Page 30 - Studio International - February 1971

mean it's not terribly good. Kids in America are put something in front of a camera. And then equipping themselves with video tape, cassettes,
self-destructive, they're crazy, they're from silent films to silent acting; the early talking and they'll probably have video-cassette
completely immoral, yet they're a little more films are really unique. Did you see the one courses. Film-making's not this expensive and
interesting. Jimmy has called The Shopper ? Now that's what a kid spends on a surf board he can make a
HILL: Apart from the police raid on Flesh, really a remarkable film. You know, that person film for, or certainly a used car—he could make a
there's probably been less attention paid here in drag is just so inadequate to remember—not film for that money. But they have to want to do
to the films themselves than anywhere else. inadequate but couldn't you see there were lines it. But the colleges set themselves up and say,
Do you have any idea why ? supposed to be remembered and she could only well you know, to make film you have to get a
MORRISSEY: Well maybe it's because our films remember the first three or four or five and group together and one does this and one does
come on to the public as art films. They think then she kept being pushed back in front of the that and you all work together as a team—and you
Andy's an artist and this is some sort of special camera and trying to improvise and the whole don't have to do that at all. I think if people
case of an artist being deprived of an audience— notion of improvising is actually like something think in those terms all the time nobody's going
but we are always decrying art and hoping immoral to Mario. You know, not to be to come out of film-making schools. I mean
there'd be more of a public response. prepared. And so it's stumbling so badly they've been around for ten or fifteen years at
HILL: But if this was considered art we'd be through the whole film. And then of course least. Not one single person with any talent that
able to get the critics to give reviews; we can't there's that wonderful song where she sings I ever heard of ever went to a school. Roman
even get that. 'Young in Heart' and instead of saying young in Polanski went to one. But certainly in America
MORRISSEY: There were good reviews of Flesh. heart it's when you're a kleptomaniac and then I've never heard of anybody. I don't know.
HILL: Flesh? Yes. Not of Andy's though. the last line is 'when you are among the very The whole notion of art and films is a little bit
MORRISSEY: No. They dismiss them as being young in heart' and she says 'when you are the problem, and that art does not belong to
frivolous and this is, I think, silly because as among the very kleptomaniac', you know she films, and this was Andy's notion; and if you
years go by the more frivolous will stand up doesn't know the adjective for it and she sort of know the person has some interesting notions
better because the serious aspects of Flesh which rings in 'kleptomaniac' —but yes, the shoestring about making a good film then many years later
people feel are sort of melancholy, whatever, you cinema dynasty. Here's where it says—'an somebody can say, well that was art. If everybody
know there's no saying that in twenty, thirty interesting speculation that an artistic odyssey puts a film out on the market it's gonna be
years they might seem foolish. And real comedy that began with a six-hour film of a man judged as art. I feel like I'm talking as somebody
and silly comedy survives much better and sleeping may be edging toward an entente with who's worked for Universal International and
Lonesome Cowboys . . . but then Andy has some conventional narrative cinema.' Which is what turned out films like Airport and was trying to
very serious films which were never shown that he'd like to do. I don't know—maybe we'll do a say that these films are OK. You know what we
much. The audience wants to see sex—that spectacle one, a musical. do really is very personal because we do it all by
shouldn't be denied them because if there's large HILL: Do you think you'll ever get as far as the ourselves, but what we're not arguing for, what
numbers of people want to do something there's Ios and go into a decline like the industry ? I'm not arguing for, is this emphasis on the
probably some good reason for it. I mean it's not MORRISSEY: Oh probably. It's probably about a personal interfering of the film-maker—the
right to just squelch large-scale human nature. I year or so away. Everything's so hastened-on. person who makes it shouldn't interfere, he
think Lonesome Cowboys was comedy, Oh it is sad about the studios, but of course it should really work with people who are actors,
comparable to the Carry On movies in a way— would be impossible for them to exist—the or performers; make up stories that are simple,
only a very American type of comedy. This is a audience isn't there. Costs have gone up and because you've got a mass audience, you want
very indigenous type of comedy to American film-making couldn't possibly exist under any simple things—and not have too many
people, and Carry On films I don't think are kind of union conditions. Anybody who wants preconceived notions about what they're gonna
terribly successful in America; one or two were to make any film and say well, we have to have wind up with. I think that the way to handle
years ago; now they don't come any more. But I a little more people than we really need because actors is to give them a great deal of confidence
think they're really interesting, the Carry On the union wants us to have them, and also the and let them think that you have faith in them.
series, and worth watching and quite enjoyable. notion that people, especially young people, It's like sink or swim, they feel they have to do
It's just I think they must be tired now. But they my God, with 16 mm equipment, should have something. So they're forced to do it. And they
maybe don't make as many as they used to. I to hire somebody to do their camera work, give performances; they didn't think they were
mean they aren't as good as they used to be. somebody else to write the scripts for them... I actors, they say, 'I've never acted before'. But
But at first they were really good. Lonesome think you have to make a film now the way I just don't like it when people say they have a
Cowboys was, well you could call it a frolic, somebody would have made a painting or a script, they want to make into a film. And they
I don't know what else you'd call it. Camp is novel in the past : they have to do it all. They just have to find the money to get it done and if
one word. But I never really understood the edit, they put it together, they produce it, they they could only get the right cash—and when they
meaning of the word 'camp', and everybody direct it, they do everything; because it's easy to finally get around to doing it they fight with
has a thousand different meanings for it. And do, it's not hard. I mean my problem is that their actors because the actors aren't doing it the
you know, I think those things are very hard to we're the only ones that do it and every time we way they wanted it done. Well obviously their
do. Certainly when Hollywood big companies do it we have to stop and then sell it; we have to opinion of their original piece of paper is
try to do real send-offs or frolics or to carry distribute it or whatever, and we really can't terribly high and I don't think anything on
silliness, it is very heavy-handed. I think to be go on just doing it; there's no organization and paper is ever valid as something that'll work on
able to do something light and get away with it they can just give us more assignments and the screen. Whatever works on the screen works
is very worthwhile. The Italians do it very well. just have us go and do them. I think we'd on the screen because it works on the screen,
And the English certainly. Americans aren't become much more proficient; certainly the not because it was worked out on a piece of
famous for it, but they used to be in the thirties, proficiency is to be desired but it doesn't have paper. It works on the screen because some
that kind of light style. One of the things to be that proficient; it doesn't have to be an actor probably did something that was worth
somebody pointed out about Trash, they talked end in itself. And also young people can do it, seeing.
about the shoe-string, cinematic dynasty of Andy and especially in colleges where they spend so HILL : Do you think this new kind of conception
Warhol's films. Something about Andy and his much money on these stupid courses and every is because a lot of this feeling is coming from
systematic recreation of film business. Andy's kind of course under the sun is given account of. people who were painters ?
early films were influenced by Eddison—those They have language machines and all sorts of MORRISSEY : No. I don't think it has anything to
static films, just showing what happens when you audio-visual equipment and everything else; do with painting, being painted. I think it has
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