Taking a Bath in New York City

In the last 48 hours I’ve taken one long bath in New York City. Not a literal bath because my hotel room doesn’t have a bath tub. (In fact, the “upgraded” room is about the size of a bathroom in other places in the United States.) But like most of my trips over the years to the big city, this has been a full Manhattan emersion —with a splash of Louisiana.

 

Last night I caught the just released movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. I don’t even know what to say about the film other that it’s part Southern Comfort (1981), part Conrack (1974) —from Pat Conroy’s book The Water is Wide, and Cross Creek (1983)—from the book of the same name by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Backwater stories. Oh, and mix into the gumbo some of Terrance Malick’s The Tree of Life and Winter’s Bone (2011). And definitely a story that qualifies as screenwriting and filmmaking from an “unlikely place.”

 

“Unlike a lot of movies shot in Louisiana, ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ couldn’t have been made anywhere else.”
Stacy Plaisance
Mercery News 

If you happen to be in New York tonight you have a unique opportunity at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas when director & co-writer Benh Zeitlin (a New Yorker) and star  Quvenzhan Wallis will be speaking after the 7:00 showing. (If I make it there tonight, I’ll be wearing a white baseball hat.)

More about that film next week, meanwhile here are some iPhone photos I’ve taken on my downtime from shooting the video project I’m in town working on. Mixed in with fragments of overheard conversations.

 

Overheard #1: When I got out of prison….”

#2: “I remember when I was single, weekends were killers.”
#3: “If you’re not Japanese, it’s really hard to live in Japan.” 

#4: “I’ll tell you one thing nobody knows… “

#5: “I’m glad I’m done with dating.”

#6: They always have a reason not to do it.”

#7: “My abs feel so good.” (Biker)

P.S. The director of Beasts of the Southern Wild will also be at screenings at the Lincoln theater Friday night (6/29/12).

Scott W. Smith