Filmmaker
Richard Linklater
Notes from Evan Smith
"Like Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen, to name two other critically acclaimed if not always commercially successful directors, he has the distinction of making films that are, even at their worst, far better than the very best efforts of nearly everybody in the business today. But Richard Linklater is rarely at anything less than the top of his game -- from his debut film, Slacker, in 1991, up through a string of memorable releases that constitute, taken together, a short course in the modern history of independent film -- Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, subUrbia, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly, Fast Food Nation -- the 49-year-old Academy Award nominee has consistently produced work that is distinct, robust, and innovative, that nods respectfulfully to both the traditions of filmmaking and the cutting edge of storytelling. Just as important, when he's not behind the camera, he's devoted himself to nurturing emerging filmmakers in Austin and Texas and beyond, supporting them financially and otherwise through his pet organization, the Austin Film Society, which he continues to lead as artistic director 23 years after its founding. Born in Houston, educated at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Linklater famously saved the money he earned working on an off-shore oil rig to buy his first Super-8 camera and editing equipment. He had a touch of the auteur even back then, which is why it's so fitting, and so much fun, to see him tackle his latest film, about one of Hollywood's most mythic auteurs. Me and Orson Welles is the story of a teenager who ends up on Broadway in a production of Julius Caesar mounted by, yes, Orson Welles. As with all Linklater productions, the casting is magnificent, the script is crisp, and the cinematic ecosystem -- from the locations to the soundtrack -- is pitch-perfect. It's the latest in his long string of creative wins, and yet another reason to be glad we can call him one of our own." - Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 11.26.09A Texas Monthly Talks with Richard Linklater also aired on 11.06.03