The legendary independent filmmaker talks about his acclaimed 1996 drama about a decades-old murder mystery in a Texas border town, now in the Criterion Collection.
If they're able to load human brains into hard drives in the next few years, bump Sayles to front of the line. He's forgotten more than most people know. Glad this is getting the CC treatment. Will grab it and add Matewan too.
I read A Moment in the Sun -- the gargantuan novel he wrote around the same time he was making Amigo -- and got to talk to him about both of them when he came to campus as a visiting filmmaker. He had done so much research on the period, he was able to write two completely separate stories about it.
Man what a great surprise to find in my inbox today, thank you for this. Can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on that Criterion disc; ordered that one and Blood Simple as soon as they were made available. Pretty great month for Criterion.
Holy crap what a great interview. That line "How big is that 'we'?" hit hard and is going to stick with me. I've seen (and loved) Lone Star but my Sayles knowledge needs a boost. Time to dig in.
I got to see this at the Seattle International Film Festival before it hit wide release, and Sayles was there for a Q&A afterward. I honestly don't remember the Q&A — other than "it was good" — but seeing Lone Star with a huge crowd who didn't know where anything was going is one of my all-time favorite moviegoing experiences.
Great interview. I haven’t seen this since it came out but will definitely be picking up the Criterion disc! I always enjoy Sayle’s films but there are a ton I haven’t seen. I should rectify that.
Fantastic interview, thorough in all the right ways. I interviewed him in 2020, titling it "John Sayles: The Griot of Late Capitalism" (https://www.dsausa.org/democratic-left/john-sayles-the-griot-of-late-capitalism) I'd love to do so again, especially because his newest novel's take on the 18th century explores what it means to be American quite differently. Do you have some words about the novels that ended up on the cutting room floor?
Thank you for this interview. I adore Lone Star - probably my favorite John Sayles directed film along with Matewan. Definitely will be getting the Criterion 4K. I’ve been teaching U.S. history for over three decades, though in liberal western Washington. I love what Sayles has to say about the stories we tell ourselves and the human need to feel good about your past. As a history teacher I encounter this a lot, and often feel the need to gently persuade people to look at the ugly parts of our past. Nice to see one of my favorite film makers express that idea so well.
One of my favorite films of the 90's. Go for Sisters was pretty great too, I wish that got a wider release.
If they're able to load human brains into hard drives in the next few years, bump Sayles to front of the line. He's forgotten more than most people know. Glad this is getting the CC treatment. Will grab it and add Matewan too.
Sayles referring to Go For Sisters--released over ten years ago!--as "the last movie that I got to direct" is heartbreaking.
Instead he's focusing on giant, doorstop historical novels...that are also pretty great.
I read A Moment in the Sun -- the gargantuan novel he wrote around the same time he was making Amigo -- and got to talk to him about both of them when he came to campus as a visiting filmmaker. He had done so much research on the period, he was able to write two completely separate stories about it.
Man what a great surprise to find in my inbox today, thank you for this. Can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on that Criterion disc; ordered that one and Blood Simple as soon as they were made available. Pretty great month for Criterion.
Holy crap what a great interview. That line "How big is that 'we'?" hit hard and is going to stick with me. I've seen (and loved) Lone Star but my Sayles knowledge needs a boost. Time to dig in.
I got to see this at the Seattle International Film Festival before it hit wide release, and Sayles was there for a Q&A afterward. I honestly don't remember the Q&A — other than "it was good" — but seeing Lone Star with a huge crowd who didn't know where anything was going is one of my all-time favorite moviegoing experiences.
Great interview. I haven’t seen this since it came out but will definitely be picking up the Criterion disc! I always enjoy Sayle’s films but there are a ton I haven’t seen. I should rectify that.
Fantastic interview, thorough in all the right ways. I interviewed him in 2020, titling it "John Sayles: The Griot of Late Capitalism" (https://www.dsausa.org/democratic-left/john-sayles-the-griot-of-late-capitalism) I'd love to do so again, especially because his newest novel's take on the 18th century explores what it means to be American quite differently. Do you have some words about the novels that ended up on the cutting room floor?
Thanks, Chris. Your piece touches quite a bit on his book YELLOW EARTH. Good book? I haven’t read any of Sayles’ novels.
Thank you for this interview. I adore Lone Star - probably my favorite John Sayles directed film along with Matewan. Definitely will be getting the Criterion 4K. I’ve been teaching U.S. history for over three decades, though in liberal western Washington. I love what Sayles has to say about the stories we tell ourselves and the human need to feel good about your past. As a history teacher I encounter this a lot, and often feel the need to gently persuade people to look at the ugly parts of our past. Nice to see one of my favorite film makers express that idea so well.