I so appreciate the editors of the various outlets where I work, keeping things up and running as much as possible, especially in lieu of the massive shutdown of theatres and arthouses, with movie premieres pushed back indefinitely. I still have assignments, in other words, a blessing in this difficult time. I’m a freelancer. I don’t work, I don’t get paid. My thoughts go out to everyone in similar positions, with no net at all.
At any rate, Film Comment has been putting out a daily podcast – normally it comes out once a week – where editors and contributors talk about whatever they’ve been watching during this time of isolation. It’s a way to connect, from our different apartments, and it’s a way to still engage with an audience, many of whom, too, are watching a ton of random shit while they’re holed up.
Editor-in-chief Nicolas Rapold, digital editor Clinton Krute and I, joined together, to discuss what I’ve been watching. I sent in a list of the random stuff, so they too could weigh in. In general, the last month has been taken up with Jean Arthur’s films, in preparation for my latest column. Nic and Clinton, of course, are familiar with her so we had a really fun discussion. Then we make the most improbable swerve in film history to discuss David Cronenberg’s bizarro Dead Ringers, about the psychotic gynecologist identical twins (played brilliantly by Jeremy Irons). I saw the film in its initial release and have never seen it since. It has, at times, been un-seeable, due to unavailability of DVD, to it not streaming anywhere, to whatever technological innovation has left it behind. For years, it was “out of print.” Anyway, I suddenly saw it was streaming on Amazon Prime, and I watched it.
So we talked about that too.
Have a listen. My cat Hope makes a cameo.
