Todd Haynes: Interviews

by Julia Leyda (Editor)

Overview

A pioneer of the New Queer Cinema, Todd Haynes (b. 1961) is a leading American independent filmmaker. Whether working with talking dolls in a homemade short (Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story) or with Oscar-winning performers in an HBO miniseries (Mildred Pierce), Haynes has garnered numerous awards and nominations and an expanding fan base for his provocative and engaging work. In all his films, Haynes works to portray the struggles of characters in conflict with the norms of society. Many of his movies focus on female characters, drawing inspiration from genres such as the woman's film and the disease movie (Far from Heaven and Safe); others explore male characters who transgress sexual and other social conventions (Poison and Velvet Goldmine). The writer-director has drawn on figures such as Karen Carpenter, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Bob Dylan in his meditations on American and British music, celebrity, and the meaning of identity. His 2007 movie I'm Not There won a number of awards and was notable for Haynes's decision to cast six different actors (one of whom was a woman) to portray Dylan. Gathering interviews from 1989 through 2012, this collection presents a range of themes, films, and moments in the burgeoning career of Todd Haynes. JULIA LEYDA, Tokyo, Japan, is associate professor of English at Sophia University. She has published in Television and New Media, Bright Lights Film Journal, La Furia Umana, Contemporary Women's Writing, Cinema Journal, and other journals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496807908
Publisher:	University Press of Mississippi
Publication date:	02/19/2016
Series:	Conversations with Filmmakers Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Julia Leyda is associate professor of English at Sophia University. She has published in Television and New Media, Bright Lights Film Journal, La Furia Umana, Contemporary Women's Writing, Cinema Journal, and other journals.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chronology xv

Filmography xvii

Karen Carpenter: Getting to the Bare Bones of Todd Hay nes's Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story Sheryl Farber / 1989 3

Todd Haynes: The Intellectual from Encino Jeffrey Lantos / 1991 13

Poison at the Box Office Michael Laskawy / 1991 19

Cinematic/Sexual: An Interview with Todd Haynes Justin Wyatt / 1992 26

Appendix: An Interview with Todd Haynes Michael William Saunders / 1995 33

Diary of a Sad Housewife: Collier Schorr Talks with Todd Haynes Collier Schorr / 1995 42

Todd Haynes Alison MacLean / 1995 49

Antibodies: Larry Gross Talks with Safe's Todd Haynes Larry Gross / 1995 60

Briefs, Barbies, and Beyond Blase DiStefano / 1995 73

All That Glitters: Todd Haynes Mines the Glam Rock Epoch Amy Taubin / 1997 77

Todd Haynes (Interview) Nick James / 1998 81

Flaming Creatures John C. Mitchell / 1998 86

Interview with Todd Haynes Keith Phipps / 1998 93

Fanning the Flames Amy Taubin / 1998 101

Heaven Sent Dennis Lim / 2002 105

Imitation of Film: Todd Haynes Mimics Melodrama in Far from Heaven Anthony Kaufman / 2002 110

Past Perfect Geoffrey O'Brien / 2002 115

A Scandal in Suburbia Jon Silberg / 2002 123

The Many Faces of Bob Dylan: An Interview with Todd Haynes Richard Porton / 2007 130

Conversations: Todd Haynes Stephanie Zacharek / 2007 138

Todd Haynes Noel Murray / 2007 143

It Ain't Me Babe Matt Prigge / 2007 149

From Underground to Multiplex: An Interview with Todd Haynes Scott MacDonald / 2008 152

Interview with Todd Haynes Sam Adams / 2011 170

HBO: Mildred Pierce-The Evening Class Interview with Todd Haynes Michael Guillén / 2011 177

Daughter Dearest Amy Taubin / 2011 185

Todd Haynes on Mildred Pierce: Too Racy for Indies, but Perfect for TV Eric Kohn / 2011 193

"Something That Is Dangerous and Arousing and Transgressive": An Interview with Todd Haynes Julia Leyda / 2012 201

Key Resources 227

Index 233