So screams ‘Withnail’ of WITHNAIL AND I – the beloved, hysterical, and bittersweet movie about friendship, youthful angst, and painful maturation aided by lots of alcohol, hijinks in the countryside, drugs and, elusive dreams and delusions of fame. I went to see a screening tonight of WITHNAIL AND I at the Silent Movie Theater and was once again entertained by this cult gem of a movie. And to top off the evening, the writer/director Bruce Robinson was present to do a good humored q and a. Apart from WITHNAIL AND I, Bruce Robinson also wrote the script for my other favorite movie THE KILLING FIELDS. The two films could not be more different yet both manage to capture a rich and truthful glimpse of male friendships. After 17 years, Robinson has come out of the woodwork and has been in the midst of filming THE RUM DIARY, the adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel starring Johnny Depp. I can’t believe it’s been so long for him and yet, when Robinson candidly expressed loving the work and artistic collaboration, but being less than enthusiastic about the politics and people – it’s definitely not hard to sympathize.
Which director do you long to come back and make a film? Apart from Bruce Robinson, I also reminisce about Alex Cox of ‘Sid and Nancy’ and ‘Repo Man’ fame.
Tony Bui (THREE SEASONS)
George Miller (MAD MAX, BABE)
Peter Weir (PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, MASTER & COMMANDER)
Joe Dante (GREMLINS, INNERSPACE)
Richard Curtis – director of Love Actually (2003)
Roger, Richard Curtis has a film in theaters right now–PIRATE RADIO. But most of the directors I’d like to see new films from are dead so ain’t gonna happen.
I’d like to see John Schlesinger come back from the grave.
Like P most of my guys are daid. Agree w/E, John Schlesinger. Day of the Locust is a great piece of celluoid, rarely mentioned it seems, atmospheric, full of old L.A. and true to Mr. West’s novel. The acting by Karen Black, Burgess Meredith and Donald Sutherland were extremely fine stuff.
Like Weir also. Watched Master and Commander twice, a rare thing for me for a contemp movie.
Cameron Crowe. His last film Elizabethtown was a major disappointment but Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire are 2 of my fave movies of the past 15 years. Plus it’s the 20th anniversary of Say Anything.
Thank you Phil. i have been living under a bridge for the past year.
That being said, I would love to see Richard Curtis direct another romantic comedy. I think he’s got massive talent in that arena…
I thought I was the only person who’ve seen this movie.
DC
Juzo Itami. Such an amazing director. I am so bummed he’s not still around making films.
Robert Wise. I haven’t seen more than 3 of his films (so I am kind of lame in this dept), but The Sound of Music is my favorite movie and I would love to have seen more movie musicals from him.
To David Chan – I think most Withnail fans are in the UK as opposed to out here. Despite the fact that the screening was packed (with celeb sighting of Michael Cera who probably identified with ‘I’), it was pretty respectful. I was hoping for a bawdy ‘Rocky Horror-esque’ screening where everyone would be drunk on wine or whisky and shout out lines like “We want the finest wines known to humanity, we want them here and we want them now!”.
Zombie John Frankenheimer.