The Playlist

Derek Cianfrance Talks Cinematic Violence, Face Tattoos, Falling In Love With Eva Mendes & More From ‘Place Beyond The Pines’

By Diana Drumm
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April 6, 2013 12:17 PM
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1 Comment

Interviews

After “Blue Valentine” tackled the issues of marriage and gender relations, it seemed like a natural progression that filmmaker Derek Cianfrance decided to take on parenthood and legacy in his next film. Taking six years to make, "The Place Beyond The Pines” deals with the issue of legacy in America. Set in working class Schenectady, New York, it tells the story of families on both sides of the law and deals with what fathers intentionally and unintentionally leave their sons (inspiring our list of 22 Great Father & Son Movies). A hit at this year’s TIFF (read our review here), the film stars Ryan Gosling as a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to bank robbery to provide for his young son, and Bradley Cooper as a police officer caught in the crosshairs, a role the actor nearly gave up on. The stellar cast also includes Eva Mendes, Dane DeHaan, Ray Liotta, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn and Rose Byrne.

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Max Martini On Board 'Pacific Rim'; Emory Cohen Joins 'Place Beyond The Pines'

By Simon Dang
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July 27, 2011 3:41 AM
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4 Comments

Boston Rapper Slaine Also A Part Of 'Cogan's Trade'A couple casting tidbits on a few projects we've been keeping a very keen eye on.

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Dane DeHaan Joins Derek Cianfrance's 'Place Beyond The Pines' As The Son Of Gosling & Mendes

By Simon Dang
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July 21, 2011 3:07 AM
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7 Comments

A typically strong indicator of an inexperienced up-and-comer going places is landing a role in a high-profile film. It was something that happened with Mia Wasikowska a couple of years ago when the former "In Treatment" actress burst onto the scene with a trifecta of films, "Alice In Wonderland," "Restless" and "The Kids Are All Right."

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It Keeps Getting Better: Ray Liotta Joins 'A Place Beyond The Pines'

By Matthew Newlin
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June 26, 2011 11:36 AM
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2 Comments

If you weren't already pumped for "A Place Beyond the Pines," director Derek Cianfrance's follow-up to "Blue Valentine," you'd better be now. Variety reports that Ray Liotta, one of the most manic and entertaining actors working today, will be joining 'Pines' which already includes "Blue Valentine" star Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Greta Gerwig. Cianfrance, who co-wrote the film with Ben Coccio, has compared the tone of the film to "The Godfather" and "The Deer Hunter" (Holy crap!). Sidney Kimmel, Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell and Alex Orlovsky are on board as producers.

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Derek Cianfrance Calls 12-Year Wait To Make 'Blue Valentine' A Blessing & 4 Other Things We Learned

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 23, 2011 11:33 AM
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The Oscars are only a few days away and for "Blue Valentine" director Derek Cianfrance, he's had the kind of experience over the past year that most filmmakers could only dream of. "Blue Valentine" was picked up at last year's Sundance Film Festival and made its way around the festival circuit throughout 2010, picking up accolade after accolade. It found a champion in Harvey Weinstein, who not only acquired the film, but protected it during the highly publicized battle with the MPAA over their initial NC-17 rating for the film, and now it heads into the weekend vying for an Oscar for Michelle Williams for Best Actress. It's been a long, crazy journey for Derek Cianfrance. We spoke to him recently about the making of the film, and he shared with us some of the battles he faced in getting the film made and his thoughts on the past year for him.

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Exclusive: Derek Cianfrance Talks Doo-Wop Christmas Soundtrack To First Feature 'Brother Tied'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 8, 2011 5:59 AM
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With Derek Cianfrance spending the last year picking up critical acclaim and awards recognition for "Blue Valentine" it's easy to forget that it's actually his second feature film. His first attempt at filmmaking came in 1998 with the sibling rivalry tale "Brother Tied." It played the Sundance Film Festival that year and earned strong word of mouth, but never made it to theaters. The years have worn on and recently, Cianfrance said he has a 35mm copy of the film sitting in his father's basement but that the biggest hurdle facing a proper release for the picture was the $300,000 price tag surrounding the doo-wop music in the film. We recently spoke with Cianfrance about the music in the film and he was more than happy to share details of the songs in the picture and his thoughts on "Brother Tied" with us.

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Exclusive: Derek Cianfrance Spills Details On "Epic" 'The Place Beyond The Pines' With Ryan Gosling

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 4, 2011 7:10 AM
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2 Comments

Project Said To Be A Cross Between 'The Deer Hunter' & 'The Godfather'; Hopes To Shoot This SummerIt's hard to believe that it was just over a year ago that "Blue Valentine" premiered at Sundance to rave reviews, kicking off one helluva year for director Derek Cianfrance and the picture's stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. The film became a favorite at festivals around the world, racked up critical acclaim and awards season recognition. And with the relationship drama making a final hurrah at the upcoming Oscars where the "Blue Valentine" team will be crossing their fingers for Best Actress nominee Michelle Williams, Derek Cianfrance is looking to the future and his next project.

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Derek Cianfrance Working Toward Releasing His Lost Debut Feature 'Brother Tied'

By Simon Dang
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January 13, 2011 2:30 AM
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1 Comment

Director Needs About $300,000 To Clear Rights For Doo-Wop SoundtrackWith his sophomore feature "Blue Valentine" a hit with critics and audiences alike, Derek Cianfrance's "lost" debut "Brother Tied" is now starting to draw some attention, particularly the story behind its critically acclaimed festival runs in 1998 and the film's subsequent disappearance.

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'Blue Valentine' Director Derek Cianfrance Developing Body Building Comedy For HBO

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 5, 2011 3:13 AM
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Earlier last month, during the extensive press rounds for "Blue Valentine," director Derek Cianfrance began chatting up what was next after the twelve year odyssey it took to bring his relationship drama to the big screen. On the film front, the wait won't be so long as he plans to hopefully shoot "The Place Beyond The Pines," a "Jack London-inspired" tale about "fathers and guns" this summer with Ryan Gosling provided financing comes together. The director also revealed he was working on a project with HBO, and while he didn't elaborate at the time, some details about the venture have now come forward.

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