My favorite moment, in "Annie Hall," (my favorite of all of Woody Allen's movies) is when Alvy and Annie (Diane Keaton) are standing in line to see Ingmar Bergman's "Face To Face." Standing right behind them is this pseudo academic sort, and his nebbishy girlfriend, who, I agree with Alvy, "met through a personal ad in the New York Review Of Books, .... thirties academic wishing to meet a woman interested in Mozart, James Joyce, and sodomy." I can tell you, girls, New York is full of these types, and I see them all the time!
They pontificate loudly into your ear, about what constitutes great cinema, when they don't have a clue. The guy in the film (see left) cites Fellini's "La Strada," but it is obvious he has no idea what he is talking about, or that Guilette Masina, who played the lead, was Fellini's wife. He cites another film, or director, who lacks what he calls "cohesiveness," which is obviously his word of the day, that he has just recently discovered, and who proceeds to use it ad nauseum.
The highlight comes when he cites Marshall McLuhan (whom I also studied in college) and Alvy, in what is the fantasy of every person who has ever had this experience, brings McLuhan on camera, who puts the pretentious prick in his place.
But I don't need Marshall McLuihan's help! I can do just fine on my own, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lately, I have gotten so to where I can tune out these types, but I will never forget the Summer of 1999, when "The Blair Witch Project" was the hottest thing going. I had to see it on one of my week days off, because evenings and weekends, you simply could not get in. So, one day, I marched over to the Angelika Theatre, (my least favorite in the city, and the seeming central headquarters for these pontificating types, most of whom have the misfortune of being young, so they cannot even claim being academicians!!!!!!!!!) and I will never forget a group of these, both before and after the film, gathered around the movie's exhibit display case, convinced that what they had just seen, or were about to see, was actually real! If anything, the commercial gimmickry of the display case would dispel that, but you could not convince these budding cineastes their notions were wrong. I did not even try. I simply laughed. I wondered what Marshall McLuhan might have thought, but it was perfectly obvious to me none of this crowd would have an idea of who he was.
It's much easier going to the theater. There, all you have to deal with are Bitchy Theater Queens, some of whom are sometimes ushers inside, and believe me, the Raving Queen can take care of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See you along the Rialto, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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