Fran Lebowitz on laziness

Originally posted on my Documentary page in May 2013. Reposted in honor of Fran Lebowitz's birthday (Oct. 27). 

I watched a documentary tonight about Fran Lebowitz called "Public Speaking" (2010). Martin Scorsese directed it. I had never heard of her before I read a review of this documentary in The New York Times earlier today. She's a modern day intellectual. I use the expression "modern day" because it's an archaic concept these days -- being an intellectual and that's all. It's typically tied to being a writer, and she is a writer. But she has not been prolific, and she hasn't written anything substantial in a long time. She basically just goes around speaking. She's a "wit," like Dorothy Parker, to whom she is often compared. It was a fascinating documentary, and she is or was friends with several people who inspire me, like Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. Anyway, she talked at one point about how lazy she's been -- that no one has been as lazy as she has as an artist. She mentioned how it was 1978 and then all of a sudden it was 2007, and she thought, "Gosh, I better get to work." I could identify with that. But what I really identified with was her reply when asked why she had procrastinated so long. She said that she had trouble with authority, including her own. It was good to hear that I'm not the only one who struggles with such inertia. I suppose it's not uncommon, though.

One thing leads to another

This is a repost from last year that fits the Halloween season. It comes from my Sorely Missed category of posts because it didn't get much exposure when it was released in 2009 - the horror gem from director Ti West, “The House of the Devil.” Here are four reasons it ranks among my favorite horror films:

The nostalgia

The movie is set in the 1980s – the decade of my formative years – so the references resonate. From the feathered hair styles to lead actress Jocelin Donahue dancing around the house listening to The Fixx’s “One Thing Leads to Another” on her Walkman, it’s a 1980s love fest. And the movie is an homage to those cheesy (but fabulous) ‘80s horror movies like “Christine” and “Cujo.” Dee Wallace has a bit part in it, for crying out loud. I was so happy to see her because it let me know that this director, who also wrote the script, was a man after my own generation's heart.   

The set up

You’re a college kid desperately needing to get away from your annoying roommate and the prospect of any other roommates. Dee Wallace offers you the perfect little apartment for a reasonable rent. Your mission: Raise money for the first month’s rent. Why look, how fortuitous – someone has put out a request for a babysitter on various flagpoles and bulletin boards around campus. That is exactly how good parents would seek a babysitter. There’s nothing suspicious going on here. It all seems very above-board …  Fortunately, you have a smart, worldly best friend, played by Greta Gerwig (very Natasha Lyonne from “American Pie”), who doesn’t trust it for a minute, but is willing to drop you off as long as you let her scope out the scene before leaving you. If only worldliness were enough in these movies. For the chance to get your whole month’s rent in just one night, you go along with the job even when you learn that it’s a grandmother (not little darling children) who needs babysitting, and she is not to be disturbed under any circumstances. (Did someone mention 1979’s “When a Stanger Calls”?) So you would be getting paid just to hang around the house and probably never even see the old biddy? Jackpot, right? Ugh.

The suspense

Setting the movie in the ‘80s automatically gave writer/director West a big boost in the suspense-building department. It meant there were no cell phones – at least not for struggling college kids. In the “making of” featurette, West talks about using the lack of technology at the time to his advantage. Clearly, if you run into trouble and your best friend is nowhere near a landline phone, you’re on your own. And since this is a horror movie, the landline wouldn’t be working anyway. But aside from no cell phone access, what’s great about West’s story is that he takes his time. You keep wondering when all hell is going to break loose. Don’t worry - it does. But the suspense keeps building because as a movie-goer these days, you’re probably expecting a blood bath from the first reel. The waiting makes it even better when you finally learn what’s up with grandma.  

The pay off

Obviously, I can’t say too much about the ending without being a spoiler. I will say that while it is somewhat anti-climactic, it is still satisfying and worth experiencing. I’m sure a lot of women out there understand what I mean through other contexts.

Director: Ti West | Writer: Ti West | STARRING: Jocelin Donahue, Greta Gerwig, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, AJ Bowen & Dee Wallace  

WEEKLY RELEASE

Birdman
It is being hailed as one of the best movies of the year, and after reading about it ad nauseum, I am intrigued. But I’m still not entirely sure, based on the descriptions and hype, what makes it so compelling, which is why I’m anxious to see it and finally find out.

I have a lot of respect for director Alejandro González Iñárritu of “Babel” and “Amores Perros” fame, and he’s made a truly auteurist (or gimmicky, depending on your point of view) move with his single-continuous-shot approach to the production. The technique is frequently compared to the most famous previous attempt at it – Alfred Hitchcock’s 1948 thriller “Rope,” which Iñárritu rather ungraciously called a terrible film in a recent Time magazine article. (It certainly wasn’t one of Hitchcock’s best, but it was by no means “terrible.”) In any case, I hope he’s done it as well if not better than the master of suspense.

The most delightful thing about the film for us Michael Keaton fans will be seeing Keaton in a leading role again. I’ve enjoyed his detours over the years in films like “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Jackie Brown”/“Out of Sight” (same character), but his appearances have been too few and far between. In the interest of full disclosure, I never thought he was the right guy to play Batman. He did a fine job, but, frankly, I thought he was better than Batman because Batman is not terribly interesting (sorry Christian Bale). The villains are what make those movies great. Keaton as the Joker – not that would’ve been something.    
DIRECTOR: Alejandro González Iñárritu | HEADLINERS: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts

Dear White People
The word is that this hilarious comedy takes on the experience of black students on a predominantly white college campus (in this case, a fictional Ivy League university) with a refreshingly honest perspective. It’s a tricky thing to maneuver all the racial perceptions and misconceptions at work in the world, but I’m looking forward to seeing how this Sundance special jury prize-winning feature manages to make it funny and fascinating.   
DIRECTOR: Justin Simien | HEADLINERS: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson

Listen Up Philip
Jason Schwartzman brings his quirky hipster vibe to this indie black comedy about an unapologetically obnoxious novelist.
DIRECTOR: Alex Ross Perry | HEADLINERS: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce

Young Ones
Being touted as a mash-up of the western and sci-fi genres, the visual imagery looks stunning and the concept is interesting. It’s set in the near-future during a drought so severe dishes are being washed with dirt. We’re probably supposed to interpret that figuratively. But the drama emerges from the desperation of the rural family at the center of the story and the strangers who come calling for the family’s land.
DIRECTOR: Jake Paltrow (Gwynnie’s brother) | HEADLINERS: Michael Shannon, Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult

Watchers of the Sky
What will be an undoubtedly depressing but hopefully inspiring documentary about the remarkable warriors who have fought to prosecute the perpetrators of genocide. Inspired by the book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power, the film features human rights activists and lawyers such as Raphael Lemkin, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Emmanuel Uwurukunda and Benjamin Ferencz.
DIRECTOR: Edet Belzberg

Addicted
OK, so it will clearly be a melodramatic retread of “Unfaithful” flipping the scenario of “Fatal Attraction” to show what it’s like for a married woman being hounded by her maniacal lover, but there’s always room for sheer entertainment by way of watching beautiful people (especially Boris Kodjoe) engage in elevated soap opera antics. We can’t be high-minded all the time. And apparently the sex scenes will rival anything they plan to hit us with in “Fifty Shades of Grey.”  
DIRECTOR: Bille Woodruff | HEADLINERS: Sharon Leal, Boris Kodjoe, William Levy

The Golden Era
A sweeping biopic of Chinese writer Xiao Hong, who led a short, troubled life but managed to produce several novels during turbulent times before her death at the age of 30 in 1942.
DIRECTOR: Ann Hui | HEADLINERS: Tang Wei, Feng Shaofeng