Joshua Ligairi » 07.13.11 »
I had some problems with Errol Morris' Tabloid. Enough problems that they actually lead me to question my heretofore mega-fandom of the man and his movies. It was the moment when he's speaking incorrectly about something I know a lot about and so everything I've trusted him on in the past teeters on the brink. I finally came to the conclusion that his failure in research on Tabloid was not significant enough to crush my love for his incredible films from Gates of Heaven and Vernon, Florida to Standard Operating Procedure and Fog of War. I will remain a fan (however cautiously) moving forward.
But there I go, burying the lead again.
In my recent reading of reviews and interviews surrounding Tabloid, I happened across some of Errol Morris' short films that I'd never seen (or didn't remember having seen) from the 2002/03 Oscars.
One with Mikhail Gorbachev was particularly interesting.
The short film I'm posting here (like pretty much every Oscar short) is designed to remind us all exactly why we love movies so much. At first, it borders on being cliche and boring, but as it goes on, it really picks up steam for me. What is particularly delightful here is the choice of subjects. How odd it is to jump from Laura Bush to Jello Biafra or from Jack Valenti to Lou Reed--all agenda free, all joyously recounting their favorite films. Where else can you see Iggy Pop discuss Bambi's eyes? Gorbechev is featured briefly in this one too and is pretty hilarious (albeit unintentionally), ranking among my favorite interviewees. My other favorite earnestly references Ernest P. Worrell, which is always worth bonus points in my book.
More on this and all of Errol Morris' work can be found directly from the man himself at his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter (just don't expect him to follow you back). If you are not offended by the gross misrepresentation of a religious minority, I guess I'd recommend checking out Tabloid.
