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Buffalo '66
11.6.2002 by Dan Beirne, every Wednesday.


Nathan Lane comes over every Wednesday to the house to watch a movie, or just chat with Dan. Dan found these little chats so interesting, he decided to tape-record them and tell the world all the neat things Nathan had to say about movies and stuff.


Wednesday, October 2, cloudy

Buffalo '66 (1998): The first feature from Vincent Gallo. The story of Billy Brown; who gets out of prison and decides to go home. Desperate to keep up the lie he has told his parents, he kidnaps a girl to come home with him to pretend to be his wife. But Billy has trouble letting go of what put him in jail in the first place. Acted, directed, produced, and with music composed by Vincent Gallo.

Me: That was great! Gee, that was great, wasn't it Nathan?

(silent pause. you can hear a truck backing up outside)

Me: Nathan?

Nathan: Just give me a minute, please.

Me: I mean, everything just clicked, didn't it? It was pretty much a perfect movie. What with the excellent performances, the subtlety of the framing, the really stark--

Nathan: Just, please, enough.

Me: colours.

(Nathan clearing his throat)

Me: Are you okay?

Nathan: Yes, I'm fine.

Me: Did you hate it?

Nathan: Of course I didn't hate it, Dan, how could anyone hate that?

Me: Oh, sorry, I just thought since you weren't saying anything, I---

Nathan: Well, maybe I was moved, did you ever think of that?

Me: Oh, sorry I--

Nathan: You just don't really consider other people when you watch a film, do you?

Me: Um, yes.

Nathan: You would probably take a call on your cell phone during a movie, too, right?

Me: I don't own--

Nathan: You think you're by yourself, watching tv or something.

(there is a long silence. like three minutes)

Me: So, what did you do on the weekend?

Nathan: I'm sorry.

Me: Um, okay.

Nathan: It just really moved me, and I didn't want to talk about it right away, and I just got frustrated.

Me: It's okay.

Nathan: So you liked it. Well, it's obvious you liked it.

Me: I went to the zoo by myself.

Nathan: You're right about the colours. I read somewhere that he shot it on reversal stock to enhance the contrast. But I never understood why, but now I know, it's because the whole movie is contrast.

Me: Yeah, contrast. They had the penguins right next to the lions.

Nathan: At the beginning, he's a fish out of water, being in the real world. Then, Layla becomes the fish out of water at Billy's house during the dinner scene.

Me: What was with the dancing scene in the bowling alley?

Nathan: Everybody gets their time to perform. His father, with the record, his mother in the memories. Layla, at the bowling alley, and Billy at the end.

Me: Oh, yeah, right. Cool.

Nathan: At least, I think so. I could be wrong. Did you...?

Me: What?

Nathan: Nothing.

(I don't know what Nathan was talking about there)

Nathan: It seems like he got a lot from Cassavetes, don't you think?

Me: Um...I don't know.

Nathan: Well, using Ben Gazarra, and all the really casual and overlapping performances, it just felt that way.

Me: Who's that?

Nathan: It's not important. How's your mom?

Me: She's good.

Nathan: And subtlety. Frig, the subtlety was incredible! Because since the characters were often so outlandish, it was the little movements, like her pulling the handshake into a hug, that make the movie so incredibly....

Me: Contrast.

Nathan: Dainty.

(a book falling from my shelf)

Nathan: Woah, that's weird. It's a copy of The Great Gatsby.

Me: Why is that weird?

(The tape ran out because I forgot to change it from last week)

As always, you can e-mail Nathan at hakunamattata69@hotmail.com if you want to talk about movies, or just about whatever.

Notes:

The Great Gatsby: I was supposed to read this for English class. I never got around to it, though, so I don't know what it's about.



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