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Adri, 23, from Pittsburgh, asks, "What is the most disturbing thing you've ever watched in a film?"
There's a movie called In a Glass Cage that is more horrifying than Salo, which I think would come pretty close. I would never watch a real snuff movie, though. I don't like movies that show real violence. There's a movie called The Killing of America that has all sorts of footage that's really, really hard to watch.
This one is from Catie, 40, in New York. "In your opinion, how many more years 'til cable television starts airing live executions, and would you watch?"
They did! What do you think Saddam Hussein's was? I was at a skiing resort, over Christmas and New Year's, at a beautiful fancy dinner with people in couture and everything, and they were sitting there with laptops watching Saddam Hussein be executed. There was a real photo-op.
Brian, 23, from New York, asks, "Who's the most charming personal assistant you've ever had?"
Susan, the one that works for me now, has been wonderful. I've had a lot of them. One quit yesterday, actually. That's an odd question. That's a tough one. Susan has worked for me for a long time. Another woman named Tracy was fabulous. Colleen worked for me. A lot of them! I'm friends with all of them.
A devoted fan, Joe Blevins, 31, from Arlington Heights, Illinois, asks, "You've long championed the films of David Lynch. Have you seen Inland Empire, and if so, what do you think it's about?"
I'm dying to see it, and when I see a David Lynch movie I never care what it's about. Nobody does impenetrable better than David Lynch.
David B. says, "John, when can you hire me as a full-time helper with your movies? I live in Columbus, Ohio, and need a ticket out. I knew you would understand."
[laughs] Well, you can send your resume to Atomic Books. But I can't be responsible for your life! I can only be responsible for the nine-to-five job.
Dave, 21, from Milwaukee, says, "I was very disappointed to see that This Filthy World had been released exclusively to Netflix. Are there any plans for wider release so that fans can purchase a copy?"
Yeah. It's coming out, I believe in March or April, on DVD. It'll have a full release.
Steve, 38, from New York, says, "Name one movie not made by you that you would love to see turned into a Broadway stage musical."
Any Russ Meyer movie, certainly. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls would probably work.
Roger Ebert…
Unfortunately, I'd have to give him a plug. He's not very kind to me.
Oh, really? That's too bad.
See how professional I am?
That's good. Maybe he'll reconsider. Joe Blevins, again, asks "I admire the way you've diversified your career over the years, and are now a director, writer, actor, commentator and artist. Do you have any plans to diversify further, perhaps trying your hand at documentary filmmaking or prose fiction?"
Tell him thank you. A novel would be the hardest thing ever that I secretly would like to try one day. I just got a job offer to be a disc jockey. That's a new one. I'll never believe that you can have too many careers. When one isn't working you can go to the other one. So, who knows? I would like to write a novel. A documentary? Actually, all my films are documentaries, if you've ever been to Baltimore.
Someone named "Mistress R" asks, "Do you ever plan on releasing your earlier films, such as The Diane Linkletter Story and Eat Your Makeup? They look really cool."
Well, no, because there's music-rights issues. I didn't even know you had to pay for music when I made those movies, and now they would cost so much money that it would be almost impossible. Those movies are closet movies — they stay in my closet, where they're going to have to live.
"What are your thoughts on the Hairspray re-make?" asks Naomi, 30, from Germany.
I'm excited about it. Are you kidding? First of all, a passive income is something that I've never had, and it's quite lovely. I'm in the movie — I play the flasher in it, and I was on the set, I was with Mr. Travolta while he got in drag. I have high hopes for it.
Someone known only as Muzmuz asks, "What are the cast members of The Simpsons like off-camera?"
Well, I was only there a day. You do a table read, where everybody reads through it once, and then each member of the cast goes to a different microphone around a room. It's kind of like a radio show. They were lovely, and seemed very happy to have me there. I was really proud to be in it. There are many people that only recognize me from that, and come up to me and say "Weren't you on The Simpsons?" More than all my movies put together, I'm sure.
Mariko, again, asks "How do you go from making a movie like Pink Flamingos to Serial Mom? If you're going for shock, I don't think anything can surpass Pink Flamingos."
I would never try to surpass it.
"What dictates the level of shock value you're going to reach in your filmmaking process? Is it cultural, is it financial? Do you just need to take an artistic shower sometimes?"
Well, shock value was never the main thing I was trying for. I was trying to make you laugh at your ability to be shocked by anything. And Pink Flamingos was made the year pornography became legal. It was the end of the '60s. It was a joke! What is illegal anymore? What can't you have? I never tried to top that. And if I had, I think I wouldn't be working today. I think you have to constantly reinvent yourself, and the thing that I'm proudest of is when I go to a signing, the average age is twenty-five. They weren't even born when I made those movies. I'm very proud that I have been able, each decade, to cross over into a new audience. If you stay doing the same thing, you can't do that.
A reader named "disunstrung" asks, "From what you've seen, is Baltimore still as trashy as it's ever been, and what other U.S. cities do you see as up-and-coming as far as trashiness is concerned?"
Well, I think the Baltimore that they're speaking of, and the one I make my films about, is vanishing, as it is everywhere. I mean, real-estate porn is in Baltimore, yuppies have moved here — which is good for the city. And there are still neighborhoods here that are still pretty amazing, that inspire me. But it is probably vanishing. Another city that I think. . . I think Philadelphia is pretty good that way. Philadelphia would be the closest to Baltimore in some ways. I always think of MOVE, an organization that I'm still fascinated by.
Yeah, that's an interesting story.
People forget that story, people don't remember the MOVE people. I do. Every day, I think of the MOVE people. I think of Sue Africa, the only white girl in MOVE.
Maybe you should make a documentary. That would please Joe Blevins, from Arlington Heights.
To make a documentary about the MOVE people? Maybe. I think people have already made them, but Sue Africa, she'd be a good one to make. The life of Sue Africa. I'm not sure how wide the appeal of that would be, but I'd sure be the first in line. n°
©2007 Peter Smith and Nerve.com |
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