The edited interview was published in the December 10, 1978 issue of the New York Times. The Cimino recording begins with his background and education growing up; starting out in visual arts at Yale, later joining the army; studying acting, ballet. He got into film doing documentaries, commercials; went to Fargo, North Dakota to write; eventually to Los Angeles. He mentions his next upcoming film on the Johnson County War (Heaven's Gate, 1980). He tells the story leading up to the making of his first film with Clint Eastwood, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974.) Cimino continues with the period after Thunderbolt leading up to EMI approaching him about doing one of several films they had, which is when he pitched them his story for The Deer Hunter (1978) and they immediately agreed to produce it, which flabbergasted him. He discusses the need for authenticity in his films; some of the controversial scenes in Deer Hunter; the motivations of Robert DeNiro's character in the film; and how the Vietnamese and others were portrayed in the film, which he does not see as either "good' or "bad." A discussion of the transition in the film from the Pennsylvania steel mill town setting to Vietnam; Cimino discusses the film's themes and what it was his intention was to get across. Further discussion of DeNiro's character, some of the themes of friendship from Thunderbolt carrying through into Deer Hunter, and the long length of the film. Mentions that the film will be opening in Los Angeles and New York City before the end of the year in order to qualify for that year's Oscars. Discussion of the closing scene in which the characters sing "God Bless America," followed by more general discussion of the film and its logistical challenges. Kent asks if part of Cimino himself appears as a character in the film and he discusses that idea at length, along with the incredibly rushed pace of the film shoot. Discusses how the only real actors in The Deer Hunter were the main characters, and also how actor George Dzundza who didn't even play piano learned the Chopin piece just in order to be able to play it live on set. Cimino is now in the middle of scouting locations for Heaven's Gate which will start filming in April. Kent asks for a copy of The Deer Hunter script and he describes how closely scripted it was, or wasn't, in terms of the last minute location additions he made because much of the time he was writing the script on the fly as they went along during shooting. He shares that his most rewarding thing is that people after seeing the movie say "Those people in the film are unforgettable," referring to them not as actors or characters but as "people."