the list of 9 for november 11, 2002:
NINE FORGOTTEN FIRST FEATURES BY MAJOR FILMMAKERS
I was annoyed recently when several film critics, in their reviews of M. Night Shyamalan'sSigns, referred to The Sixth Sense as his "first film". It would've taken them 30 secondsto go to the IMDb and learn that Shyamalan directed not one but two features before The SixthSense. In light of this, I started thinking about all the well-known filmmakers who, once upon atime, put in months or even years of struggle and heartache on earlier projects which are nowforgotten, rarely seen or discussed.
- M. Night Shyamalan's PRAYING WITH ANGER. The aforementionedfirst film by Shyamalan was finished in 1992 and stars the filmmaker as an American student who goes toIndia to find his roots. "In a land torn apart by hate, he found the strength to love..." goes thetagline. Shyamalan didn't make another film until 1998, with the rather well-funded and somewhatwidely-released Wide Awake, starring Rosie O'Donnell, which tanked at the box office.
- Steven Spielberg's FIRELIGHT. Spielberg named his productioncompany "Amblin" after his first "official" film, Amblin', which was shot in 1968 and helpedestablish his career. However, Amblin' was a short film; Firelight, shot four yearsearlier, was Spielberg's first feature - and quite an ambitious project it must have been for the 18year old auteur: though it was a sci fi cheapie (about alien invasion!) shot in his backyard withfriends, the film clocks in at 140 minutes! I don't know a soul who's seen it.
- Jane Campion's TWO FRIENDS. Oscar-winning writer/directorCampion (The Piano) made this no-budget 1986 drama about two teenage girls in New Zealand. Fansof Memento will appreciate Campion's similar reverse-chronology structure. Though theaudio is poor, I for one still think this is her best work: touching, tender and very honest.
- Todd Solondz's FEAR, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. Indie provocateurSolondz (Happiness) made this neurotic comedy in 1989, in which he starred as a grating WoodyAllen-esque character searching for love. Its critical and commercial failure depressed Solondz so muchthat he quit filmmaking and taught English as a second language for six years before re-emerging withthe acclaimed Welcome to the Dollhouse.
- Stanley Kubrick's FEAR AND DESIRE. Kubrick himself buried this,his 1953 first feature, and as a result most critics still refer to the relatively little-seen1956 film Killer's Kiss as his "proper" feature debut. The Kubrick estate sits on Fear andDesire (about a bunch of soldiers) to this day. Those who have seen bootleg copies agree that it isterrible. Worse than Eyes Wide Shut?
- Martin Scorsese's WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR? This 1968feature was also the first film to star frequent Scorsese collaborator Harvey Keitel. BoxcarBertha would come out four years later; Mean Streets a year after that. The rest is history.
- James Cameron's PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING. It's fun to chuckleover this silly skeleton in James Titanic Cameron's closet, filmed three years before TheTerminator (1984) made him an overnight sensation, but it fits in with his obsession of filmingaround water.
- Steven Soderbergh's YES: 9012 LIVE. This is a concert video,but I had to mention it because of the unlikely pairing of the future Oscar-winning director with thetwee prog rock/new wave noodlings of Yes. 9012 Live is worth seeing, however, just forSoderbergh's creative if cheesy video effects. (Well, it was 1986.)
- Francis Ford Coppola's TONIGHT FOR SURE. How could I resistending this list with Coppola's hushed-up 1961 debut effort, a soft core porno? He should be farmore embarrassed in making a stinker like Jack than in this harmless nudie.
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