The Treatment

In the 1930's and 40's, comic books were as popular as movies -- and more influential. So much so that serious steps were taken to stop them. Writer David Hajdu (Lush Life, A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, Positively 4th Street) examines this controversy in his new book, The Ten-Cent Plague, and illustrates it.  

Some Like It Hot, The Magnificent Seven, In the Heat of the Night, the original Pink Panther. If you're lucky, you've seen these films. Walter Mirisch produced them. I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History is his new book.

For writer-director Michael Patrick King (Will and Grace, Murphy Brown) every season of Sex in the City was about changing expectations, which means he had his work cut out for him with the Sex in the City movie. See if the shoe fits.

What's crazier than Austin Powers or Meet the Fockers? The 2000 presidential vote count, perhaps. It's the subject of Jay Roach's new film, Recount. Count yourself in when Elvis Mitchell speaks with Roach.  

As a writer, Henry Bean is responsible for films about self-destructive protagonists who skirt justice in Deep Cover Internal Affairs. With his directorial debut, The Believer, he took that character one step further. Now with his newest film, Noise, he moves into the realm of fable.  We discuss his holy war: the brain versus the heart.  

Documentary filmmaker Doug Pray manages to nose his way into outcast societies -- de facto families -- with his films. Hype, on the 90's Seattle music world, and Scratch on the DJ culture. His latest, Surfwise, is about the most exclusive family, father Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, who turns his nine kids into champion surfers. It's all about tribal rights.  

Jon Favreau understands power. As an actor, he broke through by writing a roll for himself in Swingers. Then he made the move behind the camera as the director of Zathura and Elf and, now, the box-office smash Iron Man.  

If you were creating an indie comedy about two London boys coming into their own in the 80's, the last title you'd use is Son of Rambow – unless you're writer-director Garth Jennings (The Hitchkikers Guide to the Galaxy).

There are few figures in American culture as with as potent a step as David Mamet (American Buffalo, House of Games, Heist), first as a playwright, then as a filmmaker. With his new movie, Redbelt, he takes on a new frontier, the action film. We hear how he came to climb that mountain.  

It's not often that filmmakers turn to literary devices rather than film conventions for their work. It happens to be the case for director Vadim Perelman for both House of Sand and Fog and his newest, The Life Before Her Eyes.