Summer Reading. 9.

I know you probably didn't get the chance to see the film yesterday and, actually, I'm not that upset. Maybe it's for the best. Slipping in alone, on the spur of the moment, is often a good way to see a movie - expectations are more reasonable and the Saturday night hassle avoided--but one of The Last Days of Disco's themes is, precisely, the allure of "group social life." It's definitely a good "date movie," and making arrangements to go with the right person might take some thought and planning. Better still, go with a group of eight or so, with some romantic matching or rematching possibilities involved. Afterward you could go out for drinks, dinner, or even dancing, depending on the time zone. In any case, try to slip a cold beer into the screening. It goes very well with popcorn, balancing the salty taste. There should be no awkwardness with the sound of the beer can's pop-top as the film's start is pretty loud (if it isn't, please complain to the projectionist).       

This is supposed to be a diary, but last week was more interesting than this one for me. On the weekend of May 29 the film opened, and we also had to vacate the loft we've occupied since 1984. The symmetry goes even further: The first shot of what lay ahead came the morning after Barcelona opened four years ago - the landlord's son called to 1) congratulate us on the reviews and 2) raise the rent.

From Whit Stillman's Diary for Slate, June 1998.



Posted by dwhudson at July 30, 2003 1:18 PM