Interviews
Interview: O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Alden Ehrenreich on Cocaine Bear; “The bear did cocaine, right? Get in there!”
“The bear does cocaine. Big, bang, boom, that’s your movie!” And just like that, Alden Ehrenreich and O’Shea Jackson Jr. perfectly sum up the entirety of Cocaine Bear‘s narrative and reason for being during a sometimes emotional, always entertaining conversation with our Peter Gray ahead of the film’s release. Inspired by the 1985 true story of…
Interview: Keri Russell on the “outlandish ridiculousness” of Cocaine Bear and why she had to say “Yes!”
Cocaine Bear, inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, is a wild dark comedy that finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest, where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount…
Interview: Elizabeth Banks on taming the chaos and relinquishing control of Cocaine Bear
Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, Cocaine Bear is a wild dark comedy that finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest, where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount…
Interview: Paul Rudd, Jonathan Majors and director Peyton Reed on the red carpet for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Celebrating its 15th year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has (Hulk) smashed its way to over $26 billion dollars at the global box office, introducing an array of colourful characters along the way and changing the blueprint of what it is to be a cinematic event. Kicking off Phase Five in the biggest way possible is…
Interview: Alison Brie on comedic inspiration, the changing landscape of television and new comedy Somebody I Used To Know
If you want to know why when Peter Gray spoke to Alison Brie about her latest film, Somebody I Used To Know, they started suggesting television shows where Jason Biggs would fornicate with various types of dessert pies, you’ll just have to watch it and find out. To be fair, Brie’s character Ally and her…
Interview: Kiersey Clemons on Somebody I Used To Know, normalising bi-sexuality and favourite rom-coms
Do you ever wonder what happened to the one that got away? If you’re Alison Brie in Somebody I Used To Know, you might have lost them to Kiersey Clemons. In the new romantic comedy, co-written by Brie and her husband (and director) Dave Franco, workaholic TV producer Ally (Brie) faces a major professional setback,…
Interview: Josh Greenbaum on navigating live-action and animation for Strays and improvising with Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx
They say a dog is a man’s best friend, but what if the man is a total dirtbag? In that case, it might be time for some sweet revenge, doggy style. From Josh Greenbaum, the director of Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, comes Strays, a wild, foul-mouthed comedy inspired by the likes…
Interview: Jim Parsons on Spoiler Alert and finding the authenticity in queer storytelling
After talking to both director Michael Showalter and his (other) leading man, Ben Aldridge, it came time for Peter Gray to converse with Spoiler Alert’s Jim Parsons, where the two touched on the ease of queer stories now being told, his relationship with the inspirational figure behind the film, Michael Ausiello, and what it was…
Interview: Director Michael Showalter on queer drama Spoiler Alert; “I definitely think there’s a desire to move past stories that are about people coming out”
Based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” Spoiler Alert is a heartwarming, funny and life-affirming story of how Michael’s relationship with his partner Kit is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill. Bringing Michael’s story to life is director Michael Showalter, an alt-comedy auteur whose eclectic resume ranges from…
Interview: Ben Aldridge on Spoiler Alert; “It was a really holistic experience.”
Spoiler alert: Ben Aldridge is having a moment! After coming out only three years ago via an Instagram post, and steadily working in television with memorable roles in Fleabag and Pennyworth, Aldridge seems like he’s no longer just on the cusp of fame, but fully fledged within it. After fending off Dave Bautista in M….
Interview: Frank Grillo on Little Dixie, trusting his director, and the importance of removing ego from the action genre
When a deal goes wrong between a corrupt governor and a ruthless drug lord, ex-special forces operative Doc (Frank Grillo) is caught in the crosshairs. Now, with his family in danger, Doc must take down the Mexican drug cartel and do whatever it takes to protect the one good thing in his life – his…
Interview: Jessica Watson and the cast and crew of Netflix’s True Spirit
At the age of 16, Jessica Watson attempted solo global circumnavigation. Departing in Sydney on October 18th, 2009, and returning on 15th May 2010, her incredible, untapped journey saw her cross the equator in the Pacific Ocean before crossing both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A Young Australian of the Year Award recipient and awarded…
Interview: Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge on navigating the intensity of Knock at the Cabin and how being openly queer influences their performance
The combination of the dangerous uncertainty of M. Night Shyamalan’s narratives and Dave Bautista’s imposing stature is something very few of us would care to endure. Especially if it’s at the supposed end of the world! In the apocalyptic thriller Knock at the Cabin, Shyamalan invites his audience on an intense thrill-ride, detailing a…
Interview: M. Night Shyamalan on Knock at the Cabin, authentic casting, and making it a family story
Based on Paul G. Tremblay’s acclaimed 2018 novel “The Cabin at the End of the World”, Knock at the Cabin is the latest white-knuckle thriller from genre maestro M. Night Shyamalan. While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family…
Interview: Skeet Ulrich on new horror film Blood, the everlasting fandom of Scream, and how being a father affects his choices
The horror genre and Skeet Ulrich go hand-in-hand. Or do they? As Peter Gray spoke with the actor for his latest project Blood, a horror/thriller following Michelle Monaghan’s Jess, who moves her two children back to her childhood home where their lives quickly deteriorate into terror after the family dog bites her son, giving him…
Interview: Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss on Tár; “You have to know when people can take a harsh criticism or when they’re not ready to hear that.”
Nominated for her record eighth Academy Award for her latest role as Lydia Tár, Cate Blanchett‘s turn as the titular character in Todd Field’s Tár is a tour-de-force performance that speaks to the strive for perfection within the world of art and a female’s abuse of power. As the film releases nationally in Australia, Peter…
Interview: Todd Field on Tár, writing for Cate Blanchett, and tackling female abuse of power
Tár, set in the international world of classical music, centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra. Enveloped by a career-best Cate Blanchett in her Golden Globe-winning (and now Oscar nominated) performance, Tár is brought to the screen by director Todd…
Interview: Director Shekhar Kapur on What’s Love Got To Do With It? and the emotional throughline of his varied career
How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. For Zoe’s childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif), the answer is to follow his parents’ example and…
Interview: Emma Mackey and director Frances O’Connor on Emily; “People keep trying to make you think there are rules in cinema. It’s not true.”
Emily tells the imagined life of one of the world’s most famous authors, Emily Brontë. The film, written and directed by Australian actress Frances O’Connor (in her directorial debut), stars Emma Mackey as Emily, a rebel and misfit, as she finds her voice and writes the literary classic “Wuthering Heights”; further exploring her raw, passionate…
Interview: Michelle Williams and Paul Dano on playing Steven Spielberg’s parents in The Fabelmans
With The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg returns with his most personal movie yet – the legendary director’s own coming of age story set against the family drama which paralleled and ultimately intersected with his emergence as a filmmaker. Ahead of the film’s release in Australia on January 5th (read our review here), Michelle Williams and Paul…
Interview: Tony Kushner on writing Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans; “He only likes to work on things that scare him.”
As undoubtedly one of his generations greatest, most adored filmmakers, it’s difficult to fathom a project leaving an auteur such as Steven Spielberg vulnerable. But for his latest film The Fabelmans, a semi-autobiographical look at his own beginnings as the director he came to be, Spielberg laid his soul bare – and Tony Kushner was…
Interview: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo on being recommended by Tom Hanks for A Man Called Otto and finally playing a nice guy on screen
As the lead in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer and flexing a more intimidating muscle on screen in films such as The Magnificent Seven, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Sweet Girl, it’s a welcome change when Manuel Garcia-Rulfo arrives in A Man Called Otto, beaming an infectious smile and displaying effortless charm. Said smile and…
Interview: Radha Mitchell on new Australian drama Blueback, facing her deep water fears, and the film’s family engagement
The last time Peter Gray spoke with Australian actress Radha Mitchell, the two discussed a considerably controversial film detailing female revenge in the aftermath of assault. Narratives couldn’t be any further removed from each other with Blueback, an adaptation of Tim Winton’s acclaimed short story that follows a young girl who befriends a magnificent wild…
Interview: Philippa Langley on her real-life story inspiring Steve Coogan’s The Lost King
Fascinated by the stories we don’t tell, and why we don’t tell them, Philippa Langley has a passion to tell distinctive and original narratives that challenge our perception of established truths. In 2012 she led the successful search to locate the grave of King Richard III through her Looking For Richard Project. Philippa conceived, facilitated…
Interview: Antonio Banderas on revisiting his signature character for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; “It’s a little more substantial. A little deeper.”
Given the absolute phenomenon Shrek became upon its debut in 2001, it’s not hard to see why Antonio Banderas would want to join such a franchise. But standing out in a cast that includes such comedians as Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy is another ballgame entirely, but he managed to not only shape his own…
Interview: Harvey Guillén on finding his voice for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; “It’s freeing and yet it’s terrifying. And I love both of those feelings.”
As Puss in Boots: The Last Wish arrives in theatres (you can read our review here) to reintroduce us to the Shrek franchise’s feisty feline and his last-life effort to regain the 9 lives he mistakenly took for granted, Peter Gray spoke with series newcomer Harvey Guillén about finding his voice for his character Perrito,…
Interview: Anna Diop and Nikyatu Jusu on navigating the horror elements of Nanny with lived-in emotion
In the psychological horror fable of displacement Nanny, Aisha (Anna Diop), is a woman recently emigrated from Senegal and hired to care for the daughter of an affluent couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) living in New York City. Haunted by the absence of the young son she left behind, Aisha hopes her new job…
Interview: The Other Fellow director Matthew Bauer on searching for the James Bonds of the world; “It brought up interesting identity questions.”
An energetic exploration of male identity via the lives, personalities, and adventures of a diverse band of men, real men across the globe all sharing the same name – James Bond. In 1952, when author Ian Fleming needed a name for his suave, sophisticated secret agent, he stole one from an unaware birdwatcher and created…
Interview: Cam Gigandet on latest action film Black Warrant, being waterboarded, and intimidating co-stars
If you’re of the MTV generation then it’s safe to say you grew up with Cam Gigandet; and maybe you didn’t even know it. A steady staple in the entertainment field heavy on catering to the teens and tweens of the 2010’s, Gigandet made a name for himself across the likes of such phenomenon as…
Interview: Christmas Bloody Christmas writer/director Joe Begos on seasonal horror, practical effects and shooting on film.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms just wants to get drunk and party, until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon drenched snowscape…