Magic Lantern - "Monster In A Box"

It was like watching a human trainwreck...

I just stumbled on Monster In A Box, the second of two films staring actor/screenwriter/playwright Spalding Gray, while flipping around channels this evening. Spalding's first movie, Swimming to Cambodia, was sprung on me by my friend Karl some years ago. At the time I was at the peak of my martial arts and action phase, but here I was riveted by a man seated at a desk on stage and talking for nearly and hour-and-a-half. Again tonigh, I sat relaxed and happy that we've finally gotten things organized a little after our move, and couldn't switch the channel or look away. I knew how it turned out, knew how Spalding tamed his boxed "monster", but had to finish watching all the same.

Oh, the fact that both movies used creative and dramatic stage lighting, were shot and edited well by directors smart enough to let the camera be an eye rather than an interprerative device, and were scored impeccably by Laurie Anderson all certainly helped...but thanks to Spalding's quick wit, keen ear and pseudo-jewish frantic paranoia, I felt like I was with Spalding on every leg of his trip. It was amazing.

Watching Monster In A Box tonight reminds me of why I felt Spalding was so amazing. Why, when I heard about his death some time ago (has it really been three years?) was I profoundly sad - Spalding had an insight in to patterns.

I can't help but find themes or patterns in things - it help keeps me sane at night, maybe. Or maybe I'm just overly romantic and hopeful that the world just isn't random bits of things that happen. Listening to Spalding talk about his novel, the struggle to finish it, and his adventures along the way (taking Hollywood meetings, traveling Russia, starring in a Broadway revival of "Our Town"), makes me think that for all his hypocondriac tendancies and depression that he was very zen at heart. I like to think we'd have gotten along, and frankly I'm sorry that I never got a chance to meet the man.

And like Douglas Adams, the world is poorer for his not being in it. Like Cambodia before it, Monster emulates the same reporter-at-his-desk livingroom conversation theatrics that made Spalding internationally famous. It's just as personal, raw, funny, and thought provoking as the original, and it made me glad to know that somewhere in the midst of politcians who play for the TV cameras, or actors with delusions of political punditry, there was an honest-to-God human being that partied, drank, loved, feared, and had simple adventures that most of us will never share.

Thank you for having the courage to let us in to your life, Spalding. We miss you.