Salon Conversations

What Orly Taitz believes

The head Birther talks about Obama's boyfriends, the long arm of Hugo Chavez and how the Web is rigged against her

By Gabriel Winant Aug 13, 2009

John Woo on "Red Cliff" and the rise of Chinawood

Back home after 17 years, the action maestro has created his biggest spectacle -- and rebooted China's film biz

By Andrew O'Hehir November 18, 2009
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Caught between two worlds

After starring in a summer rom-com and kicking ass in "G.I. Joe," the one-time TV teen returns to "Uncertainty"

By Andrew O'Hehir November 16, 2009
Pedro Almodóvar: An "irrational passion" for movies

The Spanish director on his delirious new movie-movie with Penelope Cruz, and how the New York Dolls fought Franco

By Andrew O'Hehir November 13, 2009
Woody Harrelson on war, death, LBJ and Obama

The one-time "Cheers" star turned eco-radical climbs into bed to talk about his new film, and the new James Dean

By Andrew O'Hehir November 11, 2009

John Malkovich faces "Disgrace"

The screen icon on playing Coetzee's doomed hero, rewriting other people's scripts and making terrible movies

By Andrew O'Hehir September 18, 2009
The family who just said no

"No Impact" couple Colin Beavan and Michelle Conlin on the new movie capturing their year without A/C, TV or T.P.

By Andrew O'Hehir September 11, 2009
Will Ecuador's Indians bankrupt Chevron?

Documentarian Joe Berlinger on the amazing Amazon pollution case in "Crude" -- and its link to the West Memphis 3

By Andrew O'Hehir September 10, 2009
Art, commerce, Anna Wintour and "The September Issue"

Director R.J. Cutler on Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington and the backstage fashion dramas of "The September Issue"

By Andrew O'Hehir August 27, 2009
Is apartheid acceptable -- for giant bugs?

Peter Jackson protégé Neill Blomkamp talks about "District 9," the sci-fi breakthrough of the summer

By Andrew O'Hehir August 12, 2009
It's the priest-vampire-ghost love story of summer!

Director Park Chan-wook talks about his delirious, dark-comic "Thirst" -- this year's other, better vampire romance

By Andrew O'Hehir July 31, 2009
Born too soon

Vicki Forman's twins weighed only a pound at birth. She thought they should be allowed to die. Doctors disagreed

By Katharine Mieszkowski July 25, 2009
Kevin Spacey needs a "Shrink"

The two-time Oscar winner talks about his move away from Hollywood and his new role as a pothead Dr. Phil type

By Andrew O'Hehir July 23, 2009
What's the baby sitter up to?

She's the source of fear, frustration and sexual fantasy. A new social history looks at girls who care for our kids

By Katharine Mieszkowski July 18, 2009
Overheated by clean energy

As the debate over the Waxman-Markey climate bill rages on, Harvard's top environmental economist sheds some light

By Katharine Mieszkowski July 10, 2009
Defusing bombs at 115 degrees

Action queen Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal talk about "The Hurt Locker," their pulse-elevating Iraq drama

By Andrew O'Hehir June 26, 2009
Daddy on board

Today's fathers spend more time with their children than ever. One of them talks about why that's a good thing

By Katharine Mieszkowski June 20, 2009
Why we can't eat just one

We do it for the buzz. Like drug addicts. How do we stop the constant craving?

By Katharine Mieszkowski June 18, 2009
Behind the food industry's iron curtain

Michael Pollan and director Robert Kenner talk about "Food, Inc.," the movie agribusiness doesn't want you to see.

By Andrew O'Hehir June 12, 2009
The dark side of the moon

Sam Rockwell and Duncan Jones talk about their new space movie and the pleasures of 1970s science fiction films.

By Caitlin Shamberg June 11, 2009
Climbing out of a midlife crisis

How couch potato Mark Obmascik changed his life, and his body, summiting dozens of Colorado mountains in one summer

By Katharine Mieszkowski May 25, 2009
Steven Soderbergh and Sasha Grey deliver "The Girlfriend Experience"

The indie film legend talks about his latest experiment: Casting a real-life porn star as a high-class call girl

By Andrew O'Hehir May 22, 2009
The virginity fetish

Why is our culture so obsessed with girls' chastity? Author Jessica Valenti talks about how purity balls and "barely legal" porn both feed the same idea: That a woman's worth is between her legs.

By Tracy Clark-Flory May 16, 2009
Inventing a family

French director Olivier Assayas talks about the temporary intimacy of filmmaking and his new movie, "Summer Hours."

By Stephanie Zacharek May 15, 2009
Behind Washington's closet door

Closeted gay politicians like you-know-who and hm-hm aren't just personally screwed-up, says filmmaker Kirby Dick. They're hopelessly distorting democracy.

By Andrew O'Hehir May 7, 2009