Dennis Hensley Really Knows How to Party
9/17/2002
by Chris Lee
"Movies feel like old friends, even if they suck," says
Dennis Hensley. "I have a real soft spot for Armageddon.
Like it or not, Glitter and I have a history together."
And let's not forget Flashdance... and 9
1/2 Weeks...
and St. Elmo's Fire... and, okay, maybe we could forget
about Cruising. Hensley is definitely one film fan who
hasn't lost track of these cinematic gems, movies so bad
they've transcended the lemon label and become touchstones
of camp, pop cultural checkpoints that practically dare
the viewer to sit silent without cracking wise.
The
author of the popular novel Misadventures
in the (213),
Hensley has taken his love of movies both bad and good
and turned it into the joyous thrashing of Hollywood that
is his latest, Screening Party (Alyson Books).
With the help of five friends whose lives manage to mutate
as a
result of the monthly movie critiques, Screening Party is
the book equivalent to reality TV, with one foot (not to
mention other body parts) in the more visual medium
of film at all times, of course.
I
recently spoke with Hensley about his new book, its reality-based
characters and his take on a few movies not covered by
his latest production. Chris Lee: I learned from your press kit that my favorite
character in Screening Party, Dr. Beverly Beaverman, is
not real. You have no idea how upsetting this is to me—I
was going to ask you if you could put me in touch with
her, if she could be my new therapist!
Dennis
Hensley: Dr. Beaverman is real to me! She’s actually the alter-ego
of a friend of mine, this person she sort
of "channels." Whenever she sees something that’s
loaded with fucked up, psychologicoal aspects, she says, "Dr.
Beaverman would have a field day with this." She’s
not certified [to be a therapist] but she’s qualified.
She'd still do it!
Quentin Crisp once said that any movie is better than
real life—do you agree, even when it’s something like Mariah
Carey's Glitter?
Well, my thing is that I want real life to be like a movie,
which was a big theme in Misadventures in the (213). So
I tend to try to make that happen—like I'll throw drinks
in people’s faces or I’ll throw food at a date.
What about escapism?
I don’t have that need to escape into movies so much.
I know people who don’t want to see realistic, complicated
movies because it's too much like their real life. But
I don’t want to check shit at the door, I want my entertainment
to challenge me and call me on life’s bullshit as opposed
to reassure me and take me away.
If you could only watch one movie—any time you wanted,
as many times as you wanted, for the rest of your life—but
only ONE movie, what would it be?
It’s funny because sometimes you just never want to see
really good movies again. Like Boys
Don't Cry—it was powerful and moving and great,
but once was probably enough for me.
But then other movies, like Coyote
Ugly, I could watch
until the end of time… always finding another layer [laughs].
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite movies, also Body
Heat—I bet I could watch that until the end of time.
Body
Heat is great! People have forgotten that William
Hurt was really hot years ago. So have you tried writing
movies yourself?
I started in the last couple of years. I wrote two screenplays
with David Moreton, who directed Edge of Seventeen. One
is actually gettting shot, it’s called CleanCut and is
shooting in October.
Pretend I’m a studio exec and you have 15 seconds to pick
three living stars and I’ll let you make whatever movie
you want with them. Plus they’ll do whatever you want in
said pretend film, including full nudity. Who are your
three choices?
Oh, God... [pauses]. First, Viggo Mortensen—and he would
make out with me. Um... wow... I want to meet Britney.
Does that make me shallow? I want us to talk about dancing
like a slut, how it’s really fun and how it doesn’t necessarily
mean you’re a slut, but it’s still OK if you are. I want
her to be OK. And I’ve got one more star... The movie doesn’t
make any sense, I just want to take meetings. Wait... who
do I love? I wanna meet Goldie Hawn, circa 1980.
Like Foul
Play-era Goldie?
Yeah, Private
Benjamin/Seems Like Old Times Goldie. I
just want her to giggle like she does at everything I say...
maybe at a cocktail party.
I'm
sorry, did you say toga party? OR a toga party! [laughs] I’d like to travel on her little
bubble.
Who wouldn't? Now I’m going to throw out the titles of
some other movies that aren’t in Screening Party and I’d
like for you to say the first thing that comes to mind.
First up: The Talented Mr. Ripley....
Stylish, fucked up, loved it! That scene with Matt Damon
in the boat, kills Jude Law and holds him tenderly. That’s
what it’s all about.
Desperately Seeking Susan.
Dancing with your arms up in the air.
The Broken Hearts Club.
I have friends that saw it eight times and I have friends
that will hurl at the mere mention of it. But that Timothy
Olyphant is a snack and a half and super funny.
When Harry Met Sally.
It was Meg Ryan before we all knew what a big bag of BS
it all was.
Center Stage.
I have the soundtrack! Center
Stage is about that dress
coming unfurled, it’s about that guy doing that amazing
leap onto the motorcycle and it’s about the sassy black
girl and it’s about… oh, GOD, I loved it!
The
Legend of Billie Jean.
I don’t remember
seeing it, but I do remember the blond Pat Benatar hairstyle.
And the word "headband" comes
up.
The Hunger.
OK, The
Hunger is one my last crushes on a girl, it was
in college and I was in a show with her. Her name was Erin
and The Hunger was her favorite movie. So I wanted to know
it. I studied it.
Sixteen Candles.
Ahhh! Dollar theatre, Tempe, Arizona, three nights in
a row. Like it had already ran at the big theatres and
we went back again and again. Every character is a gem—like
the sister fucked up on muscle relaxers. And I loved those
long dialogue scenes; they were long, thoughtful scenes.
Fight Club.
I admire it,
but I walked out of that movie thinking, "David
Fincher, what the fuck did I ever do to you?" But,
you know, it was incredibley visceral and visually amazing.
And I have my red Fight Club leather jacket that I got
at a thrift store.
|
