Interview with Rutanya Alda: Championing the 95%

INTERVIEW WITH RUTANYA ALDA: 

CHAMPIONING THE 95%

By Jerry Saravia
Reprinted with permission by Steel Notes Magazine

Poster for 1968's Greetings

Most actors start their careers in grade Z garbage, either some exploitation film or a demented slasher flick or a silly monster movie. Helen Mirren's inauspicious beginnings were in the catastrophically bad "Caligula," a minor example. Jennifer Aniston began life in the horrendous 1993 horror film "Leprechaun." Latvian-born Rutanya Alda had one of the luckiest acting debuts of all time, in none other than Brian De Palma's 1968 cult classic, "Greetings." To follow that role with "Hi, Mom!," another De Palma film and one of the finest sequels ever made, and then a long list that includes "Scarecrow," "The Long Goodbye," "The Fury," "Rocky II," "Black Widow," "Amityville II: The Possession," "When a Stranger Calls," "The Dark Half," "The Deer Hunter," "Mommie Dearest" and many more proves that she is one of the finest character actresses, period. A 50-year-career that includes over a hundred roles in television and film is nothing to sneeze at. As Rutanya points out, no matter how many roles you get, there is still concern when you are not a superstar of Angelina Jolie's status who represent the 1% who never worry about their next acting gig. "We are the 95% who struggle, who worry when they will get their next job."

The De Palma origins remain fascinating for a director whose specialty became Hitchcockian thrillers. "Greetings" and "Hi, Mom!" are counter-cultural late 60's satires that touch on everything from racism to porn to politics and even the Kennedy assassination! Rutanya counts both De Palma films as her "favorite film experiences." As for "Greetings," she states: "I had a really funny strip scene with Robert De Niro. Audiences always laugh at the scene. I am also on the poster for the film."

Following "Greetings" came the 1970 sequel, one of the greatest, shrewdest and funniest satires ever made, "Hi, Mom!" Rutanya had a memorable appearance in De Palma's "Hi, Mom!" as a member of a group of WASP's who enter a so-called theatre production of "Be Black Baby" - it is one of the more surprising, illuminating scenes about race ever. "It was gut-wrenching and powerful," says Rutanya. "It was a one-take scene, full of Brian De Palma's humor. All the dialogue was improvised - there was no script. Same with 'Greetings'." The controversial scene caused audience walkouts when she saw it a L.A. screening a few years back. "A woman was crying in the bathroom," explains Rutanya. "When I came up to her, I explained that the scene was not real, and I was not really raped. The woman screamed, 'It was real to ME!' I told her it was real to me too."

Rutanya Alda (right) in The Deer Hunter

Long before Oliver Stone's "JFK" arrived on the scene, there was a 1973 film called "Executive Action" where Rutanya was cast as a member of an assassination team. "The film opened and died at the box-office," explains Rutanya although she has no idea why the film didn't make it (according to imdb, the film was pulled because it was the cause of too much bad press). "The filmmakers were nervous throughout the two-week shoot. Everything was hush-hush, and a lot of the shooting locations were last-minute." [Footnote: Rutanya had been offered a role in Sidney Lumet's "Serpico" but she had to back out since she was filming "Executive Action" at the time.] Robert Altman, one of the premier iconoclasts of the 1970's and beyond, cast Rutanya in "The Long Goodbye." In the film she played one of Marlowe's neighbors (character's name is Rutanya Sweet, Altman's idea) and, though it is not shown in close-up, she shows some skin to say the least (not unlike her role in "Greetings".) "I had worked on the whole shoot," says Rutanya. "I was asked to stand in for Nina Van Pallandt" (Pallandt played the lead role of the wife of Sterling Hayden's character, Roger Wade).

One of Rutanya's first jobs when she moved to L.A. was in an episode of TV's "Cannon" entitled "Perfect Alibi," where she played a grieving widow, Mrs. Degan. The memories of working with William Conrad, who of course played Cannon, were a bit unusual. "You don't look at William Conrad, and he does not look at you. It was a rule," said Rutanya. "He was an odd duck."

Rutanya Alda (right) in Mommie Dearest

I did express curiosity about Rutanya's highly restrained performance in "Mommie Dearest," playing such a passive maid to Faye Dunaway's high-strung, explosive Joan Crawford, whereas in "Amityville II: The Possession" Rutanya played a highly emotional woman married to that abusive lout of a husband (Burt Young). I had asked about her preference when it comes to acting, raising it a notch or two or dialing it down. "It depends on what the script calls for. It is the job of an actor to justify the reactions of the characters," said Rutanya. "For 'Amityville II', director Damiano Damiani addresses the psychological terror of a family that is very dysfunctional. Even with 'Mommie Dearest', the input is on the actor." As for Diane Franklin's emotionally disturbing role as the daughter to Rutanya's mother character in the haunted house sequel, I had wondered if Diane clinged to her. "Diane was the most inexperienced of the cast yet she was wonderful," said Rutanya. "Damiano was on hand to help her emotionally."

I had not been aware until very recently that Rutanya was married to one of the grittiest character actors with the raspiest of voices of all time, the late Richard Bright. Being an actor married to an actor can result in petty jealousies and messy divorces, especially in Hollywood. "It was very tough," said Rutanya. "Two people have the same concerns and it is tough to be creative all the time. The best match for a couple is to marry someone who is not in the same business. It was fun to work on some of the same projects [1994's 'The Ref' was one of those projects as well as 1983's "Vigilante" with Robert Forster], though we did not share any scenes together. If you are committed actors in a couples' situation, you respect the same insecurities, fears and anxieties."

Lastly, I had to ask about Rutanya's small role as a museum curator in Bob Rafelson's 1987 suspense thriller "Black Widow" with Debra Winger and Theresa Russell (Rutanya considered Theresa a "doll to work with.") Aside from Winger's troubling relationship with Shirley MacLaine in "Terms of Endearment," I had wondered what was the experience of working with the notoriously difficult Debra Winger. "I saw Debra at an Academy luncheon at the 21 club. An academy member said,  'Look there's Debra Winger, didn't you work with her?'  Yes, I said. The member then said, 'Dont you want to go say hi to her.' No, I said. I think that says it all. I didn't need to elaborate then and I don't need to elaborate now. Shirley said it...that's all."

Be sure to read Rutanya's memoir of making "Mommie Dearest" at

What is seen, is not always what is real

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Remembering Wes Craven's Definitive Nightmare

"What is seen, is not always what is real" 

That singular line defines the Elm Street series in general. It also defines the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street," a 1984 horror film that plays with audiences' expectations of fear and dread and of not waking up from a nightmare. 1974's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was a living nightmare of real horror perpetrated by sick, degenerate killers. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is about the fear that what happens in a dreamed nightmare is not just being dreamt - it is evocative of real fears we keep silent in our everyday existence.

Ostensibly marketed as the latest in a series of cumbersome slasher flicks during the mid-1980's, New Line Cinema's first major film, "A Nightmare on Elm Street," blew away all the slashing competition. Here we had teenage characters who possessed more than one dimension. The underrated performance by Heather Langenkamp as Nancy evokes a shy girl full of innocence who slowly gains control. At first, she is the innocent girl-next-door type who can't bring herself to sleep with her boyfriend (Johnny Depp), who lives across the street from her. Her parents, workaholic Lt. Thompson (John Saxon) and hard-core alcoholic Marge (Ronee Blakely), have Heather in their best interests yet they remain emotionally guarded. Tina (Amanda Wyss) is one of Heather's best friends yet she is having a little problem sleeping, having nightmares of some burn victim with razors for fingers. Amazingly Heather has the same nightmares, and so does Tina's troublemaking boyfriend Rod (Jsu Garcia). Who is that burn victim with a red-green sweater who haunts their dreams? Anyone versed in the Nightmare on Elm Street mythology will know the answer to that.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" has been described by Robert Shaye (New Line Cinema's own founder) as a dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream. That begs the question: at which point is the film part of any given reality? That I cannot say but I would not call it a Dream Film, like any of David Lynch's more preternatural excursions beyond "Blue Velvet." Obviously when a slimy tongue extends from a phone's receiver or when Nancy somehow pulls the creature's old battered hat from her nightmare, one can understandably view such moments as nightmares (keep in mind that Nancy stays awake for seven days while consuming copious amounts of coffee). I would say the whole film is a nightmare. The first clue may be the first daylight scene in the film where we see some kids playing jump rope and singing "One, two, Freddy's coming for you" while in the same sustained foggy shot, the camera tracks into the teenagers arriving at school. Nancy never quite wakes up -- she is fighting to stay awake but that is all a dream.

Horrormeister Wes Craven, who wrote and directed "Nightmare on Elm Street," has crafted an elegant film of uniform tension and extreme dread. There is no let up from what occurs from scene to scene. Just when Tina is trying to wake up from her nightmare, the horror continues with blood splattered across the walls and on the bed while laying next to Rod who tries to wake her up (a scene you would never understandably find in any of the teen sex comedies of the 80's). When Nancy wakes up screaming after falling asleep in class during a reading of Hamlet, she hastily leaves realizing she has an actual burn in her arm she acquired during her nightmare. Night or day, or whether she is at a sleep study or someone else's house or at school, the nightmare never ends - it intensifies.

Another factor that was lost during the progression of "Elm Street" sequels (though none are as scary, they are all ultimately disturbing) was the depiction of Robert Englund's iconic monster Freddy Krueger. Unlike other installments, Freddy is hardly visible on screen -- he is shrouded in darkness and has mostly an extended cameo. He is a despicable creature who could care less about himself, especially when slicing his body open or cutting off his own fingers. "This...is God," as Freddy holds his talon glove over his face. It is this depiction that helps make the teen characters empathetic to the audience -- we are in their shoes and want them to stay caffeinated and alert, or else. You get killed in the dream, you die in reality. When Nancy wishes Freddy away by sucking all his energy, we want to believe her strength in allowing herself to literally turn her back on this monster. By the end of the film, we believe the real nightmare has begun - waking up to reality.

Nothing up its virtual reality sleeve

THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia 

After seeing the dreary "The Matrix Revolutions," I have nothing but sour feelings for this series. The original "The Matrix" is possibly better than my initial pan of the film, though I am not sure it works as a kung-fu actioner with sci-fi effects and occasional existential quotes. "Reloaded" is a far better film, stronger in every department though it, too, gets mired in over-the-top action scenes like an interminable 14-minute freeway chase. Still, "Reloaded" had moments where the reality factor of sense and smell in a virtual reality were put forth, as well as questions about machines versus man. "Revolutions" could have put the cap on the trilogy by taking such ideas further, as promised by "Reloaded." Instead this movie is overlong and exhaustingly repetitive, coasting on a never-ending mirage of shootouts and shoot-them-ups that border on noisy overkill. Call it revolutions of an under-imagined script.


Neo (Keanu Reeves), also known as Mr. Anderson, the hero and savior of "The Matrix," was last seen in a coma. He is finally brought out of his coma and is trying to figure out how to save the city of Zion. You see, Zion will be demolished by the expedient spider-like robots with tentacles, known as the Sentinels, and thus destroy the world the humans live in. The evil Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), last seen battling Neo with multiple clones of himself, is hellbent on destroying Zion as well, though his nefarious plans include nothing more than living amongst all his clones in a rain-drenched, anonymous city (what a visionary)! Smith is from the virtual reality world and must get rid of Neo, and Neo must save Zion. No X-Box games will be awarded to anyone who can guess that these two will battle to the death yet again.

Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett Smith, returning from "Reloaded" as Niobe, is shown to commandeer a ship with such class, sweat and authority that she is easily the best thing in the entire movie. There are also diminishing returns by Carrie Anne-Moss as Trinity, Neo's leather-clad girlfriend, the Obi-Wan-like Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne, looking quite bored), and many other characters who bark orders and not much else - unless you have seen "Reloaded," you'll have no idea who they are. The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), the Frenchman, returns all too briefly along with Monica Belluci as his wife - nice but fleeting. Most of "Matrix Revolutions" consists of battle scenes galore, guns ablazing in slow-motion, ships moving at near-hyperspace speeds and hundreds of Sentinels moving with whiplash ferocity across the screen, but what in blazes is all this about? What is at stake and whom should we root for? Neo is practically left out of the movie until the last third - either it is a blessing or a disappointment to see Keanu Reeves in a supporting role. The Oracle (Mary Alice, replacing Gloria Foster who died during production of "Reloaded") is nothing more than a philosophical mirage, though philosophy takes a backseat more than ever for endless, pointless, cumbersome action scenes. The ideas of reality and virtual reality that were starting to develop in "Reloaded" are practically nonexistent in this sequel. The only reality is that this trilogy really had nothing up its sleeve after all.

Matrix Repetitions

THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Viewed on June 13th, 2003

When the original "Matrix" was released in theatres, I had no idea it was going to become a pop phenomenon. I had intensely disliked the first time out, and received floods of angry emails saying I had no idea what I was missing. It seemed firmly established that "The Matrix" was becoming something of a national treasure. But I still did not see what all the hoopla was about. Yes, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss all looked great in black leather and sunglasses as they shot their way from one room to the next. There were the kung-fu fights where a leap or a kick in the air would be momentarily frozen as the camera panned around it only to be brought back to normal speed. Yes, cool effects, but not much more. I still feel the original film lacks a real story with real, identifiable characters who have some purpose. This "Reloaded" sequel is certainly better but still lacks a focus...it just offers more bang for your buck.

"Matrix Reloaded" wastes no time in reintroducing its characters or story. As the film opens, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is seen jumping out of a high-rise building as she fires two guns in typical slow-motion speed at the Agents, the bad guys who wear business suits and sunglasses. An explosion, lots of bullets whizzing by in almost molecular form, and more pointless nonsense until we
realize it is only a dream. It is Neo's dream, once again played by the most blank-faced actor in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves. Lest we forget, Neo is really Thomas Anderson, a software nerd who was told in the original film that his reality was actually an illusion. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), the Obi-Wan Kenobi of this world, is aware of such illusions and is convinced that Anderson
is Neo (also known as the One), the one who will save them from the machines who
may destroy the Matrix (a program that is the very illusion they live in). There is no doubt as we see how quickly Thomas learns kung-fu and how to adapt in a cyber-created universe where bullets can be dodged in slow-motion. And he's got a beautiful girlfriend, Trinity, who cares for him deeply. Now on to this sequel where we learn that the machines (a group of spider-like robots with piercing
tentacles) are about to destroy the city of Zion, the place where all existing humans live. Neo plugs back into the Matrix to meet with the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster) and discuss something about predestined choices, although does one already choose when they are inside a program or can one feasibly choose differently? Hmmm. Nevertheless, the Oracle tells Neo to find the Source to the
Matrix, and the one that can help is known as the Architect. Before we are allowed the opportunity to delve into such existential questions of choices and other matters, hundreds of Agent Smiths (most of them played by Hugo Weaving) fight Neo. Neo eventually gets away and beats most of them single-handedly.

Back to the philosophy of the "Matrix," I found that the speeches about reality, machines and the inner reality and choices we make would render this film definitely a cut above the original. Consider an early, terrific scene where Neo talks with Councillor Harmann (Anthony Zerbe) about machines - do we control them or do they control us? We can turn off all the machines that generate power
for a city like Zion, so in effect, we need them as much as they need us. Interesting. Also noteworthy is a later sequence where Neo talks with the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), a stubborn French wit who loves to curse in French. He can lead Neo to the Key Maker (Randall Duk Kim) but that is another story. Consider the initial meeting between Neo and the Frenchman, especially
when he describes how he programmed a blonde woman in a restaurant to feel ecstatic from eating a piece of chocolate cake. It is clever scenes like this that indicate the Wachowski brothers, the writer-director team of the "Matrix" movies, have something else in their minds besides mind-blowing action. They might have taken a cue from David Cronenberg's far more existential, playful
"eXistenZ," a mind-bending reality vs. fiction story that has more up its intellectual sleeve than either of these popcorn movies. But before you can say, how clever, we are bombarded with more kung-fu fights, a 14-minute car-truck-motorcycle chase that runs on too long, more whizzing bullets, more
Agent Smiths, and more of everything. Call it "Matrix Repetitions."

There are more fascinating elements in this sequel, but it all goes to waste. Keanu Reeves still looks like a stoner and a half. Laurence Fishburne is practically in sleep mode throughout, and none of his scenes are half as interesting as Anthony Zerbe's. Monica Belluci as Merovingian's wife brings a
touch of class to the proceedings before she is abruptly shelved for possibly more screen time in "Revolutions." Gloria Foster's abrupt scene as the Oracle lends some degree of intelligence, if only she had more to say. In fact, the dialogue is tighter and wordier than the original, not to mention as abbreviated to make rooms for tons of special-effects. Abrupt is the name of the game of
this sequel as the film ends before it really begins. We are then treated to a preview of "Revolutions" after the end credits. Perhaps in that film, we will begin to see some semblance of a story.

The House that has Taken its Toll on Nicole Kidman

THE OTHERS (2001)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Original Review from August 15th, 2001

I never thought anyone would care to make a haunted house movie with such delicacy, vigor and intelligence as "The Others," but here it is and it is a stunning classic in the tradition of spooky ghost stories. Funny how two years ago we were bombarded with a remake of "The Haunting" that threw all imagination to the winds with its countless special-effects and histrionic performances, and now
comes a film of brooding menace and oodles of atmosphere and tension. Yes, it can still be done with nary a CGI effect.

The exquisite strength of Nicole Kidman continues with her latest role as a near-hysterical, icy, religious woman named Grace. Set in 1945 after World War II, Grace lives with her two children in an isolated mansion located in a foggy English island known as Jersey (one of the Channel Islands). Grace needs servants to look after the house and places an ad. Presto! The next day, a triad
of Irish servants arrive at her house and are given a tour of every door and every room. Grace is adamant about keep each and every door closed and locked at all times so as to not let the slightest amount of light enter the house. The reason is because her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), are allergic to the light to the point where it could kill them. The
servants seem to have another agenda though and, as it turns out, they were formerly servants of the same house and know its deepest secrets that Grace can hardly prepare for. Yes, indeed, it is haunted, or is it!?

"The Others" is in the fine tradition of excellent ghost stories such as the original "The Haunting" and the nervy "The Changeling," both dealing with haunted manors or mansions where pianos seem to play by themselves, floors seem to creak, attics are full of mysterious items, and so on. There is absolutely nothing in "The Others" that you have not seen before but rarely is it done with
this much skill or panache. Spanish writer-director Alejandro Amenabar ("Open Your Eyes") understands that subtlety and imagination pay off in this kind of genre, and he does a superb job of creating an ominous atmospheric pull that builds the tension incredibly until the surprising ending.

Kidman helps to build the tension with her shrieking fits and her frequent hysterical episodes - her Grace is no ordinary heroine. She is fearful but always in control and it is a delicate balance brought on beautifully by Kidman, an actress who continues to surprise and engage me in each and every
performance. What is also rendered is Kidman's genuine pathos, uncovering a gentle, human, loving woman who fights to protect her kids. Just look at her mania episodes and contrast them with her vulnerable, sunnier side when her husband (Christopher Eccleston) returns from the war looking like a famished zombie. It is an amazing performance by Kidman that I hope is remembered at
Oscar time.

Alakina Mann and James Bentley are both excellent as the mature kids who love to read but are also afraid of the dark - they can't seem to get used to it enough, particularly the frightened Nicholas. They are kids who seem more mature than their years, a rare find in this day and age of cute, cuddly tots with no personality who never seem to mature (Olsen twins, anyone?).

The enigmatic servants are also well-portrayed. Fionnula Flanagan is the dear old Mrs. Mills who caters to Grace's needs though she does question Grace's behavior to her own children (still, Mrs. Mills makes a helluva good cup of tea). Elaine Cassidy is the mute Lydia, showing more expressions of sadness than I have seen in some time (she was the fabulous lead in Atom Egoyan's "Felicia's
Journey"). Eric Sykes is Mr. Tuttle, the loyal gardener.

"The Others" is not per se a scary film (though there are a couple of requisite shocks) but it is an eerie, often frightening psychological drama, showcasing Kidman to full effect as a tormented woman who will do anything to protect her kids from the evils of the sunlit world. As she slowly becomes emotionally unbalanced in her fears and anxieties, you also sense the house itself has taken
its toll on her.  

Breakfast Club Meets Invaders from Mars

THE FACULTY (1998)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Original Review from 1998

Back in 1998, I had suffered through the inanities of the by-the-numbers "Halloween: H20," the dull "Vampires," and the needless remake of "Psycho." I was glad, therefore, to revel in the exorbitant glory of Kevin Williamson's latest exercise, "The Faculty." It is a fun-filled, exciting, spine-tingling, sometimes scary, sci-fi horror picture with enough thrills, chills and drama to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

The setting is a high-school full of the standard body-pierced teens, punks, bullies, and bored, alcoholic teachers. We have the insecure geek, Casey (Elijah Wood), who's always being beat up; the intelligent chemist, Zeke (Josh Hartnett, sporting a Monkee hairdo), who fails his senior year so he can sell drugs to his classmates; the punkish, wanna-be lesbian, Stokely (Clea Du Vall); the Miss
Perfect cheerleader, Delilah (Jordana Brewster); the jock-like Stan (Shawn Wayne Hatosy), who wants to use his brains more than his brawn; and the newly admitted student, Marybeth (Laura Harris II), who tries to bring Stokely out of her shell.

The faculty itself is even more interesting, though they are outclassed by the "Scream"-like cast. We have the intense football coach (the perfectly cast Robert Patrick); the demanding Principal Drake (Bebe Newirth); the sexy Nurse Harper (the luscious Salma Hayek, only in the movies); the mousy English teacher (the drop-dead gorgeous Famke Janseen, again, only in the movies); the goateed
Biology teacher (Jon Stewart); and the bitter Mrs. Olson (Piper Laurie). After a while, this lovely bunch becomes possessed by aliens, and they eventually take over the school. It is up to the surviving "Breakfast Club" group to outwit and outsmart the faculty.

Despite a mediocre if fitfully nerve-jangling opening sequence, "The Faculty" scurries into a tightly controlled horror thriller with enough visual razzle-dazzle and colorful performances to rally the senses. Amazingly, director Robert Rodriguez restrains himself, this time, lowering his fast-editing style to a few notches. There is nothing here that suggests the over-the-top theatrics of "From Dusk Till Dawn" or the terminally awful "Desperado." He saves his special-effects blow-out specialty for the last sequence in the school's gym and pool, which is full of claustrophobic energy.

The main plus in this delirious production is screenwriter Kevin Williamson. He is one of our
prime writers of pop references and self-aware dialogue - he is also, surprisingly, an acute observer of modern teenage life. This is personal terrain for me because I used to know teenagers like these, particularly Stokely, and I can say that the 90's teenagers are not at all different from the 80's due to their similar fears and anxieties about adjusting to a maladjusted environment. One can understand moments like the geek being driven into a pole by bullies, the geek's room hilariously invaded by disapproving parents ("No more internet! No more porno!"), Stokely shying away
from other students' advances, and so on. But, wait a doggone minute, isn't this a horror picture? Yes, think of it as "The Breakfast Club" meets Invaders from Mars or the cult favorite, "The Return of the Living Dead."

Of all the actors who portray members of the faculty, the one I was most impressed with was Robert Patrick as the fierce coach, probably his best role since "Terminator 2." He projects a comical side I've not seen in him before ("Please report to the principal's office"), and his level of intensity is
incredible, especially the opening scene where he erupts when the kids are not performing to expectations. From the actors as the students, I'll go with Clea Du Vall ("How to Make the
Cruelest Month"), a fine actress who projects some of Ally Sheedy's charisma and fragile emotional side (Hey! It's practically the same character Sheedy played in "The Breakfast Club").

"The Faculty" is not a great movie - Williamson has not yet transcended the numerous clichés of the horror genre - but there is enough of Williamson's typically clever dialogue (and Rodriguez's frenetic direction) to bring a smile, and an occasional scare, to your face.

DiCillo's Dream within a Dream

LIVING IN OBLIVION (1995)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Back in the 1990's, there were a myriad of indie flicks about making indie flicks - you can't get more postmodern (or meta, in today's parlance) than making a low-budget movie about making a low-budget movie. In hindsight, that almost sounds like an insane idea, if only because of how difficult it was in those days to get financing at all (I would not venture to guess how difficult it is now in 2018). The difference may be that "Living in Oblivion" is director Tom DiCillo's experience on making his debut film, "Johnny Suede" that starred then-unknown Brad Pitt - DiCillo knows the nuts and bolts of filmmaking almost on the fringe.

The specific details of making a movie are far too knowing to be made up in "Living in Oblivion." Bad milk makes the cinematographer sick after having his coffee; actors flubbing their lines; microphones accidentally ruining shots; the film director having a fit after hearing an endless ticking noise; fog machine releasing far too much fog; a diva-ish Brad Pitt-like actor who keeps changing every set-up to his own Method liking; sounds from a car radio with a deep bass; a light bulb bursts during filming, etc. The joke here, perhaps implied, is that professionalism may be lacking due to financial constraints in making a smaller film yet the big studios have to got to deal with their own hangups as well. A big-budget movie can have just as many problems on the set with accidents and diva-like personalities as a low-budget film.

Seeing "Living in Oblivion" yet again the other day for the first time since the late 90's, the film is almost nostalgic in its grungy look at a 1990's low-budget movie set. It is possibly the best film about making such films from that period because it focuses exclusively on the nuts and bolts and frustrations of making a movie. Steve Buscemi is a total joy as the erratic film director Nick - he shows patience with his actors but he can also be driven to madness (in one scene, he tears apart the stage). Catherine Keener is Nicole, the somewhat patient and frustrated lead actress who wants to do her best and is the most talented on the set, though women on the crew feel they could do a superior job. James LeGros is consistently funny as an airhead of a superstar actor who is concerned how he looks on screen, and does everything he can to upstage everyone (despite denials from DiCillo, LeGros's Chad Palomino instantly reminds one of Brad Pitt). Dermot Mulroney is wickedly engaging as the beret-wearing, leather-strapped cinematographer who cannot handle Chad's inability to stay in the frame of a shot. Danielle von Zerneck ("La Bamba") is a hoot and half as the assistant director who wears loud colorful shirts and has a thing for Chad (of course, all the women do). To top it all off, we have a memorable turn by Peter Dinklage as Tito, playing some sort of magical character in a dream sequence directed by Nick. Tito then asks, "why does every dream sequence have to have a dwarf?" Good question.

Speaking of dreams, most of what occurs in "Living in Oblivion" is a dream, either Nick's or Nicole's dream. Quite possibly the last section of the film, which I believe is not a dream, may be ironically the actual film about dreams with Tito that Nick is making (which feels odd when you consider the supposed domestic family drama in one dream, and the hokey 1940's-like black-and-white romance that follows). Maybe that is the idea - no matter what kind of film you are making, if you don't love it with a passion then it is not worth doing.