Movie Talk with John Cusack
Description
American Actor John Cusack discusses his film The Raven 2012 a period movie inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe. He talks of having to scramble around for the money to make it and finding a location cheap enough with an old gothic feel, Serbia was perfect. Cusack talks about his producing career and how he has gained experience along the way, how he can now see potential problems and trusting his instincts. The only film without any potential pitfalls was The Paperboy 2012 that he produced and also starred in. The Sure Thing 1985 Cusack was cast in his first film aged 17, he says he was lucky because at the time there was a real fad for making movies about teenagers and they were based in his home city of Chicago. It wasn't until working with director Cameron Crowe in Say Anything 1985 that he felt that perhaps something special might come out of acting. Director Stephen Frears has been hugely influential in his career, a director that 'demands you follow your instincts on a role'. They worked together on The Grifters 1990 and again in High Fidelity 2000 a movie that Cusack wrote and starred in. He discusses his successful screen plays he has written. Cusack then goes on talk about his famous family, his parents who are both political activists and actors and his two sisters who are also actors. He splits his time between Hollywood, Chicago and New York, he loves and craves city life. He doesn't believe in being a celebrity and chooses to remain a bit of a mystery, he doesn't want to 'outstay his welcome on peoples TV's in their living rooms' He goes on to discuss working with legendary directors Clint Eastwood and in particular Woody Allen. He talks of what its like on set and how confident and generous he is. Con Air 1997 a blockbuster, different from the indie films and his admiration for studio boss Joe Roth who at the time of Con Air headed up Disney. He liked how Roth would on a yearly basis make the blockbusters but always allow money for 7-8 smaller budget films. Cusack discusses the industry being very different now, studios are only interested in making the big budget 'tent-pole' films. He carries on because in his view it's better to take risks and get things made, even if they don't do well at the box office opening weekend its all about the smaller films that people are still talking about several years later.