(In connection with the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s ongoing “Indie Night” screening series, which is being guest programmed this year by producer Christine Vachon, we have asked the director of each month’s selection to answer twelve quick questions, the only rule being that they shouldn’t take longer than twelve seconds to answer each question!)
The November ’13 installment gives audiences the chance to catch up with first-time feature director Matt Creed’s Lily (Wednesday, November 13th at 7pm at the Howard Gilman Theater, to be exact). Creed and co-writer/star Amy Grantham will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A moderated by Amos Poe, so be there if you can.
1. What is the first movie you remember watching that made you want to make a movie yourself?
I think it probably would have been Kids from a storytelling point of view.
2. Name a critic or work of criticism that influenced or inspired you as an artist.
Letters To A Young Poet by Rilke. Is that a work of criticism? He does a little bit of that. Truthfully, I don’t read too much criticism. There is way too much of it these days.
3. What would you like to see more of in American independent film?
A lot more risk, and less of these little indies trying to be mini Hollywood films. More character and story driven films.
4. What would you like to see less of in American independent film?
Structure.
5. What movie made you laugh the hardest?
Probably a tie between This is Spinal Tap and Fubar.
6. What movie are you most “embarrassed” to say made you cry?
I watched that film Hardball on a plane, where Keanu Reeves plays a little league coach. I was balling at the end. I had to hide my face from the guy next to me.
7. What universally upheld cinematic masterpiece do you just not respond to no matter how hard you try?
I have never really responded to Breathless. Is that considered a masterpiece? I’ve tried a few times and I just can’t fully get into it.
8. What movie did you not appreciate the first time around but fell in love with upon second viewing?
Fanny and Alexander. But I think I was not in the right place emotionally to watch the film and I watched it years later and I think it’s a masterpiece.
9. Which book would you most like to adapt into a film?
You Can’t Win by Jack Black but I think someone is already doing that one. So maybe In Watermelon Sugar. That would be a fun one and very challenging given that every day the sun shines a different color.
10. What movie would you most like to see remade (i.e., the original had a great premise but poor execution, or great script and director but poor casting, etc.)?
I have no clue! I don’t believe in remakes, so I would say none. We need less of those today as well.
11. If you were asked to teach a class in editing and had to choose one movie to focus on for the whole semester, what would it be?
I’m not very good at editing and I don’t like doing it really. But if I had to stare at a screen all semester and watch a film over a dozen times it would probably be Badlands. Not too much dialogue and it’s nice to watch.
12. If you could go to a movie theater tonight and watch a 35mm print of any movie ever made, what would it be?
My friend turned me onto Spirit of the Beehive not long ago. I would love to see that on a 35mm on the big screen.
