The Director's Chair - Season 1

First aired: 5/10/2014 13 episodes
← Back to The Director's Chair

Episodes

1. John Carpenter

Aired: 5/10/2014

Robert Rodriguez interviews John Carpenter about his early films, with topics ranging from creating his own memorable scores on movies like The Fog and Escape from New York to why he thinks The Thing is his best work.

2. Guillermo del Toro

Aired: 8/7/2014

Robert Rodriguez sits with longtime friend and director Guillermo del Toro to discuss his journey from artist to director/producer. From groundbreaking Pan's Labrynth to Hellboy and Pacific Rim, Guillermo reveals the madness behind his monsters.

3. Quentin Tarantino, Vol. 1

Aired: 8/14/2014

Robert Rodriguez explores the world of cinema with frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino. Airing in two installments, the two discuss Tarantino’s film career through the lens of their 20-year friendship, using never-before-seen personal footage to discuss topics from screenwriting and camera placement to Spaghetti Westerns and Kung Fu. Watch them discuss Quentin's successful directing career ranging from Reservoir Dogs to Kill Bill.

4. Quentin Tarantino, Vol. 2

Aired: 9/17/2014

Robert Rodriguez interviews Quentin Tarantino. In the second of this two-part episode, the two longtime friends discuss projects that the two created together, including the groundbreaking cult-classic film From Duck Till Dawn, which Robert Rodriguez re-imagined into a TV series on El Rey Network.

5. Francis Ford Coppola

Aired: 3/2/2015

Robert Rodriguez sits with legendary director Francis Ford Coppola to discuss the influence of family, starting rebel studio Zoetrope and the challenges of creating The Godfather, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now.

6. Luis Valdez

Aired: 3/29/2015

Robert sits with The Original Chicano-American Director, Luis Valdez, to discuss the journey from migrant farmworker to filmmaker, the founding of Teatros Campesinos, crafting Zoot Suit for stage/screen, and the classic La Bamba.

7. Robert Zemeckis

Aired: 5/11/2015

Robert Rodriguez interviews Robert Zemeckis to discuss the career that began with an award-winning USC student film that caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, and took off with some of the biggest blockbuster hits of all time.

8. Michael Mann

Aired: 6/1/2015

El Rey Network Founder and Chairman Robert Rodriguez is joined by acclaimed director, writer and producer Michael Mann (TV’s Miami Vice, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat) in this episode of “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair”. Join Mann and Rodriguez as they look back at Mann’s remarkable career in this revealing hour-long special.

9. George Miller

Aired: 8/31/2015

Robert Rodriguez interviews George Miller to discuss his career as a director, writer, and producer of groundbreaking films ranging from Babe and Happy Feet to the "Mad Max" series with a special section on 2015's Fury Road.

10. Sylvester Stallone

Aired: 11/15/2015

In this installment of “The Director’s Chair," the Oscar®-nominated actor, director and creator of the Rocky franchise, Sylvester Stallone, discusses his craft with his Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over director Robert Rodriguez. In addition to his personal inspirations and influences, the two discuss Stallone’s iconic career, from his love of painting to how his role in Death of a Salesman launched his acting career, to the development of his script for Rocky and what was required to convince the studio to let him play the titular role in the Oscar-winning film – a role responsible for his meteoric rise to stardom. Stallone also reveals how his creative vision has evolved over the years. From his beginnings as an artist to reinventing his boxing technique for Rocky, to his experience with method acting in First Blood.‎

11. Jon Favreau

Aired: 9/25/2016

Jon Favreau recounts his journey from aspiring actor and comedian to widely successful blockbuster director. Favreau reveals how his creative vision has developed over the years, made visible through his diverse filmography ranging from Swingers, Elf, Iron Man, Chef and his latest movie, The Jungle Book. Robert Rodriguez and Favreau discuss how each of his films demonstrates his unique ability to merge comedy and a sense of humanity with visually stunning and technically innovative blockbuster films.

12. Frank Darabont

Aired: 9/25/2016

Robert Rodriguez and writer, producer, director and three-time Academy Award ® nominee Frank Darabont discuss Darabont's craft and career spanning over 30 years. He reflects on his journey to success, beginning as a set dresser and struggling writer to creating the critically acclaimed works The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Walking Dead and Mob City.

13. Barbra Streisand

Aired: 11/30/2018

In an era where female filmmakers are leading the charge in having their stories heard and changing the face of Hollywood, El Rey Founder and Chairman Robert Rodriguez sits down with one of the most legendary pioneering women in film, Barbra Streisand.