HE'S THE (ALT)MAN!

Good Morning film fanciers. Well, yours truly is hoping to see a new film today - and we hope it will be, SPIKE JONZE'S WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Fortunately, I do have something to write about. I have recently, finished reading a fantastic new film book: ROBERT ALTMAN: THE ORAL BIOGRAPHY, by MITCHELL ZUCKOFF.

This is one of the best film bios I have ever read. It was engrossing, it was entertaining and it sure was gossipy. Best of all, it was not a hagiography, but it was a ''warts and all,'' portrait of one of the greatest directors of our time. Best of all, because it's an oral biography, it features pretty much anyone who knew or worked with, ALTMAN.

From his earliest days, ALTMAN, showed a flair for directing. He started off in television and then moved on to industrials, (where he had already started using his trademark overlapping dialogue), and finally to film. His first big film, was of one of his biggest: MASH. We find out in this section from various players, how that he was not, the first choice to direct the movie, how both ELLIOT GOULD and DONALD SUTHERLAND, tried to get him fired from the flick - you see he was spending too much time concentrating on the background characters - they didn't realize his genius back then. These background players, would go on to do many film with him, as his ''rep'' company. Ironically enough, while MASH, was nominated for many Academy Awards, including, Best Picture, it would only win for "best-adapted " screenplay.

ALTMAN, would go on to direct some of the greatest films of the 20th century: MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER, NASHVILLE, THE PLAYER and SHORT CUTS.

The book reads like a who's-who of Hollywood: WARREN BEATTY, JULIE CHRISTIE, PAUL NEWMAN, CAROL BURNETT, TIM ROBBINS, LILLY TOMLIN, MERYL STREEP, to name just a few. Of course we also hear from his film favourites: BUD COURT, JOHN SCHUCK, SHELLY DUVALL, KEITH CARRIDINE, PAUL DOOLEY, RENE AUBERJONOIS, et al...


He had a tempestuous life as his wives and children attest to. He was a larger than life, and he loved to party, drink and toke. To him life was a party and he certainly did. The book also documents how he could he could be quite cruel at times and his neglect of his kids, though they did work on his films (his son, actually made alot more money, than him, for writing the lyrics to the MASH SONG: SUICIDE IS PAINLESS.

It is really an incredible read and alot of fun to boot.

until next time..

T.T.F.N.