1 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: What is going on all you beautiful people out there 2 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: in Hollywood Land? And welcome to another episode of the 3 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Screening Room, a weekly feature here in the Feed in 4 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: which we do a deep dive into a film that 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: is connected thematically to what we've been talking about here 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: this week, and of course, this week it's all been 7 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: about River Phoenix, one of my favorite actors of all time. 8 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: Our theme this month is La Nightmares, and this is 9 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: for sure one of them, the worst kind of nightmare, 10 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: one that happened on a sidewalk outside the Viper Room 11 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: in West Hollywood Halloween Night, nineteen ninety three. River was 12 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: only twenty three. Man. I'm not sure how much I 13 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:50,919 Speaker 1: clocked this at the time when he was alive, but 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: I think more than any other actor, River Phoenix represented 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: a very particular shift in the gen X culture. He 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: bridges the nineteen eighties and the nineteen night and he 17 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: does so first by very carefully selecting the types of 18 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: movies he's in from the jump. He's not out here 19 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: doing dumb teen movie shit. You know, He's in stand 20 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: by Me, the Mosquito Coast, little Nikita running on empty 21 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: quote unquote, serious films or films with big ideas and 22 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: big swings and big risks, And although he never made 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: a movie as big as Titanic, he did become the 24 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: reluctant teen idol years before Leonardo DiCaprio. And so by 25 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: the time we get to My Own Private Idaho in 26 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety one, a film about gay hustlers, he has 27 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: completely left any trace of teen idolatry in the dust. 28 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: But it's much more than that. Okay. The first thing 29 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: we see in that film, well, the first thing we 30 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: see in that film is the definition of narcolepsy in 31 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: the dictionary. But the first person we see is River 32 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: when he walks into the frame that film. It's a 33 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: shot this big sky, country wide, open road going nowhere. 34 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: He walks into the shot, and he is the avatar 35 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: of a particular string of indie rock gen xer know, 36 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: the discerning, thoughtful, artistic but not pretentious kid. You know. 37 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: River was an actor, but he was also a musician, 38 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: and again, just like his carefully curated acting resume, he 39 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: was making the kind of off kilter alternative rock that 40 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: was allergic to the mainstream but nonetheless very easy to love. 41 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: And when you see him in this shot in My 42 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: Own Private Idaho. He's got the Henley shirt over the 43 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: T shirt, and then he's got a gas station attendant 44 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: shirt over that with someone else's name on it. You know, 45 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: it was very important, especially back then, if you wore 46 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: a gas station attendants shirt, it better have somebody else's 47 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: name on it, not your own. And then the corduroy 48 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: jacket with the faux shierling. I mean to me, this 49 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: is a very tangible and yet very fleeting moment in 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: gen X pop culture. I remember it well. I think 51 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: a lot of people attribute the same sort of imagery 52 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: or iconic image to Kurt Cobaine. You know, a little disaffected, 53 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: a little lonely, very jaded, but refusing to be a 54 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,239 Speaker 1: total dick about it all and instead wanting to create 55 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: beautiful art out of it all. Years go by in 56 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: a flash, and River's gone, and that moment is gone 57 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: with him. You know. River died in the fall of 58 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: ninety three, and then, you know, incidentally, Kurt watch just 59 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: six months later, in the spring of ninety four. My 60 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: Own Private Idaho was the second great River Phoenix film 61 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: to borrow its title from a great song, the song 62 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: for this one being the B fifty two's Private Idaho 63 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: from their second album Wild Planet. The other, of course, 64 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: is the movie I Want to Talk About Today, Running 65 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: on Empty, which came out three years before My own 66 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: Private Idaho in nineteen eighty eight. This was directed by 67 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: the legendary Sidney Lumett and co stars Judd Hirsch and 68 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: Christine Latti. The song that this film may or may 69 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: not have taken its name from is a totem of 70 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: boomer rock, but it's oh so good. The Jackson Brown 71 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: song Running on Empty. Its lyrics are so concise and 72 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: so whittled down to their basic essence. They communicate the 73 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: fleeting stages of life, the inevitable passage of time which 74 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: just flies by all of us, particularly this one line 75 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: in sixty five, I was seventeen and running up one 76 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: oh one. It doesn't get any better than that. Now. 77 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: Was screenwriter Naomi Phoner jamming out to Jackson Brown? Did 78 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: she have a cassette loaded into one of those yellow 79 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: waterproof Sony sports walkman's we have back in the day 80 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: when she wrote the screenplay for the film Running on Empty? 81 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: I cannot say for sure, but you've got to think 82 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: that maybe she did, because you know, another song by 83 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: another singer, songwriter, one of Jackson Brown's contemporaries, in fact 84 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: plays a huge part in this movie. But more on 85 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: that in a bit. Jackson Brown wrote his song in 86 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven, when River Phoenix was just seven years old. 87 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: He wrote it because he was literally running around on 88 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: empty all the time he was driving his car around 89 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: La and he said that it seemed like the needle 90 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: was always on E And the album that the song 91 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: comes from, which is also called Running on Empty, it 92 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: was something of an experiment because these were all new 93 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: songs that he was writing and recording while he was touring. 94 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: So they're recorded live on stage, they're recorded in hotel rooms, 95 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,799 Speaker 1: on the bus. Even the version of the song running 96 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: on Empty is taken from a live performance on that tour. 97 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: So the audience is hearing that song for the very 98 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: first time. No one's ever heard it before, and yet 99 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: here it is, and it grabs you by the arm 100 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: and it says, we got to go. So you roll 101 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: down all the windows, you put it in drive, you 102 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: hit the gas, and you find the longest, most wide 103 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: open stretch of road out there, and you just go. 104 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: In the film Running Unempty, there's a lot of that 105 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: same kind of urgency that need to split to get 106 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: out of there, all while you've got one eye on 107 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: the gas gage and the other on the rear of 108 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: your mirror. This is a film about rebellion, about the 109 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: sins of the past and the uncertainty of the future, 110 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: About bikes and cars and Feds with walkie talkies. It's 111 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: about speaking in code, about fire and rain, about believing 112 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: in the cause and believing in the family unit. And 113 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: it's about what happens when you can no longer carry 114 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: the burden of someone else's life. And we're going to 115 00:05:47,720 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: get into it right after this. Some of the first 116 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: things we see in Running on Empty are scenes of 117 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: a normal childhood. It's River Phoenix playing baseball. He's trying 118 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: out for the local high school team, and then he 119 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,239 Speaker 1: hops in his bike to head home. But very quickly 120 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: we discover that this childhood is far from normal because 121 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 1: on his way home, River's character gets a little nervous 122 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: when he spots some guys in suits driving around in 123 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: this nondescript car, and then there's, all of a sudden, 124 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: a second car that looks exactly the same, with more 125 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: men in suits that look exactly the same. So he 126 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: pauses for a moment to fiddle with his bike, sort 127 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: of assessing the situation, keeping a watchful eye on these 128 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: guys who just scream federal agents from the way they look. 129 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: And then he goes in an opposite direction. There's this 130 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: great tracking shot as he speeds up, he ditches the 131 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: bike and he high tails it through a field. The 132 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: camera is suddenly matching this panic that is clearly risen 133 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: inside River Phoenix. Here he crouches outside the back of 134 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: a house. There's a dog there, and he gives the 135 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: dog his shoe and tells the dog to take the 136 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: shoe to Harry. So the dog goes inside the house 137 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: and after a moment a younger boy comes out from there. 138 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: We cut to Judd Hirsh, who's coming out of a 139 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: meeting that's just let out with a bunch of other people. 140 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: They're walking outside and they're talking about how all this 141 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: radioactive waste is going to be buried nearby if they 142 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: don't jump into action. So now you're getting the idea 143 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: that Judge Hirsh's character is part of some sort of 144 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: like group of political environmentalists or activists or something, and 145 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: waiting there for him is his wife played by Christine Lottie, 146 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: and she's there with this big gray van they get in. 147 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: When they do, they suddenly immediately spot River Phoenix and 148 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: this younger boy and the dog standing on the corner 149 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: of the street across the street from them, looking at them. 150 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: So they drive over and pick them up. And when 151 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: they do, River just says, two cars, four feeds. And 152 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: as they drive down the road, driving away from the camera. 153 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: At some point the van stops, the side door opens 154 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: and they stick the family dog in the middle of 155 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: the street just leave him there, hoping that he'll find 156 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: his way, someone will find him, and the door closes, 157 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: the van takes off and they're gone. This is how 158 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: we are introduced to the Pope family. Judd Hirsh and 159 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,679 Speaker 1: Christine Latti are the parents, Arthur and Annie. River Phoenix 160 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: is the teenager Danny, and Danny's little brother Harry is 161 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: played by Jonas Abriy. Arthur and Annie, it turns out, 162 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: are fugitives from justice. They've been living on the run 163 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: and living undercover for like sixteen or seventeen years, ever 164 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,359 Speaker 1: since back in nineteen seventy one when they claimed responsibility 165 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: for the bombing of a research lab at the University 166 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: of Massachusetts where napalm was being developed for the Vietnam War. So, 167 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: just like that early scene of River Phoenix playing baseball 168 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: like he's just another kid in town, your initial impression 169 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: of Judd Hirsch's character as maybe an environmental activist or 170 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: something has kind of turned on its head a little bit. Here. 171 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: You're realizing that the things that they've done are actually 172 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: and the things that they do are actually pretty serious, 173 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: because their intention with that bomb back in seventy one 174 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: was not to harm anyone, but it turned out there 175 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: was a janitor who was on site at the lab 176 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: who wasn't supposed to be there, and as a result, 177 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: he was blinded and paralyzed by the explosion. This is 178 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: all told in a very clever bit of exposition through 179 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 1: a newspaper article. And what I find to me really 180 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: smart about the script is that you only gradually find 181 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: out more details about the so called liberation Army that 182 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: they're a part of. It's not all laid out for 183 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: you at the top neatly, so you come to find 184 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: out that it's this whole network of people who work 185 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: their own jobs, like there's a doctor even, you know, 186 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: and they have their own lives, and they're there to 187 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: help others when needed. They all speak in code. There's 188 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: this one scene in particular where Judd Hirsh calls someone 189 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: on a payphone and says the cat needs to be fed, 190 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: and then soon after that he's meeting someone on the street. 191 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: They're exchanging keys, swapping one van for another, always trying 192 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: to stay one step ahead. The other way in which 193 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: the script is really smart is that it's clearly investigating 194 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: family dynamics, how a family functions, how what the parents 195 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: want differs from what the kids want. How what the 196 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: mom now believes has started to differ from what the 197 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: father believes, even though they used to be on the 198 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: same page about everything. You know, shit happens, man, life 199 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: goes on, things change, the kids grow up, and soon 200 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: nothing looks the way it once did. And this is 201 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: all smuggled into the story of an unorthodox family. A 202 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: family in which the boys have to dye their hair 203 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: and change their name every time they have to pull 204 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: up stakes and move to another town. A family in 205 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: which the dad grows a beard and then has to 206 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: shave it, not because he's in the mood for a 207 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: clean shaven face right now, but because he can't look 208 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: like himself anymore and fear that he'll be arrested or worse, 209 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: and thus the family unit will crumble. They do the 210 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: same thing that any other family does, all families speaking code, 211 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: all families have roll with the punches and have these traditions. 212 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 1: But for them, the stakes are higher, and their traditions, 213 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: I guess you call them traditions like having and executing 214 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: a last minute escape plan. These are life and death traditions. 215 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 1: I mean, Arthur doesn't even find out that his own 216 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 1: mother has died until four weeks after the fact, because 217 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: these people don't live in a world where that sort 218 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: of contact and that kind of free is even possible. 219 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: So when Danny starts at this new school in a 220 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,679 Speaker 1: new town, he can't even go to school on the 221 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: day that they're taking class pictures because there can't be 222 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: a record of him existing here. So as the Pope 223 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: settle into this new town, they find a house to rent. 224 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: Arthur finds a job as a cook, and he works 225 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: at a doctor's office and River Phoenix's character, Danny, we 226 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: come to see is a really talented piano player. There's 227 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: a great scene when he starts at school. He goes 228 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: into music class and the teacher plays for the class 229 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: Madonna's Lucky Star, and then he plays a piece by 230 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: Beethoven to talk about tempo and rhythm, and Danny impresses 231 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: the teacher with his knowledge primarily of Beethoven. And again 232 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: this goes back to what I was talking about earlier 233 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: with River Phoenix and the kind of roles he took 234 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: on in the sort of gen X avatar he represented. 235 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: I don't mean to say that he's this snobbish kid 236 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: who's looking down on Madonna and he's an uptight classical 237 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: music fanaticist, but he is rebelling against this idea like 238 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: I don't know, the big hair neon, color coded trapper keeper, 239 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: teenage mall culture of the eighties. He's the only case 240 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: in the class who isn't grooving and dancing to the Madonna, 241 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: so he does a little bit eventually. Part of that 242 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: is that he's new and he's shy, but it's also 243 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: this rebellion thing. It's his own rebellion, not his parents rebellion. 244 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: In fact, later when he wants to attend like a 245 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: chamber music concert at this music teacher's house, his father 246 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,839 Speaker 1: forbids him from going and says he would let him 247 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: go if it was a rock concert. But to him, 248 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 1: the father the nineteen sixties radical classical music represents his parents, 249 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: their generation. It represents privilege and authoritarianism. And they have 250 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: this great argument, Danny and Arthur, this real rebel without 251 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: a cause moment where Danny says, Dad, you're full of shit. 252 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: You taught us to question authority, and now here's Arthur. 253 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: He's authority incarnate and he's not even allowing his kid 254 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: to question him. The script is so layered like this. 255 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: There's this stuff that's going on with River his generations, 256 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: stuff going on with Judd Hirsch in his generation, and 257 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: then there in Judd Hirsch's parents. All this stuff is 258 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: layered here, really, really, definitely it's great. So beyond the 259 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: pain and the ass of moving around all the time, 260 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: changing their names, changing their appearances, there's another monkey wrench 261 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: this time around, and that Danny has fallen in love 262 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: with a girl who just so happens to be the 263 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: daughter of this music teacher. Her name is Laurna, and 264 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: she's played so perfectly by Martha Plimpton, who was previously 265 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: in the Mosquito Coast with River. Just a few years prior. 266 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,679 Speaker 1: Their chemistry is so believable in this film, especially when 267 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: he hurts her feelings early on and he has to 268 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: win her back. But the ups and downs, you know, 269 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: the emotional rollercoaster that is teenage love is presented so 270 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 1: honestly and carefully here, and it's not cheesy at all. 271 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: You really do see the two of them falling for 272 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: each other in a completely authentic way. And then, of 273 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: course this leads to the scene which I think is 274 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:44,079 Speaker 1: the best scene in the film. Very complicated scene, although 275 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: it appears to be very, very simple. It's when Danny 276 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: invites Laura to his house for his mom's birthday. And 277 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: this takes Arthur by surprise because he's so hell bent 278 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: on maintaining this tight family unit with no cracks or 279 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: crevices to let the light in. But you know, she's here, 280 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: so what are you gonna do with the flow? And 281 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: obviously Lorna is out of her element because she comes 282 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: from this very buttoned down family. Her father, you know, 283 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: is in a tie. Their house is huge and very ornate. 284 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: It's got this giant piano, all the creature comforts she's got. 285 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: Her room is decorated with like she's got like a 286 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: Bob Marley poster on her door. Very much. Her personality 287 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: is you can see it in her house, her family's 288 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: personality in their house. And here the popes, you know 289 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: they're living with the bear essentials because they don't know 290 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: when they're gonna have to jump up and leave again. 291 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: There's really no sign of that anywhere. And when they 292 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: bring the cake out, the cake says play it against Sam, 293 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: and they sing Happy Birthday to Sam, and Laurna asks 294 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: why why they're using the name Sam, and they explain 295 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: to her that on birthdays they're all Sam. And Arthur 296 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: makes this joke that it's a family tradition based on 297 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: an LSD trip he had back in nineteen sixty eight. 298 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: And like this kind of openness, this casual drug reference, 299 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: the fake name on the cake, the looseness of the ceremony. 300 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: It's also bewitching to Lurna so much so that she 301 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: offers to help do the dishes afterwards. And when she does, 302 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: James Taylor's Fire and Rain is playing in the stereo. 303 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: She starts to sing and dance, and then they're all 304 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: singing and dancing with each other and laughing, and it's 305 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: this care free moment where everyone's guard is down, and 306 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: I'm sure that Arthur and Annie are thinking, you know, man, 307 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: if only every day could be this care free. But 308 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: you know, of course, even for a family that is 309 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: not on the run from the US government, this kind 310 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: of thing is not an everyday occurrence, you know, singing 311 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: and dancing while you're doing the dishes. But I think 312 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: that's why it feels like such an important moment, because 313 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: it's one that anyone with a family can relate to. 314 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: You know, most people would like to memorialize a moment 315 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: of pure perfection and love within the family unit that 316 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: doesn't have any sense of pain or fear or hurt 317 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: or whatever. You'd like to memorialize that and have access 318 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: to it, especially when times get tough and the dynamic 319 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: gets challenging, which is of course what happens in the film. 320 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: There's a really emotional callback to the fire and rain 321 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: scene at the end, when once again the popes are 322 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: forced to drop everything and leave. But they're forced in 323 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: part because Danny has gone behind their backs to go 324 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: to the city, into New York City and he's auditioned 325 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: at the Juilliard School. What should be this moment of 326 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: hope and exhilaration, and for Danny it is he does 327 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: this triumphant jump out of the building after he's told 328 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: by a couple of the professors that he's extremely talented. 329 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: But to Arthur, what Danny has done has weakened his 330 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: link in the family unit, and he tells Danny when 331 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: he finds out about it, that the unit is only 332 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: as strong as its weakest link. Annie disagrees with Arthur, 333 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: and this all leads us to not so much a 334 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: resolution of the pope's story, because the pope's story is ongoing. 335 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: It's a resolution of the son's rebellion from the father. 336 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: And again, the script is so good that we realize 337 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: at the end of this it's been a coming of 338 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: age story all along, a father and son's story, even 339 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: though on the surface it's about political revolutionaries, but it's 340 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: something much more relatable than that. Not all of us 341 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: can relate to political revolutionaries, but we can all relate 342 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: to these complexities within the family unit, and we've all 343 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,640 Speaker 1: been where Danny finds himself at the end of that film, 344 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 1: in this moment where you finally become who you are 345 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: when you're set free, and it's a sad moment. It's 346 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: hard and it's disorienting, but ultimately it's what you need 347 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,919 Speaker 1: in order to survive. Okay, I'm gonna pause here for 348 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: a quick break, but I'll be right back to talk 349 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 1: more about River Phoenix, Sydney Lumet and the real life 350 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,439 Speaker 1: inspiration for the family on the Run and Running on Empty, 351 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: hanging tight. Hey, guys, welcome back to the screening room 352 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: here in Hollywood Land. Talking about the film Running on Empty. 353 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: I want to talk a little bit about Sidney Lhmette 354 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: here for a minute. Sidney Lamett, for me has been 355 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 1: This sounds ridiculous to say it out loud, but I've 356 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: slept on Sidney Lmett to a certain degree for a 357 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: long time, and I continue to do so. I was 358 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 1: first aware of him from a book he published back 359 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety five called Making Movies. This has become 360 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: this classic text about filmmaking from the early stages of 361 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: the script, you know, working with actors, the shoot, the edit, 362 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: the mix. And I became aware of this because it 363 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: was a signed to me when I was a film 364 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:32,640 Speaker 1: student at BU. I forget what class it was for, 365 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: but we read this book and the wild thing is. 366 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: I didn't walk away from this thinking, man, I need 367 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 1: to go watch all the films in Sidney Lamett's filmography. Why, 368 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, youth. I was also obsessed with, you know, oh, 369 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: terror filmmakers. That was my jam Scorsese, Copola, Spike, Lee, Hitchcock, Bergman, Kurrasawa, Orson, Wells, 370 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: john Ford, you know filmmakers who I thought had style. 371 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: Sidney Lamett, to me, was this invisible filmmaker because he 372 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,120 Speaker 1: didn't have style in my mind. Now, the ironic thing 373 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: about this is that in this book Making Movies, there 374 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: is a chapter called style, the most misused word since Love. 375 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: Great title by the way, In the book, Sidney Lumett 376 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: argues that style is in fact, the way you tell 377 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: a particular story. It's not about how you move the camera. 378 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 1: You know that as a filmmaker, you first figure out 379 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: what the story is about, and then second you figure 380 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: out how you're going to tell the story. And so 381 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: in Lumette's eyes, it's his belief that good style is 382 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: unseen style. For example, he talks about making Dog Day Afternoon, 383 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: and since the material of that film was so shocking, 384 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: he wanted to make sure the audience is knew that 385 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 1: it had really happened, that it was based on a 386 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: true story. So the way he did this is that 387 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: right off the bat, at the beginning of the film, 388 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: he's got all this footage of just like regular shit 389 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: going on in New York City. He had a hidden 390 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: camera and his crew went around and they just shot 391 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 1: footage of people going about their business on a hot 392 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: summer day in New York. And then eventually he cuts 393 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: to you know, Pacino is in the sitting in the 394 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: car in front of the bank, as if he's just 395 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: part of these same anonymous, random people that you've just 396 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: been seeing. So the audience doesn't even know that the 397 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: story has already begun. That is unseen style, and Lumett's 398 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: got it in spades, because again, his interest is in 399 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: the story and the characters. It's not in like, how 400 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: can I make the camera do some flashy dolly move 401 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: thing here. He's just not thinking about that kind of stuff. 402 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: And clearly, Dog Day Afternoon is incredible. I mean, it's 403 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: one of my favorite films of all time. And I 404 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: need to start talking about Sidney Lamett being one of 405 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: my favorite directors of all time, because you know, I mean, 406 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: look Twelve Angry Men, The Anderson Tapes, Surproco, Network, Prince 407 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: of the City, The Verdict, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. 408 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: These are just a few of the films he made 409 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 1: over the years. Great films, consequential films, many of them 410 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: representative of a certain kind of movie. I mean, Dog 411 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: Day Afternoon. It's his own genre. Network is his own genre. 412 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: Lumett writes a little bit about working with River Phoenix 413 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: in the book. I think what really impressed him was 414 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 1: that here was this seventeen year old really holding his 415 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: own with adult actors, you know, most notably Judd Hirsh 416 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: who'd been acting since the early seventies. He was nominated 417 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 1: for an Academy Award for his role in Ordinary People, 418 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: and of course he was known for his beloved role 419 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 1: in the long running TV show Taxi. Lumett writes about 420 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: this moment where River was challenging the screenwriter Naomi Fooner, who, 421 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: by the way, is the mother of Jake and Maggie Jillenhall. 422 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,439 Speaker 1: But I digress. River was challenging her on what his 423 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,360 Speaker 1: character is doing in one scene. There's this scene where 424 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: he goes to the music teacher's house to use his piano, 425 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 1: but no one answers the door, so he just lets 426 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: himself in and begins to play. And this is how 427 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,920 Speaker 1: he meets Laura because she hears this comes downstairs. He's 428 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: sitting at the piano playing classical piece and then he 429 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: stops because he can send someone's behind him. But I 430 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: guess in the script at that moment when Lorna comes 431 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: in the room and he senses that she's there, he 432 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: quickly cuts from the classical piece and starts playing boogie 433 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 1: woogie piano. Now, River was extremely resistant to doing that 434 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: because he thought it rang a bit false with the character, 435 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,400 Speaker 1: and even Lumet too thought it was a bit pandering 436 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: to the audience. And so they rehearsed it as it 437 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: was written as a you know, indifference to Naomi Phoner's script. 438 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: But River was so against it. It was literally so 439 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: hard for him to do. And I think Naomi Phoner 440 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: saw this take after take it just didn't feel right, 441 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,479 Speaker 1: so eventually they cut it. Now, Lumette tells this story 442 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 1: to demonstrate the friction that sometimes happens between the writer 443 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,719 Speaker 1: and the director. But you know what else, it demonstrates 444 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: it's style, right, it's knowing what to show and what 445 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: not to show, knowing where the character begins and ends. Earlier, 446 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: when I said that Lumette was sort of this invisible filmmaker, 447 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: I think maybe the word I was looking for was subtle. 448 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 1: You know. I also think this is what happens. You know, 449 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: you grow up, and I'm talking now about me or 450 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,159 Speaker 1: you or anyone who has spent a lifetime watching films. 451 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: You grow up in your appreciation of style matures. And 452 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: this is not to say that I can no longer enjoy, 453 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: you know, like Paul Thomas Anderson throwing the camera all 454 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 1: over the room in Magnolia. I can, but I have 455 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: grown to appreciate the style of Sydney Lumett, this impeccable craftsman. Now, 456 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: speaking of the script, it was based on the real 457 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: life story. The Arthur and anti Pope characters were based 458 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: on real people Bill Ayers and Bernadine Doran, who were 459 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 1: members of the Weather Underground. This was the organization that 460 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: was focused on stopping US military involvement in Vietnam and 461 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: who took credit for I think as many as two 462 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: dozen bombings on buildings, including the National Guard offices in Washington, 463 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: d C. The Capitol, and also New York City Police 464 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: Headquarters Airs and Doram went underground in nineteen seventy and 465 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: they lived on the run for eleven years. They changed 466 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: their names, they changed their hair, they learned to speak 467 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: in code, all the same things you see in this movie. 468 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: For instance, egg plant was their code name for the 469 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 1: weather underground, they called dynamite, ice cream or pickles. And 470 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: then there's separation from their families, which is mirrored so 471 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: effectively in this movie. I didn't mention that this incredible 472 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: scene in the film where Annie goes into the city 473 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: and shows up to this restaurant where her father is 474 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: and sees her father for the first time, and I 475 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: forget how long they say it is, but I think 476 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: it's at least been ten years. And they both have 477 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: love and resentment for each other in different ways, and 478 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,439 Speaker 1: she's trying to make him understand why it is that 479 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: she did what she did and has not been able 480 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: to have any kind of communication with her family. He's 481 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: trying to make her understand why what she did would 482 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: seem to be the ultimate betrayal to him. It's a 483 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: very very layered and nuanced, heartbreaking scene in the second 484 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 1: half of this film, but Anyways, in real life, you know, 485 00:24:55,280 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: Bill Ayers and Burnandine Dorian's parents had these simil moments where, 486 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: you know, the FEDS would come to them and say, hey, 487 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: come look at these dead bodies of revolutionaries to see 488 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: if they're your kids, you know, to identify them. Just 489 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: nightmarish stuff. So eventually the couple surrendered in nineteen eighty 490 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 1: And this is the incredible thing, because the FEDS had 491 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 1: used illegal methods to pursue them. They both walked the 492 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,880 Speaker 1: charges that were they were facing, which were crossing state 493 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: lines to destroy property and crossing state lines to create 494 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,879 Speaker 1: a civil disturbance. Those charges were dropped. They both became 495 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: professors and they are retired. Now. This is a very 496 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,439 Speaker 1: fascinating movie to be talking about right now, Running on Empty, 497 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 1: because it was one of the few films that Paul 498 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 1: Thomas Anderson said he was inspired by when he was 499 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: writing and shooting his latest movie, One Battle after Another, 500 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: which would make for a really fascinating double feature with 501 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: Running on Empty. They're both about political revolutionaries whose revolution 502 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: failed and who have since gone into hiding and who 503 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: now have children of their own who are being dragged 504 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: into a lifestyle in a series of problems and challenges 505 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 1: that they never asked for. They've inherited these things because 506 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: they are family. PTA's film has some more farcical elements 507 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: to it, but at the end of the day, listen, 508 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,199 Speaker 1: I think the dangerous thing about investigating a film in 509 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 1: some profound way, of looking for meaning in something because 510 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: it strikes you as capital I important. Okay, dangerous is 511 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: an extreme word, but there's a human impulse to want 512 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: to find more beneath the surface, especially when the text, 513 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:31,439 Speaker 1: the art, the film seems to demand it. But what 514 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: happens when you do that is that you can insert 515 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: stuff that's not there. You got to look at what 516 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: you're being served, and in both of these films, I 517 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: think what you're being served are stories about family, stories 518 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: about the challenges of family, about the expectations of what 519 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: is handed down to you, what you choose to accept, 520 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: and what you choose to put aside, either for a 521 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: moment or forever. And they are also stories that are 522 00:26:53,600 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 1: delivered to us with style. I'll be right back after this. Hey, everybody, 523 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 1: we are back and real quick. I wanted to mention 524 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: here Earlier I talked about River Phoenix being not only 525 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 1: an actor but also a musician. He had this band 526 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,679 Speaker 1: called Alka's Attic. I believe his sister Rain was in 527 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:22,880 Speaker 1: it for a period of time as well. They never 528 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,879 Speaker 1: released a proper album, but they did have some tracks 529 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 1: that were released on compilations here and there. And I 530 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: don't know if this is true or not, but I 531 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: read once that Michael Stipe had actually bought the rights 532 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 1: to whatever was left of their recordings after River died. Anyway, 533 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: you can check out a handful of tracks on streaming 534 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: services Apple Music, Spotify. They're pretty dope. The dude was 535 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: so ridiculously talented in so many ways, and I was 536 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: thinking about this musical component to him while watching Running 537 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 1: on Empty this recent time, watching him play piano, and 538 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, is he actually playing piano? I think he is. 539 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure. There's at least a few shots where 540 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: the camera is on him and showing his entire face 541 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: and in his body, so it's it's not a double 542 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: and Shrek looks like he's playing and sounds pretty damn 543 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: good too. Okay, So coming next week on Monday, to 544 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: continue our month of La Nightmares, We've got our episode 545 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: on Elizabeth Short aka the Black Dahlia, A notorious story 546 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: of a twenty two year old who left Massachusetts and 547 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: moved out west to the City of Angels, only to 548 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: wind up dead in the most gruesome of ways. This 549 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: unsolved case has been fodder for so many books and 550 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: films over the year. I'm looking at you, mister demon Dog, 551 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: James Elroy, and it got me thinking question of the 552 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: week here, what is the wildest unsolved Hollywood mystery or death? 553 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: Is it the Black Dahlia? Is it Natalie Wood? Is 554 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: it someone else? Maybe someone we haven't covered yet here 555 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: in Hollywood Land. Let me know. Call or text me 556 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: at six one seven nine oh six six six three eight, 557 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: email me at disgrace lambpod at gmail dot com, or 558 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 1: if you're an All Access member over on Patreon, jump 559 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: in the chat and let me know there. If you 560 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: are not a member of all Access and you dig 561 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: both Hollywood Land and our sister show, Disgraceland, you're going 562 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,680 Speaker 1: to want to check this out, especially because last month 563 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: we launched a brand new video podcast that is exclusive 564 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: to Patreon all Access. The video pod is called this 565 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: Film Should be Played Loud, and each month, Jake Brennan 566 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: and I pick a movie to talk about, but we 567 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: talk about it through the pov of its great music, 568 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: the soundtracks, the needle drops, the scores. The first episode 569 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: that we released over there is about Martin Scorsese's film Goodfellas, 570 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: and it's incredible soundtrack, especially that one extended scene with 571 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: the helicopter you know what I'm talking about, where Scorsese 572 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 1: basically creates this incredibly edited mixtape that takes you through 573 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: the whole sequence. These episodes of this film should be 574 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 1: played loud. They are highly produced to visually, it's unlike 575 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: anything else we're doing anywhere. So get in there and 576 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: join us today. Just go to Disgrace lampod dot com 577 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: to learn more and sign up. Maybe I'll see you there, 578 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: and maybe i'll see you here in Hollywood Land next week. 579 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: But until then, I'm going to leave you with me 580 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: reading you The list of the top films from September 581 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: of nineteen eighty eight, the month that Running on Empty 582 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: was released in theaters in America. Number one A Nightmare 583 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: on Elm Street. Four The dream Master, directed by Rennie Harlan. 584 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: Number two A Fish Called Wanda, directed by Charles Crichton. 585 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: Number three Die Hard directed by John McTiernan, directed by 586 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: John Lan Umber Number four, Young Betraying directed by Coster 587 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: Rogers by Jonathann. Number seven, Number five full frame Cocktail 588 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: directed by Roger Donaldson, directed by Paul Number six, Young 589 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: Guns directed by Christopher Kane, Dreams. Number seven, flu frame 590 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: Roger Robin directed. Wait Talking and Start Mixing Good