This week I had the distinct privilege of writing about one of my all-time favorite docs (Penelope Spheeris’ punk opus “The Decline of Western Civilization”) and one of my all time favorite filmmakers (the man who gave me “Melvin and Howard”) Jonathan Demme.
Both are subjects that are close to my heart and it’s more than a little difficult for me to succinctly verbalize my appreciation for them. Even still, I gave it a go, but I’m left with the nagging feeling that there is something I may have left out.
In the case of Spheeris’ “Decline,” I don’t think I even had a chance to mention the sequel, “Decline of Western Civilzation: The Metal Years” (in which even as a young man vehemently opposed to all the trappings of the hair metal era, I find many memorable moments and redeeming qualities).
I should also probably thank Spheeris for directing “Wayne’s World,” which features one of my all time favorite lines in cinema history—“stop I fell on my keys” (it’s funny ‘cause it’s true). But noooo I was wayyyy too pre-occupied trying to mount a scholarly discussion of the film when I could have boiled my thoughts down to a single sentence. I still find Black Flag, X and The Germs to be really neat.
In the case of Demme I had to prevent myself from doing just the opposite (you’ll notice that I barely mention “Silence of the Lambs” and man had I gone off on that tear, the whole piece would be at least twice as long).
So yeah, just wanted to offer a disclaimer and say that each of the two aforementioned subjects easily merit a whole book’s worth of praise, and either would be a book that I’d be very proud to write. Hope you like the pieces and should you have any thoughts (or even just the strong desire to geek out with a fellow fan) that you’ll drop us a line at viewers@documentarychannel.com