Manuel Muñoz on Psycho, Nashville, and Movies as Inspiration

Interview
The Film Experience doesn't often push books upon you, but it's time for an exception. Manuel Muñoz's debut novel "What You See in the Dark" hits bookstores, virtual and otherwise, this week. While it is a work of fiction, it borrows from reality for its backdrop. The pre-production and eventual release of Alfred Hitchcock's immortal Psycho (1960) figure into the narrative in crucial and evocative ways and both The Actress and The Director in question are characters.

Consider this amazing "double feature"

Full Disclosure (as I always believe in such things): I met Manuel Muñoz at a poetry event about four years  ago and he introduced himself as a reader of The Film Experience. Though predisposed to rooting for him as a result (I'm only human!) we hadn't really kept in good touch. In the intervening years, I bought a copy of his second short story collection. Two months ago his first novel arrived in galley form and I ate it right up.  I think it's quite an amazing read.

Nathaniel: Before your beautiful novel, which we'll get to in a moment, you had two short story collections published. The first piece of yours I ever read was "Skyshot" which had an amazing Robert Altman thread. That really won me over. How did that story come about and has the cinema always inspired you creatively as a writer?

Manuel Muñoz: I was lucky enough to see Nashville on the big screen at the Brattle in Cambridge when I was in college. I was stunned by it, and it remains my favorite film (with The Piano a close second.) Altman's command of multiple character arcs enthralled me--it was the closest I'd seen a film parallel the possibilities of words on the page. He could shift magnificently and I loved that he could suggest interiority with camera movement: I was stunned when I realized the camera had crept up on Lily Tomlin as she listened to "I'm Easy." (He did the same to Ronee when she sings "Dues.")

At the time, I was coming to terms with identity and subject matter, so it confused me to be so attracted to a film like Nashville, which is far outside my experience.

Manuel Muñoz by © Stuart Bernstein

But I eventually thought of how often we use films to narrate our own lives. I've never sat at the back of a bar while in love with a performer on stage, but I've worn that look that Lily has on her face. Know what I mean?

Nathaniel: I think so.  But to the point on identity. I've always believed that specificity -- be it in sharply drawn characterizations or carefully observed milieus -- has a way of inverting itself so it's suddenly universal. I see that in your writing too as you're often dealing with the Chicano experience, which I have little connection to and yet it's totally alive for me.

I'm guessing this has a lot to do with an assured storytelling voice, one that's relaxed about the audience feeling whatever it is they're going to feel without forcing it upon them.

Read the full interview for more on Great Actressing, casting dreams, Psycho and unlikely inspirations.

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"What You See in the Dark," A Must Read

This Wednesday's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" topic is Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). Try to look at it with fresh new eyes somewhen in the next 48 hours and join us for the conversation at 10 PM EST.

In other news, I have three copies of Manuel Muñoz's debut novel "What You See in the Dark" to give away. It's a haunting read that takes place in the small town of Bakersfield in 1959. It focuses on a sudden talk-of-the-town romance between a young couple as well as an older waitress who brushes up against Hollywood in the form of "The Actress" and "The Director" who are scouting locations for a movie (Guess which one? You got it.) I'll have an interview with the author up tomorrow. But if you'd like to enter the contest, here's what you do.

Send Nathaniel and e-mail by Thursday, 9 PM EST containing the following info.

• your name and mailing address
• one thing you love about the movie Psycho (1960)

I'll draw three winners randomly on Friday. This contest is open to all readers but especially recommended for those who like to curl up with literary fiction as much as they like to settle in with a classic movie.

Cover Those Tracks

My best friend recently moved apartments and I got one of his bookshelves in the move so suddenly I'm noticing my old buried movie books again that couldn't fit onto my previous shelving. I used to buy them in the 90s at garage sales or used book stores. This image is from "Life Goes to the Movies." published in 1975. It's basically just a picture book.

Caption:

In Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Peter O'Toole practices crawling to the resuce of a guide trapped in quicksand while two production crewmen stand by to sweep away the dry-run tracks before actual filming.

Never once while watching Lawrence of Arabia have I stopped to think  "damn, that's a lot of sand sweeping during production!" you know? Hee. Movie-making is so magical and mundane. Was that the least epic duty on that epic set? The sweepers undoubtedly had good tans by the end of production.

and furthermore...

Tom Shone "acting as a special effect" interesting piece.
The Playlist unveils the teaser poster for Pedro Almodovar's latest, The Skin That I Inhabit. Ewwww. I'm so scared to see this movie. But I shall.

In Contention checks out Vanessa Redgrave and Ralph Fiennes in the modern dress film version of Coriolanus, directing by Fiennes himself. How about that?
The Carpetbagger interviews The Social Network's invisible man Josh Pence, the other half of the Winklevii
The Wrap Lady Gaga on Jay Leno. You know... one thing I have to hand to Lady Gaga, the generosity and sentimentality she exudes in song and message doesn't seem faked at all. The way she handles Madonna questions in particular with respect is great. Because Madonna is the queen. Infinity.

Finally, the NY Times reports on Judi Dench's new book "and furthermore." The title implies that there is a previous book and we ought to read it since she's prepping a post script, addendum or some such in book form.

Complete the Sentence
If you were speaking with Dame Judi Dench what would follow your "and furthermore" with? "and furthermore ___________________"

Do tell her (and us) in the comments.

Contest Winners: Warren Beatty "STAR"

Warren & Natalie at the April 1962 Oscars.While Hollywood is busy celebrating Annette Bening's latest big screen triumph, we thought we'd celebrate her husband Warren Beatty with a giveaway of the biography "Star. How Warren Beatty Seduced America" . It's out on paperback finally. I asked contestants to tell me about their favorite Warren Beatty film and I was actually surprised at the breakdown (I expected Bonnie & Clyde to capsize the competition but it did not.) In fact, the contest entries were pretty evenly spread among the top three.

The Holy Trinity...er, Quadrilogy
1. Splendor in the Grass (1961)
2. Bonnie & Clyde (1967)
3. [tie] Shampoo (1975) & Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Reds, Dick Tracy, McCabe and Mrs Miller, The Parallax View and Bulworth, in that order, lagged behind. Those nine films are a pretty smart snapshot of the cream of his crop reminding us once again that Film Experience readers are awesome. (Duh!) The rest of Beatty's thin but substantial filmography wasn't mentioned; Beatty only made 22 movies over his 40 year career. Of the 13 that weren't name-checked the most interesting is probably Lilith (1964) about an institutionalized woman (Jean Seberg) and the most infamous is undoubtedly the adventure comedy Ishtar (1987) with Dustin Hoffman.

The classic Bonnie & Clyde (1967) with Beatty & Dunaway

Contest winners and notes on Bonnie & Clyde, Reds and Dick Tracy with Madonna after the jump.

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