted to Film, and he talked about the challenges of bringing Godzilla back and doing it right. He also talked about Godzilla's construction, coming up with a fresh origin that respected the past, and some of his concern taking over such a huge studio project. You can watch that interview below.

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Travis Hopson and Tim Gordon are Addicted to Film!

Last night to a jam-packed studio audience (consisting of us and our producer), Tim Gordon and I debuted the first episode of our new show, Addicted to Film! It's something we've been planning for a long time, as a means of continuing what many of you see us do on WETA Around Town, only with a lot longer than 90 seconds to get our points across. And of course, we made fun of one another and went off into conversations about other things, but that's just what we do!

On this show we kicked things off by doing what we do best: talking about ourselves. Then we discussed Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sabotage and what the disappointing box office means for him; we then attempted to talk about Noah without descending into a theological debate; and then we weeped for Michael Pena in Cesar Chavez.

Addicted to Film airs live every Sunday night at 7pm, broadcasting from Listen Vision Studios in Washington, DC. Follow the show on Twitter, and subscribe to my Youtube Channel to get every episode sent your way! Check out the first episode below, and be sure to hit us up with any feedback!

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