The Treatment

<p>The late writer-director <strong>Anthony Minghella</strong> (<em>Michael Clayton, Cold Mountain, The English Patient, Truly, Madly, Deeply</em>) focused on characters trying to come to terms with themselves and found drama in the misperceptions in films both epic and intimate. We use this sad occasion to revisit his thoughtful interview on his last film, <em>Breaking and Entering</em>. (This show originally aired February 7, 2007.)</p>

<p>He's one of America’s premier filmmakers and has devoted his career to bringing a nuanced portrayal of the African American experience to the screen. Writer-director <strong>Charles Burnett</strong> (<em>Killer of Sheep, My Brother's Wedding, American Family</em>) describes what got him into the movies and how stereotypes is still a battle worth fighting.</p>

<p>What a difference a decade makes. In the 1990's, director <strong>Kimberly Peirce</strong> brought <em>Boys Don’t Cry</em> to the big screen. Almost a decade later, she returns with <em>Stop-Loss</em>.</p>

<p>What do <em>Dr. Doolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Bonnie and Clyde</em> and <em>In the Heat of the Night</em> all have in common? All play a prominent role in movie history, as <strong>Mark Harris</strong> (<em>Entertainment Weekly</em>) notes in his new book, <em>Pictures at a Revolution</em>. It's history with a surprise ending. <strong></strong></p>

<p>The book <em>Inside Inside</em> not only takes a behind-the-scenes look at the television show <em>Inside the Actors' Studio</em>, but at its creator and host, <strong>James Lipton</strong>. This time, it's questions for the interrogator!</p>

<p>As a filmmaker, director <strong>Brett Morgen</strong> (<em>The Kid Stays in The Picture</em>) is attracted to real-life subjects about bigger-than-life figures. <em>Chicago 10</em> is his biggest yet.</p> <p> </p>

<p>You may know the name <strong>Jon Poll</strong> from his work as editor on <em>Meet the Parents</em> and two of the <em>Austin Powers </em>films. He's just directed his first film, <em>Charlie Bartlett</em>, starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey, Jr. and Hope Davis. He discusses being the guy that makes the cut and the guy who says, "Cut."</p>

<p>You might think it difficult to make fear, weakness bulling a career. Writer-director <strong>Neil LaBute </strong>(<em>In the Company of Men, Nurse Betty</em>) disagrees with you. He's proved it works in film, on stage and with the West Coast premiere of his new play, <em>Some Girls</em>.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Yes, <em>Lars and the Real Girl</em> is about a man who falls for a sex doll. It's also about the women who help pull him out of his shell – and a lot more. Screenwriter <strong>Nancy Oliver</strong> (<em>Six Feet Under</em>) talks about the work behind building the real girl.</p>

<p>In just two films, writer-director <strong>Jason Reitman</strong> (<em>In God We Trust</em>) has found comedy in the realm of personal responsibility. First, <em>Thank You for Smoking</em> and, now, <em>Juno</em>. For this Oscar nominee, the first and second times are the charm.</p>

<p>Not only has screenwriter <strong>Tony Gilroy</strong> (<em>The Devil's Advocate, Dolores Claiborne</em>) had quite a career, but quite a <em>year</em> as well. He adapted the <em>Bourne</em> books, including <em>Ultimatum</em>. Now he makes his directorial debut with <em>Michael Clayton</em>.</p> <p>NOTE: This encore presentation of <em>The Treatment</em> will not be heard live on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by special post-primary election coverage.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts director-writer-producer <strong>Paul Thomas Anderson</strong> (<em>Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love</em>) whose latest film is <em>There Will Be Blood</em>. This critically acclaimed, epic film has just received eight Academy Award nominations, including two for Anderson in the categories of Directing and Adapted Screenplay.</p>

<p><em>Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934</em> is not only a mouthful as a title, but this DVD set deals with plain-spoken and direct controversy on the big screen in the silent era. You can hear all about it from its curator, <strong>Scott Simmon</strong>.</p>

<p>After <em>Malcolm X</em> and <em>The Hurricane</em>, you'd think <strong>Denzel Washington</strong> had enough of real life. But <em>The Great Debaters</em>, his second film as director, shows why fact drew him back. It's life as drama.</p>

<p>It's an unusual grouping of films for <strong>Marc Forster</strong>: <em>Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball, Stranger than Fiction</em> and his newest, <em>The Kite Runner</em>. And many of them deal with storytellers. It's narratives and narrators.</p>

<p>With <em>Basquiat, Before Night Falls</em> and his newest, <em>The Diving Bell and the Butterfly</em>, artist and director <strong>Julian Schnabel</strong> turns film biography into art. He discusses separating fiction from fact.</p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts writer-director <strong>Tamara Jenkins</strong> (<em>Slums of Beverly Hills</em>) whose latest film is <em>The Savages</em>, starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman.</p>

<p>Since 1984, writer-directors <strong>Joel </strong>and <strong>Ethan Coen</strong> (<em>Blood Simple, Fargo, O Brother, Where Art Thou?</em>) have taken the chase and made some of best films of the past decade about it. Their newest, an adaptation of Colmac McCarthy's <em>No Country for Old Men</em>, is a high-octane version of that. Start your engines!</p>

<p>Family, the ties that bind and, sometimes, strangle. Writer-director <b>Andrew Wagner</b>'s made this the subject of two movies, including his newest, <i>Starting Out in the Evening</i>.</p>

<p>In writing and directing his first feature film, <i>Great Wall of Sound</i>, <b>Craig Zobel</b> drew from his real life and focuses the film on the south that few see. It's a low-budget comedy about predators who are also prey.</p><p>Note: This show will not be broadcast on 89.9 FM due to special holiday programming but it will be available online.<br /></p>

<p>Should a director court controversy? If you're <b>Brian De Palma</b> you might answer that with a question.<br />How can you not? The man who made <i>Carrie, Dressed to Kill, The Untouchables </i>and<i> Scarface</i> is back with <i>Redacted</i>, a look at US involvement in Iraq. He'll discuss the court of public opinion.<br /></p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts writer-director <b>Julien Temple</b> (<i>Vigo, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners, Glastonbury</i>) whose new film is <i>Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten</i>.<br /><br /></p>

<p>This year, director <b>Ridley Scott</b> celebrates 30 years of filmmaking, a career that includes <i>Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator</i> and his newest, <i>American Gangster</i>. Past, present and future.</p>

<p><i>Dan in Real Life</i> is not only a family comedy, it's a comedy about family. Writer-director <b>Peter Hedges</b> (<i>What's Eating Gilbert Grape, About a Boy</i> screenplay; <i>Pieces of April</i> writer/director) talks about noise and quiet that define family. <br /></p>

<p>Not many actors get to show the range that <b>Casey Affleck</b> (<i>Ocean's Thirteen, Good Will Hunting</i>) unveils in two very different films: an elegiac western and a dour urban tale. He reflects on traveling those distances.</p><p><br /></p>

<p>Director <b>Shekhar Kapur</b> (<i>Bandit Queen, The Four Feathers) </i>has mastered bringing flesh and blood to the epic film. The story he began with <i>Elizabeth</i> in 1998 continues with <i>Elizabeth: The Golden Age</i>. He discusses combining grandeur and intimacy.</p><p>Elvis Mitchell hosts writer-director-actor-producer <b>Shekhar Kapur</b> <i>, Elizabeth</i>) whose most recent film is <i>Elizabeth: The Golden Age</i>, starring Cate Blanchett. </p>

<p>The pot-dealer comedy <i>Weeds</i> brings humor, drama and detail to a genre -- the sitcom -- in need of weeding. <b>Jenji Kohan </b>(<i>Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, Will & Grace</i>), its creator and executive producer, talks about keeping it alive.</p><br />

<p>Not only has screenwriter <b>Tony Gilroy</b> (<i>The Devil's Advocate, Dolores Claiborne</i>) had quite a career, but quite a <em>year</em> as well. He adapted the <em>Bourne</em> books, including <em>Ultimatum</em>. Now he makes his directorial debut with <em>Michael Clayton</em>, starring George Clooney. We look at his career so far.</p> <p><br /></p>

<p>Esquire magazine art director, part of a legendary screenwriting partnership and, finally, writing and directing on his own, <b>Robert Benton</b> has seen many sides of the film business. He takes us from <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i>, to <i>Kramer versus Kramer</i>, to his newest, <i>Feast of Love</i>.</p>

<p>Family, secrets, money and guilt. Watchwords found in the plays of <b>Jon Robin Baitz</b> -- and also seen in his show, <i>Brothers and Sisters</i>, the first show he created for network TV. He talks about moving from the stage to the small screen.<br /></p>

<p>David McCallum, William Blake, Lou Rawls and jazz fusion--unlikely components, all a part of producer <b>David Axelrod</b>'s work. He's featured in a new concert DVD and he talks about it all.</p>

<p>If you've watched <i>The Larry Sander's Show</i>, you've seen the words "Special Thanks to Roy London." It's also name of a documentary on the acting coach. Its director, Christopher Monger (<i>Voice Over, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, Seeing Red</i>), and Garry Shandling discuss London and his legacy.</p>

<p>In this web-only edition of <i>The Treatment</i>, Elvis Mitchell interviews Irish director <b>Neil Jordan</b> during the Toronto International Film Festival about his latest movie<i> The Brave One</i>, starring Jodie Foster. </p><br />

<p><i>I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With</i> is the directorial debut of <b>Jeff Garlin</b>, creator of <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i> with Larry David. He's an actor and stand-up comedian as well as a writer and director (<i>Mad about You, Daddy Day Care</i>). How does he define himself primarily?</p>

<p>From Clint Eastwood and Fritz Lang to Alfred Hitchcock and George Cuckor, <b>Patrick McGilligan</b> has written biographies of known studio figures. With his new book, <i>Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only</i>, he turns to an African American figure who pioneered independent filmmaking.</p><p><br /></p><p><i><br /></i></p>

<p>Take a high school debater with a stutter. Add a fast-talking girl disguising her insecurities. Throw in a first-time fiction director. The result is <i>Rocket Science, </i>writer-director <b>Jeffrey Blitz</b>'s second film. His first was the documentary, <i>Spellbound.</i></p>

<p>Man versus machine versus man and the way pop culture defines them. Director Seth Gordon on his first feature-length documentary, <em>The King of Kong</em>.</p>

<p><i>The Simpsons Movie</i>. What sounds like a joke is a dream-come-true for many of us. Simpsons movie director <b>David Silverman</b> (<i>Monsters Inc, The Road to El Dorado</i>) talks about that journey to the big screen from your TV.<br /></p><p>Elvis Mitchell hosts animator–director <b>David Silverman</b> whose new film is <i>The Simpsons Movie</i>.<br /></p>

<p>Writer-director-producer Paul Greengrass (<i>Bloody Sunday, United 93, The Bourne Supremacy</i>) whose latest film is <i>The Bourne Ultimatum</i>.</p>

<p> </p><p class="MsoPlainText">Elvis Mitchell hosts writer–director-producer John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, Stakeout, Heroes, Wargames, Crossing Jordan), who talks about his book I'll Be in My Trailer: The Creative Wars Between Directors and Actors.</p>

<p>Tension and home play a key part in the work of director <b>Danny Boyle</b>. From <i>Trainspotting, Shallow Grave</i> and <i>28 Days Later</i> to his latest, <i>Sunshine</i>, he discusses the connections.</p>

<p>Seventies DJ Ralph "Petey" Greene was an old-school rapper with a truth-telling style. Don Cheadle brings him to life in the film <i>Talk to Me</i>. The director, <b>Kasi Lemmons</b> (<i>Eve's Bayou</i>), drops by to put the spotlight on radio on film.</p><br /><p><br /></p>

<p>Director <b>Brad Bird</b> (<i>The Iron Giant, The Incredibles</i>) uses animation as a format to tell stories of emotional intimacy. His lates film for Disney/Pixar is <i>Ratatouille</i>.</p>

<p><span>Actor <b>Adrian Grenier</b> (<i>The Devil Wea</i></span><span><i>rs Prada</i>) is best known for the breezy, open movie star he plays on </span><span><i>Entourage. </i>In his </span><span>documentary, </span><span><i>Shot in the Dark</i>, he opens his life -- and his search for his father, the teacher John Dunbar -- </span><span>to the cameras.</span></p>

<p><span>Elvis Mitchell hosts director-writer-producer-actor <b>Eli Roth</b> (<i>Cabin Fever, Hostel, Grindhouse</i>), whose latest film is <i>Hostel: Part II</i>.</span></p>

<p> </p><p><span>Pettiness and self-absorption…now, that’s the stuff of comedy.<span> </span>At least it is for writer-director <b>Judd Apatow</b></span><span>, as he showed in <i>The 40-Year Old Virgin</i> and his newest, <i>Knocked Up</i>. </span></p><br />

<p><span>Wim Wenders, Adam Egoyan, Michael Winterbottom and Doug Lyman are but a few of the directors <b>Sarah Polley</b> </span><span>(</span><i><span>The Sweet Hereafter, E</span></i><span><i>xotica, The Secret Life of Words</i>) </span><span>has worked with. Now, with her directorial feature-film debut, <i>Away from Her</i>, she joins them. We hear about life for her from the other side of the camera.</span></p><br />

<p><span>Elvis Mitchell hosts award winning producer <b>Robert Greenblatt</b> (<i>Six Feet Under</i>) to talk about his current role as President of Entertainment at Showtime Networks.<span> </span></span></p>

<p>Elvis Mitchell hosts writer-director <b>Hilary Brougher</b> (<i>The Sticky Fingers of Time</i>) whose new film is the controversial, Sundance-lauded <i>Stephanie Daley</i>, starring Tilda Swinton and Timothy Hutton, with an outstanding performance from newcomer Amber Tamblyn in the lead role.</p>

<p> </p><p>Writer-director and sometimes-actor <b>Mike White</b> has mastered the comedy and drama of the outsider. His scripts include <i>School of Rock, The Good Girl, Nacho Libre</i> and his newest, <i>Year of the Dog</i>.<span> </span>We discuss his shaggy career.</p>