‘The Cinema of Tom DiCillo: Include Me Out’

Wayne Byrne’s book The Cinema of Tom DiCillo: Include Me Out is published on Tuesday, September 5th, by Columbia University Press and Wallflower Press. The volume considers for the first time in a single collection the acclaimed, award-winning director’s entire oeuvre, addressing and analysing themes such as identity, family, and masculinity, supported by in-depth coverage of the generic and aesthetic aspects of DiCillo’s distinctive and influential film style.

Tom DiCillo & Brad Pitt

Tom DiCillo recalls when Wayne Byrne first approached him about writing the book in 2012: “I was immediately struck by his intuitive knowledge of film and more, his deep passion for it. We sat together for the next 5 years and talked, in person and over the phone. The conversations were more intimate, honest and revealing than any I’d had with a film writer. What he has accomplished with his book is remarkable; he has captured my soul.”

Peter Dinklage & Steve Buscemi in Living in Oblivion

Wayne Byrne says, “This book is the result of my passion for DiCillo’s work and because I felt he deserved greater critical recognition than that which has been afforded to him. He is fiercely underrated. DiCillo’s films introduced me to all the possibilities of cinema, and with this book I hoped to capture on paper what captivated me about his work. I also feel the story of his career holds valuable lessons for any aspiring filmmakers. The book is a serious study and analysis of his work, in terms of the craft and aesthetics of the films, but it’s also an entertaining peek inside the film industry.”

The book contains exclusive interviews with DiCillo and many of his collaborators, including Sam Rockwell, John Turturro, Peter Dinklage, Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Chris Noth, Gina Gershon, Maxwell Caulfield, Matthew Modine, as well as Robby Krieger and John Densmore of The Doors, and many others.

Steve Buscemi provides the book’s foreword.