The B-Side Episode 166 – Embeth Davidtz Discusses Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight

      Welcome to The B-Side! Here, we discuss movie stars and directors, focusing not on the films that brought them fame or kept them in the spotlight, but rather on the projects they created in between. Occasionally, we even have the chance to converse with them about their work. Sometimes, they play both roles as a movie star and director. Today, we feature Embeth Davidtz, who directed Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, which is currently in theaters and expanding this weekend.

      Our B-Sides include Feast of July, The Gingerbread Man, Mansfield Park, and Bicentennial Man. We chat with Davidtz about her debut as a director, her impressively varied acting career, and her adaptation of Alexandra Fuller's memoir. There’s an in-depth conversation about Robert Altman’s approach to directing actors, the often-overlooked attributes of Feast of July (a Merchant Ivory production!), and the aspirations behind Bicentennial Man. Additionally, we discuss Davidtz’s remarkable performance in her dual role in that Chris Columbus sci-fi film.

      We also reflect on working with our B-Side friend and frequent guest Alessandro Nivola, the enduring legacy of the Miss Honey character from Matilda, and the “trickery” involved in coaching a child like Lexi Venter to achieve an exceptionally natural performance.

      Listen below and subscribe here. Don’t forget to follow us on Bluesky at @tfsbside.bsky.social. Enjoy!