5 more weird and wonderful movies about writers… suggested by you.
This was my five… here’s yours.
The Lost Weekend, suggested by Col.
A proper movie where the writer in question is a heavy drinker who carts his typewriter from scene to scene and chases his Muse through dodgy bedrooms and bars. Thanks for the recommendation, Col!
Sideways, also suggested by Col.
I can’t believe I forgot this one — I love this movie and basically have a crush on poor, rejected Miles. What can I say? I have a soft spot for writerly geeks.
Educating Rita, suggested by Rachel.
I can’t believe I forgot this one, either! As an English Literature student myself, this is a huge favourite movie of mine. See it, guys!
The Player, also suggested by Rachel.
I only saw this movie for the first time recently, but it is absolutely amazing. It’s really, really clever in so many ways — check out this incredible one-shot opening scene. Plus, you can play spot-the-movie-star… so many cameos in one place!
Wonder Boys, suggested by Katja.
I’ve never seen this, but I really want to — horrible trailer (shut up with the quotes already!) but it looks brilliant. Thanks, Katja!
Any other movies about writers I should check out?
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Tags: advice for young writers, more weird and wonderful movies about writers, publishing, resources for young writers, young poets
January 27th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
You’re welcome.
Having had more time to consider there are others, including ‘Barton Fink’ by the Coen brothers. Or how about ‘Naked Lunch’ from the Burroughs text as imagined by David Cronenburg. A film I’ve saw a long time ago, but I seem to remember being highly disturbing. Further into cockroaches there’s ‘Kafka’ directed by Steven Sodenburgh. (which I haven’t seen, anyone recommend it?)
Speaking about beat generation films, does anyone know any good ones? I’ve seen ‘Beat’ starring Keifer Sutherland as Burroughs, about the shooting Of Joan adams. Sutherland does a good job with the voice but I had trouble because he just looks like Keifer Sutherland. Another film is ‘The Last Time I commited Suicide.’ This film is based on the famous letter Neal Cassidy sent Kerouac that started his own free wheeling experiments with language. It has Keanu Reeves as a friend of Cassady, and well isn’t great by any means, though does have some evocative scenes.
The only other film I can think of is ‘Shadows’ by John Cassavettes. Which isn’t exactly about the beat generation, but perhaps is a beat film.
Col
January 28th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Col — I haven’t seen any of these movies but I REALLY want to see ‘Barton Fink.’ It’s one that so so so many people have recommended to me and it looks really great. Would you recommend it? I generally like the Coen brothers (although I was not totally convinced by their latest offering).
Re: Beat films… my favourite is a bit of a cheat as it’s kind of a documentary, but it’s got to be Jerry Aronson’s ‘The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg.’ Freakin’ brilliant. I know there are a couple coming out soon, which look horrible — one is something to do with On The Road (an adaptation of it?), looked on imdb but couldn’t remember the title which doesn’t help. Then there’s the Ginsberg movie (I’ve heard it’s going to be titled Howl) in which James Franco has apparently been cast as the man himself (*dies a little inside*). Not good. There’s also this which I am kind of curious to see: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808392/
January 28th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Thanks for picking some of mine! Watching that ‘Player’ trailer makes me want to watch it again right now…’several hundred of my best friends’…so well written it makes me coo with delight!
I first saw ‘Rita’ when I was about 17 and doing English A level so it really struck a chord with me. Plus I was newly moved from Middlesbrough to London so I knew a bit about wearing the wrong clothes and having the wrong kind of voice! Shame about the horrible song over the trailer…sounds like Barbara Dickson. I think this film is one of Julie Walters’ finest hours (well, hour and a halves…) - she was so perfect for it. A great film for Michael Caine too.
‘Barton Fink’ is great - well worth a watch.
x
January 28th, 2009 at 11:27 am
what’s with the vanishing comments claire?
January 28th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Swiss — I’ve had some particularly persistent and bizarre spam on here in the past few days, with some kind of file embed… when you go to the spam comment and hit ‘delete,’ it appears to stay put… but then when you hit ‘delete’ again, you find that it HAD disappeared and you’ve also deleted the comment next to it. I ended up doing that a couple of times before I got wise to it. Sorry about that!
January 28th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
okay then, one last time! ; )
i agree with naked lunch. maybe not the best film but it is david cronenberg and it does have talking typewriters!
haven’t seen the last time i commited suicide mainly down to the keanu effect but am looking out for 2007’s neal cassady which at the very least uses the texts and is probably the reason why it’s not getting released
my suggestion would be the squid and the whale and, primarily because it’s got laura linney in it again but she’s still playing a writer, the savages. the comedy on both is pitch black, the performances are excellent. not the cheeriest double bill but total quality
and i came across this which features a pop up book, type writing (smith corona!) and a balloon. all rather endearing!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=hLtfQdKppTY
January 29th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but Paris When It Sizzles, with William Holden and Audrey Hepburn is good fun.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Right, Barton Fink: it’s been about ten years since I saw it, so my memory is fuzzy at best, but I remember thinking it was good. (luckily my sister has it on DVD so I’m going to watch it again and get back to you.)
On The Road is being made http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337692/
Walter Salles currently directing ( I think he wasn’t the first director attached to it) No cast listed, but Salles is a great director, for instance ‘the Motorcycle Diaries.’
Another couple of writing films:
‘Stranger than Fiction’ even with having to put with Will Ferrel, and Maggie Gyllenhaal playing extra Kooky it stills pulls off a good film.
Also ‘Finding Forrester.’
Okay thats enough.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Hahaha I fucking LOVE Sideways. Maybe because I am a writer who drinks too much wine as well. The best parts are when he throws the spit tank thing on his head or when he says that he is leaving if they serve a “fucking merlot.”
-H.
January 30th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Barton Fink was excellent by the way, ‘I could tell you some stories…’ Doesn’t anyone know that having John Goodman for a neighbour is not a good thing?
February 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
‘Il Postino’ - About a postman and Neruda: poetry and love.
Romantic and sweet little number of a film.
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