The Treatment

George C. Wolfe on power dynamics in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’

Chris Gibbs and Beth Birkett on Union Los Angeles’ staying power.

Actor Riz Ahmed on getting out of his head for his newest role.

This week on The Treatment, Elvis sits down with writer and professor David Mikics whose newest book is ‘Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker.” Mikics’ other books include “Bellow’s People” and “Slow Reading in a Hurried Age.” On the program, he discusses how Kubrick’s stable, third marriage contributed to the director’s taking on increasingly complex films as his career matured. He talks about what people tend to get wrong about Kubrick’s final film “Eyes Wide Shut” and how Kubrick’s use of classical music and avant garde composers in films was groundbreaking.

David Talbert on bringing a new holiday classic to all audiences.

This week Elvis sits down with actor and director Alex Winter, whose new documentary “Zappa” chronicles the life and performance of avant-garde rocker Frank Zappa. Winter’s films as a director include “Downloaded,” “Deep Web” and “Showbiz Kids.” He is also known as an actor for his role as “Bill” in the “Bill and Ted” trilogy. Winter talks about why his pitch to Zappa’s widow about his approach to the film allowed him access to previously unreleased film footage. He talks about Zappa’s unique and misunderstood relationship with his audience and the similarities between Prince and Zappa’s collagist approaches to their art.

This week Elvis sits down with Misha Green, showrunner for HBO’s “Lovecraft Country.” Green is also the creator of the series “Underground,” which was broadcast on WGN America. Green talks about how she and Jordan Peele, who’s an executive producer of “Lovecraft Country,” bonded over their love of horror films. She says that in adapting the novel “Lovecraft Country” for the screen, she didn’t want to feel restricted by the book, saying, “it's a beautiful platform, but I want to jump off of it.” And Green talks about why she pitched “Underground” as a heist caper.

This week on The Treatment, Elvis sits down with film critic and writer Glenn Kenny, whose new book “Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas” details the making of Martin Scorsese’s iconic film about New York City mobsters. Kenny talks about the surprising impact on tabloid tv on the aesthetic of the film as well as the people behind the scenes who were hugely important to the film’s success.

This week on The Treatment, Elvis sits down with director Sofia Coppola, whose new film "On the Rocks" stars Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. Coppola won an Academy Award in 2004 for best original screenplay for her film "Lost in Translation." Her other films include "The Virgin Suicides," "Marie Antoinette" and "Somewhere." In the conversation, Coppola discusses the similarities between Bill Murray's character in "On the Rocks" and his real life persona, and how his character is a vestige of a bygone era of New York City.

This week on The Treatment, Elvis Mitchell speaks with Emmy-winning actor Jeremy Strong about playing social activist Jerry Rubin in Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Strong won an Emmy this year as lead actor in a drama for his role as Kendall Roy in HBO’s “Succession.” Strong discusses the differences between playing the theatrical activist Rubin and the tightly wound Roy as well as the contrast in storytelling styles between Aaron Sorkin, who wrote “Chicago 7” and Jesse Armstrong, creator of “Succession.”