Hey folks, harry here with the wonderful Angiepie's look at GHOST WORLD which had a special screening in Frisco a couple nights back with Terry Zwigoff (God) holding a Q&A afterwards... in addition to being a review... there's some interesting insight from Zwigoff in here. I am so gonna do backflips for this one, I know it.
Hey Harry,
Last night Ghost World was shown in a sneak preview to those who subscribe to The SF Chronicle's Film Series. We also had the priviledge of a Q&A w/ Terry Zwigoff. He told this crazy story how the Gap was soliciting him for an ad campaign. They wanted some hip young filmmaker in some of their ads. Terry Zwigoff is 53 years old! He said that the $10,000 despite the obvious corporate bs was hard to turn down. He also had some interesting things to say about the production and his move from documentary to narrative filmmaking. He spent three years watching acting classes to get an idea how to direct. He mentioned a frustration with documentary filmmaking where he couldn't get the scenes he wanted.
He would try to re-enact scenes to no avail. It seems that his cinematic sensibilities lie within a more narrative structure and this first time feature proves his worth. I have been made a fan. So here's what I have to say about Ghost World.
As with many of the finer films made it seems a miracle that Ghost World exists. Zwigoff himself seems surprised to have been able to make such a film. After hearing how different studios wanted to put Freddie Prinz Jr. in Steve Buscemi's roll, it seems amazing that Zwigoff was able to get final cut. Kudos goes to MGM. Please make more movies like this!!! I have been waiting for years for a poignant and funny film about what it is to be a girl after high school. This flick is going to be in the film collections of every strange and confident girl and the boys that want to know them. You want to know what that crazy girl with the multicolored hair is thinking? Watch this film. Thora Birch nails it. Oh and I have been interested to see how Ballywood would seep into our own film culture. I find myself hypnotized on Sunday mornings watching the Namaste film reviews. Its insertion at the beginning of the film seems just right.
Ghost World is by no means a Hollywood quickie. No MTV style editting as if we do not have the attention span to develop feelings about the characters. This film moves at a fairly slow pace, allowing you to witness and understand the relationships between all of them. Inherent within the character's personalities are traits that create conflicts. There are few outside influences or plot devices that are used to move the story along . Becky is into a more mainstream life, working at a coffee shop and trying to get her own apartment while Enid spends her summer seeking out the company of an eccentric record collector. Enid's relationship with Seymour also has built-in conflict in the form of a large age difference. Even Enid's father has a conflicted interest with his daughter, becoming reacquainted with an old girlfriend. All of these issues come together to force Enid to do something. It is a pleasure to watch, well filmed and scored. Zwigoff mentioned being influenced by Kubrick He stands back from the characters, allowing their lives and personalities to tell the story. This makes for a better balance between sentimentality and Kubrickian subtlety.
SPOILER
It is also refreshing to see a young woman's sexuality portrayed without exploitation and nudity. The scenes between Buscemi and Birch convey an attraction that speaks beyond any sort of nudity in many other sex scenes. Its about time we saw a woman being sexual without having to be needy. I recommend this film to anyone, it is funny and insightful and the director's trust in the audience and the characters proves fascinating. Terry Zwigoff's years studying actors truly pays off
the angiepie
