You are viewing the archive: david mamet
My Favorite Scene || BY Jen Yamato || 04 20 2012 3:00 PM

My Favorite Scene: John Cusack Picks a Classic Paul Newman Moment From The Verdict

My Favorite Scene: John Cusack - The Verdict (Getty Images)

Having had the chance to work with one of his heroes, Paul Newman (in 1989’s Fat Man and Little Boy), John Cusack turned to a Newman classic for a round of Movieline’s My Favorite Scene. “There’s a scene of Paul Newman in The Verdict that I would use as the best example of economy and what a close-up is supposed to mean,” Cusack explained during our chat for The Raven. “It’s the example where the film does what no other art form can do – a book can’t do it, and theater can’t do it, it’s only for film, and it’s the best example of it.” Pay attention, kids – Professor Cusack’s Film Language 101 is in session.
more »

Close Reads || BY Nathan Pensky || 02 17 2012 2:00 PM

If You Liked The Grey, Then You'd Better Check Out The Edge

If You Liked The Grey, Then You'd Better Check Out The Edge

If you enjoyed watching Liam Neeson battle territorial wolves in Joe Carnahan’s The Grey — and plenty of moviegoers have — then you'd be well-advised to look into Lee Tamahori's 1997 thriller The Edge. Starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin and perhaps best characterized by screenwriter David Mamet's trademark clipped dialogue, the film is an unusually strong entry in the survival-story tradition — and one to which The Grey owes at least a spiritual debt (if not more).
more »