Michael Kahn

Cinematography, Filmmaking, Interview, Screenwriting 101

‘Minority Report’: Steven Spielberg’s Proof that You Don’t Need to Sacrifice Substance to Produce Spectacle

The beginning of Minority Report, Steven Spielberg’s thrilling sci-fi noir from 2002, is closely connected to another science fiction classic: Total Recall. The film was…

Documentary, Filmmaking, Interview, Screenwriting 101

‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’: Lucas and Spielberg’s Epitome of Action-Adventure Films Still Waiting to Be Surpassed

Trying to catch a break from all the Star Wars hype, in the spring of 1977 George Lucas was resting on a Hawaiian beach, building…

Cinematography, Documentary, Filmmaking, Interview, Screenwriting 101

‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’: Steven Spielberg’s Gamble That Paid Off Generously

Upon making Jaws, the first true blockbuster and a shocking money-maker, Steven Spielberg was under enormous pressure to produce a decent, equally bankable follow-up. Faced…