Summer Love

 Hi everyone,

Happy first day of summer! Are you ready? What are your plans?

Wherever you end up, don't forget the sunblock. 

Stay cool,

Johnny Kitties Revisited: Celebrating My Favorite Johnny Depp Films – Ed Wood (1994)

Hi everyone,

I haven't started my Johnny Kitties tribute to Johnny's latest film release, Minamata, because it's not available on DVD until next month. In the meantime, you can find it for rent on demand and on streaming services. It's a sad but moving, important story, so check it out! 

Like last year for Johnny's birthday, I'm sharing an archived post celebrating one of my top picks. For the last few months, I've had Edward Scissorhands on my mind, but that's not the most timely choice on the brink of summer. 

Given what Johnny's been through in the last couple months (and six years), I scanned the Johnny Kitties list for something happy and light to mark the start of a new chapter. While I'm not sure it's all happy and light, I landed on another Tim Burton/Johnny Depp classic, Ed Wood. It's about friendship, acceptance, perseverance, and the love of making movies! I can't wait forJohnny to get back to that. Here's to a happier, healthier year and new Johnny Movies to come. 

Enjoy, and happy birthday, Johnny! 

Love, 

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details.]

"This is it! This is the one I'll be remembered for!"

Despite my involvement, this movie is a tender, comic gem. An amazing cast to work alongside in Martin Landau, Bill Murray, et al., but, of course, with Tim, there exists an almost brotherly sensibility, which made the whole experience a joy. Ultimately, I feel, with the artistic freedom we had, TB produced an American classic. A love letter to a filmmaker that didn't receive many. 
– Johnny Depp

After his death in 1978, Ed Wood became best known as the world's worst film director and a cult following was born. Among his biggest fans were Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. 

"This is Edward D. Wood, Jr." 

The real Ed Wood

Ed Wood's most famous features are the autobiographical Glen or Glenda, which explores a transvestite's struggle for a normal life, and Plan 9 from Outer Space, a science fiction/horror movie that was funded by local Baptist churches and completed in five days. Unlike your typical director, who may take all day to shoot one scene and finish a film in months, Ed Wood might have shot 30 scenes in a single day. Usually without permits, he had to steal shots whenever and as quickly as possible. His films weren't your typical Hollywood blockbusters; they were Ed Wood opuses. 

As scriptwriter Larry Karaszewski explained, "There's a personality to Ed Wood films that you don't necessarily get in a lot of other people's films. A lot of bad films are simply bad movies or incompetently put together. With Ed, you get a real sense of the filmmaker behind the camera. You see an Ed Wood movie, and you know it's an Ed Wood movie because of the obsessions and the fetishes. The stuff he's throwing up on the screen is clearly his way of working something out inside of him." 

In Ed Wood's eyes, every film he made would be the one to make it big. Scriptwriter Scott Alexander noted, "Where Ed's movies are distinctive is that there's such passion there. The passion is oftentimes misguided, but it's there." That's where Tim Burton's film takes flight. 

Ed Wood focuses on the director's friendship with aging Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), who has fallen from stardom after portraying "Dracula" during the Silent Era and was now battling drug addiction and poverty. After a chance meeting, Ed (Johnny Depp) wantes to help Bela – one of his childhood heroes – by giving him parts in his films. The friendship lasts until Bela's death five years later. 

"Let's Shoot This F#*%@r!"

When Tim Burton received this bio-pic's script, co-written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, he dropped his other projects and got to work, hardly changing anything on the page. He remembered, "It's probably the first time ever that I got a script and said, 'Yeah, let's shoot this.'"

Studying Ed Wood's original letters, Tim and Johnny got a sense of an unwavering upbeat optimism about his work. Because of that, Johnny's performance is hilariously enthusiastic and joyful. His other ingredients for the character of Ed Wood included the heart of The Wizard of Oz's Tin Man, the blind optimism of Ronald Reagan, and the distinctive voice of Casey Kasem. 

Working with Tim again on a project that became a labor of love for all involved was just what Johnny needed to break out of the dark place he was stuck in while filming What's Eating Gilbert Grape? "Ed was the rocket ship that took me away from that horrible, black, bleak time," he said. "This guy needed to be the ultimate optimist, dreamer, idealist. It was like being in a completely different suit or skin. It felt very good." 

His friend, Director Jim Jarmusch can attest: "I was staying at his house for a while when he was shooting Ed Wood, and sometimes I would pick him up from the set and we'd get dinner. It would take him three hours to stop being 'Ed Wood' – I just wanted to slap him to get that stupid smile off his face. We'd be in this Thai restaurant and Johnny is going, 'Hey, this Pad Thai is fabulous!'"

Johnny's performance fits perfectly into Tim Burton's version of an Ed Wood film – beautifully stylized in black and white with all the perceived normalcy of the 1950s. "You're mixing different elements," Tim explained. "You want to get the flavor of an Ed Wood movie without being an Ed Wood exactly." 

"This is perfect!" 

Tim Burton's Ed Wood is one of his best. It's one of Johnny's best. It's one of the world's best! They made a movie that struck a bittersweet balance between Ed Wood's rosy vision and reality. It is at once hilarious, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and joyful. 

This movie is about the love of filmmaking. In his review, Roger Ebert proclaimed that every film school in the country should show this film to their students to instill the devotion to and joy of the work. No matter what happens, everything is perfect in Ed's eyes. His love of producing and directing – getting the film in the can – was all that mattered. 

The writers noted that there were several more scenes reflecting Ed's insecurities and self-doubt, but they didn't make it into the film. Larry Karaszewski explained, "Johnny and Tim grew to love Ed so much that it made them uncomfortable to give  Ed those moments." 

At the heart of this movie is friendship and acceptance. No one in Ed Wood's circle is "normal," yet by the end of the film, you are cheering for all of them. Aside from Bela Lugosi and himself, Ed Wood's cast often included Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson (George "The Animal" Steele), ghoulish TV hostess Vampira (Lisa Marie), self-proclaimed psychic Criswell (Jeffrey Jones), and drag queen Bunny Breckenridge (Bill Murray). The "bad guys" in this movie were those embarrassed by Ed's love for cross-dressing or confused by his films' lack of continuity or retakes. But this troupe of misfits stuck together like family. And that was no clearer than in the relationship between Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi. 

Martin Landau as Bela, consulting with his director.

Brilliantly played by Martin Landau, becoming Bela Lugosi was a challenge: "What you've got here is a 74-year-old Hungarian morphine addict/alcoholic who has mood swings," Martin explained. "That would be hard enough, but it had to be Bela Lugosi, who everyone knows!"  

Paying homage to the actor, Martin considered this film a male love story, one between two guys who really needed and depended on each other. "You could tell that between Martin and Johnny there was a real respect and a kind of bonding that went on with them because they were both good at a certain level," Tim said. "It was exciting to see that."  

"We have to go see Ed Wood!" 

I had no idea who Ed Wood was at the time I saw this movie, and I don't remember how or where my family and I went to see the film. But I do remember two things: 1) There was no question that we were going to see it this time – no convincing, plotting, or pleading necessary, and 2) While watching the movie for the first time, I was worried about what my parents thought while Johnny strutted around in drag doing a strip tease among his friends in a meat packing plant. 

On the other hand, I was thrilled by Johnny's fearlessness to do whatever – and for Johnny, "whatever" usually guarantees the unexpected. It's a trait that remains in full force today, and one of the reasons I will always see his movies. Tim agrees, as he discussed being able to work with Johnny again on this project: "'Edward Scissorhands' was a character who didn't speak, and now we're dealing with a character that won't shut up. It's great to see an actor go from one thing to something completely different. There's a great energy to seeing something like that. He's just so willing to do anything that way. In fact, he usually wants to go farther than you want him to go. It's nice for other actors to see." The reviews everywhere for Tim Burton's little film were positive, even those from my own family.

Ed Wood was nominated for too many awards to list here. Among them were Johnny's third Golden Globe nomination and his win for Actor of the Year from the London Film Critics. Ed Wood earned two Oscars – one for Martin Landau's amazing performance and one for the makeup team who transformed him into Bela Lugosi.

Because of this movie, I sought out Ed Wood's own films, which I wanted to love as much as Tim, Johnny, and company did. But I just couldn't do it. They actually made me sad. I felt better once I found out that the writers are aware of this phenomenon: "What's interesting is that when you watch our movie, and then watch Ed Wood's films, our movie affects the Ed Wood films themselves," writer Larry Karaszewski said. "It's much harder to laugh at Ed Wood films, particularly Glen or Glenda. It feels like a piece of personal filmmaking, where you feel like this guy is putting his soul onto film." It's true: Watching the real Ed Wood movies, I was excited to see all the real people who were portrayed in Tim's Ed Wood, and I was still rooting for them to do well. I probably always will. 

Check it out: Once you see Ed Wood – and you should all see it – it'll happen to you too. This labor of love is contagious.

The Kitties will do anything to get this one made!

The Kitties were all for the Ed Wood homage in black and white. We had to choose a filming scene because that's what Ed loved best. Here is one of his great moments: Ed (Gordon) dragged the crew (including Norman, Simon, and Comet) out at 3 a.m. to steal an octopus prop from a nearby studio. Now, he's plopping Bela (B.J.) in the middle of it all to stage a big fight. This will match up perfectly with the big underwater finish Ed has planned for his latest movie. Who cares that they forgot to get the octopus motor or that Bela isn't quite underwater? This is perfect! (And only 25 more scenes to go tonight.) 

What came next?

After this, Johnny traded in his angora sweater for a mask to play the world's greatest lover, Don Juan DeMarco. Check out the Johnny Kitties page to see my review of Don Juan DeMarco and Johnny's other films.  

Congrats to the Celtic Champs!

Hi everyone,

The Boston Celtics are headed to the NBA finals!

The Kitties and I are ready with game-time snacks and advice that we'll continue to yell at the TV.  

Good luck toward four more wins – Go team! 

P.S. Coach Udoka, I ran out of cats, but we love you too. 

What's your mood?

 Hi everyone,

Since last time, I've been immersed in the Blogging Your Way Masterclass. There are lessons and homework every week, but I got a specific assignment from teacher Holly Becker before class even began: Transfer your blog over to Squarespace. Excited to get this push with a May 15 deadline, I dove in quickly but left the blog page for last.

That's where I am now and will be for months. Because Blogger has a completely different layout than Squarespace, I need to rebuild each post one by one in the new platform. So far, I'm through 2006 (50 posts), and I've already questioned several times whether this is worth it. 

However, as Holly suspected, I am much happier with the look of my blog. An unexpected bonus is that going through my old posts and drawings shows how prolific and consistent I was with goals and deadlines and, more importantly, how much I enjoyed making each drawing. I'll let you know if I still feel warm and fuzzy when I'm in the 400s, or if I'll want to jump out of a window. 

This is all to say, my revamped blog launch is a while away. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait. In the meantime, here's my latest mood board for the new home of Melissa's Kitties. 

If you haven't guessed already, the blog will have a new name but the same Kitties. I couldn't think of anything else to call it but The Mother Kitty, after the magical cat who started it all. What do you think? 

She and you keep me inspired. I'll keep you posted on my progress with the Kitties new home. (Someday, it will be ready.) 

Springing into Action

 Hi everyone,

I planned to mark the start of spring last month, but it was still freezing here. So, I ended up hibernating a bit longer under a warm blanket. We are experiencing some April showers this month, but I feel spring in the air now with the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The Kitties and I love this time of year. I remember when Tyrone and Walter treated it like a special occasion in 2019, letting me experiment with colored pencils. What do you think?

I am working toward revitalizing my blog and building a new home for it, but I'm stuck in the thinking phase. Feeling overwhelmed, I reached out for help, signing up for the Blogging Your Way Masterclass (April 22 to May 27) with Holly Becker. Her expertise will motivate me to realize the vision I have for the next phase for Melissa's Kitties, and I can't wait to get started!

I'm excited to embark on this new adventure and see where it leads. Stay tuned! 

Love,

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! 

It's the Year of the Tiger, which happens to be my sign. I am in good company: Some fellow Tigers include Mahershala Ali, David Attenborough, Jon Batiste, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amanda Gorman, Marilyn Monroe, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Stevie Wonder, and Michelle Yeoh. 

Each zodiac sign is celebrated every 12 years and festivities last over 2 weeks. The tiger is courageous, competitive, and always ready for a challenge. It can also be rebellious, short-tempered, and unpredictable. It sounds just like me! 

Look! Some of The Kitties – Tyrone, Comet, B.J. and The Mother Kitty – borrowed my black markers and got into their Tiger spirit. How will you celebrate? 

Love, 

Happy New and Mew Year!

 Hi everyone,

I can't believe it's 2022, can you? So goes pandemic life, where all sense of time is approximate and abstract. I hope this message finds you happy, healthy, safe, and surrounded by family and friends. 

As I've been promising, this will be a transformative year for Melissa's Kitties – with a new name, look, and platform, but the same old wonderful Kitties. The Kitties have been nagging me for years about getting this refreshing makeover! They itch to get out, see more of the world, and make new friends – and the pandemic only amplified their determination. 

Considering my lack of discipline here, I need your help as we move along this path – from deciding on a logo, colors, and designs to drawing ideas, potential products, and more. If you haven't already, please follow me on Instagram, too – @themotherkitty – where I plan to also share any latest developments. Stay tuned for all my questions, and thank you in advance for your advice and encouragement! 

In the meantime, the Kitties and I wish you a happy, exciting new year! 

After I drew this illustration (with The Mother Kitty's and Gordon's helpful pitch), I found out that January 2 is actually Mew Year's Day for cats. I'm not making this up! Upon learning this, two questions came to mind: 

1. Is there really a holiday for anything and everything? 

2. Shouldn't we celebrate cats every day?

The answer to both questions is yes. 

Mew Year's Day – created by Tom and Ruth Roy of wellcat.com – can serve as a reminder to appreciate our fantastic feline friends. Here are some things you can do to celebrate: 

• To help less fortunate kitties, consider giving to an animal charity, like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Humane Society of the United States, or your local animal shelter. 

• If you don't share your home with a cat yet, you can pick one up at that local animal shelter. Don't worry,  you will know which one wants to live with you when you meet. (It's no pressure since the cat always decides.)

• If you already have cats, give each a special holiday treat. They are waiting....

• Above all, give your cats grateful hugs today and every day because they deserve it. 

Here's to continued curiosity and vivid imaginations. May 2022 bring us all creative, joyful days and fulfilling, fun adventures with family, friends, and the Kitties.

Love, 

Celebrating Stephen Sondheim

 Hi everyone,

I know it's been a long time! I'm slowly making big plans for Melissa's Kitties with a new look coming soon in 2022. Please stay tuned...

In the meantime, let's take a moment to celebrate Stephen Sondheim, who passed away this weekend. I grew up watching West Side Story, and Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd is one of my all-time favorite films. 

Stephen Sondheim lived a long, fulfilled life, creating hundreds of amazing lyrics for us to enjoy. Yet, I know the void he left will never fully disappear. There will never be another Stephen Sondheim.

A few years ago, the Kitties performed some unforgettable moments of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods. Like any Sondheim-related effort, it was hard work that burst off the page! You can check out the film versions of these works on streaming services or DVD. 

First, Gordon embodied Sweeney Todd, out of jail after being convicted on a false charge by a corrupt judge and ready for revenge. 

And, then, for something completely different: Gordon played the Wolf, charming Mini as Little Red Riding Hood when she ventures Into the Woods on the way to Granny's house.

We haven't yet tackled West Side Story, but we will. Did you know that classic film is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year? Thanks to Turner Classic Movies, you can catch it in theaters across the country today or Wednesday. I'm heading out to see it on the big screen this afternoon. Are you? (Come on, treat yourself! You'll be glad you did.)  

I last saw Stephen Sondheim recently on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where they discussed Steven Spielberg's new version of West Side Story, which hits theaters December 10. He assured us, "It's fantastic!" I don't doubt it and can't wait to see it. Mark your calendars! 

Above all else, when checking out any of his work, sing along, tip your glass or throw your shoe in thanks to Mr. Sondheim for his glorious words and music. They'll live forever. 

Johnny Kitties Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #59. City of Lies (2021)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

I really only wanted Johnny Depp for this role. I know there was a version of Russ Poole in someone else's hands that was just potentially boring, and uninteresting  – and I knew in Johnny's hands, that would never be the case. – Director Brad Furman

This is the guy you want on the case. 

Based on true events, City of Lies presents the intricate unsolved mystery around the murder of rapper Christopher Wallace – better known as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls – who was gunned down at a stop light after leaving an event in Las Vegas in 1997, just months after the similar death of rapper Tupac Shakur. Based on the nonfiction book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, this film follows Detective Russell Poole (Johnny Depp) as he seeks and becomes obsessed with the truth – at the cost of his family, health and faith in the Los Angeles Police Department. 

Why is everyone shooting each other? 

City of Lies was a surprise release in 2021 that I found out about from Johnny himself when he publicized it on his Instagram account. (I could get used to this.) The movie was actually ready in 2018 but shelved days before it was supposed to be released. There are many theories why, but none provide a definitive explanation, so I will just take this sudden treat and forget about the drama around it. 

This is a fast-paced, intense movie that presents plenty of theories of its own about the murder of Biggie Smalls. Detective Russell Poole was hot on the trail but hit roadblock after roadblock as he discovered involvement and cover-up activities by several of his fellow police officers in the Los Angeles Police Department. He became so obsessed with cracking the case that he studied it for more than 20 years, until his death in 2019. 

The film was originally called LAbyrinth, after the book on which it's based, because that's what this investigation became. There are so many people involved, it took me a few viewings to track who they all were and why and how they took part. (I'm not sure I fully get it yet, but it doesn't matter.) 

To help us along, Forest Whitaker plays an invented character, Darius "Jack" Jackson, a journalist who reported wrongly on the murder when it happened and is now trying to correct his past mistakes. He seeks out Detective Poole hoping to figure things out together. "Jackson is a made-up character, but he's the kind of made-up character that's necessary because Poole's going through something very serious and very intense, and he's got no one to turn to," Johnny says. 

This is not a spoiler: The murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur remain unsolved. Despite the subject matter being more than 20 years old, the topic is extremely relevant today. Director Brad Furman hopes City of Lies will peak enough curiosity to keep the investigation going. 

Was this one worth the wait?

Of course, my answer is yes! 

City of Lies is like a mix of documentary and film noir styles. Director Brad Furman strove to give it a more realistic feel, and I think he succeeds. It starts off with a bang, literally – a case of seemingly unrelated L.A. road rage – and doesn't let up. It's dark, gritty and uses footage of actual news reports and interviews about Christopher Wallace's murder. In fact, his mother Voletta participated in one of the movie's scenes. The director read LAbrynth years ago and wanted to make the movie but wouldn't do so without the approval of both Wallace and Shakur families. He got it. And, with the untimely death of Russell Poole before production began, everyone involved with this film was committed to getting the message and story right for the real families involved. They still seek resolution and peace.

I was also really excited about Johnny and Forest Whitaker working together in City of Lies, so many years after their first movie together, Platoon. Apparently, they were keen about this chance, 32 years later! Most of their scenes were tense, argumentative and confrontational, as they pushed each throughout the investigation. "For me, Jackson is the alter ego of Poole, but mostly the pessimistic side. Mostly, Poole is facing a side of him that he is not and refuses to be, and Jackson is looking at a version of himself that he could never be," Johnny says. "He doesn't have that purity, that belief that you can make a difference – one man." 

These two actors also work differently, as the director explains, "Forest  had a lot of questions and wanted a lot of things from me that Johnny just wasn't asking. They have very different approaches and my hope and goal was that that would create some time of energy on screen that would be exciting for us to watch." The rest of the cast is full of fantastic character actors, who matched their energy and created a fitting murky, volatile atmosphere for them. Two standouts for me are Glen Plummer as Psycho Mike and Rockmond Dunbar as Dreadlocks. (They both have good hair.) 

These days (and, really, always), I love seeing Johnny work without any accent or elaborate costume or disguise. It's in these kinds of roles that his talent as an actor really comes through clearly. Writer Randall Sullivan knows what I'm talking about: "When I watched the film, it really struck me more than it ever has that film actors have to be masters of such subtle expression. I mean, a lot of acting is done with the eyes. Johnny was really able to convey a lot of deep emotion that brought Russ back to me with a pretty stoic – apparently stoic – demeanor." 

Here, Johnny plays an average, good guy whose work has taken over his life. I can see why he connected to this role of someone who will go to extremes to get to the truth. As the director explains, "I felt, in getting to know Johnny, there was a real innocence....He's a big believer in just truth and justice, simplicity. And, when you take all that, and you understand that he looks at it through this innocent lens, I felt that the role of Russell Poole fit just like a glove...I believe Johnny felt a real deep connection to the material and his fight for truth and justice. That was something we talked a lot about on Day 1." 

True to form, Johnny did exhaustive research and met with the director for hours that day, during which they connected on everything from the book and character to life and music, in general. As usual, he added his own personal touches, including friends Joe Perry on the soundtrack and activist Killer Mike in a scene. 

Russell Poole steadfastly believed in the Homicide Investigator's Creed, which he taped to his desk: "No greater honor will ever be bestowed on an officer than when he is entrusted with the investigation of the death of a human being. It is his duty to find the facts regardless of color and creed." After being shut out by his fellow officers during the investigation, he quit weeks before his retirement, but continued the work on his own. He lost his family over his obsession with the truth and worked at it until the day he died. "It's shocking that the truth can actually be buried if a couple of powerful institutions want to collaborate to do it, but it leaves the people who know the truth in an unbearable situation because they can't unknow that truth," Writer Randall Sullivan says. "To live with the fact that it's being buried, in Russel Poole's case, it just sort of killed him day by day."

The Kitties are on the case now. 

In this movie, I loved watching Forest Whitaker and Johnny in their tense scenes and how thoroughly Russell Poole worked to put the pieces together to solve his case. Here, our Kitties, Walter and Gordon, depict one of their fights, an argument that questions Detective Poole's integrity. That's not the right thing to question because you can see how his apartment was consumed by his work everywhere you look. He was connecting the dots all over the walls.

What's next? 

I'm still waiting to see Johnny as war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Minamata, which was supposed to be released last February 5 but wasn't. Is this some strange new Hollywood publicity tactic? It's okay. I'm game for another surprise movie treat. Minamata won't be any happier than City of Lies, but I'll be happy to see it whenever it shows up. Stay tuned.... 

Johnny Kitties Revisited: Celebrating My Favorite Johnny Depp Films – Arizona Dream (1993)

Hi everyone,

The Johnny Kitties tribute to Johnny's latest film release, City of Lies, is in progress but not ready in time for his birthday today. Instead, I thought I'd share some past posts celebrating my top picks. 

Scanning the list, Film #7: Arizona Dream was the first to catch my eye. It's got an amazing cast, tells an unusual story, and is so entertaining (even if I don't always understand it). Recently, Paulina Porizkova, who plays Millie in the film, reminisced about the shoot on Instagram, remembering what a fantastic time everyone had making this movie. (Maybe that's why this one is on my mind.) 

If you watch Arizona Dream, I think you'll see that everyone had fun. I had a good time writing about it too. Enjoy, and happy birthday, Johnny! 

Love, 

What is Johnny Kitties? See the Johnny Kitties page for all the details.

Johnny's in your dreams.

After Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp showed up in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare as a thank you to the people who cast him in his first movie. In this funny cameo appearance, he makes an anti-drug public service announcement on late-night TV. It's only a few seconds before Freddy interrupts the commercial with a classic slapstick move. 

I didn't draw anything for this  because I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I thought I should mention it. If you're not an avid follower of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, you can find Johnny's cameo on YouTube. I was going to post it here, but Freddy Krueger makes The Kitties and me nervous.

Johnny has his own weird dream.

With that, we move on to Johnny's next movie. Yesterday, I found a 12-page research article, printed in the European Journal of American Studies in 2010, that analyzes how Arizona Dream reflects the director's European view of America and details all the intentions and symbolism that go into that. Maybe I'll read it someday, but my short analysis is that Arizona Dream, the first American project by Serbian film director Emir Kusturica, is a work of art. 

It sparks all sorts of emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, unease, confusion. The director manipulates the film throughout – smearing and blurring images, highlighting reflections, or maneuvering objects for a dreamlike state. The characters and situations are absurd, and there are flying fish and Eskimo dreams. I may never understand this movie fully – maybe I should read that study – but every time I play it, I find something new. Whatever it really means, Emir Kusturica's ingredients make this movie highly entertaining.

In this coming-of-age story, New Yorker Axel Blackmar (Johnny Depp) is dragged back home to Arizona to attend his uncle's wedding. Uncle Leo (Jerry Lewis), a used car salesman, guilts Axel into staying in town to help him run the business. On his first day, he meets Elaine (Faye Dunaway) and her step-daughter Grace (Lili Taylor). The three become involved in a relationship that is at times sweet, weird, hilarious, and toxic.

At their first meeting, Emir Kusturica and Johnny hated each other, but they shook off their first impressions and got along fine during their second meeting three weeks later. (Today, they remain great friends.) For unexplained reasons – Johnny doesn't even know – Johnny saw his character as a chicken, growing up and becoming a rooster. You'll notice this in his hairstyle, mannerisms, and impeccable impression. "He lets you do anything – anything!" Johnny said of working with Emir Kusturica. "If you go to any other director and say, 'I'd like to seduce her by becoming a rooster,' that's it. You're fired. Get out!"

What excited me most about this film was the people involved. I hadn't heard of Emir Kustrica at the time, but Johnny was working with Faye Dunaway, Jerry Lewis, Paulina Porizkova, and Lili Taylor! I was sold. Faye Dunaway is brilliant as Elaine, and while I never caught on to Jerry Lewis's trademark humor, he's really good as the grown-up in this movie. 

In a dream sequence during which Axel and Uncle Leo are Eskimos fishing in Alaska, they have a conversation in the native language. On the set, Jerry stopped Johnny from learning his lines in proper Eskimo, saying that they could just make it up during filming. (I think the Eskimos would notice, wouldn't they?) Johnny was terrified, but did his best trying to keep up with what Jerry Lewis could probably do in his sleep. I think it works, just as Jerry said it would. There's some talent in that, but you've got to love Johnny's preference for authenticity. The Eskimos probably would have appreciated that more too.

What's Tom Petty doing here? 

Amid filming, Arizona Dream was stalled a bit due to illness. During the break, Johnny made a quick trip to star in Tom Petty's latest music video, "Into the Great Wide Open." 

At the time, MTV was still playing videos, and Tom Petty was riding high as one of the art form's pioneers. His videos are like short films, and they became increasingly star-studded. Johnny plays Eddie in this story, but you'll also find him making a quick cameo as the tattoo artist working on Matt LeBlanc's arm. When Johnny asked Faye Dunaway if she would like to "meet my friend Tom" and shoot the video with him, he said she turned into a squealing teenage girl. 

Of course, Comet just dug this video out of the archives, and The Kitties are already singing along. Blogger's embed feature isn't working to embed this great video, but you can see it here. 

Everybody get back to work! 

After that side job, Arizona Dream was completed. Johnny looks back on the film fondly: "Everybody in Hollywood, in the movie business, is always concerned about how much a movie's going to make in the box office and how many theaters it's in, how popular it becomes," he said. "Who cares about the numbers when you're able to experience something like this, live through something like this, and be involved in something as magical as this."

Though Arizona Dream did have a limited theatrical release somewhere in the world, I couldn't find it. "I imagine that when Warner Brothers saw this film, they must have been shocked,"Johnny said. Its sudden appearance on video and DVD three or so years later must have been a result of Johnny's increasing popularity. I think I bought the video through eBay, but I also saw the movie on cable, which gave me the full picture. Sadly, the video and DVD versions are not adjusted for letterbox format, a frustrating lapse. For example, you miss the full humor of the scene where Uncle Leo and Elaine are discussing Axel's future over a civilized cup of tea because Axel and his cousin Paul (Vincent Gallo) – who are rolling around in the dirt beating each other up in the background – are cropped out of the frame. The DVD is also missing the subtitles for the conversation between Uncle Leo and Axel in the final Eskimo dream sequence that I mentioned earlier, a conversation that touches on one of the film's main themes. Dedicated to the memory of his father, Emir Kusturica's film reminds us that, in order to grow, you need to remember your roots, respect your elders, and learn from your ancestors.

Despite these flawed products, the film still comes across well. I was absolutely thrilled when Roger Ebert featured the DVD on At the Movies, calling it a whimsical love story and pointing out the fine performance by rising star, Johnny Depp. (Why do I remember these things?) People listen to Roger Ebert, I thought; the movie will be seen now.

The Kitties and I are unanimous.

For Johnny Kitties, the scene to draw was clear: Axel and Paul enjoying their first dinner with Elaine and Grace. One of the great things about this movie is that so much is going on in each scene, and this 15-minute, hilarious, crazy scene tops them all.

Elaine (The Mother Kitty) spends the evening talking about one of her obsessions, Papua New Ginea, a topic that is killing her step-daughter Grace, who threatens to yank the tablecloth off to destroy the table setting if she mentions it one more time. Meanwhile, Axel (Gordon) is explaining his recurring Eskimo dream (while keeping his eye on Grace's pet turtle, who has his mind set on escape.) Paul (Norman) is focused on Elaine's legs – and the big plate of spaghetti in front of him – and Grace is playing footsie with Axel under the table. Through it all, the wobbly ceiling fan is threatening to crash on the party, and Django Rhinehardt's fantastic song "Minor Swing" is whirling in the background.

The Mother Kitty insisted on playing Faye Dunaway's role. No one could deny that she's perfect for it, though I hesitated considering Axel and Elaine's romantic entanglements later on in the story. But, if we're just doing this scene, I suppose it's okay. Simon was supposed to play the part of Axel's wily cousin Paul, but was bullied out of his seat once Norman saw all the food on the table and found out that all he had to do in the scene was eat the spaghetti. Ashes, who loves Lili Taylor as much as the rest of us, was excited to play Grace because she couldn't wait to smash the dishes. (She's disappointed that we didn't get to that point.)

I added some windows in the background to highlight some other interesting movie moments: The first introduces Uncle Leo (B.J.) and his new wife Millie (Paulina Porizkova/Lily) next to his newly planted cactus on the front lawn of his flamingo pink home. The middle window shows the Eskimo family in Axel's dream after Dewey, the dad, returns home with fish for dinner. (Simon was happy to switch roles with Norman and play in the snow with Mini here.) The last window displays one of Elaine's beloved flying machines, which Axel keeps building and Grace keeps destroying in this story.

None of this makes much sense does it? Well, I don't always say this, but listen to Roger Ebert and rent Arizona Dream. It still might not make complete sense, but it'll be worth it.

What's coming up? 

After this, Simon got busy teaching Gordon his favorite circus tricks and pratfalls because, next, Johnny would channel Buster Keaton to create another memorable character and performance in Benny and Joon. Check out the Johnny Kitties page to see my review Benny and Joon and Johnny's other films. 

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Copyright credits: Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare) photo © New Line Cinema; Arizona Dream stills and DVD cover image © StudioCanal Image/Hachette Premiere; "Into the Great Wide Open" official music video still courtesy of TomPetty.com; Illustration © Melissa Connolly