Episode 68: Looking For Richard with Matt Zoller Seitz

Looking For Richard was Al Pacino's directorial debut. It explores William Shakespeare's lasting impact in pop culture, particularly the playwright's highly regarded "Richard III." The documentary includes on-the-street interviews with ordinary people and academic perspectives from Shakespearean scholars. Actors such as Kenneth Branagh (Murder on the Orient Express, Much Ado About Nothing, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Alec Baldwin (Glengarry Glen Ross, Beetlejuice, 30 Rock), Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, Seven, American Beauty) and Winona Ryder (Dracula, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands) talk about preparing to play key scenes of "Richard III," which come staged with Pacino in the title role.Film and TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz joins the podcast to discuss the documentary. Matt talks about how this is a different type of Shakespeare documentary, why Pacino is trying to open The Bard up to the masses and what makes this such an accessible piece of filmmaking. Matt also talks about what it's like seeing Pacino up close with his fans. All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.