Filmmaker Michael Mann is known for his exacting research and exhaustive preparation, work that goes into such moody, existential portraits as “Heat,” “The Insider,” “Ali,” “Miami Vice,” “Blackhat” and the recent “Ferrari.”
Mann is now giving audiences an unprecedented glimpse into his artistic process via the website michaelmannarchives.com. Launching today at noon Pacific time, the website kicks off with a deep dive into the making of “Ferrari,” including 20 video pieces specifically created for the site, previously unseen photographs, annotated script pages and production paperwork including Mann’s working notes, many in his own handwriting.
Access to the “Ferrari” site will cost $65. Following the initial launch, there are plans to eventually continue working through Mann’s filmography, with future pages focused on other films. (Users will need to purchase access to each film’s archive individually.) Fervent online fandom for titles such as “Heat” or “Miami Vice” presumably would generate great interest for this kind of behind-the-scenes exploration.
On a recent afternoon at his longtime offices in West Los Angeles, Mann met with The Times, sitting with the youngest of his four daughters, Becca Mann, who worked closely with her father in organizing the archives.
Mann’s notoriously hard-charging demeanor seems softened by the presence of his daughter; he appears energized by their work together. In conversation, Mann recalls — with startling detail — decades-old pieces of research or specific moments from the production of his older films.
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The existence of Mann’s extensive personal archive was the initial impulse behind the online project, the simple fact that all this material was there for the posting. From there, though, it began to take on a larger purpose.
“It is a spectacular, rewarding, creative act to direct a motion picture,” says Mann, 81. “It’s a very large endeavor. The movie is two hours — making it is a year and a half. So much goes into deciding, thinking through what you are going to do.”
Continuing, Mann speaks to something deeper. “Directors have no idea how any other director makes a movie,” he says. “And so we each evolve our own particular process. This is an opportunity to pass that on, convey something I’m just very enthusiastic about. I think it is the best work that any man or woman can do, period. And I’ve thought that since I was 20 years old. And my enthusiasm for it is absolutely unwavering and unremitting.”
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Clip from a behind-the-scenes website by the filmmaker Michael Mann. (Michael Mann Archives)
“Ferrari,” set in Italy in 1957, tells the story of a turbulent period in the life of Enzo Ferrari, the Italian automaker who created the famed brand. Played by Adam Driver, Ferrari is seen scrambling to keep his business afloat and put together a winning auto racing team all while juggling a personal life that finds him caught between his estranged wife, Laura (Penélope Cruz), still grieving the untimely death of their son Dino, and another woman, Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley), with whom he secretly has a young son, Piero.
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The new website is structured around six scenes in “Ferrari,” including two that Mann describes as the “most pivotal” in the movie, a sequence in which the characters attend an opera performance and a volcanic argument between Enzo and Laura Ferrari at home.
Other sections of the site deal with the re-creation of the Mille Miglia auto race and the horrific, fatal 1957 crash at Guidizzolo, exploring everything from the re-creation of vintage racing cars to the special camera rigs used to capture the stunts.
Some of the most remarkable documents on the site are Mann’s personal handwritten notes, in which he can be seen working through layer upon layer of meaning and intention. “The most critical person for me to direct is myself,” he says.
Those free-flowing comments are then filtered into more formal documents for distribution to other people in the production, as ideas are refined and honed. The continuity of the process is all the more noteworthy in that the date from one page to the next can sometimes jump a number of years. (Mann’s interest in “Ferrari” dates back to the 1990s.)
A gallery of behind-the-scenes “Ferrari” photos as seen on the website Michael Mann Archives.
(Michael Mann Archives)
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The site’s video pieces are more extensive and in-depth than those that typically accompany a movie’s promotion. They may toggle between rehearsal footage of Driver and Woodley and the final filmed version of the same scene. Audio sources come from Mann’s rough preproduction recordings, such as when he and Cruz discuss Laura and Enzo’s relationship long before the film’s shoot. (Mann’s preproduction photographs of Cruz in the Ferrari family’s actual apartment may be among the most striking imagery on the entire site.)
Mann‘s archival material has, up to now, been stored in multiple locations, divided among paperwork, film elements and physical objects. Becca Mann began working as an archivist for her father around 10 years ago, at first just to check that the materials were being stored properly, and then saw her involvement grow over time.
“This is what happens if you hang around with him,” Becca Mann, 43, says with an affectionate smile. “I go visit storage to see if it’s dusty and then —”
“In 25 words or less, it turned into this,” adds her father with a laugh.
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Becca Mann recalls making discoveries of items that she was personally fascinated by, and knew that other people would appreciate the opportunity to see them too.
“We’d run across some kind of crazy, beautiful document that’s covered in coffee stains and it’s got the whole crux of ‘Heat’ on one page,” she says. “That’s where wheels started turning about how to share it — what’s the best and most appropriate and also most direct thing to do with the stuff.”
An image of Michael Mann’s annotated notes from “Ferrari” as seen on the website Michael Mann Archives.
(Michael Mann Archives)
Becca Mann notes that, as one goes further back in time, there tends to be less material on each film, which may be challenging for further iterations of the archive website. Mann himself frequently uses his archive for research on projects. For “Ferrari,” Mann’s working process was the same as it has been on previous movies, with the exception that there was even more attention paid to documenting the work along the way.
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In explaining his interest in the archives project, he reflected on how other filmmakers have inspired his evolving practice over the years. He cites the deep and ongoing influence of Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, as well as what he learned about storytelling from his friend, filmmaker Sydney Pollack, who collaborated on early versions of the “Ferrari” project.
While working as an assistant to George Cukor in London in the late 1960s on a film that was never made, Mann saw the director of “The Philadelphia Story,” “A Star Is Born” and “My Fair Lady” give an adjustment to an actor during a rehearsal.
“I don’t know what he said, but it lasted about 10 or 15 seconds and he walked away and the performance went from A to Z,” Mann said. “And that instilled in me that if you want to direct, you have to be able to do that. You have to know what to say to get inside a very determined, hardworking actor.”
Multiple entry points on each interface page take a user to other destinations on the site.
(Michael Mann Archives)
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“Ferrari” was seen as a box office failure, making just over $42 million worldwide on a reported budget of $95 million and earning no major awards recognition. Yet that hasn’t diminished Mann’s feelings toward the decades of work that went into creating it.
“I’m confident in the film’s long-term relevance,” Mann says. “I believe it’s a good film. I think Adam’s work is great. Penélope’s work is great. Shailene. The writing by Troy [Kennedy Martin] is quite terrific. No doubt about that.”
Many of Mann’s films have had a long tail, finding passionate and supportive audiences over time. Just look at recent screenings of “Miami Vice” in New York and Los Angeles or the enthusiasm around a recent 4K disc release of “Blackhat.”
“That’s not a mystery to me,” Mann says of why some of his films take longer to catch on with audiences than others, citing the complex “contrapuntal” ending of “Heat.”
“It’s emotionally conclusive, but it doesn’t leave you with: OK, that’s over, where are we gonna get a pizza?’ It’s not fast food. There are a lot of layers to these things.”
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Michael Mann, photographed as part of The Times Envelope Directors Roundtable in 2023.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Which Mann classic will the archive explore next? “We don’t know what we want to do next,” Becca Mann says. “We’ll learn a lot about what people respond to. This project has an enormous amount of material in it. The objective is to do something activating and alive with the archive.”
Meanwhile, Mann notes he is deep into writing the screenplay adaptation of his novel “Heat 2,” with a desire to begin shooting at the end of this year or beginning of 2025. On those casting rumors involving the likes of Driver and Austin Butler to step into roles originally played by Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer, Mann says simply, “I can’t talk about that.”
The Michael Mann Archives project provides unique insights into the distinctive working methods of a director who has been at the forefront of Hollywood for more than four decades. Allowing audiences under the hood, as it were, only deepens one’s appreciation for the intensity of work that goes into making one of his films.
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“I wouldn’t want to make a movie any other way,” Mann said. “If somebody said, ‘Here’s $20 million, show up three weeks before we start shooting,’ that would not be for me. ‘Make it up as you go’ is not for me.”
Directed by Ian Nathan. Featuring James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Mark Rolston, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope, Carrie Henn, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Robert Skotak, John Lee, Graham Hartstone, Alan Dean Foster, Mark Verheiden, V. Castro, Charles de Lauzirika, Derek Dafoe, Drea Letamendi, and James Dyer.
SYNOPSIS:
How much do you love the movie Aliens? If your answer is “It’s one of my favorite movies!” then the new documentary Aliens Expanded is for you. It’s nearly five hours (yes, five hours) long and features plenty of commentary from director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, the primary cast members, and plenty of other folks. Highly recommended.
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One of the great things about the modern era is the ability for people to be not only fans but super fans of whatever interests them, thanks to the Internet. If you’re one of those Aliens super fans, then you’ll want to check out the nearly five-hour Aliens: Expanded documentary, which plumbs the depths of the film in an exhaustive look at the making of it and its legacy.
Sure, we have Charles de Lauzirika’s excellent Superior Firepower: The Making of Aliens documentary, which has been kicking around on home video since the DVD days (and he shows up in this documentary), but I’m sure you’ll learn some new stuff here and there in Aliens Expanded. I think the running time just about guarantees it.
And even if you already know many of the making-of stories, there’s something to be said for just soaking in a lengthy discussion of a movie you love and revisiting the era in which it came out. I was a teenager when Aliens was released, so I can remember a simpler time when you could go to a movie, enjoy it, and chat about it with people afterward without getting distracted by the Internet, or even seeing spoilers online before you could get to the theater.
The usual suspects show up here, including, of course, writer/director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, Sigourney Weaver and the rest of the cast, and some of the special effects guys. However, Aliens Expanded goes beyond that to serve up thoughts from people like Alan Dean Foster, who wrote the novelization (along with the novelizations of many classic science-fiction movies of that era), comic book author Mark Verheiden (he wrote a bunch of Aliens comics for Dark Horse that were, unfortunately, rendered moot by Alien 3), and even psychologist Drea Letamendi.
The documentary takes us through the making of the movie from its earliest days to its release and its legacy. James Cameron in particular doesn’t seem to mind giving his unvarnished thoughts on those days, including his low opinion of producers David Giler and Walter Hill and his observation that the British crew members at Pinewood Studios were “on a different wavelength.”
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Cameron is also willing to put some blame at his own feet, however, such as his telling of the story of the tea lady and her trolly. (I won’t spoil it.) He acknowledges that he wasn’t always very diplomatic, an observation echoed by others; however, the consensus seems to be that he could be blunt because he was so obsessed with every detail of making the film.
There are plenty of other great stories told during Aliens Expanded, and there’s even a moment where conflicting tales pop up: Lance Henriksen says that he brought a case full of knives to England so Cameron could choose one for that famous scene, and when he was detained by the authorities, Gale Anne Hurd arrived to save the day. Hurd’s version of the story, though, is one where she was with him at the time but they both worried about the case being opened and were relieved when it wasn’t.
I don’t point that out to throw shade at anyone, of course. It’s now been close to thirty years since that incident happened, along with many others discussed in this documentary. Heck, I can’t always remember what I had for lunch the previous day.
I should also note that the two primary cast members no longer with us — Bill Paxton and Al Mathews — get the recognition they richly deserve.
The framing device for Aliens Expanded revolves around accessing computer files, unsurprisingly, with animations that introduce each chapter and provides bridges to side stories. If I want to pick any nits with this documentary, I’d say that sometimes the transitions between topics are abrupt, and sometimes a topic is discussed before segueing to something else and then looping back around to the original subject.
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But those are minor issues. This documentary had to be a huge undertaking, and the fact that it simply exists, with participation from so many key people, is a testament to the filmmakers’ resolve.
The fans also got involved in this one, funding it during the development stage and getting their names in the lengthy end credits. Stick around through the credits to see clips of various fans talking about their love of Aliens.
1 of 5 | Glenn Powell holds onto Sasha Lane in “Twisters.” Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures & Amblin Entertainment
LOS ANGELES, July 16 (UPI) — 1996’s Twister was a groundbreaking visual effects spectacle but not beloved for its plot or characters. Twisters, in theaters Friday, now follows 28 years of similar effects and has not improved its storytelling.
Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) introduces her joyful storm chasing friends as they attempt to launch barrels of sodium polyacrylate into a tornado in an attempt to dissipate the storm. Don’t get too attached to them because only Kate and Javi (Anthony Ramos) survive.
Five years later, Kate is working for the National Weather Service when Javi returns with a new project. His current team wants to place military-grade tracking equipment in the paths of Oklahoma tornados to create 3D models of the storms.
The actors in Twister movies bear the responsibility of shouting lines like “Go, go, go!” and saying just enough science to justify the catastrophic scenes. The backstories of Kate and Javi are so formulaic they make the divorce papers subplot of Twister look like Chinatown.
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Kate has lost her edge since she feels guilty for putting her friends in harm’s way years ago. Twisters gives her a redemption arc so perfunctory it’s hard to feel inspired.
Javi has a mysterious corporate sponsor with whom he has several secret meetings. By the time the sponsor’s true intentions are discovered, they are absurdly villainous. Yet it takes a minor screaming a mustache-twirling villain speech suddenly at the end to drive it home.
As Kate regains her storm-chasing fortitude with Javi’s team, they compete against Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his team of “tornado wranglers.” The wranglers pull stunts like launching fireworks into tornados and film it for YouTube, so the film can also incorporate webcam footage of Tyler speaking to the camera.
Tyler is a charismatic rival, if not outright villain, and the only character with personality beyond their plot function. The film becomes a battle of science vs. reckless sport rather than science vs. nature, yet the film is not interested in exploring either dynamic in depth.
Kate continues Helen Hunt’s character’s motivation to use science to create warning systems for advancing tornadoes, taking it a bit further to possible prevention. That was a thin way to adapt nature into a three act structure in 1996 and Twisters‘ screenwriters felt little compunction to update it.
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Unfortunately, the storms in Twisters have less personality than the landmark sequences in the original. Now it’s just people running from wind, occasionally large objects drop near them and some get sucked away to their off-screen deaths.
There are no flying cows to distinguish the storms in Twisters.
Occasionally, the characters pause their efforts and stop to help victims of tornado disasters. It feels a little disingenuous when the film is disaster porn but purports to sincerely care for victims of catastrophe.
So Twisters is a faithful sequel in that it prioritizes spectacle over character and story just like its predecessor. Only now the spectacle isn’t what it used to be and the opportunity to improve was forsaken.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
Holly Marie Combs gave a heartfelt tribute Monday to her late “Charmed” co-star Shannen Doherty following Doherty’s death on Saturday.
The 50-year-old actor shared a post on Instagram calling Doherty “my better half of 31 years.”
“There is a hollow in my chest and I can’t seem to catch my breath. A part of me is missing even though I know exactly what you would say to me right now,” Combs wrote. “I know your undying spirit will live in me and my kids who you loved as your own. They will walk with your sense of purpose and pride… No matter what and zero f— given. Your fire will live on in them and the many other Charmed ones you helped raise.”
Doherty, best known for her role as Brenda Walsh on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died after battling breast cancer for many years. The actor publicly announced her diagnosis in 2015, revealing in a lawsuit against her former management firm that her health insurance had lapsed in 2014, affecting her ability to access timely treatment.
Combs and Doherty starred as sisters Piper and Prue Halliwell, respectively, in the popular television series “Charmed,” which aired from 1998 to 2006. The show also starred Alyssa Milano as Phoebe Halliwell, the third sister. Their on-screen chemistry translated into a strong off-screen bond that Combs highlighted.
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“A fierce fighter til the end. My most ardent champion. My loyal protector. My best friend,” she wrote. “You taught me the meaning of family. You were and will be forevermore my sister. I love you.”
Rose McGowan chimed in with a comment aimed at Combs, “Your true love forever,” McGowan wrote. “Deep and real and challenging and unique and silly and wild and soft and tough… to watch you together is to know love exists. I’m so sorry your best girl had to go. We are all holding you in our heart dear Holly. You are loved.”
Fellow actor and close friend Sarah Michelle Gellar also honored Doherty with a tribute on Facebook reflecting on their three-decade friendship.
“I keep reminding myself it only hurts this much because there was so much love,” the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star wrote. “More than anything, Shan loves animals, especially dogs. In her memory let’s support our favorite animal charities. Whether that’s donating money, stopping by your local shelter and just offering cuddles and walks to animals housed there, or even just tagging them in the comments so other people can learn about their work. I know that would make our girl happy (and [elicit] that deep throaty laugh we all loved).”
Before her death, Doherty had signed on to join Combs and former “Charmed” co-stars Drew Fuller and Brian Krause for a rewatch podcast titled “The House of Halliwell: A Charmed Rewatch Podcast.” The first episode was released on July 8 and touched on a possible reboot and how Prue’s character could be involved. The description for the second episode, “Shannen’s Magic Lives On,” revealed that five episodes had been recorded with Doherty before her death.
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“This show, this character, this podcast meant so much to Shannen she couldn’t wait to share it with Charmed fans everywhere,” the description said. “We want to honor her memory and fulfill Shannen’s wishes by airing the first five episodes she recorded before her passing.”
