I got the screener for this documentary last year, but being
a lazy asshole, I never got around to it. With the recent passing of Mr. Cohen,
I thought it was high time I STOP being a lazy asshole and view it. Now that I’ve
watched it, I feel like even more of an asshole, and am sorry I took so long to
experience it.
As someone who never really paid that close attention to the
people behind the scenes of a movie (writer, director, cinematographer, etc.) I
didn’t even know Larry Cohen’s name. I have, however, seen a few of his films,
and they certainly have made a lasting impression.
This documentary doesn’t delve too deeply into his childhood
and upbringing, but instills in us his early proclivity toward creativity and
imagination. Though his career as a stand-up comedian didn’t pan out, the art
behind performing and writing a good show definitely translated into his television
and movie career.
It seemed natural, too, that his career evolved from writer,
to director, and eventually producer. From what he (and everyone who knew him)
said, he didn’t like other people screwing up his work, so why not just do it
himself? That didn’t stop him from getting fired off a few jobs (when there was
a separate production company involved.) But even so, by that point, he’d have
gotten what he wanted from the show, and was then able to move on to other
projects.
According to his second wife, he was a prolific idea man,
and could write up to twenty-five pages every day!
I’m not going to discuss every film brought up in the documentary,
or cover every detail explored. The one thing I really took away from this was a
shared consensus on Larry’s genius. His films were powerful and raw; his
creative eye allowed him to make a location as much a character as any actor in
the film; his guerrilla warfare tactics on filming kept his movies more budget friendly, and it’s part of what makes his films so “Larry.”
On a more personal level, everyone interviewed for this documentary
remembered Larry as a generous, kind, funny, sweet, kinda wacky, fearless man, and
one of the most brilliant filmmakers to ever come around the scene. His style
could never be reproduced today, which is a little sad, but also makes his legacy
that much more enduring. For me, his movie, The
Stuff, has always been, and continues to be, a favorite – even though, when
I first saw it, I never understood its “wink wink” statement on consumerism and
unethical business practices that were rampant in the eighties.
For anyone who wants to learn more about Larry Cohen, or would like a deeper look to his writing/directing life,
this documentary is a must. Then go seek out his shows and movies. I know I
will, and I’ll be able appreciate them from a perspective I didn’t have this
morning.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Cohen.
5 Hatchets (out of 5)
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