The Playboy Interviews: The Directors

by Stephen Randall

The best movies speak in a universal language, communicating effortlessly on both the emotional and the intellectual levels. While there have been many great films, only a few directors have achieved such facility with the filmmaking medium. In this collection of remarkably candid interviews, seventeen of the screen's most widely acclaimed and creative filmmakers discuss what drives and inspires them. These revealing, thought-provoking and highly personal interviews, possible only in Playboy's open forum, range from Roman Polanski's thoughts on the murder of his wife in the Manson Family massacre to Oliver Stone's frank discussions about the challenges he faced in creating his memorable films. Includes interviews with Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, David Mamet, Spike Lee and the Coen brothers, among others.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

300 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Dang Ole' Dan Can Dangle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I read it for the articles" has long been the excuse of countless Playboy 'readers'. Some of them very well could have been telling the truth. If these interviews are any indication then Playboy truly does offer some worthwhile reading material. And don't expect to find any pin-up girls in here--this is 300 pages of nothing but text, but damn is it sexy.

Interviews range from the 1960s to the early 2000s, with directors such as Robert Altman, Ingmar Bergman, the Coen Bros., Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Federico Fellini, John Huston, Stanley Kubrick, Spike Lee, David Mamet, Roman Polanski (in, I believe, his first interview after the Manson murders), Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Orson Welles, and Billy Wilder. A fine selection of directors indeed and some of the best interviews with them you can find. A must-read for fans of any of these directors.

I might just pick up a copy of Playboy the next time I'm in the mood (in the mood for in-depth, informative, interesting, and personal interviews that is).

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fascinating stuff in here. Really enjoyed the Fellini & Altman interviews, and surprisingly the Eastwood and Oliver Stone interviews (surprisingly because I don't really enjoy their films that much, though I respect them as artists). The Kubrick interview spent way more time focusing on the great director's musings about science and humankind's future (the interview was conducted just after he completed 2001: A Space Odyssey) rather than on his films - a disappointment. Other highlights: Coppola, Huston and Billy Wilder. Recommend this to film buffs (well, Duh) and to fans (like me) of the long-running Playboy Interview forum - I seriously "bought it for the interview" back in the day.

[Cindi]

I'm saving up my money to buy this book. Of all the different books of Playboy interviews, this one suits my fancy.