Michael T. Starks

Category: Movies

  • Process vs. Product

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    Process comes first. You can never create a great product without first developing a good process. You may not find a great process. It’s likely your process is going to change over time. But creation depends on process. In a YouTube video, Romantical (Jonah Feingold) says, “Create the thing. Release the thing, and move on.”…

  • The Academy Awards

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    Ahead of time, I correctly guessed 14 of the 21 Academy Awards granted today. That’s two-thirds, or 66%: not a good grade from an academic POV! But it’s also not bad. My movie sensibilities at least track with the people voting. Have I seen ALL of the movies nominated? No. Especially not the shorts. But…

  • Creative Juice

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    This morning, I recalled the phrase “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” While it’s been used for decades, a related phrase gained popularity in 2004 after appearing in the movie The Girl Next Door. In a pivotal scene, Timothy Olyphant’s character says, “Always know if the juice is worth the squeeze.” I love how this…

  • Rob Reiner

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    I’m so sad to learn that Rob Reiner and his wife have been killed. I’m curious to understand the possibility that his son may be responsible. I have admired Rob Reiner for many years. In fact, he’s one of my heroes. Here are a few of his movies that I LOVE. While looking at his…

  • The Last Class

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    Today, I had the pleasure of watching The Last Class, a new film featuring Robert Reich, one of my heroes. We see him teaching his Wealth and Poverty class at UC Berkley. We hear him talk about getting older and what it means to retire. (While he won’t stop teaching, he isn’t teaching at the…

  • Screenwriting vs. Directing

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    This is a very personal post, because I enjoy both screenwriting and directing. Screenwriting is mostly the effort of ONE person. Directing depends on MANY people doing their jobs well. For me, Directing is the sweet spot. There is nothing like being on a set and doing the work to coordinate many people to tell…

  • Telluride Again!

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    I’m back home after another amazing experience at the Telluride Film Festival. One of the things I love about the festival is that I feel at home there. It’s a beautiful location, the people tend to be friendly, the movies are always impressive (in one or more ways), the Noon seminars and Conversations are engaging,…

  • Blue Moon

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    Blue Moon, directed by Richard Linklater, is one of the best movies shown at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival. It tells the story of Lorenz Hart after the opening of the musical “Oklahoma!”. We see his love of the craft of writing, his struggles with alcoholism, and his thwarted drive to reach higher levels of…

  • Who Needs Sleep?

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    For the past two nights, I’ve been lucky to get about four hours of sleep each night. Usually, I need at least six hours to feel energetic during the day. I suppose my lack of sleep is due to excitement. I’m not having trouble falling asleep. It’s just that I wake up around 2 AM…

  • Telluride Film Festival

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    I’m excited to be returning to the Telluride Film Festival this year. I’ve had so many great experiences there that are worth remembering. “No matter what kind of year I have had, if I come to Telluride, it’s been a good year.” — Werner Herzog Here are some of the people I’ve met, listened to,…