Episode 63 – Diane Keaton’s SUMMER CAMP w/guest Prof. Taylor Curry
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I’ve been anticipating this episode for some time and am anxious to listen. While most of Keaton’s recent films have been rather forgettable, she was always a welcome presence onscreen.
Her legacy largely rests on the stellar work she did in the 1970s & 1980s. Her quirky personality was perfect for Kay in The Godfather as the character could have very easily become a bland nonentity in less capable hands.
For me, Keaton’s work with Woody Allen is the high water mark of her career. They truly became one of the great teams in cinema. Her zany humor in their early collaborations (like Love and Death) became deeper & more profound in Annie Hall, Interiors, & Manhattan. The characters in each of these latter films are unique individuals: charming Annie, broken Renata (Interiors), & brittle Mary (Manhattan). I was so glad to see her cameo in Radio Days & even happier when Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) revealed her chemistry with Woody was still as charming as ever. In some ways, MMM plays like a sort of sequel to Annie Hall.
The outpouring of emotion & appreciation following the recent death of Dolly Parton is how I felt at Diane Keaton’s passing. If you’ve not read the piece Woody wrote in remembrance of Diane, I highly recommend it.
He stated:
“As time went on I made movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton. I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it.”
“A few days ago the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it’s a world that does not. Hence, it’s a drearier world. Still, there are her movies. And her great laugh still echoes in my head.”
Word is that Woody is set to begin production on his new film set in Madrid quite soon. If you ever decide to do a FadeOut episode on his filmography, I’m your man.
Great episode, Rob and Taylor! I now have a couple Keaton films I’d like to rewatch and a couple new ones to add to the list (Note: Town and Country need not apply).
Professor Curry, we met at the same time you met Rob at the Tampa Theatre. I was there with my daughter, one of your former students. She’s doing well in Czechia (though currently on a visa renewal break working at a Christian retreat center in Scotland). For professional reasons, she and I go by other names on these podcasts and comment threads. I’m trusting you (and like, 25 other people) with our somewhat-secret identities!
Anyway, it was great to hear you talking movies again. I really appreciated Carmen Jones, and I both appreciated and enjoyed your discussion of it. I can’t say I “enjoyed” the film, though it was gorgeous and a terrific production overall. Watching an admirable young soldier ruin his life just isn’t fun. However, I was still thinking about it and drawing new conclusions two days later, so I think it did its job, regardless. Hope to see you around town!
Rob, you went point-for-point with a recognized film expert, and I liked your theories. This “noted film historian” thing is legit! Taylor, any professor of practice positions open at UTampa? Failing that, how about guest lecturer? (I have to hype Rob. I think he burned out on hyping himself when he was doing freelance art full-time.)
Oh, I just remembered! Taylor, don’t let Rob give you a hard time about liking the body swap movie. When a group of us Floridians rented out a theater to see the new Superman movie, Freakier Friday was being advertised in the same theater. Rob had such a good time in Superman that he was ready to go!