Charlie Rose: The Treasure Chest of First-Class Film Interviews

The North Carolina-born, now legendary journalist Charlie Rose dabbled with becoming a lawyer, but fortunately for us, he soon developed a keen interest for politics and journalism, scoring a gig at PBS, working for Bill Moyers. In the years that followed Rose switched from PBS to NBC and CBS, steadily climbing the ladder and soon establishing himself as one of the most prominent American TV interviewers and journalists. With time he built his reputation and significance, finding himself in the position to conduct interviews with hundreds of influential people from all areas of public life: politicians, artists, writers, entertainers… As a true film buff, this meant the doors of many of the most eminent filmmakers, screenwriters, actors and actresses suddenly opened for him, and he took this opportunity to create nothing short of a stunning body of work. Charlie Rose’s interviews with the leading faces of Hollywood are a complete pleasure to become engulfed by. His work has been known to pop up occasionally on YouTube, only to disappear a couple of weeks later, but we’re incredibly excited to bring your attention to the redesigned Charlie Rose website that has been available to the public, with all the treasures of Rose’s career finally at the palm of our hands. Charlie Rose is definitely one of the more important reasons we’ve been trying to do our best at exploring the world of film, and we can only hope that one day our interviews would have at least a glimpse of Rose’s thoroughness and inspiration. The way the likes of Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Sydney Pollack, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Altman, Brian De Palma, Michael J. Fox and a plethora of other dignities open up to him and discuss their life’s work and personal aspirations is a major source of inspiration for our website. Enjoy these interviews as much as we did! The descriptions are courtesy of LearnOutLoud © Charlie Rose LLC.

As the undisputed “Master of Suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock left behind a large body of work that continually explored the darker depths of the human heart. Here, Charlie Rose talks with the director’s daughter Patricia along with noted film director/historian Peter Bogdanovich on the centennial of his Hitchcock’s birth. Topics include Hitchcock’s dogged attention to detail, his writing methods, which films of his own he preferred best, and where he ranks with the great masters of cinema history.

 
With a photographer’s eye, a philosopher’s curiosity, and a searing intellect, Stanley Kubrick’s films have cut a distinctive path through cinematic history with a scope that is still hard to estimate. Here Charlie Rose talks with the late director’s widow Christiane, his lifelong friend Jan Harland, and adds modern master Martin Scorsese into the mix to round out the table. Christiane Kubrick provides heartwarming insight on their marriage, while Harland and Scorsese weigh in on why Kubrick’s films such as 2001, The Shining, and Dr. Strangelove continue to provoke, compel, and stimulate new generations of filmgoers.

 
Director and author Peter Bogdanovich describes interviews with other film directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks, and Sidney Lumet in his book, ‘Who the Devil Made It.’

 
German film director Werner Herzog sits down with Charlie Rose in this 23 minute interview and discusses his prolific filmmaking career. Herzog gives some insight into the making of his film Fitzcarraldo about which he recently published his personal diaries in a book called ‘Conquest of the Useless.’ He talks about his philosophy of filmmaking and his search for the “ecstatic truth” when it comes to the many documentaries that he has shot over the years. Herzog also addresses his talent for bringing out the best in actors such as his unique gift for harnessing the talent of German actor Klaus Kinski.

 
Director Oliver Stone is known for his political and historical films and in this interview with Charlie Rose, Stone talks about his film Nixon. Stone gives us his interpretation of the man Nixon and covers some of the more controversial aspects of his film. He also gives us his philosophy on drama and its ability to convey the shadow side of history which is often not the version put into the history books. Get a history lesson from Oliver Stone with this hour long talk about Nixon.

 
In this Charlie Rose special featuring Meryl Streep, she talks about her entire acting career. This special presentation features clips from many of the movies she has been in along with comments from interviews with director Mike Nichols and prominent film critics praising her roles. Streep discusses the many roles she has inhabited along with her thoughts on drama vs. comedy. It’s a very enjoyable interview with one of cinema’s most beloved and honored film actresses.

 
Actor, director, and activist Robert Redford rose to prominence in the 1970s as both a leading man and progressive advocate. Here he talks about his early origins in theatre, the key movies that led to his success, and how his acting career opened up other paths for him as a director and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. Throughout his career, Redford has been notable for leveraging his star-power to help raise visibility on a wide range of concerns, such as environmentalism, Native American rights, and political corruption.

 
Capturing a key moment in history, this interview with Steve Jobs and John Lassetter catches both visionaries at the birth of what would become the most successful animation studio in recent history. After purchasing Pixar in 1986, shortly after his initial ouster from Apple, Jobs helped shepherd Lassetter and his team towards the first digitally animated movie, Toy Story, a box-office success that was followed by a string of hits that has not let up to date. Watch for an interesting moment near the end where Jobs tactfully dodges Charlie Rose’s question about a possible return to Apple; and even that actually did come to pass later that same year!

 
Coming off the wild success of his independent film breakout hit Pulp Fiction, super cool film director Quentin Tarantino sits down with Charlie Rose and talks about his craft and where his career is going to go from here. Tarantino talks about his childhood watching movies and his days as a video store clerk. He discusses his unorthodox way of storytelling, his method of writing, and his love of following the careers of film directors of which he mentions his favorites. Finally he talks about his first two films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Watch film geek Tarantino enthusiastically riff on his love of movies.

 
In this interview, filmmaker Roman Polanski speaks about filmmaking, personal tragedy, and the legal trouble that has kept him from returning to the United States. Charlie Rose does not shy away from confronting the director of such classics as Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown on why he hasn’t faced the legal ramifications of a rape charge that made him flee for Europe in 1977. Polanski also reflects on the loss of his mother at Auschwitz, his lonely childhood in war-torn Poland, losing his wife in the Manson family murders, and his current life as a French citizen.

 
Director Tim Burton talks with Charlie Rose about his recent film and art exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. In the first 10 minutes MOMA’s exhibit curators talk about putting on the exhibition. Then Burton discusses some of his sketches and talks about how he went from being a weird and quiet teenager to a filmmaker extraordinaire. Burton talks about his love of masks and how they bring out new aspects in his performers such as with Jack Nicholson made up as the Joker in his film Batman or Johnny Depp in the wide variety of outfits he has suited up for in many Burton films. Burton feels that all kids are artists and doodlers up to about age 12, but then for various reason these creative instincts are suppressed as people get older, and both Tim and Charlie find this unfortunate.

 
Mike Medavoy began his career at Universal Studios in 1964. In 1965 he became an agent at the General Artists Corporation and later moving into the vice president position of the Creative Management Agency. He became Creative Management’s vice president of the motion picture department in 1967, where he worked with Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola among others and headed to IFA in 1970. In 1974, United Artists brought Medavoy in as senior vice president of production. There, he was part of the team responsible for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, and Annie Hall, which won best Pictures Oscars® in 1975, 1976 and 1977 respectively. United Artists made a number of other notable films at the time, including Apocalypse Now, Raging Bull, Network and Coming Home.

 
Sydney Pollack talks about how he became a director, working with talented actors such as Robert Redford, and adapting novels for film.

 
Director Robert Altman discusses his 1992 feature film The Player, which presents the inner workings of Hollywood as a metaphor for greed in the culture; talks about several of his other movies as well, including Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, MASH, and Popeye.

 
Shirley MacLaine on her career as an actress and her memoir, ‘My Lucky Stars.’

 
Legendary director Sidney Lumet, who helmed 12 Angry Men, Network, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, among other films, shares his book, ‘Making Movies,’ about the technique and job of filmmaking.

 
Sidney Lumet talks about directing, working with Paul Newman, and making movies in New York.

 
Legendary screenwriter William Goldman on his book, ‘Which Lie Did I Tell? Adventures in the Screen Trade.’

 
David Mamet, playwright and screenwriter, presents his new book, ‘Bambi Versus Godzilla,’ a book about the practice and purpose of movie making.

 
Academy Award-winning actor Jack Lemmon joins Charlie for a full hour to reflect on his influential career.

 
Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh talks about his movie Kafka, which stars Jeremy Irons.

 
Robert Evans recounts how he went from actor to the head of Paramount Studios, reflects on Love Story, Chinatown, and The Godfather, and explains why he wrote his memoir for his son.

 
Director Brian De Palma explains why his adaptation of Bonfire of the Vanities failed.

 
John Malkovich on his career and his latest film, Being John Malkovich.

 
Paul Schrader on his career as a screenwriter and film director, and his film Light Sleeper.

 
Director Terry Gilliam on his movie, 12 Monkeys.

 
Independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch describes his film, Dead Man, set in the Old West and starring Johnny Depp.

 
Director John Carpenter on his film, Escape from L.A., the sequel to Escape from New York.

 
Three Mexican Filmmakers, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Alfonso Cuarón, and Guillermo del Toro, discuss their work, careers, and styles.

 
A look into the movie Fargo with filmmakers, the Coen brothers, and actor Frances McDormand.

 
David Lynch talks about his influences, his creative process, and the challenge of comedy.

 
David Lynch on directing Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek in The Straight Story.

 
Director Michael Mann talks about his latest film, The Insider.

 
In memory of Dennis Hopper, Charlie shares excerpts from his three interviews with the actor.

 
Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton looks back at the movies that put her on the map and shares her new memoir, ‘Then Again.’

 
On the 50th anniversary of Joseph Heller’s iconic ‘Catch-22,’ editor Robert Gottlieb, author Christopher Buckley, and filmmaker Mike Nichols, who directed the 1970 film adaptation, reminisce about their friend.

 
Director Guillermo del Toro shares his fascination with monsters and the supernatural in his book, ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ which compiles artwork, his personal notebooks, and collections.

 
Martin Scorsese on filmmaking, his career, and his film The Age of Innocence.

 
Martin Scorsese pays tribute to the life and work of late film director and screenwriter, Federico Fellini.

 
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