I had a great time last night watching Elliott Kalan's screening of "Little Murders" last night, with his guest, the film's screenwriter, Jules Feiffer.
Favorite moment: Elliott's suggestion that if they open the program up to questions from the audience, before anyone raises his hand, he should think to himself, "Will this be interesting to the entire audience, or just to me?" If the answer is "just to me," please don't raise your hand. All Q&As would be immensely improved if this rule would followed.
"Little Murders" is a fascinating, daring movie, especially as an artifact of the times: the radical, anarchic late '60s and early '70s. Jules's comments were terrific, speaking articulately about the political and social history/climate that led to his writing the play/movie.
On the pessimism in the movie, and in general, Jules said that things may be horrible and unsolvable, but we have to create and "maintain the illusion" that things can work, or nothing will ever get done. Later, when Elliott asked if Jules would ever write another play or movie, Jules essentially replied that he can no longer "maintain the illusion" that what he writes could ever change anything, so it's time for "old farts like me" to get out of the way of writers/cartoonists who can still pretend that they can change the world.
A terrific program, entertainingly orchestrated by the always charming and well-groomed Elliott Kalan.