The Walker Cinema is a no-snack venue. But never have I yearned harder for a little bag of popcorn than I did at the screening of Dogfight as part of Lili Taylor’s Regis Dialogue and Retrospective. I brought along my friend, Sovady, and we settled in for 89 minutes of snarky one-liners and endearing moments with Lili and River Phoenix. I am such a sucker for that film.
River Phoenix and Lili Taylor in Dogfight.
I came back the following night for a double-feature with I Shot Andy Warhol and The Addiction. During her Regis Dialogue with critic and writer B. Ruby Rich, Lili mentioned that The Addiction was a strange turn for her, and the fans of that film are few and far between. I am pleased to note that I am among the “few and far between.” But what I remember most clearly as I left the cinema was that both films made reference to William S. Burrough’s controversial book, Naked Lunch. This stuck in my brain because at that moment, sitting at home on my coffee table, was the film adaptation of the novel by director David Cronenberg. I don’t have any reflections on ‘Naked Lunch’ to offer beyond its tenuous and coincidental connection to my Netflix queue.
Lili Taylor and director Mary Harron on the set of “I Shot Andy Warhol”
Lili Taylor seeks advice from sage vampire Christopher Walken.
There’ll be more to report as the retrospective continues. Tonight is another Nancy Savoca film, Household Saints.
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