PODCAST: Susan Seidelman's "Smithereens"

Sometimes thought of as the raw blueprint for her cult-beloved second film Desperately Seeking Susan, director Susan Seidelman's 1982 feature debut Smithereens [reviewed here by Erin Donovan] epitomizes the grungy spiritedness of downtown NYC in the post-punk era. Self-deluded but aggressively independent, working-class New Jersey scenester Wren (Susan Berman) meets Montana runaway Paul (Brad Rijn) in the city, and moves into his pad—a van in a parking lot. He's into her, but she's superficially eyeing both stardom and up-and-coming rocker Eric (punk icon Richard Hell). What shakes out to one of the hippest soundtracks in history (The Feelies, ESG, plus Richard Hell and the Voidoids, natch) is a sprawling series of cynically funny bummers that takes Nouvelle Vague-like liberties in its narrative looseness. As an urban-decayed portrait of the young wannabe, its rock n' roll immediacy grants the film an adrenalized sadness.

Beginning today, Smithereens makes its on-demand debut on Cinetic's FilmBuff cable channel, and will be available on both iTunes and Amazon VOD starting September 30. In support of bringing new (blank?) generations of eyes to this undervalued time capsule, Seidelman and I chatted about directing the first American indie to play in competition at Cannes, the Warhol Factory cohort originally considered for the soundtrack, and the reason Richard Hell was forced to live in her apartment.

To listen to the podcast, click here. (16:55)

Podcast Music
INTRO: ESG, "Moody"
OUTRO: Richard Hell and the Voidoids, "The Kid with the Replaceable Head"

Posted by ahillis at September 12, 2009 3:21 PM