Talking About Talking About Rian Johnson

Writer/director Rian Johnson’s first feature, the high school crime noir “Brick,” nabbed a special jury prize at Sundance for “Originality of Vision.” That title could just as easily be applied to his stunning sci-fi thriller “Looper,” about a hit man who — thanks to the miracle of time travel — is assigned to kill his older self. Equal parts nerve-jangling thriller and thoughtful rumination on cycles of violence, it’s garnered near-universal praise and opens in theaters this weekend. Rian talks to Rico about (talking about) time travel, the studio system, and his bones abilities.