TIFF Long Take

This Sunday, Lords and Ladies of the realm will be gathering around their televisions, raising a goblet, and whispering in unison, “ Valar Morghulis.”. Game of Thrones mania is at an all-time high, and it has Rob and Geoff wondering,: by reaching such an unprecedented level of fandom, has the series transcended its medium and become more than just another TV show? To get the answer they sit down with New York Magazine’s renowned film critic, Matt Zoller Seitz. Matt talks about how Game of Thrones became the “Star Wars of cable” (5:05), how the show has reached extraordinary success despite its limited (legal) availability (9:10), and why calling the show a “melodrama” shouldn’t be interpreted as an insult (12:25). He also explains why he doesn’t care about reading the books (17:20), why the show won’t fall victim to the later series pitfalls of other great television (21:05), and why he thinks we shouldn’t hold our breath for a happy ending (22:20).

Every day, thousands of aspiring screenwriters around the globe are putting the finishing touches on what they're sure will be the next Citizen Kane. But is a good script really enough to get your film made in the current climate? To get the answer Rob and Geoff sit down with one of Europe's foremost development gurus, Isabelle Fauvel. Isabelle talks about how she's made a career out of being brutally honest (8:05), why she thinks the industry places far too much emphasis on "well-written" scripts (13:45), and why she's more attracted to good ideas than good writing. She also explains why she suggests that her clients make a dumbed-down version of their script (17:10), how she's able to recognize great talent (27:30), and why asking your mom for feedback on your script probably isn't the right approach (35:40).

Back in July 2015, sci-fi and comedy nerds alike rejoiced at the news that directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) would be helming the latest Star Wars Anthology film focusing on the origins of a young Han Solo. It was a marriage that seemed destined for greatness, and so it came as great shock to many last week when the two filmmakers left the project after 5 months of shooting. To get the scoop on Lord and Miller's departure, and what it means for the Star Wars brand, Rob and Geoff sit down with Chris Taylor, deputy editor at Mashable. Chris explains why he was shocked to hear of Lord and Miller's abrupt departure (4:00), why 'Han Solo' may have had more in common with Ace Ventura than 'Rogue One' (7:05), and why on-set improv is a surefire way to make an enemy out of Lawrence Kasdan (12:45). He also discusses why he thinks Ron Howard is the right director to take over the project (17:35), the tragic irony of Alden Ehrenreich needing an acting coach (21:35), why the Star Wars braintrust is so risk averse (24:50), and what might be next for Lord and Miller (29:10).

Last week, The New York Times sent the internet into a frenzy with their list of ‘The 25 Best Films of the Century So Far’. To get the story of how you even attempt to compress 17 years of cinema into an essential 25 films, Rob and Geoff sit down with one half of the duo behind the list, NYT Chief Film Critic, A.O. Scott. A.O. discusses why he and his partner, Manohla Dargis, thought the time was right to reflect on this century’s best films (4:05), the surprising controversy that comes with championing Clint Eastwood (11:40), and why ranking 'There Will Be Blood' #1 was one of the easier choices they made (14:35). He also talks about why 'Inside Out' stands out in Pixar’s incredible library (18:00), what national cinema he could see rising over the next 17 years (21:20), and why he feels Steven Spielberg might be one of this century’s most underrated filmmakers (24:15).

In the last few years, more and more successful indie filmmakers like Colin Trevorrow, Ryan Coogler, and, most recently, Patty Jenkins, have moved over to the world of “Intellectual Property” to make their mark with a major film franchise. While this might be a smart move career-wise, it's becoming increasingly rare to see A-list filmmakers telling original stories. One director rejecting this trend is today's guest, Edgar Wright, whose latest film, 'Baby Driver', comes on the heels of an unsuccessful experience working on Marvel's 'Ant-Man'. Edgar sits down with TIFF’s Rob and Geoff to discuss how difficult it is to get a big budget original film made in the current climate (3:30), why he thought he was headed to "director jail" after 'Ant-Man' (6:15), and why he chose to make 'Baby Driver' rather than take on another franchise (7:50). He also talks about how the original idea for 'Baby Driver' was conceived 22 years ago (9:05), and what might challenge 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' as the all-time greatest Toronto film ever made (12:35).

Since JAWS was released in 1975, summertime has always been known to movie lovers as "Blockbuster Season". But with diminishing box office returns, exhausted film franchises pushing out 5th and 6th sequels, and more people staying at home for a night of Netflix, we're starting to wonder, is the age of the Blockbuster coming to close? To get more insight Rob and Geoff sit down with film writer Adam Nayman (The Ringer, The Globe and Mail). The three talk about the origins of the "modern summer blockbuster" (4:50), wonder if the summer films of 1984 will stand the test of time better than 2016(13:25), and discuss why "franchise fatigue" for tent-poles like TRANSFORMERS, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, and SPIDERMAN, might be a big part of the problem (17:45). They also get into why virtually every superhero movie seems to be immune to financial failure (25:25), and make their picks for a 2017 film that could snap us out of this drought and make blockbusters fun again (31:10).

Telugu, or "Tollywood" cinema is a regional Indian film industry that, until recently, lived in the shadow of the countries' thriving "Bollywood" industry. That's all changed though with the release of BAAHUBALI 2: THE RETURN, a new Telugu film that was been shattering box office records, both in India and around the world, grossing over $20 Million in the US alone (a staggering number for an Indian film). To get the scoop on Telugu Cinema's rise to supremacy, Rob and Geoff sit down with Dilani Rabindran, founder of Viewfinder Film Consulting, and Programmer at the Real Asian Film Festival. Dilani discusses why the terms "Bollywood" and "Indian Cinema" are often falsely conflated (6:10), how Telugu has carved out a distinct style (10:10), and what's driving the genre's incredible success both domestically and abroad (14:20). She also explains how Telugu filmmakers progressed the genre by listening to their critics (20:40), how films like BAAHUBALI 2 are drawing record numbers to the theatre in the age of streaming (24:40), and why content producers like Netflix and Amazon are setting their sites on the Asian market (31:55)

We constantly hear from fans and critics that we're living in a "golden age of television". But are A-List stars, esteemed filmmakers, and massive budgets really leading to better TV? To find out Rob and Geoff sit down with writer and critic Eric Thurm (Esquire, GQ, The A.V. Club). Eric does his best to define "Prestige TV" (3:35), wonders if critics and audiences have an unfair bias towards shows on traditional networks (7:10), and discusses why giving TV creators total creative freedom might not be the recipe for success (11:35). He also explains why calling a TV show "cinematic" shouldn't be considered a compliment (14:50), why the most interesting television makers show a healthy disrespect for the medium (19:05), and why the next "golden age" wont be reached mimicking shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, and Mad Men (28:00).

There's no denying that it's a great time for all the foodie film lovers out there, whether they're feasting on CHEF'S TABLE, PARTS UNKNOWN, or RATATOUILLE . But what is it that makes food such a compelling subject both in movies and on the small screen? To find out Rob and Geoff head out for a bite with renowned chef, and host of Viceland's DEAD SET ON LIFE, Matty Matheson. Matty explains why he thinks food is the best introduction to any culture (2:45), how Instagram has fuelled the food craze (10:00), and why he thinks that BURNT is a criminally underrated work of cinema(16:30). He also talks about why the subject of food lends itself better to documentaries than narrative films (18:25), lists his favourite restaurant scenes in film history (23:25), and details his last meal on earth (29:30).

Before Geoff heads out for Cannes, he and Rob sit down with Owen Gleiberman, Chief Film Critic at Variety, to talk about how this year's slate of films is pushing the boundaries of what people expect from the highly influential, but famously traditional festival. The three discuss the impact of bringing Jane Campion's TOP OF THE LAKE and David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS to the festival (3:30), the significance of increasing the number of female filmmakers represented in the lineup (11:25), and why this is such an important festival for Netflix (17:20). They also wonder why there are no major Hollywood studio films in competition this year (23:05), question if worlds of artistic film and popular film are further apart than ever (27:05), and make their extremely premature predictions for this year's Palme d'Or (31:05)