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  • 01/04/07--00:00: Producers Guild Nominates Specialties (chan 1768130)

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    What does a producer do again? He or she produces. Okay, so producers aren't always that easy to define, but they are very important and they deserve their countless accolades as much as anyone else in Hollywood. I used to think of the producer being more important on big studio pictures, the kind with a for-hire type director. However, producers on indie films (or "specialty division" films) are potentially more important these days. That could be why the Producers Guild of America is predominantly recognizing these "independent" producers for the second year in a row.

    Last year the PGA nominated a few films from studio specialty divisions, including Brokeback Mountain, which won the main prize (well, technically its producers, Diana Ossana and James Schamus, won the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award). This year three of the films nominated for that prize are also from specialty divisions: Little Miss Sunshine, from Fox Searchlight; The Queen, from Miramax; Babel, from Paramount Vantage. The other two nominees are studio product, The Departed and Dreamgirls.

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  • 01/04/07--05:00: Producers Guild Nominates Specialties (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    What does a producer do again? He or she produces. Okay, so producers aren't always that easy to define, but they are very important and they deserve their countless accolades as much as anyone else in Hollywood. I used to think of the producer being more important on big studio pictures, the kind with a for-hire type director. However, producers on indie films (or "specialty division" films) are potentially more important these days. That could be why the Producers Guild of America is predominantly recognizing these "independent" producers for the second year in a row.

    Last year the PGA nominated a few films from studio specialty divisions, including Brokeback Mountain, which won the main prize (well, technically its producers, Diana Ossana and James Schamus, won the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award). This year three of the films nominated for that prize are also from specialty divisions: Little Miss Sunshine, from Fox Searchlight; The Queen, from Miramax; Babel, from Paramount Vantage. The other two nominees are studio product, The Departed and Dreamgirls.

    Continue reading Producers Guild Nominates Specialties

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  • 01/09/07--04:45: BREAKING -- Paramount Titles Come to iTunes (chan 1768130)

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    Every time Apple has a big event, tech fans go crazy. These events mean big announcements of big products and services. In other words, they mean exciting things for computer technology -- exciting enough that sites like TUAW need to live blog every few minutes in order to satisfy the geek appetite for immediate updates (MacRumors went way overboard on this idea).

    Since September, Apple events have allowed movie geeks to join in the frenzy. But what could Apple announce to the cineworld that would top news that iTunes offers movies? Probably nothing for awhile, but at least the company can announce the availability of other studios' titles. Actually, I wonder if Apple's true reason for not immediately offering more than just Disney titles is that they wanted to hold off each studio's participation for separate events (I prefer the Wal-Mart bully reason, because it is more fun to hate Wal-Mart than Apple).

    Well, today is another Apple event called MacWorld 2007, and rumors were circulating the web and the press about what new products and services would be announced. And although they were only rumors, the very idea that something would be announced made Apple's stock go way up. The major rumor for us at Cinematical, generated by the Wall Street Journal, was that Paramount/Viacom would be the second studio to distribute movies to iTunes.



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  • 01/09/07--09:45: BREAKING -- Paramount Titles Come to iTunes (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , ,

    Every time Apple has a big event, tech fans go crazy. These events mean big announcements of big products and services. In other words, they mean exciting things for computer technology -- exciting enough that sites like TUAW need to live blog every few minutes in order to satisfy the geek appetite for immediate updates (MacRumors went way overboard on this idea).

    Since September, Apple events have allowed movie geeks to join in the frenzy. But what could Apple announce to the cineworld that would top news that iTunes offers movies? Probably nothing for awhile, but at least the company can announce the availability of other studios' titles. Actually, I wonder if Apple's true reason for not immediately offering more than just Disney titles is that they wanted to hold off each studio's participation for separate events (I prefer the Wal-Mart bully reason, because it is more fun to hate Wal-Mart than Apple).

    Well, today is another Apple event called MacWorld 2007, and rumors were circulating the web and the press about what new products and services would be announced. And although they were only rumors, the very idea that something would be announced made Apple's stock go way up. The major rumor for us at Cinematical, generated by the Wall Street Journal, was that Paramount/Viacom would be the second studio to distribute movies to iTunes.

    Continue reading BREAKING -- Paramount Titles Come to iTunes

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  • 01/10/07--01:02: Hollywood Fliering Useless Propaganda (chan 1768130)

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    http://blog.moviefone.com/media/2006/03/pirateflag2.jpgI'm not sure, but I think most of the movie pirates out there do not buy DVDs. But if they do buy DVDs in addition to all the burned or downloaded titles they steal, they're about to find out some horrible news: pirating movies is bad -- illegal even. New DVDs released this year will include special inserts supplied by DEG (Digital Entertainment Group) urging people to buy authentic DVDs rather than pirated copies. Again I'm not sure, but I thought the unavoidable FBI Warning message that plays before the movie already covered this ground.

    Isn't this like car manufacturers putting fliers in vehicles urging new auto buyers not to steal other cars? Why remind someone who just bought your product to continue being a good consumer? It feels a little unappreciative to me. Even if the insert reads: "Thank you for buying this DVD and continuing to support Hollywood's efforts to entertain you," the honest spenders should feel a little annoyed.

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  • 01/10/07--06:02: Hollywood Fliering Useless Propaganda (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    http://www.cinematical.com/media/2006/03/pirateflag2.jpgI'm not sure, but I think most of the movie pirates out there do not buy DVDs. But if they do buy DVDs in addition to all the burned or downloaded titles they steal, they're about to find out some horrible news: pirating movies is bad -- illegal even. New DVDs released this year will include special inserts supplied by DEG (Digital Entertainment Group) urging people to buy authentic DVDs rather than pirated copies. Again I'm not sure, but I thought the unavoidable FBI Warning message that plays before the movie already covered this ground.

    Isn't this like car manufacturers putting fliers in vehicles urging new auto buyers not to steal other cars? Why remind someone who just bought your product to continue being a good consumer? It feels a little unappreciative to me. Even if the insert reads: "Thank you for buying this DVD and continuing to support Hollywood's efforts to entertain you," the honest spenders should feel a little annoyed.

    Continue reading Hollywood Fliering Useless Propaganda

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  • 01/16/07--01:33: Netflix to Stream Movies for Subscribers (chan 1768130)

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    Within the next six months, Netflix subscribers will be getting an increase in the number of movies they can watch per month. No, their at-a-time disc plan isn't changing. The DVD rental company is offering an added service to its members: streaming video. Netflix's "Watch Now" service allows subscribers to watch movies via a special player on the Netflix site. Unfortunately to start, Netflix will only be able to offer a tiny fraction of their 70,000+ titles, but considering it is an added bonus to subscribers, I don't think anyone will complain.

    HackingNetflix has a review of the "Watch Now" service, with visual aids, and it seems like a pretty decent concept. With the plan, Netflix doesn't take away from the experience of renting physical DVDs, nor does it exactly compete with the movie download services (though it may seem like a better alternative to them). It may not be the greatest thing ever to happen to home viewing, but it is a better incentive than Blockbuster's in-store rental bonus (especially since Blockbuster stores have disappeared completely in my neck of Brooklyn).

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  • 01/16/07--06:33: Netflix to Stream Movies for Subscribers (chan 1768130)

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    Within the next six months, Netflix subscribers will be getting an increase in the number of movies they can watch per month. No, their at-a-time disc plan isn't changing. The DVD rental company is offering an added service to its members: streaming video. Netflix's "Watch Now" service allows subscribers to watch movies via a special player on the Netflix site. Unfortunately to start, Netflix will only be able to offer a tiny fraction of their 70,000+ titles, but considering it is an added bonus to subscribers, I don't think anyone will complain.

    HackingNetflix has a review of the "Watch Now" service, with visual aids, and it seems like a pretty decent concept. With the plan, Netflix doesn't take away from the experience of renting physical DVDs, nor does it exactly compete with the movie download services (though it may seem like a better alternative to them). It may not be the greatest thing ever to happen to home viewing, but it is a better incentive than Blockbuster's in-store rental bonus (especially since Blockbuster stores have disappeared completely in my neck of Brooklyn).

    Continue reading Netflix to Stream Movies for Subscribers

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  • 01/18/07--13:02: Sundance Review: Black Snake Moan (chan 1768130)

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    In the music business, they say you have your whole life to write your first album ... and six months to write the second. The same goes for film -- after an incendiary feature film debut at Sundance in 2005 with Hustle and Flow, writer-director Craig Brewer returns to the big screen with Black Snake Moan. Like Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan has an incredibly simple pitch -- "An older African-American bluesman helps a young white woman deal with her nymphomania. ..." -- and, like Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan is about a lot more than what it seems to be about. And yet, Black Snake Moan is a lesser film than Hustle and Flow. It's not that Black Snake Moan is provocatively salacious, but rather that it's poorly structured.

    Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson, looking old and beaten with a mouthful of low-cost dental work) has had better days. His marriage has fallen apart thanks to his wife's affair. He used to play the blues, but now he works a small field in Tennessee and earns spending money from his sales at a local market. Rae (Christina Ricci, whose hair, makeup, wardrobe and demeanor suggest someone on Brewer's production team has seen Elia Kazan's 1956 Southern-sex trash-classic Baby Doll one too many times) is very much in love with her boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), but when he leaves to participate in the training for his National Guard posting, Rae's alone. And Rae's not good at being alone. When Ronnie leaves down the driveway, Rae runs after his ride until she collapses in a heap ... and Brewer quick-cuts to Rae bent over a hotel room sink, being used by another man, her hot breath fogging the mirror as she shudders and bucks. Ronnie's been gone for maybe....an hour.

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  • 01/18/07--18:02: Sundance Review: Black Snake Moan (chan 1768130)

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    In the music business, they say you have your whole life to write your first album ... and six months to write the second. The same goes for film -- after an incendiary feature film debut at Sundance in 2005 with Hustle and Flow, writer-director Craig Brewer returns to the big screen with Black Snake Moan. Like Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan has an incredibly simple pitch -- "An older African-American bluesman helps a young white woman deal with her nymphomania. ..." -- and, like Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan is about a lot more than what it seems to be about. And yet, Black Snake Moan is a lesser film than Hustle and Flow. It's not that Black Snake Moan is provocatively salacious, but rather that it's poorly structured.

    Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson, looking old and beaten with a mouthful of low-cost dental work) has had better days. His marriage has fallen apart thanks to his wife's affair. He used to play the blues, but now he works a small field in Tennessee and earns spending money from his sales at a local market. Rae (Christina Ricci, whose hair, makeup, wardrobe and demeanor suggest someone on Brewer's production team has seen Elia Kazan's 1956 Southern-sex trash-classic Baby Doll one too many times) is very much in love with her boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), but when he leaves to participate in the training for his National Guard posting, Rae's alone. And Rae's not good at being alone. When Ronnie leaves down the driveway, Rae runs after his ride until she collapses in a heap ... and Brewer quick-cuts to Rae bent over a hotel room sink, being used by another man, her hot breath fogging the mirror as she shudders and bucks. Ronnie's been gone for maybe....an hour.

    Continue reading Sundance Review: Black Snake Moan

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  • 01/24/07--08:31: Sundance Review: Son of Rambow (chan 1768130)

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    After a week of high-power documentaries and wrenching dramas at Sundance, there's a strong chance I may have been extra-susceptible to the charm and sheer exuberance of Son of Rambow, the newest film from director Garth Jennings and the production team known as Hammer and Tongs. But I don't think so; the giddy, goofy and heartfelt creativity of Son of Rambow would stand out regardless of where, or when, one had the good fortune to see it. In 1980's Britain, young Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is a good-hearted, slightly burdened young boy, grieving his lost father, constrained and supported by the humble Christian community his mother finds solace in. The group shuns television and films; they live with simplicity, piety and grace. None of which, it seems, can compete with Sylvester Stallone....

    After a spot of bother at school, Will winds up not-quite-friends with troublemaker Carter (Will Poulter), a scamp with slight troubles. In the storage shed at Will's family's business, Will is exposed to a pirated VHS copy of First Blood. Will's never seen a movie, or heard a story not taken directly from The Bible. It is, to him, a revelation of the highest order and leads to Will and Carter collaborating on a camcorder epic, Son of Rambow. The fact that Will seems to be working out some issues with his absent father is fairly obvious, as is the tension between Will's sacred teachings and his more secular desire to run through the English countryside pretending to commit acts of derring-do.

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  • 01/24/07--13:31: Sundance Review: Son of Rambow (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , , , ,




    After a week of high-power documentaries and wrenching dramas at Sundance, there's a strong chance I may have been extra-susceptible to the charm and sheer exuberance of Son of Rambow, the newest film from director Garth Jennings and the production team known as Hammer and Tongs. But I don't think so; the giddy, goofy and heartfelt creativity of Son of Rambow would stand out regardless of where, or when, one had the good fortune to see it. In 1980's Britain, young Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is a good-hearted, slightly burdened young boy, grieving his lost father, constrained and supported by the humble Christian community his mother finds solace in. The group shuns television and films; they live with simplicity, piety and grace. None of which, it seems, can compete with Sylvester Stallone....

    After a spot of bother at school, Will winds up not-quite-friends with troublemaker Carter (Will Poulter), a scamp with slight troubles. In the storage shed at Will's family's business, Will is exposed to a pirated VHS copy of First Blood. Will's never seen a movie, or heard a story not taken directly from The Bible. It is, to him, a revelation of the highest order and leads to Will and Carter collaborating on a camcorder epic, Son of Rambow. The fact that Will seems to be working out some issues with his absent father is fairly obvious, as is the tension between Will's sacred teachings and his more secular desire to run through the English countryside pretending to commit acts of derring-do.

    Continue reading Sundance Review: Son of Rambow

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  • 02/01/07--10:31: An Inconvenient Nobel Peace Prize Nomination (chan 1768130)

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    When was the last time a film won the Nobel Prize? More plausible, when was the last time a film led to someone's nomination for the Nobel Prize? The answer to the second question is ... today. Thanks to the documentary An Inconvenient Truth (and all his work to raise awareness of global warming), Al Gore is a contender for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, the winner of which is announced in October. Sure, he probably could have been nominated without the film, but it is obvious that the film did help. In fact, Boerge Brende, one of the two Norwegian Parliament members who nominated Gore, mentioned the movie in his statement to Reuters.

    This is great news for Gore, who has just increased his post-Presidential-loss status another huge notch. It was good enough that An Inconvenient Truth did so well in theaters and then was nominated for an Academy Award. But who cares about winning an Oscar when there's a chance to get a million bucks and the prestige of being a Nobel Laureate? Well, Davis Guggenheim probably cares, as he is the one who directed the film, despite so many people referring to it as Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Guggenheim isn't nominated for the Nobel Prize, only the Oscar, and worst case scenario is that because of the film's elevated acclaim in its association with the Nobel nomination, Academy voters will see no need to give the doc award to Truth.




  • 02/01/07--15:31: An Inconvenient Nobel Peace Prize Nomination (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , ,

    When was the last time a film won the Nobel Prize? More plausible, when was the last time a film led to someone's nomination for the Nobel Prize? The answer to the second question is ... today. Thanks to the documentary An Inconvenient Truth (and all his work to raise awareness of global warming), Al Gore is a contender for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, the winner of which is announced in October. Sure, he probably could have been nominated without the film, but it is obvious that the film did help. In fact, Boerge Brende, one of the two Norwegian Parliament members who nominated Gore, mentioned the movie in his statement to Reuters.

    This is great news for Gore, who has just increased his post-Presidential-loss status another huge notch. It was good enough that An Inconvenient Truth did so well in theaters and then was nominated for an Academy Award. But who cares about winning an Oscar when there's a chance to get a million bucks and the prestige of being a Nobel Laureate? Well, Davis Guggenheim probably cares, as he is the one who directed the film, despite so many people referring to it as Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Guggenheim isn't nominated for the Nobel Prize, only the Oscar, and worst case scenario is that because of the film's elevated acclaim in its association with the Nobel nomination, Academy voters will see no need to give the doc award to Truth.

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  • 02/02/07--10:02: AMC Theatres' $30 Best Picture Nominee Marathon (chan 1768130)

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    If you don't already have plans for Saturday, February 24, I have the best option for what to do -- provided you live near a participating AMC theater, that is. The cinema chain is offering an amazing deal to moviegoers on the eve of the Oscars: for the price of $30, you can see all five films nominated for best picture. Of course, you have to watch them in a row, from 11am to 11:30pm (or whatever time the 9:45 showing of Little Miss Sunshine lets out). In addition to the movies, though, you also get a large popcorn, a large drink -- with unlimited refills all day long -- and a "collectible pass."

    Now, I can see if this is a little too much movie for most people to handle, but I can't express enough how good a deal it is. Plus, you could always leave before Sunshine (I would; I hate it), if you fear a numb butt (try to imagine 24 hours!). Considering I still need to see two of the nominees, it would be worth it for me to attend the whole marathon since at the participating megaplex in Manhattan two movies and concessions would run me about $30 anyway (unless I theater-hopped).

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  • 02/02/07--15:02: AMC Theatres' $30 Best Picture Nominee Marathon (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    If you don't already have plans for Saturday, February 24, I have the best option for what to do -- provided you live near a participating AMC theater, that is. The cinema chain is offering an amazing deal to moviegoers on the eve of the Oscars: for the price of $30, you can see all five films nominated for best picture. Of course, you have to watch them in a row, from 11am to 11:30pm (or whatever time the 9:45 showing of Little Miss Sunshine lets out). In addition to the movies, though, you also get a large popcorn, a large drink -- with unlimited refills all day long -- and a "collectible pass."

    Now, I can see if this is a little too much movie for most people to handle, but I can't express enough how good a deal it is. Plus, you could always leave before Sunshine (I would; I hate it), if you fear a numb butt (try to imagine 24 hours!). Considering I still need to see two of the nominees, it would be worth it for me to attend the whole marathon since at the participating megaplex in Manhattan two movies and concessions would run me about $30 anyway (unless I theater-hopped).

    Continue reading AMC Theatres' $30 Best Picture Nominee Marathon

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  • 03/16/07--11:31: Blu-ray to Replace DVDs by 2010? (chan 1768130)

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    http://blog.moviefone.com/images/2005/05/bluray.jpgAlmost every weekend I see people on the sidewalks of Brooklyn attempting to sell their used VHS collections. And I get sad -- not for these people desperately trying to make a little extra with their tag sale, but for the poor videotapes that have absolutely no place in the modern world of DVD. I'm often reminded of The Brave Little Toaster and my eyes well up for the poor obsolete items of yesterday. I too have a box of VHS in my closet, but I know there's no use trying to find people who will buy them. But at least I never got into the habit of collecting DVDs, because the currently popular video format will also one day be replaced.

    The European chairman for the Blu-ray Disc Association claims that day will come within three years. While addressing the crowd at the CeBIT technology trade show in Germany, he also stated that Blu-ray, not its competitor, HD DVD, will be the format to succeed DVD as the home video standard. Of course, there is no definite front-runner in the hi-density disc format war, and representatives from HD-DVD argued that in terms of sales of movie titles, the two are about even. Blu-ray's reason for declaring a lead is based on sales of Blu-ray players, which include Playstation 3 consoles -- how many PS3 owners do you know who were primarily interested in its ability to play Blu-ray discs?


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  • 03/16/07--16:31: Blu-ray to Replace DVDs by 2010? (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    http://www.cinematical.com/images/2005/05/bluray.jpgAlmost every weekend I see people on the sidewalks of Brooklyn attempting to sell their used VHS collections. And I get sad -- not for these people desperately trying to make a little extra with their tag sale, but for the poor videotapes that have absolutely no place in the modern world of DVD. I'm often reminded of The Brave Little Toaster and my eyes well up for the poor obsolete items of yesterday. I too have a box of VHS in my closet, but I know there's no use trying to find people who will buy them. But at least I never got into the habit of collecting DVDs, because the currently popular video format will also one day be replaced.

    The European chairman for the Blu-ray Disc Association claims that day will come within three years. While addressing the crowd at the CeBIT technology trade show in Germany, he also stated that Blu-ray, not its competitor, HD DVD, will be the format to succeed DVD as the home video standard. Of course, there is no definite front-runner in the hi-density disc format war, and representatives from HD-DVD argued that in terms of sales of movie titles, the two are about even. Blu-ray's reason for declaring a lead is based on sales of Blu-ray players, which include Playstation 3 consoles -- how many PS3 owners do you know who were primarily interested in its ability to play Blu-ray discs?

    Continue reading Blu-ray to Replace DVDs by 2010?

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  • 04/20/07--02:02: Interview: 'Year of the Dog' Writer-Director Mike White (chan 1768130)

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    In Mike White's directorial debut, Year of the Dog, Molly Shannon plays Peggy - a cube-stuck, quiet woman whose main source of joy is her beagle, Pencil ... who dies. White's best known for broad screenplays (he wrote School of Rock, and co-wrote Nacho Libre), but his scripts The Good Girl and Chuck and Buck have a smaller-wrought, more intimate feel to them. In many ways, Year of the Dog is a bridge between the two seemingly separate threads in his work. White, in person, is unassuming and mild; talking about his work, though, the level of thought he puts into his scripts becomes slowly and firmly apparent. Cinematical spoke with White in San Francisco. The technically-minded can download the entire interview here.

    Cinematical: Year of the Dog came out of a pretty personal place for you -- The inciting incident being a stray cat had been living in your backyard literally dying in your arms. How long a relationship did you have with this cat?

    Mike White: A couple years -- I had sort of inherited it when I moved into this house that I had bought. And I didn't have any animals up to that point -- I mean, when I was a little kid, I did -- I didn't even really realize how attached I had become to this cat. Over the years it sort of became my pet; it had come in, slept with me -- I was really just super-stressed, and kind of over-worked, and under-slept, and this cat's death just totally spun me out in a way that I totally did not expect. I just had a really emotional reaction to it, and it just gave me the idea - later, after the dust had settled - I just thought, "Well, that's an interesting idea for a movie premise - somebody who has a relationship with a pet, and the loss of that changes their life in away."

    Cinematical    : And you're not a psychologist, but obviously, you've thought about this to a certain degree - do you think that people put a lot of emotion into their relationship with their pets, because culturally, we're not supposed to it with work?

    MW: Right. I think a lot of people do ... In the movie, people put a lot of their eggs in different ... I mean, Peggy's boss is really into his job, the parents with the kid, her friend at work who's obsessed with her boyfriend. ... Whether it's animals, or -- with animals, because they are a source of affection and because the relationship is relatively uncomplicated - there's not a lot of the bargaining that goes on in human relationships, and the needs of animals are pretty simple: being fed, and ...

    Cinematical    : Pick up the poop. ...

    MW: Right. I think the movie - while it does sort of take her animal passion or animal love seriously, it also does gets into her projection on to the animals in her life and how some of it is a little absurd and kind of misguided at some points, too.

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  • 04/20/07--07:02: Interview: 'Year of the Dog' Writer-Director Mike White (chan 1768130)

    • Filed under: , , , , ,



    In Mike White's directorial debut, Year of the Dog, Molly Shannon plays Peggy - a cube-stuck, quiet woman whose main source of joy is her beagle, Pencil ... who dies. White's best known for broad screenplays (he wrote School of Rock, and co-wrote Nacho Libre), but his scripts The Good Girl and Chuck and Buck have a smaller-wrought, more intimate feel to them. In many ways, Year of the Dog is a bridge between the two seemingly separate threads in his work. White, in person, is unassuming and mild; talking about his work, though, the level of thought he puts into his scripts becomes slowly and firmly apparent. Cinematical spoke with White in San Francisco. The technically-minded can download the entire interview here.

    Cinematical: Year of the Dog came out of a pretty personal place for you -- The inciting incident being a stray cat had been living in your backyard literally dying in your arms. How long a relationship did you have with this cat?

    Mike White: A couple years -- I had sort of inherited it when I moved into this house that I had bought. And I didn't have any animals up to that point -- I mean, when I was a little kid, I did -- I didn't even really realize how attached I had become to this cat. Over the years it sort of became my pet; it had come in, slept with me -- I was really just super-stressed, and kind of over-worked, and under-slept, and this cat's death just totally spun me out in a way that I totally did not expect. I just had a really emotional reaction to it, and it just gave me the idea - later, after the dust had settled - I just thought, "Well, that's an interesting idea for a movie premise - somebody who has a relationship with a pet, and the loss of that changes their life in away."

    Cinematical    : And you're not a psychologist, but obviously, you've thought about this to a certain degree - do you think that people put a lot of emotion into their relationship with their pets, because culturally, we're not supposed to it with work?

    MW: Right. I think a lot of people do ... In the movie, people put a lot of their eggs in different ... I mean, Peggy's boss is really into his job, the parents with the kid, her friend at work who's obsessed with her boyfriend. ... Whether it's animals, or -- with animals, because they are a source of affection and because the relationship is relatively uncomplicated - there's not a lot of the bargaining that goes on in human relationships, and the needs of animals are pretty simple: being fed, and ...

    Cinematical    : Pick up the poop. ...

    MW: Right. I think the movie - while it does sort of take her animal passion or animal love seriously, it also does gets into her projection on to the animals in her life and how some of it is a little absurd and kind of misguided at some points, too.

    Continue reading Interview: 'Year of the Dog' Writer-Director Mike White

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