Director By Night is the latest in Marvel’s new tradition of releasing behind the scenes specials in their new Assembled docuseries. The latest is about the making of their first Marvel Special Presentation, Werewolf By Night, which was the directorial debut of beloved composer Michael Giacchino. While the Assembled specials have been fun and enjoyable, this one is different for the better. There’s a very personal touch to this one because the documentary was filmed and directed by Michael’s brother, Anthony Giacchino.
Director By Night Review
Werewolf By Night is one of the best Marvel projects to date, and you can clearly see why after watching this documentary. Michael Giacchino has such a love of film along with music; directing has always been a passion of his since his high school days. It makes perfect sense that when Kevin Feige asked him if he wanted to direct anything for the MCU, he jumped at the opportunity. He’s like a kid in a candy store on set, wanting to be involved in the entire process. That care and attention to detail translates beautifully into Werewolf By Night; it’s a love letter to the classic 1930’s horror films with as many practical effects/costumes as possible.
We also get to learn about Michael and Anthony’s time growing up in Edgewater Park, NJ and how their love of film began. Their parents were incredibly supportive and let them express their creativity as much as possible. As a parent, it’s nice to see others letting their kids pursue their passions. There’s also the brother aspect as well that I can relate to; Anthony understands how big of a deal it is for Michael to get to direct his first feature. He wants to be there every step of the way to support his brother and show the world how he’s even more talented than we already knew.
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One of my favorite parts of the documentary is when Michael and Anthony both return to Edgewater Park and reunite with their old high school friends. They all shared a love of film and made countless movies together, complete with effects and everything. It reminded me of when I get together with my friends from high school; the connection they have is instant and they go down memory lane as they explore their old school and reminisce about their film making days.
Overall, this is a wonderful documentary that highlights both Michael and Anthony’s gifts for filmmaking, as well as the brilliant Werewolf By Night. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d highly recommend watching it followed by Director By Night as well. I hope Michael gets the opportunity to direct more, whether in the MCU or outside of it; it’s nice to see truly talented, kind people get the recognition they truly deserve.
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