Beginning tomorrow, the Metrograph Theater will be celebrating Susan Seidelman’s 1982 classic, Smithereens, with a brand new 35mm print.
Before Seidelman went on to make Desperately Seeking Susan with Madonna, this debut project established her (it was the first independent American film to compete at Cannes). Smithereens was shot over an 18 month period of stops and starts, in and around the East Village, beginning in 1979. It was time of the NYC bankruptcy crisis, abandoned and boarded-up buildings and a thriving cultural scene. The gritty 16mm cinematography adds the perfect docu-drama feel to the story.
The story follows a self involved young woman named Wren (played by Susan Berman) who escapes her dreary life in the New Jersey suburbs and comes to the East Village seeking fame and fortune in the downtown punk-music scene. She prides herself in her lack of musical talent, and quickly becomes a legend in her own mind.
Seidelman told Filmmaker Magazine, “At one point, during rehearsal, the lead actress fell off a fire escape and broke her leg causing us to delay filming for several months. This meant re-casting and rewriting the script to accommodate changes in actors, locations, and crew members. Yet, all these stops and starts actually improved the film, since I was able to see what scenes were working and what story changes needed to be made.”
Along with Susan Berman, the film stars Richard Hell, Cookie Mueller, and a score by The Feelies. After Desperately Seeking Susan, her follow-up to Smithereens, Seidelman went on to direct Making Mr. Right, She-Devil, Boynton Beach Club, the pilot episode of HBO’s Sex and the City and numerous TV shows.
Smithereens screens at the Metrograph for one week. Go here for tickets and showtimes.
