madsen: there's stillsomething so romantic about goingand sitting in the dark and watchingsomething beautiful. people love going to the movies. so, the academy invited meto see any movie that i wanted from their archivesin the theater. i picked "network," and"network" was a film from 1976, directed by sidney lumet. i remember it havinga huge impact on me
because i felt likemovies then were more political, they lived more dangerously, and sidney lumetis one of my favorite directors. it's a television network,and there is a newscaster who is played by peter finch,who won the oscar for best supporting actorposthumously. he's kind of losing it, and he starts tosort of go on a rant about all things politicaland how unhappy he is
with the state of the world,and this is not a good thing. this is live television. hunter:howard, what the hell are youdoing? have you flipped or what? man:i think we better get him off. hunter: get him off! beale: what's the matterwith you fellas? madsen: but thenhe gets a following, and he becomes a phenomenon, and so the networksort of takes advantage of him.
christensen:i want that show, frank. i can turn that show intothe biggest smash on television. hackett: what do you mean,you want that show? it's a news show.it's not your department. madsen: it almost is likehe becomes a preacher, preaching againstthe state of the world. and i feel likeit's one of those movies, one of those great films,that just isn't seen enough. it's not reallytalked about enough.
i'm going with my fella,nick holmes. and he's an actor.we'll kind of have a date movie. and he loves this movieas much as i do, also hasn't seen itin a really long time. and we're gonna goto the beautiful egyptian on hollywood boulevardand watch "network." that was one of those moviesthat when i left the theater, i was like, "that's the kind ofmovie i want to make." holmes: yeah.
madsen: "and i'm gonnameet faye dunaway." -and i did meet faye dunaway.-holmes: yeah? madsen:very glamorous story. i met her on the red carpetat the academy awards. she steppedon the train of my gown, and i -- and i heard thissort of little tear, and i was like -- [ gasps ] and i turned around,and there was faye dunaway. and so i didn't tell her thatshe was standing on my dress.
and she --and she went, "i know you." holmes:oh, man. that's so cool. madsen: and --and so, as blonde as i was, i said, "i know you, too!" [ both laugh ] holmes:a great way to see a movie. madsen: we hadthis wonderful old movie palace in evanston, illinois, and they would showsecond-run movies.
my brother, michael, wouldalways take me to these movies on sundays, and i just fell inlove with the whole experience. what i love about moviesis being transported into whatever world that isthat you're watching. it's a different experiencegoing to the theater than just watchingon your computer or watching it on television. when you're in the theater,you are in the experience. oh, i loved it.
first of all, wait. can i just --let's drink to sidney lumet. holmes: sidney lumet.what a filmmaker. like, i think this moviecould be really bad in the handsof a mediocre storyteller. madsen: it just occurred to mebecause he was in that world. he was in the tv worldwhen he started out. but it seems to me that it'sall very much the same today. holmes: he had quitea clear view point on it.
madsen: it's just amazinghow current this is, and the fact thatfaye dunaway's character is pitching reality tv. holmes: mm-hmm. madsen: she was pitching itas it is today. like, i wish i couldask sidney lumet what he thoughtof reality tv today. holmes: right. madsen: did he envision thatback then? he must have.
holmes: i think there's a reallyincredible point to be made about how smoothlythe film switches gears. you know,'cause for the first half-hour, you're sort oftaking this all in. madsen: and there's a lotof really great humor in that whole first half-hour. holmes: yeah,and then, suddenly, william holden and faye dunawayare having an affair, and peter finch is a prophet.
it takes you from this -- from this placewhere you're witnessing sort of a behind-the-scenes lookat something to this messianic build-upof this person. madsen: that's the brillianceof this screenplay, though, is i didn't rememberthat it had so much humor. holmes: i had such anticipationto see the scene. madsen: "i'm mad as hell!"that was so great! holmes: and it was --it did not disappoint.
beale: i'm as mad as hell, and i'm not gonnatake this anymore! holmes:it's a little bit absurd. like, the people yellingout of their windows. but it's such movie magic. madsen: i mean, it made youwant to do it in the theater. it made you want to yell,"i'm mad as hell." holmes: every charactergets a full breath to really give youtheir viewpoint.
like, ned beatty, you havesuch a full idea of him. madsen:that speech that he makes in the middle of the film -- i'm stunnedby that man's performance. madsen:what an extraordinary actor. jensen: you have meddled with the primal forcesof nature, mr. beale! madsen:"you've disrupted nature!" holmes: and the big motionsof things he's doing.
madsen: oh, my god,and this thing. holmes: and you're like,"why isn't that comical? why isn't what you're doing --why is that working so well?" madsen: yeah. i'd love to go seemore movies like this. and it was so wonderfulto see it on film, 'cause my eyes becomeso used to the digital -- holmes: ultra-high definition,smooth motion, high refresh rate, crisp, yeah.
madsen: and this was justso golden and smooth. -holmes: and grainy.-madsen: and grainy. holmes:it wasn't until after this i realized how nostalgic i amfor that kind of theater experience. like, i don't rememberthe last quiet movie i saw in the theater. madsen: yeah.what do you want to see next? holmes: something romantic.like "die hard."
i would love to see that movie. madsen: oh, i'd love to see thaton the big screen! madsen:that would be excellent.
|
|
>>Play Movie Now! |
