The Credits, an arm of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), is a group that facilitates in-depth analyses of what makes film-making great. By partnering with many great writers and interviewers, The Credits provides insightful glimpses into a myriad of subjects and figures within the film industry. As one of these interviewers, Leslie Combemale of Cinema Siren has been given the opportunity to highlight some fantastic aspects of film and Hollywood. Leslie not only writes for The Credits, but also owns ArtInsights, an art gallery dedicated to film art, and she moderates a yearly San Diego Comic-Con panel called “Women Rocking Hollywood”. Links to all of Leslie’s interviews through The Credits will be posted and archived here. Click through to TheCredits to read the complete interviews and enjoy the wealth of above and below-the-line interviews on offer there by Leslie and their other writers!
Dr. Ruth Westheimer Talks Life, Sex, & Ask Dr. Ruth – May 2, 2019
As a follow-up to The Keepers, documentary director Ryan White found a very different, very inspiring story in Ask Dr. Ruth, which is releasing in theaters on May 3rd. The film examines the fascinating life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust…
Star Michael Ealy on Household Horror in His New Thriller The Intruder – May 3, 2019
New thriller The Intruder stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good as Scott and Annie Russell, a newly married couple who have bought what they hope is their dream home from longtime owner Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid). They slowly discover…
Knock Down the House Director Rachel Lears Captures History in the Making – May 1, 2019
One of the big success stories of Sundance 2019 has been the documentary Knock Down the House, which was snapped up by Netflix for ten million. The festival screening got a standing ovation and a subsequent…
Our Planet‘s Composer Scores Nature’s Astonishing Variety – and Fragility – April 3, 2019
Composer Steven Price is best known for his Oscar-winning music used in Alfonso Curon’s Gravity. Recently, Price turned his talents to creating the sweeping, majestic score for Netflix’s new original eight-part documentary series Our Planet. From the creators of Planet Earth, the show features…
Going to the Circus With Dumbo Costume Designer Colleen Atwood – March 29, 2019
Costume designer Colleen Atwood has made herself one of the most recognized costume designers in Hollywood. An Oscar-winner for Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Alice in Wonderland, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Atwood has…
Director Karyn Kusama Goes Her Own Way – February 26, 2019
Director Karyn Kusama is one of Hollywood’s boldest voices. Her films are visually arresting, emotionally taxing and riveting to the last frame. Whether it’s a pugilist drama like Girlfright or a horror film like The Invitation, Kusama’s gifts bend…
Oscar Watch: Barry Jenkins on his Lyrical Adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk – January 4, 2019
If Beale Street Could Talk has been getting awards buzz and accolades for months, and with the Golden Globes set to arrive this Sunday, Barry Jenkins second masterpiece (in a row, no less) will be on the night’s big winners, Still hot from…
Costume Designer Sandy Powell’s Magic Touch on Mary Poppins Returns – December 17, 2018
Three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell came to the production of Mary Poppins Returns with fond memories of the 1964 original, which was the first film she ever saw as a child. She was excited to…
Ralph Breaks the Internet Co-Directors on Harnessing Disney Princess Power – November 21, 2018
Ralph Breaks the Internet goes viral in theaters Thanksgiving weekend, one of the most coveted times of the year for Hollywood releases. 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph gleaned an Oscar nomination for director Rich Moore and became a huge hit. We spoke…
Maria by Callas Writer/Director Tom Volf on Revealing the Person Behind the Legend – November 8, 2018
Maria by Callas writer/director Tom Volf discovered opera only 7 years ago, yet he very quickly found a passion for fascinating artistic and personal life of Greek-American opera legend Maria Callas. Delving into copious research, he…
Writer/Director Peter Hedges on Re-Finding His Voice With Ben is Back – October 30, 2018
Writer/director Peter Hedges was in attendance at the Middleburg Film Festival to promote and talk about his new film Ben is Back, which stars Julia Roberts and Hedge’s son Lucas, as a mother and her drug-addicted son who…
Roma Actress Yalitza Aparicio on Carrying Alfonso Cuaron’s Astonishing Film – October 29, 2018
Roma, the opening night film at Middleburg Film Festival, played to a sold-out crowd of film lovers. As the end credits rolled, it was greeted with rapturous applause. The film is leaving an indelible impression and gathering accolades from audiences and…
Green Book’s Viggo Mortensen on the Power of a Great Script – October 29, 2018
The much-anticipated new release from director and co-screenwriter Peter Farrenlly, Green Book, was just given the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at the Middleburg Film Festival. The film has been received with equal enthusiasm at all its…
Rupert Everett on Writing, Directing & Starring in his Oscar Wilde Biopic The Happy Prince – October 23, 2018
Fans of both Rupert Everett and literary great Oscar Wilde have been patiently waiting for the release of the new film The Happy Prince, which has been 10 years in the making. The film Everett wrote, directed, and stars in…
Writer/Director Felix van Groeningen on Music, Catharsis, and Crafting Beautiful Boy – October 22, 2018
Known for his critically-acclaimed film Broken Circle Breakdown, which was the Belgian entry for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, writer/director Felix van Groeningen has…
Composer Dustin O’Halloran Finds Music to Express The Hate U Give – October 19, 2018
The Hate U Give premiered at TIFF one day after the first airing of the Colin Kaepernick Nike ad. That the ad went viral and became such a controversy only added to the fame and buzz around the composer of the music used in the ad, Dustin O’Halloran, who…
Queen Sugar Showrunner Kat Candler Leads the Charge for Ava DuVernay’s Game Changing Show – May 30, 2018
It’s no exaggeration to say that Queen Sugar, the popular OWN series, is changing television. From the beginning, creator Ava DuVernay committed to hiring only female directors, which has led to a number of other shows seeking women for their roster of…
Lifelong Star Wars Fan Joonas Suotamo On Becoming Chewbacca – May 25, 2018
Imagine a young man dreams of an acting career, but is told he has little or no chance of success, because there are no jobs for blonde, blue-eyed Finnish actors nearly seven feet tall. Now imagine one of the most iconic characters in modern film is…
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle’s Exec Producer on Rebooting a Classic – May 11, 2018
When you hear the executive producer of the new DreamWorks show The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Scott Fellows, speak about this cartoon, you can hear the passion that he and the entire cast and crew must have put into it. Gratefully, all that…
Tara Strong on Voicing Rocking in the Rebooted Rocky and Bullwinkle Series – May 11, 2018
Over the last 20 years, actress Tara Strong has built a storied career for herself in the animation world as a voice artist. She is known for her expansive portfolio, including her work as Batgirl in Batman: The Killing Joke, Bubbles in The Powerpuff…
The Handmaid’s Tale’s Samira Wiley Talks Religion, Love, and Season 2 – April 23, 2018
Fresh from their Peabody Award win, The Handmaid’s Tale returns for a highly anticipated 2nd season. Season 1, which was filmed before Donald Trump was elected, became more than just a cautionary tale after his campaign and first year in office. Though…
Mudbound & Come Sunday Composer Tamar-kali’s Singular Path – April 16, 2018
At less than 2% of all composers, the percentage of female scoring artists working in the film industry is the lowest and most out of balance with the number of men getting hired. There isn’t any official data on how many of those are women of color, but…
Chatting With Rising Star Zoey Deutch About her Critically Acclaimed Performance in Flower – March 19, 2018
Over the last few years, Zoey Deutch has been carving out a choice spot in the hierarchy of Hollywood ingenues. She stole every scene as Beverly in Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! and has left a strong impression in every one of her roles…
Writer/Director/Producer Rosemary Rodriguez Continues on Continuing her Scorching TV Career With NBC’s Rise – March 12, 2018
Rosemary Rodriguez, the award-winning writer/director of the feature films Acts of Worship and Silver Skies, has been directing on the small screen for over a decade. She has helmed episodes on some of the best TV shows currently or recently part of…
Lean on Pete’s Composer on why This Gorgeous Film Needed a Live Score – March 12, 2018
Though the score created for Lean on Pete is placed only in chosen scenes, those scenes are chosen expertly. The score is a powerful element that helps bring cohesion to the emotional and physical journey taking place in the movie. Lean on Pete is by…
Writer/Director Atsuko Hirayanagi on Synchronicity & Inspiration in her Feature Oh Lucy! – March 6, 2018
Originally, writer/director Atsuko Hirayanagi’s Oh, Lucy! was written and produced as a short, winning the Jury Prize for International Fiction at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Now she has expanded it into a full-length feature, and Oh, Lucy! has…
Early Man Co-composer on Collaboration & Finding the Right Caveman Yells – February 2, 2018
To soundtrack fans, British composer Tom Howe may not be a household name, but he’s been clocking eighteen hour workdays for over a decade, and has over sixty IMDB credits to his name. He believes some of the most rewarding and successful projects on…