Wired Magazine tries to interview Charlie Kaufman.

Updated: Here is the complete interview in five parts [mp3 files.]

Michael Clayton writer/director gets beyond the mechanics of screenwriting and to heart of the matter – imagination [via GreenCine - added podcast.] The podcast itself is a nice little film school compacted into a half an hour program hosted by the always enjoyable Elvis Mitchell. What I like about it is its a real inside take on the process of filmmaking from a doer. Not to take anything away from anyone. I’m a doer. You might be a doer. What I mean is he’s a pro writer turned director who isn’t talking out of his ass like some guru who has never been in the trenches. The real trenches. Twenty years of grinding it out only to emerge now with a project that is getting much attention. When I saw it in the theater all I kept thinking was how much I wanted to read the screenplay [you can download a PDF here.]

I attended a Script to Screen event that the IFP hosted around 2000-01(?) and Gilroy spoke with Raymond De Felitta about screenwriting. It was early on in his career and he was coming off Proof of Life. I remember thinking “that is what a pro screenwriter sounds like.” The guy walked the walk. As you will gather from listening to the podcast you’ll get the idea that he’s worked on his share of questionable films but it’s also where he learned his craft and how to swim the political waters of Hollywood. You can see the culmination of all that in Michael Clayton. You can also see the early films of Alan J. Pakula in it too which is a plus in my book. It is a shame the film got buried amongst the muck early in the year because as far as what Hollywood is celebrating right now as Academy Award fare, this is as good as I’ve seen in a long time.

I’ll be writing up a nice review of a book I read while I was away but for now here are a few links to some cool things that happened while I was gone:

Final Cut Studio 2 released at NAB

First look at RED 

Shooting People launches new podcast

Noir City gets underway

Blowing the critical world away with his first feature In the Bedroom and following it up with Little Children you could say all that time on set as an actor paid off. Unfortunately, I can’t speak with any authority about either one of these two films because I have yet to see them but they will be seen [Netflix]. Getting back to the podcast, download it and you will get a perspective of the writer/director at work. Working from a very instinctual place he talks about how every step of the way from writing and rewriting, to casting, to actual production brings new information into your story and changes everything. I agree but you should hear it from him. Launch iTunes and download [there are spoilers in the second half of the podcast so if you haven't seen Little Children you can do what I did and stop the podcast and pick it up at a later date after you've seen it.]