On Bergman, Xanadu, and that Scarlett Johansson album. . .

. . .or, everything you always wanted to know about team Benten but were afraid to ask. Karina Longworth of the SpoutBlog kindly invited Aaron and me to partake in the Media Diet, where "indie film movers and shakers" are asked "a bunch of stupid questions about their pop cultural preferences." As fun as the interview was, I'm most excited about being considered a mover and a shaker in the indie film world. I have indeed arrived. SPOUT: We start each installment of The Media Diet with the old desert island question: you’re packing your suitcase for life-long seclusion on a tropical island that happens to have a full entertainment system. What records, books, movies, video games, websites, etc do you bring with? ANDREW: I’ll try to keep this sensible, i.e., what I could reasonably carry in my backpack. The only book I’d need (the only book anybody needs for that matter) is William Gaddis’ The Recognitions, for it says everything there is to say about the human condition. I’d like to have every note recorded by John Coltrane, some Nick Drake, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, and that Scarlett Johansson album of Tom Waits covers. (No, I haven’t heard it, but, come on…) Films, of course, are tough—give me complete box sets of Godard, Allen, Cassavetes and Imamura. Throw in The Big Lebowski, Lawrence of Arabia, and Xanadu and I’m set. Click here to read the complete interview.

Comments

[Arden]

Hey film brain! I'm hosting an impromptu Mumblecore blog-a-thon for Friday 24 August. Let me know if you want to contribute! I know you're a fan! SUPPORT!

[james-em]

Yo filmbrain

Ed Burns is going to hate you for that.

But you're right tho, his films are painful.

[JasonTHX]

Congrats on the DVD company you've started up. I don't know if this has been discussed before but would you have any idea where I could track down a copy of Carlo Di Palma's "Blonde In Black Leather" starring Monica Vitti and Claudia Cardinale?

[JasonTHX]

Burn's "Sidewalks Of New York" is pretty charming. But Eric Schaeffer. Good God, what an ego this guy has. He makes me want to throw things at the screen.

[Tim]

I have always been a fan of her scarlett and appreciated whatever work she has done.