Arts

March 14, 2011, 4:00 pm

Greg Mottola’s Alien Adventure

By MEKADO MURPHY

AUSTIN, Tex. — The director Greg Mottola takes comedy seriously. While the filmmaker has been interested in making funny movies (“Superbad,” “Adventureland”), he’s also concerned about the craft involved in making those films work within specific genres. Mr. Mottola was profiled in this week’s Arts & Leisure and was in Austin to discuss “Paul,” his film starring Seth Rogen as the voice of an alien who gets himself mixed up with two British fanboys (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who also wrote the screenplay). Mr. Mottola spoke about the challenges and rewards of making a film with a CGI alien character at its center.

Movies, , , ,

Related Posts

From ArtsBeat

In the Spotlight

SXSW
SXSW

Video, images, blog reports and more from the South by Southwest music, film and interactive festival.

The Oscars

News, photos, video and analysis of the 83rd Academy Awards.

Categories

Art & Design

75 Thumbnail

Books
Classical Music

75 Thumbnail

Dance

75 Thumbnail

Movies

Music

75 Thumbnail

Television

Theater

'The Top 10 Composers

Anthony Tommasini explores the qualities that make a classical composer great, maybe even the best of all time.

More Arts News & Features

Music Review: Answering the Call for New Talent
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI

At the finals of the Metropolitan Opera’s annual National Council Auditions on Sunday, it was awfully hard to pick winners.

Abroad: In Germany, Uproar Over a Doctoral Thesis
By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN

The popular defense minister resigned in a very German scandal — not about sex, but a partly plagiarized dissertation.

Critic’s Notebook: Different Trips From Georgia to New York
By BEN RATLIFF

Two great Georgia bands bring a lot of similarities to their New York appearances, but one big difference, too.

Author Earns Her Stripes on First Try
By CHARLES McGRATH

Téa Obreht was born in Belgrade, escaped the Balkan war and settled in the United States, where she has become a critically acclaimed novelist at the tender age of 25.

Leo Steinberg, Art Historian, Dies at 90
By KEN JOHNSON

Mr. Steinberg, a keen intellect and writer, is credited with opening up generations of scholars to new ways of seeing.

Recent Posts

March 14

Critics’ Picks Video: ‘Citizen Kane’

A.O. Scott examines the themes of power and isolation in Orson Welles's 1941 film about a newspaper baron.

March 14

Greg Mottola’s Alien Adventure

The director Greg Mottola discusses his film "Paul," which played at SXSW and opens March 18.

March 14

Nontraditional Route For James Frey Book

James Frey has avoided traditional publishers with his next novel, "The Final Testament of the Holy Bible," the story of a modern-day Jesus that his publisher, the Gagosian Gallery, predicted would be "the most compelling and provocative work of his career."

March 14

Effects Coordinator Cleared in Death of ‘Dark Knight’ Cameraman

A British jury ruled unanimously that Christopher Corbould, an Academy Award-winner for "Inception," was not guilty of failing to ensure the safety of Conway Wickliffe, a cameraman killed in a stunt mishap on "The Dark Knight."

March 14

Carnegie Hall Lists Japan Relief Groups

Carnegie Hall has posted a list of organizations accepting relief money for Japan.

Related Blogs

Joe Uva to Step Down as Univision Chief

Univision announced Monday that its chief executive, Joe Uva, would leave the company April 2.

Glenn Beck's Web Site Questions Attack on NPR

A report on "The Blaze" questions the tactics of James O'Keefe, the conservative freelance journalist whose hidden video led to the resignation of two NPR officials last week.

Until the Final Four, There Will Be Ads Galore

Madison Avenue is gearing up for the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament, one of its most intensive periods of pitching and peddling outside of the Christmas shopping season.

Farewell to All The Hoopla

The Bagger stuffs the red carpet gowns and self-referential moniker in the back of the closet as another awards season comes to an end, and leaves behind a few parting thoughts.

A Chat With the Mother Who Knows Best

Tom Hooper, winner of the best director Oscar for "The King's Speech," gave a shout-out to his mother during his acceptance speech. She now corrects the record.

A Bravo Pan for Those Singing Schoolkids

The Oscars telecast has been almost universally panned, with many scapegoats to go around, but so far only man has blamed the schoolchildren.

About ArtsBeat

ArtsBeat is a Web site devoted to culture news and reviews, and to the work and interests of the reporters and critics of The Times’s culture department and the Book Review. Come here for breaking stories about the arts, coverage of live events, interviews with leading cultural figures, critical reviews, multimedia extravaganzas and much more.

We welcome your input: Send your feedback and tips to artsbeat@nytimes.com and learn more about our commenting policy here.

Follow us: Twitter | RSS

Archive

Follow The New York Times »