The Treatment

<p>A world where the protagonist and the viewer doesn't know where he stands. From the <em>Bourne</em> films, to <em>Michael Clayton</em> and the new film, <em>Duplicity</em>. It's what writer-director <strong>Tony Gilro</strong>y does. More duplicity from the horse's mouth.</p>

<p>Cinematographer turned filmmaker, <strong>Ellen Kuras</strong> (<em>Summer of Sam, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan</em>)  dedicated years of her life to making the documentary, <em>The Betrayal</em>, a look at a family devastated by abandonment...</p>

<p>Elvis hosts writer-director <strong>Jody Hill</strong> (<em>The Foot Fist Way</em>) whose latest work is the HBO TV series <em>Eastbound & Down</em>.</p>

<p>From the blogosphere to an Oscar (<em>Juno</em>) to Showtime. It’s quite a career for screenwriter <strong>Diablo Cody</strong>. Her series, <em>The United States of Tara</em>, looks at multiple personalities. She just might know something about that.</p>

<p>Elvis hosts writer-director <strong>James Gray</strong> (<em>The Yards, We Own the Night, Little Odessa </em>) whose latest film is <em>Two Lovers</em>, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow and Isabella Rossellini.</p>

<p>As America's only black-and-white comedy team, <strong>Tim Reid</strong> and <strong>Tom Dreesen</strong> wrote the book on comedy. Now they've written a book<span style="font-style: italic;">...</span><em></em></p>

<p><em>Medicine for Melancholy</em>, the debut film from writer-director <strong>Barry Jenkins</strong>, takes a dreamy contemplative look at a young African American couple in San Francisco. It's a black art film when art films are in trouble.</p>

<p>Director <strong>Danny Boyle </strong>(<em>Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Millions</em>) has moved from suspense film to post-punk despair, to zombies, to the center of the sun. He combines all that for <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em> and adds a musical number to the mix. It's a Bollywood happy ending.</p> <p> </p>

<p>In just six films, director <strong>David Fincher</strong> (<em>Seven, Panic Room, Fight Club</em>) has established themes and textures. So much so that his latest, <em>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</em>, both conforms and contradicts that work.</p> <p><strong>Note: </strong>This show first aired January 7 and is being repeated in recognition of it's having received thirteen Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.</p>

Actress <strong>Sally Hawkins</strong> has had quite a year, stemming from her third collaboration with writer-director Mike Leigh. <em>Happy-Go-Lucky</em> is bright-eyed comedy-drama that's won her audiences and accolades.

<p>Director <strong>Edward Zwick</strong> has made films (<em>The Siege, Glory, Blood Diamond</em>) about social causes, but also about social responsibility. His newest,<em> Defiance</em>, examines that as deeply as any of his others.</p>

<p>In the 20 years since <em>Sex, Lies and Videotape</em>, director <strong>Steven Soderbergh</strong> (<em>Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Oceans Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen</em>) has made 20 films. His newest, the epic <em>Che</em>, is both formalist and intimate.</p> <p><br /></p>

<p>In just six films, director <strong>David Fincher</strong> (<em>Seven, Panic Room, Fight Club</em>) has established themes and textures. So much so that his latest, <em>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</em>, both conforms and contradicts that work.</p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts actress-teacher-writer <strong>Jenny Lumet</strong>, whose screenplay <em>Rachel Getting Married</em> has been made into a critically acclaimed film, starring Anne Hathaway and directed by Jonathan Demme.</p>

<p>Director <strong>Darren Aronofsky</strong> is know for portraying anguish in his films (<em>Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain</em>) with dazzling stylistic flourish. With <strong>The Wrestler</strong>, the tale unfolds with a stark minimalism.</p>

<p><em><strong>Frost/Nixon</strong></em>, from director <strong>Ron Howard</strong> (<em>Happy Days, Arrested Development, Apollo 13, A Dangerous Mind</em>) is the the interview as blood sport, with a fallen president and a desperate talk-show host going toe to toe...</p>

<p>You may know actor <strong>Richard Jenkins</strong> in his role as the dead father in <em>Six Feet Under</em>, or his films with the Coen Brothers, Mike Nichols of the Farley Brothers. Now the cosmic character actor stars in <em><strong>The Visitor</strong></em>.</p>

<p>There's probably no director working who's made films focusing on a characters with a compact with loneliness the way that <strong>Marc Forster</strong> has. (<em>Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball, The Kite Runner</em>) He's brought James Bond into that world in which Bond has to figure out his own compact with loneliness. The new bond film is <strong><em>Quantum of Solace</em></strong>.</p>

<p>For writer-producer <strong>Tim Kring</strong> (<em>Chicago Hope, Crossing Jordan</em>), his series <em>Heroes</em> was a way to bring a full meal to audiences...</p>

<p>Though <em>Seinfeld</em> and <em>The New Adventures of Old Christine</em> are different shows, both took times to catch on. <strong>Julia Jouis-Dreyfus</strong> talks about the move from cult hit to the mainstream.</p>

<p>Low-key photorealism, well-chosen non-actors and an achingly heart-felt drama played out in the Mississippi Delta. That's <strong><em>Ballast</em></strong>, the feature film directing debut of Lance Hammer.</p> <p>Elvis Mitchell hosts writer/director/producer/editor <strong>Lance Hammer</strong>, whose directorial feature debut, <em>Ballast</em>, has been the recipient of several film festival awards, including the Directing Award and Cinematography Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.</p>

<p><strong>WEB EXCLUSIVE!</strong> Actor <strong>John Malkovich</strong> (<em>The Killing Fields, Dangerous Liaisons, Being John Malkovich, The Sheltering Sky</em>)<br />John MalKovich has to be engaged, and when he is, it shows. Whether it’s in films by Spielberg, Bertolucci, Eastwood (<strong><em>Changling</em></strong>), or <em><strong>Burn after Reading</strong></em> by the Coen Brothers. He talks about being turned on – and off.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Before the Swift Boat Veterans and the dirty tricks of Karl Rove, Lee Atwater treated political ads as trailers for horror films. Director <strong>Stefan Forbes</strong>' new documentary, <em>Boogie Man</em>, examines Atwater and the wages of fear.</p>

<p>No living writer/director has influenced TV in the way that <strong>Steven Bochco</strong> has.</p>

<p>Actor and writer <strong>Simon Pegg</strong> (<em>Spaced, Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz</em>) has found a way to integrate his pop-culture obsessions into movie and  TV projects. His latest feature film is <em>How to Lose Friends and Alienate People</em>...</p>

<p>You probably know <strong>Clark Gregg</strong> as an actor from <em>The New Adventures of Old Christine</em> or <em>Iron Man</em>. You should also know him as a writer-director...</p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts actor-director-writer-producer <strong>Ed Harris</strong> (<em>The Right Stuff, The Truman Show, Pollock</em>) whose latest film as screenwriter, director, actor and producer is <em>Appaloosa</em>, starring Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renée Zellweger.</p>

<p><strong>Stuart Townsend</strong> is best known as an actor. For his writing and directing debut, <em>Battle in Seattle</em>, he chose the 1999 WTO conference as his source.</p>

<p><strong>ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:</strong> Director <strong>Wayne Wang</strong> (<em>Joy Luck Club</em>) not only moves from studio films such as <em>Maid in Manhattan</em> to indies such as <em>Smoke</em>, but also blurs the line between truth and fiction. That's the heart of his new film, <em>A Thousand Years of Good Prayers</em>.</p>

<p><em>Six Feet Under</em> and his Oscar-winning screenplay for <em>American Beauty</em> established <strong>Alan Ball</strong>'s interest in the underside of American life. His feature directorial debut, <em>Towelhead</em>, and the HBO series <em>True Blood</em> furthered his interest in the outsiders under the same roof.</p> <p> </p>

<p>You know director <strong>Edgar Wright</strong> from his films <em>Hot Fuzz</em> and <em>Shawn of the Dead</em>, but his partnership with actor Simon Pegg precedes them. They also worked together on the smart, action-packed and emotional British comedy series, <em>Spaced</em>...</p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts actor <strong>Don Cheadle</strong> (<em>Oceans Eleven, Oceans Twelve, Oceans Thirteen, Crash, Hotel Rwanda</em>) whose latest starring role is in the film <em>Traitor</em>.</p>

<p>Paranoia, hostility and patience -- not exactly the stuff of war dramas. The seven-part mini-series, <em>Generation Kill</em>, focuses on just that. <strong>Susanna White</strong> (<em>Bleak House, Jane Eyre</em>)  directed four of seven episodes and talks about getting her "ground attack" together.</p>

<p><strong>Ben Stiller</strong> (<em>Zoolander, Meet the Fockers, The Cable Guy, Reality Bites</em>) is a director, producer and writer. But he's first and foremost an actor who's done comedy and drama on the stage and on the screen.</p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts writer-director <strong>Courtney Hunt</strong> whose debut feature film, <em>Frozen River</em>, won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival.</p>

<p>The suburban dealer-mom of the cable series <em>Weeds</em> has moved her act to the beach and Mexico. <em>Weeds</em>’ executive producerss <strong>Jenji Kohan</strong> and <strong>Roberto Benabib</strong> hit us with the ideas they use to keep this comedy-drama fresh – and seedless.</p>

<p>Christopher Nolan makes films in which the protagonists' emotional chaos is mirrored in the physical world around them. His second Batman film is the pinnacle of that.</p>

<p>What do you get when you bring Ben Kingsley, Method Man, Josh Peck and Mary-Kate Olsen together? Besides the dream episode of Access Hollywood, you get writer-director <strong>Jonathan Levine</strong>'s first, film, <em>The Wackness</em>.</p>

<p><strong><em>WEB EXCLUSIVE:</em></strong> 2008 has been quite a year for director <strong>Alex Gibney</strong> (<em>Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room)</em>. Two documentaries he was involved with were nominated for Oscars, and his film, <em>Taxi to the Dark Side</em>, won. His new doc, <em>Gonzo</em>, takes us into the heart and soul of Hunter S. Thompson. <strong><em><br /></em></strong></p> <p> </p>

<p>Animated films have had many stars: animals, fish, toys, bugs, cars... <em>WALL-E</em> is the first with a lead with no face. It's a trash compactor. Is this the future of cartoons? We ask <em>WALL-E</em> director <strong>Andrew Stanton</strong> (<em>A Bug's Life, Finding Nem</em>o)</p>

<p>In the 1930's and 40's, comic books were as popular as movies -- and more influential. So much so that serious steps were taken to stop them. Writer <strong>David Hajdu</strong> (<em>Lush Life, A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, Positively 4th Street</em>) examines this controversy in his new book, <em>The Ten-Cent Plague</em>, and illustrates it.</p> <p> </p>

<p><em>Some Like It Hot, The Magnificent Seven, In the Heat of the Night</em>, the original <em>Pink Panther</em>. If you're lucky, you've seen these films. <strong>Walter Mirisch</strong> produced them. <em>I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History</em> is his new book.</p>

<p>For writer-director <strong>Michael Patrick King</strong> (<em>Will and Grace, Murphy Brown</em>) every season of <em>Sex in the City</em> was about changing expectations, which means he had his work cut out for him with the <em>Sex in the City</em> movie. See if the shoe fits.</p>

<p>What's crazier than <em>Austin Powers</em> or <em>Meet the Fockers</em>? The 2000 presidential vote count, perhaps. It's the subject of <strong>Jay Roach</strong>'s new film, <em>Recount</em>. Count yourself in when Elvis Mitchell speaks with Roach.</p> <p> </p>

<p>As a writer, <strong>Henry Bean</strong> is responsible for films about self-destructive protagonists who skirt justice in <em>Deep Cover</em> <em>Internal Affairs</em>. With his directorial debut, <em>The Believer</em>, he took that character one step further. Now with his newest film, <em>Noise</em>, he moves into the realm of fable.  We discuss his holy war: the brain versus the heart.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Documentary filmmaker <strong>Doug Pray</strong> manages to nose his way into outcast societies -- <em>de facto</em> families -- with his films. <em>Hype</em>, on the 90's Seattle music world, and <em>Scratch</em> on the DJ culture. His latest, <em>Surfwise</em>, is about the most exclusive family, father Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, who turns his nine kids into champion surfers. It's all about tribal rights.</p> <p> </p>

<p><strong>Jon Favreau</strong> <strong></strong>understands power. As an actor, he broke through by writing a roll for himself in <em>Swingers</em>. Then he made the move behind the camera as the director of <em>Zathura</em> and <em>Elf</em> and, now, the box-office smash <em>Iron Man</em>.</p> <p> </p>

<p>If you were creating an indie comedy about two London boys coming into their own in the 80's, the last title you'd use is <em>Son of Rambow</em> – unless you're writer-director <strong>Garth Jennings</strong> (<em>The Hitchkikers Guide to the Galaxy</em>).</p>

<p>There are few figures in American culture as with as potent a step as <strong>David Mamet</strong> (<em>American Buffalo, House of Games, Heist</em>), first as a playwright, then as a filmmaker. With his new movie, <em>Redbelt</em>, he takes on a new frontier, the action film. We hear how he came to climb that mountain.</p> <p> </p>

<p>It's not often that filmmakers turn to literary devices rather than film conventions for their work. It happens to be the case for director <strong>Vadim Perelman</strong> for both <em>House of Sand and Fog</em> and his newest, <em>The Life Before Her Eyes</em>.</p>