An Open Letter to All Art House Movie Theatres:
To Whom It May Concern,
Albert Brooks is a comedic institution. The current reigning champions of comedy (Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Judd Apatow) all cite the films of Albert Brooks as a huge inspiration. Here's a few excerpts and links, in case you don't believe me:
What Rudd said: "But even as a kid, I could totally relate and loved anything Albert Brooks did. So I think that that kind of stuff was always more interesting to me."
From an Anne Thompson interview with Seth Rogen: "Rogen sees himself as a writer first, actor second. Like Quentin Tarantino? 'No.' Jon Favreau? 'No…maybe Albert Brooks.'”
Regardless of what these guys think, Brooks has simply been ahead of his time for thirty years. He predicted the current glut of reality shows with his film Real Life, which has been ripped-off more times than you'd image (The Truman Show, Ed Tv, the list goes on).
Brooks' second film, Modern Romance, is my personal favorite movie of all time. Brooks is often referred to as the West Coast Woody Allen, but I find that he sticks to his comedic sensability in such a way that the dramatic overtones are far more complex than anything Woody Allen could pull off. Woody wears his heart on his sleeve in such films as Annie Hall and Manhattan. Brooks shoves his feelings so far down that he'll never let you see them clearly - but they're there in films like Modern Romance and Mother if sought out.
Lost in America, Defending Your Life, Mother, The Muse and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World - those films right there are my five favorite comedic films since they've each been released. Some knock The Muse and Muslim World as minor Brooks, but I think any of his films gives the viewer more to chew on that a hundred similiar Hollywood films.
Will the Avon Theatre, or Film Forum, MoMa, Lincoln Center - somebody, please, do an Albert Brooks retrospective? If not that, then please let me know who has been a greater comedic influence on filmmaking than Albert Brooks, and I'll shut up.
Yours Truly,
Ryan Sartor
Here's the Real Life trailer. Which, of course, predicted the stupid 3D trend sweeping our multiplexes today:
