In the trailer for De Palma, a documentary “conversation” from directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, the iconic filmmaker sounds ready to dish on the ups and downs of directing.
De Palma appears to play out like a feature-length Behind the Music-style story centered around a conversation among three directors. (Our own Jason Bailey wrote that the film finds De Palma “telling wonderful, no-fucks-left-to-give stories out of school.”) De Palma, who is revered by mainstream movie fans and cult cinephiles alike, discusses stories about making movies his way, and the clashes that caused with Hollywood studios, the MPAA, and critics. There are more than a few aggressive sound bites in the trailer; enough to suggest De Palma isn’t holding anything back in the film.
“You’re battling a very difficult system,” De Palma said, “and all the values of that system are the opposite of what goes into making original, good movies.”
Whether you know De Palma from pop culture touchstones, like Scarface and Carrie, or his cult thrillers like Body Double and Femme Fatale, it seems like an insightful and entertaining romp for anyone interested in watching a movie director talk craft for a couple of hours.
De Palma opens June 10.