.
.
I love talking to directors, because 9 times out of 10 they give you “gold” with their answers. This isn’t a slight to the actors of the world, but directors (and writers for that matter) just usually make for a very interesting interview. I recently had a chance to sit down with the great Ed Zwick. I can call him Ed… he told me so. Zwick is responsible for terrific films like BLOOD DIAMOND, DEFIANCE, THE LAST SAMURAI, LEGENDS OF THE FALL, and going all the way back to his first theatrical movie, ABOUT LAST NIGHT… He’s also worn the producer and writer hat, helming such TV shows as MY SO-CALLED LIFE, ONCE AND AGAIN, and even THIRTYSOMETHING. His newest movie is LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS, based on the Jamie Reidy book “Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman” – the film deals with a Viagra salesman (Jake Gyllenhaal) who falls in love with a woman (Anne Hathaway) battling with Parkinson’s Disease. It’s a romantic comedy at times, and a serious drama at others, but overall it’s a moving and very effective film, and definitely one of Zwick’s strongest efforts. There’s been some controversy over the nude scenes with Anne Hathaway in the film, and some serious talk over the Parkinson’s subplot. During our conversation, Ed and I spoke about the fine lines between romantic comedy and emotional drama, the reality of Parkinson’s sufferers, and the state of television these days. It’s a fun and candid interview with one of the most interesting behind-the-scenes guys in Hollywood today. Just as a side note, this was done on the upper level pool area at the top of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Downtown Dallas. My thanks to the fine folks at 20th Century Fox and Allied Entertainment for making this possible, and big thanks to Ed Zwick for being such a cool cat. Also big thanks to Rachel Parker with DFWLive.org for shooting this, and Matt Mungle for the sound! Check out the video below, and go see LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS opening this week!
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS opens November 24, 2010
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
